Author Bio
Chase BecotteHome Town: Nomads don't have home towns
Sports: A bunch
Games: Too many to list
Teams: Sixers, Flyers, Pirates
OS Username: ChaseB
Tags: PS3: Slizeezyc / 360: Slizeezyc
Monday, February 21, 2011
12:10 PM - February 21, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chase Becotte
A golf game might be the hardest type of sports game to develop, if only because of the audience golf brings to the table. Golf’s barrier to entry has been minimized in recent years, and being an individual-based sport that does not have an age limit means that there are a whole lot of different types of golfers out there -- and thus golf gamers out there. Nevertheless, the Tiger team is tasked with the job of appeasing all of these sects of golf fans while satiating each one’s desire to have a suitable golf game on a yearly basis.
And when it comes to Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters, the Playstation Move version might be the development team’s best chance to appease all those fans this year.
Read More - Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters Preview
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
06:18 PM - January 19, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
Activision has not found a buyer for game-development studio Bizarre Creations and thus has recommended closure, according to UK-based website Develop.
While there was some hope that Bizarre would find a new home during the interim period between being "put on notice" and being officially closed, the studio behind Project Gotham Racing and Blur looks to be nearing its end. Since Activision has now recommended closure, Bizarre Creations will inevitably have to accept.
Coddy Johnson, Activision Worldwide Studios’ chief operating officer, told Develop that recommending closure was a last resort.
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Gamasutra also received word from a UK Activision representative that inquiries about purchasing Bizarre have dried up.
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Source - Activision recommends Bizarre closure (Develop)
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
10:06 AM - January 18, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
Tennis holds a unique position in the US these days. The sport is dominated by international players, and the biggest rivalry is Federer versus Nadal rather than Federer versus Roddick. Nevertheless, the sport remains popular here. To put things in perspective, would the same hold true in golf if an international rivalry like Harrington versus Goosen dominated the headlines for years rather than a rivalry like Mickelson versus Woods?
Regardless of where you stand on that topic, that’s not the only unique thing about tennis in the US. It is also a unique entity in the video game world. In fact, no other sport can be compared to it on a licensing and marketing front, according to Chris Snyder, the director of marketing at 2K Sports. In other words, a worldwide sport that lacks an overarching license -- like in the NFL or MLB -- can lead to headaches. And even though 2K Sports does have another experience with something like this in the form of All-Pro Football 2K8, even that does not compare.
“It’s the same process of signing individual players,” said Chris Snyder. “But All-Pro was all people in the US; it was all former NFL players. This is much more worldwide, so I think it’s a bit more difficult than All-Pro.”
Read More - The Process of Creating Top Spin 4
10:00 AM - January 18, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
2K Sports announced today that Top Spin 4, the latest iteration of the Top Spin tennis simulation video game franchise, will feature professional tennis athletes Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Andre Agassi on its cover. This will mark the first time in a decade that Andre Agassi will be featured in an interactive entertainment experience. Top Spin 4 is planned for release on March 15, 2011 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ system.
“Tennis has been in my life for as long as I can remember,” said Andre Agassi, former No. 1-ranked player in the world, winner of eight Grand Slam singles tournaments and 17 ATP Master Series tournaments. “I hope that with Top Spin 4 players can enjoy the sport as much as I have.”
In development at 2K Czech, Top Spin 4 brings the competitive action of tennis to life like never before with redesigned controls, jaw-dropping player models and enhanced TV-style presentation elements. Each of the title’s top athletes and legendary pros will be equipped with 2K Sports’ Signature Style animations, including player-specific swing styles and behavioral AI, custom celebrations and outfits.
“Top Spin 4 does a phenomenal job capturing the unique authenticity and highly competitive skills of these 25 world-class athletes,” said Jason Argent, vice president of marketing for 2K Sports. “When playing Top Spin 4, we wanted consumers to feel they are playing more than a tennis game, we wanted them to feel like they are in a world title prize fight.”
Top Spin 4 features the largest roster in the franchise to date, including Andre Agassi, Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Jim Courier, Rafael Nadal, Boris Becker, Serena Williams, Patrick Rafter, Michael Chang, Dinara Safina, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Ana Ivanovic, Ivan Lendel, Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Caroline Wozniacki, Nikolay Davydenko, Gilles Simon, Bernard Tomic, Eugenie Bouchard, Stanislas Wawrinka, Vera Zvonareva, and Jelena Jankovic.
To commemorate this fourth entry in the Top Spin series, 2K Sports is offering an exclusive vintage Andre Agassi playable character for free in North America only when gamers pre-order* and reserve their copy of Top Spin 4 at GameStop.
Details of the pre-order offer are as follows:
• Available while supplies last for all GameStop online and in-store pre-orders of Top Spin 4 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation® 3 system. The vintage Andre Agassi playable character is only available with this offer and is redeemable at time of purchase.
• Online customers: Code and instructions on redeeming the vintage Andre Agassi playable character will be emailed when the game releases.
• Store/in-store pickup customers: Code and instructions on redeeming the vintage Andre Agassi playable character will be printed on the receipt at time of purchase.
For additional information, please visit: www.gamestop.com/topspin4.
Top Spin 4 is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/TopSpin4 or follow Top Spin 4 news via Twitter: @2KSports.
* Pre-Order only valid for Xbox 360 and PS3™ versions of Top Spin 4.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
07:56 PM - January 6, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
The February 2011 edition of EGM features the first in-depth look at EA Canada's SSX reboot, SSX Deadly Descents.
EGM spends most of the story speaking with Todd Batty, EA Canada's creative director on the game. While the story is a little light on concrete details (the game does not come out until Winter 2011, so it's understandable), it is still definitely worth the read. Batty talks about the desire for the SSX developers to not try and make the Skate of snowboarding games, but rather still tap into the realm of fantasy while keeping real-world physics in place.
With that in mind, Batty believes physics are an integral part of the experience, and Trials HD influenced the developers on that front.
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The most fascinating part of the story might be the discussion about Mountain Man, which is essentially a tool the EA developers created to help build mountains in the game for them. Without spoiling too much, just know that this tool helped EA create tracks that actually mimic real-world mountain ranges.
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Check out the latest issue of EGM for more information on SSX Deadly Descents, including in-depth information about the rewind gameplay mechanic, story mode and potential online options.
06:31 PM - January 6, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
The latest version of the MX vs. ATV series will be revealed for the first time on Jan. 8, according to a THQ press release.
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The press release also mentions that the MX vs. ATV series has now shipped 10 million units since its debut in 2004.
When Alive is released, it will retail for $40. The idea behind this move is one revolved around a lower barrier to entry later leading to people spending more money on downloadable content, according to THQ. At the end of the day, folks at THQ believe users will end up paying more than $60 (the standard price of most console games) when factoring in the purchased DLC.
05:22 PM - January 6, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
Just in case our Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters media overload was not enough for you, VideoGamer has yet another Tiger Woods video for you all to check out.
I readily admit San Antonio is not one of the more exciting courses to look at from above, but in the middle of winter any flyover of a golf course has to be seen as a positive.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
06:25 PM - January 5, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
When it comes to talking about the future of motion controls, there has been an underlying sense of dread among some community members here at Operation Sports. Some users really feel like motion controls will one day inevitably take over the sports gaming landscape, and others are simply worried that their favorite genre will be watered down to simple mini-games. Recently, two OS writers even wrote pro and con articles about the future of motion controls in sports games.
But no matter where you stand on the topic of motion controls, EA CEO John Riccitiello has told IndustryGamers that he just does not see motion controls replacing traditional controllers.
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Riccitiello does specifically talk about sports games and how the best implementation of motion controls in traditional titles might be for menu navigation or selecting plays.
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The menu navigation statement is actually a really fair point by Riccitiello. I can't even count the number of sports games that have confused me or hampered my experience because of shoddy menus.
Source: EA CEO: Motion Controls Will Not Replace Traditional Controllers (IndustryGamers)
04:52 PM - January 5, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
One percent of EA's online users will no longer be able to enjoy 25 older EA Sports titles come March 1, according to a service update posted by EA today. The list of online servers being shutdown in the near future can be seen below.
Mar 1, 2011 Online Service Shutdown
- Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 09 for Wii
Feb 8, 2011 Online Service Shutdown
- FIFA 07 for Xbox 360
- FIFA 08 for PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii
- FIFA 09 for PC, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii
- FIFA 09 Ultimate Team for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- FIFA Street 3 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- EA SPORTS™ FIFA Manager 10 for PC
- EA SPORTS™ Fight Night Round 3 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- Madden 09 for PlayStation Portable (all regions), PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii
- Madden 10 for PlayStation Portable (all regions), PlayStation 2 and Wii
- NBA LIVE 08 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- NBA LIVE 09 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii
- NCAA® Basketball 08 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- NCAA® Basketball 09 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- NCAA® Football 07 for Xbox 360
- NCAA® Football 08 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- NCAA® Football 09 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- NCAA® Football 10 for PlayStation 2
- NFL Head Coach 09 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- NHL® 08 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- NHL® 09 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 09 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- UEFA EURO 2008™ for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- 2010 FIFA World Cup™ for PlayStation Portable and Wii
- 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Demo for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
EA's reasoning for shutting down these old titles can be summed up as a desire for more efficient resource management.
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The marquee title in this list of shutdowns might just be NFL Head Coach 09 because it was the last version to be released by EA. This is also not the first time EA has pulled the plug on older titles; there is quite a list of already unplugged EA games at the bottom of the same service update.
If you are part of the one percent that will soon be out of luck, EA has listed a location where you can contact EA to get more information about these shutdowns. So if you want to find out if your amazing win-loss record in NBA Live 09 will still be able to be seen by the masses, contact EA and find out.
Source: EA announces massive list of online shutdowns (VG247)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
06:03 PM - January 4, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
Curiously absent on some of the early box art released for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 was, well, Tiger Woods. Instead the focus of the box art was The Masters. However, Peter Moore told Eurogamer that this does not mean Tiger is still not a big part of the game this year and the series in the future.
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IGN helps to explain the decision a little more by relaying a response from an EA spokesperson about the direction of the game this year.
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Since the full title of the game this year does appear to be Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters, it becomes a bit more understandable why the focus is on The Masters. I would also argue the one thing bigger than Tiger Woods in golf is The Masters. Yes, when it comes to mainstream media, Tiger Woods definitely outweighs The Masters, but within the sport itself, The Masters and Augusta National are still kings.
As you can see at the top of this story, Tiger Woods is still prominently featured the PS3 collector's edition of Tiger Woods 12. Nevertheless, the decision should still raise some eyebrows considering EA CEO John Riccitiello did say back in late November that Tiger needed to be the "best" golfer for the business deal to make sense in the long run.
Source: Moore: EA not backing away from Tiger (Eurogamer)
05:36 PM - January 4, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
The folks over at VideoGamer.com have posted a developer diary video for Test Drive Unlimited 2. The video is a little under five minutes long, and you can also get an HD version at the site.
In the video plenty of time is put aside to show off the exotic cars in both real life and the game. You can also hear various developers from Eden Games (equipped with various amazing accents) describing qualities of the game. Some of the points they touch on and show in the video deal with the lifestyle of the people who own these types of cars, and how they do want to immerse you in this world as one of those people.
By tying together an open-world online environment with day-night cycles and weather effects, it seems like the developers really want to create a unique racing experience that is not just about the racing or the cars, but all of the above.
05:00 PM - January 4, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
Moto Racer was at one point a relatively popular racing franchise on the PC and Playstation. At this point the series lives on only via the handheld platform. But if you missed out on the series and need a cheap motorcycle racing fix, then you might want to head over to GOG.com and check out this series.
Moto Racer and Moto Racer 2 are selling for $5.99 each, and Moto Racer 3 is selling for $9.99. Good Old Games is also one of the better game download sites not named Steam, so it's hard to go wrong with the service.
To learn more about the games, you can head over to GOG to read a description about the game.
Source: Moto Racer 3 Arrives on Good Old Games (Shacknews)
04:32 PM - January 4, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
FIFA 11 knocked off Call of Duty, Gran Turismo, and all Kinect-related titles en route to reclaiming the top spot on the UK charts during the holiday rush.
Now, assuming EA Sports president Peter Moore did not buy and wrap thousands of copies of the game for relatives, friends and strangers, this is quite an accomplishment for FIFA. Even in soccer-crazed England, it's always impressive when a sports game can overtake a behemoth like Call of Duty during a high point of the shopping season.
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Kinect Sports and Gran Turismo 5 also cracked the top 10. (Just Dance 2 and Dance Central also reached the top 10 -- I could argue for them being sports-related games, but I won't here.)
Source: FIFA enters new year atop UK charts, two Kinect titles land in top ten (Joystiq) via (GFK-Chart Track)
02:55 PM - January 4, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Chase Becotte
In case you have not heard, there have been a couple Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 announcements today. In case you have not gotten enough golf in your system yet, you can check out some images and videos for the game.The videos are also available on the OS YouTube channel, please subscribe while you're there.
Friday, December 10, 2010
01:04 PM - December 10, 2010. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Chase Becotte
The upcoming NFS Hot Pursuit Super Sports Pack DLC will be released on December 21 for the Xbox 360 and December 22 for the PS3. The cost of the DLC will be $6.99 or 560 Microsoft Points. You can read more about what's in the DLC pack right here.
You can also check out a video for the Super Sports Pack above or at the OS YouTube channel, please subscribe while you're there.
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