With the exception of Mass Effect 3's release, EA has had a tough year. However, their press conference showed no signs of that the company was struggling. With games such as Dead Space 3, Medal of Honor: Warfighter, and the ever popular FIFA, EA showed why they are a force to be reckoned with.
EA started off their conference with Dead Space 3, a series that has revolutionized the horror genre of gaming. I kicked myself for not assuming EA would be delivering a sequel to this series, but at the same time enjoyed that it came as a surprise. The gameplay trailer showed a new aspect to Dead Space, Co-Op. At first I was excited about the idea of Co-Op and an expansion of the variety of enemies, but then after thinking about it I had my doubts. Does the Co-Op take away from the isolation feeling that I thought was core to the gameplay? Will the AI be smart enough to strategically control my companion if I choose to play alone? Only time will tell.
EA then moved on to their casual department, showing off Madden and Sim City. Although I was uninterested in both, I enjoyed Hall of Famer Michael Irvin as a guest speaker for Madden. A memorable quote, which had me smiling, was "You got the coolest job in the world," which I believe is totally true. Also, I had to chuckle when Sim City had the catchphrase "More City, Less Ville" (a little bash on Farmville and Zynga).
Moving on, new updates to Battlefield 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic were announced. Battlefield 3 now has a Premium service that gives players access to 5 extra DLC packs, including an all out vehicle warfare map, and at a $50 price ($10 per pack) I thought it was a good reason to get back into the Battlefield mode. SWTOR also showed a reason to pick up the game, adding a free update with increase in level cap, and a new planet. Also, in July, anyone can play SWTOR for free, up to level 15. These bonuses are a great reason to pick up both games for the summer.
So far EA has impressed, and its conference moved on to Medal of Honor: Warfighter. Running on the Frostbite 2 engine, the game looked visually stunning. Comparing it to Battlefield 3, they both looked quite similar but different at the same time which in my opinion is a good thing. Both singleplayer and mutliplayer looked promising, and Warfighter definitely has a chance at competing with Call of Duty Black Ops 2.
After that adrenaline rush, we got to relax with more EA Sports news which included a return of EA NBA 13, the continuation of FIFA, and a partnership with UFC. With FIFA being a worldwide phenomenon it was good to see EA capitalizing on it by revealing the new mechanics of the game and social connectivity options. And finally, UFC can finally get its recognition with its EA partnership and hopefully it will become as successful as the other EA Sports games.
To conclude EA's conference, Need for Speed: Most Wanted and Crysis 3 were revealed. Both were fairly impressive but didn't compare to the games that opened the show. Need for Speed took the series into a new direction, making the game completely open world. I think this will make the game more approachable, but will be overshadowed by the rest of the powerhouses being released in October. Crysis 3 showed nothing new and I really thought it shouldn't have been the endnote of the show.
Overall, EA had one of the better presentations that I've seen. It followed Microsoft by starting off strong, but tailing off at the end, but EA sparkled in providing what gamers wanted, EA GAMES! There was a good balance between hardcore and casual games and the way the game presentations were spread out, EA kept viewers watching. It was an excellent conference and is the conference to beat.
EA Press Conference
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