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PS4 'cryptofarm' reportedly used bots to grind in-game FIFA currency
Instead of a crypto mining operation, the consoles were building up FIFA Ultimate Team accounts for profit.
EA tests FIFA Ultimate Team loot boxes you can preview
As part of FIFA 21’s ongoing Festival of FUTball event, EA is selling new Ultimate Team Preview Packs that allow you to see their contents before you make a decision whether to buy them.
EA’s Ultimate Team raked in $3k per minute last year
A 'substantial portion' of that came from FIFA Ultimate Team.
Germany may restrict games with loot boxes to adults
Germany may soon pass a law that limits video game loot boxes to the 18-plus crowd over gambling concerns.
EA points to growth for FIFA Ultimate Team, 'Apex Legends' and 'Sims 4'
EA focused on its Live Services growth across games like 'Apex Legends' 'FIFA Ultimate Team' and 'The Sims 4.' Execs also pointed to a new Battlefield title on the way, and plans for more Star Wars.
'FIFA 21' update reportedly allows players to set microtransaction limits
EA's Playtime feature is said to give gamers (or their parents) more control.
EA removed a FIFA microtransaction ad that was aimed at kids
It promoted FIFA Points, which are used to unlock FUT packs, in a toy magazine.
EA gives a quick peek at next-gen 'FIFA 21' and 'Madden 21'
If you buy FIFA 21 on PS4 or Xbox One, you can claim a free next-gen upgrade.
EA banning FIFA Ultimate Team coin sellers from its online games
We're roughly one month away from the launch of FIFA 15, and EA Sports is reminding the series' fans that it won't tolerate cheating, especially in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), the mode that continues to earn big bucks for the publisher. In a lengthy update on the official FIFA site, the publisher discussed the effects that coin and card-trading bots have on its FUT servers. In May, the publisher opted to de-activate trading in the FUT web app due to "the severe Transfer Market search issues caused by coin-farming bots," which caused the loss of in-game currency and athletes for other players. In turn, the makers of these bots sell the Ultimate Team goods on third-party websites (when they aren't phishing for account information on social networks). Whether buying or selling these items, EA considers these folks cheaters, and has already taken action in the past: "Since February 2014, we've banned hundreds of thousands of FIFA 14 accounts for coin selling and buying," it said.
PSA: FIFA 14's World Cup update delayed until tomorrow
For those sitting idly by their consoles, waiting for FIFA 14's Ultimate Team World Cup update, expect it to arrive tomorrow, according to an update on EA's official forums. The update adds a special World Cup mode within FIFA Ultimate Team, the series' card-collecting, squad-building mode. It also offers an offline World Cup kick-off game option for those playing on PS4 or Xbox One, which allows players to use the 32 national teams participating in the tournament this summer. While running its final phase of testing, the developer "encountered unforeseen issues that would affect all users who downloaded the update," and opted to "address them first before release." It anticipated that the World Cup kick-off mode will likely launch "earlier in the day." [Image: EA Sports]
FIFA 14 jets to Brazil with Ultimate Team World Cup mode on May 29
EA Sports announced a free update for FIFA 14 that adds a unique World Cup tournament mode to Ultimate Team, slated to arrive on May 29. The mode offers a separate card-collecting excursion within FIFA 14's Ultimate Team mode in which players gather their World Cup squad to participate in both the online and single-player global tournament. While players won't be able to transfer their current set of Ultimate Team cards to the World Cup mode, all card packs purchased within the tournament set grant players a separate gold-level card pack for their usual FIFA 14 Ultimate Teams. Chemistry for players' World Cup teams is boosted within the mode by each athlete's nationality and confederation affiliation. Additionally, Xbox One and PS4 players will receive an offline FIFA World Cup kick-off mode to play with the 32 national teams participating in the tournament this summer. The Ultimate Team add-on for FIFA 14 is the only way for players to enjoy the World Cup with the correct national team kits, crests and the Estadio do Marcana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on PC and next-gen consoles. EA Sports' other effort to celebrate the global sporting event was with 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, which launched in April for Xbox 360 and PS3. [Image: EA Sports]
EA Sports FIFA World plays footsie with PC in open beta
EA Sports has kicked off the open beta of EA Sports FIFA World, the publisher's free-to-play soccer game for PC. The PC version of the popular sports brand went through four closed beta phases and one limited open beta before launching globally. The game includes familiar Seasons and Ultimate Team modes as well as 600 clubs from 30 licensed leagues. EA Sports FIFA World uses three different methods of control: keyboard, mouse and gamepad. It also offers access to the Football Club social hub, in-game rewards for gameplay accomplishments and weekly featured tournaments for Ultimate Team, erm, teams. It requires a persistent Internet connection and an Origin account to play, though EA claims the game was "built to be enjoyed on average spec laptop computer or desktop personal computers." [Image: EA Sports]
EA's Ultimate Team card sales grew 60% in the last year
Sales for EA's Ultimate Team modes in FIFA, Madden and NHL grew 60 percent year-over-year on a non-GAAP basis (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles), the publisher noted in its 2014 financial earnings report. Additionally, EA said its Ultimate Team services "generated more than $380 million" in fiscal 2014, and that Madden Ultimate Team alone saw a 90 percent year-over-year growth. First debuting for NCAA Football 14 and NBA Live 14 last year, Ultimate Team is a trading card-collecting game mode that's driven EA's digital revenue for a number of years in its other sports games, such as Madden NFL and FIFA. FIFA's digital revenue alone topped $145 million in the first half of the fiscal year, as the publisher revealed in late October. EA reported its fiscal 2014 earnings today, showing a net revenue of $1.12 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014, down from $1.21 billion during the fourth quarter last year. [Image: EA Sports]
FIFA's digital revenue tops $145 million in first half of fiscal 2014
EA's FIFA series has generated over $145 million in digital net revenue in the first half of fiscal 2014, a period that stretched from April 1, 2013 through September 30, 2013. The news came from EA's Q2 2014 earnings report, and was derived on a non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) basis. EA reported that FIFA's digital revenue saw an increase of 25 percent over the first half of fiscal 2013. The publisher reported $70 million in digital revenue from FIFA 13 in the first quarter of 2013. FIFA 14 launched at the end of September and features legendary soccer players in its popular Ultimate Team mode on Microsoft consoles, which accounts for a chunk of its digital revenue sales.
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.
FIFA 13 GameStop pre-order perks make Messi so happy he could skip
Details for GameStop's North American FIFA 13 pre-order bonuses are in, and they look shockingly familiar. GameStop pre-orders will receive one gold pack per week for 24 weeks, each of which consists of 12 items, including players rated 75 and up, contracts, stadiums, staff and badges, along with one "rare" item.Pre-orders will also receive a steelbook case featuring FIFA 13's cover athlete, Lionel Messi.These offers mirror the Ultimate Edition announced for the UK, available through pre-order and on launch day, September 28 in the UK, only. The gold packs are meant to be used with FIFA's Ultimate Team, the online ecosystem that last year was subject to a flurry of hacks.
"Full stop": John Riccitiello predicts digital sales dominance in 2011
Out with the old, in with the new -- these words are often used every January, but for John Riccitiello they also signify the balance tipping between digital and physical sales. As Electronic Arts' CEO put it bluntly to Industry Gamers: "At the end of [2011], the digital business is bigger than the packaged goods business, full stop." Riccitiello drew this conclusion after looking at the recent market trends of titles like Lord of the Rings Online and EA's own free-to-play games. In fact, he admits that the "dirty little secret" of EA is that some of its F2P titles end up being the games players drop the most money on per month, such as those who pay upwards of $5,000 a month for FIFA Ultimate Team. With EA on the cusp of launching Star Wars: The Old Republic this spring (fingers crossed), the question of EA's MMO pricing structure is still up in the air. However, Riccitiello thinks that we're in for a year of transition to mostly digital purchases: "I think these business models are going to find their own feet. We're very careful about making sure we price appropriately for platform and also for the intellectual property."
