Author: Trafficblast

We’re less than two weeks away from E3 2019. While many of the industry’s biggest publishers still hold press conferences in the days leading up to the expo, Nintendo will once again air a pre-recorded Nintendo Direct in lieu of a live stage show, which will showcase a number of games coming to Switch this year. Before that, however, the company is airing a Pokemon-focused Direct on June 5, with a series of invitational tournaments following on June 8. If you plan on tuning in, here’s everything you need to know about what time it all starts and where you can watch it.

What Time Do Nintendo’s E3 Livestreams Start?

As it traditionally does, Nintendo is airing its E3 Direct presentation the morning the expo begins. This year, that falls on Tuesday, June 11. The company hasn’t specified how long the stream will be–Directs typically run anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes–but it is scheduled to begin at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. In the UK, the presentation will start at 5 PM BST, while viewers in Australia will need to stay up until 2 AM AET on June 12.

Tuesday’s Direct will be the “big” one in terms of what the company plans to showcase, but it is hardly the only stream Nintendo is airing ahead of E3. On Wednesday, June 5, there will be a special Pokemon Direct. That will begin at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET / 2 PM BST and will reveal new details about the upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield games. Then on Saturday, June 8, Nintendo will host back-to-back tournaments for Super Mario Maker 2, Splatoon 2, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, beginning at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET / 7 PM BST.

Where To Watch

Nintendo will be streaming its various broadcasts on its Twitch and YouTube channels, as well as on its website. You’ll also be able to watch the Pokemon and E3 Directs right here on GameSpot. We’ll have both streams available on-site, so you can tune in during the times outlined above and watch the presentations unfold.

What To Expect

Nintendo has been characteristically tight-lipped about its E3 2019 Direct; all the company has said thus far is that the presentation will offer “a look at Nintendo Switch titles for 2019,” of which there are quite a few already lined up. Daemon X Machina, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Luigi’s Mansion 3, and the upcoming remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening are all slated to release sometime this year, so we’ll presumably learn more about those during the broadcast. Nintendo has also said that a new Animal Crossing game for Switch is coming out in 2019; presuming it hasn’t been delayed, there’s a good chance we’ll get our first look at the title during the company’s E3 Direct.

Nintendo typically has one or two surprise announcements hidden up its sleeve as well, and that may prove true again this year–although what those could be is anyone’s guess. It’s also been a while since the company has provided any update on the Switch exclusive Bayonetta 3; perhaps we’ll finally learn more about it at this year’s E3. There are a handful of smaller games slated to arrive this year as well, including the tentatively named Town from Pokemon developer Game Freak and the Zelda/Crypt of the NecroDancer crossover, Cadence of Hyrule; the latter is releasing sometime in June, so we may hear more about it at E3.

As previously mentioned, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are revealing more about Pokemon Sword and Shield during the dedicated Pokemon Direct that takes place on June 5, so any new information we learn about the titles will likely come from that broadcast. There’s also a chance Nintendo may unveil some new content for Splatoon 2 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate during their respective tournaments on June 8. Following last year’s Splatoon World Championships, the company announced the release date of the game’s Octo Expansion DLC, so it isn’t out of the ordinary for reveals to come out of these events. There are still four unannounced DLC fighters in the works for Smash Bros., so we may get a look at another one during its tournament, and perhaps Nintendo will cap off its Super Mario Maker 2 invitational with some kind of surprise for that game.

Many other companies have some big plans for this year’s E3, as well. Be sure to check out our full E3 2019 press conference schedule for more details on what Microsoft, Ubisoft, Bethesda, and others have lined up for this year’s expo.

One of the most eagerly anticipated games of E3 2019 is Square Enix’s Avengers title. It should come as no surprise that there’s a great deal of excitement surrounding the game; not only has Marvel just wrapped up one of the most exciting movie events of the last decade with Avengers: Endgame, but it also scored a win in the video game space. Marvel’s Spider-Man, which was developed by Insomniac Games and launched as a PlayStation 4 exclusive in 2018, received widespread critical acclaim for its storytelling and gameplay. Things are looking good for Marvel right now, which could bode well for the Avengers game.

The game was originally announced in January 2017 as “The Avengers Project.” Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal, the teams behind Tomb Raider and Deus Ex, respectively, were attached as developers. Since then, a new teaser has been released and it indicates that the game is called “Marvel’s Avengers.” Aside from the new name, Square Enix, Marvel, Crystal Dynamics, and Eidos Montreal have played their cards very close to their chests. We’re hoping they go big at E3 and, ahead of the event, we’ve put together a breakdown of everything we know and what we want to see. Take a look below.

What We Know So Far

Marvel’s Avengers is the first chapter in a multi-game partnership between the comic book titan and Square Enix. The initial trailer confirmed that the world it is set in hasn’t been too kind to superheroes–perhaps they’ve even been demonized. “They say the time of heroes is over,” a narrator says in the original teaser trailer. “That if you’re different, you’re dangerous. But I know the truth. The world will always need heroes. We just need to reassemble.”

The use of ‘reassemble” is important, as the original video then shows Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, Captain America’s shield, and Iron Man’s repulsor-equipped hand armor, though they’ve seen much better days. The implication is that the Avengers have been scattered, maybe even defeated. That means the player could play some part in the team’s re-emergence in a time of need.

Square Enix has said Avengers “is being designed for gamers worldwide and will be packed with all the characters, environments, and iconic moments that have thrilled longtime fans of the franchise.”

Square Enix also indicated that Avengers is being developed with long-term play in mind, saying it will feature “a completely original story” and “will introduce a universe gamers can play in for years to come.”

Since the game’s initial reveal, it has come to light that Shaun Escayg, the creative director and writer of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, is serving as the creative director on Avengers. Stephen Barry, who was director of product development at Visceral Games, where he worked on titles like the Dead Space series, joined the development effort as director of production.

What’s Confirmed For E3

Square Enix is hosting its E3 2019 press conference on June 10 at 6 PM PT. As revealed on Twitter, Avengers will be part of its presentation, though it didn’t provide any indication of what we’ll see. Leaks, however, have given us a glimpse into not only what we could see at E3, but what the game is.

Details on the game leaked via the E3 Coliseum website, and although the information has been removed now, the cat is out of the bag. The description for a segment focused on the Avengers game indicated it will feature both solo and co-op play, and offer players the ability to customize their characters.

“Embrace your powers and join key members of the development team at Crystal Dynamics and the creative team at Marvel Games as they talk exclusively about the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers,” the description read. “This is the defining Avengers gaming experience: an epic action-adventure that combines cinematic storytelling with continuous single-player and co-operative gameplay. Moderated by Andrea Rene, assemble in teams up to four players, master extraordinary abilities, customize your heroes to fit your playstyle, and combine powers to defend an ever-expanding world under constant threat.”

What We Hope To See At E3

Given that we’ve seen no gameplay of Avengers thus far, we’d like to see Square Enix go in-depth and show us exactly what playing the game actually involves. There are big questions around whether the game will allow players to take control of one of the core members of the Avengers team or cast them as a newcomer that fights alongside the iconic Marvel squad. If it’s the former, Square Enix will need to delve into how it’s realizing the unique powers and abilities of the superheroes in gameplay, and how the game is designed to make that feel satisfying. If it’s the latter, we want to know how we’ll be able to shape our own hero.

Both Square Enix and Marvel have hinted at aspects of the game’s story, such as the Avengers being in disarray and the world becoming hostile to heroes. The leak also states that it all takes place in an “ever-expanding world under constant threat.” We’re getting a games-as-a-service vibe from this setup, and we’d like to see how the developers plan to keep us coming back time after time. More importantly, how are they achieving this without diluting the hero fantasy experience that many come to superhero games like this for?

Indulging our own fantasies briefly, we’d like to hear about what involvement Marvel has in crafting the experience. All the best superhero games have had key creatives with a proven track record involved to some degree, whether that’s Paul Dini, Jim Lee, and Geoff Johns for Rocksteady’s various Batman Arkham games, or Dan Slott for Insomniac’s Spider-Man. It would be good to know if Marvel’s own talent is being leveraged or at the very least what Square Enix’s developers are drawing influence from. It’d be pretty cool if Jonathan Hickman or Mark Millar walked out on stage and confirmed they’re lending their talents to the project–though perhaps that’s asking a bit too much.