Operation Sports  |  Blogs  |  Forums (Mobile)  |  FOF Central  |  EASHL Forum  | 
Users Online Now: 612  |  March 12, 2010

Spotlight
Headlines
Friday, March 12, 2010
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 Hands-On Preview (IGN)
12:34 AM - March 12, 2010. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah
IGN has posted their hands-on preview of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11.

Quote:
"Once I got the controller in my hand and got to try the game for myself, things were instantly familiar. Powering up your shot is still the A button (X on PS3), looking at your shot is a tap of the B button (circle on PS3) and switching clubs is done via the shoulder buttons, just as you remember. One of the new features that EA Sports refused to talk about is a focus meter that depletes as you power up your shot. The consequence for losing focus wasn't made clear, but we'll share the details as soon as we get them.

EA was, however, open to talking about the various graphical improvements that they've made to this year's game. While player models look very similar, individual blades of grass are better articulated than they have been in the past, the clouds in the sky now move and flow as they should. There are also new cloth physics that make clothes react accurately to a gusting breeze (wind now gusts unpredictably, by the way) or a soft wind. This year's Tiger takes a nice step forward visually while not overhauling the graphics engine that we all know so well.

The final addition that I noticed (again, EA Sports wouldn't talk about it) during my time with Tiger 11 was what appeared to be a multiplayer leveling system. As the developer from EA Sports tried to set up a 12-on-12 online match I was shown the lobby system where players can join up. During a momentary loading time as the game looked for players the screen read, "looking for players within 98 levels of you." That leads me to believe that players will be able to progress through 100 levels of golfing prowess, earning unlocks along the way. What those unlocks will be and how they'll affect gameplay is yet to be revealed or even acknowledged by EA."
Game: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11Hype Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3 / Wii / iPhoneVotes: 1 - View All
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Madden NFL 10: Year of the 3-4 Defense
03:10 PM - March 11, 2010. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by AskMadden
The 3-4 defense is more popular in the NFL than it has ever been. About half the teams in the NFL employ the defensive set for some if not all of their defensive snaps. And since the 3-4 is so popular, it is assumed that the Madden developers have developed this scheme so it is just as effective as it is in the real NFL.

Unfortunately, that is not really the case. While some Madden gamers can use this defense effectively, the game has simply not adapted its gameplay to fit the needs of the 3-4 on or off the field. But the lack of 3-4 friendliness in Madden can be remedied by the developers. And making Madden more 3-4 friendly would help create a more realistic experience when using the formation, and it would also benefit the general gameplay.

If the developers work to solve the problems that plague the 3-4 in the game, Madden 11 could be considered the year of the 3-4. So let us start on the field and talk about how some realism can be injected into the defense.

Read More - Madden NFL 10: Year of the 3-4 Defense
Game: Madden NFL 10Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3 / WiiVotes: 51 - View All
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 Videos (Gametrailers)
06:20 AM - March 11, 2010. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah


Game: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11Hype Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3 / Wii / iPhoneVotes: 1 - View All
Tecmo Bowl Throwback Interview (2D-X)
12:55 AM - March 11, 2010. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah
2D-X has posted an interview with Mike Fahrny, Producer of Tecmo Bowl Throwback.

Quote:
2D-X: "In terms of customization, will gamers be able to tweak teams as they see fit, or will they have to have to earn points over the course of a season to apply to abilities?"

Mike: "All abilities in Throwback are true to the SNES version and players will not be able to edit them nor will they increase/decrease over a season. Earning points over a season is a good idea though – perhaps the next time around."

Damn, that's not good news.
Game: Tecmo Bowl ThrowbackHype Score: 10/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3Votes: 11 - View All
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Gran Turismo 5 Will Be Coming in 2010 (GTplanet)
09:12 PM - March 10, 2010. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah

GTplanet received word from the Game Developers Conference 2010 today, Gran Turismo 5 will arrive in 2010. What are the odds?

Quote:
"GT5 received brief mention at Sony’s large press event at the Game Developers Conference 2010 today. While the focus of the show turned out to be Sony’s new motion controller, it was “confirmed” the company’s biggest racer will be released in 2010. Of course, for anyone who’s been paying attention, this isn’t exactly a surprise, but it should calm any lingering fears that remained after the game’s Japanese March date was postponed."
Game: Gran Turismo 5Hype Score: 9/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3Votes: 19 - View All
We have a new poll on the right side of the homepage. Let us know what the most important aspect of a game is to you.
MLB '10: The Show Review
06:07 PM - March 10, 2010. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Christian McLeod
The month of March is by far my favorite time of the entire year. Why? Because March signifies the return of baseball. I have been playing the game ever since I was old enough to walk; I still pick up a pack of baseball cards whenever I get the opportunity; I viewed my trip to Fenway Park as a religious experience; And I am one of those twisted individuals who will watch all 162 games of my beloved Detroit Tigers (and even game 163 last season, which I do not want to talk about). March is the month of baseball's rebirth.

March also happens to be the month baseball games are released, an added bonus that makes the month even sweeter in my eyes. I have been gaming for as long as I have been interested in baseball, so naturally the two would go hand in hand. I am proud to say that I have played quite possibly every baseball game ever created. From Hardball to High Heat to the Tiger Electronics monochrome baseball game, I have experienced them all, loving many, despising a few, and with many others falling into various levels in between.

Knowing this I am sure it will come as a surprise when I say that I was a bit underwhelmed by Sony's MLB 09: The Show last year. The game was most definitely a solid overall baseball title, but my biggest issue with the game was that after playing the '08 version to death, there was no aspect of the '09 game that really compelled me to invest a great deal of time into the title. I never felt that addictive pull as a baseball fanatic and hardcore sports gamer to keep playing.

But when I was told that I would be handling the review of MLB 10: The Show this year, I was definitely excited for the opportunity. With the promise of revamped real-time presentation, a new broadcast camera angle in the field, numerous RttS improvements (including the ability to call a game as a catcher) and upgrades to the series' awful throwing meter, MLB 10 seemed to have enough new content to differentiate itself from its 2009 iteration. So does MLB 10 deliver that elusive pull for this baseball junkie? Read on to find out.

Read More - MLB '10: The Show Review - Written by: Christian McLeod
Game: MLB '10: The ShowReader Score: 9/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3Votes: 18 - View All
Madden NFL 11: Madden is Watching (ESPN)
05:29 PM - March 10, 2010. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah
You wouldn't believe how many interceptions Brett Favre threw online last season, and EA is counting every single one as they track online user data to help shape the direction of Madden NFL 11.

Quote:
"The average length of a "Madden NFL 10" game is 63 minutes, but only 17 minutes of this time is spent actually playing the game. The other 46 minutes are spent on things like calling plays, setting up audibles, making substitutions, and watching replays. Another crazy stat thrown out at the event is the fact that while most team playbooks offer an average of 330 plays, the average gamer only uses 13 plays per game.

That is why the tag line for this year's game is "'Madden NFL 11': Simpler. Quicker. Deeper," as EA Sports is looking to not only speed up the time it takes to complete a game, but make the experience geared more toward how people are actually playing "Madden" online according to this user data they've compiled.

"Our online base, our online connected rate continues to rise dramatically," explains "Madden" executive producer Jeremy Strauser. "We're able to now bring a tremendous amount of data in on real-time usage, real-time gameplay, in terms of reports from our connected user base.

"We're bringing in over 173 million data reports ever single day with 'Madden,'" adds Strauser. "We're able to take this real-time data, confirm what's working, what's not working, and make changes to the game real-time while it's consumed."

One example of how this quick-fix ability is a gameplay tweak from last year. When "Madden NFL 10" first shipped, EA started tracking Hit Stick tackles. While 1,135,443,163 were attempted, an astounding 518,959,818 were actually completed, for a success rate of 46-percent. Hit Stick tackles were meant to be a high risk/high reward type feature where gamers whiff and pay the price, but by making 46-percent of these tackles, the high risk part of the equation was almost nullified. So EA Sports went in and made a gameplay change through an online update about a month into the season, and the Hit Stick success rate plummeted down to the levels the game designers originally intended."
Game: Madden NFL 11Hype Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3Votes: 12 - View All
EA Sports MMA Updated Impressions (Gamespot)
05:23 PM - March 10, 2010. Posted by shad_moss93.
Gamespot has posted their updated impressions of EA Sports MMA.

Quote:
"EA Sports MMA will use a system called total strike control, a modified version of the right-stick focused controls found in Fight Night Round 4. Players will use the right stick for all strikes, with different stick movements resulting in different attacks (flicking down and up, for example, will make your fighter attempt his version of a roundhouse). Holding down the left bumper will modify the attacks to become leg moves, while moves will also change depending on the distance your fighter is away from his opponent. If you’re not a fan of the right stick, then EA still has you covered: All of these moves can also be assigned to your controller’s face buttons.

While EA let out some details about standing attacks, it still didn’t unveil the control scheme for defense, clinches, or ground moves. One thing EA reps did confirm, however, is that a controller’s rumble functionality will be used when fighters are grappling on the ground. When on the mat, rumbling will indicate that your opponent is trying to move position, giving you a tactile indication of what your opponent is planning and allowing you to perform a countermove should your skills permit."
Game: EA Sports MMAHype Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes: 8 - View All
Madden NFL 11 Potential Features, Teased From EA (Gameinformer)
09:02 AM - March 10, 2010. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah
Gameinformer has also posted some of the potential features for Madden NFL 11.

Quote:
"Using the extensive amount of play data generated by online gaming sessions (the company said 82-percent of NCAA players and 76-percent of the Madden audience plays online), EA Tiburon has identified some telling trends. Though the Madden NFL 10 offers over 300 different plays in various formations, the average player only uses 13 different playcalls a game - not exactly a ringing endorsement for the armchair offensive and defensive coordinators of the world. Strauser's focus on this issue indicates that making the playbook more accessible to players will likely be a point of emphasis in Madden NFL 11, though he didn't divulge any details as to how the dev team plans to achieve this goal. One option could be revamping the playbook's user interface to give players new ways to mine the playbook. Redesigning the "Ask Madden" playcalling assistant to more accurately recommend plays that fit the down and distance of the situation at hand could also go a long way."
Game: Madden NFL 11Hype Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3Votes: 12 - View All
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 Screenshots
06:31 AM - March 10, 2010. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah
EA just sent us these Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 screenshots.
Game: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11Hype Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360Votes: 1 - View All
EA Sports MMA Early Look (1up)
06:29 AM - March 10, 2010. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah
1up has posted their early look at EA Sports MMA.

Quote:
"The game's strike control system, mapped to the right stick, is based on Fight Night's "Total Punch" control scheme. Defense also plays a part in the game as you dodge, parry, and duck while moving around the ring. You need to be wary of your fighter's stamina; as it can be lessened by taking punches to the body, grappling, and also by missing punches you throw.

EA Tiburon promises that the game's "Flash Knockout" feature is no roll of the dice, meaning a lucky punch won't knock you out. It does mean, however, that if you take too much of a risk and stick your chin out too far, one deliberately-placed punch will drop you to the canvas."
Game: EA Sports MMAHype Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3Votes: 8 - View All
2010 FIFA World Cup Updated Hands-On Preview (Gamespot)
06:26 AM - March 10, 2010. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah
Gamespot has posted their updated hands-on preview of 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Quote:
"One new improvement is the penalty kick system, which has radically changed since the last FIFA. Each penalty kick will change in terms of difficulty depending on the events surrounding it. For example, a penalty against Fiji when you're 5-0 up will be relatively easy; while the decisive penalty in the World Cup final against Brazil will be much tougher.

The new system is based around a compsure meter that goes back and forth, moving between red in the extremities and green in the centre. The idea is to hold the shoot button when the marker is in the green area, and then perform a similar maneuver to determine the power. Meanwhile, a blue marker will appear on the screen allowing you to direct the shot, with a small marker allowing pinpoint accuracy if you landed in the green portion of the bar. The position marker only appears in the training mode though; in the real game, you have to make a judgement on how much to tweak the aim of the ball.

With the penalty taker getting more options, it's only fair that the keeper does as well, so thankfully EA Sports has improved this area as well. Keepers now do more to stop the ball than before, automatically moving their arms and legs to knock the ball if they're heading in the right direction. You can also move the keeper up and down the line and perform various taunts, moving your body to try and put the penalty taker off their shot."
Game: 2010 FIFA World CupHype Score: 9.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3Votes: 2 - View All
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 Videos (Gametrailers)
06:24 AM - March 10, 2010. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah


Game: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11Hype Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3 / Wii / iPhoneVotes: 1 - View All

« Previous12345…10971098Next »