Electronic Arts E3 2012 Conference Round-Up - Article

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Electronic Arts held its pre-E3 press conference and revealed information on not eight, not twelve, but ten games, from ten difference developers. Not everything they showed was a new title in its own right though, since there were a few expansion packs thrown in for good measure

So in case you missed it earlier (or even if you didn't) here's a recap of what the good folks at EA have in store for us .

Dead Space 3

What better way to open the show than with EA's most anticipated title, Dead Space 3? The press conference kicked off in a big way when EA's gameplay demo not only showed off a beautiful, yet haunting alien world but also confirmed the oft-rumored two player co-op for the campaign. As the demo went on, we were shown battles against a massive mechanical drill, enemy soldiers, and of course the series' trademark necromorphs. The demo ended with the main character being swallowed by a massive alien beast and awakening deep inside the gut of the behemoth. A thrill ride to be sure. We were also given a release date of February 2013, so get those plasma cutters ready to go.

Madden NFL 13

From the belly of the beast to the gridiron, Madden NFL 13 was next up for EA. The big additions to this year's edition of handegg revolve mostly around the all new 'Infinity' physics engine, which will help deliver a more authentic football experience where your players' momentum and mass will actually dictate how a play... plays out. The game will also feature a whole slew of social features that Michael Irving (EA's special guest) promised will help take a 'bite out' of the competition. These include 32 player online leagues, the ability to start a new career within the same league, and the ability to track your progress on mobile devices, as well as RPG elements (see what you did Call Of Duty!) like experience points and an actual story to drive your virtual NFL career further.

Sim City: Social and Sim City

Next up, for the fans of zoning bylaws, urban planning and massive Godzilla tramplings comes not one but two titles in the Sim City universe. Sim City: Social will be launching in just a few weeks for Facebook and promises to crush the competition (no really, they had a graphic) with classic Sim City gameplay available for all to enjoy. The other Sim City game is the next main installment in the series which will be the first entry in the franchise to feature a full multiplayer mode were you will either play against or with an ally to build the perfect city.

Battlefield 3 Premium

Think you've seen everything that Battlefield 3 has to offer? Well think again, as launching today (for PS3; the 360 version will be available later this week) EA is Battlefield 3 Premium. The new service, which retails for $49.99, will offer 20 new maps, new weapons, new vehicles, and early access to future downloadable content. The developer also revealed four new expansions (Close Quarters, Armored Kill, Aftermath and Endgame), each of which will feature its own unique gameplay and setting.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Another major EA game getting new content is the MMO from a galaxy far far away - Star Wars: The Old Republic. The expansion will feature a ton of new content, things like: new PVP warzones, new high level content, revisions to hardcore nightmare difficulty, a new playable species (the Cathar), a new explorable world (Kaleb), a new partner (HK-freaking-51), and a whole new storyline centered on the Hutt cartels. All of this will be coming to The Old Republic in the next few months and starting in July playing up to level 15 will be free to be play.

Medal Of Honor: Warfighter

Alright back to new games. EA's modern shooter promises to shake things up by having every mission be based on real-world events. This was demoed with a playthrough of a raid of a pirate hidehout in Somalia. The game will even feature Tier 1 Elite units from 10 different countries (JTF-2 from Canada, glee!). You will also be able to go through the campaign with a friend in two player co-op.

FIFA 13

Following the example of Madden NFL 13, FIFA 13 will feature not only gameplay and physics tweaks but also some pretty serious social connectivity. You will be able connect FIFA 13 to mobile devices and have access to online features like the auction house and much more. The game will also allow you to transfer your player XP from FIFA 12 to number 13. Players returning from FIFA 12 will also get exclusive content and gifts for the new title.

UFC Series

A small note. EA Sports has acquired from THQ the license for all future games based on the UFC.

Need For Speed: Most Wanted

Next up was a quick demo for the new title in the Need For Speed series, Most Wanted (which is, ironically enough, an old title). The game will feature some deep online integration (which seems to be the major theme of this E3) and will release on October 30th.

Crysis 3

To close out the conference EA brought out the team at Crytek to demo the upcoming Crysis 3. First off, the game's visuals are above and beyond anything else (and they weren't even running on a PC, but a PS3!). The game will take you through seven distinct and unique areas like the 'urban rain forest' that the extended demo featured. Crysis 3 will be available for PS3,  X360 and PC in February of 2013.

And that's it for EA's press conference. Be sure to stay tuned to gamrReview.com for all your E3 previews and general shenanigans.

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