The latest episode of the Press Row Hangout features special guest Pete Dodd who has started a fundraising campaign for his independently-driven gaming news site. The topic is the state of games coverage today and our personal beliefs and attempts to do things a different way that better serves consumers. This is a show worth checking out whether interested in the entire industry or primarily sports gaming.
The semi-regular site giveaways continue with an opportunity to win the choice of any upcoming video game for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, 360, PS3 or Vita! That could be MLB 14: The Show, EA Sports UFC, 2014 FIFA World Cup, or even Titanfall or Infamous: Second Son. This post has been lifted temporarily for those who may have missed it earlier.
There are several ways to qualify and each one counts for entries so the more you complete the more chances to win. The giveaway is open now and will run through March 6 when the winner will be randomly selected and contacted for delivery details. Good luck! Read more
Results from the latest poll have further cemented the findings of the previous one – baseball gaming fans have largely moved on to the PlayStation 4 and will be waiting for that version of MLB 14: The Show to arrive.
Respondents, of which there were over 3800, heavily favored the technical improvements coming with the new system over features that would appear to have bigger impact including Online Franchise and save migration. 52% chose the PS4’s improved graphics and other aspects such as faster loading times over the rest of the field.
Save migration to future years had a strong showing however pulling in 22%. A clear effort is being made this year to not only have options that make the time investment in games shorter but also providing the ability to carry over progress rather than starting from scratch. The new Quick Counts came in third with 10%. Though that may take out some of the mind games that are so important to baseball there are those who will gladly sacrifice that for the sake of time.
Road to the Show improvements collected 8% and Online Franchise, likely hurt by the series’ struggles with online and the logistical challenges inherent with baseball compared to other sports, was only able to draw 7% of the vote.
Though they may not immediately stand out as the most exciting features of MLB 14: The Show, Quick Counts and Player Lock will provide an opportunity to complete games much faster than playing the traditional way. Baseball has always been hamstrung by the length of games and time investment required – especially for those who want to complete full seasons in Franchise mode. A new video today goes further into detail on the two new features. Read more
Since HB Studios first announced The Golf Club they have done a great job of consistently providing information and insight on the upcoming game through videos and developer blogs. Considering it is a brand new series and carries no form of licenssing they have created an impressive level of awareness in a short period of time.
Today the company released more details on the Tours and Tournaments which are largely driven by the community with created courses and customization options. Read more
There’s still over a month until the PS3 and Vita versions of MLB 14: The Show arrive – around three months until the PS4 version – so discussion lately has been focused on the recently announced new features and improvements. The topic was even discussed in the latest Press Row Hangout. Now it’s your turn to chime in with the most anticipated aspect of the upcoming iteration in the series. Vote in the poll below and leave any thoughts in the comments!
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Amazon has 12 months of Xbox Live Gold for $40 card or instant code.
♦EA Sports is holding a testing session for UFC in Burnaby 0n 2/27.
♦New developer blog goes over sound design for The Golf Club.
♦New tutorial video for The Golf Club demonstrates hole creation.
♦New tutorial video for The Golf Club demonstrates raising of terrain and tees.
♦Check out the latest EA Sports UFC screenshots in the FB album.
♦New patch for FIFA 14 fixes FUT disconnect results – out now for PS4, soon XB1.
♦The picture used for Pelé in FIFA 14 Ultimate Team Legends is from him in a bathtub.
♦Road America Track add-on is available for free now for Forza 5.
♦The dunk Harrison Barnes failed to do at the dunk contest is now in NBA 2K14.
♦Roster update released for NBA 2K14 covering the trade deadline deals.
♦The NBA is standing behind EA Sports which is predictable considering their contract.
♦The latest Press Row Podcast has discussion on topics related to the games this spring.
♦Some early concept videos were found for Beyond the Sidelines Football (2015).
♦New DLC packs featuring Ferrari and Jaguar are out now for Need for Speed Rivals.
♦Activision has confirmed another Tony Hawk game is in development.
♦Super League Football (soccer themed pinball) is out now for PS3, Vita, and PS4.
♦Check out the new logo and helmet for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
♦Microsoft announced the Xbox One Media Remote will release in early March.
♦Subscriptions for the WWE Network, which has surprising value, open on Monday.
News and content that may have been missed from the last week around the site.
♦Blu-ray/DVD Releases This Week. Headlined by Gravity and Thor: The Dark World.
♦Guardians of the Galaxy Trailer. First look at the upcoming Marvel film.
♦Fantastic Four Cast Confirmed. The four big roles for the reboot now officially filled.
♦Space Jam 2 In Development. Sequel to 1996 film may star LeBron James.
♦Anchorman 2 Re-Releasing With 763 New Jokes. In theaters February 28-March 6.
A competition has been opened for those who wish to design potential logos and uniforms for teams in Madden’s Franchise mode. Submissions will be accepted only until March 7 and additional details on how to proceed can be found in the blog posting here.
The designs will be used for the relocation cities in Franchise that were introduced in Madden NFL 25. There is no prize for having one of the eventual selections besides appearing in the credits and receiving a copy of the game. No limit has been placed on the number of designs that can be submitted prior to the deadline.
While a Teambuilder feature for Madden (which originally had been planned before ending up just with NCAA Football 10-14) would be ideal licensing issues while needing to continually monitor for possible copyright infringement appear to prevent that from being possible. This competition then looks to act as a compromise of sorts.