NEW NEED FOR SPEED: THE RUN TRAILER

What's life without a little risk? In this worldwide debut of the latest trailer for Need for Speed: The Run, you’ll see what happens when you go for a spin through the hills of California. The trailer features actual in-game footage, giving you a taste of what it's like to get behind the wheel in Need For Speed: The Run. Keep an eye out for the realistic effect of sunlight on your view and the intense racing action as the driver attempts to pass ten opponents on the way to the finish line in first place.

No speed limits. No rules. No allies. All you have are your driving skills and sheer determination as you battle hundreds of the world’s most notorious drivers on the country’s most dangerous roads while you tear through precarious mountain passes and treacherous deserts.

You’ll race across the United States of America as you speed through cities like San Francisco and New York City with enemies hot on your heels. And for the first time in a Need for Speed game, you’ll have the chance to go on foot as you desperately escape those who would like nothing more than to bring you down.

Need for Speed: The Run is set to come out November 15th. Pre-order your copy today on Origin and get ready for blistering speed and hot cars.

PETER MOORE: EA SPORTS IS GROWING!

It’s an exciting time for us at EA SPORTS as we continue the radical transformation of our business.  There is now more opportunity than ever to bring connected sports experiences to our fans in a multitude of ways, on a multitude of platforms.  Success is no longer measured on the results of packaged goods, but rather in how we engage with our community and build a persistent, online world that is with you anytime and anywhere.

Building this digital playground is not a flip of the switch.  We must craft the proper infrastructure with talent that upholds the EA SPORTS strategic pillars: Innovate for the core, create value through live services, and develop new experiences for new consumers.  The expertise required means new jobs, many in functions that didn’t previously exist.  Our business is changing and so are our needs for talent.

I’m happy to confirm the expansion of EA SPORTS to the bustling development community of Austin, Texas.  As we’ve seen through the current EA studios based in Austin, the area provides a thriving talent pool of game developers, and their passion for sports (especially football - Hook ‘Em Horns!) is unmatched.  Combined with a political leadership that is dedicated to growing the digital media industry, Austin became the perfect location to begin our expansion.  Within the next year, we’ll be building a small team that will be focused on development on HD platforms.  

This expansion won’t be limited to Austin, as we’re continuing to strengthen our talent pipeline within our core studios at EA Canada and Tiburon as they continue to build towards the next-generation of sports experiences.  Once again, welcome Austin, Texas to the EA SPORTS family!

EA RELEASES THE SIMS SOCIAL FIRST SCREENSHOTS

The very first The Sims Social screenshots have been posted, showing off some new skills your Sims can use! You’ll be able to play instruments and cook – and much more!

The Sims Social is an upcoming Facebook game where you can create unique Sims and live out their dreams or stir up trouble by pulling pranks. Develop deep relationships to unlock new features and advance. Play with life in a whole new way—with your real friends, for free!

Even if you’re away from your home computer and can’t play The Sims 3, The Sims Social will be there as long as you can get on Facebook. Stay tuned for more updates as this game gets closer to release. In the meantime, be sure to like us on Facebook!

BATTLEFIELD HEROES PREPARES FOR WAR WITH EXCLUSIVE FREEBIES

When the hot summer months roll around, sometimes you just want to hide inside, close the blinds, and try to ignore the oppressive heat and miserable humidity with a game or two. It’s the perfect time to celebrate Battlefield Heroes’ second anniversary and the surpassing of 8 million players worldwide! EA has something special in store for all Battlefield Heroes fans.

Wake Island,one ofthe Battlefield franchise’s most popular maps, is coming to Battlefield Heroes laterthis month. But that’s not all - players can log in between June 30, 2011, 3:00 PM PT and July 7, 2011, 11:59 PM PT to receive two free Party Packs, one Royal and one National. Each Party Pack will include 77 Battlefunds, 25 Festive Flares, a permanent exclusive Party Hat, and a seven day rental to play in a Birthday Suit! To claim their free Party Packs, players can log in and look in the “My Stuff” menu and select “Rewards.”

Battlefield Heroes is a Play4Free third-person shooter that brings classic Battlefield gameplay to everybody. The game features cartoon-style graphics and gameplay that caters to players of all skill levels. Battlefield Heroes is easy to pick up and play but has robust character customization and engaging online features so gamers can spend hours building up their characters and conquering the world. With a variety of classes, vehicles, and avenues of attack, no match plays the same way. Sign up today and join the fight!

Return to New York in New Crysis 2 Maps

Start spreading the news--you now have even more of New York to explore in the Crysis 2 Retaliation map pack. That’s four new levels of Crysis 2’s fun, fast-paced, critically acclaimed gameplay.

The new Retaliation maps are “Park Avenue,” “Transit,” “Shipyard,” and “Compound.” Each map introduces a new iconic New York City location and gives you more opportunities to deploy the Nanosuit 2’s armor, strength and cloak modes against a terrifying alien invasion that threatens humanity.

 The Retaliation map pack is now available for download on the Xbox 360 for 800 Microsoft points or on PC for $9.99. The map pack is also coming soon to the PlayStation Network.

For more information on Crysis 2 and the Retaliation map pack, please visit the official game website. Also check out the official Crysis community web site, and follow the development team on Twitter or on Facebook.

Portal 2

 

The highly anticipated sequel to 2007's Game of the Year, Portal 2 is a hilariously mind-bending adventure that challenges you to use wits over weaponry in a funhouse of diabolical science.

Using a highly experimental portal device, you’ll once again face off against a lethally inventive, power-mad A.I. named GLaDOS. And this time you won’t be alone. Meet an expanded cast of characters as you think your way through dangerous, never-before-seen areas of Aperture Laboratories.

Break the laws of spatial physics in ways you never thought possible, with a wider variety of portal puzzles and an expansive story that spans a single player and co-operative game mode.

Darkspore Open Beta Launches

If you didn’t get a chance to play Darkspore during to the closed beta, now’s your chance! The FREE open beta for Darkspore is now available for a limited time. In this new breed of action-RPG, you awake from a hypersleep to discover that the entire galaxy is under siege by hordes of mutated creatures known as the Darkspore. Assemble your arsenal of customized living weapons and prepare to confront the menace that has terrorized earth for so many eons. Instead of playing a single hero character, you'll collect and control many heroes, each with their own unique set of special abilities.