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Press Row Podcast: Summer Gaming
It’s a breezy, free-wheeling discussion between myself, Rich Grisham, and Kat Bailey on this week’s Press Row Podcast. The three of us discuss what sports games define the summer, reminisce about when July meant NCAA Football, and go into how online leagues are impacting the length of time we play the games.
We look ahead to the upcoming Rocket League title hitting PlayStation 4 (for free!) next week, wonder if arcade sports games could make a comeback, contemplate what 3-on-3 overtime will mean for NHL 16, and then Kat and Rich getting into a rather heated argument about FIFA’s shooting mechanics on console versus the Vita. The show is wrapped up with a brief talk about the positive reaction to our new website Hit The Pass.
Check out the podcast through iTunes for iOS and the Stitcher app for Android – subscribe while there to help support the show! You can also listen with the streaming player below.
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Amazon Prime members can buy Madden NFL 16 on Xbox One for $45 or PS4 for $50
Amazon recently began offering discounts on select upcoming video games to members of Amazon Prime. The initial group included next week’s Rory McIlroy PGA Tour and this fall’s Call of Duty: Black Ops III for $50.
Madden NFL 16 is the latest game added to be added to the promotion. The Xbox One version is being offered for $45, while the PlayStation 4 version is $50. The games must be added to your cart and taken into the checkout page for the discounts to be applied. Free release day shipping and the pre-order incentive of Ultimate Team content is included. Ordering through the links provided help to support the site and fund future giveaways!
The deal only applies to the standard edition of the game and not the Deluxe Edition, which is $70 and includes considerable bonus Ultimate Team content. That may still make sense to buy for those who invest time and money in that mode, but for everyone else the regular game at $45 or $50 is a steal. The price on Madden generally doesn’t drop significantly until Black Friday in late November, where after three months of release it would only be $10-15 cheaper than buying it on the release date with the Prime discount.
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Improvements to graphics for NBA Live 16
EA Sports today released additional details on the improvements that have been made to enhance the look of NBA Live 16. Those include an overhauled lighting system and color-correction, introduction of more player personality and emotion, and the scanning of not just player faces but environments, jerseys, and accessories. Read more
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No Touch Dribbling introduced for FIFA 16
EA Sports has released a new video accompanied by details on the new “No Touch Dribbling” control system for FIFA 16. The idea is to allow for players to create space by separating from the ball. Players will be able to perform various skill moves, feints, or change direction without actually contacting the ball. Read more
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Rocket League releases next week free to PlayStation Plus subscribers
Back in September there was a first look at Rocket League, a game which manages to combine cars with soccer. It’s about the closest thing there is now to an off-the-wall arcade sports game. After garnering fantastic impressions from those who have played it at various events, Rocket League is set to release next Tuesday, July 7 on PS4 and PC and the big news is that PlayStation Plus subscribers on PS4 will get the game for free.
Rocket League explodes onto PS4 and PC! Four-player splitscreen, eight-player online, an all-new Season mode, full Battle-Car customization with more than 10 billion possible combinations, and true PS4/ PC cross-platform play only scratch the surface of what Rocket League has to offer. Plus, as an added bonus, PlayStation 4 users have exclusive access to Twisted Metal’s own Sweet Tooth as a playable vehicle!
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Amazon Prime members can buy Rory McIlroy PGA Tour for $50
Much of the discussion related to Rory McIlroy PGA Tour has related to its “value” and whether it would be worth spending $60 to get it day one, particularly with a competitor that is cheaper and offers arguably more content. The low number of licensed golfers and courses, and likelihood that paid DLC will be coming down the line, has led to some who are interested in the game contemplating waiting instead for a price drop. Those tend to happen within a month of release now anyway so the sacrifice is reasonable.
Now though, even before release, those with Amazon Prime have the opportunity to get the game at a discounted price. Prime members can purchase the game on PS4 or Xbox One for $50. That of course comes with the free release date delivery and the pre-order bonus of TPC Scottsdale. The product pages mention the “lower price” for Prime members but it must be added to the cart and taken to the checkout page before the $50 price is visible.
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First Rory McIlroy PGA Tour gameplay footage
Gameplay footage from Rory McIlroy PGA Tour has been tough to come by even with its release just over a week away. Today though EA Sports sent out a video that puts the spotlight on the new “Quick Rounds” feature through the first extended look at gameplay.
New to this year’s game is the Quick Rounds feature, which provides a selection of holes to play each round of a tournament, rather than requiring players to complete all 18 holes each day. You’ll enter each day of the tournament at a different point in the round, with simulated holes based on your player’s ratings and attribute bonuses.
Once you’ve played your selection of holes, the remainder of the round (if you don’t finish on 18) will also be simulated. Players will always complete the final holes on the last day of a tournament, so the ultimate outcome is always up to you.
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Does having few licensed courses and golfers affect your McIlroy purchase decision?
Just two weeks now – and well under that for those with EA Access, and Rory McIlroy PGA Tour will be in the hands of consumers. EA Sports has made a concerted effort to appeal to a more casual crowd with the game, offering up multiple play “styles”, fantasy courses, and a mode called the Night Club Challenge. What they haven’t done is tout their lineup of licensed courses and golfers and for good reason.
There are only 12 real golfers on the roster and only 8 courses included on disc (plus one you get for pre-ordering). What was probably the most high profile differentiator between McIlroy and the cheaper option of The Golf Club, the licensing, now looks to be a glaring weakness – particularly if EA plans to add courses later and charge for them as DLC.
Has the news on the limited number of golfers and courses in Rory McIlroy PGA Tour altered your purchase plans? Vote in the poll below and leave your thoughts in the comments!
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