So how is EA's Skate franchise evolving in the face of Activision's new peripheral-based entry in the Tony Hawk franchise? This time around it's all about the community and teamwork, with an all-new co-op mode that allows teammates to complete challenges together, advancing each other's careers in the process. Senior producer Jason DeLong explains the importance of the social side of Skate 3.

"The social and community aspects of the SKATE franchise are something we've always embraced, but we've never done anything to the scale you're going to see in SKATE 3. We're giving gamers a very unique experience by providing them with the tools they need to build their ultimate team or to create a team comprised entirely of their online friends. From there, it's all about proving yourself – teaming up, and throwing down."

Along with the emphasis on working together, Skate 3 also features an expanded Hall of Meat, a brand new skate.School to help players learn the ropes, and enhancements to the user-created content with the skate.Create feature suite, which allows players to create their own graphics, videos, and skate parks.

Skate 3 is currently in development for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 at EA's Black Box studio, with a target release date (in the UK at least) of May 2010. Check out the teaser trailer below to witness people skating, which I suppose is all you can really ask for.

"We think its about time PC gamers had games that allowed them to arrange their information their way," says a developer. Instead of building a traditional console view, they're developing one that accounts for the increasingly customizable PC gaming experience, which needs to account for multiple monitors as more the norm than the exception.

That's the screen of the in-development game above.

"The gadgets are really flexible and offer a wide range of display options: docked/undocked, floating in the game window or just sitting outside of the game space," says the dev. "A lot of gamers now have more than one monitor so you could keep the game window entirely clean and then have all the gadgets sit in the other monitor."

NFS: World Online gets a release in Asia this year before going to the rest of the world. It'll be a free, web-based MMO set in the racing world.

NFS World Online Interface Revealed [Need For Speed Official blog, via Evil Avatar]

Blackbox - despite recent layoffs - still have the manpower and the time to work on not just NFS: World Online, but a "future action title in the franchise". Action? Since Shift is going the simulation route, Nitro the Mario Kart one and World Online the...online market, could he mean a return to the get-your-cans-out-luv, bright pink Honda racer boy theme of the last few games?

EA Games' Keith Munro, meanwhile, has said the sudden reboot of the series has nothing to do with recent financial woes, and more to do with EA's recent move towards "crafting different games for different audiences and their unique tastes in the driving category".

EA Black Box doing secret NFS game [Eurogamer]

The latest rumor is that Blackbox, the folks behind the Need for Speed franchise and others, are next on the chopping block, with the layoff axe cutting into the studio as early as this week.

From all that we've gathered and seen over the past month or so, it looks like the cuts announced back in December are a trimming of most departments and studios, rather than deep cuts in any one place.

The publisher still plans to close nine studios, but the rest of those cuts will be across the board, we're told. The rumored Blackbox cuts, for instance, are part of the studio consolidation happening in Burnaby, at EA Canada.

We've emailed a few folks at EA for comment, but with the person who usually comments on these stories herself laid off, there's no telling when or if we will hear back.

The patch, which we're told will be finalized in a few weeks, will be coming to all three platforms and address gameplay and performance issues as well as other "improvements."

EA has revealed further details on its restructuring plans, which will see the publisher cutting approximately 1,000 jobs and closing or consolidation of nine studio and publishing locations, including Black Box Studio.

The workforce reduction portion of the program is actually an extension on the 6% reduction announced back in October, increasing it to a 10% reduction. Terminations of the 1,000 employees is expected to be completed by March 31st, 2009. On top of the terminations, nine studio and publishing locations will be either closed or consolidated with other facilities, with Black Box Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia being merged with the EA studio in Burnaby, BC.

Along with narrowing their games portfolio, these measures are expected to save the company $120 million annually, while costing them $55-65 million in restructuring charges over the next few quarters.

Not good news for employees, but I suppose it beats coming to work to find you've been locked out.

EA Releases Details on Previously Announced Reduction of Facilities and Work Force

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced further details on a restructuring plan which will include consolidating facilities and reducing the work force.

EA expects the restructuring plan will result in annual cost savings of approximately $120 million and restructuring charges of approximately $55-65 million over the next several quarters.

The plan is intended to reduce EA’s worldwide work force by approximately 10 percent or 1,000 people. The majority of these actions will be completed by March 31, 2009. This represents a four percent increase from the six percent reduction EA announced on October 30, 2008.

The restructuring also calls for consolidation or closure of at least nine studio and publishing locations. Among the facilities to be consolidated is the Black Box Studio facility in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Black Box development teams and associated game franchises will move to the nearby EA studio location in Burnaby, British Columbia.

EA is implementing a plan to narrow its product portfolio to focus on hit games with higher margin opportunities. The company remains committed to taking creative risks, investing in new games, leading the industry in the growing mobile and online businesses, and delivering high-quality games to consumers.

Electronic Playground did not name its source. Reached for comment, EA said: "We're working through a process on people, products, and facilities at EA and don't have any announcements today." That's no defense for a franchise that goes back to 1994, so, it sounds like something's up.

Need for Speed: Undercover released to very unenthusiastic reviews, to put it charitably. It was one of the titles named by analysts in this week's news that holiday sales would be sharply lower than expected, news that sent the publisher's stock into a dive. EA CEO John Riccitello said the company would cut titles from its "bottom levels of profitability," which exempts EA's sports catalogue.

EA-owned Black Box Studios is the home of NFS. But it also develops FIFA, NBA Live, NHL and others for EA. Correction, that is EA Canada. EA Black Box makes Need for Speed and Skate. Killing NFS would be a serious blow.

Need for Cuts [Electric Playground via 1Up]

Following last year’s disappointing Need for Speed: ProStreet, Black Box and EA went back to a known winner, the cops-and-robbers formula of 2005’s Need for Speed: Most Wanted. You’re infiltrating a stolen auto ring, whose members are blissfully unaware of your cop credentials, and also the larger international ramifications of their car thievin’.

Care to take a spin? Drop it into third and see our review.

Loved
Pay for play: Everything is for sale at any point in the game (I assume) regardless of whether you have unlocked it. Just pony up enough Microsoft points. Around level 11 I treated myself to a McLaren F1. This can drastically change the tenor of your career — the acquisition of pink slip cars loses its sense of satisfaction. I don’t necessarily think this is a good idea, but I can’t say it’s a bad one. It certainly is profitable for EA and Microsoft.

Sound: The exceptional sound is not to be taken for granted in a genre that is so heavily involved with the visuals. One of the simple pleasures is taking in each car’s unique engine note when you’re a good six seconds ahead of the field and out on the open road. In solo mode, you should play it with headphones on. The engine whine of trailing cars is matched, in volume, to their relative distance; destruction will register to your sides and behind. In races you will get an immersive feeling of the world whizzing by.

Concept: Need for Speed: Undercover returns the series back to its Most Wanted evolution, as opposed to 2006’s Carbon, whose story was more about pure street racing. Most Wanted was excellent; Carbon, a little underwhelming. But if either appealed to you strongly, the guts of a long game experience are here, if you can take your time and try to live a little within the persona the game’s laid out for you.

Hated
5-0 AI: The literature touted revolutionary cop pursuit AI. They perform only one act in this game, and that’s to ram you. Period. That’s not revolutionary, it’s single minded. Any cop vehicle can overtake anything you drive, even at top speed — that includes a K9 SUV versus a goddamn Bugatti Veyron, in contorted, sped-up sequences that are so unbelievable they are almost personally offensive. The point of police pursuit is to create thrilling, hot-on-your tail chases. Here, you don’t get more than seven seconds, even flat out and several lengths ahead, without being pounded and PITted into a wall. I can take repeated spawning of police vehicles, but rubber-banding within pursuit, no. If I’ve outrun a cop, that is it. This AI does not create thrilling high speed chases as much as it does endless demolition derbies of no real consequence.

The Story: Can someone tell me what that was all about again? Oh, there was a double-crossing at the end. Gasp. Shock. Plus, I have to note this: I beat the final mission in less than five seconds. Not making that up. I got zero zone points, it was over so fast. Seriously anticlimactic.

Pedal to the Metal: The Need for Speed series is fundamentally an arcade racer. Damage, and vehicle degradation have no effect on the race, and I get that. But at some point you have to step back and say, no, after my fifth consecutive full speed, no brakes head-on collision, I should no longer be leading this race. Black Box tried to encourage strong, clean driving with its Heroic Driving engine, which delivers more experience points and faster level advancement if you drive clean. But it'd be better off with a meaningful punishment for the stand-on-the-accelerator ethic. Instead it conditions you to that through the unremitting speed of your adversaries, and absurd “domination” goals on top. It leaves you little time to actually enjoy the game, especially those moments when you’re in a breakneck race and in danger of seeing 90 percent of a superbly well run course ruined by hitting a bridge abutment, because you had to sit on the nitrous rather than race sensibly. The arcade experience is fine, but technical racers deserve a reward too.

Visuals: Frame skip can get downright ugly, especially on surface-street runs with multiple cars and smashable items in the picture. Bad redraws also are noticeable when you’re racing something really fast and the horizon changes suddenly. These flaws can become an adversary unto themselves. So can the lighting. In the sundowner races you’ll definitely have many what-the-hell-am-I-looking-for moments.

Rocket Ride: Four car theft missions near the game’s midpoint deserved to be singled out for rebuke. Rocket Ride, and three others, typify how unreasonable the game can be. In them apparently the only expectation set by whomever designed these, is to hold down the accelerator to the point of hand cramps, endure the ramming, pray you can get to a certain point (there will be one pursuit breaker in the two jobs featuring cops), and don’t give a shit what happens. By the fourth job, I’d never cared less about how I performed in any gaming experience, which is sad considering these should have been showpiece missions. This story is supposed to be about a skilled driver delivering valuable stolen cars, not a dumptruck operator on a bulldozer that goes 200 mph.

Need for Speed: Undercover is like an abusive relationship, because despite its many flaws, I know I’m going back to it, thinking I can change it and make it into something it’s not. I wanted it to be a newer, better Most Wanted, and it falls short of that expectation. While not everyone who buys this will set out to beat it in the span of five days, a great game would make you want to try. Need For Speed Undercover doesn’t.

The good news, online racing is much easier after you’ve been through the hellish auto combat of the full main story. I won something like three out of my first four races. If you want this to race online; if you’re not interested in beating its story mode; or if you can take your time and stay within yourself as a racer, learning from your mistakes, it can still be a rich and gratifying car fantasy. But for a game with undercover in its title, there is nothing subtle about the jobs you’re doing behind the wheel.

Need for Speed Undercover was developed by Black Box and published by Electronic Arts, released in North America on Nov. 18 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Windows PC, and Wii, with versions on Nintendo DS and mobile. Retails for $59.99 USD on Xbox 360, and PS3, $49.99 on Wii, $39.99 on PC and PSP. Reviewed on Xbox 360. Completed single-player story mode; raced numerous times online.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

“High-intensity police chases are a signature component of Undercover and this extends to the multiplayer experience as well,” said Bill Harrison, Executive Producer at Black Box. “The cops and robbers mode will thrust players into adrenaline-pumping battles as they utilize the Heroic Driving Engine to deliver or prevent the delivery of the package to the safe house.”

I don't know, it doesn't really seem all that new to me. Where have we seen this mode before?

Take the Chase Online in Need for Speed Undercover
All-New Cops and Robbers Mode Highlights Online Multiplayer Experience

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Black Box, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today unveiled the online modes in Need for Speed™ Undercover, including the all-new multiplayer mode, Cops and Robbers. This visceral team-based mode pits two teams of four players against each other in the ultimate battle-royale.

Robbers must pick up the package and take it to the drop-off point while the cops attempt to prevent the delivery. Each game consists of two rounds giving the players the chance to play as cops and robbers. Up to eight players will also be able to prove their driving prowess in sprint and circuit multiplayer race modes.*

“High-intensity police chases are a signature component of Undercover and this extends to the multiplayer experience as well,” said Bill Harrison, Executive Producer at Black Box. “The cops and robbers mode will thrust players into adrenaline-pumping battles as they utilize the Heroic Driving Engine to deliver or prevent the delivery of the package to the safe house.”

Need for Speed Undercover also features a diverse soundtrack of over 30 songs from artists like The Prodigy, Tricky and Justice. To hear samplings of each song please visit www.ea.com/eatrax/.

Need for Speed Undercover has players racing through speedways, dodging cops and chasing rivals as they go deep undercover to take down an International crime syndicate. The new game heralds the return of high-intensity police chases and introduces the all-new ‘Heroic Driving Engine’ — a unique technology that generates incredible high-performance moves at 180 miles per hour during breathtaking highway battles.

Need for Speed Undercover is being developed by Black Box in Vancouver, B.C., and is slated to be in stores North America on November 18 and in Europe on November 21. The game will be available for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Wii™ as well as the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) handheld entertainment system, PC and mobile. More information can be found at www.needforspeed.com. Press can download assets at http://info.ea.com.

*PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360 and PC versions only. INTERNET CONNECTION required. See product pack for additional details.

The game will be hitting Xbox 360 and PS3 sometime next year.

Chief Operating Officer Christopher Davis forms the head:

We have the men. We have the tools. We have the plan. And now...We have the way to create a truly exciting, visceral experience for the new age of game player. There are some powerful ideas about to be unleashed in the near future, and I am exceptionally proud to be a part of it!"

EA Veterans Unleash Atomic Robot Games

Ex-EA veterans unleash new development studio in Vancouver.

Vancouver, B.C. May 3rd, 2007

Industry veterans, formerly of Electronic Arts and Black Box Games, are proud to announce the newly formed independent development studio Atomic Robot Games!

Containing a powerhouse think-tank of some of the greatest minds in the video-game industry, Chief Operating Officer Christopher Davis had this to say: "These guys are masters of their craft with more than 24 games under their belts. They have created some amazing and hugely successful titles making us a supremely well-built team of top-notch game veterans. We have created a truly unique company at a great time in our industry."

By embracing cutting edge in-house tools and engines, Atomic Robot Games' focus is on creating innovative games by pushing the boundaries of what the industry thinks of as standard. Like only an independent studio can, Atomic Robot Games will blaze a trail into a new generation of handheld and console games.

Tristan Grimmer, Chief Technology Officer, says, "One of the most important aspects of any game company is their in-house technology. Atomic Robot Games is no exception. We've developed a proprietary engine and in-house tool-set that will allow us to create some remarkable game-play experiences."

Creative Director, Ken Thurston, says, "These guys are like family - we have a lot of history. From Black Box to EA with titles like 'Need For Speed' we're veterans in the industry, and we know our stuff! Since day one our mantra has been 'game play first.' At Atomic Robot Games that will be the creative foundation for all our titles. I'm very excited."

Currently in talks with publishers, Davis says, "We have the men. We have the tools. We have the plan. And now...We have the way to create a truly exciting, visceral experience for the new age of game player. There are some powerful ideas about to be unleashed in the near future, and I am exceptionally proud to be a part of it!"

###

The PC and console box sets of Half-Life games and mods will be hitting worldwide this fall, Electronic Arts announced.

The Black Box will ship for the PC and include Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal and Team Fortress 2. The Orange Box will ship for the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 and include all of the Black Box stuff plus Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One.

"In less than 18 months, we've shipped 10 new products to retail outlets with EA Partners," said Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve. "The Black Box and The Orange Box represent a new approach to publishing multiple products, on multiple platforms and we know through our experience that no organization in the industry is better equipped to successfully launch new product types on multiple platforms than EA Partners."

"Valve is one of the world's premiere independent developers and EA Partners is thrilled to help them bring the groundbreaking action games in The Orange Box and The Black Box to market as their publishing partner," said David DeMartini, vice president and general manager of EA Partners.

Can't... friggin... wait. Brian Crecente

EA AND VALVE UNVEIL THE BLACK BOX AND THE ORANGE BOX

Innovative Action Titles Ship in Fall 2007 and Include Portal , Team Fortress 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode Two in One Box

Redwood City, Calif. -February 7, 2007- Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), the world's leading interactive entertainment company, and Valve , the award-winning studio behind the blockbuster franchises Half-Life and Counter-Strike , today announced the naming and product configurations The Black Box and The Orange Box, two of the most anticipated action game offerings shipping worldwide in Fall 2007.

The Black Box will ship for the PC, and includes Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal and Team Fortress 2. The Orange Box will ship for the PC, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, and Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system, and includes all the content of The Black Box, plus the original Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One.

Innovative games included in The Black Box and The Orange Box include:

Half-Life 2: Episode Two — the second installment in Valve's episodic trilogy advances the award-winning story, leading the player to new locations outside of City 17.
Portal — a pioneering type of single player action game that rewrites the rules for how players approach and manipulate their environment - much like how Half-Life 2's Gravity Gun reinvented the way gamers interact with objects in the game.
Team Fortress 2 — an all-new version of the legendary title that spawned team based multiplayer action games. The game's daring new art style features the most advanced graphics of any Source-based game released to date.

"In less than 18 months, we've shipped 10 new products to retail outlets with EA Partners," said Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve. "The Black Box and The Orange Box represent a new approach to publishing multiple products, on multiple platforms and we know through our experience that no organization in the industry is better equipped to successfully launch new product types on multiple platforms than EA Partners."

"Valve is one of the world's premiere independent developers and EA Partners is thrilled to help them bring the groundbreaking action games in The Orange Box and The Black Box to market as their publishing partner," said David DeMartini, vice president and general manager of EA Partners.

The Black Box and The Orange Box are targeted for release in Fall 2007. For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com