Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 5http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/dead-space-animated-comic-issue-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/dead-space-animated-comic-issue-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/dead-space-animated-comic-issue-5/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Something totally gross is afoot on the intergalactic mining vessel USG Ishimura. The latest issue of the animated Dead Space comic is now available for your viewing pleasure, complete with subtle pans, focus pulls, and just enough squishy sound effects to get the whole thing across.

As far as video game advertising goes, we've gotta say these comics/videos are pretty effective. Watching these chumps try and kill the space-baddies is pretty frustrating when we all know that you need to strategically dismember them. You can't just shoot willy-nilly! And seriously, how do you expect to do any damage without a badass spacesuit and accompanying laser triton? You know what, forget it! We'll just do it ourselves ... drat, advertising!

In case you're behind, here are the previous issues:
Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 1
Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 2
Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 3
Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 4

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]]>ComicDead-SpaceEAEARSElectronic-ArtsChristopher Grant2008-08-28T01:00:00+00:00EA, Take-Two take buyout talks behind closed doorshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/ea-take-two-take-buyout-talks-behind-closed-doors/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/ea-take-two-take-buyout-talks-behind-closed-doors/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/ea-take-two-take-buyout-talks-behind-closed-doors/#commentsFiled under:


The ongoing drama of who's eating who between mega publishers Electronic Arts and Take-Two has finally been taken behind the curtain, where it should have been all along. After coming to some measure of understanding, the companies have jointly signed a confidentiality agreement, agreeing not to blab about what may or may not happen as a result of ongoing talks until, you know, something actually happens.

According to Reuters, EA has agreed as part of a regulatory filing with the SEC to not "make any further announcements regarding the status of any discussions or negotiations with Take-Two" until the pair come to some sort of mutual accord. We couldn't be happier, knowing that while the drama will likely continue to unfold for quite some time, at least we won't have to read (or write!) about it.

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]]>buyouteaelectronic-artselectronicartssecsecuritiesandexchangecommissiontake-overtake-twotakeovertaketwoJason Dobson2008-08-26T08:30:00+00:00Mercenaries 2 co-op developer walkthroughhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/mercenaries-2-co-op-developer-walkthrough/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/mercenaries-2-co-op-developer-walkthrough/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/mercenaries-2-co-op-developer-walkthrough/#commentsFiled under:


We'll be honest: most of the staff at Joystiq has a serious medical condition that makes us physically unable to resist good co-op gameplay. We can't do it. It's a serious condition. There's only two known treatments: 1) massive amounts of mind-altering pharmaceuticals or 2) co-op video games. Sometimes, we're forced to seek out the former when there aren't any co-op games on the ol' release calendar while other times there are games like Mercenaries 2: World in Flames that would appear to provide enough co-op gameplay to keep us drug-free for a long time.

Above you've got another Mercenaries 2 developer walkthrough, this time sharing the wonders of the game's co-op functionality. Don't mean to brag, but we've already played it. That means you'll want to pay attention, lest you miss things like "drop-in," "drop-out," "campaign," and "explosion." Say, does anyone have an early copy of Castle Crashers, we're really hurting over here ...

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]]>co-opEAElectronic-ArtsMercenaries-2PandemicChristopher Grant2008-08-21T18:28:00+00:00Joystiq hands-on: Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure (DS)http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/joystiq-hands-on-henry-hatsworth-in-the-puzzling-adventure-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/joystiq-hands-on-henry-hatsworth-in-the-puzzling-adventure-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/joystiq-hands-on-henry-hatsworth-in-the-puzzling-adventure-ds/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure combines a block-matching, DS puzzle game--think Panel de Pon/Planet Puzzle League--with a side-scrolling platformer. This puzzling mash-up keeps the blocks on the bottom screen, Hatsworth jumping up top, and you toggling between each to maintain progress. We recently played this stylish title, due at the beginning of 2009. With so many small things to get right, we're uncertain that the puzzle-platformer will work, but we're impressed by its potential.

Gallery: Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure (DS)



In the top screen, Hatsworth runs, jumps, swings his cane, and shoots, much like any other platformer. However, when you kill an enemy in this perspective, it turns into a block, sliding into the puzzle screen below. Those blocks constantly creep upwards, and if the block faces reach the top DS screen, they turn back into angrier, more powerful foes.

The X button always pauses the side-scrolling control and swaps to the puzzle world. Gamers shift blocks horizontally, trying to match three-or-more colors to erase those blocks forever. But instead of just killing a block-shaped enemy, puzzle prowess governs special abilities and even ammo in the top screen; ignore the puzzle blocks, and Hatsworth will only be able to attack with his puny cane.

When we leapt and ran through the top screen, the button controls felt agile and comfortable. We especially liked the scaling complexity, which should keep the game fresh; in addition to standard, one-button attacks, many power-ups and button combinations performed new moves. We summoned non-sequitur special attacks with a full puzzle energy meter, such as Tea Time, which put Hatsworth inside a giant walking robot with a laser canon.

Because those attacks rely on the puzzle meter, we often tapped into the bottom screen to match some blocks. The puzzle screen responds to touch or D-pad, but we mostly stuck to the hard buttons since that felt quicker than retrieving the stylus each time. Players can stay in the puzzle world for a length that increases with the damage generated in the top screen. You can't die in the puzzle, but you can get kicked back to the top screen after that meter depletes.

Hatsworth has a lot going on. While we think the puzzle-platform combination could excel, much of the game will rely on its developers tuning difficulty and challenge. At times, the puzzle and the platforming felt easy, but that might have been because we started on an early level. And with so much to keep track of at once, we could see how the game could become frustrating and confusing.

Scheduled for the beginning of 2009, Henry Hatsworth and the Puzzling Adventure takes a creative leap by combining unrelated genres. EA and its Tiburon designers have tapped into a lot of potential we hope Hatsworth can achieve.

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]]>dseaelectronic-artshenry-hatsworthhenry-hatsworth-in-the-puzzling-adventurekyle-graypanel-de-ponplanet-puzzle-leagueplatformpuzzletiburonZack Stern2008-08-18T09:00:00+00:00Analyst: Potter movie delay could push back release of EA's gamehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/17/analyst-potter-movie-delay-could-push-back-release-of-eas-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/17/analyst-potter-movie-delay-could-push-back-release-of-eas-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/17/analyst-potter-movie-delay-could-push-back-release-of-eas-game/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


Fans of J.K. Rowling's uber-successful series of wizardly novels received some heartbreaking news Friday -- the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been delayed from its initial release date of November 21, 2008 to a distant July 17, 2009. Electronic Arts has yet to announce how this major delay will affect the release window of their similarly titled video game adaptation of the film/book, though many gaming industry analysts, such as Signal Hill's Todd Greenwald, are predicting that EA will follow suit, with hopes that the film will whip up a Half-Blood frenzy that will boost sales of the game.

The repercussions of a Potter game delay could be bad for Electronic Arts, as both their holiday profits and fiscal 2009 revenue could take a hit without the title -- however, it could mean good news for those waiting on a truly stellar Harry Potter video game. Greenwald claims the title is "pretty much done and ready", meaning a delay would give EA an extra eight months to perfect the movie tie-in. We'll let you know what EA decides to do once they make an official statement.

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]]>delayeaelectronic-artsharry-potterharry-potter-and-the-half-blood-princeGriffin McElroy2008-08-17T19:30:00+00:00Godfather II debut trailer makes unrefusable offerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/16/godfather-ii-debut-trailer-makes-unrefusable-offer/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/16/godfather-ii-debut-trailer-makes-unrefusable-offer/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/16/godfather-ii-debut-trailer-makes-unrefusable-offer/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


As any respectable Don will tell you, serving as the CEO of a powerful crime syndicate is not an easy thing to do. You won't find any classes on racketeering at your local community college. Finding a reliable bulk supplier of fedoras and pinstripe suits is nigh-on impossible. Teaching your underlings the fine art of stallion decapitation requires amounts of patience and equine physiology that very few men possess.

Luckily, the upcoming sequel to EA's well-recieved adaptation of Coppola's magnum opus, The Godfather II, looks to be an in-depth survival guide on the nuances of mafia management -- perfect for that up-and-coming kingpin in your life. The above trailer shows some of the finer points of Donship, and gives a great look at some of the lovely locales we'll be viciously extorting come February. That little Cuban restaurant would look so charming with a prostitution ring in the back room, don't you agree?

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]]>coppolaeaelectronic-artsgodfather-2trailerGriffin McElroy2008-08-16T11:30:00+00:00Need for Speed Undercover hits pavement in Novemberhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/need-for-speed-undercover-hits-pavement-in-november/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/need-for-speed-undercover-hits-pavement-in-november/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/need-for-speed-undercover-hits-pavement-in-november/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


Developer Black Box's nitro button must be worn down to a nub. The studio announced today that its upcoming Need for Speed sequel, Undercover, will ship this November, pulling up to the starting line well before the 2009 release previously mentioned by EA CEO John Riccitiello.

In development for every platform under the sun (yes, even mobile phones), Need for Speed Undercover will also sport what Black Box describes as "big-budget live-action sequences" starring Balls of Fury and Mission Impossible III actress, Maggie Q, as a federal agent who recruits drivers to take down a criminal syndicate. While recent Need for Speed racers have all but siphoned our tanks of what enthusiasm we once had for the series, those who care can look forward to race with Ms. Q in North America on November 18 and in Europe on November 21.

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]]>black-boxblackboxeaelectronic-artselectronicartsmaggie-qmaggieqneed-for-speedneed-for-speed-undercoverneedforspeedJason Dobson2008-08-15T12:30:00+00:00EA Sports' Moore sets sights on eclipsing Nike brandhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/ea-sports-moore-sets-sights-on-eclipsing-nike-brand/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/ea-sports-moore-sets-sights-on-eclipsing-nike-brand/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/ea-sports-moore-sets-sights-on-eclipsing-nike-brand/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Peter Moore is on a mission. In an interview with MCV, the EA Sports president is looking to poise his company as "the leading sports brand in the world." That's a rather ambitious claim, given the brand dominance of sports industry companies such as ESPN, Nike and his former employer Reebok.

Said Moore, "We need to globalize our business, provide even more opportunities for our customers to interact with us online, knock down the barriers to those who find the learning curve of our games too steep, and discover new areas in sports - and health and wellness - in which our brand can truly make a difference." In other words, Moore is looking to expand the demographic and potential audience of EA Sports titles to every human in existence. May we suggest Michael Phelps Pro S-wii-ming 2009 for the Nintendo Wii?

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]]>eaea-sportselectronic-artsmoorenikepeter-moorereebokRoss Miller2008-08-15T01:00:00+00:00Spore (finally!) evolves into Gold statushttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/spore-finally-evolves-into-gold-status/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/spore-finally-evolves-into-gold-status/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/spore-finally-evolves-into-gold-status/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Calling all gamers, non-gamers and militant atheists alike, Will Wright's years-in-the-making "Sim Everything" Spore has passed through its cell, tribal and civilization phases and has gone gold. The game is set to make its previously announced PC and Mac release date of September 5 for North America and September 7 for Europe. We now look forward to breaking even more Sporepedia milestones in our quest to collectively become 84% God. In the meantime check out our exhaustive Spore Q&A with Maxis Producer Thomas Vu from last month's E3.

Fun fact: Spore's original release date was Fall 2006.

Gallery: Spore (2-12-08)

Calling all gamers, non-gamers and militant atheists alike, Will Wright's years-in-the-making "Sim Everything" Spore has passed through its cell, tribal and civilization phases and has gone gold. The game is set to make its previously announced PC and Mac release date of September 5 for North America and September 7 for Europe. We now look forward to breaking even more Sporepedia milestones in our quest to collectively become 84% God. In the meantime check out our exhaustive Spore Q&A with Maxis Producer Thomas Vu from last month's E3.

Fun fact: Spore's original release date was Fall 2006.

Gallery: Spore (2-12-08)

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]]>breakingnewseaelectronic-artssporeRoss Miller2008-08-14T13:45:00+00:00British model Gemma Atkinson to suit up for Red Alert 3http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/british-model-gemma-atkinson-to-suit-up-for-red-alert-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/british-model-gemma-atkinson-to-suit-up-for-red-alert-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/british-model-gemma-atkinson-to-suit-up-for-red-alert-3/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


When PS3 owners are left out of EA's Red Alert 3, they won't just be left wanting for the game's exotically tough real-time strategy. They'll also miss out on the video game acting debut of English actress/model/singer Gemma Atkinson, who will exchange her flimsy lingerie for something a little more formal as Allied communications officer Lt. Eva McKenna.

EA's PR machine tells us that Atkinson is best recognized for her work on the British soap Hollyoaks, as well as one of the region's most recognized models, though to be fair we're just going to have to take their word for it. The company also notes that she'll be on hand at the UK's M Festival gaming event this Friday, just make sure that when she talks you look into her eyes, and not upon her huge ... tracts of land.

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]]>eaelectronic-artselectronicartsgemma-atkinsonred-alertred-alert-3Jason Dobson2008-08-06T06:00:00+00:00OPM: EA developing Left 4 Dead for PS3http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/opm-ea-developing-left-4-dead-for-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/opm-ea-developing-left-4-dead-for-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/opm-ea-developing-left-4-dead-for-ps3/#commentsFiled under: ,


It's no secret that Valve's Gabe Newell isn't a staunch supporter of the PlayStation 3 -- well, that's putting it lightly. The Half-Life creator actually referred to the system as "a waste of everyone's time". PS3 owners were likely disappointed (though not surprised) to learn that Turtle Rock Studios' (a recent addition to the Valve family) upcoming zombocalypse survival sim Left 4 Dead would be console exclusive to the Xbox 360 -- though a recent blurb in the latest issue of Official Playstation Magazine contradicts this oft-repeated claim.

The one-sentence newsbrief reads, "Valve's survival horror game Left 4 Dead is coming to PS3, but EA will be taking on development duties in-house." That's it -- no attribution for the report or timetable for the title's release. We expect that EA will soon deliver more info about the project -- until then, we wait with bated breath, hoping that we don't have another Orange Box fiasco on our hands.

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]]>eaea-gamesElectronic-artsgabe-newellleft-4-deadps3turtle-rock-studiosvalveGriffin McElroy2008-08-03T19:00:00+00:00Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 4http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/dead-space-animated-comic-issue-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/dead-space-animated-comic-issue-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/02/dead-space-animated-comic-issue-4/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We hope you're in the mood for some illustrated dismemberment -- the fourth installment of EA's Dead Space animated comic dropped last night, bringing the origin story of the title's unsettling setting (the mining station USG Ishimura) a bit closer to completion. This chapter's all about life lessons, really -- for instance, when your space station is being besieged by an aggressive alien organism, perhaps the morgue isn't the best place to hang out. Also, while serving as an intergalactic janitor on said station, perhaps peering down darkened, infested air ducts isn't the best course of action.

Life lessons, swearing (NSFW, BTW), and halved torsos, all posted after the break.

In case you're behind, here are the previous issues:
Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 1
Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 2
Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 3


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]]>comicDead-SpaceeaEARSElectronic-artsGriffin McElroy2008-08-02T13:30:00+00:00Get the 'free' Madden Xbox 360 demo for only $5.97http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/01/get-the-free-madden-xbox-360-demo-for-only-5-97/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/01/get-the-free-madden-xbox-360-demo-for-only-5-97/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/01/get-the-free-madden-xbox-360-demo-for-only-5-97/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We walked into 7-11 today while representatives were setting up the massive marketing onslaught of Madden NFL 09, and it's a full blitz. There are standees, posters, chip racks, Big Gulp plastic collectible cups, and even Madden sandwiches. That's right, Madden sandwiches. Boom. We feel as confused as the digital Terrell Owens in that photo.

As a "special deal" they're offering a FREE Xbox 360 Madden NFL 09 demo... if you purchase a "Madden Sub" ($3.59 for a turkey and cheddar sub, with maybe half a leaflet of lettuce on it), a .99 bag of Doritos (your choice of scent/flavor!) and any "Gulp" or larger drink. We didn't even know there were just plain old "Gulps."

Find out what kind of idiot buys something you can get online at home free, after the break.

That's right. Joystiq did it. What can we say? We were hungry, and we like free stuff. Plus it saves us the trouble of a 1.1 GB download. The disc includes DVD highlights of several NFL videos including The Quarterbacks, Moment of Impact, The NFL's Greatest Follies: Volume 3, Just One Play, and... Chuck? That's right, DVD highlights of NBC's Chuck. We don't get it either. Nom nom nom.

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]]>09DemoElectronic-ArtsFootballMaddenMadden-NFL-09NFLSportsKevin Kelly2008-08-01T22:55:00+00:00Jim Brown sues Sony, EA over Madden likenesshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/01/jim-brown-sues-sony-ea-over-madden-likeness/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/01/jim-brown-sues-sony-ea-over-madden-likeness/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/01/jim-brown-sues-sony-ea-over-madden-likeness/#commentsFiled under: ,

You'd think most football players would be overjoyed to be named to the Madden's "All Browns Team." Not hall-of-fame running back Jim Brown, though. Bloomberg reports that Brown filed suit against Electronic Arts and Sony yesterday in a New York court, alleging that he "never signed away any rights that would allow his likeness to be used.''

What makes Brown different from the hundreds of other current players represented in the game? According to the lawsuit, Brown alleges that when he played in the '50s and '60s, "the NFL had league wide policy that players shall have no lawyers or agents when negotiating compensation." Even if he had had a lawyer, Brown argues, "video games were not invented yet and no union to obtain rights from [them] existed.'

It's a decent argument, but we'd like to think that some forward-looking '60s lawyer could have foreseen the invention of video games and included them in his contract negotiations. After all, today's sports contracts routinely contain clauses for holosim royalties (No, not really).

[Via GameDaily]

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]]>cleveland-brownsEAEA-sportselectronic-artsjim-brownlawsuitlegalMaddenSonyKyle Orland2008-08-01T12:35:00+00:00Edge: Nintendo tops industry's best publishershttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/edge-nintendo-tops-industrys-best-publishers/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/edge-nintendo-tops-industrys-best-publishers/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/30/edge-nintendo-tops-industrys-best-publishers/#commentsFiled under:

The online edition of UK gaming magazine Edge, formerly Next Gen, has come forward with what the proprietors feel exemplifies the top 20 game publishers the industry has to offer. Based on what we're sure represents a complicated formula of revenue, momentum, catalog, and review scores, the magazine found Nintendo to be the absolute crème of the crop, though we imagine it'll be difficult to make out the company's acceptance speech from beneath all that money.

Other notables include Actilizzard and EA, which took home the silver and bronze medals, respectively, while Midway managed to break out of Arkham Asylum just in time to claim the list's 20th -- and final -- spot.

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]]>activisionactivision-blizzardawardseaedgeelectronic-artselectronicartsmidwaynintendopublisherJason Dobson2008-07-30T21:45:00+00:00EA's fiscal Q109 conference call at-a-glancehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/eas-fiscal-q108-conference-call-at-a-glance/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/eas-fiscal-q108-conference-call-at-a-glance/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/eas-fiscal-q108-conference-call-at-a-glance/#commentsFiled under:


Today was the day for industry behemoth Electronic Arts to divulge the results of its (very large) bean counting to investors and the press. In a conference call this afternoon, EA CEO John Riccitiello got down to business, discussing a marked increase in sales over the same period last year, but also fessing up to a stinging $95 million loss. The especially strong performance of Battlefield: Bad Company was singled out as a key contributor to the sales spike, with UEFA Euro 2008 and Rock Band also leading EA's lineup in terms of units moved at retail. A major push into digital distribution, particularly in Asia, was something EA brass also seemed quite pleased with.

Riccitiello made a point of singling out Nintendo platforms as a focus for the company going forward. He talked about Boom Blox being a success both critically and commercially, and revealed that EA has 40 titles in development between Wii and DS. He stated that the company's approach with the titles is a combination of "quality over quantity" and ensuring that they are designed to take full advantage of each platform's unique feature set. The EA boss used the upcoming Wii title Skate It as an example.

EA's acquisition of BioWare and Pandemic was briefly touched on, with mention of an MMO (likely BioWare's online KOTOR title) coming out of the deal "for the future." Another future title called out in the prepared statement was the Command & Conquer FPS, Tiberium, which Riccitiello confirmed has become a fiscal year 2010 release.

EA Sports head Peter Moore revealed that pre-order numbers for NCAA Football 09 and Madden NFL 09 are lower than they were for last year's football titles, but expects both games to perform better than average for their respective franchises. Moore stressed the importance of innovation and wholly-owned properties in the sports space, singling out the Dynamic DNA feature of NBA Live 09 as an example of the former, and Facebreaker to represent the latter. He also confirmed that EA Sports is working on another, yet-unannounced original sports IP. EA Sports will return to the field with PC sports titles next year, Moore said, stating that the new lineup will boast features derived from the platform's strengths in online connectivity.

During the Q&A session that followed the EA execs' scripted statements, Riccitiello talked about Battlefield Heroes, the company's free-to-play installment in the popular franchise, being reworked to include stronger social networking features. Oh, and that takeover of Take-Two the company has been plotting? Riccitiello and crew weren't talking about that.

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]]>eaea-sportselectronic-artsq109Randy Nelson2008-07-29T21:30:00+00:00EA generated $90m through digital distribution in Q1http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/ea-generated-90m-through-digital-distribution-in-q1/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/ea-generated-90m-through-digital-distribution-in-q1/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/ea-generated-90m-through-digital-distribution-in-q1/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


While NPD reports are great for tallying up the sales of actual physical games - you know, like on discs and what not - a rapidly growing segment of the video game industry operates outside their purview, performing the mysterious (and often times lucrative) alchemy of turning bits slung digitally over the internet into cold, hard cash.

Electronic Arts shared some figures during their fiscal Q1 conference call, announcing it generated over $90 million in revenue through digital distribution in that three month period. Those figures are ostensibly gathered from digital sales of PC games on the EA Store, not to mention downloadable content for video game consoles (insert your own joke here about Battlefield weapons here). Sized up against EA's overall quarterly revenue of $804m, digital distribution accounts for an impressive 11% of that total and, we're quite certain, will continue to grow.

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]]>BreakingNewsEAElectronic-ArtsQ1RevenueChristopher Grant2008-07-29T19:58:00+00:00Riccitiello: EA should have bet on Wii; PS3 and 360 still 'meaningful'http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/riccitiello-ea-should-have-bet-on-wii-ps3-and-360-still-meani/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/riccitiello-ea-should-have-bet-on-wii-ps3-and-360-still-meani/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/riccitiello-ea-should-have-bet-on-wii-ps3-and-360-still-meani/#commentsFiled under: ,


We know Electronic Arts has been kicking itself for underestimating the Wii since the console first came out in November of '06. When John Riccitiello rejoined EA the following February, that decision was already made and he's been turning the boat around ever since, telling the Mercury News, "We typically figured out who the market leader was going to be before the start of the cycle and bet with our development resources on that platform. We made the wrong call there (by betting on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360), which made this transition harder than it would otherwise be." In development for Wii: EA Sports All Play lineup; SimAnimals; MySims Kingdom; Boogie Superstar; Hasbro Family Game Night; Skate It; and more. Let's hope they fare better than the underappreciated Boom Blox.

Of course, increased focus on the Wii doesn't mean that EA is ignoring the 360, PS3, or PC markets. In fact, the company just had what could arguably be called its best E3 showing ever - Spore, Dead Space, Mirror's Edge, Dragon Age: Origins, Left 4 Dead, Rock Band 2 - comprised entirely of games for those platforms. Riccitiello addresses the continued focus on "next-gen" development saying that what's "unusual in this cycle is there's a second and third place that is meaningful, against which we can build a profitable business."

We're sure EA will do fine with Wii and DS, but we've got our eyes squarely on those second and third place consoles. We don't know what it costs to run a big, fancy gaming company but if it helps in your quarterly budgeting, EA, we're planning to buy at least ... twelve of each of those titles.

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]]>EAElectronic-ArtsJohn-RiccitielloChristopher Grant2008-07-29T16:15:00+00:00Scrabulous disabled for US, Canadian Facebook usershttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/scrabulous-disabled-for-us-canadian-facebook-users/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/scrabulous-disabled-for-us-canadian-facebook-users/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/scrabulous-disabled-for-us-canadian-facebook-users/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Hoping to make a comeback with that 365-point quixotry play in Scrabulous? US and Canadian Facebook users were likely dismayed to find out this week that Scrabulous has been disabled. The region-specific lock likely has to do with Hasbro's license for all Scrabble video games, which is for US and Canada only (Mattel owns the rights for the rest of the world). In the interim, you can always play the official Scrabble Facebook app care of Electronic Arts, although it lacks the panache of the seemingly now-defunct Scrabulous.

[Thanks, Andrew B]

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]]>eaelectronic-artsfacebookhasbromattelscrabblescrabulousRoss Miller2008-07-29T12:15:00+00:00Warhammer Online release date changed to more vague 'Sept 08'http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/warhammer-online-release-date-changed-to-more-vague-sept-08/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/warhammer-online-release-date-changed-to-more-vague-sept-08/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/warhammer-online-release-date-changed-to-more-vague-sept-08/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Electronic Arts website for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning has been updated, and the release date has changed from September 23 to the less precise "September 2008." If you were planning to take off work and level grind all day, you may want to reconsider until a more concrete date arrives. Given the MMO's penchant for delays, we don't expect September to be set in stone, either.

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]]>eaelectronic-artsmythicwarhammerwarhammer-onlineRoss Miller2008-07-28T15:30:00+00:00