Page 4208 – Capsule Computers

Ron Burgundy’s Melbourne Cup Message

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November 5, 2013

Now at the Global News Network (GNN) desk, Ron Burgundy has reported on numerous international affairs, including our most recent election. And with today being 2013 Melbourne Cup day, the moustachioed epitome of man has a word of advice to us Aussies…

In the video embedded below, Ron implores us to “hang on to your traditions Australia!” Apparently, if we don’t, the country’s biggest horse race will go the way of the Kentucky Derby… what does that mean exactly? Watch the clip to find out. Paramount Pictures‘ Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues releases in cinemas nationwide on December 19. Also check out the latest official trailer here.

New Screenshots and Trailer for One Piece: Romance Dawn

Andrew Day

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November 5, 2013

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New Screenshots and Trailer for One Piece: Romance Dawn

One Piece: Romance Dawn for the Nintendo 3DS is a few weeks away from dropping, and to get us salivating with excitement, the guys over at Namco Bandai have delivered a bunch of screenshots and even a new trailer for the game. The game was officially confirmed for a European release in July, and an American release in September, much to the glee of One Piece fans everywhere.

We have compiled a gallery of all the new screenshots below so be sure to check them out, as well as the trailer embedded at the end of the article. One Piece: Romance Dawn is set for release on November 28th, so be sure to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the One Piece news as it becomes available.

Forza Motorsport 5 to Have Regular DLC

Andrew Day

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November 5, 2013

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The Forza Motorsport franchise from Turn 10 Studios has always done a lot right by its fans, and one thing it has managed to do exceedingly well is provide a tonne of support after release, usually in the form of more cars for players to race around in. The Microsoft and Xbox One exclusive Forza Motorsport 5 will be no exception to this rule, and will be providing an unprecedented amount of post-launch support to players.

Starting at launch (November 22nd), and dropping on the first week of the month from January onwards, players will be given access to a new Car Pack. Each Car Pack will have an additional 10 cars available for purchase and download. If you are a fan of a specific make or model of car, you can download them one at a time, while the racing enthusist will be able to purchase a Car Pass. The Car Pass is basically a Season Pass, and gives you access to every car that will be made available.

The first pack, available on launch day will be the LaFerrari Car Pack, and will give people world wide the first chance ever at jumping behind the wheel of Ferrari’s long-awaited new hypercar. Powered by an innovative 950-hp hybrid engine and limited to 499 global production units, when released, the LaFerrari will be one of the fastest and rarest cars in the world, and “Forza” fans will get the unique chance to drive the digital experience before anyone else.

Forza Motorsport 5 will be releasing alongside the Xbox One console later this month on November 22nd, and we recently were able to go hands-on with the game, as well as interview the developers. So in the lead up to the next console generation be sure to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Forza news as it becomes available.

Blood of the Werewolf Review

Joe Morgan

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November 5, 2013

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Blood of the Werewolf
Developer: Scientifically Proven
Publisher: Midnight City
Platforms: PC (Reviewed)
Release Date: October 28, 2013
Price: $9.99 – Available Here

Overview
We’ve only just passed that time of year where everyone grabs a bucket of popcorn and either heads to the movie theaters or pops in a DVD before sitting down on the couch to take in a classic horror flick. The fine folks over at Scientifically Proven have set out to capture that same sense of the classic horror kings but with their own unique twist. How well does their platformer, Blood of the Werewolf, hold up? Is it good enough to howl at the moon or should it be put down with a silver bullet? Let’s find out.

Story
Selena was a devoted wife, a loving mother, and a wickedly powerful werewolf. Now, with her husband slain and her child taken captive by other monsters, she vows to take her vengeance and recover the only thing that still matters to her – her child. The task won’t be easy, however. She’ll have to face harsh landscapes and the evil monsters behind the plot themselves.

Gameplay
Blood of the Werewolf is, at its face, a fairly straightforward 2-D platformer game. You’ll control a lady named Selena who wields a crossbow that she can aim in a circle around her to fire at baddies. Along the way she can also pick up some upgrades that will let you either fire flaming bolts that ignite their target or multiple bolts at a time.

One of the most pleasant surprises (and most significant impacts on gameplay) is the fact that, when exposed to the moonlight, Selena transforms from her small, human form to a giant, bloodthirsty werewolf. This provides a fantastic change of pace as well as some welcome variety in how the level designers were able to keep things mixed up.

There are several notable differences in the gameplay portions between Selena’s human form and her werewolf form. First, her human form can jump and climb ladders, but her werewolf form is capable of double-jumping. Second, where she can attack from range as a human, when she’s jonesin’ for blood, nothing but the claws will do. The werewolf form is able to slash and swipe at enemies to take them down. A heavier attack can be executed for major damage. The werewolf also gets a meter that fills as she consumes the hearts of her fallen foes, which she can harness for devastating attacks. This allows each form to contain its own unique play experience, keeping things fresh for the player.

As with any platformer, level design is a major element of the overall game. If one thing’s for sure, it’s that the team at Scientifically Proven have studied their forerunners and know how to build some intense sets. Many of the elements used throughout the game will feel familiar to anyone who’s dug in to platformer in the last three decades. They use them to great effect, however.

Timed crushing walls, crumbling platforms, fire traps, well placed enemies, and more fill every level. Conquering each stage provides a real sense of accomplishment for challenge seekers. The only problem, though, is that the game isn’t really catered for newcomers of the genre. Veterans will likely experience a few points where they have to take a break and walk away or risk destroying hardware to ease their frustration. The game keeps a death counter for you, though, and the checkpoint system is well implemented, keeping it manageable for anyone willing to continue trying their hand.

The storytelling in Blood of the Werewolf really feels top notch. Selena’s narrative between missions are both well written and voice acted, giving the players a sense of the rage she feels while trying to impart narrative to the players and she searches for her child. It’s a fun, interesting story and they do a good job executing on it.

Visuals
The art style in Blood of the Werewolf is wonderfully done. The color palette caters those classic horror settings. If you’ve ever played through a Castlevania game, you’ll feel right at home with the aesthetic. What’s more than the colors and settings, the characters and animations are quite fun to see and watch. The 2.5-D engine almost makes the characters feel somewhat papercraft, almost giving the sense that you’re playing through an animated film instead of a game.

Audio
The music is both fun and thematic. It captures some of the ominous feeling you’d get from one of the classic horror films like Frankenstein or Dracula, but it keeps the game feeling somewhat lighthearted while it drives the action. As mentioned earlier, the voice acting genuinely feels great. Selena’s narrative wonderfully performed, and in her interactions with some of the other monsters she encounters, you can really sense the emotion she’s conveying. Don’t mute this game – especially during story moments.

Overall
Overall, Blood of the Werewolf is a great platformer. It provides a wonderful sense of atmosphere, the story is well written and well told, and the gameplay mechanics feel fantastic. You may destroy a keyboard or controller out of rage, but you’ll want to buy another to see this great game to the end. Fans of platformers, especially old-school platformers, should give this game a serious look.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Magrunner: Dark Pulse Xbox 360 Review

Simon Wolfe

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November 5, 2013

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Magrunner: Dark Pulse
Developers: Frogwares
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Platform: XBLA (Reviewed), PSN, PC
Release Date: October 25th, 2013
Price: $9.99 – Available Here

Overview
When Magrunner: Dark Pulse initially released onto PC back in June it was planned to be making its way to consoles by the third quarter. Now Magrunner has finally reached Xbox 360 and PS3 and its time to take a look at it again to see how well it works on the new platforms. Is Magrunner able to offer the same experience or even a better one? Or will players lose their sanity just playing the game instead of the eldritch horrors it holds within? Let’s look at what Magrunner can give on the XBLA.

Story
In the distant future of 2048 humanity has finally found a way to produce easy renewable energy thanks to the wonders of magnetism. This newly advancing field of science now offers many interesting developments the most amazing of which are of course the Magrunners. Seven special candidates, including Dax Ward the main character, that have been collected to run through a variety of tests in a special facility over the San Andreas Fault, an interesting story to hear to be sure, but unfortunately one that is forced to be shown rather than experienced for the player themselves. The story of Magrunner is intriguing to say the least, but the problems the story has unfortunately comes from the fact that for the most part it is told outside of actual gameplay. A few cutscenes here and there are fine for interactive storytelling, but here much of it comes off as ham-handed. The introduction is too long and just when the story seems to have reached enough backstory to begin gameplay it turns out to be just a break before another cutscene.

What’s most disheartening is that not all of the storytelling suffers in this way, early on many of the character interactions work perfectly fine and fit the constrictions of the universe told in the elevator between test chambers, in these cases the pacing actually works well giving the characters and their relationships time to find some depth. But, then as the facility goes to hell and the elevators are replaced for transitioning from room to room, the dialogue and character interaction begins to bleed into the gameplay itself, which isn’t necessarily bad until the game starts handicapping the player to ensure they finish listening to the story. Despite these problems however the story itself is able to at least build up to a suitable conclusion befit the Cthulhu name, even if it is forced upon the player a bit too strong.

Gameplay
FPS based around a one trick mechanic is not the most original concept, but in this case the one trick mechanic does turn out pretty different than similar games. Basing the puzzles around magnetism, attracting and repelling different objects to get the desired effects does actually require a much different means of thinking than one might expect. The puzzles are fairly straightforward at the beginning and are able to ramp up the difficulty as the game progresses, though the learning curve might throw some players for a loop as the game transitions away from the clean facility to the run-down and monster filled rooms later on. The difficulty however can sometimes stem from wondering what to do or where to go later in the game, but this aspect does fall in line well with the game as the only tool the player has at their disposal is magnetism it doesn’t leave too much for the player to work through.

Another aspect that sets Magrunner apart is the monster that players must face throughout the game, facing off against more than just a few turrets that players can easily bypass. Monsters ranging from Deep Ones that will stalk and kill the player, to Mi-Go that will protect certain areas preventing players from reaching them, to giant monstrosities that roam around forcing the player to watch out for where they are. These monsters help to give the game a more horror style gameplay, where Dax is almost powerless to fight these enemies except in instances where explosive cubes are available to use against them. This provides an interesting juxtaposition of puzzles requiring careful thought and planning and scrambling to escape and hopefully defeat these monsters, although sometimes switching between the two far too quickly.

Playing through the game with a controller instead of a keyboard and mouse provides a drastically different experience. Where the mouse affords great precision when trying to fire the magnetism charges accurately, the controller seems able to control much better at moving around. So, being on console and having only the controller option producing a slight difficulty in aiming exactly where meaning to. Depending on sensitivity as well, trying to get accurate shots on distance and/or smaller targets can sometimes be a bit problematic, though while much of the game is slower paced being based around the solving the puzzles, this isn’t much of a problem. Other the other hand, when being chased down by monsters and trying desperately to not die all resting on hitting a mark can lead to frustration until being able to set up a preferred method of aiming for these situations.

While the story mode has over 40 levels there is not much more to be found elsewhere in the game. While there is still the Hall of Fame for messages added into the game from the crowdfunding there are no additional modes for players to test themselves on. There are leaderboards to see how players stack up against each other, as well as different achievements for beating certain levels quickly or without dying, but other than these there isn’t much offered for replay-ability. However, being offered as an XBLA title and containing a campaign of decent length this doesn’t really hurt the game much.

Visuals and Audio
The transition from PC to console doesn’t seem to have cost much in the graphics department or sound. The game still looks very good, especially for an XBLA game and the audio quality still stands up as well. The voice acting is for the most part very well done, except for a few instances of dialogue that feels a bit clunky or awkward, but is able to express exactly what it needs to for the vast majority of the time. The best part of both of these aspects though is of course the transition from the neat and tidy lab like setting to the horror filled space levels. Both the environment and the music are able to encapsulate the each area as well as the feelings of both Dax and the player as the story goes on.

Overall
The tale of Dax C. Ward as he conquers the challenges laid before him in the Magrunner facility and he finds himself fighting for his life from Cthulhu Mythos brand monsters is great. It is just the execution that makes the game stumble along as the gameplay and the story both try to develop and unfortunately step on each others toes. Despite these Magrunner has still transitioned very well to consoles and being offered for half the price makes it an even better bang for the buck. Those that missed out on the PC release or who have been waiting for it to reach consoles should find it an interesting and unique challenge for their mind.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Europa Universalis IV Gets First Expansion Details

Joe Morgan

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November 5, 2013

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Paradox Interactive, the folks behind the popular strategy game Europa Universalis IV, have announced some details of their first expansion.

Entitled “Conquest of Paradise,” the game’s first major expansion will open up the world of North America, including the colonial nations and Native American peoples. For the first time ever in a Paradox game, the American continent will be completely randomized, so no two playthroughs will ever be the same. On top of being able to find the Native Americans, you will now also be able to play as them, complete with their own national ideas, buildings, and events.

The expansion is set to drop on December 11, 2013. For more information, be sure to check out their official website here.

New Killzone: Shadow Fall Multiplayer, Live Action Trailers

Sergei Lazarev

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November 5, 2013

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New Killzone: Shadow Fall Multiplayer, Live Action Trailers

Sony and Guerrilla Games have released two new trailers for Killzone: Shadow Fall, one of which shows off more multiplayer while the other is live action, titled Oaths and Promises. The live action video is shown through the ISA perspective, inaugurating the character as Shadow Marshall. See them both below.

Guerrilla Games has offered the multiplayer gameplay trailer at an ultra high bitrate, 1080p 60 FPS to download at a whopping 544MB.

The live action trailer seems to be part of Sony’s Take the Oath campaign, encouraging gamers to create their own trailers using the PS4’s Share feature.

Killzone: Shadow Fall is set thirty years after Killzone 3, where the opposing Helghast and Vektans live in the same metropolis divided by a wall. The first-person shooter is due to be released with the PlayStation 4 on November 15 in North America and November 29 in Europe.

Over 20 minutes of gameplay footage was released last month.

Multiplayer Gameplay

Oaths and Promises

“Forza Motorsport 5” to Deliver Unmatched Post-Release Support

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 5, 2013

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“Forza Motorsport 5” to Deliver Unmatched Post-Release Support

Beginning with LaFerrari Car Pack at launch, New Cars Available Every Month, Bundled or A La Carte

Forza Motorsport has been the foremost racing video game franchise in its support and development of post-release content, delivering new cars months before they hit showrooms, and continuing to add automotive icons sought after by fans around the world.

The tradition will continue on Xbox One with “Forza Motorsport 5” Car Packs to be released on a monthly basis following the launch of “Forza Motorsport 5”. For the first time ever, every vehicle will be available in Forzavista mode; allowing players to explore every inch of each car… inside and out.

Each “Forza Motorsport” Car Pack will include ten individual cars, with the first pack arriving on Friday, November 22, and subsequent packs available the first week of every month, beginning January through March 2014. Fans of specific makes and models may choose to purchase individual cars, a la carte, while devout fans may opt for the “Forza Motorsport 5” Car Pass. The “Forza Motorsport 5” Car Pass is for the racing fan looking for the ultimate driving experience, and gives full access to the first six “Forza Motorsport 5” Car Packs for AU$64.95, at a savings of 18% versus purchasing individually.

The LaFerrari Car Pack, available on launch day for Xbox One and “Forza Motorsport 5,” is the first opportunity for fans around the world to enter the cockpit of Ferrari’s long-awaited new hypercar. Powered by an innovative 950-hp hybrid engine and limited to 499 global production units, when released, the LaFerrari will be one of the fastest and rarest cars in the world, and “Forza” fans will get the unique chance to drive the digital experience before anyone else.

In addition to the LaFerrari, the pack will include nine additional cars, details of which will be unveiled by the “Forza” team soon. More information regarding the “Forza Motorsport 5” LaFerrari Car Pack will be shared on Nov. 19, 2013. Stay tuned to ForzaMotorsport.net for all news.

Rated “G”, “Forza Motorsport 5” retails for AUD$89.95 (Limited Edition AUD$99.95 RRP, available only at EB Games)

The cover comes off Gran Turismo®6

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 5, 2013

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The cover comes off Gran Turismo®6

Full details of in-game features announced ahead of launch on 6 December

SYDNEY, 5 November 2013 – With the highly anticipated Gran Turismo®6 for PlayStation®3 revving up to launch on 6 December 2013, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) and Polyphony Digital Inc are pleased to unveil an extensive range of new and improved features for the world’s best selling driving simulator. Packed with a wide variety of new cars, tracks and enhanced game play features, this innovative new game is ready to impress millions of dedicated Gran Turismo® fans from around the world and new gamers alike.

Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc and creator of the Gran Turismo series, instills the game with his vision and passion for cars and motor sport. The gaming legend explains, “With the release of GT6™ we are celebrating 15 years of Gran Turismo. It has been a privilege to have seen so many advancements made over this period, with GT6 now continuing to set new standards that blur the line between virtual and reality racing. With GT6 we will make it even more flexible and expandable by continuing to develop and add new content throughout its life.”

More cars than ever before… GT6 features over 1,200 vehicles recreated in painstaking detail, including the current FIA GT3 category racers, supercars such as the Pagani Huayra ’11, historic classics like the BMW 507 ’57 and souped-up road cars such the Ford Focus ST ‘13. Each one has been designed with staggering detail, ensuring that each car looks, handles and sounds exactly like the metal equivalent. The collaborative ‘drive the future’ Vision Gran Turismo project has inspired a number of exclusive cars that will be released for the game periodically over the next year. The world’s leading car manufacturers such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, along with leading brands such as Nike have joined forces with PDI to create concept models that will give a unique insight into the future of the automotive sector. These cars can’t be driven anywhere else – not even in the real world… yet!

Finest race circuits from around the world…GT6 boasts more tracks now than ever before, with 37 locations featuring 100 layouts. With the introduction of new tracks such as Ascari, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Mt. Panorama and Willow Springs, GT6 is poised to once again set a new bench mark for driving simulators, with each track having now been recreated to a precision of approximately 1cm or less in deviation from the real thing. PDI has even created a new Gran Turismo Arena, where players can set up their own series of hair-raising challenges and stunts.

New to GT6, an environmental simulation based on the longitude/latitude position of the track reflects the conditions of real life locations. So while you race the Le Mans 24 Hours in GT6, the night-time constellations match the sky from the 2013 race. The environmental changes that happen seamlessly according to the passage of time during gameplay is no longer just a recreation of a track, it’s the simulation of the earth itself.

An upgraded ‘Course Maker’ feature will allow players to create new tracks within the game when it is released through an update. An exciting addition to the functionality will be the inclusion of a new ‘GPS Logger’ mobile app for smart phone devices. Drivers will be able to record real GPS data from their own car and then recreate the route as a track in the game. The ‘GPS Visualizer’ also utilises GPS coordinate data from a real car on the real-life versions of the GT6 circuits. The data can then be imported into GT6 to create a ‘virtual’ replay image of your laps in the game.

For those players who really love to study the finer detail of their performance, the ‘Data Logger’ is something to look forward to. Available in a future update, this feature that will allow you to analyse the replay data that’s saved after driving in the game, with a graph showing speed, engine RPM, throttle input, gear position and steering angles. With all this data at your fingertips, you’ll be able to see where you’re losing time and improve your performance lap after lap.

Breathtaking accuracy ….To make the most of the vast array of cars and tracks, the technology within the game is a step above the already impressive Gran Turismo®5. A new physics simulator, new aerodynamics, suspension and tyre models, and incredibly high-definition rendering mean that the cars look better and react even more realistically with the track. Once you’ve experienced GT6, there will be no going back.

Games modes…GT6 introduces a variety of game play modes. The ‘Arcade Mode’ allows you to race against virtual competitors, take part in a single player time trial or drift trial, or have two players racing battles on a split-screen format. In the fan-favourite ‘Career Mode’ (formerly GT Mode), the player begins at the entry level and works their way through to higher racing licenses, just like a racing driver would in the real world. This is managed by a new star system for GT6, with in-game credits awarded for winning races and, as you progress through the game, you’ll unlock special events, such as an invitation to the virtual Goodwood Festival of Speed.

When you don’t have time for a full race, but fancy sneaking a bit of GT6 into your day, ‘Coffee Break’ events are fun mini games, such as the pylon knockdown event inside a stadium, and the eco-challenge to see how far you can drive on just one litre of fuel. You can play these as many times as you like, just try not to be late for that next appointment!

A revised ‘B Spec Mode’ will be available through an update to give players the chance to show off their strategic wizardry by working to the strengths of their virtual drivers and masterminding the whole race tactics for their team.

Online racing… GT6 is further enhanced by the deepest online racing experience to date, where the community of players can create their own clubs, chat in forums and organise race events for their members. Groups can choose a closed private club, or an open club that can be joined by anyone. The ‘Open Lobby’ invites up to 16 drivers to race against each other online.

If you just want to start racing right away, ‘Quick Match’ will set you up for a race as soon as there are enough participants. ‘Seasonal events’ will be staged during limited periods of time, with the combination of official races, time trials and drift trials, where in-game credits are awarded to the top finishers.

The best garage in town…. While ‘Car Dealerships’ display the available vehicles by manufacturer, ‘Featured’ dealers will specialise in cars recommended for particular racing conditions. Once you’ve formed your perfect garage, it’s now even easier to organise and manage than ever before. You can start free runs and change racing gear directly from the garage, and there’s a stockyard for you to store your prized vehicles that you don’t normally use but can’t bear to part with. Meanwhile, the tuning shop allows you to purchase tyres, suspension kits, brake kits, and superchargers using in-game credits, as well as tuning engines and car bodies. The pit service allows you to wash and maintain your car and engine.

For the ultimate petrol head, you can use in-game credits to purchase aerodynamic parts and over 82 types of wheels with 188 variations. More custom parts will be added over time, so you’ll never get bored of the look of your vehicles. Special paint items will be distributed in online events, and wheels purchased in custom parts can be painted to make sure your car looks just how you want it to. There’s plenty of choice for your driver avatar, too. Racing gear can be purchased with in-game credits and 34 types of helmet in 952 colourways, plus 28 types of a racing suit in 852 colour variations, ensures you’ll stand out from the crowd. Special racing gear sets resembling those of famous drivers are also available to purchase for those who wish to emulate their racing hero.

As the Gran Turismo series celebrates its 15th anniversary, GT6 will blast into the shops on 6 December with more depth, astounding ultra-realistic and exhilarating racing action than ever seen before, making the last installment an impressive next step in the illustrious history of Gran Turismo. Full details of the GT6 features are available to explore online at www.gran-turismo.com and a new trailer “GT6 Concept Movie #6 – Start your Engines” is available HERE.

EA ANNOUNCES JON ‘BONES’ JONES AS ONE OF TWO FIGHTERS TO APPEAR ON EA SPORTS UFC COVER; SECOND FIGHTER DECIDED BY FAN VOTE STARTING TODAY

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 5, 2013

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EA ANNOUNCES JON ‘BONES’ JONES AS ONE OF TWO FIGHTERS TO APPEAR ON EA SPORTS UFC COVER; SECOND FIGHTER DECIDED BY FAN VOTE STARTING TODAY

Sixteen Fighters Square Off for the Right to Share the Cover Honors with UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones in the EA SPORTS UFC Cover Vote Presented by MetroPCS

Sydney, Australia – November 5, 2013 – Sixteen fighters. One cover. Who joins Jones? Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) announced today that Jon ‘Bones’ Jones, the youngest champion in UFC history, will be one of two fighters to appear on the EA SPORTS UFC cover. The second fighter will be selected by fans in the EA SPORTS UFC Cover Vote presented by MetroPCS. The sixteen fighters featured in the cover vote include current UFC champions and top contenders, such as Georges St-Pierre, Ronda Rousey, Anthony Pettis, Chris Weidman, Johny Hendricks, Jose Aldo Alexander Gustafsson, Miesha Tate and more. Fans can cast their vote now at UFC.com/covervote to ensure their favorite fighter gets to share in the cover spotlight.

“It’s a huge honor to be selected as one of the fighters to appear on the cover of EA SPORTS UFC,” UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Jon Jones. “I am a big fan of EA SPORTS and appearing on a cover is one of those things you dream about as a kid. I’ll definitely be following the Cover Vote to see which fighter the fans choose to join me as the face of the game.”

“It’s going to be exciting to see these 16 fighters square off outside of the Octagon in a fan vote to see who is ultimately selected for the EA SPORTS UFC cover,” said Tracey Bleczinski, UFC Senior Vice President of Consumer Products. “The UFC continues to engage fans in new and innovative ways. There will be some great conversations and debates amongst UFC fans across social media as they determine the second fighter.”

“The EA SPORTS UFC Cover announcement represents a landmark announcement for EA,”Dean Richards, EA SPORTS UFC, GM. “The UFC is the first new major sports league partnership for EA SPORTS in over a decade and to stay true to the sport, we’re featuring two fighters on the cover. We couldn’t be more excited to be working with Jon Jones, the youngest champion in UFC history, and we can’t wait to see who fans choose to join him in sharing the spotlight.”

“MetroPCS is all about giving our customers freedom and choice in wireless, and that’s exactly what the EA SPORTS UFC Cover Vote does — put the decision in the consumer’s hands,” said Patrick Wong, Director of Strategic Partnerships for MetroPCS. “Since the start of our partnership with the UFC two years ago, we’ve strived to take fans beyond the octagon and give them an interactive and personal experience with the sport – you can’t get much better than walking out with a fighter in the final moments before they step into the cage.”

The EA SPORTS UFC Cover Vote presented by MetroPCs begins today and will run until December 2, 3.59pm AEST. The vote will consist of a weekly round-by-round, 16-fighter, head-to-head elimination tournament. The winning fighter will then join Jon Jones on the cover of EA SPORTS UFC. Fans worldwide are encouraged to vote as often as possible at UFC.com/covervote to ensure their favorite fighter advances through the rounds.

Fans can double their voting power by using these fighter specific hashtags on “Twitter Vote Thursdays.” Each fighter specific hashtag used on Twitter on Thursdays will be counted as two official votes. Fans can join the conversation about the cover vote every day by using #EASPORTSUFC on Twitter and Instagram.

EA SPORTS UFC Cover Vote Schedule:

• Round of 16 : Prelims

o Voting live from Mon, Nov. 4th – Sun, Nov. 10th

• Round of 8 : Main Card

o Voting live from Mon, Nov. 11th – Sun, Nov. 17th

• Final Four : Co-Main Event –

o Voting live from Mon, Nov. 18th – Sun, Nov. 24th

• Finals : Title Fight

o Voting live from Mon, Nov. 19th – Sun, Dec. 1st

Voting by round will close each Sunday night at 12:00am and reopen Monday morning at 10:00am.

EA SPORTS UFC Cover Athlete Candidates

Demetrious Johnson	Chris Weidman
Dominick Cruz	Junior Dos Santos
Urijah Faber	Chael Sonnen
Jose Aldo	Michael Bisping
Anthony Pettis	Alex Gustafsson
Ben Henderson	Daniel Cormier
Georges St-Pierre	Ronda Rousey
Johny Hendricks	Miesha Tate

Powered by EA SPORTS IGNITE technology, EA SPORTS UFC brings the action, emotion and intensity inside the Octagon to life in ways that were never before possible. The next-generation of True Player Motion not only showcases the diverse, powerful and fluid attacks of elite mixed martial artists through Precision Movement, Dynamic Striking and Strategic Submission Battles, but also brings the combatants to life with Full Body Deformation and Real-Time Exertion. The simulation of Human Intelligence takes leaps forward with the strategic and adaptive MMAi system and is expressed through the most realistic characters ever created in a sports game.

Assets:
To download assets, please visit the EA press site at www.ea-anz-press.com. Visit the EA SPORTS UFC website for more details.

EA SPORTS UFC is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver and will be available for the Xbox One® and the PlayStation® 4 in Autumn 2014. The game has not yet been rated the OFLC; visit www.classification.gov.au for more information. Become a fan of EA SPORTS UFC on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/easportsufc and follow us on Twitter viahttp://www.twitter.com/easportsufc.

EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports videogames, including Madden NFLfootball, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and EA SPORTS UFC®. For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com.

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About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Universally recognized for its action-packed,can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 35 live events annually. The UFC is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world with events distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group for live events and thousands of hours of programming including the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, on FOX Sports 1.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to 882 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.5 million followers on Twitter. UFC businesses also include over 90 UFC GYM® locations in 28 US states, UFC FIT™, an in-home fitness and nutrition program, UFC 360, the internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new videogame franchise in development with EA, best-selling DVDs, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 300 million registered players in over 200 countries.

In fiscal year 2013, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.8 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Need for Speed™, Battlefield™ and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available atwww.ea.com/news. ;

EA SPORTS, The Sims, Need for Speed, Mass Effect and Battlefield are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. and its subsidiaries. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.

About MetroPCS

MetroPCS provides the freedom and convenience of unlimited, no-annual-contract wireless services on an advanced nationwide 4G LTE network for a flat rate. With MetroPCS, customers get great value and a wide variety of device choices from leading brands. A flagship brand operated by T-Mobile US, Inc. (NYSE: “TMUS”), MetroPCS products and services are available online and across the United States through a network of company-owned stores, authorized dealer locations, and leading national retailers. For more information, please visit www.metropcs.com. ;