EA’s E3 2018 Press Conference Recap
Electronic Arts (EA) kicked off E3’s 2018 Press conferences on Saturday afternoon. Scott and Bob sit down to recap the game announcements that took place at the EA Press Conference during the 2018 E3 festivities. They’ll discuss everything from the pre-show announcements (Madden NFL Overdrive, EA Playstesting, an expansion for The Sims 4) to bigger titles like Anthem and a new Star Wars title from Respawn Entertainment. Bob even gives a short history lesson on why we no longer have NCAA sports games anymore.
If you prefer the written word, here’s a handy recap of everything the publishing giant showed, complete with videos of every game announcement.
Pre-Show Announcements
Before the actual event began, we received a few tidbits of information to get us warmed up for the press event. The first one was Madden NFL Overdrive, which is an update for the Madden Mobile app. Here’s their description of the update from their web site:
“Rebuilt from the ground up, this is the most significant update in franchise history, delivering a completely revamped football experience. Powered by a fresh engine, you’ll be immersed in the action like never before. Choose your Captain and Coach, build an All-Pro team and battle your rivals in real-time PVP.”
It’s available August 15th for both iOS and Android.
EA Playtesting
The next pre-show announcement was the addition of EA Playtesting. They’re offering eight locations where gamers can come and “play test” certain EA Games titles. The company hinted at the possibility of players becoming actual play testers for EA, regardless of skill level or play time. Locations include Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden, and the U.S.
The Sims 4: Seasons Expansion
The final pre-show announcement was an expansion for The Sims 4 called Seasons. As the name implies, it’s adding the four seasons to the gameplay, and it releases on June 22nd.
Battlefield V
Once the show officially took off, EA began right out the gate with a new trailer for Battlefield V. The first difference that we see from Battlefield 1 is that you can now pick up and move stationary weapons and dive through windows. There are also new customization options, and they promised no loot boxes or premium pass for the game. Similarly to the vignettes from the last game, Battlefield V offers “War Stories”, which is a short campaign based on untold stories through the men and women that shaped World War II. The segment closed with a vague announcement of a Battle Royale mode, but very little detail was given. An exclusive first look into one of the War Stories will be shown during Microsoft’s briefing, but you can catch a glimpse with the trailer below.
FIFA 19
Coming as no surprise was an update on FIFA 19. Not much was given here outside of the fact that Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) lost their license to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). EA happily picked up the license, as expected. No word on whether or not the story mode continues from the previous games, but stay tuned for more.
Origin Access “Premier”
Origin Access already exists, and is a service where players can pay a monthly fee to have access to certain EA games as well as a few others. One caveat of that service is that the games have a ten-hour trial that are available five days before release. The new “premier” tier of the service gives you full, unlimited access to the games for a higher price point. The new membership costs $15 per month or $100 per year, and includes access to everything in The Vault as well. This includes a 10% discount on the Origin Store.
Jedi Fallen Order
We all know that only EA can make Star Wars games right now, but it was still somewhat of a surprise that Respawn Entertainment is behind the next one. Jedi Fallen Order takes place between Episodes III and IV. No trailer was shown; all we know is that there is a potential release date of holiday 2019. More than likely we will be getting much more information at next year’s press conference.
Unravel Two
In 2016, EA gave us an indie title called Unravel, which charmed the pants of us. In a surprise move, they’re giving us a sequel, Unravel 2, which includes co-op gameplay. The trailer looks even more stunning than the original game, and is available for purchase right now!
Sea of Solitude
The next game reveal was an original title called Sea of Solitude. The trailer shows an art style that looks very stylized and similar to cell shading. It’s about being taken and becoming a monster, and your journey to becoming human again. It sounds like a really interesting plot idea. We’ll keep an eye out for this one when it releases early 2019.
NBA Live 2019
This game is out September 7th. It offers new and multi-aged squads with players like Dr. J, Allen Iverson, and Shaq, seemingly taking you through the progressive journey from the neighborhood playground to the NBA hardwood. That’s all we know, but you can see the trailer below.
Madden 19
Is anyone really surprised that a new Madden is coming this year? There’s nothing new to report, so just enjoy the new trailer.
Command & Conquer: Rivals
The RTS classic is coming to mobile in Command & Conquer: Rivals. This version is a 1v1 style game on the go, where players compete again each other to destory one another’s bases. It sounds like a race to a missile silo in the center of the map; the first base to get tagged by two missiles loses. The trailer looks compelling for fans of the series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyNXQpAFQJc
Anthem
This was probably the most anticipated game from EA by all accounts. First off, there are four javelin types: Ranger, Colossus, Interceptor, and Storm. Each has their own unique abilities, load-outs, and skill trees. Even more interesting is the fact that each individual pilot (Freelancer) also has their own skill tree, which transfers when hopping into a different javelin. EA also promises customizations in the form of micro-transactions, however these will not be loot boxes. You will know exactly what you are purchasing every time.
There are two trailers below. The first is a cinematic trailer, and the second has over four minutes of gameplay footage.
And that’s a wrap on EA’s press conference for 2018. Stay tuned for more updates from The Gaming Outsider. We’ll keep you posted as we find more information.
Want to compare to last year’s presentation from EA? You can find out recap of last year’s press conference here.
