Get the Inside Scoop on What's Happening at EA

Like the title says. What's interesting to me is that NBA Live 10 is actually out, cuz I totally missed that. But hey, that's my fault, not the game's! I have two--no, wait, three!-- good excuses for why I missed this:

1) I've been busy trying to sort out my new gig here at EA.com

2) I live in the Bay Area, so my home team is the Golden State Warriors, which means that the NBA season, for me, is now synonymous with pathetic loserdom

3) I've been playing ANOTHER EA game, Brutal Legend, in stores now!

That said, it's still my job to inform you that a patch is now out for the Xbox 360.  And from the looks of it, it's a big one!   You PS3 people, don't worry: Your patch is coming on the 29th.  I don't know why there's a three-day delay, but hey, don't complain.  At least you get the patch. PC gamers like me? We don't even get the game!   *Sad trombone*

Anyway, there are far too many fixes and enhancements to go into here, so if this is of interest to you, I encourage you to click the link above. I will note one bug fix that is NOT yet in the game, which makes me sad:  The one that would let you permanently erase the Warriors from the game, or at least reverse time back to the day before Latrell Sprewell choked coach PJ Carlesimo in 1997 and started the 12-year-and-counting curse this "team" is on.  And no I'm not bitter.

Also! Hey! Tomorrow brings the very exciting start of NBA Live 10's Dynamic Season mode for both 360 and PS3 players (yay!), which will dynamically update game rosters, stats,  shooting percentages, and more on a DAILY BASIS. I put that in bold and caps on purpose, because for an old dude like me, this is like some kind of insane voodoo magic.  Why, back in my day (the early 1800s) we had to manually input all the updated information ourselves, if the game even let us do that!  Now EA Sports does it all for you, automatically.  Why? Because we care. Because we're awesome.  Because we love you.

Okay, so go get the patch! Me, I'm gonna run over to the store, in shame,  and get the game.

GO WARRIORS!

The beaten and battered nylon basketball nets on the campus of EA will get a bit of a much-needed rest after the conclusion of the 2009 Matt Barnes Basketball Camp.

Last week more than 85 kids, ages 8-14, rained and drained basketballs inside Tim’s House (the EA gym) during a week-long instructional program organized by Barnes and his staff of 11 coaches and councilors. The second annual Barnes Camp ran daily from 8:30 to 4pm.

“From the coaches to the 80 or so kids who participated in the camp this year, it was such a fun and rewarding week for everybody involved,” said Barnes, a seven-year NBA veteran who recently signed with the Orlando Magic. “With such a great campus and all of the fun activities available for the kids, EA’s the ideal place to host a week-long event like this. We hope to continue the tradition again next year.”

Unified with their white EA SPORTS t-shirts symbolizing teamwork, campers looked to improve their basketball skills in various areas on the court, while gaining a better understanding of the game off the court as well.

Playing on an authentic, regulation-style hardwood floor found in NBA arenas around the league, campers took part in various shooting, dribbling, and passing drills throughout the week. Afternoon sessions featured 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 games, skills competitions, contests, and team practice. Coaches from the Hoops 24 basketball program also assisted in the teaching process with a Friday morning session that focused on play strategies, such as screens and picks.

The week also featured special guests who spent time instructing the campers, including Jason Kapono of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jerome Randall, point guard for the University of California.

But it wasn’t all work and no play.

Between sessions and during lunch, campers had full access to the EA Cafe and EA Arcade, a video game haven for gamers of all ages. Campers were scattered throughout the area playing ping pong, air hockey, or billiards, or having fun playing one of the latest titles from EA at one of the gaming stations. Others just relaxed by catching sports highlights on the flat-screen TVs.

The 2009 Matt Barnes Basketball Camp also coincided with the official launch of Madden NFL 10, one of the most highly anticipated games from EA SPORTS.

During the Madden NFL 10 party, and under sunny, 80 degree-plus Bay Area weather, the D.J. known as JX2 spun the latest tracks from a collection of electro house mixes of R&B, rock, house, and hip-hop tunes, while campers traded in their high-tops for football gear, even if it was for just an hour.

Campers stormed the great lawn for a shot at kicking a 20-yard field goal through goalposts or throwing balls through cutout targets from 10 yards away. The highlight of the day for most was the Blow Up Sports Challenge, an air-filled ‘jumpy-type’ challenge course featuring obstacles, tunnels, and more.

But even with all the fun distractions, basketball was the main focus for everyone involved.

“It was a really fun camp, especially when we got to play 5 on 5 against other teams,” said Tyler Lynch, age 9. “I learned a new reverse pivot move that helped me score more points. Hopefully I’ll be able to do it again next year.”

As for the tattered nets, they only have a few short hours to recover, as the gym opens back up to EA employees beginning today.

-GABE LEON

No matter where I am in the world, there's one thing I never get tired of. I only have to say the words "EA SPORTS", and the audience will chime back "It's in the game". But as our games have evolved, expanded and become even more realistic (just look at what a difference a year makes with Madden), what we're putting "in the game" actually goes beyond what we can fit into one box. We're seeing real opportunities to take our content digital - and as you've shown us, there's an insatiable appetite to take the EA SPORTS experience online. Since last June alone, more than 650 million online game sessions of EA SPORTS games have been played and fans are literally putting themselves into the experience with more than one million photos uploaded using the EA SPORTS Photo Game Face feature. Features like FIFA's Live Season of NBA's Dynamic DNA keep our games as fresh as the fixture list. (continue reading…)

Glenn Chin began his career at EA in 1992. He started as a Customer Service and Quality Assurance rep and worked his way up to Marketing Assistant for EA SPORTS and ultimately VP of EA SPORTS marketing. Glenn left EA for a few years, working as Global Brand Director at Nike, but now he's back as VP of Global Brand Management for EA SPORTS.

If you know Glenn-even a little bit-you know he was made for this job. Seriously, the man has an unbelievable passion for EA SPORTS, for what the brand has achieved up to this point, and for what it can achieve in the future. We caught up with Glenn and asked him about his vision for EA SPORTS and a few other things.

EA.com: You've been back with EA SPORTS for about nine months now. What's the main thing you've focused on since your return?

Chin: First and foremost, can I say how stoked I am to be back at EA? OK, it's been nine months but I can't stop thinking about how amazing it is to be back. The main thing I've been focused on is working with the team to establish who we are as the EA SPORTS brand. This is our North Star, a vision of what we stand for and ultimately what drives decisions about the experiences we want to deliver to consumers.

EA.com: What's surprised you the most since you've been back? (continue reading…)

It's not every day you see two guys slugging it out at work.

But that's exactly what happened recently at our Redwood Shores campus during a lunchtime sparring session featuring Sergio "The Latin Snake" Mora (winner of the TV reality show "The Contender") and his trainer, Joe Sharpe. The sparring demo was part of a special event to celebrate the release of Fight Night Round 4.

EA SPORTS President Peter Moore introduced the boxers and then handed off the microphone to Andre Berto, the reigning WBC welterweight champion, who entertained the audience with his lively ringside commentary. Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero, two-time IBF world champion, was also on hand at the event.

The three-round bout between Mora and Sharpe featured a number of flurries by both fighters, and both men landed their fair share of point-scoring punches. After the final bell, we moved into the Milestone Auditorium for a preview of Fight Night Round 4 and to check out some of the latest marketing efforts by the EA SPORTS team.

Executive Producer Dean Richards walked us through the game's key features before picking up a controller for a head-to-head match-up against Berto, with Berto fighting as Mike Tyson and Richards playing as Muhammad Ali. Every boxing fan has an opinion about who would win this dream fight, but Ali left no doubt that he is indeed "The Greatest of All Time."

The event wrapped up with a Q&A session featuring Mora, Berta, and Guerrero. The three boxers spoke about a range of subjects, including their boxing influences and what it takes to be ready physically, mentally, and spiritually in order to lay it on the line each and every time they step into the ring.

All in all, it was a pretty cool way to spend lunchtime at work. Check out the Fight Night Round 4 Official Website for the latest scoop.