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2016 Pastapadre Community Awards Voting Coming to a Close Soon
The polls in the annual Pastapadre Community Awards will be closing on Monday morning. The 12 categories for 2016 have been open now for a number of weeks and collected tens of thousands of votes in the process yet there are still some too close to call.
2016 was a strong stretch for the sports gaming genre but unlike recent years there was no one game that appeared to be the standout. Each game had its share of highs and lows and that’s represented in the nomination distribution. NBA 2K17 and Madden NFL 17 lead the way with 7 nominations each followed by the 5 nominations collected by MLB The Show 16. Read more
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Press Row Podcast: Nintendo Switch Details
The highly anticipated home/handheld hybrid Nintendo Switch will release on March 3rd for $300, eventually require a paid subscription for online play, and expanding storage will a be a practical necessity by adding on a separately purchased SDXC memory card. Switch has a dismal launch lineup outside of the new Zelda, while sports games look to be a ways off with FIFA and NBA 2K18 both officially in development but not releasing until later in the year.
Rich Grisham and T.J. Lauerman join host Bryan Wiedey on a new Press Row Podcast in reacting to Nintendo’s reveal event. In terms of pricing where does the Switch stand compared to Xbox One and PS4? Should sports games on Switch be unique experiences or offer what are essentially ports from those other systems? Can sports games survive on a Nintendo platform when they rely so heavily on post-release digital revenue?
There’s a lot to be intrigued by out of the Nintendo Switch but still many more questions to be answered about its viability particularly as it relates the sports gaming genre.
Check out the podcast through iTunes for iOS, on Android with the Stitcher app, or with Pocket Casts on iOS, Android, and Windows. The show can also now be found on the recently launched Google Play Music for podcasts. Subscribe and review to help support the show! You can also listen with the streaming player below.
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ARMS is a boxing-like game for Switch
There will be a wait for for traditional sports games on the Nintendo Switch, with FIFA coming “later in the year” and NBA 2K18 in September, but the first game that could qualify for the genre is an arcade take on boxing called ARMS. While it’s being demonstrated as motion controlled using the Joy-Cons it’ll also be playable with traditional controls. ARMS will release in spring meaning it’ll be out before June 20 and sell at a premium $60 price. Read more
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Nintendo Switch coming 3/3 for $300
Nintendo just held their highly anticipated reveal event for the home/portable hybrid system Switch and announced details about its release, capabilities, and games in development.
The Nintendo Switch will launch worldwide on March 3 with a price of $300. The online service will initially be free but after a period of time will transition to a paid service.
The system offers three different ways to play with TV Mode, Tabletop, and Handheld. The detachable Joy-Cons feature rumble and motion as well as a capture button for screenshots and eventually videos. Battery life when out of the home dock will run from 2.5-6.5 hours. There will be 32 GB internal memory that can be expanded by purchasing an SDXC memory card. The Pro Controller will retail for $70.
Nintendo has not been a destination for sports gaming fans however that could change with Switch if it catches on. It’ll depend heavily on whether players will pay into the Ultimate Team-type modes, a proposition that may prove more difficult than anticipated with a paywall being set up for the system’s online. FIFA was announced for “later this year” and will be custom built for the system. NBA 2K18 will also be coming to the Switch. No word on Madden or others. Additionally there’s a new IP called Arms releasing this spring, which is a boxing-like game featuring extendable arms that utilizes the motion controls in the Joy-Cons.
Amazon currently has the Switch available for pre-order (unclear how long that will last for) along with some games including FIFA and Zelda which are 20% off for Prime members.
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Madden NFL 17 roster update details heading into Divisional Playoff Weekend
The roster update in preparation for the nearing Divisional Playoff Weekend is available to download now in Madden NFL 17. The update includes ratings changes that primarily impact players on the eight teams that competed over Wild Card Weekend.
Some of the biggest performers in the Wild Card games were rewarded: Le’Veon Bell (+1 to 96), Bobby Wagner (+1 to 93), Jadeveon Clowney (+1 to 89), Thomas Rawls (+1 to 82), and Paul Richardson (+2 to 74). After three phenomenal catches Richardson got +5 in Spetcacular Catch. However surprisingly there was no movement for Aaron Rodgers or Doug Baldwin, and Randall Cobb actually dropped a point to 86 Overall despite catching 3 touchdowns.
Other changes include DeAndre Hopkins (+1 to 91), Jordy Nelson (+ to 91), Odell Beckham Jr. (-2 to 91), Janoris Jenkins (-1 to 89), A.J. Bouye (+1 to 88), Xavier Rhodes (+2 to 87), Justin Pugh (-2 to 85), Bruce Irvin (-2 to 84), Amari Cooper (-1 to 84), Matthew Stafford (-1 to 84), Jake Ryan (+3 to 76), and Kiko Alonso (-3 to 76). View all the ratings movement enacted across the league with the new form here.
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Madden NFL 17 has its commentary update heading into Divisional Round
The 20th commentary update for Madden NFL 17 has gone out with the broadcast team of Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis reflecting on the events taking place and storylines that have emerged heading into the Divisional Playoff games. Madden has been receiving these real-world commentary updates regularly throughout the year which apply to Play Now and Online games. The duo has also recorded additional audio for modes like Franchise and Ultimate Team.
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NFL Predictor for Divisional Round now open in Madden NFL 17 Ultimate Team
The promotion to earn Coins in Ultimate Team based on making predictions related to the NFL Playoffs has now opened up for the Divisional Round of match-ups. The NFL Predictor involves completing new Solo Challenges that give out True or False tokens and then placing those into new Sets that are related to the the four games that will take place on this coming weekend.
Two Solo Challenges are currently open and upon completion each awards an NFL Predictor 8-Pack with those badges then turned into the Sets. The predictions that can be made are not just based on the results of the games but also statistical outputs of specific players. The Coin rewards are based on the odds of each event happening as some will payout more for certain outcomes than others. Each set predicted can be worth from 750 to 2,000 Coins. Those who manage to get all 16 right will also get a 50,000 Coin bonus.
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End of Year Community Awards: Best Sports Game of 2016
The 12th and final category in the annual Pastapadre Community Awards is the big one – Sports Game of the Year. A variety of franchises have won the award in the past including Madden, FIFA and The Show but the last two years have gone to NBA 2K. The 2016 field is strong, with no clear standout, and arguments able to be made for and against each one of the nominees.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2017Â was able to overcome any licensing shortcomings thanks to its fantastic gameplay which addressed its few flaws of the previous year. PES finished with two nominations in the Community Awards including that for Best Gameplay.
MLB The Show 16 continued to build on gameplay and visual strengths while further expanding the appeal of Diamond Dynasty and in doing so remained the most steady sports gaming franchise in existence today. The Show finished with five nominations in the Community Awards.
NBA 2K17 adapted to the changing landscape of the league while also offering the most content found in any sports game helped by its two great franchise modes and compelling story mode. 2K17 tied for the most Community Awards nominations with seven.
Madden NFL 17 finally leveraged some of the most exciting plays in football by making special teams matter and mostly avoided gimmicks in favor of addressing long-running areas of deficiency in the series. Madden tied for the most Community Awards nominations with seven.
FIFA 17 offered a well-rounded product through extensive licensing and several different ways to play including the new story mode, excellent online features and performance, along with accessible gameplay. FIFA finished with six nominations in the Community Awards.
Vote on the other categories as well
Best Gameplay
Best Mobile Game
Best Career/Story Mode
Best Presentation
Best Team-Building Mode
Best Online Play
Best Franchise Mode
Best Racing Game
Best Post-Release Support
Best New/Non-Yearly Game
Best New Feature
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