14 DAY TRIAL // The E3 trade show will take place next week, allowing the biggest companies in the video game space to show off their future projects, talk about their past performance and try to wow gamers with their trailers and game demos.
Japan-based Sony faces quite a big problem ahead of the show: the April 20 hacker attack that resulted in a loss of service for the PlayStation Network and in the theft of the personal data, credit card information included, for a large number of users.
The company will probably address the incident during its press conference and will make a big effort to convince PS3 and PSP users that the PSN and attached services are all secure and I would not be surprised to see them announce some kind of loyalty program for those who continue to use the service and pay for games on it in the coming future.
Sony has relied heavily on platform exclusives since the PlayStation 3 was launched and don't be surprised to see more of them announced at E3, with possibilities including a new SOCOM, a new God of War type game, a new MotorStorm or even a new Gran Turismo revealed for the first time.
The company will also continue to talk about games that players are already familiar with and are coming this year like Uncharted 3, the Naughty Dog game that will again push the boundaries of what the PS3 can do, Resistance 3 or Twisted Metal.
On the hardware front, the big news from Sony will be about the NGP, possibly Vita or the PlayStation Portable 2, with those attending the show allowed to see the new handheld in action and news delivered on the first games that will use it.
It's unlikely that Sony will offer any official information about the PlayStation 4, but expect a lot of talk about how the Move and the use of 3D can extend the life of its current home console for the next four or five years.