Former Executive Vice President of EA Sports Andrew Wilson has taken over as the publisher’s CEO, EA announced today. Wilson delivered a brief message to employees, shareholders, and customers in a message posted to EA’s news blog.

Wilson took over EA Sports in August 2011 and has been with the company for 11 years. He will take over the position left vacant by previous CEO John Riccitiello’s departure in March.

“I envision EA as the World’s Greatest Games Company,” Wilson said. “This is not about what we are aiming for or what we will become. Rather, it is about an unfaltering commitment to what we will be every day. This is an attitude that must drive our culture as one team.”

“I also believe EA’s strategy is sound. Our focus on our talent, our brands and our platform together with our investment in next-generation consoles, mobile and PC free-to-play, as part of our ongoing transition to digital, is right. But we have plenty of work ahead to ensure our collective success.”

Wilson takes the reins in a difficult period. Riccitiello left the company after it failed to meet yearly financial expectations, though new consoles arriving in November will likely give the start of Wilson’s tenure a significant boost.

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Electronic Arts has further culled its mobile-focused Montreal studio, according to a company statement and anonymous sources on Gamasutra. The number of employees affected was not disclosed, though these layoffs are seperate from those the studio suffered in late February.

“EA is sharpening its focus to provide games for new platforms and mobile,” the statement read. “In some cases, this involves reducing team sizes as we evolve into a more efficient organization. These are difficult decisions to let go of good people who have made important contributions to EA, and whenever possible we retrain or relocate employees to new roles. Streamlining our operations will help ensure EA is bringing the best next-generation games to players around the world.”

A source who spoke with Gamasutra claimed that 200 to 250 employees were eliminated with more to come, but an EA rep said that number is “too high” and the studio is not closing. BioWare Montreal, lead developer of the next Mass Effect, does not appear to have been affected.

We’re still not sure about Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel developer Visceral Montreal, but a Game Informer source indicates the studio was wholly laid off in February.

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It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Maxis. Ire from SimCity players ebbed a bit when the game’s servers caught up (for the most part) with consumer demand and downtime and disconnections abated. Since then, anger has shifted to the root of the problem: SimCity’s need to always be online.

Maxis General Manager Lucy Bradshaw responded to players who question the game’s need for constant internet access, those who berate it as thin justification for stricter anti-piracy measures.

“It didn’t come down as an order from corporate and it isn’t a clandestine strategy to control players,” Bradshaw wrote. “It’s fundamental to the vision we had for this SimCity. From the ground up, we designed this game with multiplayer in mind–using new technology to realize a vision of players connected in regions to create a SimCity that captured the dynamism of the world we live in; a global, ever-changing, social world.”

She listed the game’s features which require constant connection with servers: interactions between cities, gifts between players, a reactive market, worldwide goals, and regionwide Great Works, to name a few. All of the former are multiplayer aspects.

“The game we launched is only the beginning for us–it’s not final and it never will be. In many ways, we built an MMO,” Bradshaw concluded. “So, could we have built a subset offline mode? Yes. But we rejected that idea because it didn’t fit with our vision. We did not focus on the ‘single city in isolation’ that we have delivered in past SimCities. We recognize that there are fans–people who love the original SimCity–who want that. But we’re also hearing from thousands of people who are playing across regions, trading, communicating and loving the Always-Connected functionality.”

Bradshaw seemed to acknowledge what modders have already demonstrated–the core experience of building a city can function offline with minor changes to the game. She told Polygon last week that significant essential calculations offloaded to SimCity’s server make an offline mode impractical. But it’s simpler than that:

Maxis’ vision does not include an offline mode, and it’s not going to make one.

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“There’s great value in thinking about the story of a game as a collaboration between the player and the developers,” points out BioShock 2 writer Steve Gaynor. However, he continues, the mindset driving the ME3 protest is “not unique to games; it is unique to a certain type of entertainment media that attracts fans who feel entitled to dictate exactly how the product should bend to their desires, instead of standing as a unique experience to be enjoyed, or not, on its own merits.”

“It bothers the hell out of me,” agrees longtime games journalist and Book of Eli writer Gary Whitta: “I’ve always felt that games like Mass Effect are all about living with the consequences of your choices, no matter what they may be, and I think BioWare should do the same thing here and stick with their original choice, trust their original creative instinct.”

LucasArts veteran Chuck Jordan frames the debate in terms of one of gaming’s most persistent discussions: “Considering how much time people have spent trying to advance the idea that video games are works of art, it’s disappointing to see so many people defending the idea that games are product… Art is supposed to be an expression of creativity. If you’re invalidating your team’s ‘vision’ to appeal to the demands of players, then you’ve crossed the line.”

However, not all panelists bristle at the idea of Bioware re-doing the game’s script. “I think developers are well within their right to make positive changes to games post-release, and in the vast majority of cases this is seen by players as a good thing,” points out Supergiant’s Greg Kasavin. “This type of thing does happen sometimes… Fallout 3 got patched so that you could continue playing post-release. Many movies, including classics like Blade Runner, got director’s cuts with major narrative changes said to reflect the true authorial intent. Whether it’s appropriate is a judgment call.”

“It’s their story, they can do what they want,” argues Carnegie Mellon Professor of Entertainment Technology Jesse Schell: “This could be an awesome publicity stunt, designed to get people to talk about and pay more attention to the game.” A worthwhile consideration, considering we’re talking about a game that already went into space just to win a chunk of your coveted mindshare…

The full unedited discussion (opens in new tab) make great food-for-thought for anyone interested in the issues raised by this ongoing saga. Check it out, then come back and tell us if it’s changed your own thinking any.

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Here’s our newest multiplayer strategy clip to help you on your way this weekend with some enemy-specific tips. If Operation Goliath results in a combined total of more than 1 million Brute kills, all participating players will receive a Victory Pack, whose contents haven’t yet been disclosed. Weapons won in Operation Goliath will become unlocked 5pm Tuesday, and must be claimed within a week; EA wants players to ensure you’ve got “Upload Gameplay Feedback” set to “On” within the “Online Options” menu, or your hard work will win you naught but the thrill of working together to achieve a common goal. Which is a pretty crap reward for something you paid good money for.

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Above: Click for a full-size version. You don’t want to be squinting when teammates are counting on your sniping skills

Bioware’s also shared some neat telemetry data from Mass Effect 3’s time online so far. 1,800 years’ playtime? Usually we’d say something here like “if you guys had put that energy into trying to cure cancer, we’d all live on the moon by now,” but with multiplayer success on the Gold difficulty level still hovering somewhere below the 1% mark, this is obviously something that’s going to demand concentration…

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Talking of Ms. Perry, Showtime’s released today in two separate editions: the regular $39 disc, or the $49 Katy Perry Edition, including a poster and exclusive Perry-themed content. At time of writing, no one in the office has earned enough Simoleans to unlock the “scallywag British ex” accessory, but it’s early days.

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Savvy viewers will note the clip’s resemblance to this classic political commercial, which famously did its job despite only ever airing once; it’s fair to say the Mass Effect 3 “Take Earth Back” spot will run somewhat more times than that, most likely resulting in… Mass Effect being elected President? Let’s not even get to speculating, then, what kind of impact will result from our livestream of the new demo – or your experience of same, what with it being available to play right now. Remember to set some time aside for zombies and the new trailer come Sunday…

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Not a particularly famous studio, Bright Light has a lineage dating back to the EA UK studio of the mid-90s, and was formed with the intention of creating exciting new IPs for the publisher. While the team put out a couple good DS games that failed to reach any real popularity, they eventually became something of a mercenary studio, working on ports for Need for Speed and The Sims, eventually leading them to develop the last few Harry Potter games. Those titles weren’t particularly well-received, and after the final unfortunate Potter game this summer, it seems the studio was basically finished.

Electronic Arts has said that some employees will be joining fellow EA studios Criterion and Playfish. Our hearts go out to all touched by this, and we wish them the best of luck in their futures.

Source: Develop (opens in new tab)

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It’s not easy being a horse, especially a horse working at GamesRadar. Lunchtime is the loneliest. Everyday my cordial offerings of healthful oats and fresh carrots are ignored by my human co-workers. As soon as noon arrives, it’s always burritos this, or hamburgers that. The average equine only lives about 30 years. But I swear! The way the fast food loving staff at GamesRadar eats day in and day out, they’ll all beat me to the grave. But I digress.

Today, I’m here to offer our publication’s human audience a real horse’s perspective on The Sims 3: Pets. The latest expansion in the series offers the usual extras with new lifetime wishes, skills, career opportunities, buildings, and items – all set in the fresh country-side neighborhood, Appaloosa Plains. But of course, the biggest and most important addition the expansion brings are horses and the ability to play as them.

To be fair, felines and canines are also available. But they are not important. As usual, weak-minded cats and dogs sit under the shadow of the unquestionably superior equid. That’s how it is in real life. And so it is in The Sims 3: Pets. Dogs can learn simple tricks and will catch fleas, while cats can learn to pounce on inanimate objects. But again, I digress. It’s hard to hate on how useless dogs and cats are in The Sims 3 and in life when there’s so much to love about horses.

Above: Cats and dogs are stupid. Trust me. I’m a horse

For the first time in gaming history, we have a character creation mode fit for true horse lovers. There’s a variety of breeds to choose from, including American Standardbreds, Salernos, and Palominos. Everything from the color of your coat and mane, to the shape of your head, snout, and body can be customized to your liking. With a large selection of featherings, bridles, and saddles to further accessorize your virtual steed, one can easily lose hours customizing your horse before getting into the game.

When you do get back into the game, I recommend selecting Appaloosa Plains, the new neighborhood introduced in Pets. Here, you’ll have access to a nice selection of country-friendly starter homes and pet-centric facilities, like the Equestrian Training Grounds, where you can improve your horse’s jumping skills. There’s also the Equestrian Center, where you can prove your worth by entering racing, riding, and jumping competitions. It’s also where the magic happens, as you can also offer stallions as studs and breed mares.

Above: A weak human scatters hay while my glorious mare dreams of fish. This is how it should be

But the best thing about Pets, is the ability to play The Sims 3 as a horse. While your human Sim toils at its day job to earn enough Simoleons to buy you food and shelter, you can multitask, spending your days trotting through Appaloosa Plains. Fast-forwarding through your workday will be a thing of the past, now that there’s so much to do with your pet. You can socialize with other human Sims – and even make friends with other dogs and cats (although I have no idea why anyone would want to do that).

Grazing in fields and improving your racing skill by galloping around are both acceptable ways to pass the time. But true happiness will come by fulfilling your horse’s wishes, earning you Lifetime Happiness points that can be used to unlock special Lifetime Rewards. Our favorite: the Friend of the Herd perk, which increases the chances of wild horses visiting your home.

The Pets expansion really does offer a brand new way to play The Sims 3. That’s you, trotting into town to spit disdainful snorts at Sim children before begging passersby for some fresh carrots. Dig around, feel the Earth beneath your hooves, master the jumping courses, and take your time. You have many hours to explore the verdant plains of Appaloosa while you human gamers sit at your desks growing fat on Hot Pockets.

Even playing as Sim humans is improved by the mere presence of horses. There’s plenty of chore play to lose yourself in as you make sure your horse has everything it needs and more. Prepare gourmet pet food, like horse granola, to round out your cooking skills. Scatter hay, to fortify your Sims horse with nutrients, fill up the water trough, clean up the poop from the stall, and make sure to clean those hooves. You’ll also want to make sure your human Sim gives your horse Sim the love it deserves with lots of affectionate hugs and back rubs.

There’s really no other way to put it. The Sims 3: Pets is the best expansion released since the series first launched in 2009. Trust me. I’m a horse and I know what I’m talking about. Even non-horses will enjoy hearing their steed’s gentle clip-clops as you trot through Appaloosa Plains and explore it from the perspective of a pet. And of course, everything that made The Sims 3 so great in the first place is still here, making Pets as good a reason as any to load up The Sims 3 for another romp.

The post The Sims 3: Pets review appeared first on Game News.

In case you’re confused, the opening is a flash forward where your character escapes police custody because he has a train full of terrorists to catch. After shooting up the train (simultaneously teaching players FPS controls) and nearly saving the day, he’s caught and we can only assume a screen pops up right after that saying “36 hours earlier,” or something like that. Look for our review soon, as our normally very timely review schedule has been thrown off somewhat due to unforeseen circumstances.

Oct 25, 2011

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