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EA's Ultimate Team card sales grew 60% in the last year
Sales for EA's Ultimate Team modes in FIFA, Madden and NHL grew 60 percent year-over-year on a non-GAAP basis (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles), the publisher noted in its 2014 financial earnings report. Additionally, EA said its Ultimate Team services "generated more than $380 million" in fiscal 2014, and that Madden Ultimate Team alone saw a 90 percent year-over-year growth. First debuting for NCAA Football 14 and NBA Live 14 last year, Ultimate Team is a trading card-collecting game mode that's driven EA's digital revenue for a number of years in its other sports games, such as Madden NFL and FIFA. FIFA's digital revenue alone topped $145 million in the first half of the fiscal year, as the publisher revealed in late October. EA reported its fiscal 2014 earnings today, showing a net revenue of $1.12 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014, down from $1.21 billion during the fourth quarter last year. [Image: EA Sports]
Canada nets exclusive icy blue PlayStation 3, NHL 14 bundle
Canadians love hockey. It's more than a stereotype; it's a market-exploitable fact. Sony plans to capitalize on our northern pals' love of icy sports with a region-exclusive PlayStation 3 bundle that includes a copy of EA Sports' hockey sim NHL 14. The package includes an Azurite-blue super slim PS3 console with a 250GB hard drive, along with a matching DualShock 3 controller for an MSRP of $249.99. The package will hit EB Games Canada first, and will ship to other Canadian retailers starting in mid-November.
NHL 14 review: Shorthanded
A sizable badge on the box for NHL 14 proclaims the series has been named 'Sports Game of the Year' by over twenty-six outlets throughout the life of the franchise, yet EA's hockey series rarely gets the same attention from its publisher as Madden and FIFA. Despite its critical success and commercial adoration from lifelong fans, the NHL franchise rarely gets promotion from EA Sports, as evidenced by its absence in the upcoming Xbox One and PS4 launches and EA's own industry press conferences. Huddled in its own corner as the least-promoted sports series under EA's arm, the NHL franchise has made marked improvements to its mechanics year over year. This year, NHL 14's collision system sees a massive upgrade, borrowing tech from EA's top-tier FIFA franchise. But NHL 14 shows its age with presentation packages and commentary so old and recycled that they give the impression developer EA Canada is either unwilling or unable to make changes to the more costly elements of NHL's development.
Gamescom trailers and screenshots giga-post
Psst, hey kid. You want some ... trailers? How about some Gamescom trailers? C'mere for a second. Yeah that's right, we got all kinds of trailers. Murasaki Baby, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Resogun, Infamous: Second Son, Watch Dogs, pretty much any kind of trailer you wanna put in your eyeballs, we can hook it up. Hey, and you know what? Since you seem like a nice kid, we're gonna throw in some screenshots too. Oh no, put your wallet away – the first one's free.
Improved stick skills shown off in NHL 14 trailer
This trailer for NHL 14 shows the improvements EA Canada has planned for the series in the stick skills department. For starters, puck chops will be easier to pull off with the use of the right analog stick and right bumper/R1 button. NHL 14 will also include simple one-touch dekes, which will allow more reactive cut-back moves. Some of the improvements revolve around tuning stick skills down, such as pokechecks, which will be less effective when players are out of position or the puck is moving at higher speeds. NHL 14 will grant a higher success rate to those that hold a position during faceoffs as well. NHL 14 will launch September 10 on PS3 and Xbox 360 with New Jersey Devils' Martin Brodeur on the cover. %Gallery-195329%
NHL 94 Anniversary mode is offline only in favor of couch co-op
NHL 94 Anniversary mode, a homage to the SNES and Sega Genesis hockey games of yesteryear, will not be playable online in NHL 14. When asked why this mode wasn't online-compatible, an EA representative told Joystiq it was to recreate the social experience of playing together with buddies on the same couch – like in the old games. "With the NHL 94 Anniversary mode our goal was to recreate the social experience that so many gamers had on the couch next to their friends. This is the mode you play when friends come over and you're up for some friendly old school hockey competition." NHL 14 is currently in development at EA Canada for the Xbox 360 and PS3. The game features updated collision physics modified from the FIFA series' Player Impact Engine. Last month, the NHL 14 cover was awarded to the New Jersey Devil's Martin Brodeur.
NHL 14 features offline 'NHL 94 Anniversary mode'
In celebration of NHL 94's 20 year anniversary, EA Canada has announced that NHL 14 will include a mode that brings the classic gameplay of the SNES and Genesis original to the franchise's modern engine. "It is the NHL 14 engine driving it all – driving the gameplay and presentation. That said, we've taken as many nods as we can from NHL 94," EA Sports Producer Sean Ramjagsingh tells Joystiq. "From the moment you start loading into the game you're going to hear some of the retro NHL 94 music. You're going to hear organs throughout the game mode. You're going to see the retro star as a player indicator with their number and position. You're also going to see retro-style art on the rinks." The single-game mode, which will only be available for offline play Ramjagsingh says, is built to be as "over-the-top" as the classic game. Helmets pop off players after bone-crunching hits, glass regularly breaks, and goalies can be hit. "After goals and penalties, you're going to see some interesting some retro nods to NHL 94 as well. It's all part of the visuals," he adds. "All those fun elements back in the game with modern day players and a modern day look."%Gallery-193575%
Devils' Martin Brodeur named NHL 14 cover athlete
EA Sports' NHL series will see a goalie on the box for the first time since NHL 97, as Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils won the annual cover vote to become the cover athlete for NHL 14. Brodeur beat out runner-up Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets goalie. Brobrovsky won this year's Vezina Trophy, which is given to the goaltender that is considered the best in the league. The cover vote tallied over 22 million votes, though EA has not revealed how the votes break down. NHL 14 is coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 in North America on September 10, and will launch worldwide on September 13. %Gallery-192736%
NHL 14 cover vote goes to the sweet sixteen
EA Sports has announced the final sixteen players that have advanced to the next round of voting for NHL 14's cover. Each of the remaining players are lumped into a bracket format, competing head-to-head until the final match-up is decided and revealed during the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. According to EA, more than 12 million votes have been cast in the competition's first two rounds, "with daily vote totals up nearly 70% over the NHL 13 Cover Vote Campaign." Fans signed into their EA account can vote an unlimited number of times during this round until May 12 at 11:59pm ET. Votes can be doubled on Thursdays on Twitter and Instagram by using specific hashtags for each of the remaining players. NHL 14 launches in North America on September 10, 2013, and worldwide on September 13. My expert recommendations can be found in the image above.
Collision Physics takes the ice in NHL 14 trailer
EA Canada recently detailed NHL 14's Collision Physics in a developer diary video and blog. New to the hockey game this year are left stick hits, where the speed and momentum of skaters can cause big hits without the use of the right joystick. Right stick hitting controls are still accessible in the game. The Collision Physics system, which borrows from the FIFA series' Player Impact Engine, introduces more ragdoll reactions to players suffering hits, including the goalie. EA Canada says NHL 14 will also see less hip check spamming and more incidental contact due to the game demanding better player positioning. Likewise, the developer says the system will make better use of a player's individual attributes for keeping their balance and delivering hits on opponents.
NHL 14 asks fans to face off in cover vote contest
Following last year's successful demonstration of democracy through NHL.com, NHL 14 will ask hockey fans to once again vote for their favorite cover athlete. Fans may choose from an initial list of sixty players, with voting taking place across two rounds that will be followed by a 16-player bracket to narrow down NHL 14's cover captain.The winning player will be revealed later this year during the Stanley Cup Finals. The initial round of voting is going on now; you can see the full list of sixty eligible players through the source link below. Last year, over 25 million votes for the inaugural NHL Cover Vote campaign were registered, awarding the cover spot to Philadelphia Flyer's captain Claude Giroux.NHL 14 skates off to retail on Xbox 360 and PS3 September 10 in North America, September 13 in Europe.
NHL 14 out Sept. 10 in North America, Sept. 13 in Europe
NHL 14 will (hockey reference) its way to stores in North America on September 10, with a European release (different hockey reference)-ing three days later.EA's latest hockey game, by EA Canada's Vancouver studio, turns a hodgepodge of EA Sports tech into a new hockey experience, with new "NHL Collision Physics" based on the Player Impact Engine used in FIFA games, and "Enforcer Engine" fighting based on Fight Night. The "Be a Pro" mode now lets you experience the life of a neophyte NHL player both on and off the ice.NHL 14 was announced only for PS3 and Xbox 360.
