November2022
News Criterion Games 'Would Love' to Return to Burnout Series in the Future
"It'd be really fun"
Criterion Games used to be a small, go-getting team making super-fast, very arcadey racing games called Burnout. Eventually scooped up by EA, the series has sadly been put to one side in favour of the better-selling Need for Speed, but it seems the studio hasn't forgotten its roots despite all the change. Speaking in an...
News EA Reportedly Writes Off Project CARS, DiRT Franchises
Fans will be slightly mad
It appears to be a sad day for racing fans, as not one but two franchises have seemingly been retired. EA, which owns racing game specialist Codemasters, has apparently cancelled both the Project CARS and DiRT series in a reassessment of its racing portfolio. That's according to new reports from both GamesIndustry.biz and...
August2022
News Amazon Not Acquiring EA After All, Rumour Debunked
They won't
Update 2: USA Today's original report has been updated. The publication now says GLHF, a Swedish games media company, cited "unnamed and unvetted sources", and the initial claim that Amazon would announce its purchase of EA has been removed completely. Effectively, the rumour has been reduced to nothing. Given this update and CNBC's...
News EA Squashes Rumours of Acquisition, Will Remain Independent
"I don't think we could be in a stronger position"
Electronic Arts is one of the largest video game publishers there is, but as evidenced by Microsoft's enormous takeover of Activision Blizzard, that doesn't necessarily mean it'll remain independent. Earlier this year, we heard reports that the Californian company had been in talks with major...
June2022
News EA Responds to Report that Battlefield 2042 Development Is in 'Abandon Ship' Mode
Women and children first
Oh, bother, Battlefield 2042 just can't seem to catch a break lately. Journalist Jeff Grubb, speaking on his premium Grubbsnax show (
October2021
News Codemasters' 'Biggest and Most Ambitious Game in Over a Decade' in Development at DIRT 5 Dev
Ex-Evolution team recruiting for something big
When Evolution Studios was shut down after the turbulent release of DriveClub, Codemasters stepped in and scooped up most of the staff. Obviously not everyone wound up at what's now called Codemasters Cheshire, but it's safe to say that a lot of the talent from Evolution did. So far, Onrush and DIRT 5...
News EA Sports' Future FIFA Games Might Not Be Called FIFA
EA considering rebrand of football sims going forward
Electronic Arts is reviewing its licensing agreement with FIFA that lets it use the brand for its ultra-popular football games. FIFA, or Federation Internationale de Football Association, is the organisation that governs global football (or soccer, if you want), and it's also been the name of EA...
July2021
Guide What Time Is EA Play Live 2021?
Dates, times, and where to watch
When is EA Play Live 2021? Electronic Arts is bringing back its annual showcase event, promising to show off some of the publisher's upcoming software. Coming later in the year than usual, EA Play Live has further removed itself from the E3 period, but you should expect something akin to an E3 press conference. So,...
May2021
News Electronic Arts Sets the Date for This Year's EA Play Live Presentation
Mark your calendars
Can you believe that it's E3 season in just a few weeks? This time next month, various games publishers will be gearing up for some big announcements, be they alongside ESA's major event or not. One publisher that's been off doing its own thing for several years now is Electronic Arts — it hosts its own EA Play Live broadcasts...
December2020
News EA Speeds Past Take-Two's Bid for Codemasters with Huge Counter Offer
The race is over?
In a surprising twist, Electronic Arts is now set to acquire Codemasters. Last month, news came out that Take-Two Interactive had proposed an offer to purchase the hugely successful racing game specialists. If it all went through, the 2K Sports publisher would buy out Codies for roughly $973 million in cash and shares. However,...
February2020
News Criterion to Get Need for Speed Franchise Back on Track
Ghost Games to become support team
The Need for Speed series has had a rocky road lately, and that's no secret. Need for Speed Heat was an improvement, but it wasn't quite the comeback the franchise sorely needed. Not since the days of Criterion's take on Hot Pursuit and Most Wanted has the franchise been truly great. Developer Ghost Games, which...
October2019
Feature Burnout Needs to Bring Arcade Racers Back with a Bang
We are the lazy generation
Criterion Games made a name for itself with its blisteringly fast racing series, Burnout. Starting off as a small team with a small project, the original game was a modest but thrilling arcade racer all about rocketing your way through traffic. With each new game, Criterion added more and more to the experience, and with...
June2019
Guide What Time Is EA's E3 2019 Livestream?
All the info on EA Play
EA is a funny one this year. It's once again kicking off E3 2019 with its big EA Play event, but this year, there won't be a traditional press conference. In fact, the publisher has outlined its entire lineup for the show, leaving little room for surprises. Instead of a presser - goodness knows EA hasn't been getting them...
March2019
Rumour EA Access Spotted on Brazilian PlayStation Store
Is it coming to PS4?
There's nothing like a ropey image to lend credence to a rumour, is there? You may recall publisher EA mention during a conference call that it plans to bring its subscription service, EA Access, to "another major platform" in 2019. Many assumed this major platform to be PlayStation 4, despite Sony's initial stance against it,...
February2019
News EA Confirms New Need for Speed, Plants vs. Zombies Titles Coming This Year
About time
Those EA executives sure shared a lot during their recent financial call. In addition to news of Battlefield V failing to meet sales expectations, the publisher looked ahead to 2019, and we now know a little more about its plans for the not-so-distant future. As well as the usual slate of yearly sports titles, the publisher has said...
June2018
Guide FIFA 19 - Everything We Know So Far
The beautiful game
EA announced the inevitable FIFA 19 during its E3 2018 press conference, along with a ton of information about what we can expect from this latest entry. The biggest new feature ties into EA's recent acquisition of the Champion's League licence, which provides a new mode based on the hottest European competition. In this guide,...
Guide Battlefield V - Everything We Know So Far
Battlefield Royale
EA finally revealed Battlefield V at its press conference during E3 2018, and it's pretty much as you expected it. It takes place during World War 2, features one of those crazy popular Battle Royale modes, and a bunch of systems have been tweaked to emphasise team play. In this guide we'll run you through everything we know...
E3 2018 FIFA 19 Reimagines Pulling the Trigger with an Advanced Shooting System
A speculative effort
EA Sports has a reputation for releasing annual FIFA titles with the slightest of adjustments over the previous year’s version. While it’s been confirmed that this year’s entry – which launches on 28th September – will include the official UEFA Champions League license, the developer has also made its customary tweaks...
E3 2018 Lift the UEFA Champions League Trophy in FIFA 19 This September
Surprise?
In what will come as a surprise to just about no one at this point, Electronic Arts has today confirmed that FIFA 19 will indeed include the official Champions League license. This has long been held exclusively by Konami for their competing Pro Evolution Soccer franchise, but rumours have been swirling since April that EA...
January2018
News Online Free Roam Heading to Need for Speed Payback in 2018
Happy New Goodyear
Need for Speed Payback is to be updated with a whole new way to play, according to a tweet from yesterday afternoon. Online free roaming will be added to the game for free later this year. At this stage, there's really not much else to report. We imagine there will be more information as the release draws near, but we doubt...
December2017
Interview FIFA 18's Tom Holkenborg on Scoring Soccer
A little more conversation
Recently we got the chance to chat with composer Tom Holkenborg about his work on the soundtrack for the narrative portion of FIFA 18, as well as his extensive history working with EA, his love of soccer, and how to capture the appropriate sound for a given sequence. Tom has contributed to numerous EA titles, dating back a...
June2017
E3 2017 Need For Speed Payback's Gameplay Looks Fast and Furious
Racing stripes
EA showed off the first gameplay trailer for Need for Speed Payback in its EA Play Press Conference today, and the game is looking more and more like a love letter to the Fast and the Furious franchise. The video sees a relaxing drive through the desert turn into a frenzied road battle replete with slow motion cut-scenes for you to...
E3 2017 EA Announces New Co-op Game A Way Out
Prison break
One of the only new IPs announced during EA's press conference was A Way Out, from the man who brought us the emotional gut punch that was Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. It's a narrative driven co-operative game in which you and another player take control of two convicts, Leo and Vincent, with aspirations of breaking out of prison...
E3 2017 Alex Hunter Returns in FIFA 18 Story Mode
Fittingly called The Journey: Hunter Returns
EA today announced the return of Alex Hunter to this year's FIFA 18 story mode. Last year's 'The Journey' was a surprisingly excellent mode, following Hunter's rise from the youth ranks to the first-team of your chosen Premier League club, capturing the imagination FIFA fans around the world. In...
E3 2017 Madden NFL 18 to Feature Full Story Mode
Longshot
Following in the footsteps of FIFA 18, this year's Madden NFL 18 will feature a story mode called Longshot. It stars the acting of Mahershala Ali from House of Cards fame and Scott Porter from the American football TV series Friday Night Lights. On the official website, publisher EA had this to say: "After three years away from...
