Every E3 we sit around and talk about what games we want to see at the biggest gaming show of the year. 2015 was pretty much a perfect storm of long-awaited games, with Rare Replay, Fallout 4, The Last Guardian, FFVII Remake, and Shenmue 3 all wowing the crowd and answering more fan requests than any show has before. But some stuff was still missing, and I want to go over what they were, and possible reasons why they were absent.
The Legend of Zelda for Wii U
This one’s an easy one, which is why I started with it first. Nintendo showed a lot of upcoming games, including some that we had never even heard of before. However arguably their biggest title in years  was completely absent. This was to be expected though as Nintendo had announced prior to E3 2015 that they would be focusing only on games that would launch this year. With The Legend of Zelda Wii U’s delay into 2016, it was outside of that window. Also, the team felt that it was more important that they work on the actual game than take time out to prepare a demo or video presentation for E3.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar’s other massively successful open-world game, Red Dead Redemption has sort of felt like their least favorite child as of late. Grand Theft Auto has been lighting up the charts, selling over 50 million units across its various platforms, but there is no word of either Red Dead Redemption for PC, or a proper sequel. Some hoped it would show up at E3 2015, but they were sadly disappointed.
This is likely because of that aforementioned GTA success, with GTA V and GTA Online raking in money left and right for Rockstar. The developer likely doesn’t want to take time, attention, or money away from their cash cow at the moment. While Rockstar made hundreds of millions off the sale of the game, they continue making money thanks to the Shark Cards that provide in-game cash. If they draw even a fraction of their audience away from GTA Online they could hurt themselves financially.
The Elder Scrolls VI (aka Skyrim 2)
Say Skyrim 2 to my face and you’ll see me roll my eyes and sigh, but a new entry in the Elder Scrolls series is an inevitability and it is something I am looking forward to greatly. The Elder Scrolls VI, whatever it ends up being called, will certainly be a massive, and amazingly enjoyable game. However, Bethesda isn’t some giant behemoth of a company. Putting together these huge, open worlds takes a lot of time and manpower, and with them having Fallout 4 on their plate, the prospect of Elder Scrolls VI hitting any time soon is an almost certain impossibility. Once Fallout 4 hits this November we can start hitting them with questions about their other major franchise, but for now they should stick to finishing up what looks like a possible GOTY contender.
Super Mario Galaxy 3
Another missing piece from Nintendo’s E3 showing was a new Mario game, other than the previously announced but still excellent Super Mario Maker. Fans have been clamoring for a new proper 3D Mario title, in the vein of Super Mario 64, and Super Mario Galaxy. Don’t get me wrong, Super Mario 3D World was a fantastic game, in fact it is easily one of the best games of this console generation. However, it wasn’t a grand adventure like previous ones, instead acting as a semi-spin off like Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS.
Whether it takes the form of a Super Mario Galaxy 3, or in a new sort of franchise doesn’t really matter. All that Nintendo fans want at this point is another Mario game like the ones they loved in the past. Unfortunately, those types of games have never sold as well as the 2D entries, or the more casual spin-offs for the Nintendo mascot, giving the company little reason, other than fan demands, to follow through.
The Rest
These were just the big boys that were missing though. Crash Bandicoot didn’t get a reboot, Kingdom Hearts 3 was only shown off behind closed doors, and of course, Metroid only got a couple of 3DS spin-offs. E3 is a time for huge announcements, and we got a ton this year. Hopefully some of these lingering games get some attention next.
