EA Sports is moving ahead with its plans to drop the 'FIFA' moniker from its soccer sim series, according to a new report.
We already knew that the developer was "exploring" the possibility of renaming its FIFA game series but, according to a report by VentureBeat's Jeff Grubb , EA Sports is now moving forward with its plans to drop the FIFA name.
According to Grubb's sources, EA is making the major move as it no longer wants to "pay a premium" to license the FIFA name, with Grubb claiming FIFA has asked EA for $1 billion to keep hold of the 'FIFA' moniker.
So what will the FIFA game series be called instead? According to Grubb, the developer is going with the name 'EA Sports FC'. This doesn't come as a huge surprise as trademark applications for the name 'EA Sports FC' were spotted by VGC in October 2021, shortly before EA Sports announced it was exploring dropping the FIFA name.
That means that FIFA 23 could be called EA Sports FC, or some variation of it – it remains unclear if the renaming will see the developer drop the numbers entirely.
What's more, FIFA updated its trademark earlier this month, with the filing mentioning video games among its merchandise. While this could suggest FIFA may have plans to release its own game series (or continue the FIFA series on its own), the filing does cover everything from industrial oils and greases to insurance, so its more likely the organization simply wants to cover its bases to stop anyone from using its name.
Opinion: it's not quite got a ring to it
It looks inevitable at this point that EA Sports will drop the FIFA name and, to be honest, I don't blame them.
The FIFA game series has arguably outgrown the name and, as EA has previously stated, the naming rights for the FIFA series are separate from its other official partnerships and licenses. That means that, apart from a name change and the absence of heavy FIFA branding, we shouldn't see a big change to content within the game.
But, I can't help but think that 'EA Sports FC', the game's potential new name, sounds much less hard-hitting – and more like a local soccer team. But maybe that's the point? To bring the focus more to the beautiful game itself rather than have it overshadowed and, ultimately hand-tied, by a soccer goliath.
EA Sports hasn't confirmed it's moving ahead with the name change, nor has it confirmed that EA Sports FC could be a potential new name, but we imagine that the developer will confirm any name change in the coming months, especially with its next annual 'FIFA' game due to release later this year.
TRG has contacted EA Sports for comment.
These wireless earbuds are AirPods Pro alternatives with hi-res audio
Astell & Kern has launched its first pair of true wireless earbuds - and if they live up to the specs, they could be an excellent alternative to the Apple AirPods Pro for audiophiles.
The AK UW100 wireless earbuds come with a host of features designed to eke out as much detail from your music as possible, including a high performance 32-bit DAC and aptX Adaptive support for hi-res audio streaming.
The new buds take inspiration from the company's range of high-end in-ear headphones , using balanced armature drivers that should deliver an extremely detailed listening experience, and what Astell & Kern describes as "realistic and distortion-free audio across all genres".
Bluetooth 5.2 support should ensure the AK UW100 will connect seamlessly with your devices - and, if your smartphone runs Qualcomm True Wireless Stereo Plus, you'll get a "more robust connection between both earbuds and the compatible device" and a reduction in power consumption.
Touch-sensitive housings mean you can control your music playback by tapping the earbuds, while a 24-hour battery should be long enough to soundtrack a few commutes.
Are the Astell & Kern AK UW100 better than the AirPods Pro?
Without having tested the Astell & Kern AK UW100 for ourselves, we can't speak to their performance, but we do think they'll be a better choice for audiophiles than the AirPods Pro .
That's because they offer hi-res audio support, which means you'll be able to enjoy high quality streams. Despite many Apple Music tracks working in lossless and hi-res audio, none of the company's earbuds or headphones are actually capable of handling these higher quality files - and that's a big sticking point for anyone that wants to hear the most accurate reproduction of their favorite songs.
We're pretty confident that the AK UW100 will sound good, too. While Astell & Kern is well known for making some of the best portable DACs on the planet, the brand already offers a range of premium in-ear headphones, and has a great reputation when it comes to delivering natural, detailed audio performances.
In any case, Astell & Kern's new true wireless earbuds are a similar price as the AirPods Pro, so you're not paying a huge premium for those audiophile-friendly features. The AK UW100 will set you back $260 / £249 (about AU$350) when they're released in April, while the AirPods Pro cost $249 / £249 / AU$399 - though AirPods Pro deals are available from time to time.
One thing that might put you off buying the AK UW100 is the fact that there's no active noise cancellation (unlike the AirPods Pro). However, Astell & Kern says that the passive noise isolation afforded by its new earbuds - that is, the ambient sound that's physically blocked out by the eartips - is good enough to stop your music from being interrupted by your noisy surroundings.
The company says that, unlike generic active noise cancellation, the passive noise isolation provided by the AK UW100 doesn't only concentrate on blocking out low frequency noise, and will efficiently minimize unwanted ambient noise in the mid and high range.
If you do want to hear your surroundings, you can tap the left earbud to activate ambient mode, which will allow some sound to filter through the buds. There are four ambient levels, so you can decide how much of your environment you want to hear. If active noise cancellation is a big draw for you, the AK UW100 probably won't cut it - and you'd be better off trying the AirPods Pro, or other noise-cancelling earbuds such as the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and the Sony WF-1000XM4 .
However, if you're all about audio quality, Astell & Kern's first true wireless earbuds are a very attractive prospect indeed.
New Nintendo Switch update blocks bad words, but does little else
Another Nintendo Switch update has arrived, taking the system software to version 14.1.1. However, don’t get too excited as the changes are minimal at best.
Nintendo’s official support page says this latest update includes “general system stability improvements to further enhance the user experience”, but no further details are shared. These types of updates are mysterious as they’re clearly important enough for Nintendo to push through, but it rarely shares exactly what has been fixed.
According to Nintendo data miner OatmealDome (thanks, Nintendo Life ), we may have a little more insight as to what the new Switch update changes, however. Apparently the console’s “bad word list” has been updated to include “sendnudes”, and some words have been blocked in all languages, as well as some choice Japanese phrases.
The console's internal browser has also been updated according to OatmealDome, but it's unclear what's changed.
The new Switch update comes shortly after version 14.1.0 which added a new platinum points notification setting so users don’t miss out on unclaimed points. Platinum points can be used to buy avatars for your Nintendo Switch and various memorabilia at My Nintendo . You can pick up things like an Earthbound Beginning notebook , Triangle Strategy pins , or N64 posters .
A more substantial Switch update arrived in March, which added a feature Switch owners had waited five years to see . Folders, or Groups as Nintendo dubs them, let you organize software into easy-to-access folders. The feature was available on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS , and it’s something Switch owners have been asking for, ever since the console’s launch.
The new Nintendo Switch update should be available to all owners now, but if you’re not prompted to install it, head to System Settings > System and select ‘System Update’ to manually begin the process. Make sure you’ve saved the latest game you’re playing as the system update will close all software and restart the console.
Stable as a kitchen table
Nintendo has dropped a number of system updates in recent months, improving the overall user experience while squashing any bugs that may have plagued a select portion of users in the process. It’s encouraging that Nintendo is still finding ways to improve its hybrid console five years on, though there are some features we’d like to see.
Chief among them is more themes. The Switch launched with two themes: basic black and basic white, and many believed we see more bespoke offerings in the future, similar to what was available on Nintendo 3DS. Sadly, that hasn’t occurred, but that doesn’t mean we should rule it out entirely. After all, it took Nintendo five years to add folders, and Bluetooth support for headphones – something which you’d think would have been a given – only arrived in 2021.