EA Sports BIG

Background

EA Sports BIG was a banner label of the titular division launched in late 2000, which focused on casual, arcade-type extreme sports games. The label produced numerous acclaimed games like SSX, NBA Street, NFL Street, FIFA Street, and the Def Jam series, many of which still remain fan-favorites today, even among those who don't care about sports games in general. The label was replaced by EA Sports Freestyle in 2008, which produced only five games before shutting down.

1st Logo (2000)

Logo: On a white background, the large thick black text "BIG" with a thick orange border zooms out, then pumps four times into the camera. After the fourth pump, the text switches to "POWERED BY", which does the same two times. Meanwhile, a sharp orange oscilloscope trace moves reactably to the music. After "POWERED BY" pumps the second time, it zooms in and clears the screen, then the "EA" letters, followed with "SPORTS", fly to the left corner forming the EA Sports logo. "BIG" then zooms out, giving black and orange corners to the logo, and slams to the screen with a shake. The byline "EA Sports and the EA Sports^TM BIG stylized design are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc." appears on the bottom. A bit later, the trace reappears, then the whole logo fades to white.

FX/SFX: The animation of the logo.

Music/Sounds: A breakbeat tune, followed by EA Sports announcer Andrew Anthony saying "EA Sports BIG", with some loud whooshes.

Availability: Appears on the demo of the original SSX game.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (October 26, 2000-June 19, 2001)

Logo: Same as the previous logo, but it starts with the EA Sports logo zooming out, the byline reads "EA Sports and EA Sports BIG are Electronic Arts Brands.", and after forming, the logo zooms in "aggressively", highlighting the "BIG" part.

FX/SFX: Same as before.

Music/Sounds: Same as before (minus the breakbeat), but a deeper voice (provided by rapper Rahzel) says "BIG" instead of Andrew Anthony.

Availability: Appears on the original SSX game and the PlayStation 2 version of NBA Street.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (November 5, 2001-February 5, 2002)

Logo: Same as before, but the logo flashes to two different rough drawings of the logo, one completely in black and one being in color. The byline this time says "EA SPORTS BIG is an Electronic Arts Brand".

FX/SFX: The logo constantly flashing from different drawings to normal.

Music/Sounds: Same as before.

Availability: Appears on SSX Tricky and the GameCube version of NBA Street.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (March 11, 2002-November 14, 2006, January 8, 2008)

Logo: The parts of the EA Sports logo in 3D zoom out on an orange background. Some segmented waves come from the circle, revealing the "BIG" part of the logo and shaking a shadow behind itself. The logo then glitches in static as its shadow enlargens, almost overriding the screen, then zooming back. The website address "EASPORTSBIG.COM" and byline "EA SPORTS^TM AND EA SPORTS BIG^TM ARE ELECTRONIC ARTS^TM BRANDS.", both in the Bank Gothic MD BT font appear below in the process. The logo then glitches once again.

Variants:

On some games, the logo doesn't glitch at the end.
Starting with SSX On Tour in 2005, the fonts of "SPORTS" and the byline were changed to reflect the mainstream EA Sports logo at the time.

FX/SFX: The logo forming, then glitching out.

Music/Sounds: Same as before, but the bass override and "BIG" are delayed. Sometimes, electric sounds are heard at the end as well.

Availability: Appears on every EA Sports BIG title from Sled Storm (2002) to NFL Street 3. Also appeared on NFL Tour.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (October 2002-November 2003)

Logo: On a white background, we see the regular EA Sports BIG logo (albeit, lower quality due to the Game Boy Advance's lower level graphics). At the bottom it says "EA Sports BIG is an Electronic Arts brand." Beneath that it says "LISCENSED BY NINTENDO."

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on the Game Boy Advance ports of SSX Tricky and SSX 3.

Editor's Note: None.

6th Logo (February 20, 2007)

Logo: We see a film reel going from top to bottom, until it gets to an image of the EA Sports BIG logo, with the outline being in a brownish color. The URL is on a box that is tilted, and the same byline from the previous logo is below in white. When the "BIG" phase is said, graffiti reading "STR" can briefly been seen, then the logo zooms close in and the logo fades out.

FX/SFX: The reel, the flashing, the zooming.

Music/Sounds: Film reel sounds, alongside a different announcer and other sounds.

Availability: Appears on NBA Street Homecourt.

Editor's Note: None.

7th Logo (February 27, 2007)

Logo: On a blue mountain background with moving snowflakes, we see the EA Sports BIG logo forming up, which has a green outline. Then, the logo "shouts" when the announcer says "BIG". Then, the usual URL and byline appear below in a blue font.

FX/SFX: The logo and the snowflakes.

Music/Sounds: A short tune and another announcer saying the name.

Availability: Appears on SSX Blur.

Editor's Note: None.

8th Logo (February 18, 2008)

Logo: On a tan background with swirly patterns, the EA Sports BIG logo is formed as an ink pattern. Then, as it's complete, a city and a football goal appear as the logo closely goes up and back. The city and goal then start glitching.

FX/SFX: The effects and the logo forming.

Music/Sounds: Same as the fourth logo.

Availability: Appears on FIFA Street 3, which was the last game released under the EA Sports BIG label.

Editor's Note: None.