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Wednesday, August 24, 2016
10:47 AM - August 24, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Mike Lowe
I'll admit to being someone who read about Madden 17's "Play The Moments" (PTM) as being something gimmicky that I probably wouldn't touch. I have never trusted the Super Sim engine of Madden, and I like to play out all of my games in their entirety. But, I wanted to check it out anyway as it is one of Connected Franchise Mode's (CFM) new features for Madden 17.
What I wasn't expecting was that I would actually really like the feature, and plan to use it in my solo CFM.
Read More - Madden NFL 17: Play the Moments Is Better Than You Expect
Saturday, August 6, 2016
12:12 PM - August 6, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Mike Lowe
"Time for a rebuild!" That's a phrase that gets a Madden gamer more excited than perhaps any, yet is a phrase that is wholly unoriginal at this point.
The word "rebuild" or "re-build" turns up 17 times through the first 11 pages of the Madden 17 Franchise thread. When I searched for the word "established," not a single match.
Perhaps it's our love obsession with the NFL Draft, the next big thing or just proving to the world we can easily outwit the guy with the masters in business/sports management running the team in real life who's competing against real-life adversaries as opposed to Madden's (cough) team-management AI.
These sort of threads all start the exact same way, weaving the same boring story told over and over again: "I traded up and drafted my franchise QB!" In Madden, is that even a challenge? Should we be that impressed?
Read More - Rise Above the Madden Rebuild
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
01:35 PM - June 15, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Mike Lowe
With over two full months of the season behind us, it's not too early to start thinking about which teams will be selling, and which teams will be buying. Of course, such trades can have an impact on the way we play MLB The Show '16 online, as oftentimes there are a handful of teams most players gravitate towards. So let's take a look at which players are most likely to be sold, and which teams they might end up with, perhaps altering our top choices of teams to choose when playing online.
Read More - MLB The Show 16: The Best Players Who May Move on the Trade Deadline
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
03:37 PM - May 25, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Mike Lowe
I've talked candidly how about MLB The Show needs to continue to push itself to expand its gaming gap in both directions -- creating more separation from games on the rise like Madden and NHL, but also close the gap on the NBA 2K series. One of the ways The Show team can do that is by implementing a meaningful badge system similar to what NBA 2K has, allowing for SCEA to expand on the player personality and morale system introduced in MLB The Show 16. The beauty of the badge system NBA 2K is that the badges aren't just visual eye candy; they actually have an impact on a player's performance.
While this is not an exact top 10 list -- instead just an assortment -- here are a few badges that would add some uniqueness to perhaps otherwise similar players, thus providing more variety in franchise mode and online play.
Read More - NBA 2K's Player Badges Could Work in The Show
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
12:07 PM - April 12, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Mike Lowe
This graphic overlay is just one example of a quality addition made to franchise mode in MLB The Show 16. (PSN: MikeLowe47)
Franchise mode received some significant attention in MLB The Show 16 with improvements being made to the scouting system, a new morale system, a plethora of expanded stats and even players finally being called up based on performance , not just injury (it never happened before -- go check!). These are wonderful improvements to an already terrific game. Yet I don’t think anyone would argue that while The Show is the best (only) baseball franchise on the market today, it does not have the best franchise mode in the sports world.
So what could be improved to put a future version of MLB The Show into that top echelon of franchise mode offerings such as the NBA 2K series? Here are a few ideas...
Read More - Perfecting MLB The Show's Franchise Mode
Friday, March 25, 2016
11:07 AM - March 25, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Mike Lowe
With MLB The Show 16 releasing on March 29, we have now seen SCEA's entire schedule of revealed features and updates. These reveals culminated with the introduction of two new modes that have generated a ton of hype, Battle Royale and Conquest.
Being a franchise guy, I was skeptical of these new modes at first, especially when I kept hearing "three innings, stubs and buy-in!" However, I did my due diligence and watched the stream covering these two modes, and I have warmed to the idea a bit -- they look like they will be fun.
But as fun as these new modes may be, they can be expanded upon and potentially turned into new modes and adjustments for an even better (don't laugh) MLB The Show 17.
So let's take a look at a few ideas -- you know, 12 months early.
Read More - A Way Too Early Look at MLB The Show 17's Modes
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
04:26 PM - March 22, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Mike Lowe
Baseball is a rite of spring to many, and the annual release of our beloved baseball games is now part of that modern-day experience. Out of the Park Developments has just released their 17th edition of their baseball game, Out of the Park Baseball 17, and it's time to find out whether it should be in your starting lineup this season.
Read More - Out of the Park Baseball Review (PC/Mac)
Thursday, March 3, 2016
01:25 PM - March 3, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Mike Lowe
Since 2005, one of the most debated topic in the sports gaming community is whether or not 2K Sports should make a professional football game again, albeit without the NFL licensing. This problem has been discussed to death, but this article will outline a potential solution to that problem, just in case anyone out there is listening…
Read More - User-Generated Content and Football Games in 2016
Monday, February 22, 2016
03:01 PM - February 22, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Mike Lowe
Madden has had a good year, and I believe Madden 16 is probably the best Madden ever made. Its key improvement was the interaction between receivers and defensive backs, something this community has been harping on for years (and rightfully so).
However, even with these improvements, the common phrase still remains: "Madden passes are either caught, intercepted or defended; they are rarely just incomplete."
Be that as it may, the NFL has evolved into a pass-first league, so pass types are something Madden must get right. But beyond the pass itself, there are also steps that lead to every pass in the game.
Read More - What Should Happen in Madden's Passing Game
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
11:46 AM - February 16, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Mike Lowe
If you're reading this right now, you're probably like me; you grew up watching professional wrestling in your youth, and whether or not you still watch wrestling today (I do not), you're likely familiar with the WWE 2K series. 2K16 has been a solid performer this year, having been a top-five seller during the month of its October release, and it is a game I purchased and have been quite happy with this year.
But this article is not a review, and it's not trying to convince you to go out and buy WWE 2K16. Instead, it will discuss a concept 2K should consider in order to tap into an audience the studio may have lost touch with over the years.
Read More - Shared Universes Could Link WWE 2K to Its Past
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