Battlefield 3 Sexy New Screenshots

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FIFA 12 Reveal Cover Stars + New Screenshots

With FIFA 12 not to far off release, EA have announced who will be gracing the cover of there hugely popular football simulation. Here is a list of who will be donning the front in each country.

UK – Wayne Rooney & Jack Wilshere

Brazil – Kaka

France – Philippe Mexes & Karim Benzema

Italy – Giampaolo Pazzini

Spain – Gerard Piqué & Xabi Alonso

Germany – Mats Hummels

Australia – Tim Cahill

Switzerland - Valentin Stocker

Russia – Vasili Berezutski

Hungary – Balázs Dzsudzsák

EA also released 6 new screenshots which feature even more hustling and bustling from the likes of Didier Drogba and the equally brilliant Shoala Ameobi.

FIFA will be released on 27th September 2011 in North America and 30th September 2011 worldwide.

PES 2012 Release Date Confirmed

As a life long ‘PES fan’ I couldn’t of been more happier with today’s news that Konami confirmed the release date for PES 2012. It will be released in Europe on 14th October 2011, two weeks after FIFA 12 is released. It will be interesting to see whether this has any bearing on sales figures, it could well be a master stroke form the Japanese developers. All I know is, I am very excited for this game.

Jon Murphy, European PES Team Leader said

“PES 2012 is a massive advance for the football genre, truly the most ambitious and advanced football game ever. The additions we have made in terms of Teammate Control, Active AI and Off the Ball Control and elevate the level of play to new heights. No other game allows users so much control over their team, and PES 2012 ensures that the days of gaps in defence and shouting at teammates to make a run are long gone. This is a very exciting time to be a PES fan, and we are delighted that we can set a firm date for football fans to mark in their calendars.”

Gaming Website Launch Coming In August

Launch of new website, Coming in August.


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Gaming Website Launch Coming In August

Launch of new website, Coming in August.


Be the first to follow, sign up for VIP Privileges. 


Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/DailyGamingNW


Facebook 
Group - http://www.facebook.com/groups/248983578447422?ap=1
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Battlefield 3 Getting No Modding Tools

Electronic Arts and DICE have confirmed that Battlefield 3 is being designed for the PC first, consoles second, making today's news surprising for most PC gamers: Battlefield 3 will not include mod tools.

Speaking with GamerStar, EA Senior VP Patrick Soderlund broke the news. "As of now, we are not going to make any modding tools, no," Soderlund told GamerStar. "If you look at the Frostbite engine, and how complex it is, it's going to be very difficult for people to mod the game, because of the nature of the set up of levels, of the destruction and all those things… it's quite tricky. So we think it's going to be too big of a challenge for people to make a mod."

See the full interview below:



Previously, Battlefield 3 executive producer Patrick Bach told Game Informer that DICE is exploring other ways to appease the modding community.

"We will not deliver mod tools in the way that we delivered them for Battlefield 2," Bach said. "Creating mod tools today - dumbing them down - takes a lot of energy and what we are discussing more every day is, 'Where do we put our focus?'"

"Right now our focus is to create the best possible multiplayer, single-player, and co-op game -- the core game of Battlefield 3," he added. "We're still discussing how we handle modifications of any kind."

Bach made his comments in February, so in four months time, DICE evidently still hasn't decided how to handle the modding issue.

FIFA 12: Tactical Defending Explained

With FIFA and PES now gathering some momentum, It seems each game is trying to get a little bit more information out than the other. This as you can imagine can be exciting yet frustrating as the developers can't give away everything and need to hold back so we all have something to look forward to when we pop that brand new shiny disc in our systems. Which is why this little treat from Darren Cross explaining FIFA 12's new Tactical Defending system was enough to keep me occupied until the next wave of announcements.

Football Journalist and FIFA Gamer, Darren Cross:
http://www.ea.com/uk/news/the-backpage-tactical-defending-explained?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_content=Twitter


"Hello, and welcome back to The Backpage.

It’s been ages since we’ve spoken, but I’ve been quiet for a very good reason… I’ve spent the last few weeks and months getting to know FIFA 12 a whole lot better. Among trips to FIFA HQ in Vancouver and the UK offices in Guildford, I’ve also managed to wangle a day playing a very early version of the game.

Just don’t tell my Editor at MATCH that, he thinks I was in meetings.

By now I’m sure you’ve hoovered up all the available info on the new game, so I’m not going to go over old news by writing about the headline features that were announced last month. Instead, over the next few weeks I’ll be focusing on what these features and changes actually do to the game and the gameplay, what that means to you and – in some cases – how you can start preparing for them now. And as always I’ll aim to include a bit of real football insight if it directly relates to the game, which will prove to be the case a lot as we take a much closer look at 12.

So you’re going to notice that FIFA has changed as soon as you turn 12 on for the first time. I’m sure you’ve picked that up so far. You’ll instantly spot the new menu system – horizontal instead of vertical – and the improved presentation of the matches, which is now closer to the kind of package you’d expect to see on Sky or ESPN.

Once you’re done being quietly impressed with that, the game will kick-off and you’ll immediately see the new Player Impact Engine at work as players move about the pitch and react to what’s happening around them. It looks amazing, and some of the collisions and their effects will have you wincing… then quickly accessing the replay function for another look as you wonder just how the team at EA Canada have made this all look so real.

However, it’s not how things LOOK that will make the biggest impression on you initially, but how things FEEL. I’m talking about the new Tactical Defending feature, which is going to slap you in the face and shout ‘I’m new!’ as soon as you start working on winning the ball back for the first time.

In FIFA 11 you don’t really have to work all that hard on defence. The press and standing tackle feature take care of all that for you, tracking down the player with the ball and pressing them constantly until your team win it back. As the defender, all you are doing is holding one button to press – or two to double press – but as the attacker you feel a bit like the ball is a hot potato… something to get rid of quickly due to the heatseeking defender that is inevitably closing in on you.

Great for the defending team, but a little unbalanced and not really all that realistic.

Realism, as I’m sure you know, is something the team behind the game strives for and prides themselves on, so it’s no surprise that this system has been completely overhauled, but let me just explain what I mean when I say that the defending system in 11 isn’t as realistic as it could be…

For starters, constantly pressing with multiple players can rip a team’s shape and formation to pieces. I’m sure you’ve seen this happen in FIFA 11 and – if you’re anything like me – you’ve probably fallen into the trap of over-pressing then watched with horror as the opposition skips through a gap in your defence, which has parted like the Red Sea, due to both of your centre-backs being roughly 40,000 miles out of position.

You just don’t see that in real football (well, unless your unfortunate enough to be watching my amateur team play on a Saturday) and so you no longer see it in FIFA. Now a defender will track the path of the ball, but won’t go surging in to win it right away like he will do in 11. You now control the distance your defender stands from the attacker, and you also have control over which areas of the pitch you want to shepherd the attacker into. If he wanders into an area that would take your player out of position, you switch to a defender in a better position and begin the process again. Finally, and crucially, YOU choose the exact moment to make an attempt for the ball.

This is exactly how defending works in real football.

If you speak to any professional footballer, they will tell you that the first job of a defender is not to win the ball back, but to slow the opposition player down and direct him to areas of the pitch where he will either do no damage, face more traffic or be forced to turn back.

If, during that process, they get a chance to win the ball back then they will of course take it, but what they don’t do is go mindlessly rushing forward in search of the ball without any thought to positioning.

Neither will you in FIFA 12, and it’s this that will take the most getting used to.

I don’t mean that in a negative way though. Yes it takes time to forget the pressing system from FIFA 11 and you will spend the first few games instinctively trying to press, but once you get the hang of it – and you will – the experience is infinitely more engaging, rewarding and realistic.

Which brings me on to my final point; how you can prepare for this new system now.

The answer is simply to watch some football. As much football as you possibly can, paying particular attention to what is happening with the defending team.

Watch the body shape and positioning of the defenders and notice how they attempt to direct the attackers into disadvantageous positions. They will do things like force a player on to his weak foot by standing to the attacker’s stronger side. Wide midfielders will show attackers infield where they know they’ll have more bodies in the way to intercept and – most importantly – all defenders will stay on their feet until they’re as certain as they can be that they’ll get something on the ball if they go for the tackle.

Look out for these things, take a mental note of how they’re done and I guarantee you the transition to FIFA 12’s Tactical Defending system will be smoother.

And don’t worry that’s it’s the closed season either; there’s still plenty of live matches for you to check out. The Copa America starts on July 2 and there are more than a few players there who can teach us all a thing or two about defending. I know I’ll be watching"

FIFA 12: Is It An Evolution Or A Revolution?

CVG released this rather interesting article today on whether FIFA 12 were keeping there promise on a revolution rather than evolution in this years iteration. Check it out.


CVG:
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/309982/previews/fifa-12-is-it-an-evolution-or-a-revolution/?cid=OTC-RSS&attr=CVG-Previews-RSS

"Revolution not evolution' promises FIFA 12's marketing blurb. Truth told, it's a misleading claim in the Bolshevik sense, but on the evidence of our extensive hands-on, it does succeed on a more literal level - since FIFA 12's key feature is the ability to turn rapidly in a tight circle.

It sounds daft, but Precision Dribbling - the ability for skilled players to turn sharper and quicker, using only subtle left stick prompts - is arguably the biggest leap in the series' recent history. Using technical players like Nasri or Arshavin, it's now possible to 'sell' a defender using sharp-angled turns or 180 direction shifts, using their body weight or momentum against them.

Best of all, it's completely intuitive, unlike the slightly forced 'skill dribble' of old, where you held both shoulder buttons for closer control. Strong, gifted players like Berbatov can 'hold up' a ball in packed midfields using subtle stick shifts, keeping defender pressure at bay with delicate ball touches.
The result is that it's much easier to play through the middle, using technique players such as Fabregas to buy space in crowded midfields. Playmakers like Xavi will be able to spot longer ranged passes using an extended cone of vision. In theory, this 'Pro Player Intelligence' allows the PS3- controlled team to attack you more realistically, hitting long balls to big men like Crouch and dribbling more with skilful players like Messi - but this'll need more time for us to test.

The dribbling forms part of an interlinked 'trinity' of changes, including Tactical Defending. You no longer hold X to cheesily pressure-tackle a player, but to 'contain' them: using the left stick to move closer or further away before tapping square (on alternate controls) at the right moment for a tackle. Mistime it, and you'll be off balance, allowing the attacker to burst past.

Mistimed tackles are amplified by the Player Impact Engine, with collision animations and injuries calculated in real-time. In Manager Mode, your handling of an injury will become a key part of the season's 'story' - rush a player back and he risks a relapse.

Overall, it's a subtle but powerful combination - dribbling finally feels intuitive and player-specific, as it did in the vintage, PS2-era PES, and the tackling will quell maddening online 'pressure abusers.' Revolution is perhaps too bold a claim, but it does ask stern questions of Konami's more evolutionary football rival"

FIFA 12 Offering Players 24 Free Gold Packs

Don't you just love getting something extra for free? A little bonus. Say when you order a 6 piece chicken nugget meal from Macdonald's, to find there are actually 7 chicken nuggets inside! Its not a lot but a little bonus, Its nice and fulfils the little part of the brain which wasn't expecting it. Although when it comes to Pre order bonuses, That's another matter. As much as I disagree with these PO bonuses, FIFA 12/ GAME offer seems to be a pretty nice little touch to anyone wanting to jump on board the Fifa ship early. If you ore-order with GAME, you'll get 24 FIFA 12 Ultimate Team gold packs (four a month over the course of six months). Pre-orders from other retailers will net you a reduced 18 gold packs (three a month over six months). Not a bad little offer ay?





Ultimate Team will be released in September as a separate download. FIFA 12 launches in North America on September 27. The rest of the world has to wait a few extra days until September 30.

Konami Confident Of PES 2012 Success

Will PES 2012 beat FIFA 12 this year? No, Probably not. With Fifa 11 shipping more than 820,000 in week one sales, To think that PES will out sell the giant this year is naive to say the least. Although are we looking at it all wrong? I mean do Konami want all of that fanbase? or just the hardcore. Well John Murphy UK PES Team Leader tells CVG what he thinks about this whole FIFA Vs PES debate and what chances PES has this year of attracting fans back to the former kings of virtual football.

Jon Murphy telling CVG: 

"I really do believe that the offering we've got this year will pull some fans back from the competition. Perhaps we'll see another year when people buy both games, but after six months, we want to make sure they trade-in only one of them - and it's not ours.

"[FIFA] has the atmosphere, the crowds and certain licences we don't - and everybody knows they've got better commentary than us. I can't see that changing. And some of the stuff they're doing with the collisions looks great, depending how it works as you actually play.

"But if you want pure gameplay, I think we'll smash them this year. We've got so many things going for us, but just the lightness of touch and the way the players move independently is fantastic. You notice it instantly."

Murphy added: "We don't want everyone, it's not about that - we want the front runners, the opinion formers, the players who tell their friends 'you've got to check out PES this year'. We want to bring them back, and I think we can."

EA Obtain 40 Infinity Ward Developers

As if there were enough problems between EA and Activision, news has come out that at least 40 Infinity Ward employees have defected from the grip of Bobby Koticks hot fiery hands, To EA owned studio Respawn Entertainment to join up with former IW heads Vincent Zampella and Jason West.

Yes, most of the team that was responsible for arguably two of the biggest games ever to be released are now with Activisions arch rivals. EA have made it perfectly clear that they are gunning for the big dogs and this can only be good news for them, What an acquisition they have obtained. There is no news as to how Bobby Kotick has taken the news, but knowing Bobby, he is probably too busy playing poker with the devil and Hitler to care.

Two Big Titles Set To Hit XBLA, PSN Store's Next Week

One must commend Sony and the PlayStation Store team for getting so much content out in such a timely manner in the last few weeks. A barrage of PSN titles, demos, trailers, and so much more have hit the store since it was brought back online in late May. Though some big releases haven’t hit PSN yet, Sony has confirmed a couple of games will see release next week that fans have been asking about now for weeks.

The first title confirmed to be arriving on the PlayStation Store next week is EA and Vanguard’s Gatling Gears. Gathering much praise since its release on XBLA, Gatling Gears is a unique and fun title that is designed to appeal to gamers of all ages. Delivered as a top-down shooter, the game's vivid graphics and expansive level design is great for local and online co-op play with friends.  Fans of titles like Dead Nation or Super Stardust HD should look into Gatling Gears.

Secondly, Ubisoft’s Beyond Good and Evil HD will finally arrive on PSN next week. The wait for this title has been a very long one for PS3-only owners. Any fan of the original PS2, Xbox, or PC version of Beyond Good and Evil should put money aside to pick the title up next week when it lands on PSN.

Are EA Going to Run Themselves Into The Ground?

Its hard to see anyone toppling Call Of Duty and World of Warcraft at the moment. With such an incredibly large fan base with loyal users, this just doesn't seem possible. Which is why I am shocked of all the talk coming out of Electronic Arts at the moment. Its been a funny couple of years for EA. Yearly franchises generate a yearly income which they can rely on but they also tested the waters with several new IP's, Some very good ones at that. 

Games such as Dead Space were fantastic to play and were very critically acclaimed but not when it came to sales figures. Maybe this has driven EA in a different direction. I fear that they have taken a wrong turn this time. With EA so publicly gunning for Activision within the gaming market and off it, They are sailing a risky ship. 

There's no denying that Battlefield 3 looks gorgeous and the new Frostbite 2 engine gives it that depth and fluidity that Call Of Duty just doesn't have. Battlefield 3 will sell nicely but with the incredible amount of money they have spent developing this new engine to achieve the game they want to challenge and the vast amount of money spent on marketing to force COD fans to pick there game instead, If this venture fails then where does it leave them? Not only are they going after the biggest game in history but also the game with the most loyal fanbase, World of Warcraft. 

Star Wars The Old Republic is Bioware and EA's big challenger to the MMORPG crown. Its not official but if reports are thought to be true then EA have spent a staggering amount of money on developing this game. Announced some time ago, That figure is only getting larger by the day. SWTOR and Battlefield 3 won't lose EA any money. Lets not be stupid now, These are huge games that will sell, but EA's reputation could take a real beating in all this. 


What do you guys think? Will Battlefield and SWTOR sell better than Activisions Giants?

EA and Activision Multi-Million Dollar Legal Scrap Set To Begin

I could attempt to explain this (and believe me I did) but Tom Ingham of CVG put it in better words than I ever could.


by Tom Ingham of CVG


"A Los Angeles Superior Court judge this week ruled that there were enough facts to support allegations from former Infinity Ward chiefs Jason West and Vincent Zampella that Activision Blizzard defrauded the duo to the tune of $125 million - meaning the path is now set for a full hearing later this year.

The pair are suing the US publisher, headed up by Bobby Kotick, for being fired before receiving what they claim were deserved royalty payments.

The duo claim that Activision promised them control of the Modern Warfare series - as well as increased royalties for Infinity ward on income over $50 million on future games. However, they say that they were removed in 2010 (forcibly, if you remember) before the due payment of over $125 million in royalties was to be made.

West and Zampella's attorneys will be able to question Activision Blizzard CEO Kotick directly as part of the case.

The news follows a ruling from back in March, when another L.A superior court judge ruled that Activision also had sufficient claims against Electronic Arts, for interfering with West and Zampella's contract.

Judge Berle sided with Activision to pursue its countersuit litigation against EA, West and Zampella.

Activision is seeking $400 million in damages for "tortious interference, unfair competition, and breaches of fiduciary duty".

It claims that EA executives made secret attempts to lure the Call of Duty creators as early as July 2009 - pointing the finger at EA CEO John Riccitiello in particular.

West and Zampella set up new studio Respawn Entertainment in April 2010. The US company is being funded by EA as part of the publisher's Partners programme.

No product has yet been revealed by Respawn. It is thought to have been creating a game since May 2010, whilst staff wearing the company's logo on their T-shirts were out en masse at E3.

Following West and Zampellla's removal from Infinity Ward, 46 staff left the Modern Warfare creator - 38 of whom have now declared that they have signed with Respawn.

In amongst a host of catty comments that have emerged on both sides of of the case, Activision has labelled the pair "self-serving schemers".

Activision in the dock: West and Zampella's claim for $125m unpaid royalties:
First filed: March, 2010

- Activision defrauded the founders of Infinity Ward by not releasing "substantial royalty payments"

- Activision is also liable for for breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, wrong termination in violation of public policy, and declaratory relief

- West and Zampella's right to "control Modern Warfare-branded games" has been violated - and the duo want partial future control of the MW Brand

EA, West and Zampella in the dock. Activision's claim for $400m in damages:
(First filed: April 2010. EA added to suit, December 2010)

- EA execs began a conspiracy with West and Zampella whilst the duo were still Activision employees

- Electronic Arts "intentionally interfered with contracts, engaged in unfair competition, and aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duty by West and Zampella"

- West and Zampella refused to sign standard exit documents that testified they had returned all Activision property, including game development code

- West and Zampella were "motivated by envy and personal greed" and intentionally released game trailers for Modern Warfare 2 on the same day that Treyarch posted promotion videos for Call of Duty: World at War DLC"


So yeah.... There you go.


Who do you think is in the right?

Battlefield 3 iOS Game Footage

It's been rumoured for some time that EA's been planning a mobile release for its massively anticipated Battlefield 3 game, due out for consoles/PC in late October.

After all, it belated released an iOS version of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 at the end of 2010.

Now, it seems that was something of a trial run for Battlefield 3; a game EA believes in so much it's going head-to-head with Activision's CoD: Modern Warfare 3.

And we know we're very unlikely to get an mobile version of that.

Sneak peak

Of course, this far out, little has been revealed of the game, other than it's definitely coming to iOS devices, and is directly related to the console version - at least in terms of using the same marketing graphics.

The only gameplay shown has been a brief second of FPS footage, with the character in a what appears to be an Eastern-flavoured shadowy corridor between various buildings and with over-saturated sunlight streaming down in the distance.

You can get a glimpse if it in EA Mobile's E3 trailer, below.

Battlefield 3 PS3 Gameplay Footage

We have all seen the gorgeous Faultline trailers for Battlefield 3 on the PC (Presumably a very impressive PC) Now its the Playstation 3 that is showing off the awesome power of EA's brand new Frostbite 2 Engine.

Here's When and Where to Watch All the Live E3 Press Conferences

Today is the day,

E3 is here! Make sure you don't miss a thing by catching all the press conference's live as they happen. There's nothing like watching a big reveal as they happen. Will Microsoft announce some hardcore Kinect titles? Will Nintendo blow us away with another innovation? Will Sony apologise for depriving gamers for a few months? E3 is here and we are about's to find out.

Monday 6 June 2011

Microsoft Live Press Conference: 5:00pm -

http://e3.gamespot.com/press-conference/microsoft-e3/index.html

EA Live Press Conference: 08:30pm -

http://e3.gamespot.com/press-conference/ea-e3/?tag=content_nav%3Bvideo%3Bea

Ubisoft Live Press Conference: 10:30pm -

http://e3.gamespot.com/press-conference/ubisoft-e3/?tag=content_nav%3Bvideo%3Bubisoft

Tuesday 7 June 2011

Sony Live Press Conference: 1:00am -

http://e3.gamespot.com/press-conference/sony-e3/index.html

Nintendo Live Press Conference: 05:00pm -

http://e3.gamespot.com/press-conference/nintendo-e3/?tag=content_nav%3Bvideo%3Bnintendo