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EA @ Gamescom: Crysis 3, SimCity, Army of Two and more
If you're lucky enough to find yourself at Gamescom next week in Germany, playable demos of Crysis 3 and SimCity will be headlining EA's lineup. Aside from those two, there will also be demo stations at EA's booth for Need for Speed: Most Wanted, FIFA 13, FIFA Manager 13, Medal of Honor: Warfighter and Star Wars: The Old Republic.EA will also be conducting behind-closed-doors presentations. Notable titles for private showcase include the newly-announced Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel from Visceral Games, the Armored Kill expansion for Battlefield 3, Crysis 3, Dead Space 3, NHL 2013, Sims 3, SimCity and a bunch of mobile games from EA and Chillingo. We'll have previews of those games next week.
Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel coming to PS3 and Xbox in March [update: trailer]
Ahead of today's EA software showcase, the publisher has gone ahead and announced a new Army of Two for PS3 and Xbox 360. Called The Devil's Cartel, this new game is the next project from Visceral Games, developed in DICE's Frostbite 2 engine.According to EA, this latest game "re-sets the series" with a "more intense, mature, and grittier tone," to the surprise of those of us who found the previous games plenty gritty. Operatives "Alpha" and "Bravo" fight in a drug war in Mexico, making use of "the ability to unleash the power of ultimate destruction."The Devil's Cartel will be released in March 2013. If you want to follow along with other EA announcements today, you can watch the showcase live here starting at 1pm Pacific/4pm Eastern.Update: Game Informer brings us the first official look at the game, with this new trailer/interview video and the cover image for its September issue. The mag specifies that this is the work of Visceral Games Montreal.
Rumor: 'Army of Four' exposed via Twitter
Joe Flanigan, an actor some may recognize as Stargate: Atlantis' John Sheppard, has signed on with EA to "do the new AO4 video game," according to his Twitter account. Originally referring to the project as an offshoot of the Battlefield series, Flanigan quickly redacted that statement, thanking God that his children don't read Twitter.Word around the rumor mill is that AO4 stands for Army of Four, and that it's a sequel to 2010's Army of Two: The 40th Day. That makes more sense than Artificial Orangutan 4 or Aquabat Opera 4, which were the first two things we thought of. We've reached out to EA regarding what the dealio, yo.[Thanks, Jordan!]
Next round of EA server culling includes Army of Two, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat
As boys turn to men, we know it's hard to say goodbye to yesterday, but time marches on and Electronic Arts has server power bills it's no longer keen on paying. EA has decided to shut down online functionality for several titles, including Army of Two, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat and Need for Speed: Most Wanted, as of August 11. EA's explanation is that games being shut down represent "fewer than 1% of all peak online players across all EA titles," and that its server teams would rather "focus on keeping a positive experience for the other 99% of customers playing our more popular games." Find the list of titles being disconnected from the internet after the break.
Visceral Montreal studio staffing up for Army of Two, Dead Space franchises
A series of job openings in EA Montreal's Visceral Games division point unsurprisingly to ongoing projects associated with the studio's homegrown Army of Two franchise, as well as for Dead Space. Positions for a senior producer, art director and lead environmental artist for Army of Two have been posted on the EA jobs site, in addition to a number of non-franchise-specific roles. Also of note, the studio is looking for a senior development director for the Dead Space franchise, in addition to a lead writer (in English) and senior AI programmer for a "new action adventure IP." The EA Montreal location includes Visceral Games Montreal, EA Mobile, BioWare Montreal and other groups. The now Visceral-branded studio is best known for its pair of Army of Two games, which have sold millions -- fist bump! -- despite mixed critical reception. Additionally, the Montreal studio collaborated with EA's Redwood Shores outfit to develop Dead Space 2. While EA has made no official statement about new iterations of these franchises, we clearly haven't seen the last of them. And you can put your bro on that!
Army of Two, A World of Keflings Avatar gear now available
Cosplay enthusiasts will tell you: making costumes based on your favorite fictional characters can be expensive. Depending on how accurate a recreation you're going for, you can drop some serious duckets on materials. Not to mention the trouble of explaining to your parents who Marcus Phoenix is and why you would want to dress up like him. That's why we'd like to inform you of the latest Avatar Marketplace update, a cheaper alternative for your fixation with dress-up. Two new game styles are available: A World of Keflings and Army of Two. You can find a plethora of branded hats and shirts from each title, as well as some full body costumes -- you can see the Ninja Bee outfit above. Source - Army of Two Avatar items Source - A World of Keflings Avatar collection
Battlefield: BC, Mass Effect, Army of Two sequel sales all top 1 million; Dante's Inferno comes close in Q1 2010
Electronic Arts' high-profile sequels helped the publisher fight its way to some positive cash flow in the final quarter of an otherwise traumatic fiscal year. Overall, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 led the charge with over three million units sold in the quarter across Europe and North America, with five million units sold to date. Mass Effect 2 didn't do too shabby, selling 1.6 million units during the quarter in North America and Europe, while Army of Two: The 40th Day sold "over one million units worldwide in the quarter." It wasn't all sequel talk for the core titles,as Dante's Inferno got a mention too, having sold "almost one million units in the quarter" across Europe and North America. Oh, Dante, don't cry! It ain't easy for a new franchise in this world -- just ask EA's new IPs from last fiscal year.
Xbox Live Marketplace in May: Rocket Knight, Dragon Age DLC and more
You know that dusty piggy bank you've had sitting on the shelf forever? Look, forget the kid's college fund -- she's not going to college for, like, years -- and bust that thing open! There's going to be some solid content on Xbox Live Marketplace this month. In the mood for XBLA games? How does Rocket Knight or Zeno Clash tickle your fancy? Oh, so you want some DLC -- Dragon Age: Origins will have more to offer the tireless adventurer later this month. Want to learn the Secret of Monkey Island? During the week of May 17, the secret will be half-off. See what we mean? Head past the break for more XBLM release highlights for the month provided by Microsoft.
Army of Two: The 40th Day DLC fix coming soon, EA says
Has your brotainment been at an all-time low with Army of Two: The 40th Day's campaign DLC, Chapters of Deceit? Well, according to Eurogamer, EA is well aware of the issue regarding faulty Achievement and Trophy unlocks and is currently working on a fix. "There is a known issue affecting Achievements in an Army of Two DLC pack," an EA spokesperson said. "We are looking into a solution and hope to provide an update soon." In the meantime, we suggest you enjoy one of those other games that inspired The 40th Day. It's not a bad way to pass the time until you wait for "soon" to come around.
New Army of Two: The 40th Day campaign DLC coming in April
Electronic Arts has announced that new Army of Two: The 40th Day downloadable content is on the way. Entitled "Chapters of Deceit," the pack contains two campaign maps (once again set in the city of Shanghai) where "players stumble upon information that could lead to ending the invasion by Jonah and his 40th Day Initiative army." The DLC will arrive for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on April 1 and will cost $9.99 and 800, respectively. Since the game flaunts its strength as a co-op shooter right in the title, EA Montreal's new content seems like a natural extension. Here's hoping it maintains the impressive level design and high degree of polish we experienced the first time around.%Gallery-86309%
Army of Two: The 40th Day for The 40 Dollars
Looking to add some more psychotic mercenaries to your life in increments of two, but light on cash in this ridiculously overstuffed Q1? Look to Amazon's Video Game Deal of the Day to fulfill your Army of Two: The 40th Day-related needs. For today only (or until the retailer runs out), both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the co-op shooter are marked down to $39.99. If that's still a bit much to pay (and if you're really desperate for some masked mayhem in a game), we'd like to suggest employing the same "buddy system" that Salem and Rios use. Buy it with a friend, play it together, and strengthen your relationship! You know, while blowing stuff up.
Metareview: Army of Two: The 40th Day
You've already heard our incredibly well-thought-out critique of Salem and Rios' latest mercenary endeavor, Army of Two: The 40th Day -- however, we understand your impulse to shop around. Here's what some of the other reviewers have been saying about the supremely bromantic game. IGN (85/100): "A disaster movie in a game package, Army of Two: The 40th Day capitalizes on its co-op play to deliver an awesome action experience that's incredibly fun to play." Official Xbox 360 Magazine (80/100): "Marry that to some satisfyingly chunky gunplay and the odd spectacular, building-levelling explosion and you have an action game that is far more fun than it has any right to be. You get plenty of co-op games, but not that many 'buddy' games and this is a fine example - a frantic, punchy bullet-storm that's best enjoyed with a friend." 1UP (B): "Even though I think they ultimately contributed to the Army of Two's inconsistent tone, which moves from "flippant" to "serious business about how messed up people can get," the morality moments are what I'll remember most about The 40th Day." Game Informer (65/100): "With so many great co-op experiences available to gamers, it's tough to recommend The 40th Day. Lacking a cohesive story, solid controls, key multiplayer features, and polish, this sequel fails to close the gap of mediocrity running through its core game design."
EA confesses to bad ideas in first Army of Two
EA Montreal boss Alain Tascan admitted to Videogamer.com that the first Army of Two game "piss[ed] off a lot of people" with some of its missteps; most notably the killing of terrorists for cash in areas in which real soldiers were dying. So the mistake was, basically, the whole game. Before we pile on EA too much, we'd like to remind you that the stuffing of tampons into bullet wounds was actually cut from the game, so the final version of Army of Two didn't have nearly as many bad ideas in it as it could have. Tascan went on to say that "the new one I feel is still very funny, but at least it's more 'Bruce Willis funny' than 'Steven Seagal funny.'" Well great, guys, you've gone from pissing off overly sensitive people to pissing off Steven Seagal. Talk about leaping from the frying pan into the fire that also happens to be a reincarnated, part-time deputy sheriff.
Review: Army of Two: The 40th Day
Never did I think that, after finishing the original Army of Two, I'd ever be re-enlisting for a sequel. Sure, it sold well, but its myriad not-quite-fulfilled ideas and irritating "Dude! Bro!" lead characters just made me want to shrug off the game and move on with my life. So I sit here writing this pretty amazed at how good the sequel is. It's not, say, Assassin's Creed to Assassin's Creed 2 good -- but a very solid improvement on the core co-op action concept, shedding just the right things and finally delivering an experience that actually plays off the strengths of being a two-man fighting force. Plus, it does so with a high degree of polish and prettiness, not to mention reworked characters that are -- and I can't believe I'm saying this -- actually funny and ... cool. %Gallery-47821%
The Army of Two infiltrates GameStop
Army of Two: The 40th Day's Salem and Rios are no strangers to the modern world. Sure, they may have acted a bit ... out of place during previous visits to EA Montreal and EA Headquarters, but that doesn't mean they're not fit for retail life. Take, for instance, the video above of the two trying their best to lend a hand to the fine folks at GameStop. They might be a bit rough around the edges, but that doesn't mean that they didn't get the most magazine upsells for the month of December (they did!) or that they aren't capable of re-alphabetizing the used PS2 section six or seven hundred times a day (they are!). Give them a chance, folks. Under the inhuman terror mask and bullet-proof chest padding beats the heart of a human being. %Gallery-47821%
New Army of Two trailer previews multiplayer modes
So, okay, Army of Two: The 40th Day is kind of the definition of a multiplayer mode: "All co-op, all the time." But on top of the constant comradery of the core campaign, this sequel also features several traditional multiplayer modes inspired by other popular multiplayer games. This latest trailer chronicles the classic struggle between the colors Red and Blue across the game's four muliplayer modes: Warzone, Co-op Deathmatch, Control, and Extraction. Sadly, it appears that the So You Think You Can Fist Bump competition didn't make the cut. %Gallery-47821%
Army of Two: The 40th Day multiplayer inspired by Counter-Strike, Killzone 2
While Army of Two's focus has always been cooperative gameplay, EA Montreal's Eric Chartrand is responsible for designing the competitive multiplayer aspects of The 40th Day. In an interview with with That VideoGame Blog, Chartrand notes that one of the big changes for the AoT sequel is to adapt the multiplayer aspect, and make it play differently from the campaign mode. Whereas the story can feature designed bottlenecks (such as doors that require both players to open), multiplayer cannot, simply because humans play differently than AI. "The toolset we use in single-player has to be different from the one we use in multiplayer," Chartrand explains. Interestingly, Chartrand notes two games as his main inspiration for The 40th Day's multiplayer offerings: the decade old Counter-Strike and the recently-released Killzone 2. "What works in Counter-Strike is that you don't get progression," a stark contrast to the level-up gimmick common in most online shooters. "So why it works is because the gameplay in it. The second-to-second, the movement of the character, the shooting, the intensity of the combat is still fresh, even ten years after. So that's why we wanted to craft an experience that is as close to this as possible." Chartrand has even more praise for Guerrilla's FPS. "Killzone 2 has great maps, probably the best maps out there," he admits. However, what inspired Chartrand the most appear to be the game's community features, particularly its stats-laden website. "This link between stats, profile, friends, leaderboard ... all the community aspects, I think the Killzone guys did a very good job and we strive to imitate them."
Army of Two: The 40th Day PSP: no demo today, but have a trailer
Feeling left out by today's Army of Two demo news, PSP owners? You may not get to play the PSP version of Army of Two: The 40th Day today, but EA sent out a trailer, ensuring that you'll be able to ... watch it being played. And this trailer does feature a good amount of footage of the Commando/Ikari Warriors-esque top-down shooter. Not that you won't get the chance to step into the shoes of a masked, bloodthirsty murderer before the January 13 release in North America. A PSP demo will be available on PSN January 7 (January 14 in Europe). Just try to hold out until then. Maybe seek comfort from one good friend.
PSA: Army of Two: The 40th Day demo on XBL
A reminder from your friendly neighborhood Joystiq: The Army of Two: The 40th Day demo promised earlier this week is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. Weighing in at a less-than-diminutive two gigabytes, the demo allows players to try out a part of the first level of the game. And, since Army of Two kind of depends on cooperative play, the demo thankfully offers both offline and online co-op for two players. The demo may or may not also contain bro hugs. We hope it does. Shortcut: Add the Army of Two: The 40th Day demo to your 360 download queue [Via Xbox.com]
Watch Shanghai blow up in Army of Two: The 40th Day's intro
Modern Warfare 2 has made blowing up American capitals so passé. EA Montreal is far more visionary, preemptively blowing up the largest city of our future masters: Shanghai. The explosive intro to Army of Two: The 40th Day certainly fits the studio's new "blockbuster-type" focus and reassures doubters that this game will be a more serious affair than the first. Perhaps you've noticed the deliberate lack of bromance in this clip?
