WebProNews » EA http://www.webpronews.com Breaking News in Tech, Search, Social, & Business Fri, 24 May 2013 13:36:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Need For Speed: Rivals Is EA’s Next-Gen Racing Game http://www.webpronews.com/need-for-speed-rivals-is-eas-next-gen-racing-game-2013-05 http://www.webpronews.com/need-for-speed-rivals-is-eas-next-gen-racing-game-2013-05#comments Thu, 23 May 2013 15:43:22 +0000 Zach Walton http://www.webpronews.com/?p=231846 Both Sony and Microsoft will be launching their next-gen consoles with a racing game. EA will be joining them with its own racing franchise later this year.

EA announced today that it’s new studio – Ghost Games – is knee-deep in development on the next Need for Speed title. The game – titled Need for Speed: Rivals – will be the first next-gen entry for the series. The game is also coming to current gen systems and the PC. Like other games from EA this year, there was no Wii U version announced.

The above trailer indicates that the footage is all in-game. It’s also revealed that Criterion is helping out with development. With their racing game expertise, Rivals may just be the prettiest, and best playing, racing game this year.

Need for Speed: Rivals will launch on November 19 for all current-gen consoles and PC. It will presumably be a launch title for the PS4 and Xbox One.

]]> http://www.webpronews.com/need-for-speed-rivals-is-eas-next-gen-racing-game-2013-05/feed 0 Star Wars Deal Hands Video Game Rights Over To EA http://www.webpronews.com/star-wars-deal-hands-video-game-rights-over-to-ea-2013-05 http://www.webpronews.com/star-wars-deal-hands-video-game-rights-over-to-ea-2013-05#comments Tue, 07 May 2013 14:15:34 +0000 Zach Walton http://www.webpronews.com/?p=228639 Star Wars is a pretty big deal. The video games based on the classic franchise is an even bigger deal. Some of the best video games ever made have come from the franchise, and now Disney has signed a deal to put Star Wars in the hands of EA.

As per the terms of the deal, all of the core titles in the Star Wars universe will be made and published by EA. The publisher said that it has three of its top development houses – DICE, Bioware and Visceral – all working on Star Wars games now. There have been no specific announcements, but people are already speculating what we might see from these developers.

Gamers seem to be especially excited at the prospect of a DICE-developed Star Wars game. DICE is best known as the developers of the excellent Battlefield franchise, and some see their involvement as a sign that Star Wars: Battlefront III could soon be a reality.

Making a new Battlefront game wouldn’t actually be all that difficult as Free Radical was working on a new entry in the series before they went bankrupt and became Crytek UK. Disney probably still owns the assets created by Free Radical and DICE could use those assets as a jumping off point for its own Battlefront game. To get a taste of what Battlefront III may look like, here’s some leaked alpha footage courtesy of Reddit:

BF3 alphaNov from Blue_Monkey on Vimeo.

As for Bioware, its Star Wars games could go anywhere. Some are hoping that Bioware will make a new Knights of the Old Republic game, but others feel that the studio may make a Star Wars game more in line with its recent Mass Effect series. Either way, fans are pretty happy that Star Wars will be going back to the main Bioware studio after many felt that Bioware Austin botched The Old Republic MMO.

Visceral is the wild card of the bunch as the studio is most well known for the Dead Space franchise. It’s hard to imagine that the studio would make a horror-themed Star Wars game, let alone an M-rated Star Wars game. The studio does have some experience in making action games, however, so it’s possible that we could get a third person action game in the vein of the classic Jedi Knight series.

With all this speculation, fans are understandably torn over whether EA was a good choice to sign a deal with. The reactions on Twitter say just as much:

]]> http://www.webpronews.com/star-wars-deal-hands-video-game-rights-over-to-ea-2013-05/feed 2 EA Signs Exclusivity Deal With Disney To Make Star Wars Games http://www.webpronews.com/ea-signs-exclusivity-deal-with-disney-to-make-star-wars-games-2013-05 http://www.webpronews.com/ea-signs-exclusivity-deal-with-disney-to-make-star-wars-games-2013-05#comments Mon, 06 May 2013 20:48:27 +0000 Zach Walton http://www.webpronews.com/?p=228574 We reported early last month that Disney shut down LucasArts and canceled all the games that the developer was working on. At the time, it was suggested that Disney would farm out future Star Wars games to outside publishers and developers. As it turns out, those Star Wars games will be going through only one publisher.

EA announced today that it has signed an exclusive deal with Disney to be the sole publisher of Star Wars games for the foreseeable future. The exclusivity deal only covers games targeting a core gamer audience with Disney’s own mobile division overseeing all casual and mobile titles.

“Every developer dreams of creating games for the Star Wars universe,” said EA Labels president Frank Gibeau in a statement. “Three of our top studios will fulfill that dream, crafting epic adventures for Star Wars fans. DICE and Visceral will produce new games, joining the BioWare team which continues to develop for the Star Wars franchise. The new experiences we create may borrow from films, but the games will be entirely original with all new stories and gameplay.”

The three above mentioned studios should make Star Wars fans giddy with glee. All three are respected developers with a proven track record so any Star Wars games out of them should be good. DICE may even finally finish Battlefront III – a game many have been requesting for years now.

As for BioWare, a Star Wars game made by the core team could potentially be exciting as the studio also made Knights of the Old Republic – a title many consider to be the best Star Wars game ever made. Some may be hesitant of such a title, however, especially after BioWare’s The Old Republic failed to live up to the hype. The MMO was made by BioWare Austin, though, so some may be willing to give the main BioWare studio a chance, especially if its Star Wars game is similar to its recent Mass Effect trilogy.

[h/t: Kotaku]

]]> http://www.webpronews.com/ea-signs-exclusivity-deal-with-disney-to-make-star-wars-games-2013-05/feed 3 Madden NFL 25 Skipping Wii U This Year http://www.webpronews.com/madden-nfl-25-skipping-wii-u-this-year-2013-05 http://www.webpronews.com/madden-nfl-25-skipping-wii-u-this-year-2013-05#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 13:06:42 +0000 Zach Walton http://www.webpronews.com/?p=227854 The Wii U, much like the Gamecube, has a problem with third-party support. Even so, EA Sports still brought annual iterations of Madden NFL to the little purple box. That’s not happening on the Wii U.

When Madden NFL 25 was announced last week, a Wii U version was missing from the press release. Nintendo World Report started asking questions and got the following response from an EA Sports spokesperson:

“We will not be releasing a Wii U version of Madden NFL in 2013. However, we have a strong partnership with Nintendo and will continue to evaluate opportunities for delivering additional Madden NFL products for Nintendo fans in the future.”

If you have trouble reading corporate speak, EA is essentially saying that the Wii U isn’t selling well enough for it to dedicate resources towards a Wii U version of Madden. If the console starts to pick up in the future, EA Tiburon will start up Wii U development again. Until then, EA is watching and waiting.

Some will undoubtedly take this news as the death knell for the Wii U, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. Does Madden skipping the Wii U look bad? It looks incredibly bad, but it’s just as much an EA problem as it is a Nintendo problem. EA Sports just finished with a round of massive lay offs, its CEO stepped down and the publisher is trying to restructure itself to prepare for the next generation of consoles. Any perceived flops would look bad to already anxious investors and a Wii U version of Madden would most definitely be a flop.

That being said, Madden NFL 25 skipping the Wii U may be a sign that other major third-party titles will be skipping the console as well. In the announcement of Call of Duty: Ghosts from yesterday, the Wii U was missing from the title’s list of target platforms. The PS4 and next Xbox will be getting the game, but it looks like Activision will be skipping the Wii U after Black Ops II was kind of a flop at the Wii U’s launch.

Even if EA and Activision pull out, Ubisoft is still supporting the console with all of its major AAA blockbusters. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Watch Dogs will all be making an appearance on Nintendo’s console this year.

With all this in mind, I think it’s safe to say that the Wii U will be much like the Wii and Gamecube before it – a console for Nintendo titles and the odd third-party exclusive. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does ensure that the Wii U will remain a companion console for most gamers as they look to the PS4, next Xbox or PC as their main platform of choice.

]]> http://www.webpronews.com/madden-nfl-25-skipping-wii-u-this-year-2013-05/feed 1 Insomniac’s Fuse Will Be Released On May 28 http://www.webpronews.com/insomniacs-fuse-will-be-released-on-may-28-2013-05 http://www.webpronews.com/insomniacs-fuse-will-be-released-on-may-28-2013-05#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 20:58:08 +0000 Zach Walton http://www.webpronews.com/?p=227831 ]]> Ever since Insomniac changed Overstrike into Fuse, it seems that interest in the title has dropped somewhat. The game still looks like a fun shooter with interesting weapons, but it ditched the colorful and humorous style shown in the original trailer.

The new trailer – dubbed “Fable’s Vision” – doesn’t really do much to sell people on Fuse beyond its weapons. In fact, it seems that the title only has that going for it, just like Insomniac’s Resistance franchise. The games are fun enough, but they lack the creativity and fun that have always been a hallmark of the developer’s Ratchet and Clank franchise.

Still, what do I know? Insomniac could knock it out of the park with Fuse. It could present a serious story that’s actually worth paying attention while having the fun gunplay mechanics of its other franchises. It’s just that the trailers thus far haven’t really inspired much confidence. It doesn’t help that the game continues to look more and more like a Borderlands clone that takes itself far too seriously.

Fuse will be released on May 28 for Xbox 360 and PS3.

]]> http://www.webpronews.com/insomniacs-fuse-will-be-released-on-may-28-2013-05/feed 0 Character Customization Coming To Star Wars: The Old Republic http://www.webpronews.com/character-customization-coming-to-star-wars-the-old-republic-2013-04 http://www.webpronews.com/character-customization-coming-to-star-wars-the-old-republic-2013-04#comments Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:51:09 +0000 Zach Walton http://www.webpronews.com/?p=227073 Star Wars: The Old Republic was the subject of countless jokes and TORtantic memes last year after the game started to bleed subscribers. The MMO went free-to-play less than a year after launch, and now EA has to retain players while attracting new players to the game.

In April, the team at BioWare Austin added a number of features and items to the game. Some were microtransactions meant to give players more options in customization, but the real treat will be coming next month in the form of new character customization options. Players will soon be able to change their physical appearance and even their race.

The guys at BioWare are not in an enviable position right now. They have to keep EA and the new overlords at Disney happy. Both companies are currently in the process of killing off studios and games. “>The Old Republic may be next on the chopping block if it doesn’t pick up some steam.

]]> http://www.webpronews.com/character-customization-coming-to-star-wars-the-old-republic-2013-04/feed 0 Barry Sanders Named Madden NFL 25 Cover Athlete http://www.webpronews.com/barry-sanders-named-madden-nfl-25-cover-athlete-2013-04 http://www.webpronews.com/barry-sanders-named-madden-nfl-25-cover-athlete-2013-04#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:31:21 +0000 Sean Patterson http://www.webpronews.com/?p=226693 After weeks of voting and 40 million votes, EA has announced this year’s Madden NFL cover athlete. Barry Sanders will grace the cover of Madden NFL 25, which will celebrate the franchise’s 25 years of console success.

“The Madden NFL franchise has such a rich tradition and history, and there’s no better way to celebrate our 25th Anniversary than by having one of the best players of all-time on the cover,” said Anthony Stevenson, senior director of marketing for EA Sports. “Barry Sanders has long been a fan favorite, so we’re proud to have him as the face of Madden NFL 25.”

EA Sports has also released the first two of several “playbooks” that will detail the improvements and changes made over last year’s Madden game. So far, the publisher has announced a new “precision modifier,” 30 new “moves,” and a new “force impact system.”

Madden NFL 25 will be released on August 27 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. EA has not mentioned whether the game will be coming to the PlayStation 4 or the next-generation Microsoft console, and a mention of a Wii U version of the game was conspicuously absent from EA’s announcement.

A rough-looking teaser trailer for the game was released alongside the cover announcement:

]]> http://www.webpronews.com/barry-sanders-named-madden-nfl-25-cover-athlete-2013-04/feed 0 NHL 14 Cover Athlete Voting Has Begun http://www.webpronews.com/nhl-14-cover-athlete-voting-has-begun-2013-04 http://www.webpronews.com/nhl-14-cover-athlete-voting-has-begun-2013-04#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:04:35 +0000 Sean Patterson http://www.webpronews.com/?p=226019 Electronic Arts is the go-to scapegoat for all of the anti-gamer decisions that have begun to creep into gaming. The video game publisher may be the internet’s favorite punching bag and America’s Worst Company two years running, but the organization does do some things right. One of those things is allowing fans to vote on which athlete will grace the cover of their sports titles.

This week EA and the NHL announced that voting for the cover athlete for the upcoming NHL 14 has begun. Fans can vote at NHL.com/covervote. The voting will begin with 60 finalists that will be pared down in two preliminary voting rounds. A 16-player bracket will then determine the winner, who will be revealed during the Stanley Cup Final.

“These 60 NHL stars are excited to be finalists in the vote campaign that will see the fans ultimately select the EA SPORTS NHL 14 cover athlete,” said Adam Larry, director of licensing for the NHL Player’s Association. “Following an impressive level of fan and player engagement shown in the cover vote last year, we are looking forward to seeing how the bar will be raised this year.”

The voting will not be a simple popularity poll. Fans can vote as many times as they want, and using player-specific hashtags on Twitter can count as two votes if tweeted on Thursdays.

]]> http://www.webpronews.com/nhl-14-cover-athlete-voting-has-begun-2013-04/feed 0 Battlefield 4 Revealed With 17 Minute Gameplay Trailer http://www.webpronews.com/battlefield-4-revealed-with-17-minute-gameplay-trailer-2013-03 http://www.webpronews.com/battlefield-4-revealed-with-17-minute-gameplay-trailer-2013-03#comments Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:01:09 +0000 Zach Walton http://www.webpronews.com/?p=222543 Battlefield, the only franchise that can compete head-to-head with Call of Duty, will be getting a new installment this year. Unsurprisingly, the game will be called Battlefield 4 and feature more of the same excellent multiplayer that fans have come to expected coupled with a singleplayer campaign that promises to be more “human, dramatic and believable” than past entries.

That singleplayer campaign is the focus of the 17 minute gameplayer trailer that accompanied the reveal last night. DICE stresses that everything in the trailer is rendered in game. Battlefield 3 was already a visually impressive game, and Battlefield 4 is already looking like it will set a new benchmark for in-game visuals.

“We are so humbled and proud to debut Battlefield 4 on a global stage with simultaneous events in San Francisco and Stockholm. To be this early in development, and to already be so polished is a huge achievement for the DICE team and reflection of their passion and commitment to driving the franchise forward. Today’s demo was just the beginning — we have so much more in store,” said Patrick Soderlund, Executive Vice President, EA Games Label. “It is thrilling to witness peoples’ reaction when seeing the game for the first time. It really makes you realize that we are at the beginning of a whole new era for gaming. As artists and craftspeople, we are focused on creating a dynamic, open design that brings people together with amazing, surprising unscripted moments that they’ll talk about for days. That’s the beauty of Battlefield.”

Beyond the visuals, it looks like we’ll get more of the solid gameplay that Battlefield is known for. The only unknown is the story, but the early gameplay demo shows promise. DICE has already proven it can tell an entertaining story with the Bad Company series, but it remains to be seen if the developer can do the same thing with a more dramatic turn of events.

Battlefield 4 will be released this fall for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. There’s no mention of next-gen consoles, but a game this pretty is bound to end up on them.

]]> http://www.webpronews.com/battlefield-4-revealed-with-17-minute-gameplay-trailer-2013-03/feed 0 EA Offers A Free Game To Those Troubled By SimCity’s Launch Woes http://www.webpronews.com/ea-offers-a-free-game-to-those-troubled-by-simcitys-launch-woes-2013-03 http://www.webpronews.com/ea-offers-a-free-game-to-those-troubled-by-simcitys-launch-woes-2013-03#comments Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:10:33 +0000 Zach Walton http://www.webpronews.com/?p=221309 There’s no denying it – SimCity‘s launch was a massive failure. EA didn’t anticipate the demand, and its always-online DRM scheme failed to compensate for the massive load on the servers. It prevented thousands of players who legitimately purchased the game from playing it. Now EA is trying to make it right… kind of.

While EA won’t offer an offline mode for the game, the publisher is extending an olive branch to SimCity players in the form of a free game. Those who purchased Simcity around launch will be able to redeem one of the following games for free from EA’s Origin store through March 30:

  • Battlefield 3 (Standard Edition)
  • Bejeweled 3
  • Dead Space 3 (Standard Edition)
  • Mass Effect 3 (Standard Edition)
  • Medal of Honor Warfighter (Standard Edition)
  • Need For Speed Most Wanted (Standard Edition)
  • Plants vs. Zombies
  • SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition

    • It’s kind of ironic of EA to offer a previous incarnation of the SimCity franchise to those affected by the latest game’s launch. Well, at least those who pick SimCity 4 will be able to play a SimCity game without needing to be constantly online.

    It seems that this is as good as its going to get for SimCity players who simply want an offline only experience for the latest game in the franchise. After Maxis pretty much confirmed that an offline mode was possible, it just stings all the more that EA still won’t offer what players want. Despite all of that, SimCity seems to be up and running without any problems at the moment.

    It’s going to be interesting to see how the entire SimCity debacle will affect EA’s running in The Consumerist’s Worst Company In America award. It won the “prestigious” award last year, and this latest event might just help the company retain its Golden Poo award.

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