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Get up close and personal with these new EA Sports UFC screens
EA Sports recently added a few names to the EA Sports UFC roster, joined by some in-game shots of fighters from the neck up. The fighters playable in the game and seen in the included gallery are former light heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin, "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung, Costas Philippou, Minotauro Nogueira, Demetrious Johnson, Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen. Those fighters join the likes of co-cover athletes Jon "Bones" Jones and Alexander Gustafsson, Georges St-Pierre as well as female fighters Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate, who were confirmed for the game in September. Certainly, athletes included in the 16-person cover fighter vote that began in November will be in the game as well, such as Chris Weidman, Dominick Cruz, Junior Dos Santos and Urijah Faber. The screens are meant to show the details of each athlete's likeness, but we just can't stop staring at Griffin's puffy cauliflower ears. Don't you want to poke at them? Boy, we sure do. EA Sports UFC will head to Xbox One and PS4 this spring.
EA considering free-to-play UFC game for Brazil
During a talk at the Credit Suisse Technology Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, EA CEO Andrew Wilson noted that the publisher is leveraging opportunities to create free-to-play games for Brazil. Among the two properties Wilson said the publisher is actively considering for the region was a new game using the UFC license, as Brazil is home to a strong fanbase for mixed martial arts. Additionally, Wilson said the company has plans to launch FIFA Online World in Brazil and Russia leading up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup event slated to take place in Brazil. The free-to-play game is built on the same technology as FIFA Online 3, which EA will bring to China after having already launched it in Korea with Nexon as its publishing partner. "We are absolutely looking at [Brazil] in detail, and we think we have at least two, but likely more products that will have strong appeal there," Wilson said.
EA Sports UFC cover vote hits final round
EA Sports UFC's four-round co-cover athlete vote entered its final round today. The last two contestants left are Georges St-Pierre and Alexander Gustafsson, one of which will join reigning light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones on the cover of the PS4 and Xbox One game in 2014. The cover vote began earlier this month with 16 fighters, with heavy favorites like Ronda Rousey and Johny Hendricks exiting the fan vote in the first and second rounds, respectively. St-Pierre may be the new favorite to win a spot on the game's cover following his decision to step away from mixed martial arts for an undisclosed time after his successful welterweight championship defense against Hendricks at the UFC 167 event in Las Vegas. Coincidentally, St-Pierre's fans voted him past Hendricks in the second round of the EA Sports UFC cover athlete vote, which ends on December 1.
Jon Jones to share EA Sports UFC cover with fan-voted fighter
Falling in line with other sports games, EA Sports UFC will be embroiled in its own cover athlete contest, EA Sports announced. The winner of the four-round cover vote held on UFC's official site, which ends December 1, will share the game's box art with current light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones. The 16 candidates to share the spotlight with Jones are as follows: Demetrious Johnson, Chris Weidman, Dominick Cruz, Junior Dos Santos, Urijah Faber, Chael Sonnen, Jose Aldo, Michael Bisping, Anthony Pettis, Alex Gustafsson, Ben Henderson, Daniel Cormier, Georges St-Pierre, Ronda Rousey, Johny Hendricks and Miesha Tate. We like Rousey's odds at winning the vote as the women's bantamweight champion and the figurehead for the rising popularity of women's MMA, the representation of which is a core part of EA Sports UFC's feature set. We wouldn't be opposed to seeing a cheeky Chael Sonnen sharing the cover with the man he can't seem to overcome, however. EA Sports UFC will launch in spring 2014 on PS4 and Xbox One.
THQ sues EA, UFC: EA fed inside info to UFC owner, THQ says
THQ has sued EA and UFC parent company Zuffa, claiming EA intentionally damaged THQ's relationship with Zuffa to broker a deal of its own for the UFC license. THQ claims EA used inside knowledge about its financial situation to commit "tortious interference" with its contract, and THQ is seeking to recover the value of the UFC property, the profits of the UFC franchise and at least $10 million in damages from EA. The suit also aims to disallow Zuffa's bankruptcy claims against THQ. In early December 2011, EA considered buying THQ outright and the two companies entered negotiations, according to THQ's suit filed with the Delaware district court. THQ says it provided EA with detailed financial information, including revenue and projected stats on its UFC franchise. On December 12, 2011, EA walked away from the potential buyout, and on December 30, 2011, Zuffa sent THQ a Demand Letter expressing the intent to terminate the UFC license. Though the UFC franchise was worth $20 million, THQ settled with Zuffa for $10 million. EA snagged the UFC license in 2012. EA Sports UFC is due out in 2014 for Xbox 360 and PS4. On December 19, 2012, THQ filed for bankruptcy. Looking back, THQ puts the pieces together as follows: "Prior to the Demand Letter, EA contacted Zuffa, informed Zuffa of THQ's perilous financial condition and expressed interest in acquiring the UFC franchise directly from Zuffa, causing Zuffa to threaten termination of the UFC license." An EA spokesperson tells Polygon, "We believe these claims are without merit."
Female fighters Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate announced for EA Sports UFC [Update]
EA Sports announced that female fighters Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate will be included in EA Sports UFC's roster. This is the first time the UFC series has included women, and comes just months after the women's bantamweight division was first added to the UFC's real-life arena. Rousey was the first woman to sign with the company in November 2012. EA Sports UFC will launch in Spring 2014 for Xbox One and PS4, and is in development by EA Canada's Fight Night team. The game will run on EA Sports' next-gen Ignite Engine. Update: EA tells Joystiq that "in order to remain authentic to the sport, female fighters will not be able to fight male fighters" in EA Sports UFC and that more female fighters will be announced closer to the game's launch.
PS3 gets pay-per-view streaming with Live Events Viewer app
PlayStation is expanding its streaming footprint one piledriver at a time with the new Live Events Viewer. Announced at E3 and available today, the app will let you buy and watch pay-per-view events -- starting with this Sunday's WWE SummerSlam -- directly from your PS3 without the need for a cable subscription. Sony is promising that new programming will be available on a weekly basis and that there will be free content in addition to PPVs, too. All that's available right now are UFC and WWE specials, but according to the US PlayStation Blog, concerts, races and "other entertainment events" are en route. You could also get your scripted and unscripted fisticuffs fix on the Xbox 360, but you need an active Xbox Live Gold subscription to use them.
EA Sports UFC out spring 2014 for Xbox One, PS4
EA Sports UFC is coming to Xbox One and PS4 in spring 2014, EA Sports Executive Vice President Andrew Wilson announced during EA's press conference at E3. Real-life fighters Ben Henderson and Jon Jones took the stage for EA's press conference, along with UFC announcer Bruce Buffer. EA snagged the rights to the UFC franchise from THQ in 2012, prior THQ's bankruptcy.
Fight Night franchise on hold as EA Canada focuses on UFC
With EA Canada focused on EA's upcoming UFC game, the Fight Night franchise has been put on hold at EA Sports. "Right now, a great portion of the core of the Fight Night team are actually the team that are building UFC," EA Sports executive vice president Andrew Wilson told IGN. "Do I see a future for Fight Night? You know, sure. But right now, UFC is where our fighting focus is." 2011's Fight Night Champion was the latest game in EA's boxing franchise, introducing a new "Full-Spectrum" punch control system and a Hollywood-inspired campaign following fictitious convict boxer's struggle to overcome adversity and many, many punches to the face. The series was born from the ashes of EA's previous boxing series, Knockout Kings, in 2004.
EA shows first Xbox One games: FIFA, NBA Live, Madden and UFC (video)
EA teased hours ago that FIFA 14 would be one of the first Xbox One games, but it just used Microsoft's event to unveil a considerably wider slate. FIFA 14, NBA Live 14, Madden 25 and EA Sports UFC are all coming to the new console within the next 12 months. All of them are using a new engine, EA Sports Ignite, that has 10 times the animation detail, smarter artificial intelligence, 3D crowds, "living" sidelines and a daily dose of new content through Xbox Live. EA and Microsoft are getting cozier with the deal, too -- FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will be an Xbox exclusive. We'll have to wait for more detail about that game later this year, but it's safe to say that Microsoft won't be lacking for major sports titles during the Xbox One's vital first year.
EA, Microsoft enter into 'special relationship,' FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14, UFC on Xbox One [Update]
Andrew Wilson, EA Sports boss, took to the stage at Microsoft's Xbox One event and confirmed that EA and Microsoft have entered into a "special relationship." This will see four EA Sports games on Xbox One: FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14 and UFC. All four will launch within the next 12 months, Wilson said. EA Sports Ignite, a new engine created at EA, will power each game, attempting to emulate human intelligence and true player motion within each games. There are "four times more calculations per second" to achieve this. Special content for FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will "only be on Xbox," Wilson concluded before showing off an EA Sports sizzle reel. Update: EA has clarified via Twitter that FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will be available on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, though there will be content exclusive to the Xbox One version. The text of this post has been updated to reflect that.
EA: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 15, UFC not planned before next March
Electronic Arts has confirmed to Joystiq that neither Tiger Woods PGA Tour, nor its take on the UFC rights it acquired last June, will be released in fiscal year '14 (concluding March 31, 2014). Although this doesn't necessarily confirm there will be no Tiger Woods PGA Tour 15 as has been rumored – due to the awkward timing of the game's standard release in late March – it does confirm the game won't come out in its usual spot during the last week of March, which it has done for three years. Speaking during today's investor call, EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau explicitly mentioned 11 games the company plans to launch before next March, none of which were UFC or Tiger. When asked for clarification, a representative for EA told us the games would not release in the fiscal year, though they are "still in development."
Xbox Live kicks off 'Big Sports Weekend' with free UFC, MLB
Xbox Live is hosting a "Big Sports Weekend" event for both Gold and free subscribers that unlocks some sports content at no extra cost. Among the noteworthy unlocked features this weekend are the ability to watch out-of-market and on-demand MLB games normally limited to MLB.TV subscribers, full NFL Draft coverage on the ESPN app and seven free fights on the UFC app.The seven UFC "story fights" all feature either Chael Sonnen or Jon Jones leading up to their UFC 159 encounter this Saturday, which is not part of the Xbox Live Big Sports Weekend package, as it's a pay-per-view event. Viewers can also access the NBA Game Time and NHL GameCenter apps for playoff highlights and recaps this weekend, but will need the standard subscriptions to watch live playoff games.
Xbox Live adds SmartGlass support for ESPN and NBA Game Time
Today, Microsoft's Major Nelson announced the release of the Sports Picks app for Xbox Live. Equipped with leaderboards, Jimmy the Greek wannabes can compete against friends to see who's the best at handicapping UFC events, NBA games and college football. In addition, Xbox Live Gold members have also gained SmartGlass integration for ESPN and NBA Game Time -- which we've previewed here -- that allows users to watch live broadcasts, highlights and replays via their smartphone or tablet. If you're looking to get your Ace Rothstein on (minus the mafia, murder and mayhem), point your Xbox to the Apps Marketplace to score this new software.
Jens "Little Evil" Pulver chats about World of Warcraft
Jens "Little Evil" Pulver is no stranger to the world of fighting -- he was the first UFC lightweight champion back in 2001 and coached on The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show for Spike TV. But Jens also has a passion for World of Warcraft and gaming in general. We interviewed Jens back in 2010 for 15 Minutes of Fame, in which he discussed balancing gaming with a busy life and the history of his many, many characters. Jens pointed out he was on a light WoW schedule at the end of the interview, just because real life was ramping up to being incredibly busy. However, in the above video shot by MiddleEasy TV, it's clear that Jens is still enjoying WoW and enjoying chatting about WoW. Not only that, he's picked up Diablo III as well. While I don't know much about fighting, I do know my WoW, and it's fascinating to hear tales of the days of vanilla, of exploits that have long since been fixed, and to hear from a guy who quite simply just loves playing the game -- a guy who's been playing as long as I have. Give the interview a listen; it's a fascinating glimpse into the history of WoW and an all-around nice chat.
Fight Night team developing EA Sports UFC
The Fight Night team at EA Canada will develop EA Sports UFC, EA announced today. Since its surprise license acquisition reveal at E3 2012, EA has kept quiet on the UFC-based game's development.Brian Hayes, who led gameplay design for Fight Night Round 4 and Fight Night Champion, will act as Creative Director for the Ultimate Fighting title. Team and Action Sports GM Dean Richards joins Hayes at the front of the development team, bringing in additional experience from Fight Night, along with the NHL and SSX series.
Georges St-Pierre walks you through Sleeping Dogs combat
In this new trailer for Sleeping Dogs, Square Enix has asked UFC fighter (and current welterweight champ) Georges St-Pierre to show off the game's melee fighting system.
UFC 3 failed to break even at 2 million units, report claims
UFC Undisputed 3 failed to break even – which triggered the sale of the UFC license to Electronic Arts – THQ representatives allegedly said during an E3 investor meeting. "THQ sought to exit its UFC contract as the most recent iteration fell short of its ≈2 million unit break-even point," a Wedbush Securities report claims. THQ has yet to confirm the report.EA Sports executive VP Andrew Wilson recently revealed that THQ approached EA to first initiate talks on the deal.In related news, a quick search shows that a number of recently laid off THQ San Diego employees have listed work on "UFC 4" on their LinkedIn profiles. THQ's UFC series originally appeared to be annual with its first two games before the company planned an extra year to develop the latest game.We've reached out to THQ for confirmation on this information, and will update as soon as we learn anything new.
EA has big plans for its UFC game
It's an exciting time at EA Sports for executive VP Andrew Wilson. He's pretty stoked about acquiring the UFC license, the result of the dire financial situation going on at THQ right now, the previous UFC license holder. "Yes, yes it is," Wilson tells me when I say it must be a good time to be in the sports game, uh, game.But how did EA get the license? Who approached who? How did it all go down? How much did EA really pay for the license? While Wilson couldn't go into the specificity I would've liked regarding some of those subjects, he did at least give me some background on how this new deal came together – and just what it means for MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) gaming fans looking forward to the future.
THQ relinquishes UFC rights to EA for 'undisclosed cash payment'
Electronic Arts just announced during its E3 press conference that it has entered into a multi-year, multi-product deal with the UFC... so, what happened to THQ? Turns out the financially troubled publisher answered our query quite quickly. Electronic Arts obtained the publishing rights from THQ for an "undisclosed cash payment.""We have relished our relationship with UFC over the last several years and believe that the UFC gaming brand is in great shape. THQ's more focused strategy moving forward meant that transferring the license to EA made sense to all parties," said THQ CEO Brian Farrell. "We would like to thank UFC for their great support and partnership and wish EA all the best moving forward."
