article: Traditionally a place for studios to show off what they have been working on, this year the gaming industry extravaganza has shaped up a little differently. Publisher EA has decided to run a separate event aimed at gamers, while rival Activision is letting the console companies promote its games, rather than having its own showcase. "Usually it has been a retail show connecting publishers with buyers, but that is less relevant now due to the digital opportunities in gaming," said Piers Harding-Rolls, director of games at consultancy IHS Technology. "But E3 still has an important role to play. It's where people learn about new products coming to market." And plenty of studios have capitalised on the excitement around E3 to tease their new releases, many squeezing out announcements before doors open on 14 June. Of course, if previous years are anything to go by, there are likely to be a few surprises during the week. Harvey Smith has worked on critically acclaimed games including cyberpunk role-playing adventure Deus Ex, and stealth-action thriller Dishonored, which won the Bafta award for best game in 2013. The BBC asked him to share the games he's most looking forward to at E3. Overland I'm a big fan of Adam Saltsman. His game Capsule - an incredibly tense and claustrophobic space travel game - is sublime. Overland is a thoughtful, soulful, post-apocalyptic road trip game with a beautifully laconic art style. Every year, there's an indie game or two that just feels like it was made for me. This year, it might be Overland. Luna I really like Robin Hunicke's work and the art style is super cute - but it goes beyond that. I love that you're not really sure what kind of game it will be. It's the combination of looking sweet and naive on the surface, but somehow hinting at something more complex and sophisticated. I suspect it's a bit of a Trojan horse in that respect. No Man's Sky We play games for a variety of reasons. Some people play games to demonstrate mastery over systems; some play to marvel at a reality beyond ours; some play to feel a sense of wonder at the ecological grandeur of the world. No Man's Sky promises all of that, seducing us with unknown possibilities. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided As one of the people to have participated in the genesis of the Deus Ex brand of dystopia, I am full of hope for the new Deus Ex game. If it's all I want it to be, it will present players with a gritty world gone wrong, challenging moral terrain, and flexible game systems that lead to improvisational "play" in the true sense of the word. State of Decay 2 (Rumoured) As a fan of often nihilistic zombie fiction, I was really drawn to State of Decay. The original was a gem in the rough. The best thing about the game was the way it kept enabling player-driven stories. So many times, I got into a tight spot of my own making, then managed to get out
summary: This year's E3 could prove to be a turning point - not just for gaming, but for the event itself.