Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Hotness of the Week: 3/19/2013


The weather's weird, games are coming out, and we're knee-deep in convention preparation. We're getting ready for PAX East, so expect lots of content in the later part of the week. For now, here's this week's new releases, and some of the major news stories to keep an eye on!

New Releases:


LEGO City Undercover (WiiU)
 
Gears of War: Judgment (X360)

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct (X360 PC PS3 WiiU)

Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory (PS3)

Trials Evolution: Gold Edition (PC)

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (3DS WiiU)

Dead or Alive 5 Plus (PSVita)

Assassin's Creed III - The Betrayal (PC X360 PS3)

Alien Spidy (PC X360 MAC)

Need for Speed: Most Wanted U (WiiU)




News of the World


EA CEO John Riccitiello has left the company. While he does not specifically mention any reasons for leaving, this is the guy behind the Star Wars MMO, the botched launch of SimCity, and several other missteps by the company in recent years. His full resignation letter is below:

March 17, 2013
Mr. Larry Probst
Chairman Electronic Arts

Dear Larry,

I hereby offer my resignation as CEO of Electronic Arts effective with the end of our Fiscal Year 13 on March 30, 2013.

This is a tough decision, but it all comes down to accountability. The progress EA has made on transitioning to digital games and services is something I’m extremely proud of. However, it currently looks like we will come in at the low end of, or slightly below, the financial guidance we issued in January, and we have fallen short of the internal operating plan we set one year ago. EA’s shareholders and employees expect better and I am accountable for the miss.

I have been at the helm as EA’s CEO for six years and served as COO for nearly seven years starting in 1997. I know this company well, and I care deeply about its future success. I leave knowing EA is a great company, with an enormously talented group of leaders and the strongest slate of games in the industry. I could not be more proud of our company’s games, from Battlefield and FIFA, to The Simpsons: Tapped Out and Real Racing 3. We have built many great franchises that will serve the company well in FY14 and beyond. In particular, I am confident that the investments we have made in games for next-generation consoles will put EA in a strong leadership position for many years ahead.

In offering my resignation, my goal is to allow the talented leaders at EA a clean start on FY14. I look forward to working with you in the coming weeks on an effective leadership transition. I’m extremely honored to have led this company and proud to have worked with all the great people at Electronic Arts.

Sincerely,

John Riccitiello




In more EA news, early adopters of SimCity are entitled to one free EA game, in order to make up for the server issues.

The titles available, as digital downloads, are as follows:

A purchase of SimCity by March 25, 2013 at 11:59pm PST will entitle owners to a digital PC version of one of the following games:
  • Battlefield 3 (Standard Edition)
  • Bejeweled 3
  • Dead Space 3 (Standard Edition)
  • Mass Effect 3 (Standard Edition)
  • MOHW (Standard Edition)
  • NFS Most Wanted (Standard Edition)
  • Plants vs. Zombies
  • SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition
Source: GamesRadar






PAX East is this week. We'll be doing podcasts, taking photos, and writing up our impressions of the games we'll be playing. If you're going to be there, drop us a line! We'd love to hang out, and maybe you could guest on KGB Radio!

See you in Boston!











Chris Linendoll is shipping up to Boston. Follow him on Twitter for all your PAX East needs.

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