Skip to main content

EA's E3 press conference

Mass Effect 4! Mirror's Edge 2! Battlefield Hardline beta live on PC and PS4 today! Loads more.

Electronic Arts' E3 conference brought news that the Battlefield Hardline beta is live on both PC and PS4 today, along with early footage from Mass Effect 4 and new IP from BioWare's Edmonton studio. There were also updates on Mirror's Edge 2 and plenty of other titles, including EA Sports PGA Tour with its loony new battleship-based course.

Lots of stuff, in short. Read through the live text below and check out our E3 2014 guide for an overview of the whole show.

Our live coverage of this event has finished.

Hello! Fresh from games, games, games with Microsoft, soon it will be time for things which are in the games, that are therefore in the games, with EA.

Tom Bramwell

EA has apparently gone for a different seating plan this year, sitting attendees at tables with boxes of doughnuts to munch on. Dragon Age boss-lord Mark Darrah tweeted a picture.

Robert Purchese

Robert Purchese

vert1go: @Tom_Bramwell shouldn't that be CGI, CGI, CGI with Microsoft?

Sick burn confirmed!

Tom Bramwell

Looks like we're about to begin the EA wedding.

Tom Bramwell

The FIFA 15 trailer has already gone live on YouTube.

Tom Bramwell

The trailer starts off with Star Wars!

Tom Bramwell

DICE is making Battlefront 3. The studio went back to the Lucas archives to capture actual models and props used in the movies.

Tom Bramwell

I know you knew Battlefront 3 is being made by DICE - that was a test and you passed.

Tom Bramwell

This is early in-engine footage. Lots of familiar environments - speeders, AT-ATs, etc.

Tom Bramwell

"As someone once said, 'Do or do not. There is no try.'"

Tom Bramwell

Nice opening. EA CEO Andrew Wilson is on stage.

Tom Bramwell

He says they're doing the show a little differently. Some games are just a few months from being done, others are earlier on so we'll see behind-the-scenes stuff to lay the path for the next few years.

Tom Bramwell

We're starting with BioWare's Dragon Age: Inquisition - and I thought he then said we'd see two new projects from BioWare.

Tom Bramwell

A musician is on stage playing cello music along to a montage of scenes from Dragon Age.

Tom Bramwell

Footage is much the same as we saw in Microsoft's conference, but there's no harm in seeing it again.

Tom Bramwell

GIANT RABBIT CONFIRoh wait it was a close-up.

Tom Bramwell

BioWare studio manager Aaryn Flynn is here, recapping what we'll be doing in Inquisition. Leading heroes against the forces of evil, for a change.

Tom Bramwell

We're going to take on a high dragon and see how it's possible to switch between party members.

Tom Bramwell

Switching between party members on the fly to keep up the attack on multiple fronts.

Tom Bramwell

The dragon takes off and scorches the field with beautiful flame... and that's that over with. Pretty and violent!

Tom Bramwell

You can pause action and switch between heroes for a more tactical approach too.

Tom Bramwell

And now we're onto a look at Mass Effect, judging by the music.

Tom Bramwell

New places, new characters, new people to fall in love with, a new region of space.

Tom Bramwell

We're seeing "conceptual prototype" footage, but this presentation suggests the game is still early on.

Tom Bramwell

The Montreal team is working on the new Mass Effect, while the team in Edmonton is working on completely new IP.

Tom Bramwell

The conceptual prototype footage for this looked a bit post-apocalyptic. Not much else to go by.

Tom Bramwell

And now we're onto The Sims 4.

Tom Bramwell

bratsampson: Wtf squealing?

There's a bevy of fans EA always places down the front for Sims presentations who do just that. Lord knows why.

Martin Robinson

It looks like The Sims 4.

Tom Bramwell

Hahahahahaha. He died.

Martin Robinson

It's out on 2nd September.

Tom Bramwell

Always online! Nah, just kidding.

Tom Bramwell

Famous footage of Bruce Lee now.

Tom Bramwell

He's in EA Sports UFC, of course.

Tom Bramwell

UFC includes best water in games. I think that's what Bruce Lee's getting at.

Martin Robinson

The game's due out later this month.

Tom Bramwell

EA Sports UFC director Bryan Hayes is showing us a bout with Bruce Lee in action.

Tom Bramwell

Next up: NHL 15.

Tom Bramwell

We're seeing some gameplay footage for the first time. Sure, it looks nice, but can you drive a Zamboni?

Tom Bramwell

Patrick Soderland is on stage now. He's talking about how EA's tools have been overhauled so they can more rapidly prototype ideas.

Tom Bramwell

We're about to get a little glimpse of what Criterion has been working on, even though it's super early.

Tom Bramwell

Criterion's history is in cars, but they want to explore new horizons, they say.

Tom Bramwell

They've gotten rid of desks in their new office space. They move around and prototype stuff. Their new game has wingsuits, parachutes, ATVs, bikes, boats, planes, jetskis, all sorts.

Tom Bramwell

It's a first-person game - from an athlete's point of view.

Tom Bramwell

No name though.

Tom Bramwell

Next we're going to hear what EA Tiburon has been doing with EA Sports PGA Tour in Frostbite 3.

Tom Bramwell

"This is golf without limits." Destructible bunkers confirmed!

Tom Bramwell

Actually, that's not far off. They have "extreme fantasy courses", which involves playing the ball over a battleship crashing into an island.

Tom Bramwell

EA Sports PGA Tour is due out spring 2015.

Tom Bramwell

Here's Madden 15. I am not going to pretend I understand this.

Tom Bramwell

I watched Any Given Sunday the other week though and that's a good film.

Tom Bramwell

Madden NFL 15 is due out 26th August.

Tom Bramwell

Ooh, EA's doing a MOBA called Dawngate.

Tom Bramwell

Oh, we knew about this, I'm an idiot.

Tom Bramwell

In fact, you can go to the official website to learn loads more if you're interested.

Tom Bramwell

Andrew Wilson is back. He's reiterating that EA wants to do things differently, including inviting players in earlier.

Tom Bramwell

Time for Mirror's Edge 2!

Tom Bramwell

They started with the simplest building blocks of Faith - the white, black and red, and her glove.

Tom Bramwell

The developers are talking about the contrast between Faith's free-form movement and behaviour and the conformist world she moves around.

Tom Bramwell

We're seeing a lot of the studios behind the games, which is great - but I think we'd all like to actually see, you know, the games.

Martin Robinson

They've had parkour artists come in and help them figure out which moves to include.

Tom Bramwell

Early footage shows pristine white platform-heavy environments with red items to catch your eye. It's "conceptual prototype" stuff again.

Tom Bramwell

You'll still use combat but it's all about hitting quick, fast and hard through platforming. Faith herself is the weapon.

Tom Bramwell

JamieR: I got about 3/5 way into Mirrors Edge. I never finished it.

The secret is the first one wasn't very good. Wonderful concept, though, which hopefully the sequel can properly deliver on.

Martin Robinson

FIFA 15 time!

Tom Bramwell

David Rutter's on stage talking about how the game this year is all about emotion.

Tom Bramwell

BORING ASIDE. I had a dream about the EA conference last night.

Martin Robinson

Players will react to the circumstances of the game, banging their fists in defeat and failure, etc.

Tom Bramwell

A man came on stage at the start with a big guitar and used up all the electricity. So they had to do the conference in silence.

Martin Robinson

There's been a lot of work on agility and control too. "Astonishingly realistic trajectories and spin."

Tom Bramwell

The FIFA presentation was a 20 minute panning shot of some grass. Lovely grass, mind.

Martin Robinson

We have a full hands-on preview of FIFA 15 going up in 20 minutes, by the way.

Tom Bramwell

Kits will get dirty! Goal frames clatter on impact! Corner flags move! THEY MOVE!

Tom Bramwell

"This year you will feel the game." And I will open 200 packs and get no in-forms.

Tom Bramwell

Idris Elba time!

Martin Robinson

Every conference needs its Elba moment.

Martin Robinson

I think he's a timed Xbox exclusive though.

Martin Robinson

-cerberus-: @Martin Robinson: Mirror's Edge is a good game although it's hard as fuck to keep momentum. It takes tons of practice to master the game. When E3's over, have a look on Youtube for a speedrun, you'll be impressed :)

I will educate myself afterwards!

Martin Robinson

Right then, next up is Battlefield Hardline.

Tom Bramwell

You may feel as though you've seen this trailer before...

Tom Bramwell

It's that first-person shooter made by the Dead Space team!

Martin Robinson

Karl-Magnus Troedsson from DICE and Steve Papoutsis from Visceral are on stage giving us the big sell about this amazing new game that is coming as a complete surprise to everyone.

Tom Bramwell

Cops and robbers, yep, we know.

Tom Bramwell

Oh, it's *that* first-person shooter made by the Dead Space team.

Martin Robinson

Ishimura reference in the background of one of the screenshots. Poor old Dead Space.

Tom Bramwell

Here's a funny thing: when EA reveals the Battlefields made by DICE - the ones with the great MP! - they lead on single-player.

Martin Robinson

When they reveal the one from Visceral - that studio that makes great single-player games! - they lead with multiplayer. It's madness.

Martin Robinson

Right, we're going to see some gameplay. There's bikes, armoured cars and BANG SHOOT BANG SHOOT.

Tom Bramwell

Toaster05: I love how utterly cynical everyone is. We should all travel to E3 as a group. Arms folded on the conference with sullen faces.

We can sit behind the squealers and make stern faces. I'm in.

Martin Robinson

We're in downtown LA shooting things out with cops. Explosions, cars flying through the air, etc.

Tom Bramwell

A chopper chases the robbers as they make a getaway on bikes and in a car, firing through the windscreen.

Tom Bramwell

So yeah, this looks very much like Battlefield, though the emphasis is more on team-play. With the right squad I reckon it could really sing.

Martin Robinson

We have a hands-on preview of this at 9pm too. Keep an eye on the homepage for impressions.

Tom Bramwell

Hardline has Battlefield's trademark levelution moments too, like a sky crane crashing down to create a bridge.

Tom Bramwell

Mr_Git: Ugh did he just say 'don't taze me bro'

That's fair enough. Chap didn't want to be tazed.

Martin Robinson

Sorry, levolution. I forgot which stupid spelling they used for their stupid word.

Tom Bramwell

Oh my god I might just get up and shoot her.

Martin Robinson

Ooh! Battlefield Hardline beta launching... today! It's on PC and PS4. First come first served. Go to the website to sign up.

Tom Bramwell

Adam Boyes from Sony is on stage to explain how people can get involved on PS4. BF4 owners can jump on the Hardline beta by going to BF4 on their system and accessing the beta download option from the live tile.

Tom Bramwell

I might see if I can scream louder than her.

Martin Robinson

AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Martin Robinson

Adam Boyes said Hardline was 1080p60 on PS4.

Tom Bramwell

Hardline is out on 21st October. And we're done!

Tom Bramwell

Thanks everyone. That ought to give you something to download between now and Ubisoft at 11pm BST, when we'll be back for more.

Tom Bramwell

Read this next