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Microsoft + Xbox Live + Electronic Arts = Kissed and Made Up?
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IGN Xbox
As most gamers already know, EA Xbox games up to now have not featured online support for reasons unspecified. The word is that this year, though, EA will be announcing Live support for the next round of sports titles, as well as a number of new titles, including the once-canned Battlefield 1942. In fact, we have reports of an unnamed Microsoft representative in New Zealand who confirmed that Battlefield 1942 will be EA's first Xbox Live game - a nice way to make an entrance, don't you think?
The official statement from an EA representative was: "EA has a strong partnership with MSFT and close to 20 titles in development for the Xbox system. EA and MSFT do not have an agreement for including online capability on our Xbox titles. EA does not have any titles in development that include Xbox Live capability. This includes the Battlefield franchise."
Not the news you probably wanted to hear, but there is the possibility that a deal between Microsoft and EA hasn't been made yet and that the statement is just cleverly worded to allow for such developments. Additionally, the EA representative did say that EA has been in talks with Microsoft about online play and that "...negotiations are always fluid." This could imply that talks are going smoothly, but also that - because an agreement has obviously not been met - things are not going well. Mixed message? We think so.
EA supporting Xbox Live means a lot for the Xbox. With an arguably better online interface than on the PlayStation 2, Xbox Live with EA games potentially means more gamers playing EA games online, and more gamers shelling out cash for an Xbox. It's a win-win situation, so let's hope we hear something soon. If such an announcement were to be made, expect E3 to be just the place for it.
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Even though it isn't officially announced, all I can say is...ABOUT GODDAMNED TIME. I've been hearing rumors for months that EA would start supporting Xbox Live in Mid-to-Late 2004. Starting with either the Madden 2005 games, or the once-announced-before-xbox-launch game Battlefield 1942. Even though I'd still hate EA with passion if they supported Xbox Live, I'd still be grateful for a console version of Battlefield 1942.
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