EA-Sports-MMA
Latest
Online Pass game included in latest EA server shutdowns
As has become custom, Electronic Arts has revealed a new batch of games that will see their online service shut down soon. The games losing online service April 13 include some fairly new titles, like MMA, Create, EA Sports Active 2 and Spare Parts, the last of which was released in January 2011.More notable, as noticed by Beefjack, is that MMA actually featured EA's Online Pass, a system EA's own Online Pass site states is meant to extend the life of its products. In MMA's case, the online "life" lasted for a little over a year and a half. As noted on EA's service page, games that have their servers shut down represent "fewer than 1% of all peak online players across all EA titles."See the list of affected games after the break.
Golden Axe gets Bluetooth multiplayer, EA titles on sale
Sega sent us a note that Golden Axe for the iPhone has been updated -- the game now offers co-op over Bluetooth, so you and a friend can grab a weapon and get to killing goblins and ogres. And I think the game has finally gotten down to a US 99 cent usual price rather than a special sale, but a buck (or two bucks as the case may be, for two players) is cheap for a few good co-op games of Golden Axe. Additionally, EA has dropped prices on a few of its App Store titles, including Reckless Racing, EA Sports MMA, and our recent Daily App choice Heroes Lore III. The dev has deals going on its games all month long, so stay tuned for more to come. Oh, and one more tip: Gameloft is apparently giving away one game every single day over on its Twitter account in a promotion it's calling the Gameloft Advent calendar. There have been some good deals over there already, and will probably be more as the month goes on.
EA Sports MMA review: Coming out swinging
Repeat after me: This is a sport simulation. This is a sport simulation. This is a sport simulation. If you come to EA Sports MMA for a button-mashing brawl, you're sure to be disappointed. However, if you want to test your fighting skills in a surprisingly deep and precise recreation of the sport of mixed martial arts, you're in for a treat. %Gallery-102264%
NBA Elite 11 still coming this month ... to iPhone
EA might have stopped the presses of NBA Elite 11 console discs, but the iPhone version is still on track for release this month, according to EA Mobile. The division announced its fall lineup today, with FIFA 11 and EA Sports MMA rounding out the sports titles for iPhone (and iPod Touch) in October. Additionally, Heroes Lore, a popular mobile RPG in Korea (we're told), will be released this month in the App Store. An iPhone version of Battlefield Bad Company 2, "based on the best-selling console game," leads EA Mobile's November charge, which includes High Caliber Hunting, a Retina Display-enhanced critter capper, featuring a multitude of brand-name firearms and gear. For iPad? There's SimCity Deluxe. And for poor Android this fall? Just ... the Game of Life.
EA Sports MMA demo now on XBL, hits PSN tonight
Here's some (bone) breaking news: The demo for EA Sports MMA is now available for download on the Xbox Live Marketplace (Gold members only), and makes its entrance on PS3 with tonight's PSN store update. The full game hits retail October 19. Keep reading for a trailer and handy 360 download link.
EA Sports MMA takes TGS to the mat
EA Sports MMA enters the TGS ring with new screens and a trailer showing off the Japanese box art, as well as several new Asian fighters who look like they've been known to mess up a dude or two.
EA Sports MMA demo touches gloves on September 28
Were you in the mood to virtually grapple with Jason "Mayhem" Miller, and disappointed that he wasn't in the UFC game? You're in luck -- EA Sports MMA will be available in limited demo form on September 28 for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. The demo features Miller against fellow middleweight Jake Shields, along with current Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem against former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley, with both matches overseen by the great Big John McCarthy. The demo will also have a quick tutorial and information on the game's other modes (including that EA Sports Live Broadcast service), and "sharing the demo with friends," EA says, will unlock "Classic" Randy Couture as a playable character in the full game. Just three short weeks from now, you'll throw down in the Octag -- whoops, we mean ring or cage (sorry Dana!). In the meantime, let these screenshots soothe your fightin' rage. %Gallery-101578%
EA Sports MMA won't be sold in Denmark because of energy drink law
Let's play a quick game of "which of these two things is the craziest thing you've ever heard?" So, there's this Scandinavian law which prohibits any form of marketing for energy drinks, which EA Sports MMA (with its energy drink-branded fighter shorts and environments) would flagrantly violate. That's weird, right? Here's what's weirder: EA Sports has decided to cancel the game's release in the region outright to preserve the game's authenticity. So, which is more bizarre? The fact that fans of dudefights living in Denmark won't be able to get their EA Sports MMA fix due to energy drink pants? Or the fact that EA Sports refuses to change the energy drink pants into Taco Bell pants because it would ruin the authenticity of the MMA experience? We're leaning towards the latter.
Grapple with some new EA Sports MMA media
Got your gloves on? Step into the ring. Your opponent today is EA Sports MMA, an October 15 contender that comes packing a mean gallery of fresh Gamescom 2010 screens. However, its most deadly attack is its online component, demonstrated in a new trailer just past the break.
EA Sports MMA heavyweight roster revealed
If you're only interested in playing as and competing with EA Sports MMA's bulkiest brawlers, you'll want to closely examine the image above, which contains all members of the upcoming fighting game's heavyweight roster. There's a few memorable faces on there, like Randy Couture, and Ken Shamrock, and Jason Statham, and Jason Statham, and also Tattooed Jason Statham. You caught us -- truth be told, very few of the fighters seen above are Jason Statham ... though we're certain they could at least place in the top three should they participate in some sort of local lookalike contest. Click past the jump for a handy diagram revealing their true identities.
Preview: EA Sports MMA
The first mixed martial arts game, simply Ultimate Fighting Championship, was released way back in 2000, but it took nine years (including a five-year hiatus) for the sport to emerge as a successful video game sub-genre. THQ's UFC Undisputed series has enjoyed two years of positive critical and commercial reception. Now, EA is reaching for its own slice of the pie, introducing its UFC competitor, EA Sports MMA. In the back of EA's E3 booth, I spent some time with MMA -- I even fought a few random show floor attendees, mostly in the game -- and discovered that while EA Sports' offering is still a ways away from being a lifelike recreation of the sport, from a gameplay standpoint, it's a pretty decent game. %Gallery-80427%
EA Sports Live Broadcast lets you watch other people play games
EA has announced a new online service called EA Sports Live Broadcast, which will allow users to share videos online of both in-game action and out-of-game smacktalking. The service will also provide programming in the form of fights against players chosen to battle each other for prizes and online fame, matches narrated by live commentators, and other live online events. There's no information yet on if the service will have an extra cost, but it will debut with EA Sports MMA on October 19th of this year.
EA Sports MMA grapples with October 19 launch date
Peter Moore took pause during the EA E3 keynote to detail a launch date for its UFC competitor, EA Sports MMA: October 19. On top of a release date, Moore revealed that competitors Randy Couture and Fedor Emelianeko will battle for box art real estate -- both will be featured on the game's cover.
UFC not banning fighters who sign up for EA's MMA after all
UFC prez Dana White previously said he'd blacklist any fighter who signed up for EA's upcoming mixed martial arts game, EA Sports MMA. And now, Kotaku reports that White is willing to play nice with defectors who chose to be in EA's game -- despite his remaining distaste for the game's publisher. When asked whether White would still ban those fighters participating in EA's game, he told Kotaku he would not. Even with EA being the bigger company, White isn't willing to just roll over and submit. "But believe me this is still going to continue to be a battle," he said. "...they're the me-toos. The UFC game is the original game." White even had some choice words to say about trying to get EA to make a mixed martial arts game. He apparently talked with them in the past about doing one, but EA told him "it's not a real sport" and refused to even take a meeting. So, obviously, White has a bit of a chip on his shoulder -- something we'd say could easily be corrected through a stiff arm bar.
EA Sports MMA adds Joachim Hansen, Josh Barnett and Vladimir Matyushenko
In its continuing battle for buff dude beat-'em-up supremacy against UFC Undisputed 2010, EA Sports' MMA has confirmed three new brawlers via Twitter: Joachim Hansen, Josh Barnett and Vladimir Matyushenko. In doing some research, we've found out they're all very scary dudes and are apparently adept at the punching and the kicking. They should feel at home with the rest of MMA's roster of ripped rabble-rousers. [Via VG247]
New EA Sports MMA trailer starts a fight
"Now it's a fight," this new trailer for EA Sports MMA proudly proclaims. And it's true -- EA Sports has a huge fight ahead of it. Not only is EA Sports MMA a latecomer to the genre, it's missing the UFC license and some of the biggest fighters in the business. Still, the game looks to stay true to its promise of showcasing "authentic Strikeforce environments," and the animation does look particularly good (and very reminiscent of the Fight Night series). Still, it's hard to know if EA Sports has what it takes to go up against THQ in the MMA arena. Will EA get its foot in the ring, or will it be KO'd before the fight even begins? %Gallery-88333%
Brace yo'self: New EA Sports MMA screens might hurt
Click for bigger impact Though we don't have any new gameplay details on upcoming grappler EA Sports MMA for you today, we do have a whole mess of new screenshots. The images feature everything from the usual "two sweaty dudes staring each other down" to the brand new "dude walking down a runway with fire shooting in the air" -- there are even several images of MMA rings with the audience seated at dinner tables, presumably in the VIP section, watching the fight. Nothing says "Roman Colosseum" quite like eating dinner while watching two meaty gents beat each other into the mat! These stills beg the obvious question: Could the MMA game engine, with its crowd-eating technology, be used to create a fully-realized "Medieval Times" game? We think so. %Gallery-88333%
Crysis 2, Sims 3 on consoles, NBA Jam due Holiday 2010
Thanks to today's EA earnings report (EArnings?) we're starting to get an idea of how the company's holiday season is going to shape up. This is all subject to change, of course, but as of right now it would appear you can look forward to Crysis 2, NBA Jam and EA Sports MMA sometime between October and December of 2010. Filling out the holiday quarter are some yet-to-be-formally-announced titles like The Sims 3 on consoles, a new Need For Speed game (perhaps the Criterion-developed one?) and a new Harry Potter game (likely tied to this November's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I). Want to come up with your own wild speculation? Peruse the list here.
EA Sports MMA drops an elbow full of screenshots onto our lower back
The slow trickle of EA Sports MMA media appears to be picking up again with today's small handful of new shots. EA released a relative pittance of assets in the form of five screenshots (including the Eeyore-inspired headshot you see above). Rather than show off new fighters, the screens instead showcase two long-announced Strikeforce combatants -- Jake Shields and Brett Rogers. Head to the gallery below for both gentlemen in all their polygonal glory. %Gallery-84405%
Seven fighters added to the EA Sports MMA roster
EA has just announced that a new round of pummelers and pummelees have signed on for EA Sports MMA. The game's site lists seven new fighters in total: Cung Le, Gilbert Melendez, Robbie Lawler, Ronaldo Souza, Matt Lindland, Scott Smith, and Josh Thomson -- a few of whom have participated in UFC fights in the past. Considering the UFC president's stance toward EA's game, we have to wonder if their participation jeopardizes their chances with the UFC in the future. We've also got a few in-game screenshots for you to train with. Practice your virtual arm bars by checking 'em out in the gallery below. [Via @EASPORTSMMA] %Gallery-80427%
