It's E3 again? You're kidding me. It seems like just yesterday we were huddled around screens, watching Microsoft announce the various unsavory aspects of the original Xbox One vision—always online, no used games, and that $500 price point—only to have Sony blindside everyone later that night with a $400 PlayStation 4 that worked...well, basically the same way as the PlayStation 3, but with better graphics.

And here we are again. The wheel in the sky keeps on turning, but a lot has changed on the ground. Microsoft backtracked on most of its more radical Xbox One features. We've witnessed both consoles launching to record sales numbers, although the PS4 has steadily outpaced the Xbox One for the last few months. The biggest game at last year's E3, Titanfall, released to notable acclaim, but failed to match either the addictiveness or sales numbers of Call of Duty. Watch Dogs released and was underwhelming. Microsoft did what it said it wouldn't—couldn't—do and pulled the Kinect out of the Xbox One, dropping the price by a hundred dollars in one fell swoop.

Microsoft's now-departed Don Mattrick revealing the Xbox One of yesteryear at E3 2013.

Even the faces will be different this time around—both Sony's Jack Tretton and Microsoft's Don Mattrick have left for greener pastures. What a year.

So what's next?

I feel like every year, people ask for the same thing: simply to be surprised.

We're all chasing that feeling from our childhoods, when E3 was this magical place. The July/August issue of your favorite gaming magazine would come in and bam, there was the year's big game on the cover. It always felt so unexpected, with pages and pages of game announcements inside.

We've been robbed by the era of the 24-hour news cycle. Just look at how many E3-style announcements we've seen in the past month:

What's...what's even left to cover?

Expect to see more in-depth information about those games, and as always, there'll be a few surprises in store. Microsoft and Sony undoubtedly have exclusives loaded, cocked, and aimed at each other. Microsoft needs a stellar lineup to erase the last of the "Xbox One is not for games" stigma and put a drag on Sony's headway. Sony needs a solid lineup to counter any momentum Microsoft gained with its recent price drop.

Microsoft

When the dust settles on Monday, will there be a clear winner? I hope not. I expect those who are on the fence between the two consoles will have to make some tough decisions this year. Microsoft will throw us Halo news, and hopefully show off some new first-party titles. From Sony, we can only hope for teases of a next-gen Naughty Dog project—Uncharted 4?

Games. We need games. These systems have been released for over six months, and still neither console has a definitive answer for a fairly simple question: "What game should I buy to go with my Xbox One/PS4?" That's a problem. People need a reason to care, other than simple tech lust.

Gaming's Switzerland

I do hope for the continuation of one incredible trend: The PC as neutral territory. The PC is always going to miss out on a few console exclusives—I wouldn't hold my breath for Halo on PC anytime soon.

But I hope we'll see more of the Titanfall model. Titanfall was an Xbox game, and Microsoft will not let you forget it—except, you know, it also released on PC. For that matter, it was a better game on the PC, thanks to increased resolution and a steadier frame rate. PC ports are given more care these days than at any time in the past, and it's a welcome change. Hopefully Microsoft and Sony can wage petty warfare with exclusives and leave the PC crowd above the fray.

Dragon Age 3: Inquisition, Bioware's end to the blockbuster RPG trilogy, is coming to both consoles and the PC.

The same model is in place for many indie titles. Sony's seen an upswing in indies with this console generation, driven by its faith in the niche and the Vita hardware—a lot of these smaller indie games are perfect for on-the-go gaming. Microsoft has its defenders though, and certain games like Capy's title Below are Xbox-exclusive.

The PC is still the premier place for indie titles, though. You can expect to see a hefty number of indie titles thrown about at both E3 and the Game Developers Conference (GDC) for credibility, but always as "console exclusives." Make no mistake, though: That's a convenient euphemism for "Oh yeah, it's also coming to PC."

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is coming to Xbox One, but it's also coming to PCs, staying true to the Witcher's legacy. (And we can't wait.)

And then there are the PC stalwarts—companies like CD Projekt Red, CCP, Blizzard, Crytek, et cetera. E3 is a console-friendly show, so there's never a ton of PC-exclusive news. But damn, I'm excited to hear more about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. And my editor seconds that emotion.

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