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MLB 15: The Show Week Six Roster Update
This week’s roster update for MLB 15: The Show would likely rank as third most significant of the season. It contains a heralded new rookie and some big ratings moves. Read more
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The Line Drive for May 17
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Check out this week’s articles written for Sporting News:
   •Odell Beckham Jr. named Madden NFL 16 cover athlete
   •Breaking down the first known features for Madden NFL 16
♦MLB 15: The Show is currently available for $52 on PlayStation 4.
♦Through the weekend there’s a new card pack available in MLB 15: The Show.
♦The first news on features for NHL 15 is coming this Tuesday.
♦EA Sports detailed rewards for Madden 16 Ultimate Team earned though M15.
♦Developer blog goes over the latest on the soon-to-arrive DLC for The Golf Club.
♦New screenshots have been added to the FB album for Rory McIlroy PGA Tour.
♦EA Sports released details on the latest roster update for NBA Live 15.
♦More price range adjustments have been made to players in FIFA 15 Ultimate Team.
♦RBI Baseball 15 finally got a roster update though only accurate as of April 23.
♦Teaser trailer was released for the upcoming Tour de France game.
♦Microsoft revealed their plans for E3 week, now just a month away.
♦Some potential significant rule changes have been proposed for college basketball.
♦Check out the leaked NBA Christmas jerseys that’ll be used next season.
♦Blu-ray releases this week headlined by American Sniper and HTTM2. -
Press Row Podcast: Project CARS and Madden NFL 16
The latest episode of the Press Row Podcast features discussion with racing experts on the recent release of Project CARS. Following that is the audio from yesterday’s Hangout Short which focused on the first news related to Madden NFL 16.
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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Sale This Weekend on Super Mega Baseball
Super Mega Baseball arrived late 2014 and surprised as one of the best sports games of the year. As an independently developed game that features no licensing and offers an arcade-slant it faced all sorts of challenges that few publishers would even consider taking on these days and that’s why unique sports games have gone largely extinct. Due to smart design decisions Super Mega Baseball delivered a satisfyingly fun yet grounded experience that overcame them.
It’s understandable that even a really good digital-only unlicensed sports game from an independent developer would be a tough sell at $20. This weekend though Super Mega Baseball is included in Sony’s PSN Flash Sale leaving no excuse to pass on it. The game is available until Monday morning for just $4.80 on PlayStation 4.
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Press Row Hangout Short: First Feature Details for Madden NFL 16
The first details related to Madden NFL 16 arrived this week and for the most part the new features revealed to this point are limited to pass-catcher and defender interactions. Still that’s a big deal for the series which has always struggled in representing that aspect of the sport.
In the latest Press Row Hangout Short we discuss our general reactions to the first roll-out of information, how well new controls introduced for receivers and defenders may be utilized, whether penalties have a place in the game, and who will find what edition of Madden NFL 16 most appealing given the various levels of Ultimate Team content.
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Madden NFL 16 Pre-Order Incentive and Deluxe Edition Announced
Yesterday represented the promotional kick-off for Madden NFL 16 with the first feature details plus the cover announce and first trailer. In addition to those things EA Sports also provided information related to the standard game’s pre-order incentive and the “Deluxe Edition” which will go for $10 more.
To the surprise of absolutely no one the pre-order incentive is related to Ultimate Team Mode. The bonus is retailer wide, not specific to any particular one, and includes 10 Pro Packs and a Playmaker Pack. That’s $15 worth of packs which will be distributed over 10 weeks – essentially the same thing offered last year. The intention of the incentive is to encourage those who may not have played the mode to try it out.
For those who already anticipate spending time in Ultimate Team however the Deluxe Edition is definitely worth purchasing. For $70 it includes 36 Pro Packs, distributed over 12 weeks, plus a Playmaker Pack. That’s over $50 of value for the Ultimate Team player. It’s said to be available only during the pre-order period and Amazon has it available now to secure.
There’s also a $100 “Super Deluxe” version which appears to be digital-only. This one includes 32 Premium Packs rather than Pro Packs, so the value is much higher, though the exact value is uncertain as Premium Packs have not been a regular part of Ultimate Team.
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The Golf Club Not Having Much Effect on Rory McIlroy PGA Tour Purchase Plans
Golf is one of the few sports now to feature actual competition with the arrival of the “sim” game The Golf Club last August and its recent push due to a retail release and accompanying feature update. It’s appeal is fairly limited however, targeting the golfing purists, while the upcoming Rory McIlroy PGA Tour is clearly trying to draw in casuals as well.
A poll was posted last week to gauge how the presence of The Golf Club could be affecting the approach for some towards Rory McIlroy PGA Tour due out in July. The results show that The Golf Club isn’t having much influence on the potential market for McIlroy.
Of those that already own The Golf Club 23% deemed themselves likely to buy McIlroy PGA Tour, 9% are undecided, and only 7% unlikely to purchase. Of the respondents who don’t own TGC 26% are likely to buy McIlroy, 13% are undecided, while just 6% who have interest in golf games plan to pass on it.
The numbers suggest that The Golf Club has a grasp on a very small and specific segment of the market and those consumers are going to consider McIlroy regardless of whether they are satisfied with that game. It’s good news for EA Sports who has struggled over the last year in how to market the game sans Tiger Woods and The Masters.
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Odell Beckham Jr. Named Cover Athlete for Madden NFL 16; First Teaser Trailer Released
From the very start he was the favorite to get the cover of Madden NFL 16 and after a brief voting process Odell Beckham Jr. has prevailed over the competition. Beckham was named the cover athlete for Madden 16 today. He becomes the youngest player ever to receive the honor and only the second to make it following a rookie campaign. Read more
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