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Top Rated QBs and RBs in Madden NFL 15
EA Sports will be stringing out Madden NFL 15 player ratings over the next two weeks. The company has now revealed the top rated quarterbacks and running backs which follow the highest rated rookies with 13 of them 78 or higher. Unfortunately “top” only means five best at each position so it wouldn’t seem like there would be a great deal to analyze or argue about…though I’m sure plenty of that will still happen.
Quarterback
Peyton Manning (98), Aaron Rodgers (98), Drew Brees (96), Russell Wilson (93), Tom Brady (93)Fullback
John Kuhn (93), Mike Tolbert (92), Marcel Reece (92), Anthony Sherman (90), Jerome Felton (88)Halfback
Adrian Peterson (98), LeSean McCoy (97), Jamaal Charles (97), Matt Forte (95), Marshawn Lynch (95) -
Superstar Skill Stick Put On Display in New NHL 15 Video
EA Sports has released a video showing off the new “Superstar Skill Stick” for NHL 15. The feature allows for greater control and more options by combining the right stick abilities with the enhanced left stick skating, and the ability to chain together a number of moves.
Now all the tools of an NHL superstar are in your hands. The revolutionary Skill Stick has evolved to give even more control to the player. Protect the puck, receive passes without breaking stride, and discover an arsenal of new dekes, all with an intuitive right stick control scheme that is easy to use but packed with depth.
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The Golf Club Will Have Cross-Platform Sharing of User-Created Courses
HB Studios has announced that The Golf Club will make available all courses designed by users in the “Greg Norman Course Design” feature for download regardless of platform. That means courses that are created on one can be downloaded by someone playing on another. Whether it was made on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or PC, all user-created courses will be pooled together and accessible to those who owns the game. Read more
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Patch Released for EA Sports UFC; Three Fighters Added to Roster
A significant update was released for EA Sports UFC today that on the surface attempts to make the gameplay somewhat more realistic while also adding three fighters to the roster for free.
The patch notes mention most notably a number of adjustments to stamina and damage. That isn’t going to solve concerns over value due to the lack of content offline (recent price drop can help in that regard) or that the CPU fights the same no matter who is being used and does so super-aggressively, but it’s probably the most they could do in a patch of this nature to add a sense of realism. It wasn’t going to transform into something completely different that would satisfy those let down by the product. Bantamweight Champ T.J. Dillashaw, Tyron Woodley, and Takeya Mizugaki make it to the roster in this update as well.
It’s too late to alter the perception of the first release in the series, which received poor reviews and hasn’t sold well, but it remains important for EA to improve it as it demonstrates a commitment and indication of where they are headed with UFC in the future. Continue on for the full list of patch details for EA Sports UFC. Read more
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Top Rated Rookies in Madden NFL 15
The player rating reveals for Madden NFL 15 begin today with EA Sports releasing the top rated rookies. All those who are 78 overall and higher are noted which amounts to 13 of them. To no surprise Jadeveon Clowney tops the list but only at an 83 overall. Greg Robinson, drafted right behind him, also gets an 83. Lineman in particular are often given an edge as rookies as the transition is considered to be somewhat easier than those in skill positions. Quarterbacks even when selected high generally begin the lowest since they’re not even guaranteed to see the field.
The top rated rookies in the past have generally landed in the low 80’s with few exceptions exceeding that. Had Clowney been coming off a stronger year, if he had entered after his sophomore season for instance, he probably would have been more around an 86.
On their heels are Khalil Mack and Jake Matthews at 81 overall. Making the lead group despite lower draft status are Zack Martin, Calvin Pryor, Ha Ha Clinton Dix, and Darqueze Dennard. Falling out are Justin Gilbert, Anthony Barr, Eric Ebron, and Odell Beckham Jr. Check out the full breakdown of the ratings for the 13 rookies ranging 78 to 83 in the document here.
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Sales of EA Sports UFC Continue Alarming Downward Trend for the Sport
EA Sports UFC has struggled in terms of review scores and word of mouth and now that the sales numbers have released the impact of the poor start to the new franchise for the company can be further examined. First month sales for UFC combined for only 278K copies which explains the price drop that went wide last week.
THQ’s UFC series took a nosedive following the first release in 2009 – something partially attributed to the lack of roster turnover, competition from high profile games, and now maybe it can be said UFC having hit a peak in popularity which has since dipped considerably due to various factors. Despite EA’s marketing might they were unable to show much potential for turning things around. UFC 2009 sold over 1 million its first month, UFC 2010 plummeted to 414K copies, and UFC 3 (released in 2012) managed just 340K. Over two years later and the sales are even lower despite the stronger marketing push and a desperation move which the company thought would mean more than it did. Read more
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The Line Drive for July 20
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦EA Sports UFC is still available for just $40 on both Xbox One and PS4.
♦PS4 version of MLB 14: The Show is also still available for just $40.
♦Fill out this survey for the Press Row Podcast and be entered for a $100 gift card.
♦Cover of Madden NFL 15 won’t be changing but the LOB make it to the start screen.
♦Sweepstakes being held for an all-expense paid trip to Florida for Madden and more.
♦Songs from System of a Down and Strafe will be part of the NBA 2K15 soundtrack.
♦Last Press Row Hangout now available as MP3 w/ game impressions and viewer questions.
♦Check out the PS4/PS3 and XB1/360 FIFA 15 official covers which are different.
♦EA will probably have to change the PS4/PS3 cover due to the visible outline of a penis.
♦The latest screenshots for NHL 15 have been added to the FB album.
♦EA has posted a new infographic with stats from the first month of EA Sports UFC.
♦Greg Norman has signed on to endorse the Course Designer feature in The Golf Club.
♦The Guardian looks at why Australian Rules Football games have been so bad.
♦UniWatch has a look at the NBA’s Christmas jersey designs for the upcoming season.
♦NBA teams that have won Championships will have gold tabs on the collar of their jerseys.
♦Check out the uniforms for the El Paso Chihuahuas being worn for Bark in the Park Night.
♦Check out the new National Championship trophy given to College Football Playoff winner.
♦NFL Sunday Ticket will have console and mobile packages this year to those who qualify.
♦The PlayStation 4 camera is at its lowest price ever just $42.91 on Amazon.News and content that may have been missed from the last week around the site.
♦Blu-ray/DVD Releases This Week. Headlined by Transcendence and Sabotage.
♦2014 Emmy Award Nominations. Led by HBO and Game of Thrones.
♦Homeland Season Four Trailer. The new season is set to begin on October 5th.
♦Trailer for Gone Girl. Upcoming drama from David Fincher starring Ben Affleck. -
Emotion and Atmosphere On Display In New Video for FIFA 15
EA Sports last month released some short clips of gameplay and presentation improvements. Those were just brief glimpses to demonstrate what to expect from the full features list that was revealed during E3. They’ve gone further now in the area of emotion and intensity, relating both to the players and the crowd, in this latest video.
Emotional Intelligence
For the first time ever, players have memories and will show emotion based on the context of the match. With over 600 new emotional reactions, players now respond to pivotal moments on the pitch – bad tackles, missed chances, epic goals – as they would in real life. Each player has an attitude or feeling towards every teammate and opponent on the pitch.Dynamic Match Presentation
Match Day is dynamic and immersive. Improved commentary will highlight unique fan reactions, while chants and behaviors will be relevant to country or even your club. New bench reactions, side line character animations, 10-man goal celebrations, and more will keep you engaged in the story of the match. Match Day is dynamic and alive – you’ll stay in the moment, immersed in the action on and around the pitch.Please enable Javascript to watch this video
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