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Beasts of the Gridiron introduced to Madden NFL 17 Ultimate Team
The ongoing Most Feared program in Madden NFL 17 Ultimate Team (which runs through November 4) had a new element added today. It’s another way to potentially earn a high caliber player simply through playing Solo Challenges.
Users are given the option of choosing between three players: Jameis Winson, Ndamukong Suh, and Landon Collins. These players begin at 71 Overall, however by completing Solo Challenges and the daily objectives, collectibles are earned that go towards growing the selected player to 81, then 86, and eventually 89 Overall. The final 10 challenges are only unlocked once the player reaches 86 (or for those who have the 94 rated Brian Urlacher).
The players will have Most Feared, Enraged, and one other Chemistry category tied to them. As with the rest of the Most Feared promotion, Beasts of the Gridiron will come to a close 11/4, however the cards will be auctionable so they can be purchased and sold even after that date.
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Deal on Out of the Park Baseball 17
The Out of the Park Baseball series continues to receive heavy praise as the best sports management sim on the market and this year’s edition is significantly discounted during the World Series. OOTP Baseball 17 can be purchased for just $10 (75% off) through November 3.
OOTP 17 introduces MLBPA licensing making for the complete full league package of not just teams, logos, uniforms and stadiums, but also all the real player names. That includes historical minor league rosters that trace all the way back to 1919. There’s also a new Historical Exhibition Mode and ‘FaceGen’ which creates portraits that change over time for player pages.
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Infinite Air available today
Mark McMorris Infinite Air releases today for $50 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Infinite Air comes from the same studio behind the well-regarded title The Golf Club, but unlike that game at launch it’s available in both physical retail form and as a digital download.
Cover athlete Mark McMorris is joined by his brother Craig, Silje Norendal, Torstein Horgmo, Danny Davis, and Ulrik Badertscher as playable snowboarders in the game. Infinite Air features procedurally generated mountains, real-world events and head-to-head in Slopestyle, Big Air, and Halfpipe competitions, and a World Editor that allows users to create and share both runs and entire parks. Amazon Prime members can purchase Infinite Air for 20% off bringing the price of the game down to $40. Look for a review later this week!
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Major issues persist with NBA 2K17 Pro-Am
Last year 2K Sports attempted to launch the NBA 2K series as an eSport, however the mode chosen to do so and poor structure in place resulted in a totally flawed competition. Rampant cheating, advantages to those who paid money, and a patch that altered play mid-event all contributed to the disaster. The 2K Pro-Am didn’t change much for NBA 2K17 but new problems have arisen and others have lingered since launch. Read more
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The Line Drive for October 23
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦A look at the new Most Feared promotion in Madden NFL 17 Ultimate Team.
♦The Ultimate Scream promotion in FIFA 17 Ultimate Team has gone live.
♦Charles Barkley explained why he doesn’t appear on classic teams in NBA 2K.
♦The recent patch for FIFA 17 on PC is also out now on Xbox One and PS4.
♦Potential ramifications from Brexit will be included in Football Manager 2017.
♦The beta for Snow on PlayStation 4 launches 10/25 and will cost $20.
♦Franchise Hockey Manager 3 gave the results of its NHL season simulation.
♦Wolverine Studios detailed some of the new features for DDS: Pro Basketball 2017.
♦Mobile game NHL SuperCard 2K17 is now available on iOS and Android.
♦Preview of what’s new for WWE SuperCard which will be out in November.
♦Trailer for the VR version of The Golf Club now available on HTC Vive.
♦Sony has launched a new tournament feature for the PlayStation 4.
♦Amazon Prime 20% off games like Battlefield 1, Titanfall 2, and COD Infinite Warfare. -
Press Row Podcast: The Role of Sports Games with New Hardware
PlayStation VR has reached the market, PS4 Pro is only a matter of weeks away from release, and the Nintendo Switch was just officially announced and will arrive March 2017. As always sports are crucial to determining how successful gaming systems are over the long term as they draw in consumers and keep them engaged with the platforms. What role will sports be playing in the early days of the new hardware and will consumers buy-in with the expectation of reliably-released and unique experiences from third parties?
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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The Most Feared program launched today in Madden NFL 17 Ultimate Team
The Halloween-themed ‘Most Feared’ is the latest Solo Challenge campaign to go live in Madden NFL 17’s Ultimate Team mode. Last year Most Feared even included a fun twist involving a few limited-time 9 foot tall players like Marshawn Lynch, Rob Gronkowski, and Brian Dawkins and that concept returns with specific “Freaks of Nature” players.
By completion of the run through 65 new Solo Challenges users will have earned over 88,000 Coins and a total of 55 items or packs. The big prize is a 94 Overall Brian Urlacher with Hot Hands Chemistry (increased chance at catch when user-controlled). All 11 Elite Most Feared players have to be collected and turned in to earn him.
The chemistry for Most Feared players requires 5 players and provides +1 to Catching, Carrying, Tackling, Run Blocking, Power Moves, and Zone Coverage. Sets include the ability to upgrade 10 Silvers into a Gold, 10 Golds into an Elite, and Most Feared Treats into Gold, Elite, or Freaks of Nature players. The Freaks of Nature cards morph to 97 Overall and grow 10 inches for Halloween weekend. New ‘Fright Packs’ go for 80,000 Coins or 800 Points (equivalent of $8) and contain two Gold or better Most Feared players.
Most Feared joins the NFL Journey and October Gauntlet as heavily rewarding Solo Challenge programs currently active in MUT and will be open until November 4.
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Madden NFL 17 roster update details out of week six of the season
The roster update following week six of the season is now available in Madden NFL 17. The highest rated player adjusted upwards is Tom Brady who has earned a single point to 95 Overall. In decimating the two Ohio teams since his return from suspension, Brady has thrown for 782 yards and 6 touchdowns. He’s now the top rated quarterback in the game.
Taking the biggest hit is Aaron Rodgers who is down 3 points to 92. Rodgers ranks at the bottom of the list of 35 qualified starting quarterbacks since the middle of last season in key categories like completion percentage (32nd) and yards-per-attempt (35th). He still rates out as the 3rd highest QB in Madden NFL 17 even with the downgrades today.
Other notable movers in the update include Geno Atkins (-2 to 93), Khalil Mack (-1 to 93), Ben Roethlisberger (-1 to 93), Odell Beckham Jr. (+1 to 92), Drew Brees (+1 to 92), Joe Thomas (-2 to 91), Jadeveon Clowney (+1 to 90), Eric Berry (-1 to 90), Bobby Wagner (+1 to 89), Cam Newton (-1 to 89), David Johnson (+1 to 88), Andrew Luck (+1 to 88), David Johnson (+1 to 88), Muhammad Wilkerson (-3 to 88), Darrelle Revis (-1 to 88), Johnathan Joseph (-3 to 87), Marcus Peters (+2 to 87), Julian Edelman (-2 to 86), Kawann Short (-3 to 85), and Zach Ertz (-5 to 82). You can view all the ratings changes throughout the league with this new form.
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