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The Line Drive for July 19
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Check out articles written and videos recorded for Sporting News and Hit The Pass:
   •Free agency winning and losing teams for NBA 2K16
   •Discussing the leaked features for NBA 2K16 (video)
   •Reviewing Rory McIlroy PGA Tour (video)
   •The Highlight Room is starting soon – send us your top plays
   •Never miss a video! Subscribe to the Hit The Pass Youtube page♦Madden NFL 16 can still be pre-ordered with Amazon Prime for $50 on XB1/PS4.
♦Digital version of NBA 2K16 special edition will not include the Jordan fathead or poster.
♦This week Rory McIlroy PGA Tour is the sole focus of the Press Row Podcast.
♦New screenshots have been added to the FB album for NBA Live 16.
♦New screenshots have been added to the FB album for Madden NFL 16.
♦New screenshots have been added to the FB album for NHL 16.
♦EA Sports detailed some unique in-arena atmosphere in NHL 16 for four more teams.
♦More questions have been answered by EA relating to NHL 16 on the official page.
♦EA Sports goes into the history of soundtracks and the process for Madden NFL 16’s.
♦The full list of Xbox/PlayStation achievements is out for Madden NFL 16.
♦The first patch, which will reduce PS4 fan noise, is in the works for Rocket League.
♦New Kickstarter launched for a documentary to be made on Midway during the 90s.
♦New details on the online multiplayer were revealed for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5.
♦Bases Loaded is returning, for a release on PlayStation 4, but only in Japan.
♦The NCAA has asked for delay of payments to players from the likeness lawsuit ruling.
♦Comcast is launching a streaming service with EA games through the X1 cable box. -
More on NBA Live 16 gameplay improvements
EA Sports today released additional information on gameplay improvements in four key areas for NBA Live 16. Some of this was detailed over the course of E3, but there’s some more to chew on today from what has been provided. Dribbling, shooting, passing, and screens are keyed on with today’s information on the upcoming game. Read more
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The winners and losers from the free agency period for NBA 2K16
There has been no shortage of drama this month since the free agency period opened for the NBA. Big decisions were made by impact players to change teams, one of those decisions was reversed at the last minute, prestige teams of the past came up empty on attempts to attract big names, and several trades were executed along the way. The changes have bolstered the quality of some teams, while others have seem themselves weakened in the process.
Looking ahead to NBA 2K16, what five teams improved the most since the month began through free agency pickups and trades? What five teams look to be worse off for the upcoming game? Those teams have been profiled for a piece on Sporting News. Check it out and leave your thoughts in the comments on the teams you’re most looking forward to using!
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2K Sports has the license for some colleges that may appear in NBA 2K16
Earlier this week we learned, among the other leaked features for NBA 2K16, that college ball will be playing some role in the new MyCareer story mode. Announcing where you’ll play your college ball at and declaring for the NBA Draft are two of the big moments early on in the career of “Frequency Vibrations”.
Obviously the college aspect is not going to be a fully blown out College Hoops 2K experience. There aren’t going to be real players or representations based on them, there aren’t going to be all the schools, things like authentic arenas, or the NCAA’s involvement in any manner of fashion. But could there be some actual licensed universities involved, and will it be something that is playable within the mode? It’s beginning to look like that may be the case. Read more
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July patch for The Golf Club includes yet another new course theme
With the big spring DLC update for The Golf Club out of the way, attention has since turned to a new, and free, patch that has added to and improved the game even more. Available now on PlayStation 4 and PC, and soon on Xbox One, the latest update provides another theme for the course creator along with a number of minor enhancements and fixes. Read more
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Discussing the leaked NBA 2K16 features
It was an unprecedented leak of game-related information yesterday, that allowed many of NBA 2K16’s major new features to be exposed over a month in advance of when 2K Sports likely would have revealed them publicly. The standouts from that bunch include MyLeague Online, team relocation in MyGM/MyLeague, and a college-element to the MyCareer story path. In the latest video produced for Hit The Pass, Rich and I discuss all the NBA 2K16 news, and how it affects anticipation of the upcoming game.
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New FIFA 16 video takes closer look at gameplay improvements across the pitch
EA Sports today released a new trailer that focuses on the improvements to gameplay for FIFA 16 – whether it be on defense, in the midfield, or on the attack. The specific work that was done for this year was laid out back at E3 and the new video recaps those features and even makes mention of goalkeeping improvements which wasn’t touched on before. Read more
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Massive NBA 2K16 features leaked through its achievements list
An achievements list for NBA 2K16 surfaced today and, if accurate, reveals a ton of information about the upcoming game. To date 2K Sports hasn’t revealed anything about the product besides Spike Lee’s involvement, the soundtrack, and the inclusion of Summer League. This achievements list reveals some significant features that surely wouldn’t have even been talked about for a month or two otherwise.
Among the group of achievements is mention of “MyLeague Online”. MyLeague was introduced in 2K15 as a highly customizable offline franchise mode that wasn’t infected by Virtual Currency. MyLeague Online would seem then to act as an Online Franchise for 2K16.
There’s the “Greatest of All-Time” in Play-Now Online which would be anyone’s guess, but considering Michael Jordan’s involvement with the collector’s edition of the game it’s probably related to his career in some form or fashion.
Team relocation, three-team trades, and the Summer League are being added to both MyGM and MyLeague. Additionally there’s a bunch of achievements related to the story path in MyCareer, including “announce where your college ball will be played at”, social events, free agency announcements, max contract signings, and All-Star selections.
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