Well, Microsoft certainly laid the gauntlet down with their press conference, but Electronic Arts has never been one to pass up an opportunity to put on a surprise-and-spectacle-filled press conference. Remember last year when they trotted out Aaron Paul, Drake, and a tantalizing teaser for Star Wars Battlefront? Here’s hoping they outdo themselves, which may be a difficult task considering they’re following the likes of Halo 5: Guardians, Scalebound, and Sunset Overdrive. Still, press conferences are magical places aha anything can happen.

Malik Forte and I will be liveblogging and livetweeting today’s press conference, which starts at 12pm PT, so refresh this page for updates as the conference progresses.

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Liveblog

12:56 PM: Well, that’s all she wrote, folks. Let us know what you thought in the comments below and stay tuned for Ubisoft and Sony coming up later today. (DC)

12:53 PM: Battlefield Hardline closed beta goes live today on PC and PS4. Go to http://www.battlefield.com to sign up. First come, first served. (DC)

12:52 PM: If there is no Hans Gruber DLC, we riot. (DC)

12:49 PM: In lieu of a campaign mode, they should just make you watch End of Watch and Heat as a double feature. (DC)

12:48 PM: Okay, firing a bazooka at a load-bearing column to rain debris and tunnel down on pursuers is pretty sweet. (DC)

12:46 PM: They’re showing footage from a 32-person multiplayer match in downtown LA. Cue exploding cop cars, an overturned armored truck, and a familiar interface. (DC)

12:45 PM: “Cops vs. criminals, good guys vs. bad guys. This is the heart of Battlefield Hardline.” Here’s hoping it’s as fun as the old SWAT series. (DC)

12:44 PM: And here’s that Battlefield Hardline trailer we saw recently. Seems almost as crazy as the chase going on in North Hollywood right now. (DC)

12:43 PM: If FIFA 15 could include video of real fans being disappointed in you after blowing a corner kick, I would buy it. (DC)

12:40 PM:  FIFA 15 is on the stage now, EA’s number one selling franchise. Expecting them to spend a bit of time on this one. (MF)

12:39 PM:  For the most part the game looks like a next-gen remaster of the original. Shall be interesting to see what they (DICE) do to improve from a gameplay standpoint moving forward.

12:37 PM:  Here we go! Mirror’s Edge is being shown, DICE at the helm once again! (MF)

12:34 PM: Here goes another developer diary, this one showing EA’s MOBA sweetheart, Dawngate. (MF)

12:31 PM: More Madden for your souls on August 26. Football fans, prepare yourselves! (MF)

12:29 PM: Madden NFL ’15 is going to focus on enhancing the defensive experience, starting with new camera angles and enhanced blocking maneuverability. (DC)

12:28 PM: EA Sports PGA Tour gets the Frostbite 3 engine? Sure, why not! You get a Frostbite! And you get a Frostbite! (DC)

12:26 PM: ATVs, helicopters, boats, and the ability to tether them together — this sounds like the Just Cause 2 of racing games. (DC)

12:24 PM: EA’s Patrick Söderlund, much like Sonic, likes to go fast. He’s about to give sneak peak at a very early racing game from Criterion Games… (DC)

12:23 PM: And now it’s time for our first look at NHL ’15 on next-gen consoles. Looks almost as good as real slow-mo highlight reels. Except fewer drunken fans in the background. (DC)

12:22 PM: EA Sports UFC will drop next week, so practice your submission safety words now! (DC)

12:21 PM: Much like real UFC, this game looks like a terrific erotic hugging/dry humping simulator. (DC)

12:20 PM: A nice dramatic Bruce Lee montage leads to a live demo between Bruce Lee and BJ Penn in EA Sports UFC. (DC)

12:19 PM: “Where else can you find moments like this?” – Sims 4 demo moments after literally murdering your friend with laughter. (DC)

12:18 PM: Impressive demo from The Sims 4, although it doesn’t seem to be quite the graphical leap that we saw between The Sims 2 and The Sims 3. (DC)

12:16 PM: Mass Effect is coming for sure. Of course, we knew this, but it was quiet intriguing watching the crownd get wild over a mere photo of Shepard. (MF)

12:10 PM: We’re getting the low down on everything DragonAge: Inquisition. Everything from character classes to gameplay elements are being detailed. (MF)

12:06 PM: Not even spotty wi-fi could keep this E3 hype train from rolling. EA just began their press conference with some in-game footage from Star Wars Battlefront. The crowd went nuts. Now we’re checking out Dragon Age: Inquisition. (MF)

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What do you think of the announcements thus far? Chime in in real time in the comments below.