Users Online Now: 1060  |  November 24, 2009

Spotlight
Headlines
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Tuesday Other Stuff (11-24-09)
06:25 AM - November 24, 2009. Written by Steve_OS
QOTD: Which difficulty setting do you usually play on, when playing non-sports games?

Happy Birthday to the following OS'ers!

paylor1970 (39), primo1 (23), Ruff Ryder
Blog: Steve's World...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Inside Lacrosse's College Lacrosse 2010 Review
02:39 PM - November 23, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Dustin Toms
The game of lacrosse has seen its popularity grow more and more each year. So it only makes sense that Triple B Games and Carlo Sunseri LLC decided to create Inside Lacrosse's College Lacrosse 2010, available only on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Read More - Inside Lacrosse's College Lacrosse 2010 Review
Game: Inside Lacrosse's College Lacrosse 2010Reader Score: 3/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360Votes: 2 - View All
Sunday, November 22, 2009
No Less of a Memory - The Human Drama of Video Game Sports
12:14 PM - November 22, 2009. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah
Kotaku's Owen Good has posted a new article he titles No Less of a Memory - The Human Drama of Video Game Sports. We have a couple of Operation Sports entries in the article, make sure you give it a read.

Quote:
"Some video game sports moments are so indelible we remember and narrate them the same way we do the ones from real life."

What about you? What stories do you have?
Friday, November 20, 2009
OSFF Week 10 Contest and Week 11 Prizes!
07:45 PM - November 20, 2009. Posted by lgkeeper. Written by Trent Sano
Congratulations to "Jeddah Jihadists" owned by "juliusjackson" for taking home the 10th weekly contest of Operation Sports Fantasy Football! Chris Johnson, Randy Moss and the Ravens' D led "JJ" to an impressive 195.92 point performance and the weekly crown.

"juliusjackson" will be awarded the following for his Week 10 win:
  • 2k Sports T-shirt
  • Wii - Don King Boxing
  • PS3 - NCAA Football 2010
  • MLB 09 The Show t-shirt
  • PSP - MLB 09 The Show
  • PS3 - WWE Legends of WrestleMania
  • PS3 - WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2009

The top 5 in the OSFF Overall Contest are as follows:
1. "Terror" (ithrowds) - 1,391.07 pts - $299.80 team value
2. "Wall Street Warriors" (heater41) - 1,363.17 pts - $262.99 team value
3. "Sars" (sars) - 1,343.20 pts - $316.31 team value
4. "Tree Fiddy Scarlet Knights" (morellomre) - 1,338.85 pts - $303.47 team value
5. "Team Kevster" (kevster2) - 1,307.06 pts - $190.46 team value

Of the top 100 overall scorers, the team with the highest value is 7th place "Circle the Wagons" owned by "tySoke." His team is valued at $316.43.

It's also time to announce the prizes for the Week 11 contest! Next week (well, technically this week's) champ will win:
  • 360 Face Plate
  • 360 - Top Spin 3
  • 360 - Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010
  • MLB 09 The Show t-shirt
  • PS2 - MLB 09 The Show
  • PS3 - WWE Legends of WrestleMania
  • PS3 - WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2008
If you're not in the game yet, you have no excuse not to sign up right now! It's free!
Fight Night Round 4 Video Q&A: Brizzo and Mahar, DLC Pack #3 Release Date
05:18 PM - November 20, 2009. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah
The Fight Night Round 4 blog has been updated with 4 videos, featuring Mike Mahar and Brian Hayes, answering questions about the upcoming DLC pack #3, among other things.

Quote:
"With the DLC and Title Update lined up for early December, we polled the community for their questions about the upcoming additions and sat with game Producers Mike Mahar and Brian Hayes to get their take on things. Above you will find the first of 4 videos with answers to those questions."
Game: Fight Night Round 4Reader Score: 7.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes: 29 - View All
NCAA Basketball 2010 Review
01:12 PM - November 20, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Christian McLeod
No franchise was more in need of a makeover last fall than EA's (formerly known as) March Madness series. The crescendo of the franchise's downfall came with March Madness 08, which turned out to be the equivalent of a number 16 seed after the first day of the NCAA Tournament -- routed by a vastly superior opponent and lucky to even have been invited to the big dance. Thankfully, EA listened to the criticism leveled at the March Madness series and decided to start from scratch. The result was NCAA Basketball 09.

NCAA Basketball 09 corrected many of the nagging issues from the March Madness series and implemented a core experience that could be built upon in future iterations of the series. While the game was ultimately crippled by some annoying bugs (for example, playing zone against the CPU would force an ungodly amount of turnovers) and a lackluster dynasty mode, the overall game was a very solid Freshman effort by EA. 2008 marked the year that the developers at EA once again made their college basketball offering relevant.

And now with the first week of college basketball upon us, it is only natural that EA has released NCAA Basketball 10. Touting revolutionary television presentation, an all-new motion offense mechanic and yearly team and player "dynamic" updates, NCAA Basketball 10 is ready to up the tempo and try to run all other 2009 hoops competition out of the gym.

So is the game ready to ascend to the level of a UNC, UCLA and Michigan State, or is NCAA 10's bubble going to burst well before March?

Read More - NCAA Basketball 10 Review
Game: NCAA Basketball 10Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes: 4 - View All
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 Review
08:18 PM - November 19, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Richard Chavez
While soccer has been the most popular sport in the world for a long time, it has yet to really take hold in the US. It has been a hit with youths but that interest seems to gradually wane with age. With the World Cup in 2010, English Premier League games on ESPN and a rising star in Jozy Altidore, the sport may gain a much larger audience in North America.

Simply put, Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 has already sold millions overseas. Now it’s time to take the battle to the place where football has a different meaning.

Read More - Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 Review
Game: Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PC / PS2 / PS3 / PSP / Xbox 360Votes: 1 - View All
Madden NFL Arcade, Game Changers Revealed (Press Release)
06:47 PM - November 19, 2009. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah
Catch Your Opponent Off-Guard with
Game Changers featured in Madden NFL Arcade

Madden NFL Arcade delivers an all new 5-on-5 gridiron experience, complete with 13 action-packed Game Changers. Each player will have the chance to receive a Game Changer before every play. They can choose to use their awarded Game Changer immediately or save it for a crucial play. Either way, every Game Changer has the ability to impact a play and change the course of the game.

Freeze a single player on your opponent’s team, confuse the defense by passing 3 footballs instead of 1, or pick up the pace of the play with lightning speed. Game Changers ensure that no 2 plays are the same in Madden NFL Arcade!

Entourage - Bring in the reinforcements as Entourage sends the rest of your lineman into the game to help out for a play.

Triple Threat - Disguise which receiver you’re throwing the ball by sending out two other decoys with the Power Ball game changer.

Bonus Play - Give yourself an additional down to help get in the end zone and earn some much deserved points with Bonus Play.

Make it, Take it - If you’re good enough to score when you trigger Make It, Take It, the ball is yours to keep on the next possession.

Turbo – The Turbo game changer will send players in fast forward by giving them an extra speed burst.

Molasses – Game too fast for you? Use Molasses to take down the action on the field to a less frantic pace.

Fumbilitis – Turn your opponent’s into butter fingers as they’ll have a difficult time holding on to the ball with Fumbilitis.

It’s Alive – Make any pass a scramble for the ball as its Alive will turn any incomplete pass into a live ball.

Frostbite - Put the freeze on one opposing player from moving by using the game changer Frostbite.

Fast Pass - Fast Pass gives the power to a QB to throw the ultimate bulleted pass.

Flying Blind - Sabotage your opponent by using Flying Blind to turn off their passing icons.

Flip Flop – Jealous of your opponents score? Flip Flop will nicely borrow the score and never give it back.

Dud – Hey, they can’t all be winners.
Game: Madden NFL ArcadeHype Score: 4/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes: 4 - View All
NCAA Basketball 10 Initial Impressions
03:35 PM - November 19, 2009. Written by ehh
I picked up NCAA Basketball '10 yesterday, like many others, with limited expectations. I just sold off Live after enough frustrating things caused me to give up on the game but had some hope for NCAA '10 because I thought it would correct some of the complaints I had with Live after playing the demo.

Let's get the negatives out of the way, some larger issues from Live 10 that are in NCAA '10:

  • Minimal fast breaks though the CPU will push the ball a lot if they're up tempo.
  • Spotty/average animations
  • Players step out of bounds sometimes (although it's much improved in NCAA thanks to the Boundary Forcefield Slider still being present)
  • CPU never kicks the ball out after an offensive rebound
  • CPU does not pass the ball out of the post enough
  • Like Live pre-patch there needs to be more fouls though sliders may be able to fix this, more testing is needed.
Some larger issues from NCAA '09 that are still in NCAA '10
  • No CPU name indicator under the ball handler
  • Dynasty is largely unchanged, recruiting changes still need to be evaluated. Sim logic is improved, maybe too strict (not enough upsets).
  • At times there will be a whistle and you have no idea what happened, the commentator won't mention anything and there won't be an overlay. This happens far less frequently than it did in 09 though.
  • The CPU's guards dominate the offense and they don't feature their star players enough. This seems improved to a certain degree but is not perfect. You shouldn't see stars taking less than 10 FGA. In two games against "stars" Luke Harangody had 19 FGA and Greg Monroe had 13.
  • You cannot edit jump shot animations for each player.
  • Rosters are still a mess. Guys missing and poor ratings.
  • Still cannot edit a player's class/year.
Issues that are in Live 10 that are NOT in NCAA 10.
  • The CPU's offense doesn't do questionable/out of character things. No three pointers from big men who never shoot past 12' IRL, no fadeaway three's early in the shot clock, no 'one quick pass and shot' nonsense.
  • Contested shots are much better in NCAA '10. They go in far less and the CPU recognizes when they are contested and don't shoot them as often.
  • The contact in the paint is much less frequent than in NBA Live. It's pretty good, you'll get it every now and then but a majority of the time if you have space or a lane to the hoop you'll get your shot off instead of being sucked into contact (on Varsity at least). This applies to the user and the CPU.
  • Players step out of bounds far less, since I upped the boundary forcefield slider to 100 I've seen one player set out of bounds in four games.
  • Defensive rotations are better than Live post-patch, similar to Live pre-patch. Less skating, less speedy recovery (on Varsity at least).

Obviously there are more issues with the game but those are some of the more discussed ones on the OS boards.

Moving on, the game does a lot of things right. Starting with the biggie obviously, the presentation. They hit it out of the park, way, way out of the park. It's not just an overlay here and there, there is a lot of great stuff that you'll see. Starting with the CBS or ESPN intro, you get pretty pumped up right from the start of the broadcast.

  • Highlight packages for players having a big game, complete with the ESPN/CBS swipe that says the players name.
  • Highlight packages for your motion offense, points in the paint or three point shooting. Again, shows your team name, the type of highlight package you'll see and then 3-4 clips.
  • After a time out we get 'commercial break' commentary and highlights, plus the score overlay. Nessler, etc will say, "And stay right there, we'll be back after this with more college basketball on ESPN."
  • When the shot clock is winding down a box will pop up on the screen that shows it, just like in a real-life broadcast
  • Overlays for scoring droughts (Team A is scoreless the last 2:03)
  • Overlays for team fouls, rebounding, blocks, assists, etc.
  • If you're ranked it will say it on the score overlay the entire game just like IRL.
Moving on to the game play, the game made some huge strides and really has a different, more college feel than Live 10.

  • There is a very noticeable difference in players this year. Not just guards compared to bigs, but good, quick guards compared to slower, average guards. You'll notice a difference using Sherron Collins compared to a mid or low major point guard. Most SF's can't easily get by defenders with the dribble because their R-stick moves are slow and don't work well. Big men trying to drive into the paint will get stripped. This is something Live 10 did pretty well IMO and I'm not surprised that it's carried over to NCAA.
  • Unlike in NBA Live, you cannot iso and pick-n-roll the entire game and expect to have success. The motion offense (more on this later) and set plays are beautiful, just like in Live, and will help you tremendously if you run them frequently.
  • I have seen two illegal screens called.
  • Controls from NCAA 09 are vastly improved.
  • Freestyle passing is more responsive and more accurate than Live.
  • Game tempo still works well. With UConn I played Notre Dame and won 85-77, then played Georgetown (half court tempo) and won 54-52.
  • Zones work very well. No crazy turnovers/steals/interceptions like in 09.
  • Drive, draw and dish game is still beautiful, and even a little better than 09.
Some little things that could go a long way...
  • On the fly subs are really improved. It's much quicker and more response, shows fatigue and number of fouls each player has. Big, big improvement. You can also smoothly use on the fly subs while the CPU is shooting free throws, something that's a disaster in Live.
  • When you pause the game you get a game reset on the screen, showing time, score, time outs left, team fouls and a few stats. All this information was no where to be found in 09.
  • Roster editing is much quicker and more responsive. You can fly through all the accessories, faces, etc - it is instant. No more 2-3 second hitch when you change sneakers or a face.
  • A lot of new accessories. Arm sleeves, black socks, knee braces/pads, jumper knee straps, more sweatband types (above elbow, on elbow, forearm, wrist) and all the dope sneakers from Live 10. Helps with individualizing players and making them more true to their real life counterpart.
  • The arch on jump shots is fixed from 09, no more "only rainbows go in".
  • Ball physics are improved from 09.
  • Subs are shown checking into the game at the scorer's table.
  • Net animations are much improved.

NCAA 10 is putting in a valiant effort after being left for dead by many people before it was even released. However, Live had a similar overwhelmingly positive initial reaction but that died pretty quickly and the patch arguably did more harm than good. Time will tell with NCAA '10, we'll see how everyone feels 6-8 weeks from now and if the initial shine has worn off or if the game is still impressing people. The game play is extremely solid so far (out of the box for gameplay sliders) and the presentation is out of this world.

Ultimately the dynasty mode will make or break this game for most people, is it good enough for people to invest two or three months with NCAA '10? Obviously it's no where near 2K8's legendary legacy mode but if it's serviceable then NCAA '10 might be a surprising title that satisfies a lot of gamers. If you're on the fence then rent or wait it out to see how everyone feels in a month, the depth and replay value will be the key with NCAA '10 in the end.
Blog: ehh
Madden 10: AskMadden Tip of the Week
12:18 PM - November 19, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by AskMadden
Madden has always mirrored the NFL. In this week's tip, we look at what the Philadelphia Eagles have to take into account if they want to be successful passing the ball. This logic goes hand-in-hand with the Madden football series.

Bottom line, fast receivers are only a threat when they have space to use their speed. To overcome physical corners as well as inexperience, we hit practice mode to demonstrate how the Eagles in the NFL, as well as teams with undersized receivers in Madden, get open space for their playmakers to create big plays.

Read More - Madden 10: AskMadden Tip of the Week
Game: Madden NFL 10Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3 / WiiVotes: 42 - View All
The Trials of Trials (Eurogamer)
06:48 AM - November 19, 2009. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah
Eurogamer paid a visit to RedLynx and posted this Trials HD article.

Quote:
"After 10 years, you become pessimistic that nobody's going to buy the game," says Antti Ilvessuo, creative director at RedLynx, but with a laugh. He's talking about how he felt going into Trials HD, this summer's big success story on Xbox Live Arcade. He's relaxed because Trials HD has sold over 500,000 copies, which translates to about five million quid."

Just in case you missed it, our review was posted right here.
Game: Trials HDReader Score: 9/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360Votes: 5 - View All
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
NCAA Basketball 10 Launch Sizzle
11:54 PM - November 18, 2009. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Steve Noah
Check out the NCAA Basketball 10 launch sizzle.
Game: NCAA Basketball 10Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3Votes: 4 - View All

« Previous12345…10531054Next »