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The Line Drive for May 28
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦EA Sports revealed the 32 Elite players chosen from w/pre-orders for Madden NFL 18.
♦NHL 18 won’t be among the games showcased at the upcoming EA Play event.
♦The free card pack and $20 VC for NBA 2K17 through Prime got extended a month.
♦Early indication is NBA 2K17 won’t be PS4 Plus free game for June like last year.
♦CEO of Saber Interactive posted thoughts on the recent update for NBA Playgrounds.
♦That patch for NBA Playgrounds is out now on PS4 and PC but still not Switch or XB1.
♦EA Sports released the first screenshots in advance of E3/EA Play from NBA Live 18.
♦New Ultimate Team loyalty program has gone live in Madden NFL 17.
♦Some of the gameplay-specific items being worked on now for Sociable Soccer.
♦Three sports games are there for launch of the Xbox Game Pass subscription service.
♦Price of ARMS lowered to $51 on Amazon or $48 for Prime members.
♦The Prime discount is now active on The Golf Club 2 making it just $32.
♦Franchise Hockey Manager 3 is on sale for just $10 through June 1.
♦Blu-ray releases this week are led by the comedy Fist Fight. -
ARMS beta impressions and gameplay video
Nintendo is holding online beta sessions for its new IP that’s set to launch late next month, ARMS, over the course of both this weekend and next. Hype has been building on the game since its original announcement and consumers with the Switch have been looking forward to something new in the months since the system came out. It’s evident after playing for an hour that ARMS has the potential to be the next big thing for Nintendo. Read more
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Memorial Day Weekend roster and Diamond Dynasty content for MLB The Show 17
Along with the weekly roster update MLB The Show 17 also has quite a lot of new content to dig into within Diamond Dynasty mode as we head into Memorial Day Weekend.
There are no players reaching the Diamond tier or dropping out of it though Miguel Cabrera (-2 to 90) has fallen dangerously close to being downgraded to Gold. J.D. Martinez (+2 to 86) is a new Gold. Matt Kemp (+2 to 84) and Michael Fulmer (+3 to 84) are now just a point away from getting there. Ratings continue to trend upwards across the league – which tends to naturally happen through roster updates in all sports games. Of the top 18 rated players to have their ratings change, 16 of them were in the upwards direction and only 2 went down.
Other notable ratings movers in the update are Paul Goldschmidt (+2 to 93), Francisco Lindor (+1 to 91), Justin Turner (+1 to 88), Trea Turner (-2 to 87), Carl Edwards Jr. (+4 to 83), Michael Conforto (+3 to 83), Pedro Strop (-3 to 81), Hector Rondon (-3 to 81), Avasail Garcia (+4 to 80), Alex Cobb (-4 to 80), Shawn Kelley (-4 to 80), and Jose Berrios (+14 to 77).
Four new Player Epic Missions have been added to Diamond Dynasty with rewards of 98 Overall Wade Boggs, 94 Overall Luis Gonzalez, 87 Overall Jason Motte, and 83 Overall Drew Stubs. Additionally there is a new Mission to collect all six of the camouflage equipment items introduced just now for a 96 Overall Yogi Berra and two new very pricey card packs.
In response to the community uproar over the introduction of a 99-rated-across-the-board fake player named Pepe Alazar, an exchange is now being offered for those who earn him through the Dynasty Program. Alazar can be traded in for either 99 Overalls Albert Pujols or Chipper Jones. He’s also been removed from Battle Royale mode.
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Art improvements showcased for Super Mega Baseball 2 and release month revealed
Metalhead Software today released a new video for Super Mega Baseball 2 with this one focusing on the improvements that have been made to stadiums, characters, and animations. Without licensing there’s a certain creative freedom the developers can take but they’re also responding to feedback received from consumers about the look of the first game.
SMB2 is the sequel to one of the biggest surprises of 2014, with the original finishing near the top of numerous Sports Game of the Year lists. The follow-up will add online play, enhance the character models, refine gameplay, and provide greater customization features. It’ll also “maintain and improve the game’s fantastic original mechanics (Ego system, mojo mechanic, infield slow down, pitching system).”
Unfortunately release is being targeted for September, and with at least seven other major (all licensed) sports games releasing right in that same abbreviated late-summer window the decision is absolutely devastating for its prospects at having any success.
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More on The Golf Club 2 with look at gameplay improvements and character customization
Despite the sequel to 2014’s The Golf Club being just a month away from release there hasn’t been much shown of the game besides it’s enhanced Course Creator until now. A developer-held live stream put The Golf Club 2 on display and revealed new details relating to gameplay improvements and character customization. The entirety of the live stream was recapped for Hit The Pass and the archived video to watch is below. The Golf Club 2 releases on June 27 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC at a price of $40.
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Pro Evolution Soccer Mobile Now Available
For the first time the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise is offered for mobile devices. The free-to-play game utilizes the same engine found on consoles (optimized for mobile), is based on its MyClub team-building mode, and includes all partnered club, league, and tournament licenses. Download PES 2017 for iOS here and Android here but be warned it’s huge at 1.3GB.
♦Controller actions have been optimized to make playing on your mobile device feel as smooth and exciting as a PES action game should! Utilize PES “Advanced” controls for precise passing and controlled shooting. “Classic” virtual pad controls are also available.
♦Acquire players through Scouts, Agents, or the Scout Auction. Choose the best players to fit your unique tactics. Every player is unique and every match is a new experience!
♦Challenge Friends in “Local Match” or discover new rivals in “Online Match” mode. PES 2017 mobile now lets you play PES on-the-go, anytime and anywhere.
It should be no surprise that Konami is attempting to move its soccer franchise into the potentially lucrative mobile space. The company is now largely dependent on free-to-play mobile games and gambling machines so this is a natural move for them. EA Sports has proven there is a market for free-to-play Ultimate Team style mobile offerings with FIFA, Madden, and NBA Live, which draw in tens of millions in digital revenue every year.
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Xbox Game Pass subscription service has launched and includes some sports games
Microsoft today launched Xbox Game Pass, a subscription service that includes unlimited access to over 100 Xbox One and backwards compatible games. Xbox Game Pass is $10 a month and all those with Xbox Live Gold get to start with a free 14 day trial.
The sports games available through the service at launch are NBA 2K16, The Golf Club, and Super Mega Baseball: Extra Innings. 2K17 could get added in the months ahead. Other high profile franchises like Gears of War, Bioshock, and Halo are featured in Game Pass.
When combined with the excellent value of EA Access, the Xbox One appears incredibly inviting as a new purchase for consumers who want a large library of games at their disposal instantly. The two together would amount to $12.50 a month, just a fifth the cost of buying a single new game. However unlike EA Access where all games in the Vault are permanently there, Xbox Game Pass will be shuffling some out to make room for new ones on a contractual basis.
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NBA Playgrounds may be a very different game after its first major patch
Two weeks ago when NBA Playgrounds released there was real potential identified in the game that was unfortunately held back by some gameplay and design missteps. Check out the full review on Sporting News and Press Row Podcast episode all about it. Now though it appears many of the problems with NBA Playgrounds are going to be addressed soon through the promised extensive post-release support.
Developer Saber Interactive has released the details of an upcoming patch for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. It’s already available on PC and is currently in the process of certification with the console hardware manufacturers meaning it should arrive on all soon. Though not specifically cited, online play will hopefully be included for the Switch with this update as the developer is now weeks behind on delivering that functionality.
The most notable changes include the ability to play against friends online, penalties assessed for quitting online games, addition of a shot meter to assist with dunks and layups, increased difficulty on three-point shots, and reduction to the wait time for inbounding the ball after a score. Additionally 15 new players are being added to the roster. Read more
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