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Best Buy offers $10 Xbox One upgrade on select games
Best Buy has rolled out a program offering $10 next-gen upgrades for a handful of coming games, similar to systems put in place at Gamestop and Amazon. Included in the list of eligible games are FIFA 14, Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4 and Watch Dogs. Exactly how you score your cheap upgrade is where things get complicated. According to Best Buy's official site, if you purchase one of the above games within a set period after its release (most can be picked up as much as a month after release day), you'll be given a $10 coupon to be put toward your game's Xbox One incarnation. When you want to upgrade, you must present this coupon as well as the Xbox 360 game. Best Buy will then give you $40 store credit in exchange for the game, reducing the final cost of your new Xbox One game to $10 (unless the Xbox One version has a retail price greater than $60; in that case you'll be paying the remainder as well). If this scheme sounds intriguing, you should also note that all such upgrades must occur by December 31. Full legal details and all the fine print you can digest can be found on Best Buy's official site.
Europe's free FIFA 14 offer limited to Xbox One Day One pre-orders
Heads up, Europe: The FIFA 14 pre-order freebie for Xbox One only applies to Day One editions of the console, after Microsoft clarified some apparent miscommunication. At Gamescom, Microsoft corporate VP Phil Harrison announced all Xbox One pre-orders in Europe would come with a free copy of the new soccer sim, but it's emerged that isn't exactly the case. Xbox EMEA Social Marketing Manager Graeme Boyd tweeted yesterday that the offer is limited to pre-orders of the Day One edition. While many stores across Europe still have Day One editions of the Xbox One available, at some outlets it's already sold out; as Eurogamer notes, Amazon UK only has the Standard edition available. Also, as CVG points out, there's the matter of how many Standard edition pre-orders have already been placed with the FIFA 14 offer in mind, and whether or not they'll receive a free copy of the game as promised. The miscommunication at Gamescom wasn't limited to Harrison's announcement. Xbox's Larry 'Major Nelson' Hyrb posted a tweet as the announcement was made that specifies "all pre-orders," and has an image of a Standard edition Xbox One attached. Meanwhile, a post on the Xbox news blog reflects that "all pre-orders of Xbox One" ship with the game. The Xbox One launches in 13 markets sometime this November, priced $500 in the US, €500 in Europe, and £430 in the UK. In addition to including FIFA 14 in Europe, the system's Day One edition extras are a special controller with chrome D-pad (instead of the standard controller), unique packaging, and a Day One achievement code.
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 on PS Vita is a re-skinned FIFA 13
It turns out that the latest installment in the FIFA series on PS Vita, FIFA 14, will simply be a reskin of last year's game, FIFA 13 – itself a re-skin of PS Vita launch game, FIFA Football. EA confirmed the news with Pocket Gamer after suspicions were aroused following some comments made at Gamescom by EA Sports' David Rutter, who called out to Eurogamer FIFA 14 VIta's "same great gameplay" compared to last year's entry. "It's the same great gameplay. And obviously with any new kits." The publisher employed a similar strategy on Wii, where it was discovered FIFA 13 was nothing more than a re-skinned version of FIFA 12. Following the launch of FIFA 13, EA decided to forgo offering the latest Madden and FIFA installments on the Wii's succesor, the WII U. [Note: Image is of FIFA Football for the PS Vita.]
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.
All Xbox One pre-orders in Europe get FIFA 14
At Microsoft's Gamescom showcase, it was revealed that all European Xbox One pre-orders will receive a free copy of FIFA 14. Even pre-orders that have already been placed will be upgraded with a free copy of the game. Xbox 360 wannabe owners can also score their own FIFA 14 bundle, priced £199 and available when the game is released on September 27. As the handy image above shows, the Xbox One pre-order in Europe is £429.
Amazon also offering Xbox 360 to Xbox One game upgrades
GameStop isn't the only establishment offering Xbox One upgrades. Amazon has announced it too will allow users to upgrade from their Xbox 360 game to the same version on Xbox One, for a $10 fee. Each eligible Xbox 360 game traded in to Amazon prior to December 31 will be valued at $25 and, as part of this promotion, Amazon will tack on another $25. That leaves you to make up the $10 in-between. Amazon will support eight games over GameStop's five: Battlefield 4, Need for Speed: Rivals, Madden NFL 25, Call of Duty: Ghosts, FIFA 14, Watch Dogs, NBA 2K13 and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. Just make sure you read the full terms and conditions before you start boxing up your games. okay?
Gamestop offers $50 credit with trade of select 360 games for Xbox One versions
Gamestop will offer $50 trade-in credit to PowerUp Rewards members who buy a new, Xbox 360 version of a game and then trade it back in for the Xbox One version. The promotion is valid for the Xbox versions of Call of Duty: Ghosts, Madden 25, FIFA 14, Battlefield 4 or Assassin's Creed 4. In order to be eligible to receive the trade-in credit, patrons must be PowerUp Rewards members at the time of the initial purchase, which must take place within 30 days of the game's release date. Then, upon trading the game in for the Xbox One version, the customer will be emailed a coupon that grants $50 trade-in credit for the Xbox 360 version, for use when upgrading to the Xbox One version before December 31 of this year. No mention of the PlayStation 4 was made in the press release, so whether a similar offer will be made for PS3/PS4 cross-generation games remains to be seen. Update: Gamestop has informed us that the $50 coupon is delivered in tandem with the purchase of the Xbox 360 version of the game, rather than after the upgrade to the Xbox One version. This article has been altered slightly to reflect that information.
FIFA 14 Gamestop pre-orders can dance if they want to
Pre-order FIFA 14 at Gamestop and take three exclusive dance moves to the pitch: "The Business," "Riding the Wave" and "Bellyflop." Riding the Wave, as demonstrated in the gif below, is kind of like an impression of an amputee octopus saying hello and goodbye. Pre-orders at Gamestop also get 24 Premium Gold FIFA Ultimate Team Packs and probably other adjectives. Any early purchases of FIFA 14 through Best Buy, Target, Amazon, Wal Mart or Origin get Ultimate Team gold packs, without the "premium" designation. FIFA 14 launches on September 24 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, and will come to Xbox One and PS4 using EA's Ignite engine.
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.
Moore: 'Softness' on EA Sports pre-orders due to next-gen, will be alleviated
EA Sports is recording soft pre-orders on current-gen games in the next-gen run-up, but according to brand president Peter Moore that's "as anticipated" and "as planned." Moore added he expects a boost closer to the Xbox One and PS4 hitting retail shelves, as consumers realize there may not be enough next-gen hardware to go around initially. During EA's financial conference call yesterday, Moore said he believes, as per previous generational transitions, the state of current-gen pre-orders reflects consumer interest in next-gen hardware. "We're seeing softness in particular on our key sports titles on current-gen pre-orders," Moore said," I think consumers anticipate getting the new hardware. We certainly came out of E3 with renewed enthusiasm for new hardware, and I think that's been reflected in current-gen pre-orders." In terms of EA's overall library, Moore noted Battlefield 4 as seeing "strong" pre-orders compared to Battlefield 3 at the same time prior to its launch. On the EA Sports side, Moore pointed out soccer sim FIFA as an exception, for which "anticipation" remains high - not surprising given the $70 million in digital revenue netted by FIFA 13 alone last quarter. All of which suggests we may see further incentives for next-gen EA Sports upgrades as per Madden 25. EA revealed yesterday it'll let players transfer Ultimate Team items from Xbox 360 or PS3 to either Xbox One or PS4, and retain those items in current-gen copies.
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.
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.
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.
EA: Wii U's lack of Madden, FIFA a 'rational' business decision
Nintendo's Wii U is struggling in sales and support. During an interview this week at E3 with Charlie Scibetta, Nintendo of America's head of corporate communications, we noted that the Wii U's lack of Madden this year puts it in the company of Sega's ill-fated Dreamcast. EA currently has no games in development for Wii U. "You'd have to ask EA about their future development plans. EA is a great partner of ours, they've had games on our platforms before. They want what all third parties want and what we want: for the install base to grow," said Scibetta. "We're confident that once some of these games come out that we have planned between now and the holiday and into 2014, that it will help drive the install base and when that happens the platforms will look more enticing to third parties." So, we asked Electronic Arts Labels President Frank Gibeau about what Nintendo can do to bring EA back to the Wii U.
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.
FIFA 14 launches September 24 in North America, 27 in Europe
FIFA 14 will line up for the North American continental anthem on September 24 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The European launch is September 27. Pre-orders of FIFA 14 through GameStop, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Amazon or Origin get Ultimate Team gold packs. Each pack contains 12 items – players, contracts, stadiums, managers – to support players as they create fantasy teams of real-world athletes. FIFA 14 is one of four EA Sports games confirmed for Xbox One, Microsoft's next-gen console revealed this week. FIFA 14 will use EA's new Ignite engine on Xbox One and PS4, but not PC or current-gen consoles.
Ignite won't power FIFA 14 on PC; Xbox One trailer was pre-rendered
FIFA 14 on PC won't use Ignite, the new engine EA Sports announced at yesterday's Xbox One conference. Ignite will power FIFA 14 on Xbox One and PS4, EA Sports Global Communications Manager Steve Frost told Joystiq. "Ignite will be the engine that drives our sports games on PS4 and Xbox One," Frost said. "It will not be used for FIFA 14 on PC." Ignite also runs Madden NFL 25, EA Sports UFC and NBA Live 14, as EA Sports said on the Xbox One stage – right before it showed off pre-rendered footage of all of these games. "The video uses assets pulled directly from the in-game engines, and was rendered to create this first look multi-product trailer," Frost said. "It's representative of where we expect our games will be when they launch." EA Communications Specialist Brad Hilderbrand promised us a closer look at Ignite at E3. "Yes, given the timing and planning required for the Xbox One reveal event the EA Sports Ignite video was developed in a pre-rendered video format," Hilderbrand said. "We'll be showing off the game using in-game assets at E3."
