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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.
Female fighters Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate announced for EA Sports UFC [Update]
EA Sports announced that female fighters Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate will be included in EA Sports UFC's roster. This is the first time the UFC series has included women, and comes just months after the women's bantamweight division was first added to the UFC's real-life arena. Rousey was the first woman to sign with the company in November 2012. EA Sports UFC will launch in Spring 2014 for Xbox One and PS4, and is in development by EA Canada's Fight Night team. The game will run on EA Sports' next-gen Ignite Engine. Update: EA tells Joystiq that "in order to remain authentic to the sport, female fighters will not be able to fight male fighters" in EA Sports UFC and that more female fighters will be announced closer to the game's launch.
Get a head start on your FIFA 14 Ultimate Team on September 15
According to a tweet issued by EA Sports' official FIFA Twitter account, early access for FIFA 14's Ultimate Team mode will arrive in web app form on September 15, ahead of the game's release date on September 24. Ultimate Team, the popular card-collecting-style mode in the series, contributed to FIFA 13's $70 million in digital sales in Q1 2014. EA Sports offered a web app last year for FIFA 13 Ultimate Team players prior to the game's launch as well, which allowed players to buy, trade and sell athletes for their teams. It remains to be seen if this year's early access offerings are similar.
FIFA 14 getting legendary players for Ultimate Team on Microsoft consoles
FIFA 14 will include legendary players from the sport's history in its ever-popular Ultimate Team mode, EA announced at its Gamescom press conference. The legendary players will be exclusive to Xbox 360 and Xbox One, and will first be available in random Ultimate Team gold packs when the Xbox One launches this November. We have the full list of players available after the break. FIFA 14 will launch in North America on September 24 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, then in Europe on September 27. What's more, European players that pre-order the Xbox One system will receive a copy of FIFA 14 as well.
Mobile versions of FIFA 14 will be free to play, console demos arriving September 10 [Update: trailer]
The mobile version of FIFA 14 will be free to play, EA announced during its Gamescom press event today. Series Executive Producer David Rutter also noted during the press conference that the demo for console versions of FIFA 14 will arrive on September 10 in North America and September 11 in Europe. The game arrives on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC on September 24 in North America. The game will be a launch title for PS4 and Xbox One, and will include several "upgrade" options for players that purchase current-gen versions and want to carry Ultimate Team and career data to next-gen systems. European fans that pre-order Xbox Ones will receive a copy of FIFA 14 with their purchase.
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%
EA inks exclusive deal with Barcelona for FIFA, PES gets Argentinian teams
When you think about soccer, FC Barcelona is one of the teams that likely comes to mind, especially because its forward, Lionel Messi, is arguably the best player in the world and co-cover athlete for FIFA 14. EA Sports certainly recognized this when it announced this morning that it settled on a three-year exclusive agreement to become the "official video game partner" of the soccer club. With the partnership in place, EA captured 3D head scans of 17 Barcelona players for use in FIFA 14. Meanwhile, Konami recently announced an agreement to bring 20 soccer teams from the Argentinian Football Association to Pro Evolution Soccer 2014. The license isn't on an exclusive basis according to Konami's announcement. The list of 20 AFA teams to be officially licensed (featuring correct kits, logos and team colors) for the game can be found after the break. Local Argentinian Fox Sports announcers Mariano Closs and Fernando Niembro will also be included in the game.
FIFA 13 netted $70 million in digital revenue last quarter
FIFA 13 saw $70 million in revenue from digital sales in Q1 of fiscal year 2014, which stretches from April 1, 2013 through June 30, 2013. The figure from EA's earnings report today is derived on a non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) basis. EA reports that the digital sales for the footy game, which may include both FIFA Ultimate Team and digital games sales, amounted to a 92 percent increase over FIFA 12's digital sales performance in Q1 2013.
FIFA 14 will have 19 'authentic' Brazilian teams
EA Sports announced that it reached licensing agreements with 19 soccer clubs in Brazil today, and will be bringing those teams to FIFA 14 this year. FIFA 13 had 20 Brazilian teams, but not all of them were exactly "real." Unlike the English Premier League, Brazilian league team licenses are negotiated on a team-by-team basis. FIFA 14 will include 19 authentic teams, "meaning authentic kits, club name, crest and real players," an EA representative told Joystiq. "However, unlicensed clubs can still feature in-game under our FIFPro license which enables us to use real player name/likeness," EA added. So of those 20 Brazilian teams in FIFA 13, a handful were unlicensed clubs. That means fully-licensed teams such as Internacional, Nautico and Ponte Preta in FIFA 14 were seen as I. Porto Alegre, N. Recife and P. Campinas in FIFA 13. "We call these clubs 'art generic' because an artist makes the kit/crest look very similar. Football fans know the difference," EA said. FIFA 14 will only include clubs from the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A league (the top league of three within Brazil's professional soccer system) with the exception of Palmeiras, a popular team that was recently relegated to Serie B. EA does not have licensing agreements in place for use of team logos and kits for two Serie A teams that were in FIFA 13 and Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2013, EC Bahia and SC Corinthians. The publisher is still in negotiations for "additional club and league licenses and will have more announcements to make." FIFA 14 is due out in North America on September 24, and will also come to PS4 and Xbox One later this year.
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.
FIFA 14 sports Gareth Bale on UK cover
Tottenham superstar Gareth Bale shares the UK cover of FIFA 14 with boxart-everpresent Lionel Messi, essentially notching the most lucrative UK soccer accolade behind the Players' Association and Football Writers' gongs, which he greedily gobbled up last season. The news could be big for other reasons; with Bale a widely speculated transfer target of Euro-giants Real Madrid, his cover appearance in a Spurs shirt might suggest he's staying at Tottenham for a while longer. Or it could just be a big old platform for embarrassment when he does make the move. We'll know either way when the latest FIFA reaches North America on September 24, and Europe on September 27, hitting the net-backs of Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. For a lookie at the full UK cover, head on past the break.
FIFA 14 to feature Messi and Chicharito on North American cover
The North American cover for FIFA 14 will feature both Lionel Messi and Manchester United's Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, EA Sports announced. Fans in the US will have the option of the dual-athlete cover or the global cover, which only features Messi. Hernandez will also have his own solo cover art for the game in Mexico. The FIFA cover was announced as part of a multi-year endorsement deal signed by Hernandez with EA Sports. The publisher noted that Hernandez will specifically appear on Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game. EA Sports also recently announced that New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur won the cover vote for NHL 14. The FIFA series has a distinct trend in terms of its cover athletes. Messi seems much more distraught this year compared to the FIFA 13 cover. It's likely that he's fully taken over the "angry shouting guy" duties previously held by Wayne Rooney as recently as FIFA 12. If the trend holds up, we await a ticked-off Chicharito on the box for FIFA 15.
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%
Next-gen FIFA 14 trailer is Messi
This trailer for FIFA Soccer 14 from E3 shows stars of the sport interspersed with early clips from the game on Xbox One. While the next-gen, Ignite engine-powered versions of the game don't have a release date, the game will roll to Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on September 24.
Get a kick out of these FIFA 14 screens and gameplay trailer
These screens and trailer for FIFA 14 showcase some of the game's features. The game is coming to PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 on September 24.
Fight Night franchise on hold as EA Canada focuses on UFC
With EA Canada focused on EA's upcoming UFC game, the Fight Night franchise has been put on hold at EA Sports. "Right now, a great portion of the core of the Fight Night team are actually the team that are building UFC," EA Sports executive vice president Andrew Wilson told IGN. "Do I see a future for Fight Night? You know, sure. But right now, UFC is where our fighting focus is." 2011's Fight Night Champion was the latest game in EA's boxing franchise, introducing a new "Full-Spectrum" punch control system and a Hollywood-inspired campaign following fictitious convict boxer's struggle to overcome adversity and many, many punches to the face. The series was born from the ashes of EA's previous boxing series, Knockout Kings, in 2004.
FIFA 14 not coming to Wii U due to poor FIFA 13 sales
With this morning's revelation that EA does not have any Wii U games in development comes the outright confirmation that FIFA 14 will not be appearing on the system as well. "Although FIFA 13 on Wii U featured our award-winning HD gameplay and innovative new ways to play, the commercial results were disappointing," an EA representative told Joystiq. "We have decided not to develop FIFA 14 on Wii U. We have a strong partnership with Nintendo and will continue to evaluate opportunities for developing FIFA for Nintendo fans in the future." The game was initially announced for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, so while Wii U was never in the picture for the game, it still marks a noticeable absence for a series that launches on every major platform each year. It's not the only EA Sports title to avoid the system, as EA confirmed earlier this month that the Madden series will not see a release in 2013 on Wii U either.
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.
FIFA 14 scores 'great goals' on PS3, Xbox 360, PC fall 2013
FIFA 14 will bring "the emotion of scoring great goals" to PS3, PC, and Xbox 360 this fall, EA announced today. It refines the formula of EA Sports' past soccer games with "Pure Shot" shooting "so players have the intelligence to adjust their stride and approach angle to find the best position for hitting the back of the net."There are more new (and newly named) systems involved. "Protect the Ball" lets players block defenders while dribbling; "Teammate Intelligence" is self-explanatory; "Sprint Dribble Turns" allows extra maneuverability while sprinting; "Variable Dribble Touch" adds finer control on dribbling.Of course, if you'd rather exert your control before the match even starts, you can do so with the new "Global Scouting Network," a career mode in which you build a network of professional scouts.%Gallery-185911%
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.
