The Electronic Entertainment Expo, or "E3", as we all know it, is the "big one" of video game conferences. Every year thousands of media, potential investors and retailers embark on The City of Angels in Southern California, as the industry's biggest publishers showcase their most exciting games across three epic Los Angeles Convention Center floors.
This year's event is fast approaching, and with only five weeks to go it's already shaping up to be one of the biggest and best E3 events we've seen for a while. Nintendo is poised to showcase Wii U, which is surely enough reason to pay attention to the epic three-day event.
Sony is also set to have a big showing as the showroom doors open on June 6, with a number of exciting exclusives, potential blockbusters and new reveals sure to reinvigorate an arguably dry time for gamers.
Can Sony make E3 2012 its own?
Games We Should See
The Last Of Us
Announced at last year's GTV Spike Awards, The Last of Us is Uncharted developer, Naughty Dog's newest PlayStation 3 exclusive. The Last of Us is a genre-defining experience that blends survival and action elements to tell a character driven tale about a modern plague decimating mankind. Nature encroaches upon civilisation, forcing remaining survivors to kill for food, weapons and whatever they can find.
Sly Cooper 4
This game simply looks amazing. The immensely popular Sly Cooper returns for his first outing on PlayStation 3, bringing with him all-new stealth mechanics and action combat! This game is long overdue.
God of War Ascension
The recently announced next addition to the God of War series will undoubtedly take center-stage at E3 this year, as Sony's iconic hero, Kratos, returns for his second outing on the PlayStation 3.
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royal
The rumours have been swirling for months, but Sony officially revealed the game, showcasing a number of iconic PlayStation characters engaging in all-out brawls in memorable environments. But can it be as good as Super Smash Bros.?
Games We Might But Probably Won't See
The Last Guardian
The Last Guardian comes from Team Ico, the folks that brought us the brilliant Ico and the memorableShadow of the Colossus. By taking a glance at the clip below you'll understand why you need to be excited about this title; its ability to tell a story, or at least hint at one, gives us an idea of what to expect, in regards to both the narrative and characters. It's no secret that Team Ico know how to write a good story, and while their games might not appeal to a mainstream audience, they only further commit to the pro-"Games can be Art" movement.
Agent
Agent will take players all around the globe in the shadowy world of late 1970s espionage. We know very little about this Rockstar exclusive and it was one thought to be a 2011 release, only for no information to be released aside from the occasional tidbit.
Final Fantasy versus XIII
Versus follows a young king sworn to defend the last crystal in the world. It's an explosive, action-packed fight between ancient and modern technology, and the struggle of one king to protect the old ways. Hopefully we see some gameplay.
Games That Would Be Awesome
Killzone 4
This game's inevitable, but would Sony reveal a new Killzone before a Vita addition to the series?
Infamous 3
Like the above, Infamous on Vita should probably be a priority if Sony wants the handheld to have relevance beyond its first year of availability. But it would be awesome to see another PS3 entry for this electrifying series from Sucker Punch.
And Then There's Vita...
Zone of Enders HD Collection
The Zone of the Enders HD Collection will pack Zone of Enders and Zone of the Enders 2. It was first announced at E3 2011 for PlayStation 3, and was confirmed to include the "transfarring" system, which allows gamers to share a saved game from a console version with a handheld counterpart. Hopefully we see this on Vita at E3, just as we'll surely see the MGS HD Collection.
Call of Duty
This could potentially be the "system seller" that Sony needs for Vita. Will Activision reveal and showcase Call of Duty Vita on its own accord, or during Sony's press conference? We'll have to tune in to find out!
Infamous
Infamous seems like the perfect series for Vita: third-person, open world, dual-analog sticks. It seems like a match made in heaven. It's certainly a franchise that could help put Vita on the map.
Killzone
Killzone: Liberation was one of the best games on PSP. The series made a great transition from console FPS to handheld top-down tactical shooter. Will we see a similar title for Vita? Whether it's the former or latter won't matter: Killzone needs to come to Vita! Will we see something at E3?
Oh, And Don't Forget The PlayStation Network!
It'll be interesting to see what Sony can bring to the table for PSN+ users. The service itself is already quite engaging and definitely worthy of the coin, but as Microsoft continues to expand its Xbox Live media capabilities, how will Sony keep up? Expect them to reveal some new PSN tidbits at E3 2012!
So: Can Sony "Own" E3?
It's going to be tough for anyone to upstage Nintendo and Wii U, especially if they show off quality first-party software, which they will (and absolutely need to). That said, there's so much potential software that can be shown off by Sony, and the timing of the event certainly proposes a fantastic opportunity for the company to expand the worth of Vita, as well as give extra life to PS3. That is, if it doesn't announce a new console...
By Gaetano Prestia - Tweet @Gaetano_Prestia
What are you most looking forward to seeing from Sony at E3 2012?