MLB The Show 16 Trailer: The Little Things

MLB The Show 16 Trailer: The Little Things

Kanye West is Allegedly Naming His Next Album After a Gaming Console

Kanye West just put out a new album. It’s called The Life of Pablo. You might have heard of it thanks to his recent shenanigans on twitter where he got into an entertaining feud with Kendrick Lamar, among other things. He’s been in the news a lot.

Kanye took a couple years in between the release of Yeezus and The Life of Pablo, but it seems that he now has other plans as he says he plans to release another album this Summer. Oh yeah, and the working title for the album is currently TurboGrafx 16.

If that doesn’t ring any bells for you, the TurboGrafx 16 was a gaming console released back in 1989 in North America. It didn’t fare as well in North America as it did elsewhere, but the games themselves eventually ended up on Nintendo’s virtual console, where you can still pick them up.

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/702566224304152576

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/703446573552967680

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/703447172050788352

Whether or not Kanye will actually go with the name Turbo Grafx 16 for his new album remains to be seen. Kanye changed the name of his most recent album a few times, moving from So Help Me God, to SWISH, and Waves before ultimately settling on The Life of Pablo. Here’s to hoping the name sticks! Either way, more Kanye is a good thing.

Kanye West is Allegedly Naming His Next Album After a Gaming Console

Madden 17 Connected Franchise Wishlist

Madden 17 Connected Franchise Wishlist

We are at the halfway point in Madden 16, and with the football season now over

and Madden being our last remaining football experience, the excitement and

desire for the next Madden is upon us. It is around this time that we all start

thinking about what can make next year’s Madden even better than it already is.

After hours of brain storming, Madden Bomber League, MBL, has come up with

several key features that we think would make Madden 17 a Madden to

remember.

The main feature of Madden for us, as well as the sim gaming community, is the

Connected Franchise mode. CFM has been lacking the past several couple of

years due to the improvement and love affair with Madden Ultimate Team. While

Madden Ultimate Team has its time and place, the force that has driven Madden

to the point in which it is at now is the enriched content in CFM. And we feel it is

truly time that the enrichment and true feel of being an NFL owner or coach is

brought into the Madden CFM experience.

Draft Improvements

The Draft


Let’s start with the most fundamental building blocks of any team: The NFL draft.

The NFL Draft is one of the most publicized events after the conclusion of the

NFL season. Nobody knows who will be a boom or bust; just educated guesses

can be taken. It’s the same for Madden. The draft is one of the most fun and

anticipated stages in Madden. Chaos constantly ensues in the war room. No

matter whether you are trying to trade up, down, or trade for picks in the following

season, we all love the draft and more work needs to be put into upgrading the

dynamics of the draft.

Draft Board

The draft board was a simple feature in the early days of online franchise that

has since been removed from the game. While the draft board does not need to

be any sort of elegant feature, it is a fundamental aspect and should be in
Madden every year. In the CFM world and community that Madden and EA have

created, full 32 owner leagues are the lifeblood of an ever growing sim

community. With that being said, a draft board is essential because gamers

aren’t always available. Many folks put a lot of time and dedication into running

CFMs, as well as just being a player in a CFM. If we aren’t available to make the

draft, a draft board would solve all those problems.

College Stats

NCAA, and just college athletes in general, are what make the NFL what it is for

years to come. During a Madden season, there is limited amounts of information

given about the upcoming draft class. We get several stories but not much

substance is given. The once up and coming Peyton Manning who is having a

poor season is briefly touched on as we hear his performance against the top

teams in the nation are suffering, but that’s about all. The ride of watching your

#1 prospect grow or fall in his last college season is part of the thrill and

excitement we want to see in CFM.

Scouting

The scouting system received a huge overhaul in Madden 16, and for that

we are grateful. However, it is still not where it needs to be. When scouting a

player, a scout has access to virtually unlimited knowledge of the player. Stats

and achievements should play a part into who and why you’re scouting a

particular player. The Draft has so many unknowns, and drafting that #1 QB we

see a general guideline of their attributes determined by our scout, but what we

don’t see is what they did. No season stats or career college stats are given.

Bringing in the combine was a good idea, but that’s only half the answer. NFL

scouts have a limitless amount of information on these athletes, so why can’t we?

Character and Injuries

Injuries and character issues are an intricate factor in football. When players are

being scouted, some teams stay away from these players regardless of upside.

This should also be implemented in Madden. This will steer CFM owners in a

different direction. With injuries, it will make owners think twice about drafting a

particular player despite their upside. Will you waste a high pick on a prospect

that has a history of getting hurt like RGIII or Sam Bradford? They had all the

upside in the world, but they haven’t been able to stay on the field. With

character issues, it can destroy your team’s chemistry (which we will get into

later). Johnny Manziel is a perfect example of this. Every coach knew what they

were getting into.

Minor Draft Additions

There is also many smaller additions that can be added into CFM to really

immerse you into the feeling of being an NFL Owner or coach. Mock drafts would

be an awesome feature to add, even just mock drafts of the first round that

periodically will be displayed in the news screen throughout the season. The

ticker that is in the bottom of our screen usually displaying real NFL scores/news

is great, but wouldn’t it be even better to show our CFM scores for that week?

And while we are drafting, show who was picked and at what pick.

Overall CFM Improvements

Let’s move forward now past just “The Draft” and move into the broader scope of

CFM as a whole. If you look at CFM over the past few years and over the last

decade of just the franchise mode in general, it has taken steps forward and also

steps back. I believe CFM right now is not perfect, but it has the building blocks

set up that can make it truly a one of a kind experience.

Team Chemistry

Let’s start off with what we in MBL think is the most fundamental and best

improvement Madden 17 can possibly offer. And that is Team Chemistry. This is

something that is essentially already in the game, but only utilized in the MUT

mode. It would make team building an even deeper strategy than it already is

while you now have the added bonus to attempt to make a team “gel” together as

they play together more and build chemistries and connections between players

who have the same scheme and have played on the same team for multiple

seasons.

Schemes

Schemes are something that you have had in madden for several years now but

essentially has only changed the numerical number value of the players overall.

It’s time to make schemes mean something to the team. Players that play under the same scheme receive bonus chemistry, as they already know the system. We think the confidence system in Madden works well, but we also don’t think it ever really turned out to what you in EA have expected it to be. But the system can be easily implemented to be more dynamic by changing this to team chemistry.

Chemistry Broken Down

Chemistry will be broken down into several specific parts and divided by the

groups on your team. Offensive line will have chemistry with each other, D-line

together, secondary; linebackers, and lastly a QB will have chemistry individually

to each WR.

The idea to have a deeper dive into CFM can be accomplished here. Who is

going to create the next Legion of Boom? Who will create the next Steel Curtain?

All these are possible with the implementation of allowing teams to organically

create and develop players to have chemistry with each other; a team that each

players strengths is his counterparts weaknesses. This creates a true team

building experience in the ultimate team building sport of football.

Personality

Every NFL player has their own personality. It’s time to make this “personality”

trait that has been in Madden more organic and actually mean something

now. Personality has been a feature in madden for several seasons, restricted

primarily to the selling of jerseys and things similar, but that’s really where it

ends.

Morale

Morale is something that was again in previous Madden games had but is no longer

available and we feel goes hand in hand with personality. A team, and a player

more specifically, will have higher morale because of several conditions. Teams

that are performing well, utilizing the player, and a player that is playing under his

scheme will attribute to players morale. Morale will contribute to

a player’s happiness towards the team, ultimately linking to our central concept of

team chemistry.

This player now with high morale would have added chemistry with the team

because they are happy to be there, and playing in a scheme they know. Also,

contract negotiating would be slightly easier because they want to be on this

team. On the flip side, a player with low morale would have the opportunity and

possibility to hold out, or decline contract negotiations because they don’t want to

be on the team.

Contract Overhaul

While we are on the topic of contracts, this is a feature that really consistently

gets no love because it is pretty cut and dry. Previously in Madden owners could

decide to front or backload contracts, but unfortunately it is not an option for

owners anymore. Additionally, something we think should be implemented is the

ability to renegotiate contracts. Aging players who have declined in productivity

should be able to renegotiate to take a pay cut to remain on the team. This is

something used in the NFL today and should be able to use in madden as well.

Free Agency Changes and Additions

Over the past few Madden games, FA has seen a few major changes and some not so

major ones. But ultimately there has always been one main thing in common: FA

in Madden has really always been about offering the most money/years and

praying. We’d like to see a deeper dive into FA going forward. NCAA Football

recruiting is a great place to look at for a blueprint. You should be able to give

pitches to FA’s in an attempt to sway their choice. That pitch should be based off

what’s important to the FA (winning, scheme, starting, location, etc.). If you make

a pitch and don’t hold up to the pitch then the penalty can be a decreased

interest from other FA’s in the future, or a holdout (If you incorporate that

previous suggestion).

Also you should be able to queue guys in FA. If I need a LT, I should be able to

offer three guys a contract but only sign one. Some sort of FA planning that says

“LT: Need 3 Order: 1, 2, 3; Number to sign: 1” This would let me offer three guys

and only sign one. Who I sign is based on who are willing to accept, and then my

preference of those who will accept.

Head Coach

Madden has always neglected one of the most important aspect of a NFL team,

the head coach. A coach is the building block and most central part of your team

chemistry. Every coach has their own scheme that should tie directly into the

chemistry of your team. Certain players and coaches simply just don’t work

together. Furthermore, coach challenges should be more in depth and allow for

the user to determine what they are challenging. It doesn’t happen too often, but

there is times in Madden where when I challenge a call, it does not challenge

what I want. The option to choose specifically “Challenge catch” or “Challenge

spot” would be a huge addition that would avoid all challenge problems.

Coordinators

Assistant coaches need to play a bigger role in CFM. What I mean by this is

incorporate offensive and defensive coordinators. They should have some kind of

the effect like the head coaches. When a new offensive or defensive coordinator

comes in, they can completely change the style of offense. Depending on the

success of the offense or defense, coordinators should be able to be promoted to

head coach or test the waters and see if another team is interested in their

services whether it’s as a coordinator or head coach. Take for example the real

life New York Giants and Ben Mcadoo. He came to New York and completely

changed the style of offense. It took a year or two but the offense regained

chemistry under this new system. And now, he is promoted to the head coach.

This could only have boosted morale and chemistry in the locker room as

someone who they have now worked under for two seasons is the head coach of

the team and they will continue to use the same system.

If you have any Madden 17 Connected Franchise improvements you would like to add let us know on social media or in the comments below!

Follow us at www.twitter.com/BomberLeague
Our website at www.maddenbomberleague.com
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Madden 17 Connected Franchise Wishlist

MLB The Show 16 Stream Details Presentation and Commentary

Yesterday San Diego Studio took to twitch once again to go over another set of features in the forthcoming MLB The Show 16. This time the stream was dedicated to presentation and commentary, as promised by the team in an earlier stream.

There are a number of improvements for the PS3 and PS4 version of the game, but as we’re used to by now, most of the improvements are only available on the PS4 version of the game.

Improvements for the PS3 include expanded personalization, greater emphasis on commentary surrounding league activity including trades, injuries, transactions, recent performances and more, and hybrid presentation mode, which is somewhat of a middle-ground between fast-play and broadcast, according to the stream. Presumably these improvements will be available to the PS4 version of the game as well.

As for the PS4, we’ll be getting multiple broadcast display packages, cinematic road to the show presentations for big career moments, expanded player and crowd emotion systems, hundreds of new lines for inside the show, redesigned game set-up commentary, and a greater variety of conversation commentary.

There’s also a whole other infographic worth of changes which seem to be exclusive to the PS4 version of the game that you can see in the stream. For a more in-depth look, be sure to check it out up top.

MLB The Show 16 will be available exclusively for the PS3 and PS4 starting next month on March 29.

MLB The Show 16 Stream Details Presentation and Commentary

NBA LIVE 16 Roster Update (2/25/16)

This week’s NBA LIVE 16 roster update is here, and that means changes are inbound. You can find the rundown from EA Sports below. For a more complete look at this roster update, check out the website.

Going Up:

• Paul George (OVR 89): +6 3-Point Shot (89), +2 Mid-Range Shot (80), +1 Shot Off Dribble (80)


• John Wall (OVR 89): +12 Layup (97), +10 Pass Accuracy (80), +8 Dunk (95)


• Steph Curry (OVR 95): +6 Contested Shot (96), +5 Shot Off Dribble (94), +4 Mid-Range Shot (90)


• Russell Westbrook (OVR 93): +10 Inside Shot (90), +7 Dribbling (95), +3 Dunk (93)


• Anthony Davis (OVR 88): +10 Inside Shot (88), +10 Shot Off Dribble (79), +5 Mid-Range Shot (85)


• Chris Paul (OVR 93): +9 Mid-Range Shot (80), +6 Shot Off Dribble (92), +4 Court Vision (99)


• James Harden (OVR 91): +8 3-Point Shot (93), +7 Mid-Range Shot (79), +7 Shot Off Dribble (93)

Dunk Boosts:

• Aaron Gordon 99 Dunk rating with enhanced dunk package.


• Zach LaVine 99 Dunk rating with enhanced dunk package.


• Will Barton 90 Dunk rating with enhanced dunk package.

Fixes

This update also features fixes to certain players who were not triggering dunks. All players with dunk ratings of 60 and higher will now seamlessly be able to dunk in appropriate situations.

What do you think of this week’s update? Let us know in the comments below.

NBA LIVE 16 Roster Update (2/25/16)

EA Sports releases full UFC 2 Roster

Today, EA Sports released the full roster for the upcoming UFC 2.

There are a ton of names on the list, but some of the notable fighters include Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, Robbier Lawler and Luck Rockhold.

Bruce Lee returns as one of the nontraditional fighters. For UFC 2, fans who preorder will get Day 1 access to the Iron Mike Tyson pack. The pack features a current day and a young version of Tyson. It also comes with Bas Rutten and “The Gracie Hunter” Kazushi Sakuraba.

UFC 2 will be available on March 15 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

EA Sports releases full UFC 2 Roster

Rocket League Releases New Patch, New Car Pack Coming March 8

This week Rocket League released patch 1.13 for PC and PlayStation 4. An Xbox One patch is forthcoming but an exact date hasn’t been set.

Patch 1.13 adds three new Skill Tiers to the Season 2 Competitive, bringing the total tiers to fifteen. It also added Division Indicators to all Skill Tiers.

Some glitches were fixed including the “Stocked” achievement unlocking properly, and random map selection picking Mannfield and Beckwith Park weather variants too rarely. It also fixed CPU utilization for PC users.

The Rocket League team also released a teaser trailer for their new Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice Car Pack.

The pack is scheduled to release on March 8 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC via Steam and will costs $1.99.

Along with the new Batmobile car, the Car Pack also features three exclusive Antenna Flags that represent Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.

Rocket League Releases New Patch, New Car Pack Coming March 8

MLB 16 The Show Developer Livestream: Presentation and Gameplay!

MLB The Show 16: Developer Q & A

The developers of MLB The Show 16 hosted a Q and A session live yesterday to answer all of the most asked questions about their game. Many aesthetic upgrades and changes are highlighted in the video such as matte helmets and stadium updates and texture upgrades. But without further adieu, let us get right into this Q and A session with some of the most popular questions asked:

Q: Are the new legend and flashback players in the free agent pool like last year?

A: The legends will be in the free agent pool, however the flashback players are exclusive to Diamond Dynasty so they will not be.

 

Q: I don’t understand captains.

A: Complete the missions, get tickets, the tickets allow you buy the stuff the captains have, which is cycling out all the time. So there is no ‘do x to earn y’ scenario, it is more of earn tickets to get whatever is currently in the captains shops.

 

Q: Can we choose the team that drafts us in RTTS?

A: Yes, although it could mess with your projected draft pick, which is not a huge deal.

 

Q: Do certain game modes earn tickets faster than others?

A: No not really. The quickest way to earn tickets though is by completing captains’ missions.

 

Q: Have you done anything to Franchise Mode?

A: We have done a lot to Franchise Mode and you should come back next week and check out our streams that will go more in depth.

 

Q: Who is the best player in the game?

A: Mike Trout, who is rated 99.

 

Q: Is there timed hitting or classic hitting?

A: MLB The Show 16 hitting is the same as has it was last year and you still have to time the swing.

 

Q: Will franchise rosters be updated?

A: No, the roster will stay the same as what it was when you began the franchise and change on its own course as you play your franchise.

 

Q: Can I use “quick count” as hitting, but not for pitching?

A: No, you have to choose all or nothing when it comes to quick count.

 

Q: How many pitching and batting motions are there?

A: There are over 100 new pitching motions and closer to 200 for batting motions.

 

Q: Are minor league players real ones or no?

A: The minor leagues do not have a players association so they cannot be in there. Once players play in at least one MLB game they are added in the next update. However there are websites around that have rosters with minor league players on them.

MLB The Show 16 is set to be released on March 29th in three different editions- standard, MVP, and Digital Deluxe. Every version will be giving bonuses to people who pre-order. As found in many of the streams PlayStation 4 is given many extra features over PlayStation 3, such as some of the pre-order bonuses. The Show is of course PlayStation exclusive.

As always follow us on Twitter and YouTube to stay up to date on more MLB The Show 16 streams and updates.

MLB The Show 16: Developer Q & A

Joe Montana 16: What We Know So Far

In an interview with Damon Grow, the CEO of Superstar Games, a lot of the info about Joe Montana 16, is clarified, and put into one place. It is set to be a game for mobile devices, but also with the ability to be connected to Chromecasts and other comparable devices. The idea behind this game is setting your lineups throughout the day and when you get home from work or school is when you could hook up your device to your TV and playing the game with the team you have setup all day.

According to Damon Grow, Montana 16 is not going to be a “pay-to-win game” and they will not be “nickle and diming” their users. He said that their options are either charging some amount for the game up front, distributing it for free and paying from there (a one-time fee) if you wish to keep playing, or distributing for free and just asking for money if people like the game. Damon Grow prefers the latter. This game will not be game based on paying for every move you wish to take and Joe Montana 16 will be a much more in-depth game than that. There will be no limit to the amount of seasons in franchise mode.

They are attempting to cater to many of the simulation crowd because lineups and leagues can be set on the go and you can play the game later. If this game is ultimately successful then Damon Grow says they will be looking to expand onto PC, and eventually the possible console release. They want to flush out all of the problems on IOS and mobile devices as well as get feedback on how they can improve it before releasing it to PC, something that they plan to do once it is ready.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPNZ0OYxhoo

Unreal partnered with Joe Montana 16 after seeing their demo. Damon Grow is ecstatic about this and believes with their partnership this game can become even better. This partnership makes going to PC or even console very easy for Joe Montana 16 and Superstar Games to do. Early access on PC is a possibility, but Damon Grow is leaning away from that at the moment.

Joe Montana 16 is unlicensed which means customization will be huge in this game. This would make it unlike any other popular sports game, and Damon Grow and Co. are looking to give everyone the opportunity to go wild in this “sandbox of football.”

Before moving Joe Montana 16 from mobile devices to PC, they are looking to study the numbers of how many people are playing this game and how long they are playing it and if Joe Montana 16 is meeting their needs as a game. Mac is also a possibility, but currently they are focusing on PC. This game will be playable on the iPhone 5S and up.

Joe Montana is very involved with the development of Joe Montana 16, so he is much more than just the title. Nostalgia plays a big role in this game as well, as it can link fathers and sons through ones love of Joe Montana and that era, and another’s love of games. Damon Grow was very enthusiastic about this interaction and how impactful he thinks it could be.

Overall, Joe Montana 16 is aiming to be a simulation based game at first with aims of improving game play as the game is developed and played. The idea behind it is that you can manage your franchise on your mobile device throughout the day and hook it up to your TV to play with your team. Once feedback is acquired and multiple updates are put out and the development team is satisfied it will be moving to PC, and console is a possibility as well.

As always follow us on Twitter and YouTube to stay up to date on Joe Montana 16 updates.

Joe Montana 16: What We Know So Far

Steph Curry Breaks Real and Virtual Basketball

If you’ve followed NBA basketball at all in the last three years then you know that Steph Curry is essentially lights out from where ever he shoots the ball.

It’s a problem for real players facing him and recently it’s become a problem for developers trying to depict him in video games. 2K Sports might be have the most realistic basketball game on the market with their NBA2K series. They’ve managed to create digital players that react fairly realistically to most in-game situations.

That is, until they tried to account for Steph Curry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYFrQ4B91XE

NBA2K gameplay director Mike Wang told Forbes, “To be completely honest, we are still looking for ways to better translate his game into NBA 2K. He’s a ‘rule breaker’ when it comes to jump shooting … he becomes a problem in the video game world where we’ve been trying to train our gamers [to know] that certain types of shots should be rewarded versus others.”

Earlier this month, ESPN asked 2K Sports to run simulations with Curry to see how the virtual compared to the real. Flesh and bone Curry won every time.

2K Curry averaged 28.5 ppg over a 50 game simulation versus this season’s curry who is averageing 29.8. Real Curry also had 13 more 30 point games and 5 more 20 point quarters than virtual Curry. The most telling stat was in made 3-pointers. Real Curry is on pace for 388 while 2K Curry “only” hit 293.

“We’re going to have to invest even more time in future iterations to really let Steph be Steph in future versions of NBA 2K,” said Wang.

Our suggestion? Perhaps institute a Madden-esque stat similar to Spectacular Catch and have it attached to Curry’s shooting accuracy.

Steph Curry Breaks Real and Virtual Basketball

EA Sports NCAA Football 17 Latest Details!

EA Sports NCAA Football 17 Latest Details

There are a lot of people who want to see EA’s NCAA Football franchise make a return. In December we published an article on the status of the franchise and whether or not we’d be seeing it make a return in 2016. At the time that didn’t seem very likely, and despite one of the worst marketing attempts of 2015, not much has changed.

The 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship was as popular as ever, but even with the success of the championship and the finals leading up to it (if you haven’t seen them, check out our simulations where we predicted the winner for 5 of 6 games), we’re still just as far away from seeing another college football game.

The longer we wait for another game, however, the more supporters we see hoping for a new installment. Those supporters aren’t limited to college students and athletes, though. Just last week, Fallout 4 director and executive producer at Bethesda Game Studios, Todd Howard, spoke at the 2016 DICE Summit on his desire to see another NCAA Football game.

“NCAA Football was one of my favorite games; they don’t make it anymore,” Howard said on stage. “While I’m here, EA, can you make NCAA Football again, please? That game honestly was important to me. I would play and win the national championship, recruit my team–the pride I felt in doing it. I felt good during the day if I won and I felt bad if I lost. to the computer. Now they don’t make it anymore and there’s a hole in my life.”

As GameSpot notes, this talk was given in front of an audience of industry luminaries, potentially including employees of Electronic Arts. It’s not like they don’t know the demand, though. As they proved during the championship game, people want to play NCAA Football on their consoles. The only problem is the licensing and likeness of athletes.

Todd Howard isn’t the only one interested in seeing NCAA Football return, however. Kirk Herbstreit, who served as commentator for the NCAA Football video games, also spoke about the series in an interview with SEC Country conducted in November 2015 that was published last month.

As far as Herbstreit is concerned, Ed O’Bannon is solely to blame for the lack of a college football video game. “I can’t believe Ed O’Bannon took that game away from us,” Herbstreit said during the interview.

While Ed O’Bannon is partially to blame for the lack of NCAA Football thanks to a lawsuit he filed over a likeness dispute, the court ultimately determined that the lawsuit did have merit. Obviously, Kirk Herbstreit didn’t feel that way.

According to Herbstreit, plenty of athletes would be happy to sacrifice pay in order for the game to return. “Every single college football player,” he said. “You know what they’d love for their compensation to be? Just give ‘em a free game. That’s the compensation that they would take.”

Perhaps everyone that Herbstreit talked to felt that way, but the comments that I’ve read on the subject seem to suggest otherwise. Many people — both athletes and fans alike — seem to agree that the players deserve some form of compensation. According to Herbstreit, however, the students are more than happy to appear in the game. “I’ve never met one player in college football that’s like: ‘They can’t use my name and likeness! I need to be paid!’ They’re just thrilled to be on the game. They love being on the game. It’s like the biggest highlight of their life, is to be on the game.”

It’s a hot topic with a lot of differing opinions, but I’m not sure Herbstreit is right on this one. Personally, I think that athletes deserve to be compensated. After all, this is a video game franchise built entirely upon the names and likenesses of college athletes. How much compensation they deserve is up for debate, but I find it hard to believe that a small salary is out of the question.

Either way, I don’t think we’ll be seeing another NCAA Football game until the matter of compensation is settled, and that’s unfortunate. But, I’m sure that athletes are fine with that. After all, the exposure can only benefit them so much.

Check back daily here at SGO and Subscribe to our Youtube for the latest on EA Sports NCAA Football!

EA Sports NCAA Football 17 Latest Details

MLB The Show 16 Developer Q & A | All of the Most Asked Questions Answer...

Madden 16 Patch 1.09 Has Been Released

As reported on EA’s Twitch Livestream today Madden 16 Patch 1.09 is now available across all consoles.

https://twitter.com/RexDEAFootball/status/702159894699311104https://twitter.com/RexDEAFootball/status/702159894699311104

Here are some of the gameplay changes available in the patch courtesy of OS:

• A fix is in to prevent multiple nano-blitzes using the B-Gap. The RG will now always look inside to outside for blocking assignments.


• The ‘playcalling/pause’ freeze is fixed (where you lose input data and have to dashboard).


• Untimed downs will occur at the right times (this also fixes the FG Block glitch).


• A rare bug where QB sacks were creating a stopped clock has been fixed.


• User QBs will now get less of an accuracy penalty on All Madden difficulty level.


• Patch notes also mention general stability improvements (aka less freezes).

 

Madden 16 Patch 1.09 Has Been Released

Ronda Rousey Talks Gaming With GameSpot

Ronda Rousey is sharing a spot on the cover of EA Sports UFC 2 with Conor McGregor this year. In an interview leading up to the release of the game, GameSpot talked with Ronda Rousey about her experience making the game as well as her experience playing games.

The interview opens up with a couple questions about what it’s like using motion capture to capture her signature moves. As it turns out, motion capture isn’t all that difficult for the MMA fighter who spent time practicing judo. “The suit doesn’t really bug me at all because I grew up doing judo,” Rousey said before expanding on the only problem, which seems to be wearing shoes.

When it comes to World of Warcraft, Rousey prefers to indulge in a bit of roleplay rather than trying to recreate herself in the virtual world. “I really don’t try to make characters look a lot like me. I have a tendency to make characters look more what I would like to look like if I was in that world.”

She might enjoy gaming, but you won’t be seeing her take to twitch in the near future, because she prefers to use gaming to entertain herself rather than as a means to entertain others. “My commentary during games is not that exciting. It’s more of my relaxation and alone time than anything. It’s like a meditative thing for me. It’s a time to not be on and entertaining somebody else.”

Rousey also discussed her interest in portraying video game characters on the big screen, citing World of Warcraft as a film she really wanted to be part of. But the character she’d most want to star as? Samus of Metroid Prime. “I’ve always wanted to be Samus. That would be badass. I love how people found out later that it was a hot chick on the inside,” she said of the character.

Would you like to see Ronda Rousey star in a Metroid Prime film? Let us know in the comments.

Ronda Rousey Talks Gaming With GameSpot

Rating the New Skill Moves in FIFA 16

Which new Skill Move to FIFA 16 is “most valuable”?

EA has implemented five new skills to this year’s installment that include both the flair-based skills such as the “Bolasie Spin” and new universal features such as the “No Touch Dribble.” Today, I’m going to touch base on which skills are most effective from the new additions to this year’s title.

Heel Flick Turn

– Great switchup skill move that catches your opponents off guard due to the new animation

– Very deceptive because it shares an identical opening execution to the Heel Flick, however, the delivery includes an additional fake

– Draws fouls often, including PKs with high frequency

8/10

Fake Pass

– Can be used against high-pressure opponents with validity if you are able to execute the skill seamlessly with instinctive reactions

– At the end of matches, this skill can be used to create possession space

– The fake pass is beautiful in theory, but it lacks regular opportunities in terms of usage, especially in a high level FIFA matches

4/10

Bolasie Spin

– Can be used as a change up with the Berba Spin in order to catch an opponent off guard

– The timing and final execution differentiates between the Berba / McGeady spin, which allows this skill to be intertwined with those as a premium change of pace

– Not a high validity rate in terms of execution and only five star skillers are able to perform the Bolasie Spin

6/10

Rabona Shot

– This add-on in FIFA 16 is solely for the skillers of ultimate team

– I can’t see a situation where a Rabona Shot is more effective than the normal power finish or placed finesse

– Looks amazing! Low rate of being able to score with this technique

3/10

No Touch Dribble

– Anyone on the pitch can execute the No Touch Dribble (Universal Skill)

– This skill is best used in a “Stop and Go” format (I have a full tutorial on my YouTube channel)

– The learning curve on the No Touch Dribble is longer compared to many other skills

– Once mastered, this skill can be an incredible combo-based move all over the pitch

– Good for shielding the ball, especially on the sidelines if you are looking for strength-based possession play

8.5/10

What do you think of the new moves in FIFA 16? Let us know in the comments below.

Rating the New Skill Moves in FIFA 16

Throwback Sports: NFL Quarterback Club 96 on the Sega Saturn

Growing up as gamers, we all had that one sports video game that gave us the sports bug and cemented our paths as gamers who played sports games. In our new ThrowBack series, we take a short visit back to the games that we grew up playing.

One of the first football games that I ever got into came courtesy of the Sega Saturn in 1996. My dad bought the Saturn brand new for $180 and he snagged a bunch of sports titles when he did. Some of the games included Daytona USA, Worldwide Soccer 98 and NFL Quarterback Club 96.

QB Club was my first football game and I loved playing it. The game is part of the NFL Quarterback Club series by Acclaim Entertainment, more broadly known for the Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam series.

Originally, the QB Club series started out as just a game of QB challenges on the Nintendo Game Boy in 1993. Later, it was pushed on to the Sega Game Gear and Super Nintendo systems. QB Club 96 was the second game in the series and you might have seen it for Game Boy, Sega Game Gear, the Super Nintendo or the Sega Saturn.

At the time the game supposedly featured over 800 plays with distinct plays for certain quarterbacks. I don’t recall seeing any plays that were specific to any of the quarterbacks. The game did give the option to simulate the preseason, playoffs, the Pro Bowl or a single season that consisted of 18 games.

In 1996, QB Club had an impressive roster that included Brett Favre, Jim Kelly, Barry Sanders and Steve Young, and because it had an NFL license featured the 30 teams in existence at the time. Booting it up on the Saturn is a fun 1990s NFL history lesson. For example, the Tennessee Titans were still the Houston Oilers (the Texans didn’t exist yet) and the Carolina Panthers were in the NFC West with the 49ers, Rams, Saints and Falcons.

Seattle was still a member of the AFC West and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were part of the NFC Central with what is today the NFC North. Weirdly, the NFC East had the Arizona Cardinals. Clearly, someone in the NFL was geographically drunk in the 90s.

One of the mainstays of the QB Club games are the Quarterback Challenges. This mode let players control a quarterback and a number of different competitions that included distance, mobility, obstacle and accuracy. For some reason the Saturn version doesn’t feature the QB Challenges, but I understand the other versions do. It does feature a simulation mode that lets players recreate historic NFL moments and attempt to change them with 50 or so different options available. The game could supposedly support up to 12 players at one time, though I never tried or had enough controllers to even attempt that. The graphics could charitably be called 3D-ish, with the players being portrayed as somewhat 3D on a very flat and long looking field.

Modern players might be used to playing their games with commentary. Between EA’s Madden series and the NCAA Football series, both football games featured a ton of talking commentary.

For a comparison, here’s what QB Club looked like on the Super Nintendo

Even the 2K games had commentary and the later QB Club games featured some kind of talking head. QB Club 96 is surprisingly quiet. Games in the season mode started with a preshow of sorts featuring Thomas Dupree and Bill Evans but they don’t speak.

Instead, a text scroll is placed above a picture of Dupree and Evans where they “discuss” certain matchups to look for in the game. The gameplay is fairly standard. Players could pick from base sets out of Pro Set, Shotgun, Single Back or the Power I. From there, plays broke down into short, medium, and long, or what the game called “Bomb Zone”. Players could then see the standard playbook pages with receiver and running back routes.

The defense is set up similarly but there are far fewer options from the 3-4, “Smart D”, 4-3, Nickel or Dime packages. The defense plays also featured the short, medium and long options. One of the best or funniest portions of the game involves the ref. When the Saturn was released a number of games with FMVs of real people were available with it. For example, you might recall the live action portions of games like Command & Conquer or that infamous stalker game Night Trap on the Sega CD.

For whatever reason, the referee in QB Club is a real guy in a small box doing the motions for various fouls, touchdowns, first downs, or incomplete passes. It’s funny to see and very out of place with the rest of the game.

Check out the ref in this video. The narrator is kind of annoying, so it’s recommended you watch on mute:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75qJpbaiCDo

It’s especially weird because, as far as I know, no other version of NFL Quarterback Club 96 uses the real ref. Instead they use a more appropriate pixelated referee.

Acclaim’s QB Club series lasted quite awhile and was available on multiple systems including the N64, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and the Dreamcast. The last game in the series came out in 2001 as NFL QB Club 2002 for the GameCube and PS2.

Throwback Sports: NFL Quarterback Club 96 on the Sega Saturn

New Features of MLB The Show 16 Revealed

Game Informer showcases some new MLB The Show 16 features including marketplace options and Road to the Show changes in this new video.

The marketplace is new to MLB The Show 16. Previously you would have to buy packs and try to get lucky, but now you can buy things through any of the captains in the marketplace where you can buy anything from batting gloves for Road to the Show, or a ritual item. In each captain’s shop items are changing every 12-24 hours so you have to act fast if you see something you want. Currency used in the marketplace is referred ti as tickets, and you can earn them in any game mode. Each captain has a unique rank items, and missions that can earn you a chunk of bonus tickets.

New cards have types are coming for Diamond Dynasty, such as flashback cards which come in rookie and prime types. This is where you can see players in their prime or as rookies. Hundreds of new cards are being created for the release of MLB The Show 16. These cards can be earned with tickets in the captains section of the marketplace, and through some select missions.

Road to the Show also has some new features in MLB The Show 16. When creating a player for RTTS there are now options to customize catchers gear, elbow-guards and eye-wear. The create-a-player interface is now much more user-friendly. Showtime, a feature new to Road to the Show can allow you to slow down key moments of the game. This could be a slower more dramatic throw to second for an important double play or a clutch at bat to potentially give your team the lead. There is a showtime meter at the bottom of the screen that you can choose when to use. It makes it much easier to make precise throws in the field, pinpoint your pitches at the mound, and makes it easier to make solid contact with the ball. Showtime starts at 120 and you can chose when to use it throughout the game. Showtime perks can also be consumed for showtime meter percentage. One perk when activated forces the pitcher to throw all pitches to throw strikes into the strike zone where you can swing big and know you will connect.

New features are set to be announced in the coming weeks before MLB The Show 16 is released on March 29th. Look forward to more articles covering these new features and more. Let us know what you think about these features and changes in the comments below.

As always follow us on Twitter and YouTube to stay up to date on MLB The Show 16 news.

New Features of MLB The Show 16 Revealed

NBA 2K16 Roster Update (2-19-16)

NBA 2K16 has just released their annual trade deadline roster update. It comes with some players being traded to new teams, as well as some stat increases and decreases. It was not as large of an update as some anticipated, but the team changes keep the game relevant as the NBA 2015-16 season heats up.

Here are the notable stat changes:

Increases:

Kyrie Irving +1 (87)

Kawhi Leonard +1 (91)

Mike Conley +1 (83)

Nikola Vucevic +1 (82)

Bradley Beal +1 (81)

Darren Collison +1 (81)

Chandler Parsons +1 (80)

Nicolas Batum +1 (80)

 

Decreases:

C.J. McCollum -1 (84)

DeAndre Jordan -1 (84)

Danilo Gallinari -1 (81)

J.J. Redick -1 (79)

Jeff Green -1 (78)

Jeff Teague -1 (78)

 

Here are the notable team changes:

-Tobias Harris, Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton to the Detroit Pistons

-Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova to Orlando Magic

-Courtney Lee to Charlotte Hornets

-Lance Stephenson, P.J. Hairston and Chris Andersen to Memphis Grizzlies

-Channing Frye to Cleveland Cavaliers

-Randy Foye to Oklahoma City

-D.J. Augustin and Steve Novak to Denver Nuggets

-Markieff Morris to Washington Wizards

-DeJuan Blair and Kris Humphries to Phoenix Suns

-Jeff Green to Los Angeles Clippers

-Shelvin Mack to Utah Jazz

-Kirk Hinrich to Atlanta Hawks

I hope this NBA 2K16 roster update post was informative and look for more updates as the season progresses. Let us know what you think about this update in the comments below.

As always follow us on Twitter and YouTube to stay up to date on NBA 2k16 news.

NBA 2K16 Roster Update (2-19-16)

EA Sports UFC 2 Trailer Breaks Down Career Mode and Online Championships

A new trailer for EA Sports UFC 2 has been released today, and this time the gameplay series is taking on career mode and online championships.

The new career mode in EA Sports UFC 2 will allow you to use an existing UFC fighter or create your own, both male and female. Women’s Strawweight and Bantamweight divisions will be making their first appearance. The more you impress the coaches in your elimination fight, the better chances you have of getting picked early. The new fight offer system will present you with multiple opponents to choose from on your way to the ultimate fighter trophy.

You can also receive short notice fight-offs, which offer a better payoff. This comes along with a new training camp mode that will allow you to focus on your fighter’s strengths and weaknesses and training intensity to get you prepared for fights. Too much intensity can lead to injuries, though, so you have to be careful.

Ranked Championships will now update with each fight result, rather than updating after 10 matches. Title Chase and Featured Fighters also serve to make ranking up more interesting. Title Chase is independent of your division progression, and will let you fight a five round championship against an existing champion in an effort to take the belt.

EA Sports UFC 2 will be available for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One starting on March 15. You can watch the trailer up top to get a look at the features for yourself.

EA Sports UFC 2 Trailer Breaks Down Career Mode and Online Championships

MLB The Show 16 Developer Showcases New Details

Yesterday IGN streamed MLB The Show 16 content and showcased many of the new features being introduced. New in Road to the Show you can now choose your uniform when you make it to the pros, as well as an overall more personalized and exciting presentation specific to your pro. Many things they won’t reveal yet, but Road to the Show seems to be cleaned up with a focus on your own choices for specific presentations of new milestones that you may hit as you play. If you do not want these new presentations, you can easily skip because MLB The Show 16 is designed to be as streamlined or as in depth as you want. Scouting reports in all game modes are now much more realistic.

MLB The Show 16 will be released on both the PlayStation 3 and 4, although it is clear that San Diego Studios have made many features for only 4 to reward next generation console owners. One feature that PlayStation 4 has that 3 does not are “out of position animations”. Both systems have out of position penalties in order for players playing in positions that are not their own, and on next gen, there are actually new animations made for players playing out of their position: poor fielding animations. The emphasis on much of what was said during the stream is the extreme customization of actions and signature moves that each player could have. This means all kinds of infield and outfield plays, as well as home run swings all have hundreds of potential animations.

A new feature to MLB The Show 16 is precision input. What this means is that the game system is rewarding batters for more precise inputs, and punishing players for less precise inputs. There will be less random occurrences as we saw in previous games where timing and level would be almost perfect and you would pop out. This is a positive change as it rewards players being very precise. Stadiums have been updated to coincide with changes in stadiums since the Show 15. The game is still being worked on and updated up until the release date to make sure there are no bugs or problems, but there will be no major changes to the interface or game play.

Look forward to a franchise mode stream in the coming weeks to breakdown what has changed in MLB The Show 16 franchise mode. Two new game modes called “Conquest” and “Battle Royale” are set to be revealed to the public on March 7th. If you liked this video and the article, look for more articles covering the Show leading up to its March 29th release date.

Remember to follow us on Twitter and YouTube to stay up to date on MLB The Show 16 news and Sports Gamers Online articles.

MLB The Show 16 Developer Showcases New Details

NBA LIVE 16 Roster Update (2/18/16)

This week’s NBA LIVE 16 roster update is here, and that means changes are inbound. You can find the rundown from EA Sports below. For a more complete look at this roster update, check out the website.

Going Up:

• Kawhi Leonard – OVR 95 (+2) – He’s playing at an MVP-level this season. Leonard and Steph Curry are now the highest-rated players in NBA LIVE 16.


• Carmelo Anthony – OVR 89 (+2) – The Eastern All-Star starter is averaging a double-double in his last 10 games.


• CJ McCollum – OVR 82 (+2) – He’s averaging over 20 points per game in February. It’s been a hot month for him and the Blazers.


• Kyle Korver – OVR 77 (+2) – Korver is also having a very good month and has been shooting much better.


• Draymond Green – OVR 91 (+1) – Green is probably the most versatile player in the NBA. He leads the league in triple-doubles.

On the way down:

• Willie Cauley-Stein – OVR 75 (-3) – The rookie needs to find more consistency with scoring and rebounding.


• Kevin Garnett – OVR 75 (-2) – His play has slowed down this year while embracing a mentor role. He’s also missed time due to injury.


• Luis Scola – OVR 74 (-2) – Scola has been seeing reduced minutes and hasn’t been as effective.


• Ryan Anderson – OVR 73 (-2) – It’s been a cold month for Anderson, who is averaging 11 points per game (compared to 19 points last month).


• Brandon Bass – OVR 71 (-2) – Bass has been logging a lot of minutes for the Lakers but isn’t stuffing the stat sheet.

What do you think of this week’s update? Let us know in the comments below.

NBA LIVE 16 Roster Update (2/18/16)

MLB The Show 16 Diamond Dynasty Developer Livestream!

NBA 2K16 Tips and Tricks: Unstoppable Offense With Sixers Motion

Today I am going go over the Sixer’s Motion Offense. In basic terms, Sixers motion gets the Small Forward, Point or Shooting Guard (basically either of the 2 who didn’t bring the ball up) an open look in the corner by running him baseline in hopes of outrunning or losing his defender in the traffic.

The offense also takes advantage of teams with a good shooting or low post big and it’s at its best when the team has both. The rare player who possesses both skills (Cousins, Davis, and Love) gives you a lot more flexibility on what type of big you pair with them.

TO SET UP THE OFFENSE

You can begin the offense from either wing spot or at the top of the key at the 3 point line.

And the structure will always have a guy in the corner, a big on the low block, another big at the top of the free throw line and the other guard or forward on the opposite wing of the ball

handler (which makes this very hard to zone against because of the overload to 1 side of the

court).

TO START THE OFFENSE

Now the offense only starts when the big at the top of the free throw line receives the ball. He’s the quarterback of the offense and is responsible for delivering accurate passes to the shooters.

PLAY DESIGN

The main actions once the big receives the ball are:

1. The guy in the corner running to the opposite baseline looks for an open three

2. The initial ball handler setting a down screen for the big who can pop out all the way

out to the 3pt line. So if your big can only shoot mid-range, you want to pass it to him

quicker than waiting for him to run all the way out. Also having guys like Melo or Kevin

Durant at the 4 spot, while running this action gives the opposing big an impossible task.

IF THE DEFENSE CLOSES OUT ON THE SHOOTERS

If you’re looking to pass to the guy running baseline and he can’t lose his defender, wait

for him to gather himself and move to the wing before passing it to him. Now your

teammates will adjust to the ball handlers’ position and set up the offense again. You

have now restarted the play and have 3 options to go with the ball due to your location.

1. A pass down low to a big man and once he catches it the 2 wings will space out

giving him room to operate

2. I like to pass to the corner and manually call for a sideline pick n roll or pick n pop

with the big man

3. Passing it to the big at the Top of the circle to start the offense again only with a

different player running baseline the other way now.

If you’re looking to pass to the big receiving the down screen and the defense closes out

on him, he also has 3 possible scenarios. Only his options are more dependent on what

the AI does.

1. Because the guy who sets the screen for the big is at most a Small forward he

sometimes flairs out to the corner if the big doesn’t shoot. If that happens I Pass it to

him and run another sideline pick and roll

2. A series of screens can occur. The guy who screened for the big will throw another

screen to open a teammate for a corner three and if the defender also covers that, a

3rd screen will develop to free a guy at the top of the 3 point line.

3. If the 2nd and 3rd screens don’t trigger pass to the big at the top of the free throw

circle and back to the wing to setup the offense again then right back to the big to

start it.

ADJUSTMENTS

A twist I like to add is a manual pick and roll or fade with the big, instead of passing him the ball to start the offense. It keeps your opponent on their toes as to whether to try and intercept the initial pass by backing up or be alert as to not get screens by the big that’s behind him. Also takes advantage of guys who play off ball defense to try and intercept the sideline passes because he thinks the ball handler isn’t a threat.

Aditionally, if you notice the weaker of your shooters is expected to receive the baseline catch and shoot, you just move to the other side and winger at the top of the key will now be the guy receiving the screen .It’s the same for the big men, moving side to side changes who receives the down screen and who parks at the free throw line to initiate the offense.

NBA 2K16 Tips and Tricks: Unstoppable Offense With Sixers Motion

MLB The Show 16: Precision Input Gameplay Engine Breakdown

San Diego Studios revealed a lot of new features during last week’s stream, but one of the

features that is not being talked about and still has some question marks behind it is the new Precision Input Gameplay Engine being implemented in MLB The Show 16.

What is Precision Input?

Gameplay focused on determinism, firmly prioritizing user skill with better

benefits for accurate inputs and bigger penalties for inaccurate inputs. Basically, this will affect everything that requires timing and hand eye coordinationg including hitting and pitching. The main aspects of hitting will be noticeable in zone hitting and potentially pure analog hitting (which they are supposedly bringing back the stride).

Zone Hitting:

For zone hitters, PCI placement will have a bigger impact on your success at

the plate. This year we will see less randomness with the PCI and more

consistent feedback for each swing.

In the past, we would often see pitches where the PCI was not even touching the ball and it would result in a HR or we would see a ball squared up perfectly with good time to equate

into a weak fly out or ground out.

Hopefully this year, we see a more consistent engine with the zone hitting and users are rewarded more with good PCI placement and timing. An example of this are in the images below.

Analog Hitting:

This is all speculation, but the stride is supposedly coming back. If so, then

this means the user has more control of their outcomes at the plate.

Pure analog hitting will require good timing with the stride, good timing with the

swing, and good analog placement that controls the placement of the PCI.

Users should get rewarded for better stride timing and swing timing more

than ever if this is implemented properly.

Directional Hitting:

This should be impacted the least, since the users are forfeiting the ability

to control the placement of their swings. In theory, good swings will be

rewarded more, but the problem is that when users choose to use

directional hitting they are sacrficing bat placement and leaving that feat to

be decided more on attributes. In speculation, good timing swings may be

slightly more rewarded and vice versa.

Pulse and Classic Pitching:

Pulse and Classic pitching will be affected minimally by precision input. You

may be rewarded more with good timing on the pulsations when using

pulse pitching, but classic pitching strictly goes by the pitchers’ attributes.

Meter Pitching:

Meter pitching will be impacted significantly by precision input. If the user

can consistently hit the green spot of the meter then they will hit their

spots, however if the user is off then the pitch will be off even more than

usual.

Analog Pitching:

Similar to Meter pitching, Analog will be heavily impacted by precision

input. Users will be more rewarded when they hit their intended spot and

punished when they miss.

In the past, you were not punished as much when missing a spot with analog and the ball would still go where your input took it. Now users may be punished even more, however if you can consistently hit your spots with analog then it will be very effective.

Fielding:

Precision Input may have an impact on Fielding. That is yet to be

determined, but it would affect analog throwing and button accuracy the

most.

Overall, this feature will reward those with better timing and placement.

This should be a positive, especially for online play where you want user

skill to determine the winner and not attributes, randomness, and luck.

MLB The Show 16: Precision Input Gameplay Engine Breakdown

NBA 2K16 MyTeam: Diamond 06" Kobe Bryant Review

Overall: 98
HT: 6’6”
WT: 205 Lbs
Average Price: 3,500,000
Strengths: Slashing, Three-point shooting, Strong Finisher, Elite Defender
Weaknesses: 2K limits his greatness with in-game momentum

How to use effectively: The card that inspired every diamond moment card currently in the game. When “moments” cards were introduced this year, everyone first thought of the possibility of this card. Kobe is and arguably has been one of the most fun players to use in 2K for years. He is one of the players in-game that make you actually FEEL dangerous. You shoot shots while trash talking your opponent or talking to yourself, calling yourself the GOAT – “nobody can guard me with Kobe.” Well, this card is that x10.

Just by looking at his stats, there are only 2 letdowns, an 80 dunk rating (when Kobe was in his athletic prime) and an 85 post fadeaway (c’mon… it’s Kobe). However, he was gifted with every tomahawk, 360, and double clutch animation that Kobe could have, and if you slap a +9 post fadeaway shoe on him, the card suddenly has no weakness. None. The only one that could even be mentioned is the natural in-game momentum that swings every quarter when you begin to miss shots that you were previously making; yet, I digress. What surprised me the most about this card was its defensive capability. Whether you play on or off-ball, he slides laterally so quickly that nobody can get away from him. As far as him on offense, it is a pick your poison situation. Isolate P&R and abuse your opposition with Kobe’s speed and tricky dribble size-up animations. He has one back-up animation where he goes between the legs 4 times on a pullback, and from there you can shoot with more than enough space or just go for the blow by. If that doesn’t work, do what Kobe does: take your opponent down on the block and, as the great one himself once said, “wear that ass out till someone comes to help.” Assuming you watched Kobe in his heyday (which wasn’t that many years ago), you know what he specialized in. Abuse your defender in the halfcourt, either in P&R or the post, and if the game speeds up, the beauty of this card’s high three pointer lets him shine with transition threes.

Keep in mind, just because this card is dubbed the overpowered chosen one doesn’t mean you should play like it is. Don’t go out and jack up threes and drive with the hopes of finishing over a whole team. Play like Kobe, take the shots he knew he could make. Specialize in the mid-range area and abuse anyone who dares to think one person can guard him. Once you have that down, then the other facets of this card’s game opens up. Threes find him, doubles come and you dish off for easy assists, and before you know it the game is over in the third quarter. The only downside to this card is the price. If you translated how much that amount of coins would cost in actual dollars, it’s absurd. However, as mentioned in the video review, if you are a fan of Kobe Bryant and have the means to get this card – it IS worth it

Be sure to check Sports Gamers Online daily for NBA 2K16 MyTeam Tips and News. Make sure you follow me on twitter @TheSurrealAndre for more NBA 2K16 Hidden Gems!

NBA 2K16 MyTeam: Diamond 06" Kobe Bryant Review

eSports Revenue Doubled in 2015 and Continuing to Grow

The world of esports has grown tremendously on all fronts, and shows no signs of stopping. Last year, revenue was just under 200 million, and is predicted to more than double by 2017. The League of Legends World Championship has even outperformed traditional sporting events such as the World Series on multiple occasions. A Counter-Strike: Global Offensive stream for ESL One Cologne 2015 boasted 27 million unique viewers, which is also highly competitive with the top eSports and sports.

The newly found field of esports is even getting recognition from major television networks like ESPN, despite the preconceived notions about gaming and gamers. This is a good sign, one that might mean the negative stigma associated with gaming could be on its way out. Furthermore, less played games, such as the Super Smash Brothers and Street Fighter series’ have gotten their largest turnouts and payouts ever this year, both breaking previously set records at the prestigious fighting game tournament, Evolution Series. Venues for these large tournaments of every game are getting bigger and better as well.

2015 has been a year of incredible growth for esports, with overall prize pots also increasing by almost double. In the last five years prize money has grown almost exponentially, beginning at just under 10 million in 2011, and rising to over 70 million in 2015.

If this drastic increase in prize money is any indicator, 2016 should be a huge year for esports. Overall revenue, viewership, and prize money have all made huge jumps in the past five years, and especially in this past year. Prize money is linked very closely with revenue, so it can be inferred that with these drastic increases in prize money, revenue isn’t far behind. What has changed, you might ask. Many of the games are still the same, but what has changed is how they are marketed, how people see them, and an increased visibility. Large tournaments are being played out in stadiums now instead of smaller convention halls and hotel ballrooms.

This past fall, the League of Legends Finals for North America (LCS) was played in Madison Square Garden in front of tens of thousands of fans, and millions more online. Many people did not know about eSports five years ago, but now they do. 2016 is looking to be the most successful year for eSports to date. Look for some of the largest prize pots of all time, some of the largest venues, some of the largest revenue increases, and some of the highest viewership and visibility that eSports has ever seen.

eSports Revenue Doubled in 2015 and Continuing to Grow

NBA 2K16 Tips and Tricks: Unstoppable Offense With Sixers Motion! | 2K16...

FIFA 16 Team of the Week 23

FIFA 16 Ultimate Team has just released Team of the Week 23, highlighted by 96 rated Suarez. The Team of the Week is rounded out by Coutinho, Barzagli, Casillas, and more. Overall, Team of the Week 23 is well above average and many of the players here are to be desired.

Now the rundown of Team of the Week 23’s starting eleven from goalkeeper to striker:

Goalkeeper: Casillas

Behind the posts we find 86 rated Casillas playing for FC Porto. He boasts an upgraded 90 diving and 91 reflexes, with very solid overall stats for a goalkeeper. He is a very solid goalkeeper and would round out any Spanish or Primeira Liga well. His first inform goes for about 55,000 across all platforms, so I would estimate this card to be worth around 100,000 on all Ultimate Team platforms.

Left Center Back: Olsson

Olsson is a slow but solid center back who plays for West Brom. This inform boosts his defense and physical stats to 80, and his passing to 70. He doesn’t have much use in a Barclays Premier League squad, because there are many options that are better and cheaper than him, but if you were creating a Swedish squad, Olsson would be your best bet. I would estimate his price right around the 10,000 threshold he would give you by quick selling him.

Center back: Barzagli

Certainly one of the higlights of Team of the Week 23, 85 rated Barzagli is upgraded to 90 defense and 80 physicality, and the rest of his stats are rounded out. He is one of the best options for a Serie A or Italy squad at center back. I could see him going for 20,000 or more across all FIFA 16 platforms.

Right Center Back: Djilobodji

This Werder Bremen defense-men boasts 73 pace, 80 defense, and 83 physicality after this upgrade. He would be a good addition to any Bundesliga squad, although not exactly a value pick. Similarly to Olssen, I would value him at around 10,000 across all platforms

Left Mid: Coutinho

Another highlight of Team of the Week 23 is Coutinho who boasts 80 or higher stats in 4 of the 6 categories. He is the optimal choice for most Barclays PL or Brazil squads with this upgrade. This 86 rated card could go for 500,000 and likely more on PC.

Left Center Mid: Tolisso

This french center mid is a very well rounded player with his lowest card stat being 73. He would make a very solid CM or CDM on any Ligue 1 or French squad. I would see him going for 10,000 on each platform’s Ultimate Team market.

Right Center Mid: Salah

Center Attacking Mid Salah now has 92 pace and 87 dribbling. If you use him I would reccommend putting him at CAM, and not CM or CDM. He is a flashy option for any Serie A squad. I would place him at 10-15,000 across all platforms.

Right Mid: Pedro

84 rated Pedro  has 4 of his 6 stat categories shown on his card above 80, and is very well rounded player. With this inform his is viable on any Barclays PL squad, and is an option on any Spanish team. I could see him going for around 20,000 on each platform.

Center Attacking Mid: Immobile

Former Borussia Dortmund star now playing in his home country sees his dribbling increase to 80 and shooting increase to 84. Immobile is a very solid all around striker and would round out any Serie A or Italy squad. He should go for around 10,000 on all platforms.

Right Striker: Deeney

Barclays Premier League Striker Deeney is featured in Team of the Week 23. His 86 physicality and his 82 shooting stats are very impressive upgrades. He is not the choice striker of any Barclays Premier League squad, but he is certainly notable. He should go for 10,000 across all FUT platforms.

Left Striker: Suarez

By far the best and most valuable player in Team of the Week 23, Suarez gets his fifth upgrade of the season. 88 pace, 95 shooting, 91 passing, 95 dribbling and 91 physicality make Suarez arguably the best player in the game. He would make a Liga BBVA or a Uruguay squad noticeably better. His last inform went for about 2 million on consoles and about 3 million on PC, so I could easily see this card going for at least 3 million, and probably 4 on the PC version of FIFA 16.

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Team of the Week 23 for FIFA 16 Ultimate Team is a very good overall squad with many players seeing their second and third informs, and in Suarez’ case his fifth. This team of the week may even make packs worth it for that tiny chance of packing Suarez and the other high rated players. Until next week in FIFA 16.

FIFA 16 Team of the Week 23

MLB The Show 16 Diamond Dynasty Expansion Detailed Breakdown

San Diego Studios finally revealed their Vlog on the new diamond dynasty in The Show 16.  The stream, which will cover a lot more, will take place on Feb. 18 2016 (this Thursday). Anyways here are some of the new features confirmed within The Show 16’s Diamond Dynasty.

New Features Confirmed:

Play with Friends

Anyways, the first thing we notice is the Play with friends feature.  This is a must have for every ultimate team mode now.  This was a huge disappointment that it was not implemented for MLB 15 The Show, so if anything this is somewhat of a relief.  However, I am still excited about the feature and as a streamer it is even more awesome!  We can finally play against viewers in Diamond Dynasty and we can also play against our relatives and friends at ease!

Created Player is back

With all the new flashbacks and legends announced…this is something I am not particulary excited to see. I saw the star tab in the lineup menu, plus this feature was already confirmed on twitter by Ramone.

I really wanted to see this removed or rehauled.  Well it is not removed, but hopefully we learn more about this on Thursday’s stream.  I am hoping there are caps and limitations to the player you create and the training is alot more difficult.  I just hope we see more substance to this aspect in Diamond Dynasty.

Inside Edge

Inside Edge has partnered with MLB The Show and we will see daily changes to live players’ cards (not flashbacks or legends). At the main menu in Diamond Dynasty, you’ll see which players were impacted and you can click on their player cards with a small explanation on why their overall changed.  This is based off real life matchups for that day and is a “projection” for how that player will perform.  Those who play fantasy baseball should understand this concept right away.

Your lineup and roster will change not only weekly with the base roster update, but it will change daily!  This is awesome and should even have a bigger impact on the marketplace.  I can appreciate how SDS innovates and strides to be different from other ultimate team modes.

Flashbacks

These were already confirmed in a trailer breakdown from SDS back in December.  Well now we know even more.  There will be rookie, prime, and postseason flashbacks.  This, again, will a lot of depth to Diamond Dynasty and we will see a lot of different lineups with all the possible combinations of flashbacks.

Collections/Missions

Collections are back, but now with a twist.  We have missions now.  This means we can work towards certain statistical accolades and milestones.  This can be done with invididual players’ stats, collections, logging in during a special event, or acquiring special cards that kick off a mission. They also mentioned that a lot of the flashbacks and special cards can only be obtained via missions.  I imagine we will learn more about this Thursday.  Regardless, it will add another layer to Diamond Dynasty and give us a lot more to grind for!

Captains

Captains is another version of the XP leveling system in MLB The Show.  As you play any mode this year, you will earn XP and Tickets toward one of six “Captains” of your choosing. Each Captain is an MLB superstar with a dynamic offering of prizes you can redeem with the Tickets you earn. Which prizes you are able to redeem depends on your XP level with each of the Captains, so you’ll have plenty of leveling to do before you’ve reached maximum prize potential.

Additionally, each of the Captains has his own unique Mission that incentivizes you to play with a roster featuring players with certain traits. Playing with these types of players means faster progress towards his prizes, and may even be a hint as to what types of prizes might become available.

Many unique cards will only be acquirable through a certain Mission, a certain Captain, or some other route. And many of the missions and their rewards will be hidden, waiting for someone to discover and reveal them for the first time.

Now I am not sure if we have to use these Captains on our team or not, but I’d imagine that is a possibility.  We may also have to obtain the captains before we can start leveling up that specific captain.  I also assess that this may be the only way to unlock some of the old legends they are bringing back from MLB 15 The Show.

We still have a lot to learn about this year’s MLB The Show 16 Diamond Dynasty and we will do another breakdown of the stream this Thursday!  See you then!

MLB The Show 16 Diamond Dynasty Expansion Detailed Breakdown

MLB The Show 16 Diamond Dynasty First Details!

The Show is coming and it’s better than ever with the MLB The Show 16 Diamond Dynasty Expansion! Game designers Nick Livingston and Lance Leahy give a detailed look at the new features and changes to Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 16. MLB The Show 16 offers the most immersive, authentic baseball game on consoles. This year The Show offers even more gameplay improvements, new game modes, and a greater ability to personalize your baseball experience.

MLB The Show 16 Diamond Dynasty First Details!

Video Games Made a Lot of Money in 2015

The results are in, and video games made a lot of money in 2015. Seriously. I’m sure it doesn’t come as a surprise, since a new record for sales seems to be set with each consecutive release of major franchises. How much money did they make last year exactly? Somewhere in the ballpark of $23.5 billion, according to the Entertainment Software Asssociation, the trade asssociation that presents E3 every year.

More than half of that is software sales alone, coming in at $16.5 billion. That’s a 7% increase over last year’s total of $15.4 billion. Seems like healthy growth! Video games don’t seem to be going anywhere in the near future. Now we’ll just see if 2016 can top it. Seems pretty like if you ask me, and the president of NPD thinks so, too.

“The ubiquitous nature of playing and purchasing video games makes it more important than ever to track these activities accurately,” said Joanne Hageman, president at the NPD Group. “The industry’s sales performance helped to make 2015 a banner year for video games; and we anticipate continued growth in multiple industry sectors for 2016.”

Video Games Made a Lot of Money in 2015

Rocket League Patch 1.12 Bans Hackers, Fixes Bugs

The latest Rocket League patch is out, and while it’s pretty minor, there are quite a few bug fixes and the implementation of a system to hopefully curb cheating. That’s pretty much the entirety of the update, but you can check out the full rundown below from the Rocket League website.

The Headlines

• Implemented ban system for players who alter game files to give unfair advantage in online play


• Multiple outstanding bugs have been fixed

Changes and Updates

Online

• Implemented automatic timed matchmaking ban system associated with players who delete content from their game files to avoid competitive matchmaking in certain arenas.

Bug Fixes

• Skill Rating calculation has been fixed on the League Rankings screen and now accurately reflects your MMR


• Fixed an issue that caused the Ranked Reconnect popup to appear improperly during gameplay


• Fixed an issue that caused players to lose input in the Muting menu


• Competitive games are now properly labeled on the in-game score card


• Players will no longer incorrectly appear to be in a party on the scoreboard


• Fixed an issue that allowed Ballcam to be enabled/disabled erroneously in the post game screen


• (PS4) Players can once again view their old replay files


• (PS4) Text Chat keybinding has returned to the Controls menu


• (PC) Fixed an issue that displayed party members cars incorrectly in the main menu


• (PC) Fixed an issue with how the Max FPS slider capped frame rate


• (PC) Fixed an issue causing users with large Steam Friend Lists to experience graphical hitches

Nice to see that Psyonix are staying on top of the bugs. What do you think of the patch? Let us know in the comments below.

Rocket League Patch 1.12 Bans Hackers, Fixes Bugs

NHL 16 EASHL Tips: Film Session 2 - Kila Kali

Welcome to the second EASHL Film Session! In this series, we break down skater or goalie gameplay sent by you guys as a means to improve our EASHL game.

If you ever want your play reviewed feel free to post a comment below or you can contact me on twitter or by e-mail. You don’t have to be on a club, this is open to individuals as well. Today’s game-play comes from Kila Kali. They are a Div 1 5s club on the PS4. Here is what I saw.

Tip #1 – Using Defenseman on the Breakout

First of all you guys do a good job breaking the puck out quickly with some nice 1-touch passes. One thing I want to highlight for everybody is realizing when a defenseman can be used on the breakout. Green has the puck, there’s no passing lane to the other forwards, and yellow is covered as well. Teal does a great job taking the open space in front of him and basically becomes the 3rd forward for this breakout.

Dman does a great job taking the open space and becomes the 3rd forward for the breakout.

Tip #2 – When a Defenseman Can play Forward

Keep looking for for situations like this not only in transition, but in the offensive zone as well. Here’s a perfect example. When green is skating from left to right, look at this open space for teal. Even though he’s a defenseman, don’t be afriad to play forward when the situation calls for it. Trust that your teammate will cover for you and that will help emphasize a good two-way game, and create longer puck possession.

With green skating form left to right, teal should once again take the open space in front of him. Even though he’s a defenseman, its OK to rotate and play forward if the situation calls for it.

Tip #3 – Stopping the Breakout

Now that we’ve talked transition offense, lets go to transition defense. The defensemen like to immediately start skating the back the moment the other team gets the puck and although it sounds good and it guarantees there won’t be a breakaway, what you’re not doing is reading the situation.

When you immediately back up, look at the open space you create for the other team. Two passes later and they end up in the slot, fortunately a good backcheck ends that threat. Now focus on reading where the breakout pass is most likely headed and prepare yourself for it. At this moment the easiest pass for them is this guy on our left.

Let’s say our D-men stayed at the blue line, maybe this pass doesn’t look that appealing to them anymore and if they do pass it, teal’s ready to make a play anyway. Most lot of the time you will start drifting skating back, but find out who your forwards don’t have covered and that will be a big hint for where you can position yourselves to defend the breakout.

There’s no breakaway threat so backing up just gives the other team free space.
Reading the Situation (Mistake) – The only open player is the person to the left. If the defenseman held the blue line, they could’ve made a defensive stop the moment the pass happens and keep the puck in their zone.
Reading the Situation (Correct) – Teal notices Green has the puck carrier covered. Knowing this, Teal will cover the closest passing threat in his area. If the pass comes, he’s prepared to make an immediate stop!

Tip #4 – Hitting as the Last Defender?

This next tip will easily be the ‘meanest’ thing I say to you guys, but you said I could in the email. PLEASE STOP GOING FOR HITS WHEN YOU ARE THE LAST DEFENDER!!! It was weird to watch becuase as a team the 5 of you work really well in the defensive end,  but once in a while I’ll see a guy try to be a hero and it leads to a free goal.

If you get the big hit, you get the puck back but your team still has to travel 3/4 of the ice to score a goal. If you miss, it’s a breakaway. Is it really worth going for the hit as the last defender? Probably not.
When you’re the last defender, is it really worth going for that big hit?

Tip #5 – Mixing up the Shots

Last but not least, you guys do a good job racking up the shots and it’s a variety of shots so your team isn’t stuck to one gameplan. There’s cross creases, shortside shots, rebounds and deflection attempts. I just want to throw out a reminder to not be afraid to pass up a regular shot for the sake of creating a quality shot. At the higher levels it’s usually the team with the most quality chances that wins, not necessarily the most shots.

Quality Shots are more important than the Number of Shots!

That was my analysis of Kila_Kali. If you have anything to add to help them out, let them know in the comments below.

NHL 16 EASHL Tips: Film Session 2 - Kila Kali