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Sunset Overdrive fails to derail FIFA 15 in this week's UK charts
We're used to FIFA reigning over UK charts like, well, rain over UK chaps (and chapettes), but this is plainly ridiculous. FIFA 15 is up to six weeks in a row already as the British best-seller, seeing off one major launch after another like it just doesn't care - and it probably doesn't. The latest victim? Insomnaic's Sunset Overdrive on Xbox One, which settles for second place. After debuting 7th, in its second week Wii U hell-raiser Bayonetta 2 is alarmingly AWOL after failing to stay in the top 40. In contrast The Evil Within holds steady in fourth, with the rest of the top ten made up by big hitters like Destiny, Shadow of Mordor and Forza Horizon 2. And of course, the Minecrafts. After stowing safely in the top ten for a few weeks, Alien: Isolation finds itself dragged down to 13th along with Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel in 15th. For the full top ten and more on this week's new releases (and the spectacular return of the customary music video), point your good selves beyond the break.
FIFA reigns in the UK, Bayonetta 2 debuts in top ten
FIFA 15 continues to rock the UK's sales charts, marking the soccer sim's fifth consecutive week at the top. EA's marquee sports game is followed by the PlayStation version of Minecraft, which reached Vita this month and made a sizable jump from ninth to second in the sales charts last week. Third on the list is The Evil Within, Bethesda's frightful survival horror game. Unsurprisingly, the middle of the pack includes Destiny, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. As far as new games go, the Wii U-exclusive Bayonetta 2 arrived at seventh in the UK's sales charts last week, a good spot for a single-console new release that also complements our five-star review of the game. Head past the break for the breakdown of the top-ten sellers in the UK, provided by Chart-Track.
NBA Live 15 six-hour trial now available via EA Access
Sports fans can check out the Xbox One version of EA's NBA Live 15 a week before it hits retail via the EA Access subscription service, which serves up a time-limited version of the upcoming basketball sim starting today. EA Access subscribers can spend up to six hours with NBA Live 15, and are granted access to all of its included gameplay modes. All player progress made during the trial will carry over to the full version of NBA Live 15, and members can unlock the upcoming digital release at a 10 percent discount. EA Access is currently exclusive to the Xbox One console. NBA Live 15 premieres digitally and at retail on October 28 in North America, October 31 in Europe. [Image: Electronic Arts]
Alien: Isolation debuts 2nd in UK charts, doesn't scare off FIFA 15
Again and again, the UK charts prove that when all is said and done, FIFA FIFA and FIFA some more. This time around it was Alien: Isolation that failed to prevent FIFA 15 from notching a third week on top of the country's retail sales charts. Still, Creative Assembly's zeal for xenomorphs was enough to take its newly hatched space horror into second place. Regular charters will remember FIFA 15 held off three major new releases last week in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Forza Horizon 2 and Super Smash Bros. 3DS. This week, EA's sportsball sim denied four new challengers. In addition to Alien: Isolation, PS4 racer Driveclub had to settle for fifth, as it didn't manage to overtake Forza in fourth. Like Mordor which placed third, the Xbox game dropped just a place in its second week. Meanwhile, basket case NBA 2K15 debuted seventh. As for the fourth challenger, PS4, Xbox One and PC remaster Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition fell short of the top ten in 12th place. As for what kept it out, once again if you regularly keep up with our UK charts posts, you won't be at all surprised to see the two entries sat in ninth and tenth place - as ever, check out the full top ten and customary music video below the break.
FIFA 15 kicks Destiny from top spot in UK
It's the post-FIFA portion of the year on the Chart-Track UK sales charts. Historically this means we'll likely have EA Sports' FIFA XX at the top until Activision's Call of Duty shows up, but there's always the possibility for Just Dance or a Zumba game to mess with that. Anyway, FIFA 15 is out now and it accounted for 80 percent of all software sales and 87 percent of all revenue for the week. Chart-Track estimates if one were to align all the week-one FIFA sales for every platform (it was staggered last year), FIFA 15 unit sales would be flat year-over-year, with a 6 percent revenue increase. The Xbox One and PS4 versions account for 54 percent of unit sales. The only new release last week to break the Top 40 is Fantasy Life, the Level-5 (Prof. Layton, Dark Cloud) RPG, which debuted in the eight spot. The UK top ten can be found after the break.
NHL 15 review: Unsportsmanlike conduct
EA Sports had a secret weapon in its pocket, something it called the NHL series, a franchise that grew better over time despite facing zero competition in the hockey space over the last few years. Leading up to its PS4 and Xbox One debut, NHL 15 looked to be another clear step forward for the EA Canada series, a franchise known for its solid adaptation of the sport and one that has earned the respect of its fans. To the dismay of this NHL franchise fan, however, EA Canada has lost its way in the transition to new consoles, and it has presented players with a half-baked product.
NHL 15 update revives a few missing features on PS4, XB1
EA Canada has released a free update for the PS4 and Xbox One versions of NHL 15, adding a number features missing from the franchise's current-generation debut, despite being available on Xbox 360 and PS3. In addition to tweaks to its Hockey Ultimate Team mode, which transitioned to new consoles unscathed, the update has added a Playoff Mode, Coach Feedback in Be a Pro mode, and an end-game Three Stars selection of a hockey bout's best performers to NHL 15 on PS4 and Xbox One. The Playoff Mode in today's update allows players to create a 16-team, offline playoff bracket to compete for Lord Stanley's Mug. The added feedback in Be a Pro mode scores players based on the on-ice actions; however, it still does not appear that players can simulate to their next on-ice shift, which will result in watching the game from the bench. NHL 15 launched earlier this month for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PS3. In an opinion editorial prior to its release I expressed concern over the game's thinly featured current-generation debut. Following its launch, EA Canada promised to revisit missing modes and add a number of elements to the game, such as those added today and Online Team Play, which has yet to be added. [Image: EA Sports]
FIFA 15 booting up for EA Access members today
FIFA 15 will roll out to EA Access members on Xbox One today, five days before its arrival on retail shelves. The game is available on a limited basis before its September 23 launch much like Madden NFL 15; EA Access members will have six hours to score as many goals as they can before the early play period dries up. Hey, there's always the FIFA 15 demo that's been available for a little over a week. EA revealed its Access program in late July as a method of providing Xbox One players select games from its catalog for $5 per month or $30 per year. Earlier this month, the publisher said members poured 245,000 hours into the Madden 15 trial, amounting to over 40,000 players. EA removed Ultimate Team trade offers from FIFA 15 following revisions to its Ultimate Team abuse policies last month, which will result in permanent FIFA Online bans for coin selling and farming. The publisher removed trading from its FIFA Ultimate Team web app at that point, and multiple tweets indicate that the app is down for extended maintenance today. [Image: EA Sports]
FIFA 15 removing trade offers from Ultimate Team mode
Electronic Arts announced that it has disabled a key feature in FIFA 15's Ultimate Team mode in an attempt to crack down on the harmful trade of in-game currency. In recent FIFA series games, players could exchange in-game items, coins, and players with friends using the Trade Offers feature. Finding that coin sellers often used the service to shuttle ill-gotten currency between accounts, EA removed the feature from this year's game. The coin-selling market is tied to account hacking and phishing, and functions in previous FIFA games could be exploited to cheat players out of cash by artificially inflating auction bids. EA's Ultimate Team revisions supplement recent changes to its cheating policy, which gives coin buyers three strikes before they're permanently booted from FIFA online play. Sellers are dealt harsher penalties, and risk being banned from all EA-published games for coin selling and farming. [Image: Electronic Arts]
Ray Rice to be removed from Madden 15 in Week 1 update
Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice will be removed from Madden NFL 15 in this week's update, EA Sports confirmed with Joystiq. The change will be part of the game's next roster update, which "will take place by this Friday," the publisher said. Rice was cut by the Ravens and suspended indefinitely from the NFL after a video of his domestic violence act from February surfaced on TMZ. The league previously suspended Rice for two games for the incident, and as a result of the suspension, current rosters in Madden 15 have him fourth in the depth chart order for Ravens running backs. It's not the first time EA has adjusted its sports game rosters following an athlete's criminal act; former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was removed from NCAA 14 and Madden NFL 25 in July 2013 after being charged with murder. [Image: EA Sports]
FIFA 15 demo starts rolling out today
Like Lionel Messi or an overexcited baby, FIFA 15 is dribbling all over the place this week thanks to the arrival of its demo. Xbox Live Gold members can already take out EA's sim for a kickabout on Xbox One and Xbox 360 (free members can join in starting September 16) and it's also confirmed to be hitting PC later today. Going by PSN tradition, the demo should reach digital stores on PS4 and PS3 later today too. As ever, Euro PS owners have to wait until tomorrow. The demo itself lets up to two players trial with eight club teams, including Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, Boca Juniors, Napoli and Paris St. Germain. It also features a FIFA Ultimate Team demo for those who dream of dream teams.
EA Canada details start of NHL 15 post-launch content
EA Canada revealed content updates it's currently working on for NHL 15 on PS4 and Xbox One, such as custom offline Playoff Mode tournaments and Online Team Play. The annual hockey sim takes to the ice this week under the weight of recent criticism, after it emerged several modes and features are absent from the new-gen versions. On the EA forums, Producer Sean Ramjagsingh detailed updates which are expected to arrive across the next two months or so. EA Canada estimates the offline Playoff Mode tournaments will land in September, along with Coach Feedback for Be a Pro, 3 Stars of the Game stats for every mode, and a number of minor updates to Hockey Ultimate Team. GM Draft, which limits draft picks to 3 minute countdown, is due in October, as is Online Team Play, which the studio previously said would be added to as part of the post-launch update program.
Tiny Titan's legacy continues in EA mockumentary short
Glitches can create some of the most interesting moments in the games we play. Case in point: Cleveland Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey's appearance in Madden 15. Coming in at just more than a single foot tall, Kirksey's glitched height has earned him the nickname "Tiny Titan." At first, the sight of an NFL player barely taller than the length of an actual football was just funny. Then, EA made him part of a Madden Ultimate Team solo challenge. Now, a video featuring the real Kirksey (who as far as we know, is not actually 14 inches tall) as well as a Tom Rinaldi voice impersonator give us a brief glimpse into the life of this pint-size phenom. You can check it out after the break.
Crush Tiny Titan's spirits in Madden 15 challenge
By now, you might have heard of Tiny Titan, one of the more adorable glitches to pop up recently in the Madden NFL series. The little sprout of a linebacker has the heart of a champion, but also has troubles fielding kick-offs and tackling runners. Rather than ignore the glitch entirely, EA Sports opted to turn Tiny Titan into a Madden Ultimate Team solo challenge in Madden 15. Those that log in to the card-collecting, team-building mode this weekend can play against a special Browns squad on rookie difficulty with the miniature phenom leading the defense. We'd say he bites on play action passes, but it's really more of a nibble. Beating the challenge gives players a Tiny Titan collectible item that can be sold for 1,000 coins, if you don't have any kindness left in your soul. [Image: EA Sports]
First NBA Live 15 trailer is different, yeah it's different
NBA Live 15 received its first gameplay trailer today. The video shows off player likeness in the sports sim, along with body types and accessories like footwear. EA Sports' next basketball game will launch October 7 for Xbox One and PS4.
EA Sports UFC taunts three new fighters
EA Sports UFC received a new content update today that expands the game's roster and offers a few tweaks to its gameplay formula. The mixed martial arts game now includes heavyweight fighter Stipe Miocic as well as welterweight fighters Matt Brown and Mike Pyle. The game's first content update arrived just over a month ago, and also added three fighters to the mix: TJ Dillashaw, Takeya Mizugaki and Tyron Woodley. As for gameplay changes in today's update, players will now be able to manually taunt their opponents mid-fight by pressing left or right on the d-pad. They will have the ability to counter their opponents' kicks during parries by catching their legs, which can lead into a single leg to half guard takedown. Also, the referee will put an end to the match if a submissive fighter "blocks too many strikes without trying to improve their position during ground and pound," which will keep fights from stalling. EA also adjusted the stamina lost from successful strikes. Head past the break for a trailer that shows EA Sports UFC's three new combatants. [Image: EA Sports]
Double fumbles, Kaepernicking and Manningfaces in Madden 15
We're just one day away from the launch of Madden NFL 15. Normally that means you'd have some splashy launch trailer or crazy commercial starring comedians to watch. Not today! Welcome to the modern era of video games, where your "select" buttons now read "share," and your launch trailers are now GIFs of 400-pound running backs leaping over other people. Trust us, it's better this way. Check out the double-fumble-safety that happened to us in the video after the break, as well as our gallery of totally-moving pictures of the game below. Our captions also explain some of the improvements in this year's Madden, including "overhauled" controls on defense and the football strategy drills in the Skills Trainer mode. [Image: EA Sports]
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]
EA banning FIFA Ultimate Team coin sellers from its online games
We're roughly one month away from the launch of FIFA 15, and EA Sports is reminding the series' fans that it won't tolerate cheating, especially in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), the mode that continues to earn big bucks for the publisher. In a lengthy update on the official FIFA site, the publisher discussed the effects that coin and card-trading bots have on its FUT servers. In May, the publisher opted to de-activate trading in the FUT web app due to "the severe Transfer Market search issues caused by coin-farming bots," which caused the loss of in-game currency and athletes for other players. In turn, the makers of these bots sell the Ultimate Team goods on third-party websites (when they aren't phishing for account information on social networks). Whether buying or selling these items, EA considers these folks cheaters, and has already taken action in the past: "Since February 2014, we've banned hundreds of thousands of FIFA 14 accounts for coin selling and buying," it said.
Madden NFL 15 kicks off Xbox One digital pre-loading feature
EA's Madden NFL 15 is the first Xbox One game to offer digital pre-loading options for early buyers in advance of its launch, Game Informer reports. Starting this week, players who purchase Madden NFL 15 via the Xbox One's dashboard or Xbox.com will have the game downloaded and primed for play as soon as it premieres on August 26. Microsoft announced at Gamescom last week that Forza Horizon 2 and FIFA 15 will also feature digital pre-loading, and Sony will offer similar options for future PlayStation 4 releases. EA Access subscribers can spend up to six hours with the full version of Madden NFL 15 before its public launch next week. [Image: EA Sports]
