Both NBA 2K14 and NBA Live 14 have added a number of jerseys that recently debuted or will be worn soon. Those include a new alternate, Latin Nights, and St. Patricks Day uniform versions. The teams to receive them are the Nets, Celtics, Spurs, Bulls, Heat, Lakers, Knicks, and Suns.
NBA Live 14
NBA 2K14Â
The second year in the Press Row Podcast Madden NFL 25 Online Franchise came to a close last night as my Seahawks prevailed and are bringing home a virtual Lombardi to pair with the real one! Rich, T.J. and I got together shortly after to record a hangout on how the league has gone in its first two seasons. In the process there are also a number of ways in which the game is both praised and criticized based on the various observations, developments, and controversies. Check out the recorded live hangout along with complete videos of the NFC Championship and Super Bowl for those who’d like to watch all or some of those games!
The return of RBI Baseball generated significant excitement in mid-January. Ever since then anticipation levels have plummeted as absolutely zero information or promotion followed. There’s still nothing known about the game but at least a release date has been set .
RBI Baseball 14 will release on Thursday, April 10 for the Xbox 360 and PS3 along with the mobile versions on iOS and Android. The Thursday date essentially also confirms this will be a digital download title which has been suspected from the start.
Major League Baseball Advanced Media only has experience in mobile games – in which generally little to no information is put out until after they release – and that could explain why with a month to go no one has any idea even what kind of game it will be.
What has not been announced are release dates for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The initial news stated the game was coming to “current and next generation consoles and smartphones and tablets”. It could mean a delay beyond the release of the other versions (just like MLB 14: The Show is on PS4) or even cancellation.
There is really no period of irrelevance for the NFL especially now that events have been spread out further to ensure something big happens every month of the year. The next in line is the start of free agency which opens up Tuesday afternoon.
Madden ratings do not fluctuate much from the final roster update of the previous season. Players may or may not come in with the same exact rating but they’ll typically be within a point or two of where they stood before if changes have been made. Continue on for a look at how the mid-upper tier of the unrestricted free agent class shakes out in terms of overall ratings to have an idea of the impact they’ll provide in Madden NFL 15 for the teams that signs them. Read more
In terms of logistics getting an Online Franchise mode right would appear to be more difficult with baseball than the other sports that have attempted it thus far. The long seasons require compression – or some other form of realistic simulation – and that can dramatically alter the way rotations, fatigue, and injuries have to be handled.
SCEA today released some details on the structure of Online Franchise. Aspects such as league settings, scouting, live draft, and free agency are touched on in the developer blog. There are many more questions that remain unanswered on whether Online Franchise will turn out to be viable in The Show such as how rotations, injuries and fatigue are affected by having an “open” schedule (and whether the online performance and reliability is good enough to sustain interest over the long term) but this is good start at outlining the mode. Read more
While passing on next-gen versions of 2014 FIFA World Cup clearly deflated much of the enthusiasm towards the upcoming title, which every four years is an incredibly popular offering, there’s now just six weeks until release so the push of promotion is just beginning. EA Sports today released larger summaries of the six primary modes featured in the game. Read more
Last week the judge in the Ed O’Bannon class-action case vs the NCAA ordered the two sides to enter settlement talks. Naturally questions have started to come in about whether this could accelerate a return of college football (and other sports) video games.
There is no longer a video game element to the case – although Sam Keller has continued to argue that he was not a part of the earlier settlement that got Electronic Arts and Collegiate Licensing Company out of it. A conclusion to litigation that would provide an outline for players to be paid (whether from share of broadcasting rights, personal endorsements, and/or merchandising) could open the possibility of video games back up. Read more
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Make sure to get entries in for the giveaway – winner gets game of choice!
♦The new Press Row Hangout on games coverage can now be downloaded as an MP3.
♦Presumably instant replay will be in MLB 14 but will the rule on plate collisions?
♦Operation Sports points out EA Sports has failed in updating rosters for NBA Live 14.
♦Special Press Row Podcast features NBA Live 14 executive producer Sean O’Brien.
♦Check out the latest EA Sports UFC screenshots in the FB album.
♦New posting includes the club carry distances for The Golf Club.
♦New video tutorial goes over creating hills with new courses in The Golf Club.
♦Check out a gameplay video from the ongoing closed beta for The Golf Club.
♦Nascar Manager has release for iOS devices and Android devices.
♦The new Tony Hawk game will only be coming to mobile devices.
♦Twitch streaming is finally coming to Xbox One on March 11.
♦Video explaining improvements to parties + other features in Xbox One’s March update.
♦Check out the over/under on wins for each MLB team this season.
♦Check out the virtual tour of the new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings.
♦The Xbox One Media Remote is now available for pre-order at Amazon.
♦The Xbox One Titanfall Bundle, which includes the game for free, is up at Amazon.
News and content that may have been missed from the last week around the site.
♦Blu-ray/DVD Releases This Week. Headlined by Hunger Games and 12 Years a Slave.
♦Theatrical Trailer for Godzilla. The reboot will release May 16.
♦Trailer for Brick Mansions. The last completed work from Paul Walker.
♦Heroes Returning For Limited Run. 13 episodes in 2015 with new characters.