E3 2016 – EA Press Conference

Posted on 13th June 201613th June 2016 by Claire Curtin

EA started off with their CEO, Andrew Wilson, promising of a new type of show of approximately 60 minutes– “a quick glimpse into a bunch of great stuff in development”. EA pulled their regular booth at E3, opting for a new show structure – called EA Play – which also had an event in London with Peter Moore in Apollo Hammersmith. About 100 game stations in each venue were at the back of the conference centre for attendees to enjoy after the conference.

Titanfall 2

Vince Zampella of Respawn Entertainment introduced Titanfall 2 to the audience, with the revelation that PS4 players will get to experience Titanfall for the first time, as well as showing incredible gameplay footage for what players can expect in Titanfall 2 multiplayer.

The new game will introduce 6 new titans with their own unique abilities, more customization, expanded pilot gameplay, and deep progression system – as well as their smoothest gameplay to date. Full offline playable campaign for Titanfall 2 now available, bringing a story to the players and a personality to the mechs.

Release: 28th October 2016 for PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Madden 17

Peter Moore, the CCO of EA, brought Madden 17 to the London audience, whilst also revealing a new approach to competitive gaming – opening the doors to all gamers to take part in 3 different tiers of competition that will be made available this week – Challenger, Premier and EA Major. Challenger mode will be community hosted tournaments, Premier mode will be large scale live events that are hosted by EA and with partners, while EA Majors will be competitions held by EA on a global scale.

EA officially released full details on the improvements to Franchise mode in Madden NFL 17 on Xbox One and PlayStation®4. This year’s edition offers even more depth, while still managing to streamline the experience and make both the on-field and off-field experience even more seamless and fun.

EA Play in Los Angeles will have the Madden NFL Championship over the course of E3.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

GM of Bioware, Aaryn Flynn brought news of the much anticipated Mass Effect: Andromeda to Novo Theatre in LA – claiming it to be a whole new adventure compared to the original trilogy – new stories, new characters and a whole new galaxy to explore, whilst building on the things that made the games so good. All powered by the Frostbite engine, Bioware promises more exploration than ever before. The trailer gives snippets of both gameplay scenes as well as behind the scenes footage of the making of the game.

New program – Play to Give

Partnered with UN HeforShe Initiative, National Centre for Women and Information Technology, Code.org, Special Effect and Code 2040, EA promises to donate $1 million dollars as charitable funds in celebration of the importance of play.

Battlefield, Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes and Star Wars Battlefront, Madden, Fifa will support these charitable challenges.

FIFA 17

Peter Moore brought FIFA 17 to the London audience, with a new concept. Called “The Journey”, the player will play through a story mode featuring a young footballer by the name of Alex Hunter, making his way to the top of the Premier League.

For the first time, Premier League Managers will feature in FIFA – José Mourinho made a surprise appearance to the stage to help promote the game.

Producer of FIFA, Aaron McHardy gave more info about the featured story mode, “The Journey”, where you control what happens both on and off the pitch, that will affect the story outcome. The game is powered by the Frostbite Engine, and includes four new game overhauls: Set Piece Rewrite, giving players more creative control over dead balls, Overhauled Physical Play, New Intelligence System for smarter players, and new Attacking Techniques, have been integrated into the new title.

Due September.

EA Originals

EVP of EA studios, Patrick Soderlund introduces EA’s new initiative to bring smaller indie studios to the fore, and offer them the chance to be brought into the spotlight. The studio brought into the spotlight this year was Zoink Studios, from Gothenburg in Sweden with their new title, “Fe”.

Fe is a personal narrative with our relationship with nature, with no words, where everything is connected and has its own means of communication, which can be learned. A game of discovery, conflict and relationships, the game won’t hold your hand – the player is in complete control, and each player’s story is a unique experience.

Star Wars

Jade Raymond, GM of Motive Studios gives us more news of Star Wars – A new Star Wars Battlefront from Motive and DICE is on the cards for next year, which will include content from the new movies. Upcoming releases from all of the collaborative teams, including Respawn Entertainment, who will be exploring a different era of the universe in a third person action adventure game, and Visceral together with Motive, who will be working together for another upcoming 2018 title – both of which have yet to be titled.

Battlefield 1

At the end of their showcase, Soderlund brings Battlefield 1 on stage, much to the excitement and appreciation of the audience. Patrick Bach of DICE tells more with a more in-depth look at gameplay, multiplayer with up to 64 players, dynamic battles where no battle is ever the same, and weather which will affect what you see and hear, a wide variety of weapons and vehicles, including zeppelins, armoured trains and battleships.

Releases October 21^st worldwide.