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The Line Drive for April 14
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Full minor league roster set has been created and released for MLB The Show 19.
♦Details on the latest content added to Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 19.
♦Another patch brought updated rosters for March to October in MLB The Show 19.
♦No MLB 19 roster update this week but next Friday’s will have first ratings changes.
♦NBA 2K League’s troubles now include a physical altercation from opening week.
♦Out of the Park Baseball XX is now available to Origin Access Premier subscribers.
♦Results from the EA Sports simulation of the Stanley Cup Playoffs run with NHL 19.
♦Details on the latest roster update to go out in NBA Live 19.
♦EA Sports recently scanned in some rookie WNBA players for NBA Live 20.
♦Details on the latest MUT program Color Smash live now in Madden NFL 19.
♦Details on the latest gameplay tuner update put out for EA Sports UFC 3.
♦PlayStation usernames can finally now be changed and it’s free for the first time.
♦Full list of tested games that have no issues related to PSN name changes.
♦PSN name change may cause issues with NBA 2K19 and older MLB The Show titles.
♦Origin’s Spring Sale includes deals on FIFA 19 & Madden NFL 19 among many others.
♦Xbox Spring Sale includes deals on Game Pass subs and high profile games.
♦The Disney Plus subscription service will launch in November for $7 a month.
♦Blu-ray releases headlined by Glass and instant video debuts The Lego Movie 2. -
The Golf Club 2 is now on Xbox Game Pass
Yet another addition to the Xbox Game Pass subscription service made its way today in the form of The Golf Club 2. Originally released in 2017, The Golf Club 2 was generally well received despite a few deficiencies including the lack of any licensing. It ended up winning the PCA for ‘Best New/Non-Annual Sports Game’ of the Year.
The licensing aspect was specifically addressed with its follow-up The Golf Club 2019 that followed last year by introducing the PGA Tour and several authentic courses. That game could see its way into Game Pass sometime in 2020.
Xbox Game Pass has never been especially heavy on sports games considering all of the EA Sports titles end up on EA Access instead. However The Golf Club 2 does join a few others currently featured on the subscription service including Pro Evolution Soccer 2019, Forza Horizon 4, Rocket League, F1 2018, Super Mega Baseball, and 2014’s original The Golf Club.
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NHL 19 added to the EA Access Vault
The fourth EA Sports game from 2018 has reached the Vault in EA Access. NHL 19 was added today making it available in full to all subscribers just in time for the playoffs to begin.
EA Access is currently exclusive to Xbox One with Sony having declined to offer the service on PS4 despite its remarkable value. Indications are that will finally change later this year.
For $30 a year or $5 month-to-month, members get unlimited access to the back library of EA games on the console which in addition to NHL 19 now includes Madden NFL 19, NBA Live 19, EA Sports UFC 3, all pre-2018 EA Sports games plus the likes of Star Wars Battlefront II, Need for Speed Payback, Battlefield 1, Titanfall 2, Skate 3, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst and many others. There’s also the 10 hour trials with every EA game that begin five days before release and 10% savings on all digital purchases whether it be the actual games or microtransactions within them.
The arrival of NHL to the Vault comes at the same time it did last year. In addition to potential new subs and hoping to pull in some new fans to buy NHL 20, those introduced to the game for the first time without having to pay for it may be more inclined to invest in its Ultimate Team mode. The final game due for the Vault from 2018, FIFA 19, is expected to arrive later this month.
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The Line Drive for April 7
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦LeBron James is no longer alone as the top rated player in NBA 2K19.
♦Full details on the latest roster update to go out in NBA 2K19.
♦NBA 2K League’s 2nd season is off to another slow start with dismal viewership.
♦The Xbox One version of NBA 2K19 is on sale right now for just $20.
♦NHL 19 has been added to the Vault in EA Access on Xbox One.
♦Full details on changes made with the first roster update for MLB The Show 19.
♦Details on the new content in the form of Moments for MLB 19 Diamond Dynasty.
♦Details on the latest update containing fixes for OOTP Baseball XX.
♦Survey leaked with potential new features coming in next year’s EA Sports UFC 4.
♦Jon Anik recently recorded some new commentary for EA Sports UFC 4.
♦Details on the latest content update to have gone out for Pro Evolution Soccer 2019.
♦Amazon Prime subscribers now get a full year free of Nintendo Switch Online.
♦Sony has finally updated its cancellation policy for digital purchases on PlayStation 4. -
First in-season roster update for MLB The Show 19 adds some rookies
Early in the season MLB The Show provides important updates as new rookies are added following their first major league appearances and rosters are adjusted to reflect accurate lineups and rotations. Ratings however are generally not adjusted until late April.
That has held true for MLB The Show 19 where the first in-season update brings about the debut of some heralded rookies. Among the most notable are Seattle starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (81 OVR w/ A Potential), Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (78 OVR w/ A Potential), White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez (76 OVR /w A Potential) and Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (69 OVR w/ A Potential). Those numbers will be lower in Diamond Dynasty. Only a few minor changes to ratings have been applied in the update but all reflect position changes only. Read more
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MLB The Show 19 gets another quick patch for early-identified problems
A second patch this week has now gone live for MLB The Show 19. The first one cleaned up a handful of issues and this one is similar in that regard, addressing a few other problems discovered prior to or right around release. A big feedback-based update remains on the horizon.
Also important is that the ability to adjust sliders in Diamond Dynasty’s Moments Mode appears to have been removed (something not listed in the patch notes) while nothing yet has been done to help improve upon framerate issues that are hampering the experience for many. Read more
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First patch for MLB The Show 19 cleans up some minor issues out of launch
The first post-release patch for MLB The Show 19 went out early this morning. Most of the fixes were likely compiled prior to release with consumer feedback having a greater impact on updates going forward. Besides some animation adjustments little seems to have affected gameplay though it’s always possible small tweaks were made that didn’t warrant mention. Read more
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The Line Drive for March 31
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦OOTP Baseball XX predicts Nationals vs Astros for the World Series.
♦2K is threatening to add a half-court shot badge to NBA 2K19/NBA 2K20.
♦Patch finally went out removing the heavily-criticized pushing from NBA 2K19.
♦T-Mobile customers have through Monday to claim free MLB.TV subscription.
♦Jaguars coach Doug Marrone recorded voiceover for new Madden NFL 20 feature.
♦Quitting a game or lost connection invalidates any rewards in March to October.
♦Details on the latest roster update and gear changes for NBA Live 19.
♦Details on a very minor patch that released last week for NBA Live 19.
♦Details on changes made to Division Rivals FUT mode in FIFA 19.
♦Details on the latest patch containing a number of fixes for OOTP Baseball XX.
♦F1 2019 has been officially announced with release set for June.
♦Driveclub is being delisted from PSN in August and servers shut down next year.
♦Amazon Prime subscribers now get a full year free of Nintendo Switch Online.
♦The Sega Genesis Mini was revealed and will include 40 games out Sept. 20.
♦The Sega Genesis Mini is now available for pre-order with a price of $80.
♦Blu-ray releases headlined by Bumblebee and Vice with Glass going digital.
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