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Sociable Soccer now available on PC through Steam Early Access
Independent developers have helped to bring back unique takes on various sports in recent years and now soccer is next in line to get a much-needed injection of arcade-style fun. The fast-paced game Sociable Soccer acts as the “spiritual successor” to the 1992 game Sensible Soccer from the same lead designer Jon Hare. Sociable Soccer has taken a path similar to some other indie sports games, first falling short on a crowdfunding campaign only to continue on with a more traditional development strategy.
Sociable Soccer can now be purchased through Steam on PC for $20. The game is in the Early Access period which offers an opportunity for community feedback to be acted upon as it will remain in active developments for the months ahead.
♦Fast, slick and intuitive game controls for online & offline play
♦Full 3D game world including stadium and animated crowd
♦A variety of camera angles, replay options etc
♦Over 1,000, fully researched, club & international teams
♦Over 30,000 players (each with his own player card)
♦Online or Local Friendly Multiplayer Mode for 2-8 players (each controlling his own team)
♦Customisable leagues, cups and tournaments for up to 8 players
♦World Mode: a campaign in which you upgrade your manager character by winning 67 international, real world football trophies by playing with many of our 1,000 teams (100 hours gameplay, mimimum)Additional features are still in the works including a card-collecting mode, manager mode, and enhanced customization and editing options. Release of Sociable Soccer on consoles and the final finished release for PC is currently planned for early 2018.
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Madden NFL 18 roster update details following week six of the season
The roster update reflecting performances through the sixth week of the season is now available to download in Madden NFL 18. Once again there’s little movement at the top of the rankings, though with the number of injuries that have affected highly-rated players that’s not much of a surprise given that many of them are simply not on the field.
Le’Veon Bell is the top player to change by going up just a single point to 95 Overall after rushing for 179 yards in the Steelers win over the previously undefeated Chiefs. The biggest jump goes to Redskins guard Brandon Scherff who has been boosted 5 points to 88 Overall after a monster performance as graded by Pro Football Focus.
Notable players with ratings on the move include Cameron Jordan (+1 to 94), Travis Kelce (-1 to 94), Delanie Walker (-1 to 94), Justin Houston (-1 to 93), Matt Ryan (-1 to 92), Damon Harrison (+1 to 91), DeForest Buckner (+1 to 90), Jordan Reed (-3 to 90), Martellus Bennett (-2 to 87), and Vernon Davis (-6 to 81).
Check out full details on current ratings and any changes in this week’s update through the form on the official Madden NFL 18 website.
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First NHL 18 digital deal is found on PS4
Both Madden NFL 18 and NBA Live 18 have already had deals offered through a variety of retailers and now NHL 18 joins them in being available at a discount – but only on PlayStation 4 for now. Surprisingly this is a digital deal on the game and can be had through the PlayStation Store or by purchasing a code through Amazon for $40.
This particular deal is worth considering given that NHL doesn’t tend to get the deep discounts that other annual sports titles do for Black Friday which is now only a month away. NHL titles are generally offered for $35 or $40 at that time.
NHL 18 is a solid if unspectacular entry in the series that is more friendly for novices given the addition of the NHL THREES arcade mode, improved tutorial, and the widespread ability to play co-op. However areas like gameplay and presentation in NHL 18 haven’t seen much in the way of advancement and that may disappoint series veterans.
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Latest patch for The Golf Club 2 adds a number of new game options
It has been a while since any there were any new developments related to The Golf Club 2 but a patch has recently gone live for the game that has made some improvements and added a number of community-based options. The last update focused primarily on the early server performance issues. The Golf Club 2 is currently on sale on Steam for just $16 and Amazon has the PS4 version for $30. Read more
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Details on the third patch for NBA Live 18
After adding in the Nike Statement uniforms and addressing a number of issues identified through community feedback, the latest patch for NBA Live 18 released today and tweaks some areas of gameplay along with career and franchise modes. Maybe the most notable change is the tuning of playoff simulations, which was noted in my review for problematic results which were common such as the Knicks and Mavericks winning the NBA Finals.
Gameplay
♦Tuned Slider impact for shot contest
♦Tuned Slider impact for off-dribble shooting
♦Restricted some on-the-run Dribble Moves for lower skilled playersFranchise
♦Added new pre-game lobby in the League
♦Goals are now available in Pause Menu in the League
♦Fixed exploit completing goals and gaining stats when simming League games
♦New First Take videos now seen in the League near All-Star game and Playoffs
♦Updated signings and draft pick trades to match the NBA
♦Tuned Playoff simulation
♦Adjusted wording of various goalsAudio
♦Updated Commentary
♦Fixed commentary for overtime games
♦Minor bug fixes -
NBA Live 18 upsets NBA 2K18 by having done a better job with player faces
Three years ago NBA 2K head a clear advantage in representing player faces but the gap between it and NBA Live has completely closed in the time since. With this year’s contest NBA Live 18 has surprisingly topped NBA 2K18 by winning 13 of the 24 matchups. It was an incredibly close contest however with a number of NBA Live’s winners finishing within just a few percentage points of flipping to the other side. Read more
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The Line Drive for October 15
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Retailer deals on both Madden NFL 18 and NBA Live 18 remain available.
♦Mutant Football League will exit early access as full release on October 31.
♦The upcoming Winter Olympics Expansion for Steep is featured in new video.
♦Server update for FIFA 18 has returned guest play for FUT seasons and draft.
♦Release of Sociable Soccer through Early Access has been delayed by a week.
♦USA missing out won’t affect their place in next year’s FIFA World Cup game.
♦PES has reached another exclusive marketing partnership this time with Arsenal.
♦Details on the latest Diamond Dynasty online Event in MLB The Show 17.
♦Details on the patch that recently released for Out of the Park Baseball 18.
♦Details on the latest patch to go out adding new features to F1 2017.
♦New features revealed for DDS: Pro Basketball 2018 which releases late Oct.
♦Testing will begin on Steam for the new party system coming to Rocket League.
♦Details on the latest patch to have gone out for Rocket League.
♦The new Event system for Rocket League will kick off on Monday Oct. 16.
♦EA has laid out the slate of games coming to EA Access this winter.
♦Blu-ray releases this week are headlined by Spider-Man: Homecoming. -
Press Row Podcast: The big business of sports video games
Sports video games are enjoying – in many cases – their most profitable releases ever. In other areas, however, there are reasons for concern. We’re joined by Mat Piscatella from the NPD to explore all the angles around the big business – and big money – of sports video games. What does all of this mean to consumers? What about developers? Who are the big winners, and who stands to be left out of the party? It’s a fun and fascinating look at the business behind the games that we love.
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Check out the podcast through iTunes for iOS, on Android with the Stitcher app, or with Pocket Casts on iOS, Android, and Windows. The show can also now be found on the recently launched Google Play Music for podcasts. Subscribe and review to help support the show! You can also listen with the streaming player below.
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