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Damian Lillard trail-blazes to NBA Live 15's cover
The cover athlete of NBA Live 15 is Portalnd Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, the NBA revealed via Twitter today. Lillard was voted by his peers to play in the NBA All-Star Game this year and led Portland to the playoffs in April before eventually losing to the now-champion San Antonio Spurs. NBA Live 15 will launch October 7 for Xbox One and PS4. It will be the second game since the series' resurgence last year, which underwhelmed at its launch. NBA Live Executive Producer Sean O'Brien even apologized to fans in June, admitting that the first entry in four years "fell short in two major areas" as the first game for PS4 and Xbox One. NBA Live 14 was also the first to launch since NBA Live 10 arrived in October 2009, as both NBA Live 13 and NBA Elite 11 were canceled in September 2012 and November 2010, respectively. [Image: EA Sports]
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]
Bandai Namco to distribute next-gen racer Project Cars
Slightly Mad Studios' next-gen racing game Project Cars now has the support of Bandai Namco. The publisher agreed to distribute the game globally on Xbox One, PS4, PC for Windows and SteamOS as well as Wii U. Project Cars is slated to launch in November. The realism-fixated racing sim began as a crowdsourced World of Mass Development project in September 2011, two years after Slightly Mad Studios launched Need for Speed: Shift. It was originally planned for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 before the developer added the Wii U to its list of platforms in January 2012, then ditched Xbox 360 and PS3 in favor of their next-gen counterparts and SteamOS in November 2013. One year later, Project Cars will arrive as one of the PS4's first Morpheus games in addition to its support of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. [Image: Bandai Namco]
John Cena sucks up the spotlight on WWE 2K15's cover
2K Sports revealed the cover art for WWE 2K15 this week, the second game in the series from the publisher. The cover art features the face of the WWE and current champion John Cena, posing in a way that indicates he's contemplating his unwavering commitment to his unchanging "never give up" persona. Fans will have the chance to make Cena give up via submission when WWE 2K15 launches on October 28 in North America and October 31 internationally. The game is in development by Yukes and Visual Concepts for PS4, Xbox One, PS3 and Xbox 360, and will be the first WWE game to step into the next generation's squared circle. [Image: 2K Sports]
EA names Bruins' Bergeron as NHL 15 cover athlete
Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron was named the cover athlete of NHL 15 this week, EA Sports announced. Bergeron's claim to the front of the box was earned after winning a cover vote that started back in early May and eventually garnered 10 million total votes from fans. Bergeron defeated Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban in the contest's final round. The vote, in which fans were able to participate by using hashtags on Twitter, drew ire from the community when it was revealed that small-print language in the contest's terms allowed EA and the NHL to pick an athlete other than the winner of the vote. EA told SB Nation last month that the language in the terms is standard for contests like the NHL 15 vote and used only to protect "the integrity of the fan vote" from those that might auto-generate votes for their favorite player. NHL 15 will launch September 9 for Xbox One, PS4, PS3 and Xbox 360. While the game will include some flashy new features for the next-gen consoles, those versions will not receive the 94 Anniversary mode. [Image: EA Sports]
Madden 15 cover art wants a high-five
Madden NFL 15's cover art, which features Seattle Seahawks cornerback and Super Bowl champion Richard Sherman, appeared on Amazon's listing for the game today. EA Sports confirmed to Joystiq that the box art is legitimate, though we're not entirely sure what Sherman's pose is supposed to indicate. As a rare defensive player on the cover of a game that emphasizes an "overhaul" on that side of the ball, perhaps Sherman is posing to tell the offense to stop in their tracks? Or he's about to shout "Jumanji" at a stampeding herd of exotic animals? Maybe Sherman is directing traffic at a crosswalk or is in need of a high-five? The star defender's pose on the cover is lost on us, though one thing is certain: Madden 15 will launch August 26 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Check out larger versions of the box art in our gallery below. [Image: EA Sports]
NBA 2K15 nets MVP cover athlete Kevin Durant
2K Sports announced its cover athlete for NBA 2K15 today, and it's none other than Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant. Durant was recently crowned the NBA's most valuable player, so there really is no better basketball player to have on the game's cover. NBA 2K15 will launch October 7 in North America and October 10 internationally. The basketball sim is in development by Visual Concepts for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. The last entry in the series, NBA 2K14, was the first to arrive on Xbox One and PS4 at each console's launch following its current-gen and PC release in early October 2013. The game suffered major server issues, which locked players out of MyTeam and NBA Today content entirely, even after the next-gen versions received a sizable patch. As of February, Take-Two had shipped more than five million copies of the game. [Image: 2K Sports]
Madden NFL 15 hitting current and next-gen turf August 26
The next game in EA Sports' treasured football series, Madden NFL 15, will launch August 26 in North America and August 29 in Europe, the publisher announced today. The game will arrive simultaneously for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Madden 15 will include "an entirely new broadcast presentation that delivers Madden NFL game day like never before with dramatic all-new camera angles, as well as dynamic pre-game and halftime features," according to the announcement. EA will begin a cover athlete vote on May 8, starting with a special announcement at the NFL Draft. The accompanying release date trailer features Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, who may be a popular choice for voters as he's the reigning NFL defensive player of the year. [Image: EA Sports]
Sonic the Hedgehog box art illustrator Greg Martin passes away
Prolific video game cover artist Greg Martin has passed away, a personal friend announced at the NintendoAge forum this week. Martin illustrated many iconic video game covers throughout the 1990s, establishing distinctive looks for Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series characters and Namco's Pac-Man, in particular. Many Sonic the Hedgehog games released stateside during the Sega Genesis and Game Gear era bear Martin's cover art, including Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic CD, and Sonic Spinball, among others. Martin created cover illustrations for several Hanna-Barbera and Looney Tunes-licensed games during his long-running industry stint, and his art also adorned the covers of acclaimed classics like Landstalker, Shining in the Darkness, and Little Nemo: The Dream Master. Several examples of Martin's work can be seen at NintendoAge.
Alexander Gustafsson selected as EA Sports UFC co-cover fighter
Swedish fighter Alexander "The Mauler" Gustafsson won EA Sports' cover athlete fan vote for EA Sports UFC. As a result, the number one UFC light heavyweight contender will stand next to current reigning light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones on the cover of the game, who is also shown in two new screens for the game issued by EA this week. Gustafsson beat Georges St-Pierre in the final round of the voting process, which accumulated over 11 million votes during the entire campaign, according to EA. The cover athlete vote began in early November with 16 fighters, which included heavy favorites like Ronda Rousey and Johny Hendricks. EA Sports UFC will launch in spring 2014 on Xbox One and PS4.
Batman Arkham Collection packs three Batmans into one box
The Batman Arkham Collection will arrive on November 22 in the UK, Warner Bros. announced today. The bundle packs the two Rocksteady-developed Arkham games, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City along with WB Games Montreal's Batman: Arkham Origins into one batsuit. Arkham Asylum and Arkham City will both be included as download codes for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the collection, with the PS3 bundle also receiving the Knightfall DLC pack for Arkham Origins. The PC version of the bundle will feature Game of the Year editions of either game, which grants players bonus DLC like Harley Quinn's Revenge for Arkham City and six additional maps for Arkham Asylum. Those two games are in a bundle of their own, which GameStop unveiled in September. We've contacted Warner Bros. to see if the Arkham Collection will arrive in North America as well.
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.
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.
WWE 2K14 alternate cover art contest wins with Daniel Bryan entries
Both winners of 2K Sports' alternate cover art contest for WWE 2K14 featured Daniel Bryan in their entries, the developer announced today. The winners, Mike Rodriguez of Corona, CA and Alexis Zankowitch of Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux, France will see their art appear as an insert on the inside of every copy of the game in their respective regions. The cover art on the front of every box features Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. 2K Sports also recently unveiled the game's 30 Years of WrestleMania mode, which has players completing over 45 matches across the event's 30-year history. WWE 2K14 is slated to launch October 29 in North America and November 1 internationally on PS3 and Xbox 360. %Gallery-196046%
Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving is the cover athlete for NBA Live 14
Kyrie Irving has been named NBA Live 14's cover athlete, EA announced. Irving was the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft and proceeded to become the rookie of the year for the 2012 season. Coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this fall, NBA Live 14 will be the first installment in EA's basketball series in four years, as both NBA Live 13 and NBA Elite 11 were canceled in September 2012 and November 2010, respectively. The last game that actually launched in the series was NBA Live 10, back in October 2009. As point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Irving is an interesting choice, given that former Cavaliers and current Miami Heat forward Lebron James was selected by 2K Sports as the cover star for NBA 2K14. James was also drafted by the Cavaliers as the first overall pick in 2003 and played for the team until 2010, when he infamously announced his departure to join the Heat in his TV special, "The Decision."
FIFA 14 to feature Messi and Chicharito on North American cover
The North American cover for FIFA 14 will feature both Lionel Messi and Manchester United's Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, EA Sports announced. Fans in the US will have the option of the dual-athlete cover or the global cover, which only features Messi. Hernandez will also have his own solo cover art for the game in Mexico. The FIFA cover was announced as part of a multi-year endorsement deal signed by Hernandez with EA Sports. The publisher noted that Hernandez will specifically appear on Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game. EA Sports also recently announced that New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur won the cover vote for NHL 14. The FIFA series has a distinct trend in terms of its cover athletes. Messi seems much more distraught this year compared to the FIFA 13 cover. It's likely that he's fully taken over the "angry shouting guy" duties previously held by Wayne Rooney as recently as FIFA 12. If the trend holds up, we await a ticked-off Chicharito on the box for FIFA 15.
Devils' Martin Brodeur named NHL 14 cover athlete
EA Sports' NHL series will see a goalie on the box for the first time since NHL 97, as Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils won the annual cover vote to become the cover athlete for NHL 14. Brodeur beat out runner-up Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets goalie. Brobrovsky won this year's Vezina Trophy, which is given to the goaltender that is considered the best in the league. The cover vote tallied over 22 million votes, though EA has not revealed how the votes break down. NHL 14 is coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 in North America on September 10, and will launch worldwide on September 13. %Gallery-192736%
NCAA Football 14 to include offline-only Kinect support
While Kinect integration isn't all that new for EA Sports, as both Madden 13 and FIFA 13 included support for the device last year, the Xbox 360 cover art for NCAA Football 14 includes the "Better with Kinect" banner at the top. EA Sports told Joystiq that Kinect support will be for offline play only, and will be "similar to what we've done in Madden, focused on pre-play voice commands."Check out the hi-res versions of the game's box art, which features speedy-looking Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, in the gallery below. NCAA 14 will sprint to Xbox 360 and PS3 on July 9. %Gallery-186626%
Dark Souls 2's box art is many shades of grey
The box art for Dark Souls 2 recently popped up on the web, and features a dude with a sword walking away from the box-holder. For all we know, the man may be walking backwards while holding the sword, as animated .gif pack shots have yet to be realized.We've placed hi-res versions of the box art, courtesy of All Games Beta, in a gallery for your viewing pleasure below. Dark Souls 2 is coming to Xbox 360, PC and PS3. %Gallery-185535%
World of Warcraft: Vol'jin: Shadows of the Horde cover reveal
Blizzard Entertainment was kind enough to send us the never-before-seen cover art of upcoming novel Vol'jin: Shadows of the Horde by Michael A. Stackpole. It appears that not only will this novel focus on Vol'jin, but Chen Stormstout will play an integral role, too. The book's back cover reads: Warchief Garrosh's assassins strike at Vol'jin, leaving him at death's door. But fate smiles on the wounded Darkspear leader when renowned brewmaster Chen Stormstout transports him to the safety of an isolated mountain monastery. There, Vol'jin wrestles with old hatreds smoldering between the Alliance and the Horde as he struggles to recover alongside a mysterious human soldier. Yet this is only the beginning of Vol'jin's worries. Soon, he becomes embroiled in an invasion of Pandaria launched by the Zandalari, revered trolls driven by dreams of conquest and power. This ancient tribe offers Vol'jin a chance to seize the glory that is the birthright of all trolls... an offer made even more tempting after Garrosh's brazen treachery. Amid these troubling events, Vol'jin is rocked by intense visions depicting his race's grand history. As he questions where his loyalties lie, he knows he must make a choice about his own destiny that could save his people or damn them to languish under Garrosh's heel. Vol'jin: Shadows of the Horde is currently slated for release July 2, 2013.
