EA Conference Round Up

Preamble:

So I came out of last year with a great deal of hope.

Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst, hopefully gameplay, hopefully no guns

Battlefront, we need to see a match. We just do at this point, people have enough concerns

We will probably see the usual array of FIFA and Madden, as well as more DLC for Hardline and Inquisition.

Need for Speed reboot is gonna be shown off.

Bioware maybe? Show off more mass effect for next year? Possibly even any more Star Wars stuff?

EA begins their conference. A hand sweeping through screens. Johnny Cash music.  It’s a Mass effect teaser. STRONG START.  CG trailer, but a strong start.

Discover a new Galaxy, Mako on a wild west esque frontier. Jetpack shown.
Mass Effect Andromeda. Holiday 2016

EA is all about play. Apparently.

3 Original IP’s to be shown off. Including one we’ve never seen.

Need For Speed. Heavily channeling fast and furious. Earn the respect of driving icons and be the best. I initially didn’t think this was in-game footage. It is in engine. It is stunning.

Customisation and narrative are the focus here. Pre alpha footage apparently. Mix of real world footage and then the in engine stuff is led into. Wide sandbox world, join races as you go along.Cops can interrupt flow of races,.I genuinely don’t think the game could look this good all around. I would say it isn’t getting by without a downgrade.
Old republic, which I may have forgotten existed, something new is on the way. Bioware style story is coming in the Knights of the Fallen Empire expansion, free for subscribers, heavily trading on the knights of the old republic legacy. Trailer shown, looks like brother on brother fighting.

Unravelled. New IP. String based character. 14ppl studio from northern Sweden.
You play a doll made of a piece of red thread that ties people’s lives together. It’s actually very sweet. The guy presenting is so very nervous. 2D Platformer, you leave a trail of yarn that marks your path and symbolizes the absence of love and support . Enemy includes a beaver and crow, using a leaf to form a kite, or hitch a fish to a boat,  Award for sweetest game is now in contention. This looks incredibly good.

Plants Vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 has a zombie in a supersuit walk on stage to Kenny Loggins’ danger zone. This is less sweet and honest than the last game. Plants are on the attack in this game, 4 player zombie co-op mode, zombies on defence. Different classes have different powers and effects. Looks solid enough, more of the first game. Titanfall reference in the mech class. Singleplayer is now a feature, solo play of all modes, plus local split screen.

Free content updates after launch to make sure community stays up.

And now for EA:Sports. Universally recognised as the optimal time to use the toilet.
NHL16: been taking advice from community for updates.

Rory McIlroy’s PGA is now in Frostbite engine, very few load times.
Ultimate teams, the fantasy league game, is continuing support for all sports

They’ve literally melded all the sports games together. THEY KNOW WE DON’T CARE.

NBA Live 16: Use your phone camera app to scan your face, and put your face in the game.
YOURE IN THE GAME. the true evolution of EA sports.

Physics based movement, designed around thousands of hours of animation capture. To their credit, they do look very fluid.

New games for shooting

New game mode coming later in the summer.

“LETS TALK ABOUT MOBILE”. Or we could just not.

Need for speed mobile, Fifa Ultimate on mobile.

Star wars galaxy of heroes. CCG mobile game about the entire star wars canon.

Minions Paradise. Builder game, with unique minion. Phil. He ruins everything. This might be a very clever satire. Animations of cute minions, and they get into hilarious mishaps.

“ this entire concept sounds boring”. Actual quote from someone who loves both building games and minions.

Fifa Time.
Pele is narrating a montage. Standing ovation for him as he walks out. Telling stories about coining the phrase “the beautiful game”

There was literally just an interview in the middle of this.
THEY PUT A REMINDER THAT MIRROR’S EDGE IS UP NEXT TO STOP PEOPLE LEAVING. They know we are their hostages.

No touch dribbling, clinical finishing, more pretty animations.
Debating whether to just copy paste my notes from last year, as it seems they have with this presentation.

Women’s Teams in the game, level of authenticity is FIFA guaranteed. More news during the rest of the summer.
Free ultimate pele card thing for everyone signed up right now.

Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst

Origin story of faith. SHE DOESN’T NEED GUNS. Uncovering secrets around the city, story missions, environment puzzles, races and time trials.

NO loading screens, no Levels.

Gameplay. Feb 23 2016 Release
City is stunning with lighting effects, more colour than original game, but very definitely in the same style. , Design choices like scuffed shoe marks to show how to climb walls. Very slim gameplay. Antagonist’s name is Gabriel Krueger. Because why try to be subtle about seeming evil.

Time for Madden,
Talking about Fantasy drafting in Draft Champions.American football talk, i have no idea, they appear to be trading people like stocks.

Games all about the passing game now.

BATTLEFRONT OR WE TAKE THE STAGE. Okay then, Finally.

DICE and Frostbite, Saving the day, Battlefront time.

Incredibly detailed, immersive, completely authentic experience.

Direct recreations of the movies and locations

The X wing is so goddamn beautiful.

AI solo, co-op and split screen games.

Walker Assault game mode on Hoth. Escort walkers as empire, destroy them as rebels.

Pre Alpha footage

OH THIS HAS THE BATTLEFIELD SCALE GOING ON. Sound and rumble and feeling of HUGENESS

ATAT piloting  is in the game, though seemingly on rails.

Orbital strikes, Jetpacks, switch between first third person on the fly

Tripping AT ATs like the old days. with the snowspeeders.

TIE fighters, X wings flying around the map, definitely a major part of the game.

Aliens confirmed as part of the rebel makeup.

Darth Vader and Luke as hero style units.

November 17th release date.
Right, Battlefront and MIrror’s edge obviously delivered, otherwise fairly bland. Not enough news about Mass Effect Andromeda to make a fair call yet.
Yarnie though and Unravelled? That’s gonna be important. The sheer passion of that guy was great. I can’t wait for that.