Tip us: tips@kotaku.com
Managing Editor:
Brian Crecente
Email | AIM
Senior Editor:
Michael McWhertor
Email | AIM
Night Editor, Japan:
Brian Ashcraft
Email | AIM
Associate Editor, East Coast:
Michael Fahey
Email | AIM
Associate Editor, Oceania:
Luke Plunkett
Email | AIM
Associate Editor, News:
Leigh Alexander
Email | AIM
Associate Editor, Weekends:
Maggie Greene
Email | AIM
Owen Good
Email | AIM
Associate Editor, Video:
Mark Wilson
Email | AIM
Correspondent, San Francisco:
Flynn De Marco
Email | AIM
Intern:
Adam Barenblat
Email
Comments Moderator:
Kenji Ito
Email
Of course the current EA Sports boss does! Just because he worked for Microsoft doesn't mean he actually hates Sony's game machine. Why would he? Says Moore:
I absolutely love the PlayStation.
You know what: He's a businessman, not some insane fanboy. He'll "love" whoever keeps him employed and "hate" whoever threatens to keep him out of a job. No surprises here.
Peter Moore Talks [PSU via Next-Gen] [Pic]
Wii Fit's a guaranteed hit. In no way will it not sell millions of copies. So competitors (or imitators, if you're not feeling so kind) are bound to spring up. First off the bat? EA, of course, with EA Sports' boss Peter Moore identifying a gap in the market Wii Fit may not be addressing: bored women.
We're watching very closely what the Wii Fit board does. We think we have to have a role to play with that mum - the kids have gone to school, she's got 45 minutes on her own, the Wii is there, it's the first console she's ever liked because she can do things herself. And we're working on stuff, trying to work out how we can use EA Sports applications there.Easy Peter, she's not getting out of making hubby's lunch that easily. In terms of differentiating it from Nintendo's product, he's quick to point out any potential (well, inevitable) EA Sports Fit would be based more on what he calls "Western" fitness - as in stuff to make you sweat - rather than what he calls Wii Fit's "Eastern" fitness. Like stuff that has you sitting perfectly still.
EA making Wii fitness game [Eurogamer]
ea sports
Fight Night is back! And so is Mike Tyson! The ear-chewing ex-convict who hasn't made a video game appearance since Codemasters largely reviled Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing will be featured in Fight Night Round 4, now in development at EA Canada. Said to sport a "re-written gameplay engine" and "all-new physics-based animation system that recreates the full spectrum of true-to-life punch impacts, giving boxers a devastating arsenal of punches, blocks and ring movement" Fight Night Round 4 is planned for a 2009 release on the Xbox 360 and PS3.
This is exciting stuff. I used to kick Iron Mike's ass pretty regularly—as Lil' Mac, of course—but was terrified when I ran into him last year at a party. I shall take my revenge on him next year for giving me such a fright. I may even go so far as to say that his heart/children will be eaten, should the game allow it. You hear that, Tyson?!
More »
ea sports
We learned some hard lessons. That was the type of sports experience they were looking for and we saw that and decided we needed to redefine what our sports games were about.You can fault them for copying Nintendo, maybe, but not for giving EA Sports games what they've needed for years now: an entry level.
ea
Electronic Arts announced today the latest "sub-brand" of its EA Sports label, a division it calls EA Sports Freestyle. Freestyle is described as representing the "lighter side" of sports, with "no rules, just fun." Yes, I know what you're thinking, "I liked it the first time, when it was called EA Sports BIG." But this is slightly different!
Freestyle is pitched as a more casual, more inclusive, pick up and play brand, one that Peter Moore says is "an easier entry point into EA Sports." Brilliant! Look at Peter shakin' things up!
The first title to fall under the EA Sports Freestyle sub-brand will be Facebreaker, EA's take on Punch-Out!! and Ready 2 Rumble. Two more titles are planned as Freestyle releases in the next year. Press release proof is right after this.
More »
ea sports
Electronic Arts is partnering with AOL Sports on an online sports trivia game called EA Sports GameShow, which will add daily live-hosted sports trivia sessions to AOL Sports' online content.
EA says the programming will get daily updates, plus an interactive "FanHouse Challenge Hour" on Mondays. Users can compete against one another on text, audio and video-based sports trivia questions.
The flash-based trivia show is online at eagameshow.com. Both companies highlight the "live interactive" angle here, but if you don't like sports, you won't like the game show. Nor will you like this post, in which the word "sports" appears no less than nine disparate times — ten, if you count the headline.
Full release follows the jump.
So, why was it PC owners aren't getting a version of Madden this year again? Oh, yes, of course. Piracy. EA Sports boss Peter Moore explains: Piracy's a big issue on the PC. I can't turn a blind eye to the fact that it's very difficult for us...and we lose money making a game. At some point, I have an obligation not to bring out products that lose money.OK, developers, we get the idea. Piracy is an issue with the PC games market. It's also obviously a new trend, and has in no way been affecting the market for, oh, the last 20 years, so we believe your excuse wholeheartedly.
peter moore
More »
When I first came on, my concerns were the "American-ness" of the brand. Powerful brand, strong voice, red, white, and blue, out of California, an American voice: Andrew Anthony, you know, 'It's in the game.'
madden
I'm not savvy enough to play this game. Most of the younger generation has no idea [Madden] coached...Some of our guys play Madden better than they play on Sundays. And they spend more time talking about playing Madden.Guess Brett won't be helping promote the game much, then.
ncaa football 09
madden
ea sports
Excellent news, American football strategists and virtual Monday morning coaches! EA has decided not to limit the availability of this year's NFL Head Coach release to a the Madden NFL 09 Collectors Edition. The NFL coaching sim will see a standalone release for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this fall, landing at $49.99 USD.
The bad news? It's shipping about a month after the packed-in version.
In virtual draft news, EA says that NFL Head Coach 09 has picked Jake Long as the number on draft pick courtesy of a simulation that... zzzzzz...
ea
It looks like Peter Moore likes to sneak tidbits of news into his weekly updates on occasion. Last week in his March 14 update he mentioned that he had just come from a planning meeting and that Electronic Arts Sports is now working on eight games for the Wii:
I've seen speculation the past few days about the comments we've made recently about new IP coming this year from EA SPORTS. While we're still a couple of months away from any official new game announcements, I'm encouraged by the interest and excitement. As I've said many times over the past few months, as EA SPORTS looks to expand our brand and capture new audiences, developing new intellectual property - such as FaceBreaker and future unlicensed titles - will be a key component of that strategy. As an extension to those comments, and coming fresh out of our sku plan reviews of last week, I can tell you we now have EIGHT titles in development for the Wii, testament both to the global impact of that console currently in the global marketplace, as well as to our desire to attract more consumers to experience EA SPORTS games, no matter their experience playing games nor their prowess with a traditional controller.
Now, how many of those do you think are unannounced titles?
March 14th [Peter Moore's Blog, via GameTrailers]
final four
peter moore
We need to globalise, and we're taking many steps to broaden the reach and appeal of our product portfolio. FIFA obviously has global appeal, but this is about more than just selling additional copies of FIFA — this is about truly delivering a global product portfolio.Advice: new, better, current-gen versions of your creaky old Rugby Union and cricket titles would be a good place to start. After that...I've always felt curling has been grossly under-represented in sporting video games.
ea sports
EA Sports has confirmed that Indianapolis Colts' head coach Tony Dungy will be gracing the cover of NFL Head Coach 09. The game was officially announced today, scheduled for release this fall, for both the PS3 and Xbox 360. This second edition of Head Coach will feature all the micro-managing fun that comes along with being a high-powered, highly-stressed NFL coach. According to IGN's first look at the game, Head Coach 09 has removed all of the tedium of the previous incarnation, although as someone who has never seen the appeal of fantasy sports, I can't imagine that all of the tedium is gone, otherwise, there'd be no trading and haggling over salaries!
Dungy was the first African-American coach to ever win a Super Bowl when the Colts saw victory in 2007. He's been with the Colts since 2001, and has won 70 regular season games since his arrival. In a Game Daily interview, Dungy said that he hopes the game will help prepare young people who are looking for a career in coaching football.
Hey, it makes more sense than training to become a football player by playing Madden!
More »
madden
Electronic Arts sent out the official release this afternoon confirming that they have extended their exclusive license with the NFL and NFL Players Association through the 2012 season, which ends in Feb. 2013. Not a whole lot new here from my interview with Peter Moore about the deal.
There are these two lovely quotes from the two organizations:
"This is all about bringing authenticity and realism to NFL videogames," said Eric Grubman, President of NFL Ventures. "EA SPORTS continually works to maintain the cutting edge for NFL products across a variety of gaming platforms. We like the fact that they never rest.""This is great news and it means we can continue to produce the best interactive experience possible. It also allows NFL PLAYERS, the NFL and EA to continue to build our brands," said Gene Upshaw, Chairman of NFL PLAYERS and Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association. "We offer a very unique experience. "
No mention of the cost to EA for the deal, something Moore also declined to tell me in our talk last night. I'm still confused about why the NFL would seek an exclusive deal instead of selling the rights to a number of publishers. Maybe they want to keep a better handle on how their license is used? Full release on the jump with more Mooreisms.
More »
The Wall Street Journal today examines Peter Moore's new role at Electronic Arts Sports, talking to the new division's new president about how he plans to reinvigorate EA Sports after its first drop in sales in at least seven years.
In it he talks about a lot of the usual things and mentions, in passing, that he plans to announce to analysts today the extension of the NFL contract that I talked with Moore about last night. Moore says the company also recently struck a deal with IMG Worldwide, the New York-based sports-management and entertainment company that represents a slew of top athletes, including Tiger Woods. EA hopes to use this to one day put the EA Sports brand on a "variety of consumer products and services, from soccer balls to tennis camps for kids" in the same way that ESPN now shows up on restaurants and a magazine.
Kotaku
