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Monopoly Streets dev diary brings the city to life
EA recently dropped a developer diary for its customizable, modern take on Hasbro's landlord-centric board game, Monopoly Streets. If you, like us, were curious how one goes about putting a fresh spin on a game first printed during the F.D.R. administration, you may want to check it out below.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 deploys first iPhone screens
EA wants to makes sure you can play Battlefield no matter where you are -- provided you can access the App Store's version of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Just like all your favorite video games, BF:BC2 mobile sees you fighting in "the jungle, snow, desert, room-to-room, and in the air" -- no word on a lava level, unfortunately.
Mirror's Edge and Puzzle Agent slide and sneak onto iPhone tonight
According to a report from Touch Arcade, the previously iPad-only Mirror's Edge will become available for purchase this evening on iPhone and iPod Touch, alongside Telltale's first "pilot program" release, Puzzle Agent. Given Faith's reduction in size from iPad to iPhone, the price for Mirror's Edge will be dropping accordingly from $9.99 to $4.99. Puzzle Agent will also carry a $4.99 price point, staying in line with the pricing for other Telltale Games on iDevices. Both games are confirmed to be available via the iTunes App Store right now in some international territories and are expected to arrive in the US App Store around 11PM ET tonight.
The Sims 3: Barnacle Bay coming this fall
Embark on a quest for booty in the upcoming DLC, "Barnacle Bay," for The Sims 3 -- er, wait, we're mixing up our content here! Rather: You'll get to explore a tropical paradise in the Barnacle Bay, available for download this fall. Whether you decide to be a lowdown, dirty pirate on the hunt for treasure and grog, or a sightseeing tourist looking to soak up virtual sun, is up to you. The Barnacle Bay area will be sold exclusively through The Sims 3 Store. Within, you'll discover new locales such as Founder's Beach, Goldbeard Galleon Gallery and Pirate's Hideaway -- plus several other locations and NPCs that await your inner Magellan. The expansion pack will also include "nearly two dozen" new items. %Gallery-100811%
The Sims Medieval will be in stock at retailers March 2011
We are now less in the dark about the Dark Ages version of The Sims. During its Gamescom 2010 presentation, EA announced a March 2011 release date for The Sims Medieval. This iteration of the mega-popular life adds more than the poor plumbing and widespread illiteracy of the age: it also adds quest-based gameplay that allows you to gradually expand your kingdom with the help of a user-created "hero."%Gallery-99636%
EA announces The Sims Medieval for PC and Mac
EA is sending The Sims back in time to the dark ages -- wait, is it time for DarkSims already? The publisher has just announced The Sims Medieval, a new series for the PC and Mac that lets you "build up a medieval kingdom, controlling characters from all walks of life, from Kings and Queens, to Knights and Wizards, Blacksmiths and Bards." This is accomplished through a new addition to the series: quest-driven gameplay. As you complete quests in The Sims Medieval, you'll be able to shape the kingdom as you see fit, and either expand it internally or through conquest. And with every new game, you'll create a hero with a variety of traits and the obligatory "fatal flaw." (Ours always forgets to wash his hands, for example.) The Sims Medieval is currently slated to launch in Spring 2011. Head into the gallery below for the first screens. %Gallery-98734%
EA firing off Nerf N-Strike Double Blast bundle this October
For us, the fact that any game includes a real working Nerf gun will at least raise an eyebrow, but for some consumers, it's simply not enough. We won't pretend we understand these folks, but even the inclusion of a real Nerf gun with Nerf N-Strike couldn't sway them. Well, how about a Nerf gun and two games? The Nerf N-Strike Double Blast bundle, which EA hopes to launch this October, will come packed with the Switch Shot EX-3 blaster and Red Reveal decoder you see above, along with a copy of Nerf N-Strike and its sequel, Nerf N-Strike Elite. There's no word on price right now, but EA's Chip Lange said it would be "a very attractive price point."
EA releases Boggle for iPad
You know how you love to play Boggle but hate having to buy note pads all of the time? Well, if you've got yourself an iPad, you may be interested to know that EA has released Boggle onto the App store. Simply boot up the game, give your iPad a shake and you're good to go on a word hunt. The game features three different modes of play: Challenge, Advanced and Self-Score. There's even iTunes support, allowing you to control the soundtrack of misery for your family while you display your wordsmith skills during the annual Thanksgiving Boggle Tournament. We suggest something really classy, like Sagat's "Funk Dat." Boggle ($4.99): %Gallery-93894%
iPhone Dragon's Lair priced down, down, down to $0.99
You can be less daring with your pocketbook when it comes to snapping up Dragon's Lair for your iDevice, as EA Play has pressed the sword button and slashed a full $4 off the game's price on the App Store. Don Bluth and Rick Dyer's classic laserdisc-based arcade game can now be had for $0.99 -- one play on the coin-op at some arcades back in the day -- but be warned: there's no telling how long this price-drop will be in effect. In other words, don't drag on your decision making process. Dragon's Lair ($0.99): %Gallery-79597%
MySims Sky Heroes flying to DS, Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3 this fall [update]
We were almost right about the trademarked MySims SkyHeroes: we guessed it would be headed to DS and Wii, but EA has surprised us by announcing the game for PS3 and Xbox 360 as well!. You'll be able to see your unbelievably adorable characters in high definition. SkyHeroes is, of all things, a cutesy air combat game, in which My ... your ... your MySim takes flight against the (apparently) evil Morcubus and his army. As you fight, your character's fame will increase, as will the customization options for your plane. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will feature both split-screen online multiplayer, in both cooperative and competitive game modes, for up to ten players. All four versions will be released this fall. Update: trailer and screens added. %Gallery-92475%
The Sims 3 coming to PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and DS this fall
As promised, last year's best-selling PC franchise is finally coming to consoles, and just in time for the holiday season. EA has announced that The Sims 3 is in development for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and DS, with all versions planned for fall release. The console versions promise "all-new" features, like "Karma Powers" that determine whether your Sim can "get lucky" or, on the other end of the spectrum, experience an "epic fail." In addition, the PS3 and Xbox 360 editions will include Facebook connectivity, so you can share Trophy and Achievement updates with friends. The Wii version will feature an exclusive beach town, complete with its own residents, careers and "lifetime wishes"; and the DS version will introduce a new "Story Mode," a first for a handheld Sims game, allowing players to go through a "complete life simulation." "We're bringing players the best console and handheld game for The Sims franchise to date and are excited to offer a unique experience for all types of gamers on their platform of choice," said executive producer Sam Player in EA's announcement. And there's good reason for the publisher to be excited, too -- considering the franchise has already generated over $2.5 billion in revenue for EA. We can already hear EA's coffers quivering in anticipation. %Gallery-91900%
Hands-on: Mirror's Edge (iPhone)
How do you translate one of the most innovative experiences of this console generation to a platform with no buttons? Copy a game with a similar premise. Mirror's Edge plays largely like a prettier, beefier Canabalt -- and it manages to capture the essence of the original PS3/360/PC game perfectly. Like its console counterpart, Mirror's Edge for iPhone/iPod Touch is all about momentum. Faith must run, jump, roll and slide without stopping for the various obstacles in her path. Translating this into a third-person side-scrolling 2D experience has Faith almost always running forward, and you must use your reflexes to react to the path ahead. The primary swipe-enabled jumping mechanic, coupled with the game's demand to always move forward will feel immediately familiar to anyone's that played Canabalt. Thankfully, EA doesn't just replicate the (admittedly simple) gameplay mechanic from Canabalt; instead, it expands Faith's repertoire with additional moves that give the game much-needed depth.%Gallery-79316%
EA dragging Dragon's Lair to iPhone
click to cross the drawbridge into Screenshots' LairFollowing the well-received (by us, anyway) iPhone version of Space Ace, another, better-known Bluth-animated FMV classic is headed to the platform -- a game that, unlike Heavy Rain, is Dragon's Lair. This time, EA Play is publishing the 1983 Cinematronics arcade game, with an expected December release date. We'll get to watch Dirk the Daring die over and over again in a convenient portable format! Dragon's Lair features both an "arcade mode" with the game as originally presented, and a "home mode" with extra scenes not used in the coin-op version. Our gallery features some new screens of the iPhone version, which look exactly like the game looked in 1983. Which is kind of the point. There's supposedly a DSiWare version on the way as well, though EA doesn't seem to be involved with that one. %Gallery-79597%
EA keynote post mortem: Did you circle your calendar?
Back in March, EA Director of Corporate Communications Jeff Brown told the world, "If you have a career in games or just love to play them, get out your calendar and circle the first week of June," adding, "The E3 Expo is bigger and better this year and for EA, the expanded format means we'll have more demos, announcements, promotions and blockbuster games than ever before." So did EA deliver? Shout-outs to Littlest Pet Shop Online and the new Charm Girls Club franchise, bringing us not one, but four games that celebrate "girlhood": Pajama Party, My Perfect Prom, My Fashion Mall, and My Fashion Show. Image that. Er, take that, Imagine!
MySims Racing into stores June 12
Are you getting tired of playing MySims and MySims Kingdom over and over again? Maybe you need something to help bridge the gap between MySims Party and MySims Agents. Good news: EA has dated MySims Racing, the MySims game that is about racing. The kart racer starring the almost intolerably cute MySims will be out in North America on June 12.EA sent out new screenshots for the Wii version of the game, demonstrating some of the wacky powerups you can use against your opponents. A few standouts from EA's list of in-game items: the Melon Accelerator (which shoots a watermelon at the closest car ahead of you), the Seed Thrower (shoots a seed at the ground that instantly grows into a tree), and, uh, Bunny Luv (invokes a Cupid-esque bunny to block opponents vision with cartoon hearts).%Gallery-63712%
