Vince Zampella was in the audience at EA's event today, rather than one of the presenters, but he provided some news about Respawn's planned Star Wars game nonetheless. He says the title will be Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. As that implies this is set during the "dark times" when the Jedi were being hunted, specifically between episodes III and IV. Vince confirms the game will include lightsaber combat, and says we should expect its release for the holidays of 2019.

Here's the Anthem Official Cinematic Trailer for BioWare's upcoming co-op action game, saying to expect its release on February 22, 2019. Word is: "On a world left unfinished by the gods, humanity struggles to survive in a savage environment. Equipped with incredible Javelin exosuits, a faction known as the Freelancers seeks to tip the balance in mankind’s favor." Casey Hudson and the development team appeared on stage to introduce this project. Among the topics discussed is their desire to create a living world that's not an MMOG, how they will tell stories in a shared world, how there will be no loot boxes, how the teaming up will work, and more. They also showed off a gameplay trailer, but that does not seem to be online yet. Continue here to read the full story.

EA announces Origin Access Premiere, a subscription service providing access to all their PC games that will launch later this summer. This will allow entry into their "vault" of previous games as well as all their upcoming PC games, apparently earlier than their launches through other channels. They say this will begin with Madden NFL 19, which marks the return of the series to PCs for the first time in a decade. They celebrate the news by offering a free trial of their current Origin Access and this trailer. Word is:

Origin Access Premier is a new tier of our PC gaming membership that gets you new games like Battlefield V, FIFA 19, Madden NFL 19, and Anthem before launch. No trial, no waiting, just play.

Plus, dive into over 100 PC titles whenever you want, as long as you're a Premier member – that means great EA games and titles from our partners like Batman: Arkham Asylum, INSIDE, The Witness, and more. Then save 10% on other Origin digital purchases like Ultimate Team content.

Origin Access Premier arrives on PC this summer. Find out more at http://x.ea.com/47314

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As mentioned above, EA announces MADDEN NFL 19 will be released for Windows as well as consoles, the first time the tackle football series has appeared on PCs since MADDEN NFL 08. There's no mention of this yet on the MADDEN NFL 19 Website, but that does offer a release date, saying it will kick off on August 7th. This page has a feature list, so it's possible some of them are platform specific. Here's a reveal trailer highlighting the potential impact of a new crop of rookies on the league. Word is:

Madden NFL 19 takes a significant leap forward in terms of gameplay and control. Not only are there new ways to play, but Terrell Owens is back in Madden Ultimate Team. Get your popcorn ready and achieve gridiron greatness with T.O.

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EA rolled out the Battlefield V Official Multiplayer Trailer today at their pre-E3 show. This was a quick drive-by, but they mention a few details about the game in passing, including word on plans for a battle royale mode after rumors of one had been seemingly shot down. As for the video, in spite of being the official multiplayer trailer, it seems to consist entirely of cutscenes. Here's word from the description:

Every battle is unique. Every mode its own challenge. Battlefield V multiplayer provides unmatched intensity and scale in a sandbox of all-out war.

Take on classic modes like Conquest or experiences like Grand Operations, where you'll participate in vast historical battles across multiple maps – and modes – and relive moments of bravery and desperation while fighting your way to the final objective.

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Not only did EA follow the early revelation of Unraveled 2 with an official announcement of the sequel, they say it is now available. We haven't actually found it on Origin yet, but presume it will appear there soon enough. They illustrate the news with the Unravel Two Official Reveal Trailer which includes the following description, including a link to the wrong game:

Team up with Yarny in Unravel Two as you chase the spark of adventure. Form new bonds with friends in seamless local co-op, or create two Yarnys of your own and explore a blossoming world.

Jump, slide, swing, and run faster than ever through beautiful natural landscapes and complex urban areas to solve challenging puzzles and watch your environment come to life.

Start your adventure at http://x.ea.com/47312

Follow Unravel Two on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unravel.game/

Follow Unravel Two on Twitter: https://twitter.com/unravel_game

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There was a brief discussion of plans for Star Wars Battlefront 2 at today's EA event. This freely acknowledged the game's rough start, but commits to working with the community to overcome this further, saying, "together we will make this the best game we can possibly build." Specific plans they touch upon include a new squad system, a new dogfighting mode, a large scale sandbox multiplayer mode, and new content that takes us "deep" into the Clone Wars.

EA today also introduced Sea Of Solitude with a brief teaser trailer. This offers a cinematic look at a monster-filled aquatic adventure they say is due early next year. A Sea Of Solitude teaser site is online, where word is: "When humans get too lonely, they turn into monsters. That’s what happened to Kay. But she’s not alone – this ocean is full of creatures just like her. Finding them may be the key to changing her back." Continue here to read the full story.

EA offers this official reveal trailer for FIFA 19, the next installment in their association football series. This reveals the addition of the UEFA Champions League to the game, which is not unexpected following UEFA's split with Konami. They also announce a free update is now available for FIFA 18, adding World Cup content. A free trial of this is available, and you can pick up the Windows edition through Origin. Here's word:

EA SPORTS™ FIFA 19 officially launches worldwide September 28 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch™, and PC. Experience the world's most prestigious club competition in FIFA 19 with the addition of the UEFA Champions League.

Achieve European glory with your favourite club in Career Mode or the all-new standalone UEFA Champions League mode. Discover the exciting finale of Alex Hunter's story in The Journey: Champions. Build your dream squad with live UEFA Champions League and Europa League content updates in FIFA 19 Ultimate Team. No matter where or how you play FIFA 19, you can experience the greatest club football competition in the world.

Continue here to read the full story.

An ESRB rating for Unravel 2 reveals plans for a sequel to Coldwood Interactive's 2016 puzzle/platformer (thanks Variety). This has yet to be officially announced, though Electronic Arts and Coldwood extended their partnership shortly after the release of the original. We expect to hear more about this at E3, perhaps as early as this afternoon when EA holds its press conference. In the meantime word is this is coming to Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and they offer the following description:

This is a side-scrolling platformer in which players control a pair of fantastical creatures called Yarnys as they navigate environments. Players traverse platforms and avoid hazards by swinging from yarn lassos; some areas contain animals that chase/menace the player's characters. The Yarnys are defeated when they are eaten by a fish, grabbed by birds, crushed by boulders, or run over by cars.

Rockstar Games announces creator updates in GTA Online along with new Transform races in the multiplayer mode for Grand Theft Auto V. They are offering double GTA$ & RP in all Rockstar-Created Transform races through June 11th. There are also discounts to be had on vehicles as well as a GTA $250,000 giveaway. Here's word:

A new realm of creative possibilities arrive in GTA Online as the Creator receives an extensive update adding additional Vehicles, Props, weather patterns and more to your bag of tricks. On top of an increased Prop limit, you can now create your own custom Target Assault Races, trap-infested deep sea courses and teleport generating Transform Race Warp Checkpoints. For a full list of the new Creator features and updates, check out the notes at the Support site.

A playable demo for MindSeize is now available, offering a sample of the pre-alpha version of this platformer from KaminaDimension. This can be picked up from Game Jolt or itch.io and word is it is coming to Steam soon as well. Here's a demo trailer and here's word on what this brings to the party:

MindSeize is a 2D action-adventure game, set in a scifi-universe. In the game you must explore untamed planets, fight powerful enemies and defeat a mysterious organization stealing people’s minds.

You play as a private investigator, chasing a dangerous criminal organization across unexplored planets. The leader of the organization stole your daughter’s mind and left you crippled, and now you must send your mind to an advanced robot body so you can stop the organization and save your daughter.

In the demo version you have gotten a lead from a couple of space-explorers about a ruined planet that seems haunted. While passing by the planet their scanners picked up weird signals coming from the planet surface, and now you have landed at the origin of the signal coordinates.

Continue here to read the full story.

• ASTRO Gaming announces ASTRO A40 TR X-Edition Headset.
• ExifTool Version 11.00. Thanks Ant.

• The Apple Watch will soon ditch its mechanical buttons, report says.

Thanks Ant.

• MIT researchers develop transmitter to prevent hackers from attacking IoT devices.
• Password reset flaw at internet giant Frontier allowed account takeovers.
• How free and easy has Facebook been with your data? It gave 'deep access' to Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Samsung.
• Firmware Vulnerabilities in Supermicro Systems. Thanks DSLReports.

• Crucial MX500 500GB M.2 SSD on Nikk Tech.
• Logitech PowerPlay Wireless Charging on LanOC Reviews.
• PowerColor Radeon RX Vega 56 nano Graphics Card on Tech ARP.
• Sennheiser GSP 500 Case on APH Networks.

• SHAQ FU (Honest Game Trailers)…

So E3 officially gets underway Monday, but obviously some news and trailers have already trickled out. Things will start to get even more real today, as EA has a press conference this afternoon, and will surely be making a few announcements. Hopefully you're all stocked up on liquor to play the E3 drinking game.

Drunken Links:	Thanks Ant.
Play:	Multigun Arena Shooter.
Science:	The risk of 'contagion' after suicides is real. University offers $3,500 to get sick and stay in "Hotel Influenza."
Media:	First Man - Official Trailer (HD). That Dude Can Roll, Man. But not on Shabbos! Now THIS is a Nerf Blaster. Farfetched.
Follow-up:	Anthony Bourdain, CNN host and celebrity chef, hanged himself with bathrobe belt.