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FIFA 12 storms up the UK charts
FIFA 12 can thank Euro 2012 for its return to the top spot on the UK's All Formats chart. That's not to say that the series has ever been far from glory. Since debuting 38 weeks ago, FIFA 12 has never dropped out of the top five and has held the top spot nine times. Nine times? Niiine times, Mrs. Bueller. That means Ubisoft's Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and Rockstar's Max Payne 3, which have held first and second, respectively, for the past couple weeks, each slid down one spot. As for premieres: Zombie actioner Lollipop Chainsaw premiered in fourth, while Gravity Rush debuted in spot 11. The UK top ten families vying for the iron throne are after the break.
EA explains why UEFA Soccer is now FIFA 12 DLC
Every four years, EA releases a soccer game based on the UEFA championship. EA renewed the license for the franchise long enough to make a 2012 version. However, there won't actually be a standalone UEFA release this year -- instead, EA is putting out UEFA Euro 2012 on April 24 as a DLC pack for FIFA 12. EA still refers to it as the "officially licensed videogame," but it's a downloadable expansion.Why relegate the UEFA to expansion pack status? Mostly because FIFA 12 has been so popular, EA communications manager Steve Frost told Gamasutra. "We felt this was the best way to extend that experience and deliver fresh new content to our fans," he said. Releasing UEFA as DLC helps keep players engaged in FIFA longer."We expect that some fans who may not have FIFA 12 will want to play Euro 2012 and therefore purchase both," he said later in the interview, "but the bigger opportunity for us is to offer our loyal and passionate FIFA fans new content." Chances are, if you like soccer, you'd be interested in FIFA anyway, so this seems like a win-win.
BAFTA nominates Arkham City, L.A. Noire, FIFA 12 for best of 2011
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has released its nominations for the 2012 Video Game Awards, which honors the top games from 2011 as chosen by the charity. The British stand-outs differ from our Yankee choices slightly, stressing the brilliance of Batman: Arkham City, which also made our Top 10 of 2011 list, but also including L.A. Noire, which hit our Best of the Rest, and FIFA 12, which... well. Just because we share a language doesn't automatically mean we share interests.Check out the entire list below:
EA, hackers win big off FIFA Ultimate Team
EA's increased revenues from FIFA 12's FIFA Ultimate Team DLC, coupled with our continuing coverage of consumer complaints over the "FIFA hack," stood out as awkward juxtaposition during EA's third quarter financial call yesterday."The innovation that makes this franchise so unique is FIFA Ultimate Team," President of EA Labels Frank Gibeau said yesterday on a call with investors. "In just three months, FIFA Ultimate Team generated $39 million in microtransactions. That's 69 percent more than it generated in the same period last year."Gibeau went on to say that because Ultimate Team is a microtransaction-based system, the company is able to generate a sizable number of big-spender consumer behaviors and it becomes a business that scales much more aggressively than other traditional DLC models.Chief Financial Officer Eric Brown added, "To put some rough numbers on this, if we compare the total digital revenue from FIFA 11 Ultimate Team to what we expect from FIFA 12 Ultimate Team in this fiscal year, we're looking to see a 25 percent increase franchise to franchise. The overall package goods units sold is not increasing by 25 percent year over year, so we are expanding by a decent margin the microtransaction revenue per user of FIFA."We continue to receive complaints nearly every day of non-FIFA players having their accounts hacked to purchase Ultimate Team DLC. EA previously responded to this by saying that "a small number" of gamers continue to report being impacted by fraudulent activity related to FIFA Ultimate Team on Xbox Live.
Resident Evil: Revelations debuts strong on UK charts
Resident Evil: Revelations for 3DS is the first launch of the new year to break the UK Top 40, debuting in sixth on this week's chart. According to Chart-Track, it is also the seventh largest launch for a 3DS title.The top five this week are a shuffle of the standard. FIFA 12 defends its top position for a sixth straight week, with Modern Warfare 3, Skyrim and Just Dance 3 consecutively in step behind it.Looks like folks of the kingdoms united are still trying to lose those holiday pounds, as the Zumba hit parade goes on with Zumba Fitness slipping to seven and Zumba Fitness 2 taking tenth. The UK top ten can be found after the break.
FIFA 12 defends its UK sales championship, Rayman ascends
FIFA 12 ain't goin' nowhere, as the footie phenom holds the top spot on the UK sales charts for a fifth consecutive week. Chart-Track notes the title has already made more money than any other FIFA title to date, and is now tied for the second best chart-topping run of the franchise. It still has a bit to go though to beat FIFA World Cup 98, which had a record 11-week run.Skyrim flies up one spot into second, spinning Just Dance 3 into third. The Zumba hit parade keeps stomping along, with Zumba Fitness maintaining sixth and Zumba Fitness 2 sliding down one spot to eighth, making room for Saints Row: The Third. Holla!Thanks to some price promotion, the criminally ignored Rayman: Origins finally finds a spot in the top ten, spinning up eight spots into ninth place. Dubstep past the break for the UK top ten.
FIFA spends fourth week atop UK charts, exercise games perform well
FIFA 12 remains at the top of the UK chart for a fourth straight week, despite a 54 percent drop in sales. Nearly all the games on this week's top ten saw double-digit percentage drops in sales, as consumers adjust to the post-holiday rhythm. For example, Just Dance 3 had a 21 percent reduction, but moved up two spots into second. Skyrim had similar falling upwards, as it moved up two spots into third, with a 23 percent sales drop. It's currently a race of stamina on the charts. And very few top ten contenders have stamina quite like Zumba Fitness. The continued desire to work off Christmas pounds kept the original game in sixth place, as Zumba Fitness 2 moved into seventh. Other fitness games are also doing well, as Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012 for Kinect is up 173 percent, and so is Wii Fit Plus, holding spots at 12 and 27, respectively. Do some step exercises and walk on past the break for the UK top ten.
FIFA 12 kicks off year atop UK charts, Zumba returns
The first week of 2012 sees massive double-digit percentage drops across Chart-Track's UK sales top ten. FIFA 12 remains at the top, with a 63 percent drop, as Battlefield 3 takes second, despite it being hit with the exact same decrease in sales. Modern Warfare 3 moves into third and Just Dance 3 maintains fourth, with sales slipping 76 and 67 percent, respectively. With such huge post-holiday sales drops, a stalwart returns to the top ten in fifth: Zumba Fitness. The desire to work off those Christmas pounds sent the exercise game up 11 percent, returning it to the top ten from its exile in 19th place. Several other fitness titles also moved up the charts, despite seeing sales declines, as the chart finds its after the holidays equilibrium. Run past the break for the UK top ten -- we could all use it to work off that fruitcake, phew.
Xbox Live 'FIFA hack' concerns continue to escalate, Microsoft states Windows Live ID not compromised
Additional reporting provided by Xav de Matos, Senior Editor for Shacknews. Following an increasing occurrence of Xbox Live account hack reports, we are growing concerned over Microsoft's Windows Live ID system, the only layer of protection between a hacker gaining access to a person's Xbox Live account and their information. In our research, the only consistency we saw across users who were hacked was the general inconsistency of what email and payment method was used on their account. Hotmail, Gmail and school emails were used for their Windows Live ID, while payment methods used were credit cards and PayPal. Other than a compromised Windows Live ID, there wasn't a common thread we could identify. It's been several months since we started following the "FIFA hack," a rather blunt scam that saw Xbox Live accounts drained so thieves could purchase in-game FIFA 12 'Ultimate Team' cards for use and sale. We have been tracking the FIFA issue and following up on other tips that weren't necessarily rooted in the FIFA hack, but related in that users saw exploitation of payment methods tied to their account. A recent Shacknews editorial detailed accounts compromised by the FIFA exploit.
FIFA 12 finishes year atop UK charts, Old Republic slides way down
Chart-Track's UK sales chart for the week ending December 31, 2011, is up, showing the family-friendly footie time (don't go to a dark place, don't go to a dark place!) of FIFA closing out the year as champion. Nearly every game in the top eight held its position from the Christmas Eve list, except for Battlefield 3, which twirled Just Dance 3 around to take its spot in third. Chart-Track notes this is the second year in a row that the FIFA franchise has held the top spot during the final week. It's also the fourth time FIFA 12 has scored a first place finish, tying with FIFA 10 and FIFA 11's glory days. Star Wars: The Old Republic takes one of the largest dips we've seen on the charts, going from tenth place during launch week to 38. This would certainly be a time to call in the Ewoks for reinforcements, if it weren't for Old Republic being a PC game. It's reasonable to guess many sales are occurring through EA's Origin digital distribution network.
Old Republic debuts in 10th, FIFA runs up UK charts before Christmas
Chart-Track's UK sales list for the week leading up to Christmas Eve had FIFA 12 rallying, with sales up 34 percent, to score a first place finish. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 moved up one spot replacing Just Dance 3, which despite having a seven percent increase in sales, simply couldn't maintain its position and oscar mike'd into third. The big premiere of the week was EA's Star Wars: The Old Republic, which debuted in tenth place, having launched on Tuesday the 20th. This is irregular for the UK, since most games launch on Friday. Despite the extra time, the high-profile MMO's launch week didn't beat out Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The saving grace of The Old Republic's lower ranking premiere is Chart-Track doesn't count digitally distributed copies. According to EA, things are going well with its new MMO. Check out the UK's top ten games for the pre-Christmas week after the break.
FIFA 12 Vita walkthrough is more of a run-, pass- and shoot-through
FIFA 12 producer Matt Prior filmed a walkthrough of the game on Vita, and between the PR catchphrases about how easy its new controls will be, he offers insight into how players will most likely respond to the touchscreen handling. Prior says that most players begin with traditional controls, but once they use the front- and back-screen touch options to switch players, pass and shoot, they never go back. FIFA 12 on Vita is the first title to use the FIFA engine in a handheld, Prior says, and the game truly does look pretty once you peek around all those poking fingers.
Amazon offers more game Lightning Deals, plus $50 in credit with Xbox or PS3
Amazon is trying once again to lay claim to all of your money in a single day, with a set of video game Lightning Deals. If you're quick, you can grab the first right now: Phoenix Wright for $16. Judging by the clues, following deals should get you Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise, Sonic Free Riders, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, and more. If you're not into the rush of extremely time-limited deals, feel free to take the day to think about buying FIFA Soccer 12. You can see the whole list of deals here. If you need a console to play these impulse purchases on, Amazon is also offering $50 in credit with purchase of the 4GB Xbox, the Modern Warfare 3 bundle and the 160GB PS3.
EA suffers Q2 loss, revenue propped up by FIFA and Madden
EA's net performance during its second fiscal quarter, ended September 30, 2011, was either good or bad, depending on which net you're referring to. EA reported a net loss of $340 million, but scored a significant goal in shipping "nearly" 8 million copies of FIFA 12 -- half of the 16 million shipped in the game's lifetime. Overall sales of the footie franchise improved 25 percent year-over-year. Madden NFL 12 was another standout performer during the quarter, shipping more than 3 million units. EA also pointed out continued strong performance of 2010's Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (with shipments at 11 million so far). In a follow-up investor call last night, EA predicted similar fortunes from this quarter's Battlefield 3 launch, with store shipments already hitting 10 million. Though EA's bottom line certainly didn't improve for the quarter (net loss for Q2 2010 was $201 million), revenue was up overall to $715 million. The biggest increase was in net digital revenue -- the realm of add-ons and online passes -- which rose over 40 percent to $234 million compared to the same period last year. EA's next Q3 will provide a crucial look at the company's future, as it'll divulge Battlefield 3 sales and an early performance indication for BioWare's big-huge investment in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
FIFA 12 and Cars 2 in PSP hardware bundle this November
The arrival of a new PSP hardware bundle may seem ill-timed with the impending launch of the Vita, but Sony isn't about to stop catering to the gift-craving siblings, cousins and nephews of the world this holiday. And we don't know about you, but we don't have any nephews that are worth spending two hundred and fifty dollars on. Instead, for $160 you can pick up the new PSP Entertainment Pack, which includes a PSP-3000, 2GB Memory Stick Pro DUO, a UMD copy of soccer smash FIFA 12 and a download voucher for Cars 2 (a racing game, we'd venture). The bundle should be available on November 15th. If you're jumping into PlayStation Portable gaming now (and feel free to use the "nephew" excuse we fabricated above), you should keep an eye out for the Mega Man and Monster Hunter packs at Gamestop. That is, if you're willing to add UMD clutter to your life -- with an uncertain shot at backwards compatibility.
Gaikai delivering FIFA 12 demo through YouTube (Or: The future cometh!)
Remember when OnLive first debuted, and we were violently pulled from our provincial timescape and thrust into a future which, while notably devoid of flying cars and jetpacks, did have streaming video games? Well, hold onto your butts because the internet done did it again. Streaming service Gaikai has always had a different business model than OnLive; instead of a direct-to-consumer platform, Gaikai wants to get you into a demo as effortlessly as possible. If you like what you play, the "Order Now" button is happy to connect you to a retailer. As a part of that mandate, Gaikai founder Dave Perry was "excited!" to announce that "Gaikai is the first ever to power 3D Games (FIFA 12) on YouTube." That would be the same YouTube that streams a bajillion videos of whatever to people every day. If you follow this link and click on the "PLAY THE DEMO" banner above the video, you can see what all the fuss is about for yourself. When you're done, take a few minutes to remind yourself it's still 2011, and you weren't controlling the game with a bioport installed on your spine. The future is still a long ways out.
Report: PS3 jailbreak, second edition, is now circulating in Indonesia
A team from Indonesia claims it has successfully jailbroken the PS3 with a new dongle it's calling "JB2." JB2 is supposedly based on the original jailbreak key produced by GeoHot and works on firmware version 3.55 consoles, but plays games up to the current version, 3.73, PS3Crunch reports (as of writing, the PS3Crunch website is down, whether from server overload or more purposeful action is unclear). The dongle will play titles burned onto Blu-ray discs via HDD, including FIFA 12, Driver: San Francisco, God of War: Origins Collection, Pro Evolution Soccer 2012, X-Men Destiny and Sniper Ghost Warrior, PS3Crunch says. The dongle is now circulating in Indonesia and will be sold globally for roughly $45, reports say. The above video supposedly shows the JB2 in action, booting up to a developer-build screen and expanded option set. Personally, finding and buying the JB2, getting BD-Rs and burning copies of new games seems like more work than we'd ever invest in an illegal, temporary piece of hardware. Maybe that's just us -- given, we're extremely smart, well-informed, good-looking and all-around cool people -- but again, that's just us.
FIFA-loving hackers accessing users' Xbox Live accounts to buy DLC
We've begun hearing reports that Xbox Live users are finding their accounts accessed without their permission, with the hackers using the ill-gotten accounts to purchase Premium Gold Pack DLC for FIFA 12, and other FIFA content. Ars Technica has gathered a few user reports, including one from a victim who found his or her account used to buy over $100 in Microsoft Points, which were then applied to the full game of FIFA 12 and DLC. We contacted Microsoft to see if it's aware of this rash of hacks. The publisher sent Joystiq a statement saying "We do not have any evidence the Xbox LIVE service has been compromised," and indicating that these unauthorized logins have only occurred for "a limited number of members," with whom MS is working directly. The full statement is after the break.
FIFA 12 kicks it atop UK charts for second week
FIFA 12, despite a 68 percent drop in sales, remained the forward on the UK charts for a second week. EA announced last week that it estimates the title sold over 3.2 million units globally during its launch week. Debuting in second was the high-profile Rage from id Software, but the real surprise this week is Dark Souls premiering in third, with masochists rejoicing everywhere in their pool of tears and bruised egos. Last week also saw 2K Sports' NBA 2K12 debut strongly at number 12, seven seats higher than last year. This will be EA Sports' second year letting 2K Sports gorge itself on NBA cake without competition. Check out the UK top ten after the break.
FIFA 12 scores 3.2 million sales within first week
As was foretold, FIFA 12 had the largest first-week sales of any sports game ever and of any video game in 2011 to date -- meaning, the window in which Gears of War 3 held that title was even smaller than expected. Electronic Arts estimates FIFA 12 sold 3.2 million units between September 27 and October 2. EA also estimates that FIFA 12 sales are up approximately 23 percent over last year's record-breaking launch. Other stats from the publisher include FIFA 12 for iPhone and iPad selling 879,000 units, and October 1 being the busiest day for online gaming in EA Sports history. 10 million EA Sports game sessions were played, with eight million of those being FIFA 12. If EA gets lucky, it'll double-dip some FIFA success within a year when FIFA Street launches in March.
