Joystiq

Fight Night franchise on hold as EA Canada focuses on UFC

David Hinkle — Fri, 24 May 2013 19:40:00 EST

With EA Canada focused on EA's upcoming UFC game, the Fight Night franchise has been put on hold at EA Sports.

"Right now, a great portion of the core of the Fight Night team are actually the team that are building UFC," EA Sports executive vice president Andrew Wilson told IGN. "Do I see a future for Fight Night? You know, sure. But right now, UFC is where our fighting focus is."

2011's Fight Night Champion was the latest game in EA's boxing franchise, introducing a new "Full-Spectrum" punch control system and a Hollywood-inspired campaign following fictitious convict boxer's struggle to overcome adversity and many, many punches to the face. The series was born from the ashes of EA's previous boxing series, Knockout Kings, in 2004.

Fight Night franchise on hold as EA Canada focuses on UFC originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 May 2013 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA, Microsoft enter into 'special relationship,' FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14, UFC on Xbox One [Update]

David Hinkle — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:28:00 EST

Andrew Wilson, EA Sports boss, took to the stage at Microsoft's Xbox One event and confirmed that EA and Microsoft have entered into a "special relationship." This will see four EA Sports games on Xbox One: FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14 and UFC. All four will launch within the next 12 months, Wilson said.

EA Sports Ignite, a new engine created at EA, will power each game, attempting to emulate human intelligence and true player motion within each games. There are "four times more calculations per second" to achieve this. Special content for FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will "only be on Xbox," Wilson concluded before showing off an EA Sports sizzle reel.

Update: EA has clarified via Twitter that FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will be available on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, though there will be content exclusive to the Xbox One version. The text of this post has been updated to reflect that.

EA, Microsoft enter into 'special relationship,' FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14, UFC on Xbox One [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 May 2013 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA executives Andrew Wilson, Stephen Bene unload stocks

Jordan Mallory — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:30:00 EST

Two of Electronic Arts' top-level executives have collectively unloaded a total of 57,085 stocks, following a general increase in EA's stock value after this week's Star Wars exclusivity announcement. According to SEC forms filed yesterday, EA Sports executive vice president Andrew Wilson has sold his entire stake in the company: 32,085 shares at $21.42 a pop, for a grand total of $687,260.70.

EA senior vice president and General Counsel Stephen Bene followed suit, today exercising an option to buy 25,000 shares from EA at $16.06 per share for $401,500 in total, well below the current market value. Bene then sold those shares for $22.40 each, making $560,000. After subtracting the amount originally spent when the option to buy the shares was exercised, Bene made a net profit of $158,500. Unlike Wilson, Bene is still in possession of 6,700 shares of EA, according to SEC documents.

EA executives Andrew Wilson, Stephen Bene unload stocks originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 May 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Live 13 canceled by EA

Mike Suszek — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:03:00 EST

EA Sports has canceled NBA Live 13. The company plans on taking a full year off to work on the next game in the series.

"But making great games is not easy, and we're just not there yet on NBA LIVE 13. Having continued to look at the game over the past few days, it's clear that we won't be ready in October," EA Sports Executive Vice President Andrew Wilson wrote in a news release today. "And rather than launch midway through the season, we're going to sit out the full year and stay focused on making next year's game great."

The news comes after an announcement on the game's delay and its absence from EA Sports' E3 showing. More notably, the cancellation of NBA Elite 11 makes this the third year in a row that EA's simulation basketball series has failed to see publication.

"We're committed to delivering new innovation in online, and our progress in the visual presentation of the game continues to take big strides. We also know that a great game starts with great gameplay, and this remains a huge priority for us," Wilson wrote.

NBA Live 13 canceled by EA originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More NFL Blitz possible, but fans have to ask for it

David Hinkle — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 23:59:00 EST

In January, EA Sports released a reboot of Midway's arcade football game, NFL Blitz. Basically, I loved it, so when I sat down for a chat with EA Sports executive vice president Andrew Wilson, I asked him if we would see more NFL Blitz. "I would say so," he responded.

"I think what we've come to realize is we need to build games fans want to play," Wilson said. "We just want to hear that fans want to play it. We don't want to be the brand anymore that just puts it out because we can. I think NFL Blitz was a great value, so will we do it again? Absolutely. When will we do it again? When fans tell us it's time for the next one."

More NFL Blitz possible, but fans have to ask for it originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Live not at EA's press conference because 'it deserves its own time'

David Hinkle — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 23:00:00 EST

EA Sports is resurrecting its basketball franchise this fall, yet oddly it is absent from E3. With only months to go until we're in that fall timeframe, the decision was made to hold back NBA Live 13 from E3. "We have some really cool and aggressive stuff we have planned for NBA Live, and we felt it deserved its own time," EA Sports executive vice president Andrew Wilson told me.

Continue reading NBA Live not at EA's press conference because 'it deserves its own time'

NBA Live not at EA's press conference because 'it deserves its own time' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA has big plans for its UFC game

David Hinkle — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:30:00 EST

It's an exciting time at EA Sports for executive VP Andrew Wilson. He's pretty stoked about acquiring the UFC license, the result of the dire financial situation going on at THQ right now, the previous UFC license holder. "Yes, yes it is," Wilson tells me when I say it must be a good time to be in the sports game, uh, game.

But how did EA get the license? Who approached who? How did it all go down? How much did EA really pay for the license? While Wilson couldn't go into the specificity I would've liked regarding some of those subjects, he did at least give me some background on how this new deal came together - and just what it means for MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) gaming fans looking forward to the future.

Continue reading EA has big plans for its UFC game

EA has big plans for its UFC game originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The caddy will return in the next Tiger Woods PGA Tour game

David Hinkle — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:15:00 EST

Andrew Wilson, president of worldwide development for EA Sports, told Joystiq today that the caddy feature in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters was "well received" and destined to return in the franchise's next installment. As you may know, this is a decision we wholeheartedly support.

The caddy will return in the next Tiger Woods PGA Tour game originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA on NBA Elite 11: 'It was just going to be a bad game'

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:03:00 EST

"It was just going to be a bad game." And with that, Andrew Wilson, EA Sport's head of worldwide development summed up the reason behind the cancellation of what was meant to be this year's premiere installment in the basketball series reboot. Speaking with IGN, the executive noted that although NBA Elite's controls showed promise, the idea of having one stick for dribbling and shooting, and the other for movement, needed more time to percolate.

Wilson explained, "At the very core, we have to build a great game first and foremost." The executive also noted that the company's decision to move all future production of the NBA Elite series to Madden developer Tiburon shouldn't be seen as a slight against EA Canada.

Wilson made no mention of the NBA 2K11 wrapped van that pulls up to EA headquarters every Sunday at noon and, while nobody is around, lets Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick out to deliver his most heartfelt rendition of "Danke Schoen."

EA on NBA Elite 11: 'It was just going to be a bad game' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Codemasters working on new FPS from creator of Black

Mike Schramm — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST

Hey, remember Black, the PS2 and Xbox FPS created by Criterion Games before it went all-in on Burnout Paradise? Turns out the name wasn't just short for "black ops" -- the senior designer on the title was Stuart Black, and the vice president of development for Codemasters has now confirmed that he's working on a new game in a new studio for the company. Black will join former game director at Sony London, Tom Gillo, and senior producer Andrew Wilson on an 80-person team working with Codemasters' EGO engine to develop the brand-new IP, which the UK's Official Xbox Magazine seems to be hinting is "the shooter that everybody asked for."

We've heard a lot of people ask for a next-gen No One Lives Forever sequel, but that's probably not what they mean. Black did have some nice stylistic twists, however, so while this game is definitely not a direct sequel (Criterion still owns that IP), we'll expect to see Black's ideas assembled in a new form.

Codemasters working on new FPS from creator of Black originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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