Most Recent: PS4

EA Sports will release Madden NFL 18, FIFA 18, NHL 18, NBA Live 18, UFC 3 this year

Posted on February 2, 2017 by John Scalzo

There’s no need to panic… EA Sports will indeed release a full slate of sports simulations in 2017.

CEO Andrew Wilson shared the completely unsurprising news during EA’s quarterly financial report earlier this week, and he seems particularly proud of the enhancements planned for FIFA 18, including an expanded new storyline for “The Journey”:

FIFA 18 will build on the foundation we created with Story Mode this year, bringing players back to “The Journey” with Season 2, featuring new characters and new storylines. Our development team in Vancouver is delivering deeply innovative new experiences across this year’s game, including an Ultimate Team, and creating the most emotionally immersive and connected FIFA we have ever produced.

Wilson also announced that development of the Madden franchise will finally transition to the Frostbite Engine with Madden NFL 18:

Our Madden NFL franchise will transition to the Frostbite Engine with Madden NFL 18, unlocking major visual advancements and new gameplay experiences that will excite dedicated Madden players, football fans, and sports fans overall.

The executive closed the EA Sports portion of his report with confirmation that EA Sports UFC 3 is set to be released sometime in 2017, while NHL 18 and the “all new” NBA Live 18 will be released in the Fall.

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BioWare will deliver the first entry in a brand new franchise in Early 2018

Posted on February 2, 2017 by John Scalzo

During EA’s quarterly financial report earlier this week, CEO Andrew Wilson gave investors and fans alike a sneak peek at the year ahead for the megapublisher, and he even peered out into 2018 for one brief moment.

After discussing Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and Need For Speed 2017, Wilson turned his attention to BioWare and confirmed that the developer’s next project after Mass Effect: Andromeda will be released in Early 2018. But rather than return to Dragon Age or Jade Empire, BioWare will release the first entry in a brand new franchise that’ll feature “new concepts, new game play mechanics, and new stories.” According to Wilson, the title will also include an “exhilarating” multiplayer component:

At the end of the fiscal year, our BioWare studio will be delivering an all new IP. A clean-sheet design with new concepts, new game play mechanics, and new stories, set in a unique new universe. This game has the potential to fundamentally disrupt the way people think about an action title, bringing friends together to play in an exhilarating new way. We’re very excited about the future of this new franchise and its ability to attract a large global audience.

Later, Wilson added that the game will have “greater action and greater adventure” than any of BioWare’s previous games, though it’ll also contain “the great RPG character development and storyline progression” that has become the developer’s trademark:

[BioWare’s next game is] action-adventure, not RPG. So, what we’re starting to see more and more in game genres is kind of genre melding, which is great components of a number of different genres really kind of coming together into single games. And so, when you think about this game, you should be thinking about the great RPG character development and storyline progression that BioWare is known for, but in a world of greater action and greater adventure, which is growing to be one of the larger categories in games. It will be a wholly-owned IP. We’re very excited about it, and we’ll share more in the year to come.

While BioWare’s next project remains unannounced as of today, it’s likely in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Expect to learn more about it during this year’s E3 Expo.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Women of Color In Video Games: A Much Needed Dialogue

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Brittney Williams

Have you ever heard of the “magical negro” trope? Perhaps you haven’t. How about the one regarding black women being “hypersexual?” No, haven’t heard of that trope either? Well, here’s the thing… you’ve definitely seen it, read it, digested it, but you might not have consciously absorbed it. Don’t feel too bad; most people don’t recognize it, either.

The fact that most people don’t see how offensive the portrayal of black and brown women in video games is, is exactly why commentary on this valid argument is so direly needed. (more…)

Posted in Mobile, Opinions, PC, PS3, PS4, Top Story, Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , ,

Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers, Double Dragon IV, Knee Deep, more added to PS Store

Posted on February 1, 2017 by John Scalzo

This week’s PlayStation Store update appears to be brought to you by the letter D…

Koei Tecmo starts things off with the launch of Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers, a new tactical RPG in the long-running series. Available to download now for the PS4 and Vita, Godseekers depicts the “chaotic end days of the Han dynasty,” which is “a period in Chinese history when ancient China was overwhelmed by uprisings and internal strife within its imperial court.”

From ancient China to post-apocalyptic Japan comes Double Dragon IV, the first new entry in the franchise created by the original development team in more than a decade. Billy and Jimmy, the Lee Brothers, make their PS4 debut in a retro-styled side-scroller that serves as a direct sequel to Double Dragon II: The Revenge. The slightly-less-apocalyptic landscape of Florida serves as the setting for Knee Deep, a PS4 adventure game that uses a theatrical style to engage the audience with its murder mystery.

Finally this week, a pair of anime adaptations will be released for the PS4 including Digimon World: Next Order and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 – Road to Boruto.

More information on all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PS4, Vita | Tagged , , ,

Morrowind is coming to The Elder Scrolls Online in the next expansion

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Brittney Williams

Yes, you read that headline right… Morrowind is coming to The Elder Scrolls Online. Players will return to the island of Vvardenfell in the next expansion, while also exploring a new story arc and character class:

Morrowind is on the verge of destruction and it’s up to you to save it from a deadly Daedric threat. Embark on a dangerous journey through legendary locales, from the volcanic Ashlands to mushroom-filled forests. Dive into the murderous realm of Dunmer house politics and gain the trust of an elite assassin. Experience the beautiful world of Morrowind like never before.

  • New ESO Chapter: Return to Morrowind and begin an epic story arc in an all-new adventure
  • New Class: Harness nature-based magic to master a powerful new character class — The Warden
  • New Game Mode: Take the battle to the Ashlands and fight to the death in Battlegrounds, an all-new 4v4v4 PvP mode set in competitive arena-style environments

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is considered by some to be the best entry in the franchise. With its dark, gritty backdrop and the complex mechanics, why wouldn’t people love Morrowind? However, it’s been nearly 15 years since Morrowind first made its way to the PC and the original Xbox, and since then, the only dedicated Morrowind experience that fans have had was confined to an Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim expansion, Dragonborn, back in 2012. Fans have been begging for a return to Morrowind, and as Bethesda Softworks usually does, they’ve delivered.

So, how does this work? Current ESO players can add the Morrowind expansion to their current copy of The Elder Scrolls Online for $39.99, while newbies to the ESO universe can purchase the Standard Edition (which also includes the original game) for $59.99, or pick up the awesome Collector’s Edition (Digital: $79.99, Physical: $99.99). Both Collectors Editions will feature several in-game items including an Armored War Horse, Dwarven Spider Pet, Morag Tong Armor Converter, Gray War Bear, and Character Emotes. But opting for the physical Collector’s Edition will add an exclusive game case, map of Morrowind, Dwarven Colossus Statue, and Naryu’s Journal.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind arrives for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on June 6, 2017, but you can pre-order it now, and don’t forget to check out the Announcement Trailer above.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Next Need For Speed game is still on track for 2017 release

Posted on February 1, 2017 by John Scalzo

Almost a year ago, Ghost Games announced they were working on a brand new entry in the Need For Speed franchise, which would launch sometime in 2017. Yesterday, CEO Andrew Wilson offered an update on the game to fans and investors as part of EA’s quarterly financial report.

Wilson revealed that the currently untitled Need For Speed sequel will be released sometime between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018. He is also said that the team at Ghost Games is “pushing the boundaries of action driving”:

We’re also excited to have a new Need For Speed title launch in FY 2018. We’ve given the game an extended development cycle to focus on innovation, and the Need For Speed team is pushing the boundaries of action driving with what we believe is the most exciting and best looking Need For Speed game we’ve ever produced.

The next Need For Speed game will be Ghost Games’s second lap with the franchise, as they also produced 2015’s Need For Speed.

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EA CEO promises Star Wars: Battlefront 2 will be “even bigger” than first Battlefront

Posted on February 1, 2017 by John Scalzo

Electronic Arts presented their quarterly financial report to investors yesterday, and once again, CEO Andrew Wilson delivered a progress report for Star Wars: Battlefront 2. Wilson reiterated that the game is still on track for a Fall 2017 launch, while also promising to include “more locations” and “more heroes and characters [from] multiple Star Wars eras.”:

We’re thrilled to bring a new Star Wars Battlefront game to fans worldwide in 2017 holiday season. In the past two years, Rogue One and The Force Awakens have opened new storylines and captured the imagination of hundreds of millions of Star Wars fans. We’ve listened closely to our passionate Star Wars: Battlefront community and have expanded our existing game with more great content and experiences since its launch. As that game continues to thrive, we have also heard our players’ desire for even more depth and progression.

Our next Star Wars Battlefront will be even bigger, taking players into more locations and allowing them to play with more heroes and characters across multiple Star Wars eras. There will be new ways to play, including an all new single-player campaign and much, much more that we are excited to share with our players in the months ahead. To build a game of this magnitude, we’ve brought together three great studios, DICE, Motive and Criterion, and allowing their areas of expertise to deliver an amazing experience in the next Star Wars Battlefront.

Towards the end of the report, Wilson also said EA is actively listening to fan feedback and that he believes the new single-player campaign is “very, very exciting”:

This is going to be a big game. The first game was very well received. It was widely regarded as a game that fulfilled people’s Star Wars fantasies in ways they could never imagine. But it was also a game where people asked for a lot more, and a lot more depth and a lot more of the greatness of the game kind of embodied.

This game, again, is going to be in more locations, more game modes, more eras, more shifts, including a full single-player campaign which is very, very exciting. So, we have every reason to believe we’re delivering fans exactly what they’re asking for with respect to a Star Wars game.

With the game’s launch less than ten months away, we should be hearing a lot more about Star Wars: Battlefront 2 in the coming days.

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PlayStation VR owners will be able to download Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin on February 21

Posted on January 31, 2017 by John Scalzo

Psychonauts launched to great reviews, but rather tepid sales, back in 2005. But the platformer slowly built up an audience over the years, which allowed Double Fine to announce a full-fledged sequel last year. But first, Raz will return in Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, which will be released next month, and bridge the gap between the first game and the upcoming Psychonauts 2:

The story will pick up exactly where it left off at the end of Psychonauts ten years ago, with Raz, Lili, Sasha, Milla, and Coach Oleander flying off to rescue Truman Zannotto, the Grand Head of the Psychonauts. Their mission will take them straight into the heart of the Rhombus of Ruin… a mysterious part of the ocean as deadly as two Bermuda Triangles back to back!

When the rescue party itself is kidnapped and held prisoner in the Rhombus, Raz is immobilized and must use only his psychic powers to reunite his friends, reveal the identity of the mysterious kidnapper, and free Truman before the madness of the Rhombus consumes all their minds!

Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is in development exclusively for the PS4’s PlayStation VR headset, and it’ll be available to download through the PlayStation Store on February 21. If you want to get a preview of how Rhombus of Ruin will feel in virtual reality, Double Fine has also created a special “360 View Trailer” for the game, and it’s been embedded above.

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