Last year's E3 was all about the hardware, as we eagerly clamored for a hint of what to expect on PlayStation 4. But now that developers don't have to be coy about what platform they're making their next game for, we're going to see a lot less talk and a lot more in-game footage.

What are the most exciting potential games we'll get to see and play next week at E3? GameSpot's editors discuss their most-anticipated games on Sony platforms.

Viva La Vita – Thomas Mc Shea

I'll just quickly mention how much I want The Last Guardian before moving on to more practical matters.

My default console has become the Vita. Laugh all you want, but it's true. So my fingers are crossed that even more games will reach Sony's handheld. Sure, independent fare such as No Man's Sky would make me smile like a loon, but I'm thinking even bigger than that. I love that I can download my favorite PlayStation One games whenever I'm in the mood for some nostalgic overload, so just imagine if the Vita was also compatible with PlayStation 2 games. The prospect of playing Viewtiful Joe wherever I am is almost too much to bear.

As far as bigger studios are concerned, I'm itching to see what Sony Santa Monica has in store for us. After the massive restructuring earlier this year, the fate of The House That God of War Built is up in the air. I'm crossing my fingers that they show something, and that it's as impressive as we know they're capable of. Ideally, it would be something other than exploring Kratos' dark side, but even if they do return to Greek mythology, I have faith that they'll wow me like they've done so many times before.

Unsolved Mysteries - Zorine Te

Many of the games I hope to see at E3 from Sony this year stem from my curiosity for that which is shrouded in mystery.

Team Ico's The Last Guardian has all but disappeared since its announcement at E3 in 2009, but oddly it's also the game with an abundance of footage online. While Sony confirmed earlier this year that it's still in development, neither new footage nor platform release news has made it to the public. It was originally announced as a PlayStation 3-exclusive, I can only hope it is making its way onto the console's newer sibling, the PS4.

Meanwhile, the PS4-exclusive Lily Bergamo hasn't had much revealed aside from a number of concept art panels, so where is the gameplay footage? Produced by Suda51, who led development on Lollipop Chainsaw, Killer is Dead, and No More Heroes, I hope to see more of his trademark over-the-top action in Lily Bergamo, and confirmation of release for the Western market.

Finally, fantasy-themed role-playing games hold a strong place in my heart. With virtual reality technology making headlines this year, I believe it's time for Project Morpheus to fulfill the dreams of this RPG enthusiast: a fantasy game that incorporates use of VR in a manner that outclasses that of Eve Online on the Oculus Rift. The VR race is on, and Sony needs to take action if it wants to get ahead.

Kick, Punch, It's All in the Game - Justin Haywald

Like those above me, I eagerly await the yearly The Last Guardian check-in. I know the usual slate of expected titles like Uncharted 4 and God of War: The New One are going to look terrific. And I might not have loved Dark Souls II as much as everyone else I know, but the rumored game from From Software, Project Beast, looks intriguing.

But what I really want to see is the quirky and unexpected. The Wonderbook: Book of Spells demo from a few years back may not have been a game aimed at me, but developers who use technology that we're already familiar with in unique, creative ways fascinate me. Outside of J.S. Joust, my Move controllers sit mostly unused in a drawer. I really hope Sony surprises me again with something equally unexpected.

Also some rhythm games would be nice. My Vita is aching for a revamp of Patapon or PaRappa the Rapper.

You've read our thoughts, but what games are you most looking forward on PS3, PS4, and Vita? Let us know in the comments below!

The popularity of watching eSports continues to soar worldwide, with 2.4 billion hours of eSports video viewed during 2013, according to a newly released IHS Technology report.

According to the report (via Gamasutra), that figure is up from 1.3 billion hours in 2012 and is only expected to continue growing: By 2018, that number will reach an estimated 6.6 billion hours. 2013 marked the first time that eSports viewing online surpassed that of television, and it did so by a large margin--almost three times as many hours were spent watching eSports online than on television. By 2018, online viewing will represent 90 percent of time spent watching eSports.

As you'd expect, given its massive player base, League of Legends was the most popular game among eSports viewers, followed by Dota 2 and StarCraft II.

"ESports videos have rapidly transformed from a niche activity into a widely-watched, global, cross-platform entertainment category,” said IHS digital media research director Dan Cryan. "Several factors are contributing to the surge in esports viewing. These include the fact that key game titles have reached maturity and game publishers are taking a major role in promoting esports competitions. Furthermore, eSports viewing has been boosted by the emergence of online video platforms that are capable of handling large-scale live audiences."

The eSports video market will be worth $300 million annually by 2018, IHS said, which goes a long way in explaining why YouTube recently made the move to acquire game streaming service Twitch, though the deal is not yet complete.

"While advertising in and around games has often proved to be a difficult proposition, advertising in online video is commonplace,” said IHS games research director Piers Harding-Rolls. "This form of advertising gives games companies a much better opportunity of accessing the advertising value chain in a successful and meaningful way and offers these companies a route to profitable return on investment from their eSport initiatives."

This is far from the first indication we've had that watching eSports--whether it's a "legitimate" sport or not--is becoming increasingly popular. Last year, more than 32 million people watched the League of Legends Season 3 World Championships (pictured above), and there were over 1 million concurrent viewers of the recent ESL tournament. Developers and publishers have more frequently made supporting eSports a priority, including EA and Activision, and both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 allow gamers to stream their live gameplay online through Twitch, all of which should only help eSports viewing to continue to grow.

Have you spent any time watching eSports online in the past year and, if so, which games did you watch?

After launching late last week, Mario Kart 8 has become the Wii U's fastest-selling game ever with more than 1.2 million units already sold worldwide, Nintendo announced today. This number is according to the company's internal sales data and accounts for sales in the Americas, Europe, and Japan.

Nintendo made no mention of how the game has impacted sales of the beleaguered Wii U console itself, although UK retail tracking group GFK Chart-Track announced on its own today that Wii U hardware had seen a 666 percent sales boost in the UK over the weekend. No specific sales figures were shared in the GFK report, but 82 percent of hardware sales were said to be the Mario Kart 8 bundle.

Nintendo had been hoping that Mario Kart 8 would serve as a "catalyst" for sales of the Wii U, which has struggled to live up to expectations thus far. As of March 31, only 6.17 million Wii U systems had been sold worldwide since its launch in November 2012, a number that is well behind the 9 million it expected to sell between April 2013 and March 2014.

"The early response to Mario Kart 8 demonstrates that the best days for Wii U are still ahead," said Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime as part of today's announcement. "This year’s E3 is just days away, and it will be all about the future games for Nintendo platforms. This milestone is a great place to start!"

The Mario Kart games have routinely been among Nintendo's best-selling titles; according to Nintendo, series sales eclipsed 100 million as of the end of March. Mario Kart 8's sales make it one of the best-selling games on Wii U; it's roughly on par with the 1.22 million copies of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD sold, but for now trails the platform's top sellers, New Super Mario Bros. U (4.16 million), Nintendo Land (3.09 million), and Super Mario 3D World (2.17 million).

Along with the new Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart 8 was one of the two major Wii U releases on the horizon from Nintendo. The game features high-definition graphics for the first time in series history, as well as improved online play and a new Mario Kart TV replay feature (providing us with video of phenomenal moments such as this). Gamers who buy the game and register it on Club Nintendo by the end of July will receive a free digital copy of select Wii U games, while everyone is free to be creeped out by the live-action Mario being used to advertise the game's Mercedes Benz GLA crossover in Japan.

For more on Mario Kart 8, check out GameSpot's review.

If you picked up Mario Kart 8 this weekend, were you already a Wii U owner, or was this the game to finally get you to pick one up?