Category Archives: most wanted
EA at E3: You’ve Read It, Now Watch It!
Mat Paget
These articles will show a bunch of the demos, and trailers, that we thought were awesome during the conferences. EA is up next with 10 games to show off!
Dead Space 3
Medal of Honor: Warfighter
SimCity
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Crysis 3
And, finally, here are some other videos…
In a Nutshell: EA at E3 2012
Mat Paget
This, and future press conference write-ups, will be written as events happen. Things may be missed, but I will do my best to cover as much as possible.
And the EA conference begins with a showcase of the games they’re going to show at today’s conference. We’ll get to those in a bit! They have ten developers getting ready to show ten games.
Dead Space 3 is up first! He continues to have a voice, and they’re on a frozen ice planet, much like Hoth. Crazy looking aliens, big set pieces, and explosions abound! Looks a lot more action-focused. Visceral Games mentions the addition of drop-in, drop-out co-op, and now they’re going to show a live demo. Banter between Isaac and John Carver is exchanged while they fight off Necromorphs, and a GIANT DRILL! One player uses stasis to freeze the giant drill, while the other attempts to disable it with his firearm. An absolutely beautiful sunset on this frozen, desolate planet is the setting as Isaac and John take on other humans while utilizing a cover system. To finish things off, a giant Necromorph cleans up the battlefield, and inhales Isaac. Isaac is trying his best to not be digested inside the innards of this gargantuan beast. And the demo is over with a release date of February 2013.
Now, Ray Lewis is giving a motivational speech. This will probably be for Madden NFL 13. And hey, I was right! Cam Weber takes the stage to talk about the game. They’re using a new engine called Infinity which delivers runtime physics, resulting in the most realistic gameplay yet. Being tackled does not mean the end, either. You can continue fighting for the play until the whistle is blown. A new feature called Connected Careers connects people, and the modes, in one big network. Players will be able to join a league with 32 other players. You can be a coach, a created player, or even an existing player. Experience received can be used to upgrade stats, and if one wishes to change positions, they can retire and start over. You won’t need to start a new league to do this. There’s also an in-depth story system with a virtual Twitter feed. And that’s Madden NFL 13! It’s nice to see some real changes being made in the Madden series. Hopefully they’ll matter when the game releases in August!
Lucy Bradshaw steps onto the stage to talk about everything SimCity, starting with SimCity Social. It seems like your typical Facebook social game, but SimCity. It should be out in the next few weeks. But now for what everyone is waiting for! SimCity will have constructible worlds, data visualization, city specializations, multiplayer, and what appears to be some sort of challenge system. Your city will affect not only your own, but other cities around you. And yes, there will be Godzilla-like monsters. SimCity is coming in February 2013!
Patrick Bach and Peter Moore take the stage to talk about Battlefield 3 Premium. It comes with a bunch of extra content, including maps, weapons, vehicles, modes, and other expansions. You can buy this today for $49.99. They’re giving a more in-depth look at the service right now, and it basically explains exactly what you’re going to get. Oh, I forgot about the dog tags. There’s more of those, too! It seems like a great deal if you’re a huge Battlefield 3 player.
STAR WARS MUSIC! BioWare takes the stage to discuss Star Wars: The Old Republic. The studio will continue adding content for their loving community. So far, it’s basically a recap on what has happened in the past. In the future, they plan to add more PvP content, a new playable species Cathar, new companions, and increased level caps. Don’t forget the new planet Makeb! In July, everyone will be able to play for free up until level 15.
Medal of Honor Warfighter is in the spotlight now. Every single mission is connected to a real world event, or hotspot. They’re showing a mission in Somalia, where they will take on a pirate enclave. It looks pretty similar to… HE JUST GOT SHOT AND NOW HE’S UNDERWATER! The shooting hasn’t stopped, but now they’re shooting back. It seems pretty similar to most military shooters. Nothing too unique. A menu in the shape of a half-circle is shown, and it seems that this is where you’ll select your weapons, tools, and other doohickeys. Things are blowing up. They’re controlling what appears to be an armed RC car now. It’s actually pretty cool to see this thing travel through small tunnels, and take out enemies. It has a mounted machine gun, as well as a mounted grenade launcher. The demo ends with someone smashing the RC car. A cool end to an otherwise lacklustre demonstration. In Warfighter’s multiplayer, there are 12 different factions from 10 nations that can be chosen from. It sounds similar to Zipper Interactive’s MAG. And yes, Canada is one of those nations.
EA Sports takes center stage, and unveils Madden NFL 13 Social, a social game for mobile devices. EA Sports is also returning to the NBA this Fall, and there are a bunch of new systems in their annual sports games, like NHL’s new skating system. But after all, FIFA 13 gets top billing, as it’s “the biggest sports game in the world.” They’re calling FIFA a social network for football (or soccer). 11-million people are playing FIFA games, and all returning FIFA 12 players will retain all their stats in FIFA 13. There’s also a new EA Sports Catalogue where players can earn currency in everything they do, FIFA 13 will be hitting mobile devices to keep you connected, and Lionel Messi will be on the cover. Their new engine also makes for more realistic opportunities, gameplay, and player decisions. And to finish it off, he mentions the team in Vancouver developing it!
So, what’s next? Well, the UFC of course! EA Sports is jumping into the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and Dana White is here to talk about it. Dana White is very excited. And I mean, VERY EXCITED! Nothing but hype talk, unfortunately. But hopefully, we’ll see some gameplay soon.
Criterion is back with their next Need for Speed game! Need for Speed: Most Wanted makes a return as well, and it looks god damn amazing! Criterion’s take on Most Wanted will be open world, and the online component will be integrated even more than in Hot Pursuit. Everything done will earn you speed points, and help you become the “Most Wanted.” And now, it’s time for a demo! The crashes, and speed, that Criterion is known for are back. There are on-road signals allowing players to keep their eyes on the road during the entire race, and the transition between races and the open world is flawless. This game looks like a non-stop shot of adrenaline. The game will be out October 30.
Crytek’s turn, and they’re here to show Crysis 3. There will be seven distinctive areas including a swamp, canyon, and an urban rainforest. A demo is being shown now, and it looks really nice, as a Crysis game should. First weapon seen is a bow (it seems that’s a trend at E3 this year), but a gun quickly emerges, and a firefight ensues. The environments are huge, and actually make me feel small while I’m watching this. The bow is back, and stealing the spotlight, as it takes down a helicopter. And the demo ends with an awesome setpiece that was mostly missed due to the camera pulling out. This is another game coming out in February 2013.
To finish things off, John Riccitiello says some final words, effectively ending a mostly solid conference.
GameSparked 