News
13 CommentsMedal of Honor Warfighter producers reportedly turned away Osama bin Laden shooter as game consultant
By Samit Sarkar on Feb 11, 2013 02.11.13
Medal of Honor Warfighter's makers at Electronic Arts turned down an application for a consultant position from the SEAL Team 6 member credited with killing Osama bin Laden, reports Esquire. The unnamed U.S. Navy SEAL's uncle reportedly reached out to an EA executive last spring, around the time when the SEAL had formed a company with a few fellow SEAL Team 6 members to help themselves transition into civilian life. His uncle asked if EA could use him as a consultant, although he was forbidden from disclosing that his nephew was the man who killed bin Laden. The uncle was reportedly told, "Right now we are pretty stacked with consultants"; the developers of Warfighter were said to have been using "thirty active and recently retired guys." EA said in September that Matt Bissonnette...
News
43 CommentsEA 'taking Medal of Honor out of rotation' after poor Warfighter reception
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Jan 30, 2013 01.30.13
Electronic Arts is taking the Medal of Honor franchise out of its lineup due to low scores for Medal of Honor Warfighter, chief operating officer Peter Moore said in an investor call today. "We struggled with two challenges: the slowdown that impacted the entire sector and poor critical and commercial reception for Medal of Honor Warfighter," said Moore. "Medal of Honor was an obvious miss. The game was solid, but the focus on combat authenticity did not resonate with consumers. "Critics were polarized and gave the game scores which were, frankly, lower than it deserved," he added. Warfighter, the latest installment of EA's Medal of Honor military shooter franchise, was released in October 2012 and received mostly negative reviews. "This one is behind us now. We are taking Medal of...
News
5 CommentsEA removes links to weapon companies from Medal of Honor Warfighter website
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Dec 26, 2012 12.26.12
A "virtual showroom" linking Medal of Honor Warfighter to real-life products from its gunmaker marketing partners illustrates how the firearms and video game industries have "quietly forged a mutually beneficial marketing relationship," according to The New York Times. The subpage on the official website for Medal of Honor Warfighter displayed information for the McMillan Group and Magpul, two weapon manufacturers, and allowed viewers to peruse guns, knives and other combat gear depicted in Warfighter. Magpul and EA have even filmed promotional videos for the game featuring the weapons. Initially the official "partners" site for Warfighter included both the logos for and links to a variety of weapon and military gear companies under the line "Authentic Game. Authentic Brands." While...
News
15 CommentsMedal of Honor: Warfighter's Zero Dark Thirty map pack set for Dec. 18 release
By Dave Tach on Dec 14, 2012 12.14.12
Medal of Honor: Warfighter's upcoming Zero Dark Thirty Map Pack is set for release Dec. 18, introducing two new multiplayer maps based on the Pakistani region in which Osama Bin Laden was hunted, according to a post on the PlayStation Blog by Marc Janas, a level designer at Electronic Arts. Both maps are based on areas from the single-player campaign. "Darra Gun Market" contains a scenic river crossing, docks and an abandoned estate, while "Chitral Compound" takes place in a small town center with a focus on rooftop combat. "Our two main goals in making these maps were to create environments that would let us push for longer range combat, and more verticality than some of our shipped maps," wrote Janas. "We listened to what a lot of the fans were saying, and we've delivered a wider...
Deals
3 CommentsMedal of Honor Warfighter 50 percent off on European PlayStation Store
By Samit Sarkar on Dec 11, 2012 12.11.12
The full-game download of Medal of Honor Warfighter, Danger Close's poorly received first-person shooter, is available for up to 50 percent off on the European PlayStation Store today and tomorrow. Warfighter usually costs £59.99 in the U.K. and €69.99 in Europe, but it is on sale for £29.99 (50 percent off) and €39.99 (43 percent off) as part of Sony Europe's "12 Deals of Christmas" sale. Each deal in the sale is only valid for 48 hours; the Warfighter discount expires at 11:59 p.m. GMT tomorrow, Dec. 12. This is the sixth deal, so six more discounts are still coming in the next week.
Deals
1 CommentMicrosoft Store Black Friday deals led by Forza Horizon, Assassin's Creed 3
By Samit Sarkar on Nov 23, 2012 11.23.12
The Microsoft Store is offering a bunch of Black Friday deals on some of 2012's best Xbox 360 games and others, including Forza Horizon and Assassin's Creed 3. Here's the full list: $9.99: Kinect Nat Geo TV, Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure, Kinect Disneyland Adventures $14.99: Forza Horizon, Kinect Sports Ultimate Collection, Fable: The Journey $24.99: Assassin's Creed 3, Borderlands 2, Dishonored, FIFA 13, Just Dance 4, Madden NFL 13, Medal of Honor Warfighter, Need for Speed Most Wanted, NBA 2K13, Resident Evil 6 The discounts are only available while supplies last, but while the Microsoft Store's Black Friday page says Forza Horizon is out of stock, we were able to add it to our cart by going directly to the game's page. And many of the prices are also available at...
News
2 CommentsJapan Review Check: Layton vs. Ace Attorney, Super Robot Taisen OG2
By Kevin Gifford on Nov 21, 2012 11.21.12
A recap of the most interesting games coming out soon in Japan, courtesy of the reviews section in the latest issue of Famitsu magazine. - Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney (9/9/9/8, 35 out of 40 points): The Nintendo 3DS adventure/puzzle crossover (written by Ace Attorney creator Shu Takumi) manages to score pretty high overall. "These two titles work in different directions," wrote one reviewer, "but the the setting and story skillfully weave them together and make them into a seamless experience. Attention has been paid even to little details, like how you can use Layton's hint coins in the courtroom segments. I'm also really impressed by how well the polygonal Ace Attorney characters turned out." However, Famitsu also admitted that this crossover sequel really doesn't add much...
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27 CommentsSeven Navy SEALs disciplined for involvement with Medal of Honor Warfighter (update)
By Tracey Lien on Nov 08, 2012 11.08.12
Seven members of the U.S. Navy SEALs have been reprimanded and face further punishment for their participation in the development of EA's Medal of Honor Warfighter, CBS News reports. According to the report, the members are currently under investigation for serving as paid consultants on Warfighter. It is believed that the Navy SEALs used classified material which had been given to them by the Navy while consulting on the game. In addition, CBS reports that their participation as consultants is a violation of an unwritten code that "SEALs are silent warriors who shun the spotlight." While it is unclear what classified information the SEALs provided to EA, the game publisher has publicized that real members of the military — both active and retired — served as consultants on the...
News
6 CommentsRedbox faces challenges in offering some major games, says company executive
By Samit Sarkar on Nov 06, 2012 11.06.12
Increasing numbers of recent video games span multiple discs, especially on Xbox 360, and physical rental service Redbox's one-disc policy makes it difficult for the company to offer such titles, said vice president of games Joel Resnick in an interview with Gamasutra. Redbox kiosks ask for one fee per disc, and while some suggest the company simply charge twice as much for a two-disc game, that won't work because customers might return the discs to separate locations. Further complicating the issue, said Resnick, is that "there's a lack of consistency in how the content is split from game to game." In the case of Halo 4, the single-player campaign is on the first disc and multiplayer is on the second, but users must insert disc one into the Xbox 360 in order to access multiplayer...
Deals
9 CommentsEA offers one free download from back catalog for new game purchase through Origin
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Oct 31, 2012 10.31.12
EA's digital game distribution website Origin is holding a sale today through Nov. 5, offering one free download from the company's back catalog with each new title purchase, reports GamerDeals. The games that shoppers can purchase to become eligible for the deal are limited, including Battlefield 3, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, TERA and Game of Thrones. Games available for free with purchase include Dead Space, Mass Effect, and Sims titles, among others. A second category for the deal offers games rated for teens and younger, including Sims expansion packs, Street Fighter x Tekken and Mirror's Edge. EA is also offering recently-released Medal of Honor: Warfighter at 50 percent off with purchase of Battlefield 3 Premium or Premium Edition, and 40 percent off The Sims 3:...
