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EA will release new Plants vs Zombies game and Need For Speed 2015 in next 12 months; Mirror’s Edge 2 coming in Spring 2016
Electronic Arts has quite an impressive array of titles planned for the next 12 months. But the publisher is also looking beyond this Fall and into 2016 with an equally interesting lineup of games.
During the company’s quarterly financial presentation last night, CEO Andrew Wilson reiterated that the publisher will release a new game in the Need For Speed series sometime in the next 12 months. A mobile version of the game is also in development.
Wilson also revealed that EA has a “bigger and bolder new console experience” for Plants vs Zombies fans in the pipeline for a late 2015/early 2016 launch. He wasn’t ready to go into details just yet, but did say that gamers will learn more about it at E3.
Less surprising is Wilson’s continued commitment to EA Sports and their yearly lineup. In addition to the previously announced Rory McIlroy PGA Tour and Madden NFL 16, the publisher plans to release FIFA 16, NHL 16, and NBA Live 16 this year. In case you’re curious, each game will feature “industry-leading gameplay, compelling new features, and fresh Ultimate Team experiences.”
Finally, Wilson announced that DICE’s untitled Mirror’s Edge sequel/reboot will be in Spring 2016. An E3 unveiling wasn’t promised, but it seems very likely at this point.
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged E3 2015, FIFA 16, Mirror's Edge: Catalyst, NBA Live 16, Need For Speed, NHL 16, Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
Disney Interactive officially announces Fall release for Disney Infinity: Star Wars
After being outed by a German retailer last week, Disney Interactive has gone ahead and officially announced Disney Infinity: Star Wars. As expected, Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker figures will be included as part of the game’s Starter Pack (which will be priced at $64.99).
The 3.0 Edition of the popular series will once again be developed by Avalanche Software in partnership with Ninja Theory, Sumo Digital, Studio Gobo, and United Front Games. A release date wasn’t announced, but the game should be available for the PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One this Fall. A version of Disney Infinity: Star Wars for mobile devices is also in the works.
Three Star Wars-themed playsets will be released alongside the game, each focusing on a different trilogy. “Star Wars: Twilight of the Republic” (which is included in the Starter Pack) will star Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Darth Maul in epic battle set in the prequel era. Meanwhile, “Star Wars: Rise Against the Empire” will feature Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Darth Vader doing the Rebels versus Empire thing. A third playset based on the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens will also be available sometime this Winter.
A number of non-Star Wars characters will also be part of the main game for the first time including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Sam Flynn and Quorra from Tron: Legacy, Mulan, Frozen‘s Olaf, and many others. And an enhanced Toy Box mode will add two new multiplayer Toy Box Expansion Games: “Toy Box Speedway” (kart racing) and “Toy Box Takeover” (action-adventure). Both Toy Box Expansion Games will require the additional purchase of a Disney Infinity Game Piece.
Additional playsets based on Pixar’s Inside Out and the Hulk/Iron Man battle from Avengers: Age of Ultron will be released this Fall as well.
Finally, even more Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars figures and playsets are planned for release next year. But don’t worry, Disney Infinity: Star Wars will be compatible with all figures and Power Discs from Disney Infinity and Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes.
Vote: Patrick Peterson, Odell Beckham, Gronk, or Antonio Brown for Madden NFL 16 cover
In years past, EA Sports has used the Madden NFL Cover Vote to pit dozens of professional football players against each other to decide who deserves the right to be represent the game on store shelves. This year, only four players will duke it out in a shortened contest that will be completed by next Wednesday.
The voting procedure has also been considerably revamped this year as only owners of Madden NFL Mobile and Madden NFL 15 will be able to cast a vote in the semifinal round. Voting starts today and will end on Monday, May 11 at 3:00 AM (Eastern Time). Players can earn up to five votes per day, and the two highest vote-getters will go head-to-head in an ESPN.com poll on May 13. Full details on the voting rules are available at the official Madden site.
So who’s in the running for the Madden NFL 16 cover? Glad you asked…
- Odell Beckham Jr. (WR) – New York Giants
- Antonio Brown (WR) – Pittsburgh Steelers
- Rob Gronkowski (TE) – New England Patriots
- Patrick Peterson (CB) – Arizona Cardinals
Which man has your vote? Does Odell Beckham’s catch still make you gasp? Is Antonio Brown’s 2014 offensive line still impressive? Is you reaction to Patrick Peterson something other than “Who?” Or are you still charmed by Rob Gronkowski’s Mortal Kombat X prowess?
Posted in Mobile, News, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Madden NFL 15, Madden NFL 16
Galaga: Tekken 20th Anniversary Edition is now available on mobile devices
Galaga: Tekken 20th Anniversary Edition is now available to download from the iOS App Store and Android’s Google Play store. As you might expect from the title, the free-to-play game takes Tekken characters and drops them into the space-based shooting of the Galaga franchise.
This Tekken twist on Galaga includes the ability to “Tag” in other Tekken characters to perform a double-powered attack and assist attacks that call on classic characters from Namco’s archives (including Pac-Man, Splatterhouse, Rally-X, Mappy, and others).
“Tekken is one of our longest running franchises and has enjoyed a strong fan following for two decades,” said Katsuhiro Harada, the Game Director and Chief Producer of the Tekken series. “With Galaga: Tekken 20TH Anniversary Edition, we wanted to give our fans something unexpected to celebrate such a huge milestone for Tekken. The crossover gameplay is sure to surprise and delight both Tekken and Galaga fans.”
Bandai Namco actually teased Galaga: Tekken 20th Anniversary Edition last month, but many brushed off the announcement trailer as an April Fool’s prank.
The Strong announces finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015
The Strong National Museum of Play and the International Center for the History of Electronic Games have announced the finalists for the inaugural class of the World Video Game Hall of Fame. More than a dozen classic games passed this first test on their way to video game immortality, which were selected from thousands of nominations that poured in from gamers all across the world. Nominations for the Class of 2015 were accepted from February 17 through March 31, but in case you missed out, the Hall of Fame is already accepting games for next year’s class.
This year’s inductees to the World Video Game Hall of Fame will be chosen from the finalist pool by an “international selection committee” made up of journalists, scholars, and other individuals. The inaugural class will be announced on June 4 at 10:30 AM (Eastern Time) during a ceremony at The Strong.
The finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015 include:
- Angry Birds
- Doom
- FIFA International Soccer
- The Legend of Zelda
- Minecraft
- The Oregon Trail
- Pac-Man
- Pokemon Red/Blue
- Pong
- The Sims
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Space Invaders
- Super Mario Bros.
- Tetris
- World of Warcraft
“The 15 finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame span decades, gaming platforms, and geographies… but what they all have in common is their undeniable impact on popular culture and society in general,” said Jon-Paul Dyson, the Director of the International Center for the History of Electronic Games.
Inductees into the World Video Game Hall of Fame will be selected based on the following criteria: “Icon Status,” “Longevity,” “Geographical Reach,” and “Influence.” All 15 finalists certainly qualify, but I know I’ll be rooting for Tetris.
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Retro, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Angry Birds, Doom (1993), Minecraft, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Super Mario Bros., Tetris, The Legend of Zelda, World of Warcraft, World Video Game Hall of Fame
Telltale Games will release a game set in the Marvel Universe in 2017
Telltale Games has just announced they’ve teamed up with Marvel Entertainment to produce an episodic game for PC and consoles based on a Marvel property. The official announcement is incredibly sparse on details, but we do that the game will be released in 2017. So we’ve got quite a long time to wait.
While it could just as easily be based on Marvel Comics continuity, the company has quite an impressive slate of films on tap for 2017 including Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Thor: Ragnarok, and the debut of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
However, Telltale might be working on a game unconnected to either continuity. Last year, Marvel’s TQ Jefferson said the company wants to create a connected universe of games to rival the MCU. A high-profile title from Telltale Games would be the perfect way to kick off such an initiative.
Shades Review: Do Mess Around With the Guy in the Shades
Lovers of puzzle games and easy-peasy mobile games will enjoy a fun new challenge with the recently released Shades, a puzzle game from Uovo that bears a resemblance to Tetris, except instead of using differently-shaped blocks, Shades requires players to consider the color of a series of rectangular blocks when placing them. The blocks are all uniform in size and shape; however, they are all different shades of one color (sort of like virtual paint swatches) which must be stacked to ultimately create rows of a single shade. Complete rows disappear, a la Tetris, and earn extra points as well as clearing the way for more blocks falling from the top, while like-shaded blocks stacked on top of one another meld together into a single block of the next darkest shade. Points accumulate through the placement of blocks, whether they blend into another shade, and when rows disappear. (more…)
Hype Fatigue: Why I’m Exhausted With Viral Marketing, Elaborate Advertising Campaigns, and Countdowns
The machinations of video game marketers absolutely baffle me. Obviously, “video game marketing” is an incredibly broad term that encompasses hundreds of different campaigns a year, all run by different people, and all carried out with different expectations. Whipsawing between a seemingly neverending series of hype events and viral campaigns has started to make my head spin. Following hashtags and decoding secret messages has become de rigueur if you want to come up with all the latest game news. Last week, three publishers launched three very different viral campaigns that made me long for the days of the simple press release/trailer combo platter. But maybe they aren’t to blame, as video game marketing has been growing increasingly insane for years now. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, Opinions, PC, PS3, PS4, Top Story, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Friday the 13th, Joe Montana Football 16, Lego Dimensions, Star Wars: Battlefront