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Details on the fifth patch for FIFA 16
EA Sports has released a fifth post-release update to FIFA 16 on Xbox One, PS4, PS3, 360, and PC. Unlike the last patch, which influenced gameplay fairly heavily, this one is relatively minor and primarily intended to improve matchmaking in Ultimate Team.
♦Matchmaking improvements to help players find each other quicker.
♦Matchmaking rematch issues in FUT Online Draft.
♦Enhanced ability to message players about issues and updates.
♦Fixed the compare feature on leaderboards.
♦Fixed an issue with Player Career Mode accomplishments affecting Pro Clubs. -
Interview on The 4 Verts Podcast
I recently appeared on The 4 Verts Podcast for an interview to discuss the journey of Pastapadre.com, creation of Hit The Pass, and writing for Sporting News. The conversation then turns to Madden and the differences between the development team now and in the past, the impact of Ultimate Team, areas in which the series has struggled the most, and what needs to be done for it to join the elite class of sports games in a shrinking marketplace.
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Nascar expansion available today for Forza 6
Nascar has come to the Forza Motorsport series on Xbox One. An expansion released today for Forza 6 that features a new Nascar World Tour Career, Homestead-Miami Speedway, and 24 cars/16 drivers including Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, and Danica Patrick. The Nascar expansion is being sold for $20 and will go out later today.
How would American stock cars fare against Australian V8s at Bathurst, or against WEC prototypes at Le Mans? With the NASCAR World Tour career, players will be able to live these fantasies and answer those questions for themselves, competing in unique events across the cosmopolitan lineup of tracks and circuits in Forza 6. Whether battling it out against GT and endurance racers from the world’s top motorsports leagues, sharing the track with open wheelers from IndyCar and Formula E, or testing the limits on classic American ovals like Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Daytona International Speedway, this is NASCAR like you’ve never experienced it before.
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New MLB The Show 16 patch is here to fix the baserunning broken by the last patch
Two weeks ago a patch went out for MLB The Show 16 that addressed various issues with the game including the auto-baserunning that had not worked properly since the game released in late March. Unfortunately, the patch wrecked manual-baserunning in the process, and messed up several other areas of the game along with it.
Today the fourth patch for the game went live. It’s intended to fix multiple problems with baserunning, cloud saves, and other issues. Read more
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The Line Drive for May 15
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Von Miller missed out on the Madden NFL 17 cover then he got punked in the screenshots.
♦Rob Gronkowski has claimed the Madden NFL 17 cover after finishing runner-up last year.
♦The NBA Live series faces an uncertain future following yet another game delayed.
♦Pre-orders of Madden NFL 17 are live and 20% off for Amazon Prime members.
♦Pre-orders of NBA 2K17 are live and 20% off for Amazon Prime members.
♦Was interviewed for The 4 Verts Podcast make sure to check out the episode!
♦Press Row Podcast episode on the delay to the next NBA Live console game.
♦Press Row Podcast episode w/ Ian Cummings about his horse racing game and Madden.
♦Right now is the best time of the year to have a subscription to EA Access.
♦McFarlane will be selling figures that include Ultimate Team packs for Madden 17.
♦The opportunity to earn Madden 17 Ultimate Team rewards has rolled out in Madden 16.
♦The NHL 17 cover vote is down to Joe Pavelski and Vladimir Tarasenko in the finals.
♦New online competition mode has been added to EA Sports UFC 2 in the latest patch.
♦Rory McIlroy PGA Tour is on limited time sale for $16 as PS4 digital download.
♦Details on the sixth game update to have gone out for Out of the Park Baseball 17.
♦Psyonix released a new trailer and details on the Rocket League retail Collector’s Edition.
♦The price for Dangerous Golf has been announced as $20 and it’s due out June 3.
♦A fifth gameplay video for the upcoming Dangerous Golf has gone out.
♦Electronic Arts quietly announced that the next Need for Speed game will release in 2017.
♦The Deluxe Edition of EA Sports UFC 2 is on sale for $42 PS4 version on Amazon. -
Press Row Podcast: Track and Field
The current state of sports games – on console, PC, and mobile devices – is ever-changing and evolving at a rapid pace. Former creative director of the Madden NFL series Ian Cummings returns to the Press Row Podcast joining me and friend of the show Rich Grisham to discuss his own mobile game as well as the “bigger picture.”
For starters, Ian describes his mobile game Photo Finish Horse Racing that is gaining steam on iOS and Android, the evolution of it from a one-man side project to a full-blown experience, and the challenges he has faced since launching last year. As the conversation continues, the group then pivots to a breakdown of the first features announced for Madden NFL 17. Ian weighs in on his reaction to them, what he sees happening with the franchise, and then moves to evaluating the state of the sports gaming genre as a whole. It’s a fascinating look into our current sports game landscape from someone who’s been in it from multiple perspectives and has emerged successfully in 2016 as an industry leader and voice of the consumer at the same time.
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 just 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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New pack in MLB The Show 16 goes heavy on speed and introduces some new cards
The fourth special pack to release during the regular season is now available for a limited time in MLB The Show 16. For 3,000 Coins it contains six player cards for a chance at some of the fastest players in the game and a “doubled chance” at Gold and Diamond cards.
As with the first three packs it’s questionable whether anyone should risk their coins on these given the nature of the supposed increased odds, not having the two item cards found in standard packs, and being three times the price. If these packs were priced more reasonably say around 2,000 it would probably be worth the gamble. While taking a chance on them can pay off there are no guarantees. The smarter move likely remains buying more of the standard packs instead or just spending directly on cards in the Marketplace.
There are also five player cards that debut through the packs. You can check out who they are, their ratings, and current marketplace values over at Hit The Pass.
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Another three fighters have been added to the EA Sports UFC 2 roster
With a new update to EA Sports UFC 2 the number of fighters that have been added to the game’s already enormous roster has now gone to seven.
Cris Cyborg – Women’s Bantamweight
91 Overall: 95 Stand-Up, 91 Clinch, 84 Ground
Best Attributes: Blocking, Punch Speed, Kick Speed, Takedown Defense, Clinch Grappling
Fighter Perks: Heavy Hands, Negative Reinforcement, Thai Terror, Razor Elbows, VengefulValentina Shevchenko – Women’s Bantamweight
87 Overall: 88 Stand-Up, 86 Clinch, 85 Ground
Best Attributes: Kick Speed, Movement, Blocking, Clinch Grappling, Toughness
Fighter Perks: Pay to Miss, Head Hunter, Thai TerrorAlbert Tumenov – Welterweight
87 Overall: 89 Stand-Up, 83 Clinch, 83 Ground
Best Attributes: Takedown Defense, Choke Defense, Joint Defense, Stamina
Fighter Perks: Counter Puncher, Fluidity, Head Hunter, Negative ReinforcementGameplay changes enacted with this EA Sports UFC 2 patch
♦Added third transition for submissive fighter in Back Sitting.
♦Block will not come back up automatically after a missed parry, or a timed out parry.
♦Liver Health Event allows high or low blocking.
♦Addressed issue where spamming transition fakes on the ground would regain stamina.
♦Addressed double stamina tax when opponent sprawls on user’s takedown.
♦Addressed issue where denial stamina penalty applied when struck out of takedown.
♦General AI Improvements.
♦General Referee Improvements.
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