SSX Gets Geo Tags, Global Events for Online Multiplayer

EA has released a new developer diary for its upcoming extreme sports game, SSX.

The new diary offers an inside look from the game's creative director Todd Batty, who talks about the online features SSX will have to offer.

Players can compete with their friends online live in a mode called Global Events. In Global Events, players don't have to go through a lobby or a typical matchmaking system to get hooked up with other riders to play a single round to do it all over again.

The way Global Events works is that there's a constant ongoing live tournament at every drop-point in the SSX universe. The system allows you to drop in and play at any given time without having to queue up in a lobby. You don't have to be there when they begin or end. You simply show up, play, and move on to your next event. Players who participate in Global Events can win various prizes, and some Global Events will have a drop cost requiring you to bet a certain amount of credits to participate.

You can also set up custom events with your own preferences and restrictions, to invite your friends—and friends of your friends—to play.

Finally, a new feature for SSX is Geo Tags. They're user generated collectibles. You can earn Geo Tags and purchase them in the store. You can place them anywhere in the world for others to try to collect. The longer that a Geo Tag lasts in the world, the more credits you can earn. Geo Tags will allow you to challenge and compete with your friends by putting them in hard-to-reach places. Rad.

SSX is set for release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on March 2, 2012.