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EA: Multiple unannounced games coming in 2020, next Battlefield scheduled for 2021, and Dragon Age 4 is in the works for 2022 (or later)
Executives from Electronic Arts had a lot to talk about yesterday during their latest quarterly financial report. So let’s dive right in…
CEO Andrew Wilson kicked things off by confirming that the next game in the Battlfield franchise is being prepped to launch sometime during the company’s 2022 Fiscal Year (which runs from April 1, 2021 – March 30, 2022) for the PS5 and Xbox Scarlett. In the meantime, developer DICE will spend 2020 creating updates and new content for Battlefield V:
Our Battlefield franchise and its community are also a major focus for us, and we’ll add new content and new ways to play Battlefield V in FY ’21. Targeting new innovation that will be enabled by next-gen platforms and a growing install base on the new consoles, our next Battlefield game is set for FY ’22.
With one of the company’s strongest developers taking an extra year to polish their next game, you might be wondering what EA has on tap for 2020. Thankfully, COO Blake Jorgensen used his portion of the presentation to fill in the gaps.
Jorgensen said that EA has multiple unannounced titles scheduled for release in 2020, including a pair of games from the publisher’s EA Partners program, and possibly at least one remaster (which would release alongside the already-announced Command & Conquer Remastered). He also talked quite a bit about Apex Legends, and confirmed that EA’s shooter will be coming to “new platforms and mobile” in the near future. While it’s possible he’s referencing the Switch in that quote, he’s more likely referring to the PS5 and Xbox Scarlett.
Looking further out, Jorgensen even mused about the status of Dragon Age 4. According to the executive, fans shouldn’t expect the next entry in BioWare’s acclaimed RPG franchise to arrive before EA’s 2023 Fiscal Year (which begins on April 1, 2022).
Finally, Andrew Wilson came back around to comment on the recent decision by the NCAA to allow college athletes to receive monetary compensation for their name or likeness. While many fans are hoping this means that EA will resume production on the NCAA Football franchise, Wilson would only say that the company is watching the situation closely:
With respect to NCAA Sports in general, yes, we have been in that business before as well. We saw the news today as did you, said by the NCAA Working Group. That news today was new to us. We’re still digesting it. We would anticipate that there is still a number of things that would have to happen over the coming years before we will be able to get back into that business, but certainly we’re watching closely.
EA’s next major releases, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Need For Speed Heat, will both be released in November.
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Tagged Apex Legends, Battlefield V, Command & Conquer, Dragon Age 4
Feel the love for this Launch Trailer for Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King
Disney struck box office gold earlier this year with their live-action remakes of Aladdin and The Lion King (though critical acclaim was much harder to come by). But don’t worry, the film studio hasn’t forgotten about the original animated films from the from the 1990s… or their game adaptations.
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King includes multiple versions of both games that were originally released for the Genesis, Super NES, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color by Virgin Interactive in 1993 and 1994. Sadly, Aladdin’s Super NES adaptation didn’t make the cut because it was published and developed by Capcom.
But the compilation also features a bevy of bonus features, including a rewind option for those harder moments, as well as behind-the-scenes interviews and galleries, several different visual filters, and a special Final Cut version of Aladdin that incorporates difficulty adjustments, camera refinements, and bug fixes:
Features
- Multiple Game Versions: Play through several different versions of the beloved Aladdin and The Lion King games that have been created over the years, including both console and handheld versions.
- Final Cut of Aladdin: An all-new “Final Cut” version of Aladdin, developed exclusively for this collection, is also included and features difficulty adjustments, camera refinements, bug fixes, as well as a few additional surprises for fans.
- Display Options and Updated Visuals: 1080p graphics and enhancements for modern HD TVs. Adjustable screen aspect ratios and borders. Custom filter options designed to replicate classic CRT TVs and other popular screen types.
- In-Game Rewind: Instantly rewind any of the games in real-time in order to retry difficult areas
- Interactive Game Viewer: View full game playthroughs, with the ability to skip forward, jump in, and start playing at any point
- Save Feature: Quickly save your progress in each of the games and continue your adventure wherever and whenever you want
- Museum Features: Take a journey behind-the-scenes and learn more about the creation of these incredible games. Watch video interviews with the original development teams or explore numerous galleries containing hundreds of previously unreleased HD concept images and marketing assets.
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King was published by Nighthawk Interactive and developed by Digital Eclipse, and it’s now available for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
EarthNight dives onto the PC, PS4, and Switch on December 3
EarthNight is currently available to download for iOS devices through Apple’s Apple Arcade subscription service, but Cleaversoft’s hand-drawn platformer is also coming to the PC and consoles… and now we know when.
In EarthNight, dragons have captured the planet and forced the human race to take refuge on a series of massive space stations. Thankfully, a pair of heroes has emerged to take the Earth back while racing across the backs of these no-longer-mythological creatures:
Ever since dragons overtook Earth, mankind has lived in exile on space colonies orbiting the planet. Despite being faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, the unlikely duo — a sword-wielding freelance photographer and a young student blessed with ethereal superpowers — take it upon themselves to reclaim their home by skydiving through Earth’s atmosphere and striking back against the monsters below.
The two heroes approach their dragon-slaying mission with drastically different tactics. Stanley’s powerful legs allow him to make both high jumps and long leaps, while Sydney favors agility by making use of an air dash and double jump ability. Both heroes wield their bespoke skills to overcome hostile environments and push towards the vulnerable heads of their scaled serpentine foes.
EarthNight will be released for the PC, PS4, and Switch on December 3. A new trailer showcasing the game’s hand-drawn visuals and procedurally-generated dragons has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch
Tagged EarthNight
Fire Emblem: Three Houses Review: The Perfect Game for Fire Emblem (and Persona) Super Fans
I spent a lot of time in the world of Fire Emblem: Three Houses this Summer. Like, a lot.
I’m a big fan of the Fire Emblem series, and I also love the Persona series, and Three Houses seemed like a perfect marriage of those two game types. Add to that recipe a game that is played on the Switch, and my ability to play anywhere while also enjoying a big screen experience when I wanted it was satisfied.
I want to say it wasn’t perfect, but I’d be lying to you, to myself, and worst of all, to my house leader, Claude von Riegan. (more…)
Posted in Reviews, Switch
Tagged Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Darksiders Genesis gets a release date for PC/Google Stadia (December 9) and consoles (February 14)
THQ Nordic and Airship Syndicate have announced that Darksiders Genesis, their top-down spinoff set within the Darksiders universe, will be released for the PC and Google Stadia on December 9.
In addition to a release date for Darksiders Genesis, we also got a new trailer that teases Strife’s confrontation with Malgros the Defiler (it’s actually an expanded version of the original Announcement Trailer). The video clip definitely has a great Jabba’s Palace vibe, and even slyly hints at the game’s co-op gameplay:
Darksiders Genesis features the debut of the fourth and final horsemen – Strife – who can battle alongside his brother and fellow horsemen WAR in the first ever Darksiders two-player co-op mode. Solo players will be able to alternate between Strife and War on the fly, taking advantage of Strife’s ranged and War’s melee style attacks. Both characters can build up a special attack meter that, when activated, temporarily turns them into a colossal creature that leaves epic destruction in its wake.
Darksiders Genesis is also in development for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, and the the Diablo-like game will make its console debut on February 14, 2020.
Tetris 99 gets a Halloween-themed Maximus Cup (starring Luigi and Gooigi) this weekend
Nintendo will host the eighth Maximus Cup for Tetris 99 this weekend, and players will be competing for a new in-game Theme featuring Luigi’s Mansion 3. The Theme will feature Luigi and his ghostly doppelganger, Gooigi, alongside a whole lot of slime.
As always, players will need to accumulate 100 Event Points to unlock the new Theme, and besting the competition is the only way to do it. 1st Place is worth 100 Points all by itself, but Points can be obtained for almost any finish: 2nd (50 Points), 3rd (30 Points), 4th–10th (20 Points), 11th–30th (15 Points), 31st–50th (10 Points), 51st–90th (5 Points), and 91st-99th (1 Point).
Tetris 99 players will be able to drop blocks during this weekend’s Maximus Cup for starting on Friday, October 25, at 3:00 AM (Eastern Time). The event runs through Tuesday, October 29, at 3:00 AM (also Eastern Time), and don’t forget that only Nintendo Switch Online subscribers are able to participate in the Maximus Cup.
Bethesda’s Doom 64 re-release gets a new trailer
Doom 64 debuted as the official third entry in the FPS franchise for the Nintendo 64 all the way back in 1997, but id Software (and now Bethesda) has kept it locked in a vault ever since. Thankfully, that all changes next Spring when the game returns in a new re-release for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
While that wait might feel like an eternity, Bethesda did unveil a brand new trailer for Doom 64 today, and it’s been embedded above. The publisher also reconfirmed that fans who pre-order Doom Eternal will receive a free download code for Doom 64 as part of that game’s Rip and Tear Pack, which also includes the DOOT Revenant Player Skin, the Throwback Shotgun Weapon Skin, and the Cultist Base Master Level.
Doom 64 will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on March 20, 2020. Doom Eternal will arrive on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on the same day, and on the Switch at a later date.
NBA 2K20 is the best-selling game from September 2019
It long ago become an annual tradition, but the latest entry in 2K’s NBA 2K franchise absolutely dominated the sales charts in September. According to The NPD Group’s Mat Piscatella (via Twitter), NBA 2K20 was not only the best-selling game from last month, but it also currently sits atop the list as the best-selling game for all of 2019 (dethroning Mortal Kombat 11).
But it’ll face some stiff competition throughout the rest of the year as a big batch of new releases took over the Top 10 including Borderlands 3 (#2), FIFA 20 (#3), The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (#4), Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint (#6), Code Vein (#8), and NHL 20 (#9). Microsoft’s Gears 5, which was also available to download through the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, managed to make its way onto the list at #7.
However, the most surprising addition to this month’s list might be EA’s Plants Vs Zombies: Battle For Neighborville, which is currently only available as an Early Access download on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. We can expect it’s profile to rise next month as the game will make its retail debut on store shelves tomorrow.
You can find a full list of best-selling games from last month after the break. (more…)