EA-canada
Latest
PSA: SSX free for Gold members on Xbox 360
It's tricky to rock a pun, to rock a pun with SSX. It's tricky. It's tricky, tricky, tricky, tricky. So we didn't. EA Canada's 2012 reboot of the trick-crazy snowboarding series is free right now via Games with Gold. That means Xbox 360 owners with Gold memberships can download the game at no extra cost, and that's for keeps - it doesn't matter if your Gold subscription runs out. SSX will stay free on Games with Gold until the end of the month.
This week's UK charts are last week's UK charts
It's nearly the time for merriment, which means it's nearly time for the Christmas Doctor Who special. The UK gaming chart is already getting into the festive mood by re-enacting the "Blink" episode. The chart managed to keep its eyes wide open for the whole week, meaning the top five games have stayed in exactly the same position, and nobody's going to get eaten and sent back to the 1920s by sharp-toothed gargoyles. For now. So, it's (gasp) FIFA 15 on top for the second week running, followed by Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Grand Theft Auto 5, Far Cry 4 and Lego Batman 3. There aren't even any new releases to holler about, so the only real action comes courtesy of Destiny. Bungie's shooter planet-hopped seven places into ninth, no doubt boosted by the new Dark Below expansion. The top ten below the break may be almost the same, but the customary (and lovably roguish) music video isn't! Don't worry, it's not at all festive; we'll save that ear-bomb for next week.
EA Sports UFC kicks back on EA Access next week
The full version of EA Sports UFC will be available through EA Access starting next Thursday, December 18. The mixed martial arts game will enter the Xbox One streaming service's "Vault," allowing subscribers to play the game as much as they like. EA unveiled its $5 per month ($30 per year) subscription service in July, and EA Access went live for all players in August. EA Sports UFC just received its sixth free content update this week, which added popular and legendary fighters such as Mark Coleman and Brock Lesnar to the game. Thanks to its various updates, EA Access players have 18 new brawlers to use as well as new fighting mechanics like manual taunts and kick catching compared to when the game first launched in June. [Image: EA Sports]
Brock Lesnar among MMA legends now in EA Sports UFC
EA Sports issued its sixth content update for EA Sports UFC this week, introducing four new fighters to the game. The free update focuses on four legends of the octagon: one welterweight, one light heavyweight and two in the heavyweight division. The two heavyweight fighters are Mark Coleman and Brock Lesnar, the former being a member of UFC's Hall of Fame and winner of the organization's first heavyweight championship. The other two new playable MMA fighters are Matt Hughes (welterweight) and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (light heavyweight). While our review of EA Sports UFC found it to be a "barebones fighting game," the publisher has introduced a handful of free updates since its June launch. This week's four legends join 14 other fighters that were added to the Xbox One and PS4 game, such as Diego Sanchez and Matt Brown. The free updates also added a number of game mechanics like "Finish the Fight," manual taunts, kick catching and guillotine takedown reversals. [Image: EA Sports]
FIFA 15 among games blocking PS4 Share Play in US
Users are reporting a number of issues with using the PS4's Share Play feature, Sony's online pass-the-controller multiplayer service. Namely, it appears FIFA 15 is giving players fits, as visiting players are unable to view the footage shown on the host's console. Rather, one half of the Share Play tandem sees the screen above, which says, "Viewing the game screen that the host is currently playing is not allowed due to content restrictions in your country or region." In our tests between two US-based PS4 players this morning, the Share Play visitor was unable to view game footage on four separate occasions: In FIFA 15, WWE 2K15, Guacamelee and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Share Play for FIFA 15 was functional once we tested the service with our UK-based editor, Sinan Kubba (albeit with some bouts of lowered resolution and frame-dropping). However, it appears the error message being displayed is entirely inaccurate, as PlayStation noted on Twitter, adding that the support team is investigating the issues. Eurogamer's big list of Share Play-functioning games notes that FIFA 15 "works fine," so your mileage (or kilometer-age in this case) may vary at the moment. Share Play arrived in October as part of the PS4's version 2.0 update, which itself caused a number of other issues for players. Sony issued another update just this week, version 2.02, to rectify some of the console's lingering problems. We've reached out to Sony to find out what might be causing the hiccups with Share Play and which games are affected.
Alien: Isolation debuts 2nd in UK charts, doesn't scare off FIFA 15
Again and again, the UK charts prove that when all is said and done, FIFA FIFA and FIFA some more. This time around it was Alien: Isolation that failed to prevent FIFA 15 from notching a third week on top of the country's retail sales charts. Still, Creative Assembly's zeal for xenomorphs was enough to take its newly hatched space horror into second place. Regular charters will remember FIFA 15 held off three major new releases last week in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Forza Horizon 2 and Super Smash Bros. 3DS. This week, EA's sportsball sim denied four new challengers. In addition to Alien: Isolation, PS4 racer Driveclub had to settle for fifth, as it didn't manage to overtake Forza in fourth. Like Mordor which placed third, the Xbox game dropped just a place in its second week. Meanwhile, basket case NBA 2K15 debuted seventh. As for the fourth challenger, PS4, Xbox One and PC remaster Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition fell short of the top ten in 12th place. As for what kept it out, once again if you regularly keep up with our UK charts posts, you won't be at all surprised to see the two entries sat in ninth and tenth place - as ever, check out the full top ten and customary music video below the break.
NHL 15 review: Unsportsmanlike conduct
EA Sports had a secret weapon in its pocket, something it called the NHL series, a franchise that grew better over time despite facing zero competition in the hockey space over the last few years. Leading up to its PS4 and Xbox One debut, NHL 15 looked to be another clear step forward for the EA Canada series, a franchise known for its solid adaptation of the sport and one that has earned the respect of its fans. To the dismay of this NHL franchise fan, however, EA Canada has lost its way in the transition to new consoles, and it has presented players with a half-baked product.
NHL 15 update revives a few missing features on PS4, XB1
EA Canada has released a free update for the PS4 and Xbox One versions of NHL 15, adding a number features missing from the franchise's current-generation debut, despite being available on Xbox 360 and PS3. In addition to tweaks to its Hockey Ultimate Team mode, which transitioned to new consoles unscathed, the update has added a Playoff Mode, Coach Feedback in Be a Pro mode, and an end-game Three Stars selection of a hockey bout's best performers to NHL 15 on PS4 and Xbox One. The Playoff Mode in today's update allows players to create a 16-team, offline playoff bracket to compete for Lord Stanley's Mug. The added feedback in Be a Pro mode scores players based on the on-ice actions; however, it still does not appear that players can simulate to their next on-ice shift, which will result in watching the game from the bench. NHL 15 launched earlier this month for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PS3. In an opinion editorial prior to its release I expressed concern over the game's thinly featured current-generation debut. Following its launch, EA Canada promised to revisit missing modes and add a number of elements to the game, such as those added today and Online Team Play, which has yet to be added. [Image: EA Sports]
FIFA 15 booting up for EA Access members today
FIFA 15 will roll out to EA Access members on Xbox One today, five days before its arrival on retail shelves. The game is available on a limited basis before its September 23 launch much like Madden NFL 15; EA Access members will have six hours to score as many goals as they can before the early play period dries up. Hey, there's always the FIFA 15 demo that's been available for a little over a week. EA revealed its Access program in late July as a method of providing Xbox One players select games from its catalog for $5 per month or $30 per year. Earlier this month, the publisher said members poured 245,000 hours into the Madden 15 trial, amounting to over 40,000 players. EA removed Ultimate Team trade offers from FIFA 15 following revisions to its Ultimate Team abuse policies last month, which will result in permanent FIFA Online bans for coin selling and farming. The publisher removed trading from its FIFA Ultimate Team web app at that point, and multiple tweets indicate that the app is down for extended maintenance today. [Image: EA Sports]
FIFA 15 demo starts rolling out today
Like Lionel Messi or an overexcited baby, FIFA 15 is dribbling all over the place this week thanks to the arrival of its demo. Xbox Live Gold members can already take out EA's sim for a kickabout on Xbox One and Xbox 360 (free members can join in starting September 16) and it's also confirmed to be hitting PC later today. Going by PSN tradition, the demo should reach digital stores on PS4 and PS3 later today too. As ever, Euro PS owners have to wait until tomorrow. The demo itself lets up to two players trial with eight club teams, including Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, Boca Juniors, Napoli and Paris St. Germain. It also features a FIFA Ultimate Team demo for those who dream of dream teams.
EA Canada details start of NHL 15 post-launch content
EA Canada revealed content updates it's currently working on for NHL 15 on PS4 and Xbox One, such as custom offline Playoff Mode tournaments and Online Team Play. The annual hockey sim takes to the ice this week under the weight of recent criticism, after it emerged several modes and features are absent from the new-gen versions. On the EA forums, Producer Sean Ramjagsingh detailed updates which are expected to arrive across the next two months or so. EA Canada estimates the offline Playoff Mode tournaments will land in September, along with Coach Feedback for Be a Pro, 3 Stars of the Game stats for every mode, and a number of minor updates to Hockey Ultimate Team. GM Draft, which limits draft picks to 3 minute countdown, is due in October, as is Online Team Play, which the studio previously said would be added to as part of the post-launch update program.
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.
You can't join 11-vs-11 Pro Clubs in last-gen FIFA 15
FIFA 15 won't include the Pro Clubs mode on PS3 and Xbox 360, EA Sports announced. The mode allows players to create and join teams for 11-versus-11 online matches, which the last-gen versions of FIFA 14 included. "We're very confident in the amount of innovation and depth we're delivering for FIFA 15 on PS3 and Xbox 360 but there are some things we couldn't do for FIFA 15 on PS3 and Xbox 360, either based on the limitations of these consoles, or our time and resources," EA Sports wrote in an update on the FIFA site. The previous generation of systems will still enjoy a number of changes in this year's game, such as improved teammate intelligence and player control. It will also feature Chelsea's Eden Hazard alongside Lionel Messi on some European covers and Clint Dempsey in North America, who will wear his Xbox-branded Seattle Sounders jersey on the Microsoft boxes. FIFA 15 will launch on September 23 in North America for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. It will arrive on September 25 in Europe and one day later in the UK. [Image: EA Sports]
Op-ed: NHL 15 and the Case of the Missing Modes
It would come as no shock to anyone, as stereotypical as it may seem, that I have been looking forward to NHL 15 on Xbox One and PS4. I am, of course, Canadian. Some of my chief complaints from the series in recent years have been its presentation, which has made a habit of reusing animations, commentary, presentation packages and more. I apparently wasn't the only one with these issues. By E3 2014, the language coming from EA was "We heard you, NHL 15 is going to pull out all the stops." A brand new and impressive presentation package, in collaboration with NBC Sports, was created bringing the quality of the NHL series to heights that I haven't seen (or felt) since I watched an animated Ron Barr welcome me to a game in NHL '94. EA Canada also added a new commentary team to the mix, piled on new physics that brought the series closer to reality and seemingly shoehorned an impressive list of other technical ideas into a game that, on paper, seemed bursting at its seams (or laces, whatever floats your boat). And then the shoe (or skate, perhaps) dropped.
In the garden of Eden Hazard, don't you know that I love FIFA 15?
Belgium and Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard is the new face-next-to-Messi's-face for FIFA 15, at least in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Voted the best young player in the English Premier League last year, Hazard is also a less hazardous proposition to have on the cover than last year's choice, Gareth Bale. If you'll remember, Bale left for Real Madrid after appearing on the FIFA 14 cover in a Tottenham shirt, leaving EA Sports in a bit of a pickle. No such fun, sadly, is on the cards for Hazard this year. To see the full box art, dribble below the break and remember to wipe. EA's sportsball sim will once again grace a myriad of platforms starting September 23 in North America. Three days later it'll come to Europe, where Microsoft's once again offering it as part of a Xbox One bundle, priced 400 euros or £350.
NHL 15 hits the ice with six game modes, EASHL absent
Publisher EA has unveiled a list of the game modes to be included in the upcoming hockey simulation NHL 15, and it's pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a modern EA Sports production. When you absolutely, must play hockey this very second, NHL 15 offers the de rigueur "Play Now" mode. For more depth and persistent stat tracking, NHL 15 includes the "Be A Pro" and "Be A GM" modes, which allow players to assume the roles of either a pro hockey player or a team's general manager, respectively. "Online Versus" is exactly what it sounds like: An online multiplayer mode that pits two (or more) players against one another. "Hockey Ultimate Team" adds a virtual card-based collectible wrinkle to NHL 15's on-ice gameplay, while "NHL Moments Live" allows users to "relive, recreate or alter some of the most exciting situations from the current NHL Season." Notably absent from the list are the fan-favorite six-on-six EASHL mode and the Connected GM mode. EA claims that while these are the game modes that will ship with NHL 15, the development team may change things as time goes on. "As part of the move to next generation consoles, our team is focused on delivering significant content updates post launch," reads a message from producer Sean Ramjagsingh. "Our commitment is to continue to optimize the gameplay experience for you in the months to come, as well as deliver new game content throughout the year for free." Edit: The above description of the NHL Moments mode was originally incorrect. It has sinced been fixed. [Image: EA]
NHL 15 and NBC hook up, birth swanky presentation
I mentioned it in my review, NHL 14's broadcast package was a dated mess. Developer EA Canada aims to fix that problem with NHL 15, which features a new NBC-themed presentation and fresh commentators in the next-gen version. A first look trailer of the new package in action is getting me excited to drop the puck. A demo for NHL 15 lands on Xbox One and PS4 on August 26. [Image: EA Sports]
Europe scores another FIFA Xbox One bundle next month [UPDATE: Trailer added!]
Microsoft unveiled its second FIFA bundle for the Xbox One in as many years in today's Gamescom conference, with the new FIFA 15 bundle coming to Europe once more on September 25. It'll be priced 400 euros/£350, and it'll come with the console, a controller, and a digital copy of the soccer sim. As you'll no doubt remember, Microsoft announced at last year's Gamescom that all Xbox One pre-orders in Europe would come with FIFA 14 - it was later clarified the offer applied to pre-orders of the Day 1 edition.
FIFA 15 won't feature Brazilian clubs due to licensing
Unlike FIFA 14, Brazilian domestic clubs and the players belonging to them don't feature in FIFA 15. EA revealed this week that, because of changes to how Brazil's domestic league licenses players - the company didn't note what those changes might be - it failed to reach an agreement that would let players feature in its latest sportsballer. So, while players in Brazil's national team and Brazilian players based abroad still feature, it's adeus to the likes of Palmieras, Santos and Flamengo. After Brazil's disassembling by Germany at the World Cup, we wonder if the country's fans would have things that way 'round. With that elephant in the room crudely dealt with, all that's left to say is FIFA 15 is coming to another bevy of platforms this year, starting with Xbox One, PS4 and PC on September 23 in North America, and September 26 in Europe.
FIFA 15's global cover star just lost the World Cup
FIFA 15's cover athlete is Barcelona's Lionel Messi, marking the Argentinian footballer's third consecutive year on the series' box (his fourth being 2012's FIFA Street). Messi will be the lone global star on the game's cover, though EA says regional editions will include local heroes alongside him. Messi's cover spot follows Argentina's loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final match yesterday. Joystiq's own Sinan Kubba could be heard across the globe shouting, "I told you so!" to yours truly about the championship results - meaning I must now must pay my side of the bet with an unfortunate selfie in a Messi jersey. Check out large versions of the next-gen and PC cover art in the gallery below and join us after the break for that selfie and some hearty pointing and laughing. FIFA 15 will launch September 23 in North America, September 25 in Europe and one day later in the UK for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. [Image: EA Sports]
