EA’s Gaming Updates: UK Release, FIFA Improvements, More
Electronic Arts has made a bold decision to shift the release of its games in the UK to Thursdays, deviating from the conventional industry standard of Fridays. This change is set to bring excitement to UK gamers.
Star Wars: Battlefront is now slated to hit the UK one day earlier. Hooray!
“Previously, UK players had to endure the wait until Friday for new EA games to be released, a day after the rest of Europe,” the publisher declared in its announcement. “We recognized that players desired to be able to dive into the game simultaneously as their friends across Europe, and we are delighted to implement this alteration.”
Consequently, here are the freshly revised release dates for the upcoming titles:
- EA Sports Madden NFL 16 – August 27
- EA Sports FIFA 16 – September 24
- Need for Speed – November 5
- Star Wars Battlefront – November 19
Meanwhile, in the US…
If UK publishers truly aim to contend with North America, they ought to advance the release to Monday night. These days, numerous digital titles launch at midnight on the East Coast, which means it’s 9 pm for those residing on the West Coast, like yours truly. After all, when you’re highly anticipating a game, those three hours make a difference.
Currently, retail games arrive in North America on Tuesdays, leaving UK gamers envious of their counterparts across the Atlantic who get games three days earlier. Now, the envy may persist, albeit to a slightly lesser extent.
This is not the initial instance where the UK has tweaked its release schedule to better suit the region. Recently, Sony disclosed that PS Plus’ monthly Instant Games Collection would now arrive on Tuesdays instead of Wednesdays.
So, why do games emerge later in the week in the UK compared to North America? Our in-house news hound Bertie probed into the answer to this age-old query and explored what can be done to alter the existing situation.
EA’s new release schedule raises the question: Will other publishers follow in its footsteps?
