EA SPORTS JOINS F.C. BARCELONA AS OFFICIAL VIDEO GAME PARTNER

Barca Players Get Stunning 3D Digital Models And Camp Nou Featured In EA SPORTS FIFA 14

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) and F.C. Barcelona today announced they have agreed to a three-year partnership that will make EA SPORTS™ the Exclusive and Official Video Game Partner of one of the most popular and storied football clubs in the world.

“Joining a world class football club like Barcelona as an Official Club Partner is a fantastic opportunity for EA SPORTS and our fans,” said Matt Bilbey, Senior Vice President and Group General Manager, EA SPORTS. “We will create a deeper connection with their passionate, global fan base, and use our games as a platform to engage supporters all around the world for years to come.”

Laurent Colette, Chief Marketing Officer, FC Barcelona said, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with EA SPORTS, one of the world's leading sports and entertainment brands, and to create a stronger relationship between our global fan bases. We encourage everyone to try out the game, get a feel for being under the skin of our players and emulating their actions on the pitch; without a doubt those who try it will enjoy it."

Through the partnership, EA SPORTS captured 3D head scans of 17 F.C. Barcelona stars such as Xavi Hernandez, Gerard Piqué, Cesc Fàbregas, Dani Alves, and Andrés Iniesta, and they will appear as stunning, high-quality and authentic 3D digital player models in FIFA 14. In addition, Camp Nou, Barcelona’s home pitch, will be a featured stadium. F.C. Barcelona and its superstar forward and FIFA 14 cover athlete, Lionel Messi, will become central figures in global marketing, advertising and social media activities for the critically acclaimed FIFA franchise. Plus, F.C. Barcelona will host an exclusive videogame tournament later this year to determine the best FIFA 14 player on the squad.

Over the course of the partnership, F.C. Barcelona and EA will develop a range of interactive activities to entertain and engage fans both at Camp Nou and around the world. At selected home matches over the course of the season, the EA SPORTS Dugout, a mobile gaming trailer, will be on-site so fans can play EA SPORTS games. In addition, F.C. Barcelona will receive in-game insights and data about how their fans engage with the club through EA SPORTS FIFA.

F.C. Barcelona joins many other prestigious EA SPORTS partner clubs around the world, including Valencia from Spain’s La Liga, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City from Barclays Premier League in England, Borussia Dortmund from the German Bundesliga, Olympique Lyonnais and Paris Saint-Germain F.C. from Ligue 1 in France, and AC Milan in Italy’s Serie A.

Experience the emotion of scoring great goals in FIFA 14*. Innovations to the award-winning gameplay make the game more authentic and more fun. Dictate the tempo of a match, create chances through midfield, and then unleash the perfect strike.  A new feature called Pure Shot and a brand-new ball physics system will transform shooting, making every shot attempt feel real, and when players connect with the perfect strike, feel exhilarating.

FIFA 14 is available for pre-order** now on selected platforms athttp://www.origin.com and other retailers. FIFA 14 will release in North America on September 24 and worldwide on September 27 and the game will be available on Xbox One®, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PlayStation®4, later this year. Join the EA SPORTS community athttp://www.facebook.com/easports. Follow us on Twitter@easportsfifa and use the hash tag #FIFA14.  For information aboutFIFA 14 visit http://www.easports.com/uk/fifa.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

FIFA 14

Formats:  PC, PS3, X360 Out:  27/09/2013 Publisher:  EA

EA TO SHOWCASE THIS YEAR’S TOP TITLES AT GAMESCOM 2013

EA blockbuster titles are getting ready for the biggest gaming event of the year.  As of August 21st, hundreds of thousands of gamers will converge in Cologne to discover the power of the next generation of gaming on consoles, PC and mobile.  With close to 500 gaming stations for hands-on play opportunity, EA will showcase top titles including Battlefield 4™, EA SPORTS FIFA 14, The Sims™ 4, Need for Speed Rivals, Titanfall™, Command & Conquer™, and select mobile titles from EA All Play, Chillingoand PopCap.   EA Booth (Hall 6): ·         Battlefield 4 ·         Command & Conquer ·         FIFA 14 ·         The Sims 4 ·         Need for Speed Rivals ·         Titanfall ·         Selectmobile titles from EA All Play, Chillingo and PopCap.   At a media briefing planned for Tuesday August 20 at 4pm CEST (3pm BST), EA executive and creative leaders will unveil new content and services from the portfolio of upcoming titles.  Go towww.ea.com/gamescom for a live stream of the press conference on Tuesday and daily coverage of EA gamescom titles, interviews, live gameplay and more from Wednesday 21 - Sunday 25 August.

Get an Extremely Rare Shiny Dialga, Shiny Palkia, and Shiny Giratina Only at Game stores in the UK for a Limited Time Only

Fans Can Only Get These Shiny Legendary Pokémon During Three Special Limited Time Events

In celebration of the highly anticipated launch ofPokémon X and Pokémon Y for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, the first of three legendary character distribution events begins August 30th at participating Game stores across the UK.

Players can get their hands on Shiny versions of the Legendary Pokémon —Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina—starting with, Dialga, which was featured on the cover of thePokémon Diamond video game. What makes this event extraordinary is that each of the distributed Legendary Pokémon, which are already difficult to get during gameplay, will be Shiny, meaning they have unusual colouring that is extremely rare. Each Shiny Pokémon will be available, one at a time, for only two weeks each, so Trainers will need to plan accordingly and head to a participating Game store if they want to add these extremely rare Legendary Pokémon to their Pokémon Black,Pokémon White, Pokémon Black 2, or Pokémon White 2 game.

Once Steel- and Dragon-type Dialga’s distribution ends on September 12th, Pokémon fans can get a Shiny version of Water- and Dragon-type Pokémon, Palkia, beginning September  13th and a Shiny version of the Ghost- and Dragon-type Pokémon, Giratina, beginning September 27th. Both of the subsequent events are also taking place at participating Game outlets across the UK. Palkia is the Legendary Pokémon featured on the cover of Pokémon Pearl, and the Giratina players will receive is the same Legendary Pokémon that appears in both Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl.

Fans who own Pokémon Black, Pokémon White, Pokémon Black 2, or Pokémon White 2 can bring their copy of the game and their Nintendo 3DS or Nintendo DS system to participating Game stores and get a Shiny Dialga, Shiny Palkia, and Shiny Giratina during the following dates:

• Shiny Dialga: Friday August 30th, 2013 – Thursday September 12th, 2013
• Shiny Palkia: Friday September 13th, 2013 – Thursday September 26th, 2013
• Shiny Giratina: Friday September 27th, 2013 – Friday October 11th 2013

Players will need to have the Pokédex within the game and have no more than 11 Wonder Cards in their possession.

Be sure to visit Pokemon.co.uk, like the official Pokémon Facebook page atFacebook.com/Pokemon, and follow Pokémon on Twitter @Pokemon to receive the latest Pokémon news.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Pokémon X and Pokémon Y

Format:  3DS Out:  12/10/2013 Publisher:  3MRT Developer:  The Pokémon Company

RE-ORDER CASTLEVANIA: LORDS OF SHADOW - ULTIMATE EDITION FOR PC AND PLAY THE NEW DEMO TODAY

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced that the highly anticipated Castlevania:  Lords of Shadow - Ultimate Edition for PC is now available for pre-order. A new demo of the game is also available for download today at http://store.steampowered.com/app/234080/.  Fans will enjoy the original full game plus add-on content, Reverie and Resurrection. Additional features include enhanced high definition graphics, solid 60 frames per second (recommended spec), and achievement integration through STEAM with Cloud saving. Available for download via STEAM on August 27, 2013 for SRP $29.99, fans who pre-order the title will receive a 10% discount on the title.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a dark and vivid re-imagining of the Castlevania mythology. It is the end of days and ungodly powers isolate the Earth. The World's alliance with the Heavens has been threatened by a dark and malevolent force – the mysterious Lords of Shadow.  Across this shattered land, the souls of the dead wander unable to find peace, whilst creatures of evil wreak chaos and death upon the living.

Gabriel Belmont is a member of the Brotherhood of Light, an elite group of holy knights who protect and defend the innocent against the supernatural. His beloved wife was brutally murdered by the evil forces of darkness and her soul trapped for eternity. Neither living nor dead, she realizes the horrific truth of what is at stake and guides Gabriel to his destiny – and hopefully salvation for the world.

Key features of Castlevania:  Lords of Shadow - Ultimate Edition for PC include:

PC Key Features:
•       Features: Fans will enjoy the original full game plus add-on content Reverie and Resurrection.  Additional features include enhanced High Definition Graphics, solid 60 frames per second (recommended spec), and trophy integration through Steam with Cloud saving.

•       Storyline: Players can immerse themselves into the Lords of Shadow storyline, meeting classic characters and experiencing tangential side stories.

•       Weapons and Skills: Overcome obstacles using the Combat Cross multi-function weapon and hone platforming skills in this sprawling adventure. Swing across chasms, climb sheer walls, rappel down cliffs, grip and pull away any and all things that get in the way!

•       Titan Battles: Take on behemoth enemies that scale to the size of complete world environments and where special attacks and cunning speed are required for advancement.

•       Exploration: Explore gothic ruins, dark castles, old forest and frozen wastelands. Discover a whole world to investigate with many routes and hidden secret places that contain items to aid Gabriel on his quest.

•       Supporting AMD features such as Eyefinity technology and Crossfire technology and also featuring  support for Nvidia SLI Technology

•       Brazilian-Portuguese language support now included

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is rated "M" for Mature by the ESRB is currently available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The PC version will be available for download on August 27th via STEAM.

For more information on STEAM, please visit: http://store.steampowered.com/app/234080

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Formats:  PS3, X360, PC Out:  31/10/2010 (PS3 X360)   27/08/2013 (PC) Publisher:  Konami Developer:  Mercurysteam Kojima Productions

KONAMI Secures Premier Argentinian Football Association License to Pro Evolution Soccer Series

Famed Soccer Series to feature 20 AFA Primera División teams and regional announcers to create the most authentic soccer experience

Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. today announced an agreement with the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) to bring the 20 AFA Primera División Teams and some of the corresponding home stadiums into  PES 2014.  KONAMI has also secured local Argentinian FOX Sports announcers , Mariano Closs and  Fernando Niembro for the series. Some of the premier teams that will be included are  River Plate,  Boca Juniors, Newell's Old Boys and Racing.

The  Pro Evolution Soccer series holds a wide range of soccer licenses from around the world, including Europe’s premier club competition, the UEFA Champions League, and the AFC Champions League. Since its inception, the series has enjoyed wide-ranging acclaim worldwide, and the addition of highly-regarded AFA Primera División Teams will help further extend its range and resonation with football fans around the world. This new agreement with the AFA brings the following 20 Primera División Teams and some of the home stadiums to  PES 2014 at launch.

The 20 Primera División teams included in PES 2014 include:

All Boys
Argentinos Juniors
Arsenal
Atlético de Rafaela
Belgrano

Boca Juniors
Colón
Estudiantes
Gimnasia y Esgrima
Godoy Cruz

Lanús
Newell's Old Boys
Olimpo
Quilmes
Racing

River Plate
Rosario Central
San Lorenzo
Tigre
Vélez Sarsfield


PES 2014 marks a new beginning for the popular series, with its new FOX engine allowing for the most comprehensive advance in the PES franchise since its inception. For years, the PES Productions Team has looked at how matches ebb and flow to develop a new approach to football. As a result, PES 2014 will use Kojima Production’s renowned Fox Engine at its core. Six central tenets (M.A.S.S., TrueBall Tech, Heart, PES ID, Team Play and Core) combine to establish PES 2014 as a new benchmark in football simulations. They govern everything from the way the player receives and controls the ball, the physicality of play, and the ‘feel’ of match-day: the rush and euphoria or crushing lows that experiencing an important game can bring.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

PES 2014

Formats:  PC, PS3, PSP, X360 Out:  2013 Publisher:  Konami

                                 

The Beat Beneath the Streets: Scoring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trailers with Just Blaze

In designing the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows - available for download this summer on Xbox LIVE Arcade, the PlayStation® Network, and PC via Steam – Activision Publishing, Inc. and developer Red Fly Studio wanted to offer players a new vision for a familiar franchise, with a gritty, neon-saturated New York playing a central role in establishing a darker tone for their story.

To find the sound that would help define that vibrant, pulsating world, they turned to hip-hop producer and collaborator, Just Blaze. In this behind-the-booth interview, Blaze gives us an inside look at creating the soundtrack to the game's character series trailers, the challenges of putting a new spin on a classic, and how he draws inspiration from working on a franchise he's loved since childhood.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

Formats:  PC, PS3, X360 Out:  2013 (online) Publisher:  Activision

 Get Your Claws Ready with LEGO Wolverine in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Videogame

Are you ready, bub?

We wanted to share with you some fantastic screenshots and renders of Wolverine, Jean Grey, Viper and Silver Samurai from one of the most highly-anticipated videogames this autumn, LEGO®  Marvel™ Super Heroes.   Wolverine, who will be playable in the game, comes to you bearing his fearsome Adamantium claws, regenerative healing and tough guy attitude all in a fun, LEGO form.  

LEGO®  Marvel™ Super Heroes features an original story crossing the entire Marvel Universe. Players take control of Iron Man, Spider-Man, the Hulk, Captain America, Wolverine and many more Marvel characters as they unite to stop Loki and a host of other Marvel villains from assembling a super-weapon capable of destroying the world. Players will chase down Cosmic Bricks as they travel across LEGO Manhattan and visit key locations from the Marvel Universe, such as Stark Tower, Asteroid M, a Hydra base and the X-Mansion. 

Set for release this autumn, the game will be available for Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, Wii U™, Nintendo DS™, Nintendo 3DS™, PlayStation® Vita, PC, as well as next-gen consoles Xbox One® and PlayStation® 4.

 

PRODUCT INFORMATION

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes

Formats:  3DS, DS, PC, PS3, PSV, WiiU, X360 Out:  Autumn 2013 Publisher:  Warner Bros. Developer:  TT Games

INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Martian Manhunter Character History Video

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced it has released the Martian Manhunter downloadable content (DLC) character for the DC Comics fighting game Injustice: GodsAmong Us. The latest character to be released is based onNetherRealm Studios’ interpretation of the famed DC Comics character and is available now on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for 400 MS Microsoft Points and will be available on the PlayStation®Network at a price of £3.99 later this week. The last of his kind, Martian Manhunter was accidentally teleported to Earth where he joined forces with the Justice League. As the he encounters the tyranny of Superman’s regime in the world of Injustice: Gods Among Us will he let the Man of Steel reign supreme or will he join the insurgency and fight for the freedom of his adopted planet? PRODUCT INFORMATION Injustice: Gods Among Us Formats:  iOS, PS3, WiiU, X360 Out:  04/04/2013 (iOS)   19/04/2013 (PS3 WiiU X360) Publisher:  Warner Bros.

First Downloadable Content Pack for BioShock® Infinite Released Today; Details on Future Packs Revealed

Hone your combat skills today with BioShock Infinite: Clash in the Clouds;

Still to come, an all-new adventure set in Rapture before the city’s fall 

2K and Irrational Games announced today that BioShock Infinite: Clash in the Clouds*, the first downloadable content pack for the best-selling multiplatform video game of 2013 to date**, BioShock Infinite, is available for download worldwide starting today on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows® PC.

BioShock Infinite: Clash in the Clouds, developed by Irrational Games, is an action-focused downloadable content pack that presents players with a series of unique, intense challenges and a whole new gambit of combat opportunities. Players will combine a diverse toolset of weapons, Vigors, gear, Tears and Sky-Lines in four new areas inspired by the classic BioShock Infinite environments. In addition, by completing all 60 Blue Ribbon challenges, players will unlock exclusives in the Columbian Archeological Society, gaining access to new Voxophones, Kinetoscopes, concept art and more.

BioShock Infinite: Clash in the Clouds is available starting today for $4.99 (400 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live® for Xbox 360) via online marketplaces on all available platforms, and is included in the BioShock Infinite Season Pass*.

Also in development at Irrational Games, BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea* is a two-part add-on campaign featuring an all-new story for Booker and Elizabeth, set in the underwater city of Rapture before its fall. These two campaigns will be available individually for $15.00 (1200 Microsoft Points), and are also included as part of the BioShock Infinite Season Pass.

“We are really excited to offer our fans the content that they have been asking for,” said Ken Levine, creative director of Irrational Games. “With Clash in the Clouds, people get a pure action experience that takes BioShock Infinite combat to its highest challenge and intensity level. With the Burial at Sea episodes, we are building a Rapture-based narrative experience that is almost entirely built from scratch.”

The BioShock Infinite Season Pass is available now for $19.99 (1600 Microsoft Points) and includes all three pieces of add-on content, as well as the Early Bird Special Pack, which includes powerful weapon upgrades, exclusive gold weapon skins and infusion bottles to upgrade abilities.

BioShock Infinite is rated M for Mature by the ESRB. For the latest news and information on BioShock Infinite, become a fan on Facebook and follow Irrational Games on Twitter.

BioShock Infinite was released on March 26, 2013 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. For more information on BioShock Infinite, please visit http://www.bioshockinfinite.com.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

BioShock Infinite

Formats:  PC, PS3, X360 Out:  26/3/2013 Publisher:  2K Games Developer:  Irrational