Tag Archives: FIFA

Video Gaming

EA Earnings Down Despite Digital Growth

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EA reported earnings for the first quarter of its 2014 fiscal year today, pointing to Battlefield 3 and FIFA Soccer 13’s continued success. FIFA earned EA more than $70 million in digital revenue for the quarter (which began on April 1, 2013 and ended on June 30th), a 92% increase over FIFA 12 last year. Battlefield 3’s Premium service also continued to grow, surpassing 4 million members this year.

EA noted that digital revenue has grown 30% compared to last year, earning $482 million compared to last year’s $342 million. Notable successes on the digital front included Real Racing 3, which has passed 45 million downloads and has an average of two million daily users, and The Simpsons: Tapped Out, which “recorded its highest revenue quarter” since launch.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at IGN Video Games

Video Gaming

FIFA 14: Chemistry Styles Added to Ultimate Team

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The changes to FIFA Ultimate Team outlined in this article relate to current-gen versions of the game. Details about the game on PS4 and Xbox One have not yet been revealed.

Since its inception four years ago, FIFA Ultimate Team has become one of the most popular ways to enjoy FIFA. Over a million games are played daily. If you’re not one of converted, it’s a mode in which you get to build your own team from scratch, competing in leagues and competitions. Players are represented in the form of trading cards, which can be bought in packs or traded from other players. You can even manage your team when you’re away from your console using FUT’s browser interface. For many, it’s become an addition as well as the default way to enjoy FIFA.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at IGN Video Games

News, Politics, Government

EPL slams Blatter's winter 2022 World Cup plan

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Premier League chiefs have slammed FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s plan to move the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to the winter.

There has been widespread concern over the health dangers posed by staging the tournament in the Gulf in June and July where temperatures rocket to 50 degrees (122 degrees Fahrenheit).

And Blatter this week confronted the issue by stating he believed the tournament could not take place in the summer, and that position has been backed up by the international players’ union FIFPro.

Blatter insisted he would push to have the World Cup moved despite the effects it could have on domestic leagues when the FIFA Executive Committee meets on October 3 and 4.

“The Executive Committee will certainly follow me,” he was quoted as saying.

“It is clear that you cannot play in this heat in the summer and we have to consider the players.”

But the Premier League have been vocal opponents of the winter idea on the grounds it will cause major disruption to three domestic seasons, the 2021-22 season and the ones either side, as well as impacting on broadcasting contracts.

And Blatter’s latest comments drew a scathing response from the organisation on Thursday.

“The Premier League position remains unchanged. The prospect of a winter World Cup is neither workable nor desirable for European domestic football,” a Premier League spokesman said.

Qatar plans to spend around ??65 billion ($101 billion, 76 billion euros) on infrastructure projects, including building new high-tech stadiums, which the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee said would likely cost $4-5 billion.

But average temperatures in Qatar are markedly cooler in December, with highs of 24C and lows of 15C.

And UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino recently added his weight to calls for the 2022 World Cup to be staged later in the year.

“I fully share the view that you have to play in the best period for football; that is not June or July in Qatar. This is an issue that FIFA has to sort out,” he said.

Qatar, who won their World Cup hosting bid three years ago, has already said it was ready to stage the tournament in summer or winter.

“Various figures from the world of football have raised preferences for hosting in the winter,” the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee said in a statement earlier this year.

“We are ready to host the World Cup in summer or winter. Our planning isn’t affected either way.”

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

Blatter pushes for 2022 World Cup in winter

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FIFA president Sepp Blatter will push for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be moved to the winter after getting a personal taste of the Middle East’s blast furnace climate.

There has been widespread concern over the health dangers posed by staging the tournament in the Gulf in June and July where temperatures rocket to 50 degrees (122 degrees Fahrenheit).

Blatter insisted on Wednesday that he will push to have the World Cup moved despite the effects it could have on domestic leagues when the FIFA Executive Committee meets in October.

“The Executive Committee will certainly follow me,” Blatter was quoted by AFP subsidiary, SID, as telling a two-day sports conference in Austria.

Blatter said that a recent visit to Jordan and the Palestinian Territories had brought home the dangers of the intense heat.

He expressed his fears despite the Qataris’ ambitious plans to build air-conditioned arenas.

“It is clear that you cannot play in this heat in the summer and we have to consider the players,” he said.

“It is certainly possible to cool a stadium, but not an entire country. That’s why we need to have courage in the Executive Committee and to create awareness among the leagues that we need to change something.”

Qatar plans to spend around ??65 billion ($101 billion, 76 billion euros) on infrastructure projects, including building new high-tech stadiums, which the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee said would likely cost $4-5 billion.

Average temperatures in Qatar are markedly cooler in December, with highs of 24C and lows of 15C.

In June this year, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino added his weight to calls for the 2022 World Cup to be staged later in the year.

“I fully share the view that you have to play in the best period for football; that is not June or July in Qatar. This is an issue that FIFA has to sort out,” he said.

“The sooner they do it, the better. The decision for 2022 was taken in 2010, so in 12 years you can organise yourself.”

Qatar has already said it was ready to host the World Cup in summer or in winter.

“Various figures from the world of football have raised preferences for hosting in the winter,” the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee said in a statement earlier this year.

“We are ready to host the World Cup in summer or winter. Our planning isn’t affected either way.”

The committee said it planned to provide air-conditioning in stadiums, training area and public zones, and would do so with renewable energy.

“We will forge ahead with implementing and developing this technology. Our commitment to this is grounded in the legacy it will offer for Qatar and countries with similar climates.”

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Video Gaming

FIFA 14 UK Cover Star Revealed

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EA Sports has revealed that Gareth Bale will join Lionel Messi on the UK cover of FIFA 14 this year.

Bale is natural choice, having a phenomenal 2012-13 season, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year, the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year awards.

You can see the Tottenham star being put through his paces in the video below:

And hear him talk about the motion capture process, too:

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at IGN Video Games

News, Politics, Government

S.Africa wary of Namibia ahead of Cosafa Cup quarters

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South Africa coach Gordon Igesund is wary of Namibia before a Cosafa Cup quarter-final in Zambia on Saturday.

The ‘Brave Warriors’ have shocked ‘Bafana Bafana’ (The Boys) twice in previous editions of the annual southern Africa national team championship.

Boths upsets came in Windhoek with an extra-time goal bringing a 3-2 victory and Namibia winning another showdown on penalties after a 1-1 stalemate.

South Africa received a FIFA rankings-related bye into the quarter-finals this year and withdrawals have robbed Igesund of half his original 20 players.

Namibia secured a date with their neighbours by defeating Indian Ocean challengers Mauritius 2-1 and Seychelles 4-2 to top Group A.

Both wins came at the compact Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka, the setting for a last-eight double-header with title-holders Zimbabwe facing Malawi first.

Tackling Bafana Bafana is a dream come true for Namibia coach Ricardo Mannetti, a South Africa-based professional for many years.

His most successful spell was under Igesund as unfashionable Cape Town outfit Santos defied the odds to be crowned 2002 South African Premiership champions.

“Anything can happen when Namibia face South Africa because it is always an emotional occasion,” recently appointed Mannetti told reporters.

“We have defied the odds to shock Bafana Bafana several times in the Cosafa Cup and I would love to get one over my former boss Gordon.”

Igesund concedes that the 66-place advantage South Africa enjoy over Namibia in the FIFA world rankings will count for little this weekend.

“It would be foolhardy to take Namibia for granted after they achieved good victories over Mauritius and the Seychelles.

“They held Africa Cup of Nations champions Nigeria in a World Cup qualifier last month and that is sufficient warning for us,” he stressed.

While Mannetti watched his team waste many chances when beating the Mauritians and the Seychellois, Igesund battled with a spate of pull-outs.

“My players are not horses,” fumed Kaizer Chiefs official Bobby Motaung after withdrawing four players.

Other clubs preparing for a new Premiership season took similar action, leaving Igesund with a squad including two players from second-tier side Jomo Cosmos.

Anger over a $10,000 (7,600-euro) bonus offer to Malawi caretaker coach Tom Saintfiet has overshadowed the clash with Zimbabwe.

The Belgian says he is working for free and will pocket the cash only if Malawi win in Nigeria during September and reach the play-offs for 2014 World Cup slots.

“Why do officials not make similar offers to the players?,” asked captain and midfielder Joseph Kamwendo before the squad left for Zambia.

“We have been fighting for bonus increases for a long time, but officials just ignore us.”

Kamwendo, once on the books of South African giants Orlando Pirates, says he and his team-mates will get just $85 (65 euros) each for toppling Zimbabwe.

Ex-Namibia and Ethiopia coach Saintfiet has made changes to the list of predecessor Edington Ng’onamo, including axing goalkeeper Charles Swini.

Zimbabwe coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels can draw confidence from a 1-1 friendly draw in Malawi last month as he takes an experimental squad to Lusaka.

Among those called up for the first time are strikers Tendai Ndoro and Lot Chiwunga and goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube.

The other …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

Trinidad PM says Jack Warner quits Cabinet post

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Former world soccer powerbroker Jack Warner has resigned from his post as the national security minister of Trinidad & Tobago.

In a brief statement Sunday night, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says that Warner decided to resign from the Cabinet and that she accepts his decision. She thanks Warner for his service to the nation and advises the governor general to appoint another lawmaker to the post.

The resignation comes days after an ethics panel of the Confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean Football released a report charging that Warner and a former secretary general of the group enriched themselves through fraud during their terms with the organization.

Trinidad’s opposition had demanded Warner’s resignation.

He is also a former vice president of the world soccer body, FIFA.

From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/world/~3/GWrg-h5cZC0/

News, Politics, Government

Trinidad opposition seeks Jack Warner resignation

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The leader of Trinidad’s main opposition party is seeking the resignation of former world soccer vice president Jack Warner, who currently serves as the island’s national security minister.

Opposition leader Keith Rowley said late Friday that he will present the issue for debate in Parliament next week.

His comments came just hours after CONCACAF‘s ethics and integrity committee released a report stating Warner and the former secretary general of the Confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean Football enriched themselves through fraud during their terms with the organization.

Warner is a former vice president of the world soccer body FIFA who oversaw North American and Caribbean soccer for almost 30 years. He resigned in June 2011 to avoid investigation into a bribery scandal.

From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/world/~3/fyUbn9Mwb0Q/

Video Gaming

Xbox Live Gold Free This Weekend

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Microsoft is offering Xbox Live Gold for free this weekend in the United States, Canada, Latin America and Japan. According to Xbox Live’s Major Nelson, beginning today and running until Monday, April 22nd at 1:00 p.m. Eastern (10:00 a.m. Pacific), all Xbox owners will be upgraded to Gold regardless of their current status.

During the weekend, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Assassin’s Creed 3 and Far Cry 3 will all offer double XP, and players will also be able to enter a tournament with FIFA 13, NBA 2K13, Madden 13 and NHL 13.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following @garfep on Twitter or garfep on IGN.

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From: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/19/xbox-live-gold-free-this-weekend

Video Gaming

IGN UK Podcast #182: In A Podcast Far, Far Away

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This week on the IGN UK podcast we talk about all the announcements Nintendo made for the 3DS – new Zelda and a new Yoshi’s Island – and why it’s quickly becoming one of our favourite platforms.

But that’s not all, we go through the big new features for FIFA 14 (sadly, it’s not set in the 80s) and the prospect of having a new Star Wars movie every summer. Too much?

So treat your ears right now (or grab it from iTunes later):

IGN UK Podcast #182: In A Podcast Far, Far Away – 74.5 MB

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From: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/19/ign-uk-podcast-182-in-a-podcast-far-far-away

Video Gaming

FIFA 14 New Features Revealed

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One of the main pieces of feedback the EA Sports team in Vancouver has received since the release of the phenomenally-successful FIFA 13 is that matches can, at times, feel too open, too back-and-forth. It’s undeniably exciting, but perhaps unfairly favours route-one football. The changes introduced in FIFA 14 attempt to nurture the art of build-up play, of crafting an attack through the centre of the park, with the hope that the resulting goal will feel all the more satisfying.

Dribbling is reliably one of the most exciting aspects of the sport – that engrossing combination of athleticism and arrogance required to beat an opponent – yet that thrill has always been difficult to capture. FIFA 13 definitely made an effort to rectify that with the introduction of Complete Dribbling, the ability to manipulate the ball in all-directions while standing still. FIFA 14 takes the next logical step – you’ll now be able to move freely while sprinting with the ball at your feet. It’s correcting something that’s long been an accepted but archaic feature of football games: sprinting players are restricted to a measly turning circle of 22.5 degrees. Real-life players aren’t limited by this arbitrary value, however, and can twist and turn in a variety of ways, bamboozling defenders with mazy runs. To introduce this feature, and keep things realistic and more importantly fair, FIFA 14 is also introducing its players to the physical force of momentum.

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From: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/17/fifa-14-new-features-revealed

Video Gaming

FIFA 14 Announced

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EA has announced FIFA 14 will be released later this year.

The game has been confirmed for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC right now, but additional platforms will apparently be announced in the coming months. There’s no word of a next-gen release right now, but this could all change.

A host of new features have made it into the game, which we recently got a chance to see. To discover everything we know, be sure to check out our extensive preview of FIFA 14 when it goes live later today.

For now, here’s a little taster of what to expect:

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From: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/17/fifa-14-announced

News, Politics, Government

Brazil official: World Cup, Olympics will be safe

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Brazilian officials said Tuesday they were closely following the investigation into the explosions at the Boston Marathon as they consider whether to change security measures for next year’s World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

But a top official with FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, said his organization was already planning tougher security for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil in light of the Boston attack.

FIFA Secretary-General Jerome Valcke said during a visit to Haiti on Tuesday that the measures would include secret service agents, police officers, military and Interpol.

Valcke also said a perimeter adding a second layer of security protection would be set up around Brazil‘s stadiums, with inspections of everyone passing through. As during the last World Cup in South Africa, a satellite will provide surveillance over Brazil, he said.

“As you can imagine with what happened in Boston, (security) will be even …  stronger,” Valcke said at a news conference in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. “We will push the limit to make sure that we have the security, from the beach, to the airport, to the stadium.”

Valke, who was in the Caribbean country as part of a delegation led by FIFA President Sepp Blatter, said the soccer organization will work with police departments from all 32 countries participating in the 2014 World Cup and will draw on security measures adopted during the 2010 event in South Africa.

While Brazil has never been a target of international terrorism, Monday’s attack in Boston underscored how vulnerable big sporting events can be, and Brazil‘s foreign minister stressed that “all necessary measures” would be taken to make sure the upcoming mega-events are safe. Brazil is also two months away from hosting the Confederations Cup, the World Cup warm-up tournament.

“We are confident there will be measures which will guarantee the security of the events,” Antonio Patriota told reporters in the capital, Brasilia, adding that authorities here were awaiting the conclusions of the investigation into the two Boston blasts.

Alexandre Castilho, a spokesman for the government department that oversees safety during major events, stressed that no changes to security plans had been made, but didn’t rule out future changes.

“It would be too soon to change our strategy, especially because not even the American government has definite conclusions about what happened

From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/world/~3/29qjv5eLvrA/

News, Politics, Government

FIFA head: Boost security after Boston blasts

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A top FIFA official says the international football organization will be stepping up security for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil as a result of the bombings at the Boston Marathon.

FIFA Secretary-General Jerome Valcke said during a visit to Haiti that the security measures will include secret service agents, police officers, military, and Interpol. He also says a perimeter will be set up around stadiums and a satellite will provide surveillance over the country.

Valcke made the remarks Tuesday at a news conference at the headquarters of the Haitian soccer association. He was part of a FIFA delegation led by FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/world/~3/oLtjJgS-0Eo/

Video Gaming

NHL 14 Release Date Announced

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EA has announced that NHL 14 will hit Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on September 10th in North America and September 13th in Europe.

The game will be built on FIFA’s Player Impact Engine for enhanced collision physics and will use Fight Night’s Enforcer Engine for new third-person fights. According to EA, “this new technology delivers, for the first time in the NHL franchise, true size and strength differentiation between players, new jostling mechanics and much more to create the most authentic and electrifying experience yet.”

NHL 14 will also offer “improved acceleration, explosive first-strides, quicker pivots and enhanced lateral skating” via True Performance Skating as well as one-touch dekes using the left stick and a single button. The game will also offer a newly redone Be a Pro Career Mode, which will allow you to “truly live the life of an NHL player” including interacting with teammates, media interviews and more. According to EA, “each choice you make will affect your relationship with fans, teammates and management, influencing your skills and progression.

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From: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/15/nhl-14-release-date-announced

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Video Game Companies Are Hitting New Highs?

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By Rick Munarriz, Munarriz, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Electronic Arts hit a fresh 52-week high this week.

It’s not alone. Larger rival Activision Blizzard also hit a new 52-week high last week.

The newfound investor admiration comes at a surprising time. Video game sales have been sputtering for three years, and video game retailer GameStop has hosed down its same-store sales outlook four times over the past year. It also didn’t help that November’s launch of Nintendo’s Wii U — the first new console in years and a long-awaited catalyst to breathe new life into the moribund industry — is off to a disappointing start.

EA‘s recent financials also aren’t exactly encouraging.

The video game pioneer’s holiday quarter was a dud. Last month’s quarterly report saw adjusted revenue decline 28% to $1.2 billion, falling short of its earlier guidance. Adjusted net income tumbled 47% to $176 million.

There will be quarterly lumpiness at any video game publisher, but even if we look out at the trailing 12 months we see adjusted revenue slipping and adjusted profitability cut by more than half.

It’s not all bleak for EA. Digital revenue is up nicely, and EA was the top iOS publisher in 2012. FIFA 13 has sold more than 12 million copies through the end of December, and Battlefield 3 Premium is off to a strong start with nearly 3 million subscribers.

However, the real reason to get excited about EA is the future. There are some favorable trends working in the favor of software companies including EA that will play out in the coming months.

Reports last month indicate that Microsoft‘s next Xbox system will incorporate activation codes on software installations that will prevent used games from being passed along. This is bad news for GameStop and other retailers that rely on trade-ins and resales, but it’s promising news for the software companies that never profited from the secondhand sales and trades.

Sony‘s PS4 had similar rumors circulating, but that wasn’t highlighted during a Feb. 20 unveiling event. However, the PS4 runs on a new chip that won’t be compatible with earlier PlayStation games. This should stimulate initial sales of new software. Sony is also playing up the chunky hard drive storage capacity of the new system and a streaming service, and these are things that bode well for EA‘s digital initiatives, where margins can be pretty generous.

Naturally, it will be up to the diehard gamers to make this work. If the software developer-favoring features of the new Xbox and PS4 aren’t received well by the public the industry will be in for another year of shrinking sales. However, EA‘s ability to milk more out of a stagnant and possibly declining market is enough to make EA investors the wealthiest that they’ve been all year.

The game continues.

It’s in the game
While Activision and Microsoft have been taking the headlines when it comes to console gaming, Fools following the gaming sector would …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance