Tagged: ea sports
Quick notes: Robin in Arkham, Minecraft gets adventures, no Move/Kinect support in FIFA
Yes, the boy wonder is coming down to Arkham City. First spotted in a blurry image and then in online postings, Robin’s appearance in the upcoming sequel is pretty much confirmed despite the lack of an official announcement. The game is due out this October on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
Minecraft creator Notch revealed that the v1.7 update will include “adventures” in a bid to “flesh out the game a bit, making it reward exploration and combat more.” It will also have support for mods. No release date was given.
Finally, EA Sports’ Andrew Wilson stated that there would be no support for either PlayStation Move or Kinect in FIFA 12. He notes that they do not “add value” to the game.
NCAA Basketball 09 Screenshots
A couple of new screenshots from NCAA Basketball 09 have been released. Check them out below.
FIFA 09 Commentary Tracks Released for Free
Making the game even more international than usual, EA Sports today announced that all 14 international commentary packs in FIFA 09 will be available for download free on both PlayStation Network and Xbox LIve.
Fans worldwide can download the packs and experience commentary from different commentators all over the world. These packs were previously region-specific. It is not known why EA decided to release them for free.
Language – Commentator’s Names
English Andy Gray Martin Tyler
French Herve Mathoux Franck Sauzée
Italian Giuseppe Bergomi Fabio Caressa
German Tom Bayer Sebastian Hellman
Spanish Paco González Manolo Lama
Mexico Perro Bermúdez Ricardo Pelaez
Dutch Youri Mulder Evert Ten Napel
European Portuguese David Carvalho Hélder Conduto
Hungarian Richard Faragó István B. Hajú
Russian Yuri Rozanov Vasily Solojov
Swedish Glenn Hysén Henrik Strömblad
Czech Bosák Jaromír Petr Svěcený
Polish Włodzimierz Szaranowicz Dariusz Szpakowski
Brazilian Portugese Paulo Vinícius Coelho Nivaldo Prieto
An additional English commentary pack featuring Andy Townsend and Clive Tyldesley is also available for download for $4.99.
NBA LIVE 08 Gets Online Team Play
A free downloadable feature for NBA LIVE 08 has been pushed out, adding online team play to the basketball game. This update enables 10 people on 10 different consoles anywhere in the world to connect online to play a single match. The new feature is automatically available to all PS3 users and will be released for the Xbox 360 later this month.
Removing the need to use artificial intelligence in online matches, the update allows the players to control the athletes on-screen. This mode can be enjoyed using fewer friends from one to five in which case the CPU takes control of any players not controlled by the users.
FIFA Street 3 Announced, Screenshots
EA today officially announced FIFA Street 3, the third installment in the street football series. The game will feature a new look that turns today’s global football icons into action heroes; it will also offer a simplified control system, allowing players to easily perform over-the-top trick moves. It is in development at EA Canada and is scheduled for release in Spring 2008 on PS3 and Xbox 360.
Featuring over 250 of the world’s best players representing 18 of the top international teams, each player has been rendered into a stylized caricature with heroic qualities. Decked out in authentic training kits, every player boasts their own, distinctive style of play with unique abilities to match. Whether you’re after brawn, brains, silky skills or crunching tackles to complete your team, the perfect street player is out there. Choose from Tricksters, Enforcers, Playmakers and Finishers to give you different options on the ball and make your mark on the street.
Using the same engine as the critically acclaimed NBA STREET Homecourt basketball arcade game, combined with the market-leading AI from FIFA 08, FIFA Street 3 delivers animations and ball control that enables you to take complete control of your players with a responsive and intuitive control system that makes it easier than ever to pull off sensational moves. Use the simple button configuration and analog stick to seamlessly combine moves – providing you with hundreds of different ways to show off your street skills. Fill up your all-new Game Breaker to power your ultimate abilities and express yourself like never before. Maneuver your players to leap past defenders, flip off walls, or perform gravity-defying one-timers to score spectacular goals.
From the urban playgrounds of South America to the rooftops in Asia to the streets of Europe, your players perform to an eclectic selection of music seamlessly infused into the surroundings, where the game’s environments pulsate, and explode to life with every well-timed tackle, outrageous trick move or unstoppable shot on goal.
Below are the first screenshots from the game. Check them out:
Create Jerseys for NBA Live 09
EA Sports, in conjunction with NBA, have launched an online contest to design a new jersey to be featured in NBA LIVE 09. Users can create their own NBA team jerseys using various assets from all 30 NBA teams as well as custom shapes, numbers and text with the “Jersey Creator” tool. The winning entry will featured in the upcoming game.
Winners will be determined based on creativity, talent and originality; last date for entries is November 16. Other contest prizes for two runners-up include an autographed Gilbert Arenas jersey and video game “library” packages.
NCAA Football 08 Features Real-time Weather
EA and The Weather Channel Interactive jointly announced that the recently released NCAA Football 08 features the ability to experience real-time weather conditions and updates through a service provided by the latter. It will take weather data from the weather forecasting service to reflect accurate, real-time weather conditions at NCAA stadiums.
“This is a long-awaited feature for gamers – it is the first sports game we know of where actual current weather conditions will affect weather conditions in the game,” said Derek Van Nostran, director of marketing for The Weather Channel Interactive. “The Weather Channel Interactive welcomes this opportunity to work with EA Sports to bring an extra dose of realism to the game.”
The Weather Channel provides a custom weather data feed to EA Sports for each stadium location. Every time a player loads a game while logged into the Internet, they have the option to choose real-time weather from the service. The feature has been illustrated below through the screenshots.
NCAA Football 08 is now available in stores for the PS2, PS3, Xbox and Xbox 360.
Microsoft Serving Ads in EA Sports Games
From Reuters comes word that Microsoft and EA have signed a deal which will see Microsoft serving ads into a slate of upcoming sports games from the gigantic publisher. The deal covers NASCAR, Tiger Woods, NHL and Skate games, with ads being served dynamically as well as through product placements and other options. This deal only affects the PC and Xbox 360 versions of the game, as the PS3 and Wii versions are in the control of Sony and Nintendo, respectively.
This move comes after Microsoft purchased in-game ad agency Massive last year for $200 million. Other agencies in the field include Google (Adscape) and Double Fusion, both of which have made advances lately through major publisher deals.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed; however, the in-game advertising industry is a major one, worth $50 million in 2005, with analysts expecting it to go up to $1 billion over the next few years.
Peter Moore Leaves Microsoft For EA
In a move that may seem shocking to some, Peter Moore, the outspoken Microsoft executive, has left his job at the Xbox manufacturer to take a post as President of EA Sports. As a result, he will move to EA’s Redwood Shores headquarters and will begin his new job in September.
Moore is being replaced by Don Mattrick (pictured), a longtime EA executive who has worked as an external advisor to Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division for the past six months. He will take his position at Microsoft starting July 30.
“The people at EA Sports have created one of the strongest brands in the entertainment industry and John Riccitiello is building an organization which will extend the company’s leadership to new platforms and new audiences all over the world,” said Moore in today’s announcement. “I couldn’t be more excited about joining EA and moving my family back to the San Francisco Bay Area.”
“While Peter will certainly be missed, we are delighted to have one of the industry’s most talented and passionate veterans on board to lead the business,” said Microsft Entertainment and Devices president Robbie Bach. “Don is well-known and respected throughout the industry for his deep knowledge, technical expertise and management savvy.”
Moore’s previous digs includes being the president and COO of Sega of America, where he oversaw the launch of the Dreamcast in 1999. Interestingly, this will be his highest paying job, as this SEC filing reveals. He will be paid $550,000 a year, with a potential annual bonus of $412,500; there is also a one-time signing bonus of $1.5 million. There are other perks, too, in the form of stock options and restricted shares.
NBA Street Homecourt Announced
EA has announced NBA STREET Homecourt, the newest iteration of its streetball franchise. The fourth entry in the series expands on the fast-paced 3-on-3 basketball gameplay with a new animation engine and control system; players will also be able to create gravity-defying tricks on the fly.
“NBA STREET Homecourt gives fans the opportunity to play where legends were made, and will be made,” said Dan Ayoub, lead producer on the product. “Every legendary player got his start somewhere and most of those roots are set in homecourts across the United States. The vision for the game’s concept, visuals and gameplay all give a nod to those hometown courts, and will provide fans with an incredibly addictive and rewarding experience.”
NBA STREET Homecourt merges legendary proving grounds with the homecourts of your favorite NBA stars, featuring 360 degrees of view. The NBA’s best are rendered with the same level of meticulous detail, making true athlete likeness a reality and putting you up close and personal with every move and moment. Earn a name for yourself and garner respect as you progress along your hometown journey and become a legend.
The game is in development at the publisher’s Vancouver studio for the PS3 and Xbox 360.
BDGamers 
