EA developers slams PS3

How does one put words to something they want to speak against but in the kind of business they are in, they are not free to do so? Maybe something on the lines of what a developer of Nascar at EA Triburon had to say regarding the PS3 and its development tools comparing to the Xbox 36’s.

“The truth is the PS3’s tools and the way it works just sucks. The truth is they are both virtually the same in terms of hardware when it comes to how powerful they are, maybe the PS3 has a few different things that makes it a bit more advance, and Sony has this idea that it is designed for optimal development but that’s a load of crap. In the last generation we would make the game for PS2 and then port it over to Xbox, but because Xbox was easier to develop for, we could actually enhance the title a little if we wanted to. The case with this generation is different, now we make the game for 360 first and then port it over to PS3, but we really don’t have the time to mess with how the PS3 works to really add to much more. It will change in the future, but for now it sucks.”

Things are unsettled between the two video game industry giants and it clearly shows by how ‘rant’y the above byte sounds. There is nothing like a pissed off developer, i would say! But i am sure all PS3 fans do not agree with him and there are some fantastic looking games for the PS3 as well which almost makes the developers at EA sound like lazy.

Crysis demo on Sep. 25th

September 25th, 2007 is going to be a big day in gaming history. Alright, I may be over-exaggerating a bit but on that day not only will Halo 3 be released in US but EA has decided to release a demo of Crysis on the same day too.

Consisting of the entire first level in Crysis’ epic single player campaign, “Contact,” gamers will get to finally experience first-hand the stunning visuals, revolutionary Nanosuit gameplay and open-ended level design that make Crysis one of the most anticipated shooters and PC games of all time. The demo is also poised to include a huge surprise from Crytek, but for now you’ll just have to wait and check out the latest Crysis Nanosuit trailer below.

I and my PC have good understanding between us and we have decided to not insult it by trying out the demo. What? No freakin’ way!

Need for Speed: Prostreet dated

Electronic Arts announced today that Need for Speed ProStreet, the latest version of the blockbuster franchise, will hit stores in North America on October 31 and across Europe on November 1, 2007. In Need for Speed ProStreet, you have to build the ultimate battle machine, take it to multi-disciplinary showdowns and pit your skills and reputation against the world’s best street racers. This is your chance to prove that you have what it takes to be crowned the next street king.

“The Need for Speed franchise has always been on the cutting edge of car culture,” said Executive Producer, Larry LaPierre. “Street racing is getting more organized and Need for Speed ProStreet is our interpretation of where we anticipate the culture to be in three to five years. We’re delivering on the ultimate proving ground, bringing you out of your neighborhood back alleys and on to the world stage. This is a next-gen game, packed with the raw intensity and visceral aggression that defines street racing at the highest level.”

Need for Speed ProStreet is a racing experience like no other. For the first time, you’re designing and building a car, competing in iconic locations from around the globe and battling in four distinct racing styles– grip, drag, drift and the all-new speed challenge. The atmosphere is electric – complete with energetic crowds, photo-realistic vehicles and billowing smoke – all designed to embody the pressure and intensity of the gladiatorial challenge known as Show Down. Need for Speed ProStreet is the realization of the power, aggression and rivalry that embodies street racing culture.

Need for Speed: Prostreet dated

Electronic Arts announced today that Need for Speed ProStreet, the latest version of the blockbuster franchise, will hit stores in North America on October 31 and across Europe on November 1, 2007. In Need for Speed ProStreet, you have to build the ultimate battle machine, take it to multi-disciplinary showdowns and pit your skills and reputation against the world’s best street racers. This is your chance to prove that you have what it takes to be crowned the next street king.

“The Need for Speed franchise has always been on the cutting edge of car culture,” said Executive Producer, Larry LaPierre. “Street racing is getting more organized and Need for Speed ProStreet is our interpretation of where we anticipate the culture to be in three to five years. We’re delivering on the ultimate proving ground, bringing you out of your neighborhood back alleys and on to the world stage. This is a next-gen game, packed with the raw intensity and visceral aggression that defines street racing at the highest level.”

Need for Speed ProStreet is a racing experience like no other. For the first time, you’re designing and building a car, competing in iconic locations from around the globe and battling in four distinct racing styles– grip, drag, drift and the all-new speed challenge. The atmosphere is electric – complete with energetic crowds, photo-realistic vehicles and billowing smoke – all designed to embody the pressure and intensity of the gladiatorial challenge known as Show Down. Need for Speed ProStreet is the realization of the power, aggression and rivalry that embodies street racing culture.

Halo 3 Goes Gold!

Ladies, gentlemen, fanboys and obsessive Halo players. Microsoft and Bungie are done with the development, polished it up and fixed all the bugs they could and have finally sent Halo 3 for production. In other means, Halo 3, unarguably the most anticipated video game of this year has gone gold and is being pressed into shiny new discs as we speak. I know someone that would send congratulatory e-cards over here!

Press release:
The wait is almost over. “Halo 3,” the final chapter in the groundbreaking “Halo” trilogy and the most anticipated game release of 2007, has been released to manufacturing.

Three years in the making by renowned developer Bungie Studios, “Halo 3” is now finished and will begin its journey to store shelves around the world in less than four weeks. “Halo 3,” which has already set new records as the fastest preordered game in history, has exceeded one million presales in North America alone. The title is set to shatter day-one entertainment sales records when it is released worldwide beginning Tuesday, Sept. 25.

“This is a huge milestone for us and a big cause for celebration at Bungie and Microsoft Game Studios,” said Harold Ryan, Studio Head at Bungie Studios. “This is the game we’ve always wanted to make and certainly the best game our studio has developed. We can’t wait for gamers to get their hands on it on Sept. 25.”

Created by legendary developer Bungie Studios and exclusive to the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system, “Halo 3” will set a new standard for interactive storytelling and social gaming by engaging consumers worldwide in Master Chief’s epic battle to save humankind. In November 2004, the world’s view of video games changed forever with the release of “Halo 2,” which generated a record-setting $125 million (U.S.) in sales within the first 24 hours and changed the way people think about interactive entertainment. Three years later, it remains the most-played game on Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE® online gaming and entertainment network, with nearly 1 billion hours of online gaming logged to date.

7 new Need for Speed: Prostreet screenshots

It’s no longer good enough to simply rule your local neighbourhood you need to dominate on a global stage. Build the ultimate battle machine, take it to multi-disciplinary showdowns and pit your skills and reputation against the world’s best street racers. This is your chance to prove that you have what it takes to be crowned the next street king.

Need for Speed ProStreet is your ultimate taste of the chaos and unbridled adrenaline of street racing. Pushing yourself and your car to the edge can lead to mistakes and this time those mistakes have consequences. Think swirling fields of debris, shredded fiberglass and heinously twisted metal. Every dent, every scratch and every crumpled body panel is a battle scar, proof of your commitment and competitive mettle.

Medal of Honour: Airborne PC Demo Hands-on

It’s been a while since I played a Medal Of Honor (MOH) game, and to be honest, I never really found the series to be that great or groundbreaking by any means. The Call Of Duty franchise had always been my preferred WWII shooter, and so MOH slowly faded away from my mind. Until I came across the PC demo of the new next-gen version in the series, Medal Of Honor : Airborne (MOHA). The screenshots I saw looked pretty badass, and I was tempted to see how far EA had come with the series, and how much better (or worse!) this new MOH game was as compared to the previous iterations in the series.. So, I took the initiative and downloaded the demo, which weighs in at a whopping 1.27 GB. That’s a lot for a demo where you get to play one level which lasts about 25 minutes max, but hey – that’s next-gen for you! So, how has EA fared this time around ? Pretty well, I would say. Read on to find out more…

The PC demo (and the final game too) has you step into the boots of Private Boyd Travers of the 82nd Airborne Division as he kicks enemy ass all around Europe during the WWII era. This time around, EA has opened up the environment a lot more than in the previous MOH games, and players are free to roam around as they choose. However, it’s not exactly a sandbox game here. As usual, there are doors that can’t be unlocked or opened, and piles of rubble that can’t be jumped in order to keep you within the game’s boundaries. Yes, MOHA still feels ‘hemmed in’ like it always did, but it’s still more open-ended than all the previous-gen iterations. And just like old times, you’re best friend in this game is your compass (besides , of course, the M1 Garand or the MP40 !). Your objectives are marked as gold stars, allied soldiers as green dots, and hostile targets as red crosses. The compass really makes reaching your objectives simple. It’s the enemies who stand in your way that make things fairly hard, or even insanely hard (depending on what difficulty level you play on).

Speaking of objectives, let’s talk about the actual mission which was in the demo. The game starts off with you in the briefing tent, listening to your commander bark out the mission info. The action takes place in the village of Adanti in Sicily. One of the squads of your division has reported the presence of four enemy AA emplacement guns, which have been causing some serious trouble for your aircraft in the skies. The mission involves dropping into the midst of all the fireworks, taking out the four guns, and getting out alive. After the briefing, you get to select your weapon loadout, which consists of one primary weapon, one secondary weapon, and one pistol. You also get to carry two grenade types : stick grenades and frag grenades. For the weapons, you get to choose between an MP40, a Kar 98K, Thompson SMG, and everyone’s favourite : the M1 Garand. And once you’re locked & loaded, it’s go time !

Gameplay-wise, MOHA has surprisingly remained pretty much unchanged to a large extent. The game didn’t feel much different from the previous iterations, which is not necessarily a bad thing, since the previous games had good gameplay. The running and gunning feels pretty much like any standard FPS game, and fans of the MOH series will feel straight at home. Of course there are a few cool new twists, such as the ‘full body awareness’ system where you can actually look down and see your legs and that sort of stuff. Then there’s the beginning of each mission, where you get to parachute off your plane, and then actually steer Mr. Travers to wherever you want to land on the battlefield. (Of course, landing on the nozzle of an emplacement gun wouldn’t be that great an idea, but hey…who am I to stop you ?) Another nice feature is the melee combat which looks & sounds good, and also does a good job of making you feel the tension and chaos of getting ‘up, close and personal’. Then there are the ‘awards’ – medals that you receive for pulling off certain shots or completing certain tasks, that add to your sense of accomplishment. So yeah, there are some pretty neat new features thrown in, but the fact remains that none of them are significant enough to alter the gameplay in a big way. However, the one big change is the battle scenarios : EA has made the game much harder this time around, and it definitely does a better job of making you feel the tension of WWII than any of the previous MOH games. The battles are chaotic, and take place almost everywhere , ranging from sprawling, open grounds to closed, tight corridors. It’s overwhelming, exhilarating, frightening, and fun – all at the same time.

EA unviels plans for 10 players to connect online playing a single game of FIFA 08

Electronic Arts today unveiled plans for a new feature called Be A Pro: Online Team Play that will enable10 people anywhere in the world to connect online to play a single match of FIFA 08. The new feature, available for the Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION 3 will be offered as a free downloadable feature six to eight weeks after the game ships to stores. FIFA 08 will be available in stores in Europe on September 28 and beginning October 9 in North America.

Be A Pro: Online Team Play is the evolution of a new play mode featured in FIFA 08 called Be A Pro that locks you into the role of a single, fixed player the entire game and challenges you to master the same disciplines as a real football player—from positioning and tackling to reading the field and passing. Users receive real time feedback and analysis on the fly and a unique camera angle keeps both player and action in focus, zooming in when you’re on attack. Now in Be A Pro: Online Team Play, up to five friends on different consoles will be able to select and take control of their own individual players on the same team, supported by AI teammates, to play against up to five rivals of another team. Alternatively, online users can select to play with free roaming players, and teams can have a combination of both.

“At EA SPORTS our dream is to create a full 11 versus 11 online gameplay experience in which each user will have a set position during the match and train specifically for that position,” said Joe Booth, producer of FIFA 08.  “Be A Pro is the first step in this direction, and now, with the ability to deliver five versus five online gameplay as free downloadable content, we are moving even closer towards the realization of this dream.”

“Be A Pro forces you to think and react like a professional player where you experience the whole range of emotions players go through during the course of a game,” said Andrew Wilson, Executive Producer of FIFA 08. “Now we are taking this experience online for you to share with your friends. You will have to learn to work together as a team much like any real teams go through in order to be successful.”

In addition to Be A Pro: Online Team Play, the online feature set in FIFA 08 includes the award-winning Interactive Leagues, where you represent your club online against your rivals throughout the season in the F.A. Premier League, Bundesliga, French League or Mexican 1st Division and features weekly in-game pod casts by the development team, and Online Leagues, where you create and organize your own multiplayer Friends Leagues and tournaments with all the tools in-game.

EA unviels plans for 10 players to connect online playing a single game of FIFA 08

Electronic Arts today unveiled plans for a new feature called Be A Pro: Online Team Play that will enable10 people anywhere in the world to connect online to play a single match of FIFA 08. The new feature, available for the Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION 3 will be offered as a free downloadable feature six to eight weeks after the game ships to stores. FIFA 08 will be available in stores in Europe on September 28 and beginning October 9 in North America.

Be A Pro: Online Team Play is the evolution of a new play mode featured in FIFA 08 called Be A Pro that locks you into the role of a single, fixed player the entire game and challenges you to master the same disciplines as a real football player—from positioning and tackling to reading the field and passing. Users receive real time feedback and analysis on the fly and a unique camera angle keeps both player and action in focus, zooming in when you’re on attack. Now in Be A Pro: Online Team Play, up to five friends on different consoles will be able to select and take control of their own individual players on the same team, supported by AI teammates, to play against up to five rivals of another team. Alternatively, online users can select to play with free roaming players, and teams can have a combination of both.

“At EA SPORTS our dream is to create a full 11 versus 11 online gameplay experience in which each user will have a set position during the match and train specifically for that position,” said Joe Booth, producer of FIFA 08.  “Be A Pro is the first step in this direction, and now, with the ability to deliver five versus five online gameplay as free downloadable content, we are moving even closer towards the realization of this dream.”

“Be A Pro forces you to think and react like a professional player where you experience the whole range of emotions players go through during the course of a game,” said Andrew Wilson, Executive Producer of FIFA 08. “Now we are taking this experience online for you to share with your friends. You will have to learn to work together as a team much like any real teams go through in order to be successful.”

In addition to Be A Pro: Online Team Play, the online feature set in FIFA 08 includes the award-winning Interactive Leagues, where you represent your club online against your rivals throughout the season in the F.A. Premier League, Bundesliga, French League or Mexican 1st Division and features weekly in-game pod casts by the development team, and Online Leagues, where you create and organize your own multiplayer Friends Leagues and tournaments with all the tools in-game.

FIFA, EA and Playstation kick off FIFA interactive World Cup 2008

FIFA, Electronic Arts and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced the new season of the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC), the world’s only officially FIFA sanctioned global football gaming competition. Sony joins EA as new presenting partner for the tournament, in which participants from around the world compete with EA SPORTS FIFA 08 on the PlayStation 3 (PS3). The FIWC launches with a new format, designed as a season-long experience mirroring the real world of football. The announcement was made today at the Leipzig Games Convention.

The fourth edition of the FIWC kicks off in October 2007 and will culminate in the Grand Final in Berlin’s Sony Centre in May 2008. This year, players can compete at one of more than 20 physical FIWC 08 Qualifier Events across the globe or online via the PLAYSTATION Network in over 25 countries. In May 2008, 32 finalists will compete to be crowned FIFA Interactive World Player, rewarded with an invitation to the FIFA World Player Gala along with a USD 20,000 cash prize. Registration opens today at www.FIFA.com/FIWC

“To be associated with the world’s leading games publisher, EA, and one of the most respected organizations in the world, FIFA, is very exciting for us,” said Simon Rutter, VP Sales & Marketing for SCEE. “With the added realism that PS3 brings to FIFA 08, we have every belief that now is the time to truly make an impact with the FIFA Interactive World Cup. We’re looking forward to PS3 fans helping to make the tournament every bit as iconic for gamers as the real FIFA World Cup is for football fans.”

Matt Bilbey, Senior Director, Sports Marketing, EA said “The FIFA Interactive World Cup has become a firm fixture in the diaries of many football fans and gamers around the world and we’ll be there to bring them a season full of great competition with FIFA 08 on the PlayStation 3. With FIFA 08, EA Sports is delivering the sensations of being on the real FIFA World Cup football pitch, so football gamers in every geography better start practicing!“

"The FIFA Interactive World Cup is a great way to bring together football gamers and the wider football community. With the introduction of the new format, we have taken yet another big step towards establishing the FIFA Interactive World Cup as the world’s leading football gaming competition, just like the FIFA World Cup is for football on the field of play", says FIFA Executive-Member Chuck Blazer.

EA SPORTS FIFA 08 for the PLAYSTATION3 offers a football experience that matches the complexity, finesse and beauty of the real-world game. FIFA 08 features a new, organic building-block system that enables players to combine tricks and skill moves together to recreate signature moves from the real-world superstars or define their own style of play.
In addition, FIFA 08 features a true next-generation ball-striking engine that re-creates the drama and unpredictable nature of shooting, the award-winning Interactive Leagues online gameplay and the inclusion of 620 licensed teams, 30 leagues, and more than 15,000 players.

For the complete event schedule and to keep the finger on the pulse of the FIFA Interactive World Cup please go to: www.FIFA.com/FIWC.

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