Last year, EA Sports introduced the long-awaited Online Franchise mode inMadden NFL 10. But if you wanted to play it, you had to either buy the game new and type in a one-time-use code that came in the box, or pay $10 for a code. This year, EA Sports is extending that policy across all of its games, and now, the code won’t merely unlock a single online mode — it’s a gatekeeper for online play altogether....
It’s been pointed out by other writers before, but I must agree it’s ironic that Electronic Arts is losing money the moment it stops churning out sequential garbage and at leasttriesto generate original IPs. I might not personally enjoy what EA’s put out lately, but a lot of people have and you’d think this apparent surge of quality would generate hits. This is somethingEA itself has noticed, as CEO John Riccitiello has stated that originality is just part of the equation....
Microsoft has confirmed today that Remedy’sAlan Wakehas been cleared by the ESRB, and will be rated… T? Yup, that’s right. The dark thriller can be played by adults and teens alike when it’s released on May 18. What this means for you: Don’t expect to hear Alan Wake say anything like “Oh sh*t, did you see that motherfking car? It just moved, dude. It just flew in the fking air and tried to kill me....
Many MMOs have attempted to take the crown fromWorld of Warcraft, but as with nearly all attempts to beat a product that has already cornered a market, such games have been unsuccessful. Nevertheless, there are some that believe they have what it takes to knock Blizzard down, albeit with unconventional methods. Everquestlead designer Ryan Barker believes thatWoWwill be beaten, and it’ll be by “something totally different that we haven’t even thought of yet....
ExpansionDragon Age: Origins — Awakeningwill expose owners of the new old-school RPG to a fourth type of DLC. Say what you will about the studio’s curious, almost manic content model. But don’t call itstrictlyexperimental — BioWare believes unique kinds of DLC are the best way to tell their stories, both big and small. “For us, we view all of this simply as additional content in whatever form it takes, and the different approaches are means to an end,” Fernando Melo, the game’s online producer, told me via e-mail....
Prior toLimbo‘s resurgence as the hot independent game everyone loved to love, I was constantly getting it confused with another, similarly eerie-looking indie title calledFeist. Since I’m feeling a tad less drowsy these days, I can see the difference —Feistis the one with vibrant colors and a fuzzy lead character. When you can take any snapshot of a game and have the picture come out looking like a work of art, you know the designers are onto something special....
SEGA has unleashed a humble handful of screens for Platinum Games’Anarchy Reigns. The new shots feature pimps in pain, giant saw blades, and buckets of violence. The title seems to more and more resemble a sequel toMadWorld, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all. It’s looking hot and I’ll take the first opportunity I can to get some hands-on with it, as I’m curious to see if they’ve gone down the beat ’em up or fighter path with the online combat....
Even though it wasn’t announced until now, we were certain that the west would also be seeing a Limited Collector’s Edition ofFinal Fantasy XIII. It’s official for Europe, and we’re waiting to hear more about North America’s soon. As I guessed before, the included soundtrack is not the full 4 discs, but a selection. The included “Original Sound Selection” was made by composer Masashi Hamauzu. A hardback book called The World of Final Fantasy XIII will also be included....
Ths weekend, atrailer had appearedfor Square Enix’s all-original IPNier, something which got me excited due to the promise of what looked like brutal hack n’ slash combat. Fresh new details have recently been appeared on theofficial site, however, that has rained on my parade a little — not least because it’s being developed by the same chaps who didBullet WitchandDrakengard 2. Oh dear. The game is set in “a crumbling world plagued by disease and dark, unrecognizable creatures,” which pretty much makes it sound like Los Angeles....
Dtoider Magnalon has alerted me to today’s free App and I’m glad he did because it’s a quality offering. It’s calledDeadly Dungeonand it offers some no-nonsense hack n’ slash fun with great graphics. It only recently launched and is free for a limited time to celebrate the release, so snap it up quick! It looks like the game will expand over time from the rather limited levels, characters and enemies the current game provides....
These last few weeks, I’ve been complaining about the lack of new games with a solid multiplayer component. It’s made my totally irrelevant (in the grand scheme of things) job of finding something interesting to talk about for these Friday Night Fights posts difficult. Now thatHalo 3: ODSTis out, and more specifically, the game’s Firefight co-op mode is playable, there’s something to discuss. Unfortunately, my Internet connection for the time being can’t even steam YouTube videos, much less play any form of a game online....
Those eager to take on the role of god in Eric Chahi’sFrom Dustwill get the chance to do so on Wednesday. That’s when the Xbox Live Arcade release is happening, and until recently, that’s when PC gamers were getting the sandbox-style strategy title as well. After hearing rumblings thatFrom Dusthad been delayed, we got confirmation from Ubisoft: the PC version is now on for Wednesday, August 17. Bummer! Probably for the best — had a Summer of Arcade titlenotbeen exclusive to Xbox 360 at launch, the end of days might’ve ensued....
It seems like news of the newest version of SEGA’s off-road racer,SEGA Rally, has been almost completely missing our radar. We’re not sure if it’s because there’s not much news to report, or that SEGA is keeping the goodies under their hat, but we were glad to see this new content today.GameTrailershas posted a new guided technicial demonstration of some of the enviroments inSEGA Rally. SEGA’s Guy Wilday, Director of SEGA’s Racing Studio, shows off how the different track and weather enviroments affect gameplay....
