electronic arts • QSF5

8 Mar 2015

Checkpoint: Winter Update Edition

by No_Style | posted in: Editorials & Features | 0

I lost an hour, it’s around 0 degrees Celsius and yet it’s still technically winter. And since it’s technically winter, this Battlefield 4 Winter Update is still relevant.

To say this is what Battlefield 4 should have been would be an understatement. They’ve fixed so much with this update. Everything from netcode, map fixes, weapon balance, new game modes and matchmaking tweaks were made in this update alone.

I’m amazed that DICE/DICE LA and/or Electronic Arts continues to update and fix Battlefield 4. They have Battlefield: Hardline coming and yet they’re still giving Battlefield 4 attention I guess it makes sense when they’re planning to issue more content this year. And all of this is a great idea when you consider not many Battlefield fans are keen on Hardline.

I’ve only played the post-Winter Update Battlefield 4 once and I enjoyed it. I still wish the framerate was consistently closer to 60FPS but it didn’t take long for me to forget about the framerate and get down to business. I hope to play more but with my FIFA 15 addiction and Wolfenstein: The New Order, I don’t know if I will.

15 Oct 2014

FIFA 15 PS4 Review

by No_Style | posted in: Reviews | 0

The 2014 World Cup sent me down the (dark) path of soccer. I thought it was going to be a temporary infatuation with international soccer but several pre-season cup and English Premier League matches later, I’m still watching and playing. A large part of the appreciation was spurred through the FIFA 14 demo on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Since the World Cup ended, I believe I put in over 20 hours into that demo.

I didn’t want to spend $60 on an obsolete game so I kept playing the FIFA 14 demo to familiarize myself with soccer, its rules, its techniques, the teams, the players and the nuances of FIFA. The learning curve was rather deep and the game did nothing to teach new comers like me. At a high level, FIFA is a simple game — run, pass, shoot — but it is quickly complicated when pass selection, shot variety, physics and player animations were factored in.

31 Jul 2014

About that EA Access service for Xbox One

by No_Style | posted in: Game News | 0

If you pay Electronic Arts $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year, you will gain access to some older Xbox One titles published by EA themselves. EA Access service members will also receive 10% discounts and 5-day early access to new EA titles.

It’s really about that Vault access but its appeal will depend heavily on what EA is offering at the time.

The beta will initially offer access to Battlefield 4, Peggle 2, Madden NFL 25 and FIFA 14. If this was coming for PlayStation 4, I’d pull the trigger right now. I’m still playing Battlefield 4 and my interest in FIFA games are at an all time high at the moment. I also wouldn’t mind trying Madden NFL 25 and I’m sure I’ll find enjoyment in more Peggle.

Unfortunately for me and other PlayStation centric players, this is an Xbox One exclusive. I don’t know if this an EA and Microsoft thing or if Sony actually denied EA access from entering their ecosystem but I’m bummed out by its absence. I actually want the titles being offered by EA unlike the ones that appear on Sony’s Instant Game Collection.

I can understand Sony wanting to put the kibosh on this if it means publishers will begin to withhold titles from their PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection program though. If they allowed EA to start this service, what’s going to stop Ubisoft, Activision and other publishers from doing the same? It would be like every movie and TV studio having their own service instead of using all encompassing services like Netflix or Amazon Instant Video.

22 Jul 2014

Battlefield: Hardline delayed to Q1 2015

by No_Style | posted in: Game News | 0

I didn’t find the Battlefield: Hardline PS4 beta very entertaining and it looks like Electronic Arts and DICE have heard folks like me loud and clear.

Here are a few of the things the new timing will allow us to accomplish:
1. Multiplayer Innovation: Coming out of our E3 beta, internal focus tests, and work with our community, we have received a lot of great Multiplayer thinking. We’re going to be adding some new feature ideas direct from the community that will evolve the cops and criminals fantasy into a truly unique Battlefield Multiplayer experience.
2. Single Player Story Depth: In order to ensure our Single Player experience delivers on player expectations, we’re spending more time polishing our core features, as well as adding a few new ones that will support a deeper “crime revenge” story experience.
3. Stability: This has been a focus for our team since day one and we’re going to be using the extra time to continue to optimize the game for a stable launch. We have learned a lot from Battlefield 4, are continuing to learn from our Community Test Environment and will learn more from another Hardline beta. More time allows us to surface issues that the team can attempt to fix prior to launch.

The delay into Q1 2015 is welcomed and they’re saying all the right things but unless they’re putting out another beta/demo and demonstrate all the changes they’ve made, I will be keeping funds in my wallet.

I suspect this will be a March 2015 release which makes me wonder how much they could do to differentiate itself from Battlefield 4’s multiplayer. They’re not going to deviate from the vision of a smaller scale but more densely packed multiplayer game, are they?

I wish this was an expansion pack like Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam. They could have sold it for $30 CAD for current Battlefield 4 owners and I may have purchased it because it’s more than just maps. For a retail and digital store presence, they could repackage Battlefield 4 to include Hardline and sell it for $69.99. Then they could up-sell Battlefield 4 Premium and/or Hardline Premium.

I’m giving away free ideas, EA. Take them.

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