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Rookies selected in first round of NFL Draft added to Madden 17 Ultimate Team
Ever since 2012 EA Sports has been adding incoming rookies early to Madden, months in advance of them making their official debut with the edition that represents their first actual season as a member of the league. EA has been able to do this by introducing them into Madden Ultimate Team and that tradition continues with Madden NFL 17 where all 32 first rounders taken in the 2017 NFL Draft can now be found in Ultimate Team mode.
There are two different types of cards: one with ratings that reflect how they are perceived as they enter the league (though maybe more favorably than they will be rated next fall in Madden NFL 18) and the other being fantasy-type “Potential” ratings that set them up as future superstars based on where they were drafted. Given that players with ratings in the low-mid 80’s are likely useless to most who have been playing Ultimate Team for some time now, those future superstar cards are the ones that will be considered relevant at this time. The lower-rated versions will be sought after only because they can be put towards Sets to earn an Elite version.
Standouts include Myles Garrett (Power Moves), John Ross (Speed and Acceleration), Solomon Thomas (Pursuit), Leonard Fournette (Trucking and Stiff Arm), Mike Williams (Spectacular Catch), Christian McCaffrey (Agility), and Patrick Mahomes (Throw Power).
For a full look at all the rookies that can now be found in Madden NFL 17 Ultimate Team and their key ratings check out today’s piece over at Sporting News.
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The second Diamond Dynasty Event is underway in MLB The Show 17
When the first of the new ‘Events’ in MLB The Show 17’s Diamond Dynasty mode rolled out earlier this month it was met by heavy criticism both for its structure and initial delay from the advertised start date. Outside of the concern over server issues wiping out results or causing crashes mid-game, the feedback was overwhelming that it simply wasn’t reasonable to ask players to invest 40+ hours within a week’s time in pursuit of a single reward. Some changes appear to have been made based on fan response to that first Event.
The new Event will feature teams made up completely of players age 25 or younger, with an Overall Rating for the team capped at 89. The reward tiers are potentially more worth pursuing – though this Event runs for only 4 days and games are longer – with the cumulative wins for the top card being offered once reaching 20 instead of the absurd 80. That’ll net a 77 Overall rated Hardware Flashback Justin Verlander. The streak rewards remain the same with 10 in a row awarding the best card (82 Overall rated Hardware Legend Jackie Robinson). It’s unclear what makes them so desirable however given their unimpressive Bronze and Silver status.
The ’25 and Under Event’ will come to a close on Monday, May 1 at noon PT and involves 6 inning games played online head-to-head with All-Star difficulty utilizing only cards that are currently held in one’s collection. There’s also a new ‘Rookie Series’ card pack available in the marketplace for a pricey 4,500 Stubs. As with all packs it’s generally best advised to steer clear and target specifically desired cards in the marketplace instead.
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Next Forza Horizon 3 expansion is Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels recently made a first appearance through Rocket League and now the brand is moving into another popular racing-based series. The next expansion for Forza Horizon 3 – which follows the terrific Blizzard Mountain – will involve six new themed mountains connected by Hot Wheels tracks along with 10 total new cars. Releasing on May 9 the expansion DLC will go for a price of $20 or is included with the Expansion Pass. Read more
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Release date set for The Golf Club 2 and new trailer puts Course Creator in spotlight
Though announced nearly a year ago it wasn’t until today that the sequel to 2014’s The Golf Club got an official release date. The Golf Club 2 will go out Tuesday, June 27 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Accompanying that news is a brand new trailer taking a new look at improvements that have been made to the popular Course Creator. Read more
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Burnout creators making new game modeled on its Crash Mode
When the original creators of the Burnout series opened their own studio the first effort was a destruction-based game set within various environments using a golf club and ball – having taken inspiration from the popular ‘Crash Mode’ of the Burnout days. Three Fields Entertainment today announced that their next game will go back to the Burnout roots with a game centered on creating the biggest most costly car crashes.
Powered by Unreal Engine, Danger Zone combines real physical crashes with explosive gameplay. Shunt vehicles into oncoming traffic, take down trailers to shed their payloads and use your explosive “SmashBreaker” to move your vehicle around. The more explosions you cause, the bigger your score.
The first game after forming the studio, Dangerous Golf, was sound conceptually but fell apart technically and just didn’t have much staying power. Some issues were addressed with post-release support but that still couldn’t solve the fundamental lack of substance problem. That was followed that up with a VR shooting game. At this point it’s fair to expect that much has been learned in the process and this new game will launch in a far stronger state.
Danger Zone will be coming to PlayStation 4 and PC as a digital download and will release in late May. Price has not yet been announced.
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Get $20 worth of VC and card pack free for NBA 2K17 with Prime
One of the perks of Twitch Prime – which is part of the same Amazon Prime subscription that includes free 2-day shipping, 20% off pre-ordered video games, streaming video and music and much more – is free in-game ‘loot’ given out every month for various games.
For the first time a major sports game has hit that rotation with NBA 2K17 getting free digital content. Those with Prime and the game will receive 75,000 VC and a MyTeam Pack containing a guaranteed Sapphire or Moments card. The VC alone would cost $20 if purchased normally. The promotion will be active through May 22.
First make sure the Amazon and Twitch accounts are linked – that can be done here – and then the code will be found on the left side panel on Twitch. That is then taken and entered as a Locker Code through the 2K17 menu or mobile app. Those who don’t have a Prime account can sign up for a free 30-day trial to take advantage just make sure to cancel by the end or it will become an active paid subscription at the $99-a-year price.
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Details on MLB The Show 17’s second patch
While a patch was quickly released for MLB The Show 17 two weeks ago it only affected a couple issues related to online play and corrected the Tigers road uniforms. The latest patch, which went out this morning, impacts a whole lot more. Among the most notable changes are a reduction to opposite field power, improvements to the catcher’s blocking ability, and a fix for the CPU pulling starting pitchers too early. Read more
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Survey reveals potential features and improvements for NHL 18
Over the years features for upcoming EA Sports games have sometimes leaked through consumer surveys distributed with the intention of gauging reception to certain ideas and then assessing respective priorities. The feedback would help shape the final feature set as not all laid out would end up making the cut. It happened with NHL 16 and the most recent one was for EA Sports UFC 3, which provides an idea of where that franchise will be headed in 2018.
This last weekend a survey was sent out for NHL 18. It’s a bit late in the cycle for this to have been expected but decisions to be made in development may still be on the horizon and it matches up to an earlier survey that went out late last year, including a 3-on-3 mode, commentary updates, and league expansion to join relocation. Read more
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