EA Sports MMA News Post

EA Enters The Mixed Martial Arts Cage With EA Sports MMA (Press Release)

06:35 PM - June 1, 2009 by aholbert32

All-New Mixed Martial Arts Title Joins Award-Winning EA SPORTS Lineup

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., - June 1, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that an all-new fighting title is in development at EA Tiburon in Orlando, under the EA SPORTS™ brand. EA SPORTS MMA will be available in 2010 on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

EA SPORTS MMA will feature the most authentic, intense and broad mixed martial arts experience to date – complete with a vast array of top fighters and fighting styles from around the world.

“With Fight Night Round 4 set to deliver a knockout with industry-leading visuals and genre-defining gameplay later this month, I couldn’t be more excited to announce the expansion of our combat sports strategy with EA SPORTS MMA coming in 2010,” said EA SPORTS President Peter Moore. “Fans have been begging EA SPORTS to get into the cage, and EA SPORTS MMA will put them in control of the sport’s unique combat experience while finally, in an immersive interactive experience, capturing the raw intensity that has made mixed martial arts one of the fastest growing sports in the world. We’re ready for the fight.”

The EA Tiburon studio carries a successful legacy, and is a leader in innovation, within sports video games. In August of 2008, EA Tiburon was named by GamePro Magazine as one of the top eight most powerful studios in the entire gaming industry. It is home to highly touted franchises, such as Madden NFL, NCAA® Football and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR®.

For more information about EA SPORTS MMA, log onto www.easportsmma.com.

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Member Comments

# 21 allBthere @ 06/01/09 09:56 PM

i think EA will go the controls route!

they will pull a Right Stick-a-thon, and do something like they did with skate. A lot of people will say this is for the better - and maybe they come up with something that has potential.

But I'll say it right now. I don't believe there is ANY way they'll out do THQ in gameplay or animation or presentation. roster is a given they won't, but I have a feeling they will pimp some ''total control'' mechanism and push push push.

# 22 aholbert32 @ 06/01/09 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wet Bandit


	Why would EA release this game at the same time as the next Undisputed? They're gonna have a hard enough time getting out of Undisputed's shadow, they don't need to go lay themselves down right in the middle of that shadow. If THQ sticks to May releases, I'd imagine EA will release around September/October of 2010. Get some holiday sales, and catch MMA fans when they might be jonesing for a new MMA game experience.

There is a problem with that. 1) EA likes to drop its sports games once a month. September is NHL month and October is NBA month. 2) Most MMA fans are sports fans so they buy other sports games. There is a reason that UFC and Smackdown are released in May and November respectively. Those are months when other sports games arent released. EA doesnt want to potentially cut into its sales by releasing it close to other sports games.

# 23 Wet Bandit @ 06/01/09 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aholbert32


	There is a problem with that. 1) EA likes to drop its sports games once a month. September is NHL month and October is NBA month. 2) Most MMA fans are sports fans so they buy other sports games. There is a reason that UFC and Smackdown are released in May and November respectively. Those are months when other sports games arent released. EA doesnt want to potentially cut into its sales by releasing it close to other sports games.

Ignoring the fact those concerns can be easily solved by releasing the game in November, do you really think EA would be more worried about releasing an MMA game in the same timeframe as an NHL or NBA game than they would be about releasing an MMA in the same timeframe as a more visible MMA game?

# 24 Gotmadskillzson @ 06/02/09 12:15 AM

Oh great.........................I bet half of their disc will be full of fluff like MMA cards and create your own fan and crap like that.

# 25 judgejudy @ 06/02/09 12:36 AM

So much blind hate for EA in here. Don't get me wrong, I too drank the EA haterade at one point, but they're really getting their act together lately. FIFA 09 and NHL 09 were great, Live (while not as good as it's 2k counterpart) made huge strides, and Madden 10 is looking pretty awesome.

Sure they've let us all down in the past, but before the release of Undisputed, what had THQ done in the past to make anybody think they'd put out a decent MMA effort? I for one will give this a chance and I think EA could pull it off.

# 26 aholbert32 @ 06/02/09 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wet Bandit


	Ignoring the fact those concerns can be easily solved by releasing the game in November, do you really think EA would be more worried about releasing an MMA game in the same timeframe as an NHL or NBA game than they would be about releasing an MMA in the same timeframe as a more visible MMA game?

LOL...I wasnt ignoring the fact. You said Sept/Oct. To your second question, it depends on when they release it. I think they have a much better shot selling the game in Jan/Feb/March then in Nov. Nov is the prime month most major releases are released because of the Christmas holiday. That game could easily get lost in the shuffle.

Three years ago they released FN round 3 in February and that game did gangbusters. No reason they couldnt do it with EA MMA. Honestly, I dont thenk the game will sell much period without a UFC license. Shoot, I'm a huge MMA fan and without a ufc roster it is nothing more than a rental for me.

# 27 Rau71 @ 06/02/09 02:03 AM

Not too excited about this. EA hasn't made a game I couldn't stop playing since NCAA 03. They are always worried about being about to change the color of your players toe nails instead of making a worth while game.

# 28 Greene_Flash03 @ 06/02/09 03:03 AM

Be smart this time EA, please use the buttons not the stick... or at least give us option to use the damn buttons.

# 29 blevinsm @ 06/02/09 05:03 AM

Judge I couldn't agree more. EA is, like you said, stepping up their game with recent iterations. Not to mention their steps into alternative sports with Skate. I for one wouldn't mind seeing a fresh look at MMA, in the way that Skate was for skateboard games. Not saying that it'll be better, but why is competition so bad?

In defense of the "pro THQ argument" they have had much more previous experience in MMA, with the Pride FC game, and I believe an earlier UFC title for PS2, but I could be wrong.

# 30 Pappy Knuckles @ 06/02/09 06:55 AM

I read in an article that THQ signed with UFC for 3 years, so I'd assume we'd get at least two more games. Hopefully UFC sticks with them because I really like what they've done with their first effort. If the EA game is hot I'll play it, but I'm not expecting much at this point.

# 31 Luck911 @ 06/02/09 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blevinsm


	Judge I couldn't agree more. EA is, like you said, stepping up their game with recent iterations. Not to mention their steps into alternative sports with Skate. I for one wouldn't mind seeing a fresh look at MMA, in the way that Skate was for skateboard games. Not saying that it'll be better, but why is competition so bad?

I don't know about EA is step up its game 2k basketball, baseball, hockey, college basketball where consistently better EA games .Which leaves EA with football and they where only football because they got rid competition.They now only adding things that 2k had in last nfl football game which just blows my mind.

The only reason i happy it lights fire under thq butt to bring out a game every year and actually make improvements because if they don't you already Dana White ready to jump ship to EA .EA could catch lighting again like they did with FN.If EA is smart and steals thq ground game and add FN stand up the game could be pretty amazing though.I faith EA to make good games,i will be suprised if it is a great game.

# 32 bubbachuck @ 06/02/09 02:49 PM

they clearly have potential to make a descent game. They will obviously take some notes from the way THQ did the ground game, which was way better than i expected, and add that with the boxing base they have with fight night. that alone gives them a shot to put out a quality product. I for one enjoy the analog punching and the bob-and-weave in fight night. although stand up is fun in undisputed i sometimes get sick of having to move straight back while defending against superman punch after superman punch. THQ set the tone with its base for the ground game and, whether they want to admit it or not, u know they are gonna take that concept and try and tweak it themselves.

They can def still find a lot of fighters that are out there they could use and im sure they will prob try and start with fedor. Most casual fans prob wont know many but there are still some fighters out there not in the UFC. they might try and add a really in depth create a player and it might turn out well.

Its funny cause EA is kind of in the shoes of 2k with APF. im sure we can all agree that the change was welcome and wanted to see what 2k could come up with regardless of not having the current NFL stars. Just because Goliath has now become David i dont see why we shouldnt still want to welcome that challenge and see what they can come up with. Not saying it will be great by any means but THQ had a wrestling game and came up with undisputed. lets see what the outcome looks like from the stand up point of view!

# 33 Qb @ 06/02/09 03:45 PM

I see this as laying the groundwork to acquire the UFC license when the deal with THQ expires. I thought I read that it runs through 2011, so that would give EA two cycles to produce a decent enough game (and a truckload of cash) to covince UFC/Zuffa/Dana to jump ship.

In the meantime, I expect EA to sign individual fighters (as they do with Fight Night) in an attempt to cobble together a roster with some recognizable names. It wouldn't surprise me if they went after fighters from the past (again similar to FN), but there could be licensing issues there as well. I also think they'll go heavy on the CAF (face-importing, deep customization; see Tiger Woods) and online component in an attempt to have something THQ doesn't.

Generally competition is good in the gaming industry, so news of EA entering the MMA gaming realm is a plus for us... at least for now. Half-joking, but I can see them making a play for the UFC rights if they show they can compete with THQ without the license, for better or worse we won't know until we see what they can produce...

# 34 Luck911 @ 06/02/09 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bubbachuck


	Its funny cause EA is kind of in the shoes of 2k with APF. im sure we can all agree that the change was welcome and wanted to see what 2k could come up with regardless of not having the current NFL stars.

Between

Strikeforce-Cung Lee,Robbie Lawler,Jake shields,Murlio Rau,Frank Shamrock,Renato Sobral,Nick Diaz,Alistar Oversteem,Kevin Randleman

Affilication-Fedor Emelianenko ,Tim Silva,Andre Arlowski,Josh Barnett,Antônio Rogério Nogueira,Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

Dream

Randoms like Tito Ortiz,Bob Sapp and Bobby Lashely

If you read
http://www.operationsports.com/forum...i-will-us.html

Fedor and Mousasi are already lined up to be in the game.Plus there is the 300 hundred pound elephant named Randy Couture who contract with UFC will be up very shortly. Who give the EA a big name they would need.They are more than enough big name fighters and with stikeforce and afflication history of working together i can see EA being able sign some good fighters to mount a decent challange.

Would you buy a game to play Fedor agianst Couture?

# 35 judgejudy @ 06/02/09 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luck911


	I don't know about EA is step up its game 2k basketball, baseball, hockey, college basketball where consistently better EA games .Which leaves EA with football and they where only football because they got rid competition.They now only adding things that 2k had in last nfl football game which just blows my mind.

I'm not sure where you've been but 2k's hockey games have been horrible since the ps2 days, and I seem to recall people continuing to play and mod EA's last baseball effort to this very day (ala. nfl2k5). If you honestly don't think the quality of EA's products hasn't been on the rise since about 08 then you are blindly hating them. They've done nothing but improve and anybody with half a brain and an un-biased opinion can see it.

# 36 bubbachuck @ 06/02/09 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luck911


	Would you buy a game to play Fedor agianst Couture?

Thats what i was saying that they could get enough names to get a descent roster together along with a nice create a player it could be nice. I also think that i like EAs starting point with the fight night series as compared to THQs starting point with smackdown. we have all seen what THQ did and though its good there is def room for improvement/competition.

and to answer that question i would rent ANY mma game to play as fedor vs randy and i would BUY a good mma game to do the same!

# 37 Luck911 @ 06/02/09 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by judgejudy


	I'm not sure where you've been but 2k's hockey games have been horrible since the ps2 days, and I seem to recall people continuing to play and mod EA's last baseball effort to this very day (ala. nfl2k5). If you honestly don't think the quality of EA's products hasn't been on the rise since about 08 then you are blindly hating them. They've done nothing but improve and anybody with half a brain and an un-biased opinion can see it.

You may have taught hockey game where bad but every game reviewer is most years had the nhl games close or 2k favor except for this year where ea game has gotten a better rating.

I am not ea fanboy ,I am not a 2k fanboy.I am fan of good games.Have ea games improved?Yes.Have Ea sports games improve at good rate? No.How long has it been since madden was ported to 360 and up this point features that where on the xbox version or features like gang tackling that where in 2k and real nfl pocket are now being put in.

EA makes good sports every once in while they make great game sport like Fight Night or Madden 04.

# 38 Cusefan @ 06/02/09 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luck911


	You may have taught hockey game where bad but every game reviewer is most years had the nhl games close or 2k favor except for this year where ea game has gotten a better rating. I am not ea fanboy ,I am not a 2k fanboy.I am fan of good games.Have ea games improved?Yes.Have Ea sports games improve at good rate? No.How long has it been since madden was ported to 360 and up this point features that where on the xbox version or features like gang tackling that where in 2k and real nfl pocket are now being put in. EA makes good sports every once in while they make great game sport like Fight Night or Madden 04.

ok Just to set the record straight because I Loathe 2k Vs Ea threads, NHL has been dominating NHL 2k for the past two years. Despite what the Hardcore Crowd says, Madden and NCAA have been improving steadily since 2006. NBA Live and NCAA Basketball are both making Huge strides, I would not be suprised to see NBA Live Surpass NBA 2K in sales and reviews. That Leaves Baseball, MLB2K is trash...

Fact is, EA has been improving across the board for the past few years now. They seem to be past the days of just shoveling out as many titles as possible.

# 39 aholbert32 @ 06/02/09 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luck911


	Would you buy a game to play Fedor agianst Couture?

No but I would rent one.

# 40 Heelfan71 @ 06/02/09 06:39 PM

wouldn't interest me without the real fighters.

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EA Enters The Mixed Martial Arts Cage With EA Sports MMA (Press Release)