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EA's subscription-gaming service launches promising early access to 'Madden 15'
EA's all-you-can-eat games service has launched, and there's a bonus if you're a fan of American Football. The developer has announced that it's only those who pay for EA Access that'll be able to play Madden NFL 15 before its launch on August 26th. Normally, of course, the company would have released a cross-platform demo to stir up demand -- but EA told Polygon that the demo was axed to keep developers focused on the main game. In addition to five days worth of early access to the title, EA Access users will be able to play FIFA 14, Battlefield 4 and Peggle 2 to their hearts content, as well as saving 10 percent on purchases of the company's games. Is that enough for you to part with your cash, or do you, like Sony, feel that the service isn't worth it?
E3 2014: The Division gives you high-tech tools and upgradable bases to save NYC
Ubisoft interviewed... itself, we guess, by chatting up The Division Game Director Ryan Barnard about some of the high-tech gadgets and interesting locales that players will encounter. The team's been showing off the ECHO function, a way to gather intel by projecting a colorful holographic visual. These will be used to help further the story and allow for mystery-solving during quests. "They're in places that would have information that could be relevant or important," Barnard said. Barnard was coy about the story details but said that players will be fighting against factions like the Cleaners to save New York City. He also mentioned that players will be unlocking bases as they progress. Unlike static gameplay hubs, these bases will have upgradable modules that can be improved through various co-op activities. You can catch The Division fever by watching the E3 trailer after the break.
E3 2014: The Division will get content updates on Xbox One first
While The Division has been delayed until next year, players will have their choice of platforms on which to play it. Unless, of course, those players really want to have the newest updates every time, in which case they're going to need to play on the Xbox One. At Microsoft's E3 opening presentation, developers revealed that content will come to The Division on the console first, prior to the PlayStation 4 or the PC. The announcement was accompanied by a brief gameplay trailer and some recap of the game's mechanics and setting. While it was originally scheduled to launch this year, the game was officially delayed until 2015 last month. Massively's on the ground in Los Angeles during the week of June 10-12, bringing you all the best news from E3 2014. We're covering everything from WildStar and Landmark to Skyforge and H1Z1, so stay tuned!
All the games from Microsoft's E3 event
Right before Microsoft kicked off its E3 event, Graeme Boyd told us to expect games, games and... more games. True to his word, Redmond spent the full presentation talking about the new generation's latest games, including titles from the Call of Duty, Forza and Halo franchises. It was a massive list of announcements, and a huge day for any Xbox One owner. Did you miss all the fun? You can go back and read our liveblog right here, or simply read on for a full rundown of Microsoft's big E3 announcements.
Xbox One controllers now work with your PC
The Xbox One controller is a wonderful piece of gear, so it's natural that people would want to use it with PC games, too. Right on schedule, but perhaps a year too late, Microsoft is now offering the drivers that'll let the hardware work on desktops, laptops and suitably-equipped tablets. Such compatibility will be baked into a forthcoming Windows update, but if you can't wait that long, you can pull down the software from Major Nelson's website right now. The Xbone controllers will work with any game that supports the Xbox 360's handset, but if you'd prefer to test it for yourself, you can always call your boss and tell them that you're ill... or something. [Image credit: Major Nelson]
Microsoft's 'very strange view' of F2P keeping War Thunder off Xbox One
I always feel like I should speak -- or type, I suppose -- in one of those monster truck rally commercial voices when I bring up War Thunder. You know the ones I mean, where Testosterone Man takes a break from doing action movie trailers to come on your radio and shout "Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! Come on down to Gaijin airpark for the mother of all airshows! Bring the family, stay for the day, and enter for your chance to win two Steam copies of WAAAAAR THUNNNNNNNNNNDERRRR!" Or something like that. Anyhow, this is supposed to be a news post about War Thunder. The particulars include an interview with Gaijin PR man Alexander Trifonov, who says that a tablet version of the World War II flight sim is currently in process. He also mentions that cross-platform play between PC pilots and PlayStation 4 pilots is still on the table. Finally, he offers a clue as to why War Thunder won't be coming to Xbox One. "The absence of War Thunder on Xbox One has nothing to do with hardware itself. This is a very capable machine, and our team has a long history of developing games for Microsoft systems," Trifonov explains. "But the policy of the platform-holder (no cross-platform allowed and a very strange view on how free-to-play should work) makes it impossible to have War Thunder on Xbox One." [Thanks Heather!]
Free for All: MMORPGs for your new console
Consoles and MMOs do not have the stand-offish relationship that they used to have. In fact, there are so many different MMOs to choose from on consoles that it's seriously tempting to pick up one of the new ones -- the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 -- even though I wasn't planning on it for a long, long time. I enjoy using a controller with MMOs so much that I plan on covering the subject more in the future. So let's get to the list of MMOs that are currently on consoles or that will be coming out on consoles in the near(ish) future. Massively's own Mike Foster put together a fantastic list last summer, but I thought I would update and pass it on. After all, the new consoles are officially here... so be sure to reference the list when you need a new MMO to play on your shiny new console!
Microsoft: stand the Xbox One any way you like, as long as it's flat
We're still a couple of months away from the launch of the Xbox One, but if you've already cleared out a welcoming cubbyhole in anticipation, then we hope you've pictured the next-gen console lying down. Speaking with GameSpot at the Tokyo Game Show, top Xbox bod Albert Panello said the One doesn't "support vertical orientation," or: you shouldn't stand it up. Panello explains the console's slot-loading drive simply wasn't designed for operating in that position, and if you're a rebellious type that laughs at the threat of busted hardware, you'll be ignoring official advice "at your own risk."
Microsoft buys Xbone.com
"Xbone," as an alternative moniker for the Xbox One, sprang from the depths of the internet's hive-mind with such immediacy that it may as well have been included in the console's announcement PR. In fact, the nickname has become so ubiquitous that Microsoft has gone ahead and purchased Xbone.com, according to whois records dug up by the sleuths at Fusible. We wouldn't say the URL is doing a tremendous amount of positive work for Microsoft, though. Navigating to Xbone.com redirects to a Bing search for the term "Xbone," where the very first entry listed under "Related Searches" is "Xbox One Terrible," as of press time. Whoops! There's not a whole lot else Microsoft could have done with the domain, however, as having it redirect to anything more official would be like signing off on the term's legitimacy. Under the circumstances, this seems like all the company can do to control the term's usage online. Well, besides the secret army of undercover employees that have infiltrated the fabric of your life; employees who covertly guide the path of your daily existence and ensure that only approved words enter your personal lexicon.
Bethesda pushing for Elder Scrolls Online without Xbox Live Gold fees
If you want to play online games on Microsoft's Xbox One console, you'll need to pony up the cash required for an Xbox Live Gold subscription. This small sticking point means that free-to-play games aren't necessarily free-to-play (a point lamented by Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi) and that subscription-based games like The Elder Scrolls Online will have their sub cost increased by the monthly cost of Gold. Bethesda's Pete Hines is aware that Xbox One players may not necessarily want to eat a $14.99 per-month subscription fee in addition to the fees associated with Xbox Live Gold, revealing that work is going on behind the scenes to make TESO exempt from the Gold requirement. We have been in talks with Microsoft about that very thing, and seeing whether or not there's any room to change their minds about that for folks who are only playing The Elder Scrolls Online and don't want to pay for an Xbox Live Gold subscription just to play The Elder Scrolls Online. The answer right now is that's the way it works, but it's something that we're aware of and we keep pushing on to see if there's something that can be done. Though we've seen no explicit information on whether a PS Plus subscription will be required for PS4 Elder Scrolls Online players, Sony has previously mentioned that Plus requirements will be "the publisher's decision."
Coming soon to a console near you: MMOs
Remember E3 2013? That huge video games conference thing from earlier in the summer? Weeks have passed since Microsoft and Sony squared off in the Los Angeles convention center (while Nintendo posted up at Best Buy and Ouya sulked in the parking lot), but the news made there continues to reverberate through the games industry. One curious trend seems to have been missed amid the clashing of proverbial titans: There sure are a lot of MMOs and online-focused games due on consoles this generation. And since MMOs are the business of Massively, we thought it might be fun to compile a quick list of all the ones we can find that are either already available on our current consoles or set for launch on the next batch. The list, as it turns out, is pretty extensive.
The Crew aims for Q1 2014 release
Buckle up, racing fans: You might be sitting in the driver's seat of The Crew early next year. In an investor's call, Ubisoft said that it's aiming for a Q1 2014 release for the persistent online racing world. Production Director Pete Young said in a recent blog post that the studio is striving to connect players through this racing title: "We're making it extremely easy to see the players that are around you, quickly group up with those guys, make new friends and take on missions cooperatively." The Crew will be available for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. If it's got you itching for more info, check out Ubisoft's guided gameplay video from last month after the break.
