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The Line Drive for July 19
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦All the launch player ratings have been officially revealed for Madden NFL 21.
♦Another leaked screen shows more about The Yard mode in Madden 21.
♦All the work done for playbooks in Madden 21 was gone over in new dev blog.
♦EA confirmed a generic Washington Team will stand in at release of Madden 21.
♦Baseball games this season will be using crowd audio from MLB The Show 20.
♦Details on the latest content for Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 20.
♦Details on a minor patch that released recently in MLB The Show 20.
♦Konami will release an updated PES 2020 as PES 2021 on Sept. 15 for $29.
♦Full list of all the official licenses that will be found in the updated PES 2021.
♦Konami is developing a next-gen version of PES to release fall of 2021.
♦Details on the Summer Heat program for FUT live now in FIFA 20.
♦The 15 licensed courses are being slowly revealed for next month’s PGA Tour 2K21.
♦Latest update adds controller support and some fixes for mobile game Retro Bowl.
♦Reminder that NBA 2K20 is free on PS4 to PS Plus subscribers grab it this month.
♦Amazon is offering MLB The Show 20 for $40 while currently $60 on PS Store.
♦Maximum Football posted some details on Dynasty 2.0 for upcoming release. -
Press Row Podcast: #FixMaddenFranchise
How did Madden NFL get to the current place it is with Franchise Mode, why was there an uprising from fans now, and where does Madden go from here? Rich, Bryan, and Mills discuss everything around the #FixMaddenFranchise movement that trended on Twitter and forced a response out of EA Sports. Also: NBA 2K21 ushering in next-gen price increase and Konami skipping its annual release for the PES series.
Check out the podcast through Apple Podcasts for iOS, on Android with the Stitcher app, or with Pocket Casts on iOS, Android, and Windows. The show can now also be found on Spotify! Subscribe and give the podcast five star reviews to help support the show. You can also listen with the streaming player found below.
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Season update plan announced for MLB The Show 20
The MLB season is set to begin just over a week from now and Sony San Diego has laid out expectations for how it will or won’t be replicated in MLB The Show 20.
This season will consist of 60 games with 40 of them coming against division opponents and the other 20 taking on teams from the same regional division in the other league. The universal designated hitter has been put into place and extra innings will see a runner start on second base. Of course there no fans will be in attendance even as the teams play at their home ballparks. Unfortunately for the most part those changes won’t be represented in The Show.
‘The Show Live’ will capture the abbreviated season and roster updates will be more frequent but that is about the extent to which the game is attempting to embrace this unique opportunity. Presumably fans will be stripped out from ‘The Show Live’ since that was done easily and on even shorter notice five years ago. Sadly it appears that Franchise will not be altered in any way which is just another blow for fans of that mode.
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The Line Drive for July 12
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦New mode that features 6v6 online play has leaked for Madden NFL 21.
♦EA Sports has revealed rookie QB and WR ratings for Madden NFL 21.
♦EA UFC 4 was officially revealed with a debut trailer and Aug. 14 release date.
♦The game’s website goes through new features and improvements coming to UFC 4.
♦Ultimate Team, which never caught on in the UFC games, has been removed.
♦Pre-orders for UFC 4 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are available on Amazon.
♦Despite ESRB having rated UFC 4 next-gen versions EA is denying they exist.
♦The UFC cover curse struck yet again with the loss by Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251.
♦Appears there will be no PES 2021 but instead PES 2020 will only get updated rosters.
♦Details on the latest changes from a server update that went out in FIFA 20.
♦Out of the Park Baseball 21 has been added to Xbox Game Pass for play on PC.
♦Rocket League released a five-year infographic which notes 75 million players. -
The Line Drive for July 5
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦EA acknowledged the #FixMaddenFranchise campaign but made no real commitments.
♦Pre-orders for the upcoming NBA 2K21 on current-gen now available on Amazon.
♦Reminder only the $100 edition of NBA 2K21 will be upgraded free for the new consoles.
♦The cover athletes are Damian Lillard, Zion Williamson and Kobe Bryant for NBA 2K21.
♦Pre-orders for the upcoming Madden NFL 21 on current gen now available on Amazon.
♦Reminder that all editions of Madden NFL 21 will receive a free upgrade to new consoles.
♦The latest update for Retro Bowl includes a number of additions and fixes.
♦Details on the latest patch to have gone out on all platforms for FIFA 20.
♦Details on the latest content added to Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 20.
♦Amazon has MLB The Show 20 standard edition for $40 and MVP Edition for $60.
♦NBA 2K20 is one of the free games offered this month to PlayStation Plus subscribers.
♦NBA 2K20 on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch being sold for under $20.
♦Free games for Xbox Live Gold subscribers this month include Dunk Lords.
♦A sequel to Tennis World Tour has been revealed with the release of a debut trailer. -
NBA 2K21 is the first game to announce price increase for next-gen
2K Sports revealed the three different cover athletes for NBA 2K21 this week (Damian Lillard, Zion Williamson, Kobe Bryant) but the more interesting news relates to details on the series’ transition to the next-gen systems.
NBA 2K21 on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 will see a price increase to $70. That’s the first indication that games across the board may be more expensive next-gen. It would seem unlikely that NBA 2K would be on its own in doing so.
Additionally those who buy the standard edition of the game on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One will *not* receive the game for free if they pick up one of the new systems. This is in contrast to EA Sports which has already confirmed those who own Madden NFL 21 and FIFA 21 will receive an upgrade to the next-gen versions for free.
The exception comes with the $100 ‘Mamba Forever Edition’ which will also provide a copy of the game for next-gen to those who buy it on PS4/XB1. That would then provide some incentive that otherwise would not have been there to pick up that expensive version 2K21 for those planning to get one of the new systems.
2K has confirmed that MyTeam progress and currency will carry over from one gen to the next. However it does not appear that will occur for other modes such as MyLeague or MyCareer.
NBA 2K21 will release its current gen version on Sept 4 and will follow as a next-gen launch title this holiday season.
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‘Classic’ Franchise takes backseat to Face of the Franchise in Madden NFL 21
Last week when EA Sports let it be known that a developer blog would be releasing for Face of the Franchise along with Franchise Mode being referred to as ‘Classic Franchise’ it was obvious the outlook on the latter was bleak. That justified pessimism was confirmed today as FOTF has received the bulk of the attention in Madden NFL 21 with Franchise barely getting what could even be considered a patch-caliber update.
EA renamed Madden NFL 21's Franchise to "Classic Franchise" as a way to communicate they have no plans to improve the mode this year or even in the future. That was deliberate. It's like how they labeled the "Legacy" versions of games that only get updated rosters.
— Bryan Wiedey (@pastapadre) June 30, 2020
The message from EA has now been made clear. Expectations should be adjusted for the traditional Franchise Mode as something that will remain largely static and only benefit from global changes. Either accept that reality or move on. Read more
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The Line Drive for June 28
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Expanded details on the various gameplay improvements made for Madden NFL 21.
♦Archived dev live stream going over gameplay improvements for Madden NFL 21.
♦EA Sports UFC 4 will make its debut during the UFC 251 broadcast next month.
♦An NBA 2K MyTeam producer was fired after inappropriate conduct came to light.
♦Some high-profile incoming rookies have been added to MyTeam in NBA 2K20.
♦Three different cover athletes will be revealed this coming week for NBA 2K21.
♦Details on the latest patch with improvements and fixes for Super Mega Baseball 3.
♦Details on the latest patch affecting gameplay in MLB The Show 20.
♦Details on the latest content for Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 20.
♦Physical copies of MLB The Show 20 are on sale for $39 through Amazon.
♦New Star Games has announced New Star Baseball which will be out later this year.
♦Details on the latest patch with improvements for Out of the Park Baseball 21.
♦Four full holes of gameplay courtesy of IGN showcasing PGA Tour 2K21.
♦Latest trailer goes through what to expect from Career Mode in PGA Tour 2K21.
♦NBA 2K20 on the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch being sold for just $15.
♦Need for Speed Heat is the latest game addition to the Vault with EA Access.
♦Rocket League is teasing new and updated features for the game this summer.
♦Details on latest patch with new faces and some fixes made for PES 2020.
♦LaLiga agreed to an exclusivity extension with EA Sports for 10 more years in FIFA.
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