Items tagged with Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts seems to have learned something over the weekend—people do not like to be bombarded with ads, particularly in the middle of a video game they paid $60 to play. Seems like that lesson would fall into the 'common sense' category. Not for EA, apparently, which reversed course after immense blow back on the web. Everything about the execution on this one stinks of greed. To start with, according Reddit user Ydino, who uploaded a video of the in-game ads in EA Sports UFC 4, the publisher added them "a month after [the game's] release so it wasn't talked about in reviews." While we can't say for sure, that would suggest a calculated decision on EA's part, to avoid negative press...
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I have a running joke when watching football games, where any time someone's helmet comes flying off as a result of a hard hit, I feign shock at their entire head separating from their body (yes, my family is tired of the running gag). Nobody actually loses their noggin in the NFL, but you might come across a headless player in Madden NFL 21, along with a whole bunch of other glitches. To be clear, I have not actually played Madden NFL 21. However, a glance around the web reveals a plethora of annoying and sometimes hilarious glitches. Like misspelled names, quirky physics, and a cut scene with an invisible football coach (as a result of a rendering glitch) talking to one of his players about...
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No, your PC's water cooling loop did not spring a leak (we hope not, anyway), it is just sweating in the face of a rumored Crysis remake potentially being in the works. While nothing is certain (yet), the official Twitter account for Crysis posted a cryptic tweet hinting that something is afoot. Could it be a remaster with real-time ray tracing, perhaps? The tweet simply states in all caps, "RECEIVING DATA," with no other information, pictures, links, or videos attached. It is the first tweet to come from the official account since December 13, 2016, so it has been dormant for nearly three and a half years. At this point, it seems like only something big would awaken the account from its slumber....
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For the past 16 years, Electronics Arts has been simulating the Super Bowl using the artificial intelligence (AI) engine in its Madden NFL video game series, and as you might imagine, the results are not perfect. Madden NFL does have a winning record, though, and the latest release, Madden NFL 20, will look to add another win to its resume by simulating Super Bowl LIV. Sadly, this year's Super Bowl does not feature Bill Belichick (greatest coach ever), Tom Brady (greatest quarterback ever), and the New England Patriots (greatest NFL team ever). I say all that as a slightly (heavily) biased displaced New England native. Fortunately, however, the match up between the San Francisco 49ers, led by...
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Electronic Arts’ Battlefield V has been rife with controversy ever since it launched, but a new uproar is brewing, and it has to do with the Linux community. But you may ask, what the heck does Battlefield V have to do with Linux, as it is a Windows-only game? Well, therein lays the controversy. Some Linux gamers are so adamant about playing Battlefield V on their systems that they are using WINE in conjunction with DXVK to run the game in an emulated mode. DXVC in essence enhances WINE to further improve DirectX performance and compatibility. But this same trickery used to run Battlefield V on Linux systems has run afoul with Electronic Arts’ anti-cheat protocols enabled...
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If you have been on the fence about giving Origin Access a whirl, Electronics Arts has an offer that might be tempting enough to pull you in, at least for a month. From now until December 16, new subscribers can sign up and pay $0.99 for the first month, after which the price reverts back to its normal $4.99/month fee. EA is hoping to lure users over to its subscription for the holidays. Maybe you will have some downtime from work, and if that is the case, getting cozy with over 200 games for a buck is not a bad proposition, especially if you live a part of the world where it's cold and snowy outside. This latest offer applies to the Basic tier, which gets you access 243 games, early access to...
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Your eyes are not playing tricks on you, nor are we with any fancy Photoshop manipulation. The image you see above is a real listing on Steam for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which is notable because Electronics Arts is the publisher. As has been speculated recently, EA confirmed it is making a comeback to Steam, ending a long hiatus in favor of its own Origin digital distribution platform. "This is the start of an exciting partnership with Valve that will see us innovating for PC players around the world," said Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts. "Through our subscription, great games and more, we’re excited to bring players in the Steam and Origin communities together with access...
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Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible is generally recommended—it helps keeps the hackers at bay, even if your password has been compromised. Better security is a reward in and of itself. Electronic Arts is taking things a step further, though, by gifting a free month of Origin Access who lock down their EA accounts with 2FA. The publisher calls this "Login Verification," but it's the same as any typical 2FA scenario—when you log into your account, EA will send a unique code to your preferred email address, or via text message to your mobile device. You can also opt to receive an automated phone call. Whatever the case might be, that additional step is required...
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The next event in Apex Legends is the Voidwalker themed, and will happen September 3rd through the 17th. The event will center on Wraith's past, and it will bring with it lots of content, including a new town takeover, a limited-time mode, challenges, and more. Voidwalker will also have a limited-time mode called Armed and Dangerous. The Armed and Dangerous limited-time mode limits available weapons to snipers and shotguns and loot is harder to come by. EA is asking Apex Legends players to keep a lookout for in-game surveys and to give feedback. It says the plan is to roll out more of these modes in the future. The Wraith Town Takeover starts with Syndicate construction crews uncovering part...
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Amazon Prime Day is right around the corner, and while the usual assortment of discounts and bargains will be in full swing, Twitch Prime is planning to gift subscribers exclusive in-game Apex Legends content. This will include a unique Legend skin and weapon skin, along with three more exclusive Apex Legends skins throughout July and August. So far this year, Twitch Prime has gifted free games and in-game content worth over $2,000. Ethan Evans, executive vice president of Twitch Prime, told GamesBeat that he hopes to "eclipse last year's total" of more than $3,000 before 2019 comes to a close. "Our goal has always been to be the best deal in gaming. Being a subscriber should be a no brainer...
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Another day, another report on vulnerabilities in the software that many of us use on a daily basis. This time around, researchers from Check Point and CyberInt rallied together to detail a number of exploits that they discovered in the Origin client used to deliver games to consumers. Origin is an Electronic Arts property. What makes the latest Origin exploit rather dangerous is the fact that it does not require intervention from the user with respect to handing over their logins or passcode information. In this case, the exploit allows an attacker to steal tokens associated with oAuth Single Sign-On (SSO) and TRUST routines in place with the EA Games user login process. As a result, Check...
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Confession time: I'm an avid watcher of Judge Judy. I think she's rad, and her style of mediating disputes definitely falls into the 'firm but fair' category. One of her favorite sayings is, "Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining." That's also the title of her book, incidentally, and I'm reminded of it when watching Electronics Arts' Vice President of Legal, Kerry Hopkins, explain that loot boxes are actually just "surprise mechanics." According to Hopkins, Loot boxes (excuse me, surprise mechanics) are "quite ethical" too, akin to Hatchimals, the popular toy that delights kids with a plush toy hatching from a plastic egg. Or if you prefer, substitute Kinder Egg or LOL Surprise, which...
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Apex Legends seemingly came out of nowhere and took the gaming scene by storm, further underscoring how insanely popular the battle royale genre is right now. Even though there was some strategic planning to generate excitement around Apex Legends when it first came out—publisher Electronic Arts paid some notable streamers to play the game at the outset—developer Respawn Entertainment says the launch still exceeded its expectations. Continued success also means a full commitment of time and resources, and so plans to hash out another Titanfall game have now taken a backseat. "Regarding other games in development at Respawn, it is important to understand that there are entirely separate...
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For a Jedi on the run, the rules are rather simple: Don't stand out, accept the past, and trust no one. Instead, put your trust in the Force. Cal Kestis, one of the last surviving members of the Jedi Order after the purge of Order 66, relays these rules in the first official trailer for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which is being developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. Fallen Order takes place after the events in Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith. In Star Wars canon, Order 66 saw almost every Jedi executed, and many of those who survived were subsequently killed in the Great Jedi Purge that followed. It's not clear if Fallen Order will see Cal progress...
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BioWare recently came under fire over a report on the studio's frenzied workplace conditions and the overall culture that negatively affected the release of certain games, most recently Anthem, and the studio's subsequent response to report, which was largely viewed as dismissive. In a follow-up letter sent to BioWare employees, however, studio boss Casey Hudson admitted that the workplace problems are real. Let's back up a moment. Anthem saw its share of bugs on launch day, one of which resulted in level 1 weapons being the most powerful in the game. It still became BioWare's second best game launch ever, though even Hudson said after the fact that "it's been a rougher launch than expected,"...
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Maybe it came down to a licensing issue or perhaps publisher Electronic Arts never considered it, but I can't help but there there was a missed, golden opportunity to play Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire to the new gameplay trailer for Battlefield V's upcoming Firestorm battle royale mode. That's okay, though, because the trailer is pretty awesome in its own right. For the most part, Firestorm sticks to the tried-and-true battle royale script, though instead of a semi-invisible barrier closing in on the action, there is a literal firestorm that encompasses the map. This ring of fire shrinks the playable area like any other battle royale, forcing players into tighter confines until a single soldier...
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After all the bug complaints and performance issues the plagued the launch of Anthem, it still emerged as the overall best selling game in the US last month, ahead of Jump Force (No. 2), Kingdom Hearts III (No. 3), Far Cry New Dawn (No. 4), and Red Dead Redemption II (No. 2), according to data by The NPD Group. In addition, it now officially ranks as developer BioWare's second-best launch month. Anthem was not able to topple Mass Effect 3 to claim the single-best launch month, but coming in second place is nothing to sneeze at, especially in this case—The NPD Group does not include in its numbers players who are enjoying Anthem through the EA Access Premier subscription program, or the...
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Online multiplayer gaming is a beautiful thing, and thanks to high-speed Internet connections, it is a phenomenon that has transformed modern day gameplay. It's why battle royale shooters can exist, and be so popular. Unfortunately, cheating is a real problem, and the only ones who like a cheater are those who are profiting from them. This has created quite the headache for developers like Respawn Entertainment. Apex Legends is the hot new battle royale shooter that has attracted 50 million players in just one month. By all accounts, it is a hit franchise for publisher Electronic Arts, which stands to rake in money hand over fist the way Epic Games does with its also-popular Fortnite game. In...
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Respawn Entertainment developed one of the hottest games of recent memory, that being Apex Legends, a free-to-play battle royale shooter that is presumably proving to be a lucrative franchise for publisher Electronic Arts. Popular streamers such as Tyler "Ninja" Blevins deserve a tip of the hat for hopping on board, and it appears they were paid handsomely for their time. How handsomely? According to Reuters, EA shelled out a cool million bucks (or thereabouts) for Ninja to stream Apex Legends on launch day. While that is an obscene amount of money for a day's 'work' (play), it underscores how much cash these types of games can generate through in-game purchases, and why publishers would be willing...
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Apex Legends has stormed onto the scene and asserted itself as a hugely popular battle royale shooter, hitting 1 million players in just 8 hours after launch, and leaping to 50 million players in its first month. Inevitable leaks come with that level of popularity, and as such, the names of potentially 10 upcoming character additions might now be known. It was already leaked last month that developer Respawn Entertainment would be adding new legends to the game, eight in all. Now, however, a list of player cards has attached names to those upcoming characters, along with two others that were not previously known. That brings the total number so far up to 10 new characters. The names include Rampart,...
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Pitting players in a battle royale scenario where the map shrinks until only one person or squad is left standing is all the rage right now—see the success of PlayerUnknown's Battleground (PUBG), Fortnite, or more recently Apex Legends as evidence of this. Battlefield V will be joining the fray, and a leaked tutorial purportedly gives us a first look at the upcoming mode. It's called Firestorm, and from what I can discern from the tutorial, it will be very similar to PUBG. That's to say you will drop on a map, scrounge around for weapons for yourself and any potentially teammates, and grab backpacks for additional storage capacity on your person. You can also be revived by a teammate while...
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Anthem players who spent hours grinding and leveling up and working towards a potent Masterwork endgame weapon were dismayed to find out that they already possessed the most powerful weapon in the game—a first-level common Defender Rifle. Despite what the numbers show, there is a bug that allows it to kill enemies faster than a level 45 Masterwork Ralner Blaze Rifle. This was put to the test by Reddit user YeetLordSupreme. Out of curiosity, he decided to quantify the damage amounts of different weapons. That's when he stumbled upon the bug. Using the level 1 common Defender Rifle, he recorded a single bullet doing 286 damage against a normal Scar Trooper. His level 45 Masterwork Ralner...
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