EA SPORTS Brings the Heat During the Winter Preview
spomeroy
2011-11-17
Winter is heating up in the world of EA SPORTS as media representatives from Gamespot, Yahoo, IGN, ESPN, and Machinima among others raced, kicked, and blitzed their way through the 2011 EA Winter Preview.
During the four hour media event at the Harlot in San Francisco, game reviewers got up-close and personal with a trio of highly-anticipated, soon-to-be-released titles from EA SPORTS, including FIFA Street, NFL Blitz, and SSX.
For most, it was the first time they were able to pick up a controller and experience each game live.
Some took in every detail of the mountain peaks and urban environments while playing solo or against a peer. Others got a crash course under the tutelage of an EA SPORTS representative as producers and directors from all three titles were on-hand to showcase their respective game.
EA SPORTS President Andrew Wilson was also among the crowd, conducting one-on-one interviews with members of the media after delivering a quick, yet enthusiastic presentation on all three franchises.
With multiple TVs and consoles running full throttle in the gaming lounge during the demo session, some may have thought they were hearing double as Tim Kitzrow, the voice of NFL Blitz and NBA Jam, provided live play-by-play on some of the action on the gridiron. Included in his ad-lib color commentary were soon-to-be popular catch phrases featured in the upcoming NFL Blitz along with some classic lines from the original game.
And yes, ‘Boomshakalaka’ was one of the many lines blurted out, even though NBA Jam had the night off.
The highlight of the evening occurred near the conclusion of the event when members of the media battled one another in a single-elimination gaming tournament for a chance to win not one but two customized gaming systems.
The first round paired eight participants in four head-to-head games of NFL Blitz, followed by two semifinal games of FIFA Street once the field was cut in half. The championship round featured a winner-take-all time trail game of SSX where Albert Iskander of Machinima out-tricked The Electric Playground’s Jose Sanchez while racing down one of the nine deadly descents.
Earlier in the evening EA SPORTS conducted exclusive interviews with Todd Batty of SSX, FIFA Street’s Sid Misra, and Dave Ross and Yuri Bialoskursky of NFL Blitz. From discussing their proudest moments during the production phase to overcoming challenges both big and small, all four pulled back the curtain a bit and shared some insight on the journey they have taken to get their respective game to its final stage.
Not to be forgotten, the energized Kitzrow also sat down with EA SPORTS and gave some thoughts on what it’s like to be the voice of NFL Blitz.
In what turned out to be a fun and exciting night, all three titles were well received by those in attendance as each reviewer gained hands-on experience with the game while talking shop with those who created it.
Winter has never been so hot!
Editor’s note: The exclusive videos with Batty, Misra, Ross, Bialoskursky, and Kitzrow may not be immediately available. Please check back in the next day or two. Thanks!
