Monday, January 14, 2013
Fergie about to break into the Dad Dance.
Happy Monday, OSers. Plenty of soccer played over the weekend.
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Manchester United 2 - 1 Liverpool
With the exception of the Wigan game, how rare is it this season for a United team to be "on" for a full 90 minutes? Granted, Liverpool was never going to just roll over given the nature of the rivalry, but so far this season certainly hasn't done any favors to United fans' heart rates.
On the Kop side, once Sturridge came on in the second half and enabled Suarez to drop deeper, all of a sudden it livened everybody up (well, except Joe Allen.) The trident of the S's up front--Sturridge, Sterling, and Suarez-- may just be one of the paciest out there, and they can certainly cause a lot of headaches for backlines around the league.
Here's The Guardian's, as always, stellar roundup and Zonal Marking's tactical analysis.
Arsenal 0 - 2 Manchester City
Surprising that this turned out to be the more contentious match of the day given that it followed the North West derby. But from the moment Mike Dean (it had to be him) spotted Koscielny's groping of Dzeko and decided that it worth of a sending off, you knew this was going to be that kind of a match. In the end, two reds and six yellows.
The match itself really wasn't in doubt once Koscielny got his marching orders, even if Dzeko kept things interesting by missing his spot kick. What's more interesting is Wenger's blunt assessment of his team afterwards: "timid", "nervous", and "uptight."
The Guardian's take here.
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Elsewhere, both Chris Hughton and Harry Redknapp took on their former teams and ended up with goalless draws. Hughton's Norwich against Newcastle, while Redknapp's QPR against Spurs.
And not that we should delight in anybody's misery, even if he plays for Stoke, Jonathan Walters scored two own goals and missed a penalty in The Potters' 0-4 defeat against Chelsea.
Against what would usually have been a pretty tough opponent at their home ground, The Blues had an surprisingly easy time. Is Rafa slowly turning the team around or is this just a false dawn? Meanwhile, according to the Daily Mail, the team continues its full court press to get Frank Lampard the hell out of Stamford Bridge as soon as the season's over.
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In La Liga, Messi scores and Barcelona wins. Yawn. Real Madrid drops more points as they draw against Osasuna. Yawn. But at least Kaká got himself sent off, so there's that.
Ronaldo says he'll stay in Madrid until his contract is up. Just like he did at Manchester United after he vowed to do so. Oh, wait.
In Italy, with a 2-0 over Atalanta, Lazio are only three points behind leaders Juventus, who stumbled for the second week in a row as they drew with Parma. Meanwhile Inter beat Pescara 2-0, and moves into the third spot.
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Here's Milner's goal against Arsenal.
Photo via The Mirror UK.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Let’s get this out of the way first: FIFA 13 was an excellent game. That said, its excellence was mostly concentrated on the offensive end of things, while the rest of the package left a little to be desired. Here are three things FIFA 14 can do to make it an all around better game.
Improved CPU Management
I wrote about it a while back, and here's the shorter version: The CPU manager in FIFA 13 made tactical changes based solely on three things: sending-offs, injuries, and the scoreline. What it didn’t take into account is how the game is being played-- the CPU doesn't seem to recognize things like possession or shots on goal and make the appropriate adjustments, even when they're decidedly one-sided. For example, even if you switch from a 5-4-1 to a 3-4-3 and play accordingly, you still won't coax a change in how the CPU plays... until a goal gets scored.
They've improved the defense in FIFA 12, the offense in FIFA 13, maybe it's time for managers to get a little love in 14. Also, now that real managers are included in the game, it would also be nice—even if it sounds just a tad farfetched—to see them moving clubs and taking their tactical preferences with them.
More Proactive AI Teammates
A lot of the trouble with Tactical Defending, I suspect, is really a red herring. The underlying cause, rather, is the AI teammates’ overwhelming penchant to react instead of anticipate.
See, the Tactical Defending module itself actually plays fine (though I won’t complain if we get a little more assistance when pressing down contain). It's realistic, in the sense that your defender has to jockey the ball carrier, show him to a particular area of the pitch until he makes the first move (and hopefully takes a bad touch), while any sort of reckless lunging-in will leave your team exposed.
So what’s the deal then?
The problem is that your AI teammates will almost always choose to sit back and react, instead of making a calculated gamble and anticipate. Sometimes playing defense isn't about making the actual tackle (at least, Xabi Alsono says as much), but rather pressuring the opposition into making a bad pass. This is where FIFA 13 fell short. Funneling your man into a bad area is oftentimes an exercise in futility, as your AI teammates aren't quick or aggressive enough to recognize that the attacker is dribbling himself out of options and close down his nearby teammates, allowing the ball carrier to pass out of trouble.
On a related note, another thing that’s nagged me for a while was the lack of second chances. As it stands, unless a goalie parries the shot straight to the foot of one of my attackers, the CPU defense can easily play the ball out no matter how much pressure I try to apply, during what should have been a frantic scramble. Again, it looks to be because of the too-reactive AI teammates, as they all drop back into position and “contain”, with little attention paid to the context (or alternatively, the risk and rewards) of the situation.
I don’t know if it’s a limitation of the engine or a conscious programming decision that AI teammates will avoid taking any action that involves risk, but it will be a huge improvement if, in FIFA 14, we get more dynamic teammates who can be proactive without you taking control of them.
More Fouls
Or at least, a greater variety of fouls. While there is a fair share of push-pull ones being called, there aren’t enough “bad” tackles from the CPU. It’s very rare you see a scrappy game in FIFA 13, and it would be nice to see a cynical foul (to, say, prevent your player from going clear down the wing) or just a regular Paul Scholes tackle once in a while. It may not appeal to some gamers, to be constantly harried and fouled, but these sort of games do happen in real life, and should be more prevalent in FIFA 14.
If there's any theme that emerges from these three points, it's that the “on the ball" experience is good enough. It's the “off the ball”-- what the other twenty-one players are doing-- that needs improvement. And that’s what makes making a great soccer game so difficult, perhaps more difficult than the other major sports. There are more continuously moving parts in soccer than the rest of them, and it’s not the easiest thing to simulate their behaviors.
Sound Off: What would you like to see improved in FIFA 14?
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EA/ESPN continues their simulation of the missed season with week 14. Crazy seeing Washington and Vancouver atop the standings, as well as Phoenix doing so well and Pittsburgh stinking out the joint.
Check out the full standings and stats here.
Funny seeing Ovechkin and Luongo having crazy years. In fact, it's funny seeing Luongo still in Vancouver — period.
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I know this one is a bit old now, but if you haven't seen the "Hercules Hit," you need to see it. Always fun when the animations go haywire in a totally bananas way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5b_wHVCYUk
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According to the EA Sports NHL twitter, there is a roster update in the works to reflect the new reality. Sounds like it's coming soon.
Follow them here.
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Finally, how about Brian Burke getting canned in Toronto? Pretty crazy timing. Seems like he really rubbed the new "board" the wrong way, and maybe he wasn't willing to go after Luongo as hard as some of them wanted. Either way, it screws him over pretty good, as he can't go to some American team and squeak into the playoffs, making Leafs management look bad.
What do you think about his firing, OS?
I think it's fair to state that baseball games, especially The Show and OOTP, have had a more consistent run than most other sports titles. Both have been critical hits since at least 2006.
One problem with continued success is the expectations thrust upon each iteration. Maintaining quality can be hard enough; adding improvements to meet consumer exceptions can be tougher.
With that in mind, here are three things to watch for this Spring:
1. Can MLB 13: The Show and OOTP14 maintain their record of excellence, while being innovative at the same time? I don't think it's a stretch to expect good things from both games, but will what these games add be enough to warrant a purchase? I'd safely bet on "yes," but only time and consumer reaction will tell.
2. What's up with MLB 2K13? Will it be full price? Download only? Will it add anything new? The recently released fact sheet doesn't provide much information, at least in regards to new features while the 2K website lists the game as a full price pre-orders. At least 360 owners have a baseball game, but what kind of game will it be?
3. What does the future hold for baseball games? By the end of the year, we should know what the new consoles will be like. Does a generational change in hardware create new opportunities for additional hardball simulations? It will be exciting to see what The Show becomes on a more powerful machine, and interesting to see what happens to the 2K series. Do Microsoft or EA jump back in the game?
Now's a good time to be a baseball fan, at least in terms of the quality (not quantity) of titles. What are you looking forward to this year?
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Sports gaming is predictable, right?
If you predicted Madden NFL 13 to suck, NBA 2K13 and MLB The Show 12 to take a step back, and that arcade sports gaming would never return, you were likely applauded for these "rash" yet "true" statements.
Well, turns out, this past year was possibly the most unpredictable year in sports gaming since I can remember. But that doesn't leave me without worry. It's possible this will be the last full year before new consoles start arriving from Microsoft and Sony, and if so each sports title will be rebooted for the new systems. In short, my worst fear is to relive the horror and torture received going from Madden NFL 06 on the XBOX to the Xbox 360. I wouldn't even wish that on Steve.
So instead of doing the usual yearly expectations blog, let's step outside the box. Here are five surprises from 2012, with a way that each developer can continue their success moving to console's next generation.
Madden NFL 13
What Was Good: Connected Careers
Madden NFL 13 gave life to what felt like a dying franchise to the hardcore fans. Connected Careers creates your own NFL world. It immersed you in ways I was never sure possible. With the stories and Twitter feed combined with the scouting and progression, Franchise mode's replacement is awesome.
What Should They Do Next?: Be innovative, but don't get lost in new features. Connected Careers is already a great mode, yet it's only the foundation. You made something good, now make it great.
NBA 2K13
What Was Good: Gameplay
I never expect to be disappointed by an NBA 2K game. To be honest, I expect to be surprised. And this year I was. NBA 2K13's gameplay felt so much more polished than in the past. They have stuck with the same approach, of refining their game, and it has worked wonders.
What They Should Do Next: NBA 2K needs to transition to the new console generation the same way they did last time: seamlessly.
NHL 13
What Was Good: True Performance Skating
It blew my mind the first time I saw it. Easily my most vivid memory of E3 was being shown the video comparing NHL 12 and NHL 13. Then once I was able to hit the sticks, my mind was blown again. It really is a thing of beauty when a video game successfully introduces physics in a new way.
What They Should Do Next: Outside of some extra features in game modes, the NHL 14 crew really needs to keep fine-tuning gameplay. The Vancouver crew won't let us down.
SSX
What Was Good: The whole damn game.
C'mon, every person who bought this game on Day 1 fell in love with it instantly. With stunning graphics that resemble real-life landscapes and arcade style gameplay, SSX earned a 9.5, OS' highest score ever, from Chris Sanner, who is a very detail oriented guy, even if Steve says he's pitiful. And don't forget about the Deadly Descents, the most exciting part of the game.
What They Should Do Next: Well, there is no reason to make a new SSX anytime soon, but still plenty of time for some more DLC. More Deadly Descents, please.
Are you concerned sports gaming might drop off once new consoles arrive?
New consoles
This one is a no-brainer. We are nearing the end of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, whether you want to admit it or not. Do we need new consoles? Not really, but it's still nice to sit down and think about what they will offer us in this day and age when technology evolves extremely fast. Although little is known about the components and parts of these new consoles, developers are more willing to try completely different things when they have new hardware in their hands. Although with the way the industry is going with how much it cost to develop a game, let's hope that is still the case with the next-gen.
Of course new consoles not only affect racing titles, but obviously the industry as a whole. When it comes to my particular field though, I think new consoles can provide a lot for racing games. Expanding environments, various new gameplay enhancements, among other things can make things very interesting. Without knowing a whole lot about them, expect to see me and other writers on Operation Sports discuss this very topic a lot in 2013 as more news and information is uncovered.
The Evolution of Racing Games
Since new consoles are obviously on the way into our lives, it is time for racing games to evolve. Some people might be saying "what else can you add to a racing game?" My answer: A lot, and no, I am not speaking of just new cars and tracks. SEGA did a decent job doing this late last year with Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Going from a car, to a boat, to a flying vehicle felt smooth and was well-done. Criterion also tried it in 2012 with their new single player progression system. Those are small steps in making this specific genre more unique.
Evolving core mechanics in an arcade racer is a lot easier than doing it in a simulation game like F1 from Codemasters. Simulation games have to fit a certain mold where as arcade racers give developers more flexibility. Still, it is up to the developer AND the community to help the genre improve with new game modes and gameplay. What will that be exactly? That's something I hope we find out during the year. Like I mentioned earlier, new consoles mean that developers and publishers can -- and hopefully will -- try new things with existing franchises and even possibly make some new IP's. I can not wait to see what veteran studios do with the new hardware. It can only benefit racing games in a positive way.
Need for Speed
EA has turned the NFS franchise into an inconsistent one. We had the very well-made Hot Pursuit from Criterion Games followed by the not-so-great The Run that, honestly, had some great ideas that were just poorly executed. Just a few months ago we had Criterion's version of Most Wanted. It had some damn fun multiplayer, but the single player progression was something new they tried and it just did not work out (for me). Now that Criterion is taking the lead on the Need for Speed series, we need more than just their interpretation of past games for it to succeed. I'm sure most people want to see their take on the Underground games, but they have to try something fresh to keep the franchise on the upswing. When it comes to Criterion's other baby, yes, we all want another Burnout game and they say that one is coming, but I truly don't want to see the NFS name go down the drain.
So, what can be done to save the name? Is it too late and too many mediocre games later for EA and Criterion to bring back Need for Speed to where it once was? When it comes to the latter, I think it is not too late. Criterion knows what they are doing when it comes to racing games (Burnout: Paradise and Autolog). It will be very interesting to see what the new title will be and its features. I have a feeling that we will not see a past game reincarnated, so expect a completely new game to release later this year (possibly on new hardware?). As usual, once we learn new details about it, I will be here to report it to you.
Midnight Club
This one is here purely because we are extremely overdue for a new one. The last Midnight Club game to release was back in 2008 with Los Angeles. Rockstar Games have been pretty busy with other genres, releasing games like GTA IV, Red Dead Redemption, Max Payne 3, L.A. Noire, and soon GTA V. When seeing that list it is understandable that there has not been a new Midnight Club games in over four years. Still, most fans of racing games want to see the series come back and I think we will see just that. Although I don't think the new title will release this year (I'm thinking more Spring 2014), I can see it being announced and shown off quite a bit during 2013.
As of the beginning of January, these are the items I look forward to covering in the next year. As we progress in the next few months, I expect to be surprised by news and announcements that may change my thoughts about the topics above, but we'll just have to wait it out and see. Is there anything racing games related that you are interested in hearing about in the next year? Be sure to let us know in the comments below. 2013 looks to be a huge year for video games, not just the racing game genre. I am looking forward to seeing everything that will transpire over the next 11 months.
You can follow me on Twitter.
03:12 PM - January 9, 2013. Written by Wiggy
I'll definitely be talking about this topic with more detail in the future, but it recently just jumped out at me how the big three fighting franchises are really in a state of limbo at this point.
With THQ's financial state very much on the brink, it seems even more likely that many of their assets will be sold off. Of course, they already pre-emptively sold the UFC licence to EA, but that title has yet to materialize. There have been some minor hints as to who will be on the roster, via the UFC's facebook page, but nothing about the game -- release date, final roster, features or platforms -- is clear.
It's likely that the UFC wants people to tap out the reserves of UFC Undisputed 3 as much as possible, and that the new game in question just isn't far enough along to really show. Likely, we'll see some sort of sizzle trailer by E3.
Them there's the WWE game rights, which seem ripe to be sold. With WWE 13 doing fairly well both critically and commercially, it seems kind of like a no-brainer asset to dangle in front of possible buyers.
The problem for people waiting on the next version is that this creates a great deal of uncertainty, especially from the fact that the development studio will likely be an unproven group -- or the obvious delay in release cycle that will likely take place. It seems hard to believe that a title would be ready to release in 2013 without some sort of development help from THQ's own team.
Then there's the boxing realm. The Fight Night series sold well in the FN3 and FN4 releases, but Fight Night Champion was considered a disappointment in that regard. This leaves the future of EA boxing titles in some doubt, as they haven't really committed to how, and when, it will return. They had a statement last year reaffirming their commitment to the franchise, but gave no specifics. Hopefully E3 provides us with some answers in this respect, but one has to wonder how they'll handle having two fighting franchises -- and possibly even three, if the WWE falls their way.
Do you think we'll see all three of the big fighting franchises in 2013?
02:33 PM - January 9, 2013. Written by jmik58
The Baseball Writer's have struck again. For the eighth time in their history they've decided that no one is worthy of induction into Cooperstown. 2013 will go down as a blip on the screen.
I've written previously regarding my desire to see Baseball's Hall of Fame include the tainted past (including players who admit to PED use) even if it meant incorporating an "Asterisk Room."
But this ballot wasn't just about PED users or suspects. There were plenty of viable candidates. Curt Schilling. Craig Biggio. Mike Piazza. But not a single one of them was worthy, according to the writers in sum.
What is the purpose of Baseball's Hall of Fame these days? Is it a tool by the voters used to show up the steroid-era by refusing to include those deemed too impure?
The funny thing is that guys like Schilling, Piazza, and Biggio will likely get in -- eventually. But why wait? They aren't playing any more. Nothing they can do will enhance their chances any further. If the writers won't let them in now, what makes them worthy the next time around, or the next?
Maybe many of you understand it better than I do, but it's approaching a level of sense common to that of the BCS system in college football -- not very clear at all.
Baseball is supposedly America's passtime but the number of young people engaged in the sport has been declining over the years. The sport is in dire need of a boost, something dynamic that shows off a progressive push to an enlightened future. Baseball needs a group of writers who embrace the past both distant and near and include it in the shrine of history and fame -- clean or not.
Then again, maybe that's the way "Baseball" and the writers who cast votes (or lack thereof) for the Hall want it to be; an exclusive clubhouse. But if they continue on this course we may see a growing gap in inductions as the wall is placed in front of players of the past twenty years. An enlarging gap of emptiness than may soon replicate the favor Americans have for the sport in the coming years.
Sound Off: What is your reaction to the results for baseball's 2013 Hall of Fame Ballot?
Justin Mikels is a staff writer for Operation Sports. Give him hell in the comments or on Twitter: @long_snapper
10:52 AM - January 9, 2013. Written by CPRoark
Well, seemingly out of no where, 2K Sports announced MLB 2K13 and a March 5th release date.
This is a surprise to most, since there was no mention of this game prior to today. It wasn't on 2K's release list, and was reportedly losing the company money.
It seems that a new (more favorable?) licensing contract was established with Major League Baseball, letting 2K provide Xbox 360 owners their only real choice for console hardball.
While I feel competition is healthy for any aspect of business, this surprise announcement raises a number of questions:
1. How much improvement should we expect? It's unclear if 2K was working on this game prior to release. I suspect they were, but if not, will this simply be a roster update? The MLB 2K series was heading in a good direction until 2010; last year's version left a lot to be desired.
2. Only 360 and PS3? No word on PC or Wii U versions.
3. Will the contract extend into the new generation of consoles? I'd love to see other developers take a risk and help get us back to the glory days of baseball gaming (where we had multiple choices on every console).
Operation Sports has put in a request for comment on the length of the development cycle and what the plans are for this year's game and we will let you know when (if) we get an answer of some sort!
What are your thoughts/questions regarding this breaking news story? Will MLB 2K13 be fit for prime time when it releases in just a few short weeks?
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Still, the option that teams now have to buyout two contracts at the end of this season (at no cap hit) remains incredibly appealing, especially for some albatross contracts that certain clubs are burdening themselves with. Some teams could look a lot different soon, which makes for interesting times on the ice and for NHL 13 and NHL 14.
Here are three players that I think are most likely to receive the buyout treatment:
1) Roberto Luongo
Ah, Bobby Lu. He's a great goalie, to be sure, but the Canucks have grown wary of his inability to close the deal in the playoffs. With Cory Schneider doing good work and waiting in the wings, it's seems likely that he'll either be traded outright before the season or bought out this summer. And at a cap hit of just over $5.3 million (on a very long contract), the Canucks will be able to use that extra money in a different direction.
2) Scott Gomez
Good ol' Scott Gomez. Unfortunately for his team, the Montreal Canadiens, he's kind of turned into the poster child for an overpaid NHL floater. That's all well and good sometimes, but when said poster child costs you $7.3 million in cap space, and you're trying to re-sign PK Subban, it's likely that Mr. Gomez will find himself elsewhere in the near future.
3) Wade Redden
Unfortunately for Wade, when you make as much money as he does ($6.5 million cap hit) at 35 years of age, and you're compared against teammates like Rick Nash, Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards -- you know, guys actually worth that kind of coin -- you seem like a prime candidate for a buyout.
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Other notable players in the crosshairs for possible buyout include: Shawn Horcoff (Edmonton, $5.5 million cap hit), Rick DiPietro (New York Islanders, $4.5 million cap hit), Ed Jovanoski (Florida, $4.125 million cap hit).
It'll be interesting to see how these teams use their two get-out-of-jail-free cards, especially since it's basically telling these players that they were "mistakes."
KHL Kovalchuk?
This seems like it could be much ado about nothing, but Ilya Kovalchuk has still been recently suiting up with St. Petersburg SKA of the KHL, making some wonder if he'll actually come back to the NHL.
According to TSN, NHL deputy commissioner Billy Daly doesn't think so, as the NHL and KHL have some sort of tenuous understanding on who gets to stay and go between each league in these sorts of situations.
Still, there's been no official word on when Kovalchuk will head back to New Jersey, so the question remains open.
12:07 PM - January 8, 2013. Written by jmik58
The Crimson Tide's route of the Irish has left us with a paper-doll puppet show as college football's master thesis to the 2013 season.
When there is disappointment in the air, the blame game is close behind -- and in each zinger; an overreaction. So considering last night's BCS extravaganza was a dud, let's get the knee-jerk reaction party started.
Here are five excuses for the BCS championship disappointment:
1. Karma
ESPN forked over huge amounts of money to pull the BCS off the air waves and into cable land. We are worth more to networks and suit pockets as spectators on our couch than in stadium seats, but that also means the game needs to be close or we'll switch over to reruns of Duck Dynasty. College football is supposed to be an amateur sport, but has grown into anything but that.
The BCS format has survived controversy because it fattened the wallets of the decision makers. Not until it was deemed "monetarily advantageous" was a playoff approved to start in 2014. Perhaps the football gods wanted to get a quick zinger in on the suits because a 42-14 blowout doesn't rake in the advertising dollars.
2. Notre Dame Didn't Belong
Perhaps the Irish didn't play a tough enough schedule to warrant an appearance in the title game. But even if they were a mid-major program, an undefeated season is hard to deny a spot in the title game. This is why a playoff is so important though. A semi-final game would have allowed Notre Dame to find their place among the nation's elite; a victory earning them a place in the title game.
But this is the same problem any team faces. There are too many teams and not enough games to make adequate comparisons throughout the season to determine who truly is the best for the title game (without a playoff anyway). Notre Dame did the best they could with the schedule they had, they just weren't on par with Alabama.
3. Alabama is Unbelievably Good
Sure, Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M snuck one in against the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa during the regular season. But the Aggies were quite possibly the best offense that 'Bama faced all season, and when you're as tough as Alabama you're allowed one letdown a year. Sorry BCS, but not every game counts.
The Alabama offensive and defensive lines completely dominated that of Notre Dame, making it impossible to run for the Irish and leaving few clean shots on the Crimson Tide rushers. Even when the likes of Manti Te'o had a chance for stops they couldn't adjust to the more powerful backs of Alabama. Was the poor tackling due to inability or did the layoff cause the Irish defense to lose form?
4. Extended Preparation Time Ruined Notre Dame's Chances
The first and last games of the year are the least relevant to the flow of a season considering the amount of time allowed to prepare for each. Teams grind it out on a week-by-week basis but are then allowed nearly a month to prepare for their final opponent in the championship game.
It goes against the integrity of the season and takes away any advantage a lesser skilled team may have by giving all involved a chance to prepare for literally everything.
Several times last night Notre Dame audibled on offense at the site of 'Bama's alignment, only to have the Crimson Tide switch into the perfect defense for the audible. When you have enough time to gameplan in that detail you've had too much time to prepare in the spirit and integrity of how 95% of games are prepared for and played. Granted, both squads had the same opportunity, but the lack of any schematic advantage for Notre Dame nullified any chance to overcome physical mismatches.
5. Katherine Webb
I'm not sure how this relates but who cares, she may just be the new punctuation/punch-line/meme to everything college football -- relevant or not. She's Miss Alabama, a student of Auburn, AJ McCarron's girlfriend, and has the power to make blind men see.
If a Notre Dame player had a side-kick this gorgeous they might have tackled Eddie Lacy a little better or broke free of a few more of Barrett Jones' blocks. Did I mention she gained 90,000 new Twitter followers during the game? In a contest that otherwise stunk, the night's most memorable moment may have been a gushing Brent Musberger proclaiming a creepy "Wow!" at the site of Katherine.
Roll Webb.
Sound Off: What are your BCS Championship reactions?
Justin Mikels is a staff writer for Operation Sports. Give him hell in the comments below or on Twitter: @long_snapper.
Transfer rumors:
From Hell to Manchester? The Daily Mail spins the "David De Gea replacement" wheel once again (previous winners include Pepe Reina and Asmir Begovic) and comes up with Galatasaray's Fernando Muslera.
Remaining in Manchester, most likely knowing that you can't go wrong by linking Man Utd to midfielders, The Sun has Lampard going to Old Trafford after his contract runs out this season, The Daily Mail says United want Sven Bender (who has just signed an extension at Dortmund... but don't tell the DM), while The Mirror says that the Red Devils and Chelsea are going to battle it out for Marouane Fellaini. Fellaini and Luiz lining up together? That's a hair-raising prospect... I'll get my coat now.
The David Villa to Arsenal rumors are dead, according to The Telegraph.
ESPN Soccernet reports that Falcao isn't ruling out a move to Italy. And he plays it even coyer by saying he has a favorite team in the Serie A but won't tell. My guess? Pescara.
Think fast: "Funny and intelligent." Which footballer could we be talking about? Why, Joey Barton, of course, as Marseille wants to sign him permanently.
Other Stuff:
Get your version of Photoshop fired up. Howard Webb's reffing the Man United-Liverpool game this weekend.
The Guardian's Barry Glendenning has a good take of the Suarez/Jon Champion/ESPN hoopla.
Leo Messi wins his fourth straight Ballon d'Or and confesses his mind went blank. We wound too, if we stared at his polka dot suit long enough. Meanwhile, La Liga... er... FIFA's Dream XI was also announced. On the women's side, it's a good day for US Soccer as Abby Wambach and Pia Sundhage wins Player of the Year and Coach of the year, respectively.
And because it wouldn't be Toronto unless at least one of its sports team is in a laughably dysfunctional state, Toronto FC has fired Paul Mariner and has tabbed QPR's Ryan Nelsen as its eighth head coach in seven seasons. Duncan Fletcher of Waking the Red has his take. According to his introductory presser, there's also no concrete date as to when Nelsen will officially come across the pond, as he's still under contract with the Rangers until the end of the season. This should be fun.
Time Killers:
Here's FIFA's goal of the year, scored by Miroslav Stoch:
Monday, January 7, 2013
05:46 PM - January 7, 2013. Written by kelvinmak
Damn, that's some good looking hair.
Happy 2013, folks. The world didn't end, but now you've got me as a blogger for the soccer beat. I'd say that's about an even tradeoff.
(On a sidenote, I can finally call myself a blogger. Now how about them mainstream media dinosaurs?)
For those who don't know me, I was OS' soccer writer, before this transition to a more blogocentric (?) structure, since 2011. I've been playing soccer games since the days of FIFA 94 on my Mega Drive, and I consider PES 5 to still be the best soccer game ever, though FIFA 13 comes close in quite a few respects. And if you really care, I also play the sport as well, as a below average keeper with a reputation of spilling crosses for my rec league team. Goalie is pretty much the only position I can handle, being very out of shape and all. (Yes, the occasional dissemination of useless information will very likely be an ongoing theme in this blog.)
I've said this many times before, but I'll say it again: us soccer fans have it great when it comes to video games. Unlike the other sports, we have two legitimately stellar franchises to choose from, plus another one that I consider to be the best sports management title bar none. Better yet, all three of these games-- FIFA, PES, Football Manager-- are at the point in their respective cycles where we're probably going to see substantial changes in the next year or two. Exciting times indeed.
Logistically there won't be too many changes. I'll just be doing more of the quicker, shorter style blog entries instead of the longer feature pieces. Some of it will be serious and some will be of the lighter variety. And if I'm really running out of stuff to fill my quota, you may occasionally see a post filled entirely with cat gifs.
I'll also be wading into the real soccer world, especially in these coming months, since usually very little happens in January to March when it comes to video games. And because every handbook I've read on the subject of blogs advised me to do and say anything I can to generate hits and replies, from time to time I will also list reasons as to why Andy Carroll is better than Messi (his luscious locks, for one.)
Now the apocalypse didn't seem like such a bad option, eh?
In all seriousness though, leave a few lines as to what you want to see and read around these parts. The blog, really, is to generate discussion as much as it is to illustrate my viewpoint on things. So do drop by and say hello, and if you really want to, engage in a reasoned and civil debate about Carroll vs. Messi, even if big Andy is clearly the better player, obvs.
For many OS'ers, the months following the holiday season are dull: football's nearly over, we don't have College Hoops games any more, and the "new game shine" of FIFA and NHL have worn off.
However, for me (and probably many of you), this is my favorite time of the sports gaming calendar. From now until early March, we'll get a slow trickle of baseball gaming news, as well as a healthy amount of speculation and image analyzing. We'll anticipate the first glimpses of in-game footage, feature breakdowns, and player rankings.
This year is slightly different, though, for better or worse. For the first that I can remember, we'll have only one major console baseball title. While I expect MLB 13: The Show to be as good as always, I miss the days of having multiple titles to choose from, and by extension, experience.
Good news, though, is that OS will continue to bring you information as it comes out, both through news releases, analysis, and forum discussions. I'm happy to report that in our new structure, I'll be taking point on The Show and other baseball games (as well as motion games and OS titles).
I've been enjoying virtual baseball games since jumping into Microleague Baseball on our old Apple II. Other favs include MVP 2005, Out of the Park, the first World Series game on Xbox, Acclaim's All-Star series on the N64, and Power Pros.
While I'd consider myself a student of the game (I teach a statistics course and coach high school baseball), I'll admit that you, our readers, keep me on my toes. Your passion and dedication--represented by careful dissection of even the slightest bit of information--is what makes OS great.
So look for more The Show and OOTP analysis as news releases. Until then, what retired/cancelled baseball game/series would you want to be brought back?
Now, hopefully I don't end up having a debut like our friend above, but I feel fairly confident that I'll be able to bring you some meaningful insights into these genres. I've been covering games now for about 15 years, and these two areas for sports gaming are something I feel really strongly about.
Hockey has always been my favorite team sport, whether it's in the form of Ice Hockey on the Atari, NHLPA '93 on the SNES, NHL Faceoff on the PS1, Hit The Ice in the arcades, NHL 2K5 last generation or NHL 13 this year. As with everything I cover, I like to have an eye to what came before as well as what the standard of the day is, and that helps inform how I speak to features, changes and trends in current hockey products.
I hope to bring you all sorts of coverage about NHL 13, NHL 14 and beyond. Simulations, roster update reviews, online community features, wishlists, retro reviews and in-depth feature analysis are just some of the things I hope to bring you. As always, feel free to comment on what you'd like to see and how you'd like to see it.
As for fighting games, I have a long history with this genre as well, like I'm sure many of you do. Wrestling games have been around for a long time, and it's awesome to see which games, past and present, people still rally around. From the 8- and 16-bit era to the AKI engine to the promise that WWE 13 has possibly laid out for the future, I aim to bring you cool features and posts about community creations, DLC updates, retro revivals, pay-per-view simulations and extensive gameplay breakdowns.
At the same time, I love MMA and boxing. They make for the perfect competitive videogame sport, because it's ultimately all about how you position and pace your fighter. I plan to bring you some cool gameplay features, pay-per-view commentary/simulation pieces for MMA, DLC reviews, online grudge matches and career mode analysis.
With all this said, I'm looking forward to giving you a unique look at these genres while at the same time providing you with all the meaningful info you need to know. Throw me a friend invite through OS and be sure to bookmark this arena.
Hope to see you here in the arena, on the boards or even online in a match!
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