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Thursday, September 17, 2009
12:02 PM - September 17, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
Need for Speed: Shift is the latest entry in the long-running racing series from Electronic Arts (EA). After a number of recent games in the series that were less than well received, EA decided to transfer development duties to Slightly Mad Studios, which is comprised of some of the developers behind the highly acclaimed GTR racing series on the PC. EA clearly wanted Slightly Mad Studios to revive the Need for Speed franchise and help it regain a top spot amongst racing games. 
And it appears that EA’s trust was well placed. Though Need for Speed: Shift strives for realistic track racing more than the arcade-like and free-roam aspects of its predecessors, it is still one of the best games in the series in quite some time -- possibly ever.
From the crisp, clear graphics and highly detailed interiors and exteriors of cars to the best in-car driving camera of any racing game to date to a fun, rewarding and varied career mode, Need for Speed: Shift is worthy of your attention -- even if you had given up on the venerable franchise after its recent installments. Shift has now proven that it deserves to be talked about in the same breath as Forza and Gran Turismo.
Read More - Need for Speed Shift Review
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
07:28 PM - August 26, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
In under a month, EA will release the latest iteration of its long-running Need for Speed racing franchise, this time subtitled Shift. For fans of the series, the newest version will bring with it some changes to the standard Need for Speed formula. The biggest change for the series is the push towards a more simulation feel for the game -- the majority of the previous games have been known for their arcade-like and unrealistic driving style. So with the release date inching closer, let's see what's looking good and not so good at this juncture.Read More - Need for Speed Shift: What's Hot and What's Not
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
11:22 AM - August 11, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
Now that the MLB trade deadline has passed -- though the wheeling and dealing probably isn't over yet -- it's time to take a look at some of the more notable trades that were made around the league. With fewer than two months left in the regular season, I will be focusing mainly on the playoff impact of these trades, while also discussing each player’s potential impact for franchise mode players in MLB 09: The Show. If you have not started a franchise in the game yet, now would be the best time to attempt to make a playoff push with your favorite squad. I have picked five of the most important players who swapped jerseys at the trade deadline, and also broken down the potential impact of each player for his new team.
Read More - MLB Trade Deadline: Predicting the Impacts
Monday, July 13, 2009
12:37 PM - July 13, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
It has now been four months since MLB 09: The Show was released. When the game was released, it received rave reviews from a number of different sources and still is generating passionate discussions on forums across the Internet. But now that consumers have been able to reflect on "The Most Realistic Baseball Game Ever," what are some aspects of the game that are already polished and excellent, and what are some aspects that still need to be worked on for next year?
To begin with, MLB 09: The Show is still the best baseball game on the market. The few positives I will mention in this article only scratch the surface of what this game offers to both hardcore and casual fans of the sport, and the nuances that are only discovered after playing scores of games really set it apart from other baseball games available.
Read More - MLB '09: The Show Midseason Report
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
12:42 PM - June 24, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
UFC 2009 Undisputed offers unparalleled fighting controls and realism, and the game provides an accurate representation of one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. But for a new fighter just entering the Octagon, the numerous fighting styles can seem overwhelming. In this strategy piece, I will discuss my favorite fighting style, kickboxing.As I alluded to in my review of UFC 2009 Undisputed a few weeks ago, the fighting controls are very intricate in the game and can be intimidating to newcomers. Because of this, I personally consider kickboxing to be a good starting point for any fighter in Undisputed, both because of its reliance on distance fighting and because of the variety of ways you can take down opponents. There are three main rules that should be followed by kickboxer, with the first rule applying to all fighters.
-Strategy guide written by Jack Hoeffel
Read More - UFC 2009 Undisputed: Kickboxing Strategy
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
01:05 PM - May 26, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
UFC 2009 Undisputed is a great game in many respects, with the most entertaining aspect of the game being its intuitive, deep fighting system. And considering the fact that it's a new franchise from THQ and developer Yuke’s Media Creations, which had previously focused on making wrestling games, Undisputed's quality is even a bit of a surprise.Read More - UFC 2009 Undisputed Review
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
03:04 PM - May 6, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
Ten years ago, EA Sports was creating baseball games, though still under the Triple Play name, FIFA 99 had just been released on the Nintendo 64, and the Sega Dreamcast was set to be released in the United States in four months. Obviously, a lot has changed in the 10 years since these events took place. Knowing this, what will the sports-gaming market look like in another 10 years?Though I do not own a crystal ball, by looking at past changes in sports gaming and some of the more successful trends in the industry today, I feel comfortable prophesying where the sports-gaming world may be in another decade. I have narrowed the potential list of changes down to five select items which will show the most improvement in the coming decade.
Read More - What Will Sports Games be Like in a Decade?
Thursday, April 30, 2009
10:00 AM - April 30, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
The demo for UFC 2009 Undisputed was released to the public last Thursday. In the demo, users can fight as or against Chuck Liddell or Mauricio Rua. The final game is set to be released on May 19. Those who have played the demo have generally spoken about it in a positive fashion. Having played the demo extensively, I have found a lot in the game to be impressed with myself. However, there are still a few rough parts in the game, which I will address along with the positives in this article.
Read More - UFC 2009 Undisputed: What's Hot and What's Not
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
10:21 AM - April 15, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
Batting systems in baseball video games are constantly changing. When developers do change them, they tend to implement systems that either completely reinvent how users hit the ball or repeatedly refine the hitting experience that is already available. From the simple button presses present in RBI Baseball to the more intricate right-analog stick system present in MLB 2K9, hitting systems have never remained exactly the same for very long. Like many other video games, as the technology has improved, hitting systems in baseball video games have become increasingly more challenging.
While it would take too long to detail each baseball video game’s batting system -- from RBI Baseball to MLB 2K9 -- I intend to look at the evolution of batting systems in a few key baseball games today.
Read More - Evolution of Hitting Systems in Baseball Games
Monday, March 30, 2009
07:01 PM - March 30, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
This year, baseball fans have been greeted by a welcome change in MLB 09: The Show: an increased difficulty level while at the plate. Not only is there an entirely new difficulty level, Legend, but each other level, from Rookie to Hall of Fame, has been made more difficult. With that being said, I will attempt to shine a light on some base-level batting strategies that will help players get the most out of the offensive side of their game -- and hopefully increase their overall batting average in the process.Read More - Noob Guide to Hitting in MLB '09: The Show
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
12:23 PM - March 17, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
Now that many people have had a chance to pick up a copy of MLB 09: The Show or MLB 2K9, they may be thinking about starting a franchise and drafting their very own team. However, the most important question faced by these new general managers is what kinds of players would be best for a playoff-caliber team. For those people who wish to participate in a realistic draft, there may be some tough choices when it comes to which players will be best for the team. So here are five tips aimed at helping users build a successful squad via a fantasy draft.
Read More - Five Tips When Building a Playoff Bound Team
Monday, March 9, 2009
11:12 AM - March 9, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
Now that both MLB 2K9 and MLB 09: The Show are available, gamers may need to work on their pitching strategies in order to have success in these games. While both games have different pitching controls, the general strategies consumers should use against opposing batters are relatively similar. With that being said, here are a few general rules users should follow in order to achieve success on the mound against a majority of hitters.
Read More - The Noob Guide to Pitching
Friday, February 27, 2009
10:49 AM - February 27, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
Last week, I discussed some of the strengths and weaknesses of Visual Concepts’ Major League Baseball 2K9. This week, I will be turning my attention to the other baseball game being released on March 3rd, SCE San Diego’s MLB 09: The Show. In contrast to MLB 2K9, MLB 09: The Show is coming off of a stellar outing last year and is looking to improve upon its past efforts.Much like MLB 2K9, MLB 09: The Show offers a very cinematic experience, and looks to be a very impressive game. However, not everything can be perfect in MLB 09’s video game baseball world. So with just days remaining until final retail copies of The Show reach OS HQ, here are some positives and negatives I have noticed in Sony’s latest baseball game.
Read More - What's Hot and What's Not With MLB 09: The Show
Friday, February 20, 2009
10:16 AM - February 20, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
Spring Training has begun, and with it comes the release of the newest versions of the baseball video games. The two major games releasing in early March are Sony’s MLB 09: The Show and Visual Concepts’ Major League Baseball 2K9. This past weekend, 2K Sports lifted the media restriction on gameplay videos for its newest baseball game, and various sites have since released a number of gameplay videos for people to view.After watching all of the videos that have been released, it is apparent that Visual Concepts has improved the game drastically this year. But, while there are many positives to be derived from the gameplay videos, the game is not yet perfect. With that being said, here are a few positives and negatives I have noticed in the beta videos of MLB 2K9.
Read More - MLB 2K9: What's Hot and What's Not
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
10:29 AM - February 17, 2009. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Jack Hoeffel
On the current-generation consoles, it seems as if each new release comes with the promise of future downloadable content (DLC). With so many games embracing the idea of DLC, some potential pitfalls are becoming apparent. Allowing these problems with DLC to continue could turn the potentially excellent idea of add-ons for games into a terrible example of how some companies are trying to squeeze consumers for as much money as possible.As many people are aware, there are two kinds of downloadable content: free and premium (see: costs money). Obviously, there are also many potential problems with downloadable content, including unreasonably high prices for DLC and having to pay for content that is already on the retail disc. Because of these problems, there are a few basic rules that developers should follow when releasing downloadable content.
Read More - What Not to Do When Releasing Downloadable Content
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