PlayStation LifeStyle » EA Canada

SSX Could Be Hitting the Slopes on a Vita

Cameron Teague — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:15:18 +0000

SSX is currently on schedule to release on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in February of next year, but could it possibly be branching out past those two platforms? According to a recent interview, it looks like EA Canada is considering other platforms “when” SSX is successful, including the PlayStation Vita.

Speaking to CVG, creative director Todd Batty had the following to say:

If this game is really successful, I think one of the first things we would look at is ‘what other platforms does this game make sense for?’; ‘what would a Vita version look like?’; and I think that’s something, you know, if we’re successful–I’m sorry–when we’re successful, that’s something we’re going to look into for sure.

You have to like his confidence on the matter of SSX being successful and I am sure we can all agree that a PS Vita version of the game sounds great. Let us know in the comments if you would like to see a Vita version and if you plan on picking up the game for PS3.

Explore in SSX’s Multiplayer and Compete Globally

Tyler Minarik — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 08:11:01 +0000

The new SSX game is improving upon everything that’s made the series great while making the natural move for developing on current generation hardware – implementing a comprehensive online multiplayer mode, as shown in a new trailer and screenshots.

The new SSX game looks and plays fantastically already, which is incredible considering it’s still in the pre-alpha stages, meaning assets are still being built and the developers haven’t had time to polish anything yet. Of course, a huge part of the development process is creating a smooth online mode that encourages continual competition between friends and foes alike, and it’s clear the team is devoting plenty of energy to doing just that.

Several main elements are planned which will keep friends connected, while ensuring that there’s always more to do. A “Rider Net” sounds similar to Need for Speed‘s Autolog, since it tracks friends accomplishments, suggests new friends, and even allows players to down vote annoying friends. The combines with an “Explore” feature, which allows players to upload their runs as ghosts for friends to compete against even when they’re not online. If a friend competes against your ghost and wins, they win money, but if they lose the reward is yours instead. Finally, “Global Events” will be held which can pit up to 100,000 players in single event to compete with each other, which may last anywhere from a few minutes up to a few days.

Click here to view the embedded video.

With their new scanning technology allowing the use of real world mountains for terrain, comprehensive plans for multiplayer modes, and over the top snow boarding action the SSX franchise is so well known for, this latest entry is shaping up to provide enormous amounts of fun. It’s been far too long since we’ve since SSX release on a PlayStation platform, but every bit of info makes it clear it’ll be worth the wait.

[Source]

EA Getting Major Air with SSX Demo Plans

Cameron Teague — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:08:59 +0000

For those gamers out there who just aren’t sure about the upcoming SSX game from EA and want to try it before launch, you will be in luck. SSX producer Sean Smillie revealed that EA is planning a demo for the game that will come out before its release date.

Speaking to The Gaming Liberty, Sean had this to say about the demo:

Yeah, there are plans, but I haven’t been told when that’s going to happen.

He was then asked a different kind of question about the possibility of the PlayStation Vita getting an SSX game.

One of the things is that we’ve been working on SSX for quite a while. It’s a pretty big game. There are 9 major regions and 10 characters and a lot more stuff in there.
So as a development team we decided to build the game for PS3 and 360 and if people want to discuss doing other stuff with it then that’s cool but were focusing on those two for now.

SSX is currently set for release January 2012 and we enjoyed what we saw at E3 this year.

New Details On SSX: Deadly Descents

Joseph Peterson — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:12:15 +0000

At this past Spike Video Game Awards in November, gamers were treated to the reveal of SSX: Deadly Descents. Little is actually known about the title other than it is developed by EA Sports and that the trailer seems to bring a more realistic approach to the series. In a recent issue of OXM some new details were brought to light on the upcoming title that is suitably scheduled for release sometime “next winter”.

Below is what was learned from the information revealed in the issue of OXM:

“Sequel is said to feature “great characters, great tricks, great environments, awesome speeds, great music, tight controls, and totally ridiculous gameplay.”
Like SSX games from the past, Deadly Descents will include short and longcuts.
One of the game’s taglines is “Race It, Trick It, Survive It,” with one main goal being getting off the mountain alive.
EA also gave examples of how survival challenges work in Deadly Descents, such as outracing avalanches, avoiding potentially fatal freezing “shady” areas and “getting through the Himalayas’ oxygen-barren ‘death zone’ before you black out.”
The mag also seemed to hint the dev team at EA Canada is looking to implement a social system similar to Need for Speed’s Autolog, saying the devs were impressed with how it was added into Criterion’s Hot Pursuit.
It’ll also be more approachable than Shaun White Snowboarding and 360-exclusive title Stoked.
The dev team was keen to point out that, despite previous rumours, the Skate team aren’t working on Deadly Descents. However, creative director Todd Batty was keen to compare the game to another EA title, saying it is “Burnout on snow”.

So, how many of you are looking forward to this more realistic approach to the SSX series?

[Source]

SSX: Deadly Descent Details Slalom to the Public

Adam Wolfe — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:06:43 +0000

Prior to the VGA’s last month,we received word of a brand new SSX game called SSX: Deadly Decent, and then were treated to the teaser trailer the next day. However, for those that weren’t satisfied with simply a tease, today we have a large amount of new information on this extreme snowboarding game.

This month in EGM, we netted a batch of new details for SSX: Deadly Decent, including:

There will be 17 regions, consisting of upwards of 70 mountain ranges.
Each mountain is ridable on every side, a complete 360º of slopes.
There are five confirmed regions so far: Himalayas (split into two mountains, for now), Kilimanjaro, Siberia, Caucasus, The Alps.
Each mountain will have its own danger consisting of one of the following, thin air, ice, temperature.
You will be able to purchase/earn specific gear. This will be important as each piece of gear will be important to a certain danger/mountain.
There will be tracks in the game consisting of shortcuts, with some tracks being pinched together, while others intersect.
As for now, only Elise is confirmed to return to the game.

So far this is the only info that we have, but as we approach the expected Winter 2011 release date, there will be plenty more to offer.

[Via]

EA Canada Hustling to Make NBA Jam Feature Packed

Thomas Williams — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:13:31 +0000

Since EA decided to delay NBA Elite 11 early last week, it has easily become the most talked about sports game of the year. Before the delay though, the original problem surrounding Elite 11 was in the inclusion of ’3 modes’ of EA Canada’s NBA Jam relaunch. Fans were furious that they had to buy Elite 11 to access the game. My, how things have changed! Since the delay, EA has decided to change NBA Jam from an add-on game to a full game, to help cash-in on some of the sales lost from the Elite delay. Now the team at EA Canada is rushing to make the game featured packed and has very little time to do so on the next-gen consoles.

In an interview with Toronto Sports Radio Show, ‘Got Game’ Creative director of NBA Jam Trey Smith talked about his team received the news that Jam was now going to be featured packed and had to be done so ASAP.

We got this bomb dropped on us just a couple days ago, as well. So we’re shuffling to get everything together, but we got a great team; we got a lot of stuff up and working; we’re gonna polish it up; we’re gonna get it out there before holidays.

Trey also talked about how the team had the online mode for the PS3 version of NBA Jam and how it was a ”really basic online feature set”, and is now going to have to change. The three modes that were to be include on the bonus version of the game were going to be Play Now, Classic campaign, and online versus modes, which the team is looking to “blow out” to justify the new price tag.

Trey promises that the team is ”doing everything in our power to get as much on there as possible” before the games release later this fall, included the highly talked about ‘remix mode’ which has taken EA Canada’s tester around 38 hours to complete. Nice.

What do you think, fellow NBA fans? Have the overwhelming positive reviews for NBA 2k11 swayed you throw down your hard-earned cash to take on Basketball legend himself, Michael Jordan or will you be giving NBA Jam a chance when it releases this fall? Let us know in the comments below!

NBA Elite 11 Demo Available Soon

Zak Islam — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 14:18:00 +0000

Electronic Arts has announced today that a playable demo of NBA Elite 11 will be available for download on the PlayStation Network tomorrow. In the demo, players will get their first taste to try the all-new Hands-On Control system that allows for one-to-one responsiveness and introduces a skill-based shooting system to the basketball videogame genre – EA promises.

On top of being able to play through the 4th quarter of the 2010 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, the NBA Elite 11 demo will feature modes to help users practice the new Hands-On Control scheme:

Tutorial Mode – An interactive tutorial will walk users through the basics of Hands-On Control
Practice Mode – Like in real life, the more time you spend in the gym the better you will be. In Practice Mode, users will be able to spend as much time as they want practicing Hands-On Control in a virtual gym environment. Have a friend jump on locally and both players can master both the offensive and defensive sides of the Hands-On Control system
Become Legendary – Start your path to becoming an NBA legend in the demo by creating your character and playing in the Jordan Draft Showcase. Earn XP and carry your character onto the full version of NBA ELITE 11 in October. In addition, players who share the demo with friends on Xbox LIVE and the PLAYSTATION Network will also earn additional XP for their Become Legendary character.

David Littman, Creative Director, NBA Elite 11 said:

“Like putting in time at the gym, there’s learning curve with Hands-On Control. But once you feel the difference between Hands-On Control and the traditional button configuration, you’ll understand why we chose the direction we did.”

NBA Elite is currently scheduled for a release next month.

NHL 11 Trailer Breaking Sticks and Bones

Cameron Teague — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:01:45 +0000

Hockey season is rapidly approaching and with it comes a brand new NHL game from the people at EA Sports. With each year they are continuing to bring gamers closer to the action and this year looks to be no different with plenty of new moves and hits. To explain some of the new features to be found in NHL 11, welcome EA’s Sean Ramjagsingh with a video of what players can expect when they lace up the skates later this year.

FIFA 11 Release Date Revealed

Joseph Peterson — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 08:16:44 +0000

Every year EA Sports releases a new FIFA for soccer/football fans around the world. FIFA 11 will be the 18th game in the series. Recently EA Sports revealed the release dates that gamers will be able to get their hands on the title.

The game is slated for a North American release date of September 28th, and October 1st for both Europe and Asia. How many of you all plan on picking up this title?

[Source]

FIFA 11 Revealed; New Details

Christopher Gordon-Douglas — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:30:32 +0000

EA Canada’s FIFA series is set break the 100 million sales barrier with this year’s recently announced iteration, FIFA 11. With Konami developing Pro Evolution Soccer 2011, EA are determined not to be arrogant, so EA Canada look to be improving on FIFA 10 by adding some new features to the latest iteration in the highly-successful franchise, FIFA 11.

One of the headline features are Personality+ and Pro Passing systems that emphasize player attributes a bit more and make passing more realistic. According to the developer FIFA 11 will “redefine player authenticity” using something EA are calling “Personality+”, an “all-new feature that sees individual abilities reflected in game, enabling clear differentiation for every player.”

“Personality+ is the evolution of individual distinctiveness that sees a footballer’s abilities on the pitch mirrored authentically in our game, creating individual personalities in FIFA 11,”
“We have reached a level of sophistication within our game engine where footballers in our game will behave and perform as true individuals.”
“We want to use all of our player attributes more fully,” creative director Gary Paterson says of Personality+

A notable difference is that there’s a huge difference in how Andrei Arshavin and John Terry dribble, this will be clear throughout the match, also link up play will be more fluid and free flowing, the developer goes on to say:

“We had some feedback last year that it felt like strikers could still defend and tackle as well as defenders. We’re working on ways in which we can eliminate that,”

The area where Personality+ is likely to make its biggest impact, is in the new Pro Passing system, designed to lessen the effect of “ping-pong passing” which is a poison among some FIFA faithful.

“Real Madrid’s Kaka will deliver crisp, creative passes, and Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta will utilize tighter turns and close control to dribble through defences whilst Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney will hold off defenders and strike shots from distance with pace.”

“Say the pass is 20 yards and you only power up enough for 15 yards – it’s still going to go to the player, but it’s going to be a little softer, which will potentially allow defenders in to intercept it, and will at least slow down the build-up,” says Paterson.

Sounds like FIFA is shaping up nicely and looks to lock horn with Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 later this year. EA are due to show FIFA 11 at their E3 press conference next week, so be sure to stay tuned into PlayStation LifeStyle regularly throughout the event.

Skate 3 Not Rolling Right, EA Trying To Smooth It Out

Paulmichael Contreras — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:33:45 +0000

Skate 3 rolled onto the scene just a few days ago. This iteration boasts a much higher degree of online integration than in the previous version. That’s all well and good, but there’s just one problem – the online isn’t working properly! For the first few days after the game released, EA was pretty mum on the subject.

But a recent tweet on the official Skate Twitter account hippyjump has given some gamers some relief:

“Hey guys – we are aware of the online problems. The team has been working tirelessly to try and fix the issues. Thanks for the patience!”

These issues, as cataloged on the EA forums, vary from EA Nation rarely or never logging on properly, to Create a Park crashing the Xbox 360 version of the game (No reports of the PS3 freezing here thus far), to some offline animation issues that are not present online. Hopefully these issues, especially the EA Nation problems, are dealt with before the weekend, when no doubt even more gamers will be logging on to skate the day away. We’ll update you as the situation progresses.

PSLS On Location: EA Skate 3 Community Day

Paulmichael Contreras — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:23:06 +0000

Skate 3, the latest iteration in the crown of skateboarding games, is set to roll onto the scene in a manner of days. This past week EA Canada held a media Community Day in anticipation of the game’s release at their headquarters in Vancouver, and PlayStation LifeStyle was there to take in the sights, sounds and new features of this ambitious game. Recount the day’s events with us and take a look at some new screenshots of the game after the jump!

The day started off relatively early in a hotel lobby at 9:30 in the morning, where a shuttle was waiting to take us literally up the street to the massive EA studio. This complex is teeming with video game developers of all types, and is comprised of two major buildings. The morning consisted of a nice breakfast and a quick tour of the facility. There are multiple levels in each building, and hidden within are a full-size basketball court, soccer field, and apparently a half-pipe which we never did see. Many of the rooftops were converted into hangouts, with lawns and places to sit littered throughout. Arcade machines were also everywhere, including just outside the main server room or “Mission Control” as it was labeled. An employee told us later that the work environment is very laid-back, which makes for happier workers and thus better products.

Around 11 AM the real festivities began. Part of the development team gave us a basic overview of the game, and we got to see for the very first time the game’s introduction video. The skate series has been known to produce some very unique intros to their games, using actual pro skaters as actors. This was the only aspect of the game that EA asked us to keep under wraps, but let me just say that this one starts off more abstract than any others before it, but it is definitely enjoyable to watch. The storyline behind Skate 3 was explained to us – while in the original Skate your goal was to become a famous skateboarder, and in Skate 2 your goal was to rise up after disappearing from the scene for a while, in Skate 3 you take on building your own empire of a skate team. This is evident in nearly every aspect of the game. Your cameraman from the two previous entries has become the manager of your shop, while a new employee takes the helm. You also recruit other skaters to join the team, and you occasionally play as these new teammates making photo shoots and filming tricks.

There is much heavier emphasis on online gameplay this time around, and much deeper customization. For example, tattoos can be applied to your skater wherever your heart desires. Some of these features must be saved for the review, but everything that was in Skate 2 is here and better than ever, along with many new features.

A huge new feature which we got to play with for a good portion of time was the skatepark creator. You can basically craft any sort of sick skatepark that would make Tony Hawk envious. Once your masterpiece is complete, you can upload it for the world to see and earn credit for it. Again, without going into too much detail prior to the review, this editor is slick and gives users a blank canvas with which to bring their ideas to skate-able life.

Later during the day, we played some online against others in the room. While the gameplay obviously took place over a LAN connection, the lag was minimal and the game did not stutter when in this mode. Veterans to the series will feel right at home here, and perhaps challenged with the new Hardcore difficulty setting. Newbies to the series shouldn’t feel threatened by the game’s learning curve, thanks to a new Easy mode as well.

When the day was nearing its close, one thing was clear – the folks over at Black Box have been paying attention to what their audience wants, and they have more than met those demands. A huge thank you to EA Canada and the whole team for hosting this event, it appears the fans will be pleased!

PSP Review – 2010 FIFA World Cup

Zak Islam — Fri, 07 May 2010 09:29:00 +0000

The Pro Evolution Soccer series may not have the same success as FIFA on HD consoles, but on handhelds, especially the PSP, it’s the clear winner, delivering an innovative gameplay system and fluid controls. EA Sports’ FIFA franchise on the PlayStation Portable has offered pretty much the same attributes from previous FIFA installments on the portable system, and 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa continues that trend. Some may believe the PSP iteration was developed due to an opportunity for a quick cash-in. However, the PSP version of 2010 FIFA World Cup does indeed bring something new and unique to the table.

2010 FIFA World Cup on the PSP has borrowed several elements from the console version. All of the obligatory modes are there, and even the music and visuals bear a strong resemblance to the console counterparts.

Playing on the pitch doesn’t feel authentic at all. Passing and through balls are slow and sometimes may results in losing the ball. A new nice addition which the game offers, however, is during dead ball situations, where players have more control over how they want the ball delivered. For example; you can take a corner with the desired amount of spin you want on the ball which could lead to a satisfying goal-scoring scenario if the corner is well executed.

Another addition which players will come to notice almost immediately upon playing, is ‘Golden Moments.’ When playing on the pitch, every move and action which you carry out well with no errors, such as crossing the ball to a teammate, will fill up a momentum bar. When the bar is full and triggered, you can use it to focus on one aspect of the pitch. If you may feel your defense needs help, for example, then use the defensive boost to significantly improve the back four. Another situation where it can be used is upfront in the attacking department. When used for your attack, then it will give you a noticeable boost upfront on the pitch. However, while the system is handy and rewarding to use, the AI can utilize ’Golden Moments’ as well, so you’ll need to be wary.

In terms of visuals, 2010 FIFA World Cup is very unlikely to impress you. Not only does it lack detail, but it’s disappointing and frustrating to see that the game’s visuals haven’t improved from past FIFA games on the Sony handheld. Its console counterpart offers almost lifelike players, but this version sadly does not even come close. Players’ faces lack details, and only a few well known players look familiar. The whole feel of the World Cup atmosphere is there, but once the confetti and roars from fans die down, the feeling is gone, and the dull visuals on the pitch don’t make up for it.

The same, fortunately, cannot be said about the audio. Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend’s commentary helps you get into the World Cup feel, and they do a great job in delivering commentary. The ever popular vuvuzelas re-create the noise which is expected from the real 2010 FIFA World Cup finals commencing this summer in South Africa.

The main reasons you’ll come back to play the PSP version are probably the fact that you can put it in standby mode, and the game’s plethora of play modes. The standard World Cup and Qualifying modes are of course present, and FIFA’s ‘Be a Pro Mode’ returns as ‘Captain Your Country.’ The scenario mode is what will truly adds to the game’s replayability and adds to the overall value to the game, though. The mode allows you to re-create historic events which have occurred during the FIFA World Cup, such as Thierry Henry’s handball which ultimately led to France progressing to the finals, or Zinedine Zidane’s’ headbutt in 2006′s World Cup final.

Considering it’s for the PSP, 2010 FIFA World Cup, in the end, is a decent football game. It does have its flaws–visuals are poor, gameplay is identical to past iterations in the PSP FIFA series, and you may be better off waiting for FIFA 11. However, audio is spot on, and a broad range of modes adds plenty of replayability and value to the title. But the effort put into the PSP version of 2010 FIFA World Cup should translate into, at best, a rental, as you’d be better off spending your cash on PES 2010 or EA Sports’ upcoming FIFA 11.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score

Gameplay hasn’t improved from past iterations in the FIFA PSP series

Graphics are disappointing and audio is average

Large range of modes adds more than enough replayability

Get Ready to Thrash With these Skate 3 Screens

Zak Islam — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:07:13 +0000

EA has released some new screenshots of the skateboarding sequel, Skate 3, featuring the all new Black Box Distribution Skate Park.

The new location of the game Port Calverton, which includes the all new Black Box Distribution Skate Park is showcased in the new screenshots, which can be viewed below.

Skate 2 will be skating its way to stores in May this year. Check out PlayStation LifeStyle’s review of the previous game in the series.

PSP Review – Def Jam: Fight For NY: The Takeover

Joseph Peterson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:30:02 +0000

Def Jam is quite possibly one of the most underrated fighting series out there. It all began with Def Jam: Vendetta on the PS2, and that was followed up with Def Jam: Fight for NY. While the original Fight For NY came out in 2004, Def Jam: Fight For NY: The Takeover was released in 2006 on the PlayStation Portable. The game was developed by AKI Corporation and EA Canada.

While the PS2 title Def Jam: Fight For NY took place after the events in Vendetta, The Takeover is a prequel to Vendetta. The game begins with your character saving Manny, the tattoo artist, from a sticky situation, after which you are given the opportunity to completely customize your character’s look and voice to your liking. During this time, you also choose your base fighting style, with choices ranging from wrestling to kickboxing. All in all, there are a total of five different fighting styles. After you are done creating your character, you will begin your fighting career and start your climb to the top.

The premise of the game is simply to beat your opponent by knocking him or her out with one of the many brutal hits that can be accomplished while your opponent is in the danger zone. The over the top finishers, known as Blazin’ Moves, fit in well with the game, and often times leave you staring at the screen wondering if that really just happened. Once the opportunity to unlock a Blazin’ Move appears, you simply lock up with your opponent and push one of the d-pad buttons for the finisher you would like to see. Each d-pad button can be customized to a finisher of your liking which can be purchased from the gym owner, Henry Rollins.

The customizations don’t stop at the gym. There are tattoo parlors, barber shops, and a jeweler available to fully customize your character the way that you want. To get the items within these stores, you will use the money that you accumulate during your fights. The amount of money depends on your performance during the fight. You are evaluated at all times, so the amount of money you will receive will differ from match to match. The amount of items available for your character to purchase is pretty impressive, with a total of 904 customizable items between all of the stores.

Pretty much everything can be utilized within the environment. Weapons, barriers, amd even floors are all fair game within the fights. Players can acquire weapons from crowd members, and throw opponents into barriers and floors.

The controls in the game are great for a handheld fighter, but most impressive is the reversal system within the game. Pretty much any move can be reversed, as long as you reverse at the correct moment, achieved by simply pushing the left and right triggers.

There are a total of 8 modes for you to choose from within the game. The main draw is most likely the Story mode and the Ad Hoc mode. Other notable modes include the various Battle modes, ranging from a simple one on one to a ring-out match; there is a total of 6 choices to make within the Battle mode.

Graphically, the game is great for a handheld. It isn’t as sharp as the PS2 counterpart, but it definitely holds its own when compared to other PSP titles. The level of detail within the environments and the character models is great overall. The music artists within the game look just like their real life counterparts.

The music within the game is great, well, for hip hop fans. The gritty feel of the title meshes with the hip hop genre, so the music fits in perfectly.

If you are a fan of the series or enjoy the hip hop genre, this title is definitely worth a look. The game not only features and captures the hip hop genre, but it is a great fighter. The mechanics within the game are deeper than they originally appear. You will find yourself coming back to the title over and over to customize your character more and more and to unlock more brutal finishers as you progress through the game.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score

A great fighter that is a lot deeper than originally perceived

Amazing amount of customization

Great soundtrack for hip hop fans