Video Game Odds – PAX East Promises Major News

Have you heard of PAX? Back in 2004, the folks at Penny Arcade decided to put together a show that was exclusively for gaming. Over the years, it has become one of the largest gaming events in North America.

PAX has expanded from Seattle (PAX Prime), to Australia (PAX Aus), Texas (PAX South), and Boston (PAX East). The Boston show is going down this April 22nd to 24th at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. There will so much to take in that nerdgasms will be heard all the way down the Green Line.

The show has become a hotbed for hot-off-the-presses gamer news. Major announces seem to come left, right, and center. (I guess that should be “up, down, and right trigger.”) This year will be no different. But which rumors will prove true? I put the odds on topics and announcements that could get covered at this year’s PAX East event.

Will we finally get to see a closer look of the Nintendo NX? Or will virtual reality be the biggest showcase? Here are a few educated guesses.

Nintendo NX Console

There is a lot of buzz about the new console from the House of Mario, which may be coming out just in time for Christmas. There is talk that the NX will replace the Wii U and 3DS by being a console/mobile device hybrid. Nintendo may not want to commit to this just yet, but like that kid from Angels in the Outfield said, “it could happen!”

• Odds the NX is announced as a console/mobile hybrid at PAX East: 3/1

Playstation VR

Not much is really known about what Sony used to call Project Morpheus. What is known about the Playstation VR is that it’s a virtual reality headset that will connect to the PS4 – I know, riveting stuff. What gamers need is just a little taste of what Sony’s VR headset can do, info on when it will be released, and most of all, how much it will cost.

We’re likely to get some info on the VR at PAX East. If price and release-date announcements are made, what are we likely to hear?

• Odds that the announced price will be higher than $500 US: 3/2
  
• Odds that the announced release date will be before September 1st: 2/3

Final Fantasy XV

Expect a lot of news, gameplay demos, and all kinds of other goodies regarding one of the most anticipated games of the year. There are rumors that FF XV will be coming later in 2016 (possibly around Christmas) and will be available not only for the PS4 and Xbox One but for the new Nintendo NX.

• Odds an FF XV release date is announced at PAX East: 4/1

Microsoft Hololens

Of course, we can’t forget about Mircrosoft’s entry into the VR world with what they call the “Hololens.” It’s one of the first VR headsets to combine reality with its virtual counterpart, creating what’s called an “augmented reality” – layering computer-generated images on top of the real world. (Think Robocop.) Like the Sony VR, gamers want to know the release date and where can they try one. Are we gonna learn that at PAX East?

• Odds a Hololens release date is announced at PAX East: 5/1

The Last Guardian

This game has been in production limbo since 2009 when it was supposedly coming out for the PS3. Imagine being the person who preordered the game back then. Wowza. Well, we are finally coming closer to a release date which means you’re going to start seeing Sony really starting to push the game and providing more and more details. I wouldn’t be surprised if some new little tidbits come out at PAX East.

• Odds an updated TLG release date is announced at PAX East: 6/1

(Feature Photo Credit: Keith McDuffee (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gudlyf/7052355481/) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.)