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The Line Drive for October 25
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Check out the latest content created for Sporting News and Hit The Pass:
   •Madden and NBA 2K say Peyton Manning would beat Dirk Nowitzki in a race
   •Da Czar teaches the Pick and Roll mechanic in NBA 2K16 (video)
   •Continue to send in your court/uniform designs from NBA 2K16
   •Will there ever be competition again in NFL gaming?
   •The Back to the Future DeLorean has traveled into Rocket League
   •NBA Live may have reached the end of the road (video)
   •How the postseason can be improved in MLB: The Show (video)
   •Hit The Pass Radio is now on iTunes and Stitcher on Android
   •More great video content coming – subscribe to HTP Youtube channel!♦Four sports games (NBA 2K16, Madden 16, FIFA 16, NHL 16) landed in top 10 Sept sales.
♦FIFA 16 is still available for $40 on PS4 and $44 on Xbox One.
♦Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 can be had for $46 on Xbox One.
♦EA Sports has detailed the “Most Feared” Ultimate Team additions for Madden NFL 16.
♦MUT had a challenge on Saturday where you had to stop a giant Marshawn Lynch.
♦The first roster update to apply to all modes is finally coming this week for PES 2016.
♦An update to NBA 2K16 has fixed the issue of socks not appearing on players in MyCareer.
♦EA Sports provided some very basic info on the latest patch for NBA Live 16.
♦In addition to the DLC last week a new patch went out for Rocket League.
♦A major announcement set for Wednesday is being teased for Rocket League.
♦The full reveal has been made of all the cars found in the soon-to-release Need for Speed.
♦The last NCAA Football cover athlete discusses what losing the series has meant to him.
♦Sony listed out exhibitors and playable games appearing at the PlayStation Experience.
♦Blu-ray releases this week headlined by Southpaw, Pixels, and The Gift. -
Press Row Podcast: A Tale of Two Basketball Games
The latest Press Row Podcast focuses in on the NBA 2K16 and NBA Live 16. Discussion relates primarily to impressions of the 2K Pro-Am mode and the state of Live considering the dire straits it finds itself in due to miserable sales numbers.
Check out the podcast through iTunes for iOS, on Android with the Stitcher app, or with Pocket Casts on iOS, Android, and Windows. Subscribe and review to help support the show! You can also listen with the streaming player below.
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How can SCEA improve the postseason experience in MLB: The Show?
MLB 15: The Show does some great things for postseason games and exposes consumers to them more than probably any other sports series. The game offers up a standalone Postseason Mode and incorporates the presentation into The Show Live, rather than just being there only for those who reach the playoffs in Franchise Mode.
Despite that there there are many ways in which it could be improved. Watching the real postseason games this year have made that obvious. Based on community feedback there seem to be three central themes to what people are looking for more from:
♦Commentary
♦Emotion
♦Handling of pitching rotations and bullpensRich Grisham and I discussed the elements of the postseason that The Show represents well and those in which it could use improvement in our latest video, which is also available as a podcast on Hit The Pass Radio.
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Madden NFL 16 Week Six Roster Update Details
The roster update following week six of the season is available to download now in Madden NFL 16. Tom Brady returns to the class of 99 Overall rated players and in doing so joins Aaron Rodgers, J.J. Watt, Rob Gronkowski, Von Miller, and Marshal Yanda. Check out the full details of the roster update with the spreadsheet here.
Other players on the rise include Luke Kuechly (+1 to 97), Le’Veon Bell (+1 to 96), Mike Daniels (+1 to 95), Fletcher Cox (+1 to 95), DeAndre Hopkins (+1 to 94), Cameron Wake (+1 to 94), Greg Olsen (+1 to 94), Jimmy Graham (+1 to 94), Demaryius Thomas (+1 to 94), Philip Rivers (+2 to 92), Tyler Eifert (+2 to 90), Devonta Freeman (+3 to 86), and Ben Watson (+3 to 81).
Among the players headed south are Eric Weddle (-1 to 96), Michael Bennett (-1 to 95), Vontae Davis (-1 to 94), Adrian Peterson (-2 to 92), Peyton Manning (-1 to 89), Andrew Luck (-1 to 89), Jairus Byrd (-2 to 88), Eli Manning (-2 to 85), and Mike Wallace (-2 to 85).
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The future of NBA Live appears bleak
The news on NBA Live 16’s abysmal sales has brought into greater focus the precarious position the series finds itself in now. With a brand that seems irreparably damaged, at some point EA Sports will be forced into the decision of shutting it down for good, or spinning it into something dramatically different than it is now.
With that in mind, Rich Grisham and I discuss the current situation for NBA Live, how it ended up in this place, considerations that the company has been and will be making in regards to its future, and possible alternative options should they desire a continued basketball presence in their sports gaming portfolio.
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Back to the Future Car Pack available now in Rocket League
The new content keeps flowing for the phenomenal Rocket League, and the latest addition is as timely as they come. The DeLorean featured in the classic Back to the Future film trilogy is available to download now for $2 on both PlayStation 4 and PC. The car comes with its recognizable custom wheels and trail.
Today of course is the actual day that Marty McFly traveled to in Back to the Future II. This acts as the first licensed downloadable content for Rocket League. With that window now opened, future support of the game will be even more intriguing to follow, with its popularity meaning there will be much more to come whether licensed or not. It’ll be difficult though to ever top this one!
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NBA 2K16’s first patch has made it to XB1
The patch that went out last Tuesday on PlayStation 4 for NBA 2K16 has finally gone live on Xbox One. It primarily focuses on getting the 2K Pro-Am up and running. That means it was nearly a full month that consumers on XB1 went without the new mode being functional.
Other minor issues have been addressed, the biggest being a fix to MyCourt to make them joinable. The next patch, which will have a heavy focus on gameplay and other areas largely driven by consumer feedback, is not expected until November or early December. Read more
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No one bought NBA Live 16
It was evident that NBA Live 16 was DOA as soon as it released. Activity numbers in the game were dreadful, and ever since even at peak hours there aren’t more than 120 or so people connected and playing. While it’s difficult to get any actual sales numbers these days we now have a true indication of just how poorly the game has done. Read more
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