-
The Line Drive for March 8
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Retailer leak may have revealed Lamar Jackson as cover athlete of Madden NFL 21.
♦Archived developer live stream on Diamond Dynasty for MLB The Show 20.
♦Break down of the improvements with March to October for MLB The Show 20.
♦Archived developer live stream on March to October for MLB The Show 20.
♦All the ratings changes made with a new roster update available for NBA 2K20.
♦Details on another update with a number of improvements for Retro Bowl.
♦Details on the latest changes made with a new patch out now for FIFA 20.
♦The free content update with CONMEBOL Libertadores has gone live in FIFA 20.
♦FIFA 20 esports competitor was knocked out after a glitch called his goal a miss.
♦Details on the latest patch with a number of updates available now in PES 2020.
♦The roster update following the moves at the trade deadline is out in NHL 20.
♦OOTP Baseball 21 can still be pre-ordered for 10% off and early beta access.
♦Details on the changes and additions for March coming soon to Rocket League.
♦Blu-ray releases this week headlined by Uncut Gems with 1917 out on digital video. -
Xbox Game Pass gets NBA 2K20
NBA 2K20 will be offered through Xbox Game Pass starting tomorrow. 2K20 joins Pro Evolution Soccer 2020, others in the genre including Rocket League, and over 100 more games currently offered through the subscription service which goes for $10 a month.
This is the earliest that an NBA 2K game has been added to a subscription service. In 2017 it was NBA 2K16 being offered free through PlayStation Plus but that wasn’t until June. That 2K20 is being provided in advance of the playoffs when it will be especially relevant is significant.
Similar to the strategy behind EA Sports games going into EA Access, providing the game for free allows for new players to get on board and spend money within along with possibly building loyalty that will lead to future purchases.
-
Custom Leagues in MLB The Show 20
This week of promotion for MLB The Show 20 centered on the new (Online) Custom Leagues mode. While it appears to be intended as a substitute for Online Franchise it isn’t remotely a feature-for-feature replacement and there are still unanswered questions – even after multiple teases a blog and a full stream – that will heavily impact how widely adapted and ultimately how successful it may become. Its simplicity could prove to be a draw for some but the lack of depth and possible exclusion of CPU teams could limit the potential for those seeking something more beyond just a brief competitive run against friends. Read more
-
The Line Drive for February 23
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Details on a new patch out now that includes a playbook update for Madden NFL 20.
♦Archived live stream going over some of the top rated players in MLB The Show 20.
♦This week’s live stream will focus on custom leagues and events for MLB The Show 20.
♦Minor leaguers are not being paid for their likenesses used in MLB The Show 20.
♦Details on the latest update that went out with improvements for Retro Bowl.
♦Details on the Theme Builders 2.0 program for MUT now live in Madden NFL 20.
♦The free addition of CONMEBOL Libertadores is nearing due out March 3rd for FIFA 20.
♦Details on a patch with significant improvements that has gone out for AO Tennis 2.
♦Details on a new update with transfers and improvements for Football Manager 2020.
♦Press Row Podcast episode coming this week will be a preview of MLB The Show 20.
♦Current deals include NBA 2K20 for $30 and FIFA 20 for $25 and NHL 20 for $24.
♦Blu-ray releases headlined by Frozen 2 and Knives Out with Uncut Gems on digital. -
Press Row Podcast: Peering into 2020
The Press Row Podcast is back with the first episode of the year as we peer ahead at what 2020 may bring in sports video games. With new consoles coming and important – and massive – current generation install bases expecting big things, 2020 promises to be fascinating for the gaming industry and the sports genre. That’s followed by discussion on the fantastic mobile game Retro Bowl and the upcoming OOTP Baseball 21.
Check out the podcast through Apple Podcasts for iOS, on Android with the Stitcher app, or with Pocket Casts on iOS, Android, and Windows. The show can now also be found on Spotify! Subscribe and give the podcast five star reviews to help support the show. You can also listen with the streaming player found below.
-
New features revealed for Out of the Park Baseball 21
OOTP Developments today officially announced Out of the Park Baseball 21 by detailing the new features to expect in the 21st year of the esteemed sim management franchise. Those include a ballpark creator, completely new scouting system, and better guidance on what to do next with your organization. The game is due out March 20 but pre-orders get started with the beta on March 17 and receive 10% discount off the price. Read more
-
The Line Drive for February 16
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦All the ratings changes from the latest roster update out for NBA 2K20.
♦Developer blog on the big Road to the Show improvements in MLB The Show 20.
♦This week’s MLB 20 live stream will focus on ratings reveals for top players.
♦Details on the changes made with the latest patch out now for FIFA 20.
♦The new MLS kits for the upcoming season have been added to FIFA 20.
♦Details on the latest content update patch that went out for PES 2020.
♦One game from EA Sports other Madden, FIFA and NHL will release this year.
♦Most likely UFC 4 with outside chance of NBA Live or another basketball title.
♦Some of the new features and soundtrack were revealed for RBI Baseball 20.
♦New trailer shows off some visuals and gameplay moments from RBI 20.
♦Details on the upcoming NASCAR Heat 5 were revealed in Reddit AMA.
♦Look for a new episode of the Press Row Podcast to come out this week!
♦Blu-ray releases this week are headlined by Midway and Jojo Rabbit. -
More details on RTTS and Franchise for MLB The Show 20
The developer stream for MLB The Show 20 centered on Road to the Show and Franchise Mode was held yesterday putting on display the new additions and improvements. The RTTS enhancements look to be intriguing as relationships with teammates now play a role, immediate upgrades to ratings, and new in-game challenges that influence the outcome of games.
Unfortunately it’s shaping up to be another disappointing year for Franchise Mode. Limited rebranding rather than the “relocation” being advertised that utilizes the atrocious Diamond Dynasty creation tool is the only new feature of note beyond the named minor leaguers. The development focus that for many years has been heavily on Diamond Dynasty is probably seeing a further shift away from Franchise with March to October now competing for resources.
by