GameStop Pre-Order

Players who pre-order Watch Dogs™ at GameStop stores across North America will receive a single player mission, The Palace Pack, which includes an investigation bonus and ATM hack boost. The investigation bonus will unlock exclusive investigation opportunities inside of the network and the ATM hack boost will increase cash rewards when hacking into bank accounts. In addition to the single player Palace Pack mission, players who pre-order the game will receive an exclusive poster designed by famed comic-book artist, Alex Ross – while supplies last.

Amazon.com Pre-Order

For pre-orders on Amazon.com, players will receive the Signature Shot Pack which comes with an exclusive single player mission that once completed, unlocks both a unique Biometric Assault Rifle and the Black Viceroy’s Outfit. The biometrics weapon has been smuggled into Chicago for the captain of the Black Viceroy’s gang. The weapon only works for the first person to imprint their palm on the handle. Players will need to breach a stronghold, steal the package and be the first to imprint the weapon and get out of The Wards alive.

Q: First of all, can you tell us what EA SPORTS IGNITE is? 

AW: EA SPORTS IGNITE is our new game engine developed for next-generation consoles. It harnesses the potential of Xbox One and PlayStation®4 and will deliver more authenticity, more connectively and, importantly, more fun.

The engine focuses on Human Intelligence, True Player Motion and Living Worlds – three interconnected elements that we’re confident will rewrite how sports games are experienced.

Q: What can sports gamers expect?

AW: Our games will be alive. In-game players will be able to anticipate and make intelligent decisions with human-like reaction times. With the new consoles, the engine delivers four times more decision-making calculations per second.

We’ve been able to recreate the explosiveness and agility of real-world athletes because the engine’s locomotion system is fueled by ten times greater animation fidelity. Players will plant, shift momentum, pivot and cut with incredible realism.

The stadiums and atmospheres will also be alive through Living Worlds. The engine allows us to have 3D crowds and living sidelines that evolve and react organically to the on-field action.

This is incredibly exciting stuff for us as developers, and we think gamers will love just how much this new innovation will change how you play.

Q: When did development begin on the engine? 

AW: Our development studios at EA Canada and EA Tiburon have been working on the engine’s components for a few years. It’s the first time that we have brought all of our best tech together in this way, and our games will be better for it – we truly have some great things planned.

Q: What are some of the benefits that we’ll see in the games powered by EA SPORTS IGNITE? 

AW: First and foremost, shared technology will help us make better games. We’ll be more innovative, more efficient, and we’ll raise the quality bar across the titles. Each franchise will leverage the technology differently to create game experiences unique to their sport.

Q: How is EA SPORTS IGNITE different to other game engines? 

AW: Our engine is built specifically for sports. For example, the new locomotion system was developed specifically to create player movement that is authentic to real-world athletes.   EA SPORTS IGNITE is more than a rendering engine; it also combines run-time physics, animation, locomotion and online systems.

Q: What next-gen launch titles will feature EA SPORTS IGNITE?

AW: Right now we have FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA LIVE 14 and EA SPORTS UFC in development on the Xbox One and PlayStation®4, and we are extremely excited to bring over the rest of our titles to next-generation consoles in the future.

Q: How will EA SPORTS IGNITE impact the future of EA SPORTS?

AW: We have never been more prepared for a new console generation. Through this powerful engine and our innovative development teams, we are focused on not only creating the best games at the moment, but also pushing the boundaries on what is possible in the future.

We will be posting up more videos soon as we play the Single Player mode of Injustice: Gods Among Us.

Enjoy!

FIFA has had footplanting and a physics based system for a while where NCAA (this year) and Madden (last year) are just getting their feet wet, so fans of FUTBOL; which is a worldwide game, are still looking for the game to evolve.   So what else could FIFA add to their award-winning gameplay, well FIFA wants the fans to feel the experience of matchday.  They want the players to dictate the tempo, build paly through midfield, and create rewarding opportunities for goals.  One of the new features in FIFA 14 is called Pure Shot which represent all new ball physics and will transform every shot to feel real and exhilarating.

In a Press Release EA SPORTS had the following to say:

“FIFA 14 will play the way great football matches are contested with build up through midfield, tension throughout the match as chances are created, and incredible finishing,” said David Rutter, Executive Producer for FIFA 14. “Opportunities in FIFA 14 will be rewarding and great goals will look stunning.”

Finishing has been transformed with Pure Shot so players have the intelligence to adjust their stride and approach angle to find the best position for hitting the back of the net. Well-hit balls feel more exhilarating and rewarding.  New shot types include pure strikes, as well as off-balance and rushed shots. Plus, Real Ball Physics now determines the trajectories of balls, enabling players to kick the ball with force from distance, drill low rising shots with accuracy, and blast dipping or turbulent shots, just like real footballers.

Fans will be able to create rewarding build up to opportunities and have the tools to dictate the tempo of a match through four new features. Protect The Ball will enable players to fend-off and block defenders from the ball while dribbling at any speed, or out-muscle opponents for position before receiving the pass, then turn defenders to carve out opportunities. Teammate Intelligence has been improved on both sides of the ball. New decision-making logic delivers tighter, smarter marking and improved run tracking where defenders recognize opportunities to provide support and win back possession, while attacking players have new ways to outsmart their opponents by creating space for themselves, running along the backline and checking their pace. Major changes to ball control add new tools to win the midfield battles. Sprint Dribble Turns enable players to turn in every direction at sprint speed while preserving momentum, delivering the control and confidence to take on defenders one-on-one. Variable Dribble Touches introduces variety on touches when sprinting. Skilled players will have better touch and more control when sprinting with the ball.

• New Career mode
• The Global Scouting Network brings the world of professional scouting to life.
• a new hub delivers easy navigation, fewer interruptions and live scouting reports.
• Changes to the wildly popular FIFA Ultimate Team (uncertain what that will mean)
• A new online Mode that will encourage social competition
• Multiple new features and benefits to EA SPORTS Football Club, the live service that is the heartbeat of FIFA
• Complete authenticity with more than 500 officially licensed clubs.

Check out some new FIFA 14 Screenshots:

-Locations

You will be exploring 50 locations ranging from fisherman villages, plantations, jungles, forts, islands, Mayan ruins and exotic Coconut Islands. Also hunting and harpooning are available activity’s on AC4.  Ubisoft stated the 60% of the game will take place on land and 40% on the high sea.  Players can dive off ships and swim to land or go underwater to explore. Ubisoft said that exploration is the key and focus point in Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.

-Combat

Edward Kenway will be able to carry four flintlock pistols and be able to use them all together creating up to four gunshots into a combo attack taking out more enemies.  Also Edward can hold his hidden blade plus two cutlass swords creating a combo of attacks. Other weapons includes a blowpipe with a array of projectiles and rope darts.  Ubisoft said that stealth will return in AC4 and they have developed a full underwater combat system.

-Navel Combat

When using Edward’s spyglass to look at other ships you can collect information to plan your assault.  Using various scenarios you can take over a ship by simply just shooting the captain or jumping aboard and taking out the crew. Also using bad weather as your friend by luring enemy ships to be destroyed.  Navel combat features a trajectory-based aiming system that requires you know distance and the speed of an enemy.

-Upgrades

You will be able to upgrade Edward Kenway’s ship by taking over enemy ships and completing missions. The Jackdaw, name of Kenway’s ship  will support weapon upgrades round shot, heat shot, chain shot, mines, mortars, swivel guns and a ram. Edward can recruit crew members when doing side missions which includes bar fights and battle missions. The crew can be upgraded to different outfits allowing more customization.  Recruiting crew members in AC4 is an ongoing effort because they are expected to die in treacherous storms and brutal battle missions.  AC4 have six different enemy archetypes at see and they all behave differently requiring you to have different upgrades to deal with them.  The notoriety system that’s been in all the other Assassin’s Creed games has been taking out of ac4.

-Bmore

Last year it was all about the “Total Swing” that EA SPORTS introduced into the Tiger Woods Franchise where the power and tempo of your swing determined how good you striked the ball. Hold the backswing too long or too short affects the trajectory of the ball.  Open stances, close stances, ball striking placement, draws, fades, it was all part of the “Total Swing” feature.  This year to add on to the “Total Swing” things like side hill lies affect the plane at which the golfer swings.  You don’t just swing up and down anymore, depending on your golfer, the difficulty level, and the lie of the ball the swing plane will be at angles now.  In real golf, no golfer has a straight up swing and almost every golfer has a natural fade or natural draw and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 have now implemented that in their game to enhance the simulation and the difficulty of the game.  Everything factors into your swing now and you have to adjust for lies on hills, how deep your ball is in the rough, sand, and where you strike the ball.  I never had to look at so many things to set up my shot and adds to the realism of the game.

In years past I’ve been able to pick up the newest edition of Tiger Woods PGA Tour, turn it to the highest difficulty and still shoot under par for the round.  Now maybe not -20 under par like some others but I never found it challenging before.  I never really had to take into account anything but the wind when setting up my shot for the most part.  All that is changed now and it’s a change for the better. The highest difficulty now is called “Simulation” and it is by far in my mind one of the best features of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14.  The Simulation difficulty removes grids on the greens, there are no wind numbers, and if you have a little hitch in your swing (I tend to pull left on my way up on my swing) it will make you pay for it.  I’ve never faced this kind of difficulty in any sports game, it was kind of embarrassing.  My first time out I played just 6 holes and was a +18, it’s pretty hard.  I’m not even going to tell you what I ended up with after 9 holes but it took a long time to finish.  It’s not only the putts though, it’s shooting out of the rough, and just getting it to the green.  It’s these kinds of little things that hardcore guys will really enjoy.

The most touted feature this year has to be the “Legends of the Majors” where you can relive legendary moments from the majors in the past. Not only do they have some of the old time golfers available, but you’ll dress like them and even the presentation looks old.  Technicolor presentation, old-fashion looking filmography, and even old music make you feel like you are standing on the 18th at Augusta in 1954 with Sam Snead going for his 3rd Masters.  You start in 1873 with the Open Championship and it ends in 2013 with Rory McIlroy regaining the number one world ranking. The Legends of the Majors mode is broken into 6 eras of golf and you can start at the beginning of each era to unlock the next challenge in that era by playing with a Legend of the game.  This seems nice at first but the darkness and nostalgia quickly wears off.  It’s like going through ‘Tiger Moments’ last year except your growing with the game of golf instead of Tiger Woods.

 Like I did last year, I have to make my plea to bring back some mini-games back to Tiger Woods PGA Tour, the kind that you and your friend can just jump into and battle.  Really miss the T-I-G-E-R mode that was like HORSE.

This year you are also able to compete in an LGPA event for the first time.  You’ve always been able to create female golfers but now you can join the LGPA Tour or test your female out in the PGA Tour.  You can not however take a male golfer and jump into the LPGA Tour.  I’ll be interested to see if the female demographic rises, either way this seemed like it was way over due.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 has always been a beautiful game to look at and to listen too.  The new dynamic lighting system in which makes the feeling of trying to hurry up and play while there is still light is amazing.  You can actually see the sun setting and can play at night if you want.  Playing at night though does have it’s difficulties as holes are sometimes not noticeable enough and because of the awkward cameras angles at times when you putt you never know how bad you missed the hole.

As someone who plays sports games online a lot, Tiger Woods PGA Tour does something that’s really great with “Connected Tournaments”.   In years past, I’ve loved playing tournament but always felt like I was the only one playing in them.  There was no way to feel like you were a part of a huge field gunning for that top spot on the leaderboard.  Connected Tournaments does a great job at making you feel like you are not alone as now you can play up to 24 people all playing at the same time.  And these are not your friends, they are whoever are playing that same tournament as you, on that same hole.  It can become weird as you see 10+ lines shoot off the tee while you are trying to set up your shot or when you are trying to get that birdie on a par 5 and someone is shouting fore in the headset (good thing you can mute).  I really like it and there is something to be said when you see someone else shank a drive that makes you feel a little better inside about your shot into the sand trap on #8.

Another great aspect of online play is the ability to join Country Clubs.  This year EA SPORTS has created the Country Club with more features including the ability to have 100 members, ability to talk to members via voice chat while playing in a tournament (even on PS3), and the ability to create Club Tournaments for 24 members to join.  My question is why limit it to 1 Country Club you can join.  I play with different set of friends every night and they are all at different levels, so joining just one Country Club doesn’t work for me.

There was a lot of talk about how EA SPORTS managed the DLC for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 and once again, DLC is the bad part about Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14.  Now I understand that you probably can’t fit all of the courses on the disc and this year we did get 20 course on the regular version and about a dozen more if you purchase the Historical Edition Upgrade for $15.99.  About 20 more courses are available via the Course shop raging from $3.99 to $7.99 including a 14 course pack for $31.99.  While I understand the business side of this, you can make some of the courses free by completing a certain task or goal and under no circumstances should your career come to a stop because you don’t have a paid course which seems to be the case if you join the LPGA Tour.

I still would like to see some kind of course creator, some better mini-modes, and a more impressive career mode, but maybe that will come in the nex-gen console.

All in all Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 is a great game that is challenging, fun, and looks fantastic no matter if you are a casual fan or a hardcore Tiger Woods Tour maniac.

Please give your review: How many stars out of 5 do you give? Vote above and comment below.

Here is the Sizzle Trailer for the PS3!