United Gamer Online (UGO)

by Chris Morris
June 14 5:45 P.M.

Not too many years ago, Electronic Arts was a company that was avoiding the first-person shooter genre. These days, it’s counting heavily on it.

The company showed a lineup that was bullet-heavy at its 2010 E3 press conference, highlighting shooters that will likely cheer action fans and court controversy from game violence opponents. And as if to underscore their commitment to the genre, EA is launching a new customer loyalty program, dubbed “Gun Club,” tailored to appeal to action fans.

The program, which is live now at gunclub.ea.com, will give members early access to betas and demos as well as codes to unlock weapons in games. Members who join now and pre-order “Medal of Honor” will be able to begin playing the multiplayer beta of that game on June 17 – four days before the rest of the world.

Here’s a rundown on some of the action titles EA showcased at its event.


“Medal of Honor” – Multiplayer was the focus of this year’s demo of the long-awaited reboot of this seminal action franchise. DICE, the team behind the top-selling “Battlefield: Bad Company 2” is working on that side of the game, while another team focuses on the single-player campaign. EA demonstrated a live 24 person match during the press conference, which went surprisingly smoothly considering the unfinished nature of the game. The multiplayer beta launches on June 24, and the game will be out on Oct. 12.

“Bulletstorm” – With completely over-the-top violence, and language that would make a sailor blush, this new shooter from Epic Games and People Can Fly is pure carnal fun. Excessive it might be, but it could still be a cathartic release for gamers seeking stress relief. It’s due Feb. 22, 2011.


“Crysis 2” – This futuristic shooter is set in New York City, and authentically recreates the town using a proprietary, advanced graphics engine. Developer Crytek showed an exhilarating firefight set in Grand Central Station, but its depiction of the collapse of the MetLife building under enemy fire could court controversy from outside of the industry, as it will bring unwelcome 9/11 memories to mind in many viewers. The game will ship (in 3D) for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this holiday season.

“Dead Space 2” – Isaac Clarke will battle more necromorphs in this sequel to futuristic horror-shooter Dead Space, which earned critical acclaim in 2008. The game’s as scary as fans might hope – with developers showing off a scene set in a cathedral complete with feral, hairless baby creatures doing their best to chomp a bite out of Isaac. The game’s set to release on Jan. 25, 2011.

While shooters were the main focus of today's press conference, EA also revealed some substantial changes and new features for previously announced games – and may have found a way to re-energize one of its oldest franchises.

“Madden NFL 11” is undergoing a fairly substantial change after two years of lower than expected sales. Hoping to make the game more accessible to players, EA is cutting game times by half and reworking the way gamers call plays. The company is also introducing three-on-three cooperative gaming online. It’s a risky gamble -- while it could succeed in luring new players, an oversimplification of the brand could alienate its devoted followers, who regularly take the day off of work when it’s released each fall.

EA Sports's other big bet this year – “MMA” – introduces a new gameplay mode dubbed “EA Sports Live Broadcast,” which will let stream live in-game fights, complete with live, human commentators, and prizes. Players will create their own fighters, then can record themselves smack-talking the opposition, before sharing their clips online. The game launches Oct. 19 – and EA is certainly hoping it outperforms rival THQ’s “UFC” game, which was a massive sales disappointment earlier this year.

The “Need for Speed” series, which has been on the verge of becoming an afterthought, will get a much-needed boost as developer Criterion Software, makers of the widely loved “Burnout” series of racing games have taken over stewardship of the series. “Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit” will launch Nov. 16, and lets players play as either a racer or police officer, using a new matchmaking system to learn when friends beat their best scores or achievements.

Finally, fans of “The Sims” will see “The Sims 3” come to consoles this fall – and those hoping to learn a bit more about the still undated massively multiplayer online game “Star Wars: The Old Republic” were likely a bit disappointed. Aside from the announcement of player vs. player action (which had long been assumed) and that every player would get their own in-game ship, Bioware let another CGI trailer for the game do the talking.