EA Sports flies Freestyle

By Tom Magrino, GameSpotPosted May 6, 2008 5:24 pm PT

Publisher rebrands arcade-style sports gaming label; narrows FaceBreaker release to September on 360, PS3, Wii.

While EA Sports is undoubtedly best known for its sim franchises, including Madden NFL, FIFA, NBA Live, and Fight Night, the publishing label is no stranger to the arcade arena, either. For years, EA Sports has been playing fast and loose with realism in games, offering a range of products that include FIFA Street, NFL Tour, and SSX.

While many of these less-than-lifelike games have previously fallen under the EA Sports Big label, the publisher said today it would be rebranding its efforts as EA Sports Freestyle. According to EA, games that will fall under this label will be "playful, inclusive, casual, and easy to pick up and play for kids and parents, women and men, and casual and hardcore sports fans of all ages."

EA Sports told GameSpot that with the introduction of Freestyle, its Big brand has become defunct. "We'll no longer ship games under the EA Sports Big brand, which was more narrowly focused on extreme sports and arcade-style experiences targeted to teens and young adults," an EA rep told GameSpot. "EA Sports Freestyle games are designed to appeal to a much broader audience with more diverse gameplay experiences."

The first game to fall under the new EA Sports Freestyle moniker will be FaceBreaker, which EA said today would weigh in on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii in September. The publisher also noted that the two original projects mentioned in March would fall under the Freestyle label and would see release within the next 12 months.

35 Comments

  • darobinson67

    Posted May 7, 2008 7:23 pm PT

    hell yea i hated the ea BIG name freestyle is much much better

  • Vorodor21

    Posted May 7, 2008 11:27 am PT

    Meh, they can change names all they want, in the end they are still the same company that releases the same over-rated games year after year.

  • Hvac0120

    Posted May 7, 2008 9:33 am PT

    The name of the label on the game does not change the fact that the games themselves are likely throw-away games not worth the package their wrapped in.

    I believe EA is changing these names as part of their effort to re-image the company. They know that gamers are not happy with them and the practices they perform. They also know that now is the time that a lot of new gamers are coming on board and in order to help their reputation, they are manipulating the consumer beliefs by offering "new products" under a new label.

    Oh well.... EA has too much money and too many big-name franchises from the past that they can rely on. They will be around for a very long time no matter how bad their reputation gets.'

    Who knows? Maybe they will begin putting out games that are actually playable and worth something? Maybe things are changing in the company?

  • Emalfe12

    Posted May 7, 2008 9:31 am PT

    So nothing on the DJ Atomica (sp?) hint on a new SSX in Burnout Paradise? Where he says that Mac Frasier (sp?) is up on the mountain preparing for a new season? Nothing? No? Ok.

  • ps3thabest

    Posted May 7, 2008 9:22 am PT

    who cares for ea they didnt make a good sports game in a while

  • StSk8ter29

    Posted May 7, 2008 9:18 am PT

    I thought of an idea that i think would be great for ssx 4, or at least a spinoff of the series. Take big mountain, except make it summertime and have the characters use mountainboards. Are you listening EA? Call it MSX. Anyone that thinks this is a good idea, message me, we should start a petition!

  • kaizerkakai

    Posted May 7, 2008 8:56 am PT

    still nothing for SSX...*sigh*

  • klugenbeel

    Posted May 7, 2008 7:42 am PT

    The only thing they mentioned up there that is any good is the SSX series. Madden has blown hard since getting the exclusive NFL licenese, but what would you expect from EA if there was no competition. I am glad they have not derailed and destroyed all that is great about the SSX series, since On Tour the game has been great. On Tour being thier best!

  • steveguttenberg

    Posted May 7, 2008 7:25 am PT

    That's probably a good idea since the EA brand has gotten dirty lately. People will more likely buy those games if they don't know they come from EA.

  • mysterylobster

    Posted May 7, 2008 7:22 am PT

    "According to EA, games that will fall under this label will be "playful, inclusive, casual, and easy to pick up and play for kids and parents, women and men, and casual and hardcore sports fans of all ages.""

    Awesome. I love you EA.

  • NA3D

    Posted May 7, 2008 7:12 am PT

    Okay, when fans said be innovative, they dont mean make more titles like the Big series. The masses dont care about games like that. Be more innovative with your high end games like Madden, NASCAR, and other sports titles, as well as Burnout, your war games, and other known and not so well known titles.

    This is the CEO's answer to the gamers saying EA has brought nothing new or of quality to the table for too long. So great idea buddy, add more titles that mimic EA Big games, and think that people will love them. At least create truly innovative titles or innovate your once successful titles that you now monopolize the industry of and say you sell the most games for, when you are the only one making those games.

    It wont be old to hate EA until EA changes their ways, other than doing new things to make people mad. Everyone who loves video games should hate EA.

    The are changing it from Big to try to attract attention again when no one cares for the most part though. There is SSX, but not much after that.

    -----
    EA is like a child that was beaten on the head with a metal bat as a baby and still lived.

  • ShastyMacNasty

    Posted May 7, 2008 6:59 am PT

    Oh My God ... Who cares?

  • mrkame16

    Posted May 7, 2008 6:48 am PT

    This news is lame...EA is garbage!!! hurrah for T2!!!!! GTA4 Rocks

  • zoe256

    Posted May 7, 2008 6:42 am PT

    I don't care if hating EA is old, they're still charging 180 GBP/$355 for Rock Band, thus meaning they suck. However, I would like a new SSX

  • kerching

    Posted May 7, 2008 1:39 am PT

    yay new SSX !!! (well i hope!)

  • Wuflungdung

    Posted May 7, 2008 1:06 am PT

    _Elite_Bushido_ your an idiot.

    This is an interesting move, if they were serious about these games they would add more depth to the gameplay and not charge full price like a normal ea sports game, they would sell so many more copies of the games.

  • theclaw135

    Posted May 7, 2008 12:26 am PT

    Agreed. Hating EA is old news. You're just making yourself look stupid now, people have moved on to hate other things.

  • _Elite_Bushido_ posted May 6, 2008 11:10 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    _Elite_Bushido_

    Posted May 6, 2008 11:10 pm PT (hide)

    Once again Gamespot has no idea wtf they are talkin about. NBA Live and Madden SIMS??? LOL yea OK, those are much as sims as i have 1 billion dollars
    = \

  • starfoxmcleoud

    Posted May 6, 2008 10:03 pm PT

    SSX 4!! (as long as they keep the skiis as an option)

  • Petri87

    Posted May 6, 2008 9:33 pm PT

    @DonutTrooper - EA has had different labels for years. EA Sports Big has been around since the last gen started and EA Sports have been around as long as they have made sports games and EA Games have been the name of the rest of the games a looooong time.
    And they were just changing the name of EA Sports Big to EA Sports Freestyle.

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