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Today's deals on Good Old Games, FIFA 14, Gran Turismo 6 and Steam
Today is your last chance to take advantage of Good Old Gaming's Winter Sale, with most of its catalog available for 50 percent off or more. Highlights include the Complete Wing Commander bundle for $11.92, a Sci-Fi Combat Sims bundle that includes Descent 1 - 3 for $10.94, and the Fantasy Through History bundle that offers Torchlight and more for $11.35. Steam's ninth day of sales offers Torchlight 2 for $4.99, Deadpool for $9.99, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons for $4.49 and Saints Row 4 for $19.99. If you're feeling charitable, you can grab SR4's Child's Play Pack for $1.19, which dresses your president in Digital Dino or Robochimp outfits. Deep Silver will donate all of the involved proceeds to Child's Play. Console gamers aren't left out of the post-holiday savings, either - Amazon is offering the PS3 racer Gran Turismo 6 for $39.99 today. PS3 and Xbox 360 copies of FIFA 14 are also $34.99, with PC downloads going for $29.99. Lastly, Square Enix's mobile sale is on until January 5, offering deals on mobile ports of classics like Secret of Mana for $3.99 on iOS, The World Ends With You for $8.99 on iOS, and all kinds of Final Fantasy games for iOS and Android.
GameStop post-Christmas sale hacks $10 off select next-gen games, more
That money grandma tucked into your card this year? GameStop wants it, and is holding a post-Christmas winter sale to get it. The retailer's deals end on December 29 and take $10 off the following Xbox One and PS4 games: Call of Duty: Ghosts, FIFA 14, Battlefield 4, Need For Speed: Rivals, Madden 25 and NBA Live 14. Each game is $10 cheaper on their respective current-gen platforms as well. Additionally, Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag and Battlefield 4 are discounted to $39.99 on their other respective platforms (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC), though the former isn't on sale for PS4 or Xbox One. GameStop's sale page features a number of items that aren't discounted at all, including listings for available Xbox One and Wii U consoles. Among the other games and accessories on sale are Tearaway ($19.99), Grand Theft Auto 5 ($39.99), NBA 2K14 for Xbox 360 and PS3 ($39.99), Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix ($24.99) and Gran Turismo 6 ($39.99).
FIFA 14 is UK's Christmas No. 1
FIFA 14 is this week's UK No. 1, making it a very Messi Christmas in 2013! Okay, we may have used that Messi Christmas gag already - and possibly that image. In our defense, Home Alone 2 is on and we've got orange and cinnamon mince pies. Just t'isn't the season for creativity, especially when you're dealing with the 14th FIFA to top the UK Christmas charts in 28 years. What more is there to say? That said, we did take the time to put a top ten-shaped present beneath the tree. No need to thank us, we knew you'd love it. Messi Christmas, everybody!
Joystiq Streams: The school of hard knocks and FIFA 14
Do you hear what I hear? No, it's not the sweet sounds of The Ronettes blasting out of a sweet surround sound system, coating the land with a thick smear of A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector. It's even more Joystiq Streams, broadcasting to the world in its time of need for holiday cheer. So in the interest of international unity, we're streaming football today. Futbol. Soccer. We're playing FIFA 14, okay? At 4:00p.m. Eastern, head over to the Joystiq Twitch page for the match of the century. Mike Suszek, contributing editor extraordinaire, will be literally schooling Alexander Sliwinski, news editor overlord. Alexander is a FIFA 14 neophyte, getting his hands on the game for the very first time. The smell of red cards is lingering heavy in the air. We'll also be hanging in the chat, answering questions and being affable. Come on in!
Score FIFA 14 on PS3 for £25 in PlayStation Europe sale
PlayStation Europe kicks off its yuletide PSN sale with a Christmas cracker: FIFA 14 for £25 (€35/AU$45) on PS3, and £20 (€25/AU$33) on Vita. They're the first of 24 gaming discounts in the wrongly named 12 Deals of Christmas - which doesn't run across the 12 days of Christmas either. Instead, the promotion runs from the start of this month through to Christmas Day, with each discount available across 48 hours. That means you have until tomorrow, December 3 to net the FIFA 14 deals. Messi Christmas, everybody!
UK Charts: Xbox One doubles Xbox 360's opening weekend
The UK kicked off its November next-gen madness with the Xbox One last week, ahead of the PS4's launch across Europe this Friday. No surprises, then, that the country's charts are dominated by a flurry of Xbox One launch games, but stifle that yawn because Chart-Track does have a noteworthy statistic to share: According to the data gatherer, the Xbox One sold twice as well as the Xbox 360 across its opening weekend in the UK. Some context: Microsoft shipped around 300,000 Xbox 360s to Europe for the system's launch in December 2005, and it was speculated that meant around 70,000 for the UK. MCV is putting the Xbox One's 48-hour sales figure at 150,000, but that's not confirmed. As usual, Chart-Track didn't provide any hard numbers with its stat, but we do know the Xbox One sold more than 1 million units in its first 24 hours, albeit across 13 markets; the PS4 also hit 1 million-plus on day one, but just in North America. We'll have a clearer picture of who's nudging ahead once the PS4 is out and about in Europe, so let's focus on the all-formats game charts for now: FIFA 14 became the new No. 1, with numbers boosted by 328 percent after being bundled in with Day One consoles in Europe. The rest of the top ten provides some idea of which games Brits chose to pick up with their shiny new Xbox Ones: Call of Duty: Ghosts came in second, followed by Battlefield 4, Assassin's Creed 4, and Forza 5, Lego Marvel Super Heroes and Dead Rising 3. Heading down the charts, Grand Theft Auto 5 is the first previous generation game to appear, sat at eighth. More surprisingly, it's ahead of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, which debuted behind it in ninth. If you're wondering where Super Mario 3D World is, so is the UK: The Wii U game doesn't arrive in the country until November 29. Finally, Crytek's Ryse: Son of Rome rounded off a top ten that featured eight Xbox One games.
EA: Patch to squash FIFA 14's Xbox One controller bug arrives today
Following reports of crashes in the Xbox One incarnation of FIFA 14, EA has revealed plans to issue a day-one patch for the game which should solve two of its biggest issues. Currently, if you plug two controllers into the Xbox One, then attempt to browse the console's bootflow from controller two while FIFA 14 is loading, the game will often crash. Until you've patched your game, EA's support site suggests plugging a single controller into your machine until after you've cleared the game's initial loading screen. Likewise, if you're browsing the bootflow while at the FIFA 14 title screen and allow the console to lay idle long enough to activate its low-power suspend mode your game may crash. EA's solution to this issue is simple: don't do that. If you can't help yourself though, and find your game has crashed, reboot the Xbox One. While today's patch should fix the above problems, EA notes that there are still numerous issues it is looking into. For instance, players are currently unable to join a "Friends Only" match from another player's Xbox One profile, and crashes are common when playing in co-op Season mode if a team's captain is using custom formations while his or her partner is not. There's currently no word on when these problems and the others listed on EA's support site will be fixed.
New FIFA World Cup game in development for Xbox One and PS4
During yesterday's investor call to discuss EA's second quarter of fiscal 2014 financial results, CEO Andrew Wilson noted that the publisher is working on a new FIFA World Cup expansion game. Additionally, CFO Blake Jorgensen brought up FIFA World Cup again when asked about next-gen games in development, indicating that the game will appear on Xbox One and PS4. It is unknown if the game will also be developed for current generation systems. "In the last two weeks, you've also seen several announcements about our product slate for the remainder of this year and into FY15," Wilson said. "We are refining our focus on our biggest brands and great new IP in development, including The Sims 4, EA Sports UFC, FIFA World Cup and Dragon Age: Inquisition." EA Sports traditionally launches a new World Cup-branded game in line with the global sporting event, which occurs every four years. The last game in the series was 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, which launched in April 2010. Given that the next World Cup is scheduled to begin in June 2014 in Brazil, a new entry in the sub-series is hardly surprising. The publisher's next-gen efforts will not include Tiger Woods in its future golf games, and Jorgensen also noted that Titanfall will be exclusive to Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC "for the life of the title" during the call. EA will launch the next-gen version of FIFA 14 along with the new consoles this coming month.
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.
Next-gen FIFA 14 trailer is alive
This trailer for FIFA 14, set to Chase & Status' song "Alive," shows footage from the PS4 and Xbox One version of the soccer sim. The game will launch alongside each console in November.
Report: UK retail sales climb for first time in four years
The UK games market moved 5.17 million boxed games in the last month, a sum that has broke the region's 59-month streak of gradually declining sales, CVG reports. The total is a 45 percent year-on-year increase and the first growth for games retail in the UK since December 2008. MCV reports that Grand Theft Auto 5 accounted for 52 percent of those sales alone, helping the UK market generate £187.2 million in the month of September. The game moved 2.25 million units in the region during its first week and shared a release month with FIFA 14. It will be interesting to see how the incoming consoles affect retail sales, but for now, carjackings and football for everyone!
FIFA 14 tops UK charts despite 24 percent year-on-year drop
There aren't many games capable of dethroning Grand Theft Auto 5 as the UK Number 1, but FIFA 14 is definitely one of them. EA's soccer sim dispossessed GTA 5 as it was always going to do, but Rockstar's second week sales equate to the 18th biggest if ranked against all first week sales; that's despite a 83 percent drop from last week. That gives you an idea of just how big a deal FIFA 14 is, although that's with a 24 percent drop in first week sales compared to last year's FIFA 13. Chart Track wagers the money spent on GTA V last week might be a factor, but we suspect FIFA 14 being a freebie with Xbox One Day One pre-orders in Europe has more to do with it. Other games aren't stupid enough to take on the FIFA behemoth, especially a week after GTA V came out, so the rest of the charts is pretty quiet. Nonetheless, you can check out the top ten after the break.
EA addressing FIFA 14 balance issues in future update
EA recently acknowledged a few gameplay issues for FIFA 14 in an official forum post as items being considered for a future update. The three pieces of feedback from players regarding the soccer sim's on-field gameplay the developer will look to tweak are the reported over-effectiveness of goals scored on headers from crossed balls and corner kicks, overpowered finesse shots as well as the accuracy of lofted through-balls. It didn't list a specific timeline for when the game would be patched. EA also acknowledged continued reports of freezing during the game, an issue we encountered a few times during our review process, and will "continue to investigate these reports internally." The game's day-one patch addressed stability issues in FIFA 14's Skill Games and Creation Centre modes.
PSN Tuesday: FIFA 14, Girl Fight, free Rayman Origins on PS Plus
This week's PSN update has been issued, offering a fresh cornucopia of digital wares for your leisurely consumption. Both FIFA 14 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 are available for download, though only the former is available across multiple platforms: PS3, PS Vita (a re-skin) and PSP. Kung-Fu Factory's Girl Fight steps into the PSN ring today and The Mark of Kri joins the ranks of PS2 Classics. PS Plus members can download a free copy of Rayman Origins on the PS Vita today. The routine round of discounts have also been extended to PS Plus, with this week's deals highlighting Limbo, Worms Revolution and more. Price drops have also been extended to Dead Space 3 and pretty much the entire Assassin's Creed series – all of which you can pore over in the full list over on the PlayStation Blog.
FIFA 14 arrives on iOS, goes freemium
Soccer (or football) fans rejoice. EA Sports has released FIFA 14 for iOS. The app features 33 leagues from the English Premier League to the German Bundesliga battling it out in 34 licensed stadiums, with over 600 licensed teams, and more than a whopping 16,000 players. There are some great features in it too, like Football Club Match Day, which allows you to sync your game to real-world events, including player injuries, suspensions and team changes. You can, of course, build your own fantasy team, as well as play your friends in multiplayer matches. Previously, FIFA games on iOS were a paid download, but with FIFA 14, EA has decided to release the game for free with support for in-app purchases. FIFA 14 is available for iPhone and iPad as a universal app; just be sure you've got enough free space on your device as it comes in at a whopping 1.17 GB.
FIFA 14 review: Plateau
Apparently following an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" methodology, the FIFA team hasn't introduced any large, game-changing features this year. Heading into the next console generation, this is very much a "tune-up" year in regards to FIFA 14, and for good reason: It's pretty hard to top EA Canada's efforts with the FIFA series in recent years. Each iteration of the soccer sim has gradually tapered off its impactful improvements, with the introduction of physics in FIFA 12 and then First Touch Control in FIFA 13. Continuing the trend, the biggest on-field changes in FIFA 14 revolve around one of the first things players will notice: The game feels a bit slower. The fact is, the game's actual speed may not be any slower than before, but the continual tweaking of passing and dribbling mechanics has lead to FIFA 14 becoming a much more methodical game than before. Your team's progressions seem to take a little longer since the defense plays your attackers tighter, resulting in passing lanes that are a tad harder to find. The dribbling mechanics added in FIFA 13 have been altered – no longer requiring players to hold the left trigger – and effectively performing some of the fun combinations from last year is more difficult and confusing now.
EA's free-to-play FIFA 14 arrives on iOS and Android
Whether you refer to it as fútbol, football or soccer, there's no denying that the FIFA franchise is one of the sports' best options for gaming across the various existing platforms. Now, following in the footsteps of its relative Madden 25, FIFA 14 is available for iOS as well as Android. As with its sporting game sibling, the renowned title's latest mobile edition can be downloaded at no cost, with EA hoping to bring in revenue by way of in-app purchases -- which includes anything from Ultimate Team points to the unlocking of additional game modes (such as Manager and Tournament). Be prepared to make some room for FIFA 14 on your device though, since the app's size is a little more than 1GB in both the App Store and Google Play.
FIFA 14 Legacy Edition has 'no updates to gameplay or game modes'
The updates in the 'Legacy Edition' of FIFA 14 include new kits and rosters, but not anything to do with gameplay, according to a Nintendo press release. Although Nintendo's details are noted for the 3DS version, EA is also releasing the Legacy Edition on Vita, PSP, and PS2, indicating the same lack of update on those platforms. EA previously confirmed to Pocket Gamer that FIFA 14 on Vita is a "reskin" (Pocket Gamer's words) of FIFA 13. This story is itself a reskin of a previous story; FIFA 13 on Vita was a similarly limited update to FIFA Football, as was FIFA 13 to FIFA 12 on the Wii. In short, EA has plenty of previous experience in this particular area. FIFA 14 hits North America tomorrow, and Europe on Friday, September 27. Despite the lack of gameplay additions, Nintendo is charging a full retail price of £40 (around $65) for the eShop version. If you feel that's worth it for new names and shirts, please enjoy.
Updated FIFA 14 cover keeps it Real with new shirt for Bale
We wondered what the ramifications might be for the FIFA 14 Euro-cover, given it pictured Premier League superstar Gareth Bale in a Tottenham shirt amid rumors of his impending transfer to Real Madrid. Sure enough, one record-breaking €100 million deal later - that's around $133 million - and the cover for the unreleased game is out of date - or, it was. Despite the game only being two weeks away, EA Sports was able to whip a new cover that correctly reflects Bale's status as the latest Galactico; check it out in full after the break. This isn't the first time EA Sports has pulled a switcheroo like this; fans of the other type of football no doubt remember the Madden NFL 09 cover of Brett Favre in a Jets shirt. The former Green Bay quarterback signed for the New York team just five days before the game was due. That's not enough time to do a Bale-like swap, so EA Sports concocted a printable PDF cover, which seems kind of ludicrous some five years on. Anyway, all's well that ends well as far as FIFA 14 is concerned, as long as Lionel Messi doesn't suddenly decide to quit football and become a ballet dancer (he'd be a very good ballet dancer, we're sure). The game has a demo out ahead of its September 24 arrival on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, and it'll be out on both next-gen consoles too. Don't forget, Xbox One Day One pre-orders in Europe will nab it or Forza 5 for free.
Demowatch: Diablo 3, FIFA 14, PES 2014, Etrian Odyssey Untold
What do Diablo 3, FIFA 14, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, and Etrian Odyssey Untold have in common? Fantastically little, really, they're drastically different games after all - well, apart from FIFA 14 and PES 2014. Not our best riddle, frankly. Oh wait: They all have demos coming out soon! Diablo 3 on consoles, FIFA 14 and PES 2014 get theirs this week, while 3DS RPG Etrian Odyssey Untold receives an eShop demo on September 16. The Diablo 3 demo is out now on Xbox Live (as a Gold-exclusive), and hits PlayStation Network later today. The demo goes as far as the Skeleton King, the action-RPG's first boss, and features all five Hero classes and both local and online multiplayer. Meanwhile, the FIFA 14 demo has already kicked off on PC and XBL, taking to the field on PSN later today. It lets you play as one of eight teams: Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris St. Germain, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Barcelona, New York Red Bulls, and Boca Juniors. As for the PES 2014 demo, it's out on XBL now too, and should hit PSN today. Bear in mind, Euro-folk, PSN tradition is for updates there on Wednesday, so FIFA 14, PES 2014 and Diablo 3 demos may arrive then. However, EA Community Manager Rob Hodson tweeted this morning to say the FIFA 14 demo could hit today, around 5PM UK time.
