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US and European gambling regulators may crack down on loot boxes
Gambling regulators from Europe and the US are turning up the heat on game developers over loot boxes, which some jurisdictions claim violate gambling laws. A group of 15 European agencies and the Washington State Gambling Commission agreed to work together to "address the risks created by the blurring of lines between gaming and gambling."
'FIFA 18' correctly predicted France's World Cup win
EA Sports has a pretty amazing record when it comes to predicting the outcome of major sporting events. The company used it's FIFA 18 game to correctly opine that Germany would win the 2014 World Cup, and has used the long-running Madden franchise to correctly guess the real winner of the Super Bowl nine out of thirteen times. Now EA wants you to know that it also correctly chose France as the winner of this year's World Cup.
‘FIFA 18’ let me live out my World Cup fantasies
It took a few tries, but I was finally able to lift the World Cup trophy with my beloved Mexico in FIFA 18. It wasn't an easy feat, either; I had to get past football superpower Germany in the final. But it happened, a 3-2 win! And that's probably the only way I'll ever get to see Mexico win soccer's most important competition. Over the past few days, I've spent most of my spare time playing FIFA's new Russia 2018 World Cup mode, which EA Sports made available free to all owners of the game on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. That gesture alone deserves a lot of credit, since during the last World Cup in 2014 the developer released a standalone game for the tournament that was $60. And that was just for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The latest-generation of consoles only got a disappointing, stripped down version.
EA Sports picks the winner of this year's World Cup
Predictions are less of a science and more of an art, especially when it comes to high-pressure sporting events where anything can go. EA Sports, with one eye on an attention-grabbing headline, is hoping to prove its bona fides by saying that it has predicted which nation will win this year's World Cup.
The Russia World Cup comes to 'FIFA 18' on May 29th
As the domestic football season starts to wrap up, all eyes are turning to the World Cup in Russia. EA, unsurprisingly, wants to celebrate the competition with a video game tie-in — this year, however, it will be released as a free update for FIFA 18. That's in stark contrast to 2014, when EA released a dedicated game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and a meagre Ultimate Team expansion for the PS4 and Xbox One. (Euro 2016, meanwhile, was owned by Konami and released as a free PES update.)
Loot crates are now illegal in Belgium
Officials in Belgium have determined that loot boxes violate the country's gambling laws and if publishers don't remove them from their games, they face jail time and fines. Specifically, FIFA 18, Overwatch and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive were found to be in violation. While Star Wars Battlefront II was also part of the Belgian government's investigation, EA's removal of the game's loot boxes kept it from bumping up against the country's legislation. In a statement, Minister of Justice Koen Geens said that if loot boxes in the aforementioned games aren't removed, their publishers could be subject to up to five years in prison and a fine of up to €800,000 (approximately $974,926). If children are involved, those punishments could be doubled.
Red Bull built an underground eSports bar in London
London's Red Bull Gaming Sphere has everything you would expect from an eSports venue: neon-strewn PCs, large TVs, chunky headsets and the latest Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft consoles. But this isn't a stadium designed to compete with the Gfinity Arena or ESL's Studio 1 in Leicester. There are no seats, for instance, beyond a few cube-shaped blocks scattered in front of a 190-inch wall-mounted TV. It's something else, a strange hybrid of eSports arcade and Twitch-friendly streaming studio. The hardware inside is undoubtedly impressive, but on opening night, few are sure what it's actually for.
Major League Soccer is creating its own FIFA eSports league
There's a new eSports organization in town. In partnership with EA Sports, Major League Soccer is launching eMLS -- an eSports league in which 19 of the 23 MLS clubs will select a competitor to represent them. Those gamers will compete in the eMLS Cup, which will take place during PAX East in April, and the winner will then go on to the FIFA 18 Global Series and have a chance to play in the FIFA eWorld Cup.
FIFA and EA will put on the first-ever 'eWorld Cup' next year
FIFA and Electronic Arts are taking their partnership to the logical conclusion point: the pair will put on the first-ever eWorld Cup next August. Competition starts next month on November 3rd. From the press release:
Run the Jewels' video game tour continues in 'FIFA 18'
Killer Mike and El-P, collectively known as Run the Jewels, are no strangers to video games. Previously they appeared in Gears of War 4 as multiplayer characters, and now the duo are lending their talents to FIFA 18. Or, at least, their iconography. You can outfit your virtual footballer in kit featuring the group's trademark fist and gun logo on a teal jersey reminiscent of the album art for Run the Jewels 3, and there's also a black variant. More than that, the soundtrack features and exclusive track from the group, "Mean Demeanor."
FIFA 18's story mode has become the franchise’s best feature
When FIFA 17 came out last year, its standout feature was something called "The Journey." For the first time in the franchise's 24-year history, EA Sports added a story mode where you can pretend to live the life of a professional soccer (er, football) player. The plot centered around a fictional character named Alex Hunter, a British teenager who's trying to make a name for himself in the English Premier League. Your goal, naturally, is to guide him in his quest to do exactly that. Thanks to its success on FIFA 17, the adventure continues with FIFA 18's "The Journey: Hunter Returns."
The new story mode in 'FIFA 18' is all about choice
The Journey was one of the best additions to FIFA 17, crafting a dramatic but believable story around a rookie football (sorry, soccer) player in England. With FIFA 18, EA is building on the mode with a "second season" for rising star Alex Hunter. It promises a "global" story with more football clubs, branching pathways and some character customization, culminating in a campaign that should feel less scripted but no less cinematic.
Behind EA’s push to put more women in sports games
Until two years ago, there was no way to play female characters in FIFA, the world's most popular gaming franchise. But EA Sports changed that with the introduction of FIFA 16. That's because, for the first time ever, the studio revealed its flagship game would feature women soccer players. It was a great move toward diversifying the game's plot, albeit a risky one considering its core demographic: young men. That doesn't mean FIFA players aren't open-minded. But in an industry with a reputation for being misogynistic, EA Sports made itself vulnerable to potential backlash. It turns out the company needn't have worried: FIFA 16 quickly became one of the best-selling titles of the year.
EA and FIFA plan their most ambitious eSports competition yet
FIFA's Interactive World Cup has been been growing in stature over the years, and its next eSports competition promises to be the most ambitious yet: the organization and EA have unveiled plans for the "largest ever" FIFA competition (using FIFA 18, naturally) this fall. The Interactive World Cup is still the star of the show and will revolve around players signed to clubs, but it's only one part of a larger picture. Players worldwide will have a shot at representing real-world teams in official competitions, and Ultimate Team Championships Cups will let virtually anyone qualify for a chance at glory in winter and spring events.
'FIFA 18' isn't out yet and I'm already in love
There was a brief period of time last year when I was playing Pro Evolution Soccer more than FIFA. It was hard to wrap my head around that, considering EA's franchise had been my number one choice since it was known as FIFA International Soccer back in the '90s. But, despite all the welcomed graphics and gameplay improvements we see on each yearly release cycle, I felt the game was getting stale and decided to experiment with Konami's own -- which I much preferred in its Winning Eleven days. This didn't last long, though. FIFA 17 brought a story mode for the first time ever, known as "The Journey," and I was sold almost immediately. Because, let's face it, it's the closest I'll ever get to experiencing the enchanting life of a footballer.
Watch EA's E3 2017 event in under 13 minutes
The action at E3 2017 has officially started. EA tipped its hand yesterday with an event full of big announcements. If you weren't able to catch the news on Madden 18, FIFA 18, Battlefront II, A Way Out, Anthem and more already, don't worry. We've distilled the news down to less than 13 minutes so you can catch up with a quickness over the weekend. Oh, and be sure, too, to check out our conversation with EA's Patrick Soderlund on what the company has planned for the rest of the year. Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!
The Switch version of 'FIFA 18' doesn't have a story mode
If you were wondering how Switch versions of conventional sports games would compare to their PS4 and Xbox One counterparts, you just got your answer. EA has detailed the Switch edition of FIFA 18, and it's evident that you're getting a full-fledged console title... with a notable exception. You'll get modes like FIFA Ultimate Team, a career mode and women's soccer, but there's no mention of a story mode -- sorry, you can't follow Alex Hunter's story while you're on the bus. EA hasn't explained the absence at this point, but it's likely for technical reasons. The Switch version uses the older Ignite game engine (first introduced with the current gen of home consoles), while the games with story modes use the Frostbite engine. As much as the Switch can do, it's still a mobile tablet with limitations.
Watch EA's E3 2017 event live right here at 3PM ET
The big names aren't waiting until next week to reveal what they have for us at E3 2017. EA is kicking things off today with its event at 3PM ET/12PM PT. We're expecting details on games like Star Wars: Battlefront II, FIFA 18, Madden 18, NBA Live 18, Need for Speed: Payback and much more. We'll be there to bring you all of the breaking news as it happens, but if you want to following along live you can do so via Twitch and YouTube streams. Being the kind folks that we are, we've embedded the stream down below so you can watch right here when the time comes. Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!
