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What to expect from E3 2018
The Electronics Entertainment Expo is basically New York Fashion Week for the joystick crowd, five days brimming with an overwhelming number of media briefings and new game announcements. And now, E3 is upon us once again. Despite Walmart Canada's leak of alleged product listings last month, there are still a lot of question marks for this year's show. As always, the Engadget crew will be on the ground, bringing you all the news as it unfolds in downtown LA. Sony has come out and said not to expect a new hardware announcement from its keynote this year. Microsoft and Nintendo both released new consoles in the past year, too, so barring any wild surprises, this should be the first E3 in a while that's all about software. You know, the reasons we buy gaming consoles and PCs to begin with.
‘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.
EA is going to keep putting loot boxes in its games
Electronic Arts will "push forward" with loot boxes in its future video games, despite admitting that "all loot boxes are gambling." Yeesh. In an investor's call, CEO Andrew Wilson said that EA has worked with "all the industry associations" and with regulators across the globe to establish that programs like FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) are not gambling.
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.)
'Mass Effect' failings forced BioWare to reevaluate how it makes games
Developer BioWare is in a much different place today compared to where it was when producer Casey Hudson left. Sure, the studio cancelled its multiplayer game Shadow Realms, but no one knew much about it so it wasn't a huge blow in terms of public perception. As far as we knew, Mass Effect: Andromeda was still on track to be the awesome space-opera RPG fans had been waiting for since 2012 and everything was on the up and up. Now, of course, we know that wasn't the case. In a post on the BioWare blog, Hudson apologized for how that game turned out. Specifically, the scuttling of DLC that'd wrap up Andromeda's Quarian ark storyline.
'Battlefront II' will finally make in-game progression fair next week
Electronic Arts' long, awkward nightmare over Star Wars Battlefront II's multiplayer progression might finally be over. With next week's patch, dubbed the "Progression" update, EA promises that Star Cards (power-ups) or any other item that impact gameplay will only be earned through gameplay from here on out -- not via paid loot crates. Previously, EA had adjusted and removed some of the pay-to-win aspects, saying that eventually real-money transactions would return.
Some of the best Batman games are coming to EA's Origin Access on PC
Homegrown games on EA's Origin Access service are getting some company. Starting today, your subscription will also include, erm, access to titles from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment including a trio of the Batman: Arkham games. Unfortunately we can't trade Arkham: Origins for Arkham Knight (above), but that's just how things work out at the moment.
The ESA says preserving old online games isn't 'necessary'
The video game industry as a whole does a poor job of preserving its history -- especially when it comes to online games. The Entertainment Software Association -- responsible for E3; counts Electronic Arts, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and Ubisoft as members -- is petitioning the US Copyright Office to not make DMCA exemptions for abandoned online multiplayer games. It's an effort to block the folks at the Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment in California who would like to see an exemption made to how the DMCA treats titles like the original Everquest.
The best gifts for a console gamer
Don't worry, we're not out to start a console war in our comments: If you're in the market for a new games system, the Xbox One S, PlayStation VR, Nintendo Switch and 2DS XL all made it into our holiday gift guide, for different reasons. Once you figure out which platform is best for your intended, we have a wide assortment of games and accessories, from a 400GB microSDXC card to a custom Xbox controller to the PlayStation Gold wireless headset, among other things. Find all that and more in our gift guide at the link below.
EA’s ‘UFC 3’ beta is live this weekend on Xbox One and PS4
Earlier this month, EA revealed its third big UFC game, which brings an improved career mode and quickplay options to the franchise. Though UFC 3 is set to launch on February 2nd, console owners can get an early look this weekend: The beta is live for Xbox One and PS4 owners through 11:59pm on Monday, December 4th.
EA is addressing the loot boxes in 'Need for Speed: Payback,' too
Most of the headlines surrounding Electronic Arts this fall have been about the loot box situation in Star Wars: Battlefront II. But Need for Speed: Payback has been dealing with the same pay-to-win progression issues since it launched a few weeks ago too. More than that, the game is an unstable mess and barely functions on Xbox hardware. Developer Ghost Games is addressing both of those with Payback's first big updates.
Belgium moves to ban 'Star Wars Battlefront 2'-style loot boxes
We learned last week that Belgium's gambling authority was investigating loot crates in Star Wars Battlefront II over concerns that they constitute gambling. Now, the decision is in, and the answer is a resounding yes, according to Dutch-language publication VTM Nieuws. The commission claims that purchasable add-on boxes, the contents of which are randomized, mix "money and addiction" and thus are a form of gambling.
'Assassin's Creed' producer is creating a new action game franchise
BioWare's Anthem isn't the only awe-inspiring action title on Electronic Arts' slate. According to EA CFO Blake Jorgensen, the company's Montreal-based studio Motive is building an original franchise with Assassin's Creed producer Jade Raymond, which features "a lot of new interesting gameplay that I don't think anyone's ever seen before." Details are currently scarce, but the game is expected to arrive in "fiscal [year] 2021," reports GI.biz.
EA makes ‘Star Wars: Battlefront II’ heroes easier to earn amid backlash
Video game studios sometimes tinker with their games until release day, but Electronic Arts is making another last-minute change to soothe legions of irate fans. After the high price to unlock heroes in the upcoming Star Wars: Battlefront II caused fans to revolt, EA relented. The publisher told fans in a blog post that, effective immediately, a handful of iconic characters including Luke and Darth Vader would be far easier to earn.
EA acquires ‘Titanfall’ studio Respawn
Despite Respawn continuing to support its fantastic mech shooter Titanfall 2 with new content nearly every month after releasing it a year ago, the game's playerbase has dwindled. In a recent interview, the studio's CEO noted that the game's lower-than-expected sales were due to a holiday release window crowded with huge AAA games like Battlefield 1. He said the game likely wouldn't have any more big content releases coming after August, leaving the future uncertain -- but only for the game. EA, which had published the studio's two previous Titanfall games, just announced that it has acquired Respawn in a deal valued over $400 million.
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:
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.
'Star Wars Battlefront II' adds tactical weight to space combat
As my T-65B X-Wing glides into view, I survey the scene up ahead. TIE fighters chase after nimble A-Wings, a flurry of green laser fire in their wake. A group of X-Wings circle an Imperial Cruiser, unloading proton torpedoes in a desperate attempt to lower the Empire's defences. To my left, I spot some TIE Interceptors headed toward my fellow X-Wings. Instinctively I barrel forward and harry them before a well-timed missile turns my ship into space debris. My heroics were short-lived, but I'm soon able to pick a new vehicle and rejoin the fray, gaining my revenge on the TIE Bomber that so casually stopped me before.
