Electronic Arts has bombarded us with news this week. The game giant has a ton of updates and a new game announcement, along with some fait divers.

First and foremost, their bastion of online play, Star War: The Old Republic, will be adopting a free-to-play model this fall, after not even 1 year of subscription service. The expansive MMO will still provide a subscription for loyal fans, with a free alternative for others that purchase the game. As a first action, the game is on sale for 15 bucks, which includes a membership for the first month. That alone is worth the effort.

Free players will be able to play until level 50 with some restrictions applied. These can be unlocked through a subscription or with Cartel Coins that will make their arrival with the new system. Paying customers will be able to enjoy premium content and that more often, as EA promises more frequent updates. Additionally, existing and returning subscribers will start receiving Cartel Coins right now that will aid them to purchase exclusive items, including customizable gear and “convenience” features. Matthew Bromberg of BioWare explained the decision as such: “Players want flexibility and choice. The subscription-only model presented a major barrier for a lot of people who wanted to become part of The Old Republic.”

The new game we mentioned is Army of TWO The Devil’s Cartel, the revival of the cooperative game. This third iteration will take the squad duo Alpha and Bravo to the deadly street of Mexico, where they need to take down the seedy drug syndicates. Players will enjoy more advanced customization, from the duo’s masks to their weaponry. As this is a cooperative-focused title, Devil’s Cartel will offer both splitscreen and online multiplayer. It will release in March 2013 for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

In other news, a dog named Hero takes the grand prize Medal of Honor: Warfighter will collaborate with none other than the band Linkin’ Park. Vocalist Mike Shinoda (the “rapping” guy) will create an original score for the game, while their band will release a special song and video that is linked to the authentic war fighting theme. The song “Castle of Glass” will tell the story of a soldier and its music video will interlace live action footage with actual gameplay from Medal of Honor.

On the sports side of things, EA has revealed Wii U versions for FIFA Soccer 13 and Madden NFL 13 with new added features. Players in FIFA will be able to play cooperatively, with one person managing the team with the gamepad while up to 4 others take the pitch. The screen will also be able to display a series of statistics, as well as offering the other managerial tasks of changing tactics, pinpointing areas and choosing substitutions. More importantly, it is said that with the touchscreen, players will be able to direct set pieces better and guide the ball exactly to their liking, rather than hoping for a good delivery with button prompts. As you can expect, Madden will work in a similar way with the touchscreen, as well as adding a Connected Careers mode.

The Sims 3 will launch the Seasons Expansion Pack this November, which will add new activities, festivals and the weather effects that allow your Sims to play along with the seasons. Producer Ryan Vaughn mentioned: “The seasonal changes in this game offer incredible realism, simulating nature in a way that is unprecedented for The Sims.” Without that last clarification, we could debate how realistic The Sims really can get. The package will also include new areas, such as swimming at the beach or snowboarding in the mountains. Preorders will receive an exclusive Ice Lounge, which includes 12 special items to create your very own icy home.

We’ve saved the best news for last. You’ll want to take a seat for this one: Earlier today, EA sent out a release that it has filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement against Zynga. The claim states that Zynga’s The Ville bears undeniable resemblance to EA’s The Sims Social. Should you remember Lucy Bradshaw from her SimCity presentation at EA, she wrote a post stating reason: “Zynga’s design choices, animations, visual arrangements and character motions and actions have been directly lifted from The Sims Social. The copying was so comprehensive that the two games are, to an uninitiated observer, largely indistinguishable.” You can read Bradshaw’s post here.

We’ll depart on a happier note. The freshly released MMO, The Secret World, is offering a free-to-play weekend, effective immediately. It’s already well underway and lasts until Monday 7AM GMT, so download it right now. You can get it here.