 | Medal of Honor franchise taking a rest Jan 30th 2013, 22:51 After disappointing Warfighter launch, EA confirms series will take a break while company plans new ideas. 
The Medal of Honor franchise is taking a break. Electronic Arts announced today that after Medal of Honor: Warfighter missed sales expectations, the series is being taken "out of rotation." It is not clear what this means for developer Danger Close Games. An EA representative told GameSpot this afternoon that the studio has no announced projects. "We haven’t announced a new project for the Medal of Honor development team, although there are other projects in development in Los Angeles and throughout our other EA studios," the company said. "Medal of Honor is a great franchise with a storied past. We recognize and appreciate the value of the franchise. We’re going to give Medal of Honor a rest while we plan its return. We haven’t made any decision on how or when it will return." In years past, Battlefield and Medal of Honor games have traded off releasing every year. EA did not say which franchise could replace Medal of Honor in EA's yearly shooter rotation, though the company said more details will be shared on the next financial call in 90 days. Battlefield 4 is currently in development, with a beta to arrive later this year. Respawn Entertainment, led by former Call of Duty designers Jason West and Vince Zampella, is currently working on a big-budget unannounced game for EA. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | FIFA 13 sells 12 million, Origin has 39 million members Jan 30th 2013, 21:49 Sales of latest soccer sim up 23 percent year-over-year, Origin platform rises to new user milestone; EA posts loss of $45 million for the quarter. 
As part of its latest financial report today, Electronic Arts announced that FIFA 13 has sold over 12 million units through its third quarter, a 23 percent year-over-year jump. In addition, FIFA 13 digital net revenue topped $100 million for the three-month period ended December 31, up 98 percent compared to last year. EA's Origin digital platform now has 39 million members, 17 million of which which are mobile users, the company said. By comparison, Valve has more than 50 million members. In all, EA has signed agreements with 86 independent developers for Origin. Overall, EA's digital business saw gains during the quarter, hitting $407 million, compared to $377 million last year. In total, EA posted net revenue of $922 million, compared to $1.06 billion this time last year. The company posted a loss of $45 million for the period, better than the $205 million hit the company took this time last year. EA CEO John Riccitiello called the quarter "challenging." ’We are investing for the future wave of growth that we foresee in digital and console,’ he said in a statement. Other financial highlights for the period included the $50 Battlefield 3 Premium offering, which generated $108 million in sales and has now sold 2.9 million copies to date, up from 1.3 million last summer. EA also called out mobile game The Simpsons: Tapped Out as a bright spot, noting it generated more than $23 million during the quarter. Lastly, the company said Dead Space 3 preorders are outpacing Dead Space 2 and Crysis 3 reservations are up 40 percent over Crysis 2. Looking ahead, EA said it expects net revenue for its fourth quarter to land at $1.025-$1.125 billion, with net revenue for the full-year expected to hit $3.778-$3.878 billion. During a post-earnings conference call, EA called Medal of Honor: Warfighter a "miss," saying it sold "well below our expectations." The company also said sales of NHL 13 are down year-on-year, due in part to the NHL lockout that was only just recently lifted. In addition, the company commented on Star Wars: The Old Republic and its recent free-to-play switch. EA said early checks are proving positive, but it is too soon to tell if the business model change has been successful. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Anti-censorship group angered at MA's removal of games from rest stops Jan 30th 2013, 20:29 National Coalition Against Censorship takes issue with Massachusetts Department of Transportation's removal of "violent" games this month. 
The National Coalition Against Censorship has fired back at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for removing a string of "violent" games from rest stops earlier this month. The games--including Time Crisis and Beach Head 2000--were removed following complaints by parents and just a month after the deadly shooting in Connecticut. Executive director Joan Bertin's letter to the Massachusetts D.O.T. points out that games are protected free speech under the First Amendment and therefore cannot be regulated or restricted by state officials. She specifically mentioned the 2011 high-profile Supreme Court ruling as evidence. "The Department's action in removing certain games because some people object to their message or content is equally constitutionally problematic. There is no legitimate state interest that could be asserted to justify removing specific games to appease the sensibilities of certain motorists." Bertin added that by removing the games from rest stops, the Department is treading a slippery slope that could lead to other complaints. She said it is no stretch to imagine a person demanding certain DVDs, magazines, or books be banned. "It is no more acceptable for the Department to remove certain kinds of video games than it would be to selectively remove other materials in rest stops and concessions because some motorists find something in them objectionable," she said. Bertin concluded her statement saying it is unfair to single out video games, noting that no one is forcing anyone to play the games at rest stops. "Video games, like other forms of media and entertainment, do not appeal to every individual. What some may feel is perfectly fine may not be right for all," she said. "Those who do not wish to play video games at rest-stops do not have to, just as those who do not. wish to read a particular book or magazine do not have to." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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