E3 09: Grand Theft Auto Wii and Other Predictions

Written by John Scalzo  on May 26, 2009

Special: We gaze into our crystal ball and predict what will appear at E3 09.

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The new and improved (or rather, old and exactly how it used to be) 2009 edition of the Electronic Entertainment Expo is right around the corner. Less than a week away to be exact. Nearly every major publisher is talking about adding the element of surprise to the show with a ton of new announcements for a variety of games.

So what can we expect to see at E3 09? Read on for our completely scientific predictions...

Rockstar will announce Grand Theft Auto Wii
I first spotted Grand Theft Auto Wii in my crystal ball during the run-up to E3 07. In the two years since, Rockstar still has yet to unveil a GTA game for this generation's most popular console. But with Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars putting up some respectable sales numbers on the DS, I think now is the time for the series to make the jump to the Wii.

I wouldn't venture to guess about whether it'll be a collection of previous GTA games (like the mockup to your left), or if it will be a completely new game, but Grand Theft Auto on the Wii is a guarantee. For real this time!
Odds - 1:1

Nintendo will announce the next Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was released alongside the Wii on November 19, 2006. Since then, it's been almost three long years without even a hint of what Link's next console adventure will entail. That ends at E3 2009 when Nintendo announces the next game in the series.
Odds - 1:1

More Lego games will be announced
We know Lego Rock Band is in the works and I'll saw off my left arm if Lego Harry Potter isn't announced at E3 09. There are also apparently a bunch of Lego SpongeBob sets that are very popular. Oh yeah, TT Games has found their niche and they're going to milk it until we all start to hate Lego-based games.
Odds - 1:1

Midway will unveil Mortal Kombat 9
With Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment making an offer to buy the troubled publisher, it looks like Midway will live to fight another day. Which is a good thing, seeing as how the company's coffers would have been completely tapped out just days after the end of E3. But regardless of who's paying the bills, Ed Boon has promised more Mortal Kombat very soon and I'm sure he will deliver at this year's show.
Odds - 1:1



Now then, with all of the "sure things" out of the way, here's what will probably happen at E3 09, but I make no guarantees...

Sony will show off some kind of PSP redesign
While Sony's PlayStation Portable has made a respectable entry into the handheld market, it has still been largely overshadowed by the DS since the very beginning. And as such, rumors of a PSP redesign have been swirling for years. But while I think it's likely that Sony will make some kind of major change to the hardware, a UMD-less PSP is probably out of the question. While a few full retail games have made their way to the PlayStation Store, a UMD-less PSP seems like too much too soon.
Odds - 2:1

Sony will unveil Team Ico's next game
Whether or not these "Project Trico" rumors are true or not, Team Ico definitely has a few PS3 games in the works. After all, team leader Fumito Ueda has told us as much. Furthermore, Sony's style has always been to announce games very early and then hype them for years and years. So even if it's still a few years away, something from Team Ico will make an appearance at E3 09.
Odds - 2:1

Square-Enix will date Final Fantasy XIII and Dragon Quest IX
It's been a long time coming, but Final Fantasy XIII and Dragon Quest IX are almost ready to be released. We think. Maybe. Probably not until next year. And even then it's iffy. You see where I'm going with this? However, Square-Enix will likely put their fans at ease and announce some kind of release date for both of these games at E3. But I will saw off my right arm if they actually stick to them.
Odds - 3:1

Nintendo will announce Star Fox Wii
Out of all of the major Nintendo franchises, Star Fox is the only one without an entry on the Wii. So it would be unsurprising if Nintendo revealed Star Fox Wii at E3 09. However, the series has become something of a forgotten franchise (see below) and it may get passed over. But then there's my belief that...
Odds - 5:1

Factor 5 will unveil their Wii project
With Factor 5 closing their US studio due to money problems, it put all of their projects into doubt. But if one of those projects is the oft-rumored Kid Icarus Wii, you'd think Nintendo would make sure they would have enough money to do it right. So the question remains, what could it be? Who knows, for a company so focused on space shooters, it could even be the aforementioned Star Fox Wii. Whatever it is, I think it will be revealed at E3.
Odds - 5:1

Keep reading for more of our E3 09 predictions.