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NBA 2K16 shattering franchise sales records
2K Sports announced today that NBA 2K16 has set a new franchise record with four million copies “sold-in” after just one week of release. That means 2K has shipped four million – a stunning number – but it will take some time before retailers have “sold through” them.
Digital sales of 2K16 have doubled compared to 2K15 and the number of online games that have been played have tripled year-over-year. Both are clear indications of the strength of the game’s launch. Not only was anticipation and confidence high but the servers have actually been operational allowing all those online games to be played.
What may have been the biggest reason for sales growth, strong promotion of a story mode written and directed by Spike Lee, has seemed to be somewhat of a drag on review scores however. Some outlets have reviewed the game as though the movie portion of MyCareer is the primary way to play the game – and 2K did market it in such a manner – with criticism of the story becoming the focal point as opposed to assessments that take a wider look at the incredibly deep and diverse feature set.
With the shipped number already at four million, 2K16 should be able to topple the series high-mark set by NBA 2K15 of seven million worldwide. The NBA has a long season which keeps the game relevant for nearly ten full months and the positive word of mouth is going to have a big influence on its legs. A sales total of an incredible eight or even nine million worldwide is not out of reach for this year’s game.
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Madden NFL 16 Week Three Roster Update Details
The roster update following week three of the season for Madden NFL 16 is available now on all platforms. A few players find themselves inching closer to the coveted 99 Overall rating while no one in the mid-upper 90s saw their ratings fall in the update. Check out all the changes that have been made with the spreadsheet here.
Among the biggest risers for the week are Von Miller (+1 to 98), Julio Jones (+1 to 97), Khalil Mack (+2 to 96), Le’Veon Bell (+1 to 95), Larry Fitzgerald (+2 to 92), Mike Daniels (+2 to 92), Jamie Collins (+2 to 91), Carson Palmer (+3 to 89), Tyrann Mathieu (+3 to 87), Andy Dalton (+2 to 84), Joseph Randle (+2 to 79), and Tyrod Taylor (+2 to 78).
Those taking hits to their ratings include Cameron Wake (-1 to 93), Brandon Marshall (-1 to 90), Philip Rivers (-1 to 90), Julius Peppers (-2 to 87), Justin Forsett (-2 to 84), Alex Smith (-2 to 84), and Colin Kaepernick (-2 to 80).
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NBA 2K16 mobile companion app out now
The companion app for NBA 2K16 went out today – get it for iOS here and Android here. For the past two years the app has been a great way to earn bonus VC every day but also includes other features like chat capability for MyPark and access to the MyPlayer Store, plus it’s where you’ll find the MyTeam Mobile game. Read more
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9th Circuit ruling on O’Bannon complicates potential return of college games
When Judge Claudia Wilken ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in the Ed O’Bannon vs NCAA class-action lawsuit, there was reason for optimism that college sports video games would be able to return in a few years. That was pending appeals however, and the 9th Circuit today turned in its response, reaffirming that the NCAA violated antitrust laws, but striking down the part where a trust would be set up for players to be paid for the use of their likenesses. Read more
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Details on a new patch for Madden NFL 16
Madden NFL 16 has now been out for a month now and today the second major patch for the game went live. The first patch addressed some of the most pressing issues with the game; ones that were holding up being able to play franchise mode and an unavoidable encroachment bug that was harming nearly every game that was played.
This new update to the game includes several more fixes to Franchise mode plus a number of fixes that affect gameplay. Read more
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Review of NBA 2K16
Remarkable for the sheer amount of content provided within along with excellent gameplay and presentation, NBA 2K16 is an all-time great sports game. The ambition and effort that has gone into the product is unmatched within the genre. Check out the comprehensive review of the game at Sporting News today!
There are some issues to work through; they include the 2K Pro-Am which still hasn’t worked, and MyCourt where it seems no one can join another’s unless they live near them. Otherwise the game is in fantastic shape, with online play running better than ever, a story mode high in production value, and an amazing suite of creation features to use designing teams and arenas in MyLeague, MyGM, MyTeam, and eventually Pro-Am.
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Where and how to create arenas and uniforms in NBA 2K16
NBA 2K16 offers up a fantastic suite of customization options for creating team logos, arenas, and uniforms. Many though may not know where to find it all, how to best utilize the options, or that the ability to do any of it even exists at all. Read more
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Review of NBA Live 16
NBA Live 16 is a fun game to play, but is that enough to catapult the series to a place where it has become actual competition – and is potentially worth a purchase decision – after five years of misery? Check out the complete review of the game over at Sporting News today.
For those on the fence, the demo is a great opportunity to get a feel for the game as it contains pretty much everything that’s new to Live for this year. EA Sports is even keeping the online Pro-Am portion of it running – those on the demo will get to continue playing even with people who own the actual game. Unfortunately everything new really is there on the demo. Live 16 simply doesn’t offer up the content to justify the $60 price in the current marketplace where so many other, more complete options are available.
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