In a slightly smaller conference, EA has decided to scrap a lot of the TV sections from their presentation at last year’s E3. Don’t worry, they’ve still got their yearly sports titles and this time they have spaced them in between some amazing releases.
What did EA Update us on?
Dragon Age: Inquistion
– Live on stage performance while an area exploration trailer plays in the background. Beautiful Landscapes and many different locales where players will journey in search for… something.
– Gameplay footage depicts four heroes taking down a High Dragon, limb by limb. The combat looks highly action based and again, very pretty.
– Switch between real time and strategy based combat where the game changes to a overview of the battlefield, eliminating time from the equation.
– Set to be released October 7th
Sims 4
– Updated character creation, sim models and they have now added personalities
– New online gallery complete with new sims to download and share with the world
– Unlike anything we have ever before? (IT’S STILL A SINGLEPLAYER SIMS GAME!)
– Set to be released September 2nd
UFC – Now with Bruce Lee
– Apparently making fighting “mainstream” Bruce Lee has been added into UFC’s roster to weigh up against the very best that the UFC can offer.
– New character damage models with some visual bruising/cuts as the fights progress
– Available June 17th 2014 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
What Did EA Announce?
NHL 2015
– Trailer featuring goals, weaves, punch ups and goals. Now with highly rendered characters! (I‘m sorry I don’t know much about the NHL)
– Available September 12th 2014
EA SPORTS PGA TOUR – (In Frostbite 3?!)
– A short trailer with a pretty cool ending. I didn’t know you I wanted to golf over a Battleship but now I’m somewhat intrigued.
– Set to be released Autumn 2015
Madden NFL 2015
Focus on making defense more fun as it was kinda lacking when compared to scoring points and throwing hail mary passes. More control on defense than ever before with new defensive cameras, new defensive/tackle controls, new player emotes and presentation cameras
– Releases August 26th
Mirror’s Edge…2?
– Focus on Black, White and Red colour scheme similar to the original.
– Very fluid motion seems to be improved from the first game but there doesn’t seem to be any information as to whether this a sequel or a reboot to Mirror’s Edge original
– Levels feature multiple routes dependant on skill and safety of the runner
FIFA 15
– players have been upgraded to include Intelligent emotion where previous games will affect how they will play in their next match
– The introduction of the “Living pitch” where the entire stadium is alive. Tackles tear the turf, kits get dirty, corner flags move & goal frames clatter on impact.
– Available September 26th for 360, PS3, XB1, PS4 and PC
Visceral Games announce Battlefield: Hardline
– Gameplay footage depicts a 32 player in Heist mode that pits 2 factions against each other in a cops vs criminals gameplay scenario involving the stealing of cash or loot from armoured trucks.
– PC + PS4 – Closed beta that is now open for registration – Access is “limited”
What Did EA Tease?
Star Wars Battlefront 3 – Developed by DICE – “See more Spring 2015”
New Mass Effect teased by Bioware?
Criterion Games have announced a new IP
– Enter ATV’s, helicopters, wingsuits, planes in complete first person.
– Dedicated First person “Action-Racing” game?
– Mirror’s Edge for racing fans? (XTREME!!!)
Dawngate
– EA’s entry into the MOBA scene Dawngate is currently in closed alpha.
– Dawngate differs from the original meta by letting any champion play multiple roles and you will get different attributes based on the roles you choose.
Opinions?
I think it was another safe conference that was a lot better when compared to 2013. Like Microsoft, they have learned of the backlash they received from fans when they didn’t actually talk about games, and instead wove each individual game to somehow tie in with a sports title so that it wasn’t just SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS all the time. I think I’m most excited for Dragon Age: Inquistion, as I’ve been missing that kind of game for a long time. Having a combat/story balance is what I remember the Dragon Age series to be all about, and I couldn’t be happier that there will be more of it.