Author Bio
Jayson YoungHome Town: Nashville, TN.
Sports: Football, Basketball, Hockey, Soccer
Games: Old: Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball, Tecmo Super Bowl III: Final Edition, NBA Hangtime, New: All Pro Football 2K8, NHL '09
Teams: Vanderbilt Commodores, Tennessee Titans, Nashville Predators, Memphis Grizzlies
OS Username: OS: wEEman33 Xbox Live: wEEman33 BSD
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Monday, June 22, 2009
04:56 PM - June 22, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
For a franchise dedicated to such a niche sport, the Virtua Tennis series has an unusual history of making itself a showpiece for new gaming technology.
Unfortunately, what Virtua Tennis 2009 ends up "showing off" isn’t the brilliance of Nintendo’s new MotionPlus peripheral, but the general incompetence of the series' new lone developer, Sumo Digital.
-Review written by Jayson Young
Read More - Virtua Tennis 2009 (Wii) Review
Friday, June 12, 2009
08:37 PM - June 12, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
Under normal circumstances, tennis games wouldn't usually receive a whole lot of hype or attention from the mainstream media.Then again, most tennis games aren’t debuting alongside a new controller technology that’s supposed to revolutionize the way gamers can interact with the industry’s leading console.
Hence the roaring hype for EA’s Grand Slam Tennis, a game that both Nintendo and EA have christened as the ushering in of a new era in motion control.
Now that the finished product is finally in our hands, it's sad to have to report that Grand Slam Tennis fails to successfully deliver the promised one-to-one motion recognition. It's also sad to report that the game also comes with a number of frustrating inconsistencies that show how the Wii MotionPlus technology is not quite the startling revolution that was initially promised.
Read More - EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis Review
Thursday, May 21, 2009
11:04 AM - May 21, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
It’s hard to believe that during the 15-plus years of success by the EA Sports brand only one tennis game has ever been released under the North American label: IMG International Tour Tennis for the Sega Genesis, which debuted in 1994 and received little fanfare and a lukewarm critical reception.This time around, while critical reception for Grand Slam Tennis will be delayed until the game actually comes out, the fanfare surrounding Grand Slam Tennis for the Nintendo Wii already outweighs the hype surrounding its forgotten ancestor on the Genesis.
In current times, the virtual tennis courts are not quite as crowded as they were back in the 16-bit days when developers such as Sega, Tengen, Codemasters, Ubisoft, Namco, and of course, Nintendo were trying their hand at the sport on the Super Nintendo and Genesis, but Grand Slam Tennis developer EA Canada still faces some tough competition from established brands like Virtua Tennis, Top Spin, Mario Tennis and even the more niche Smash Court Tennis series.
Read More - Grand Slam Tennis: What's Hot and What's Not
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
08:08 PM - May 12, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
Longtime fans of the racing genre no doubt have some experience with Sega and its storehouse of legendary arcade racers. After all, there was the original OutRun cabinet that used to line the walls of Dairy Queens and Pizza Huts in the 1980s, the Daytona USA multi-cabinet grids that would rake in quarters at skating rinks and putt-putt golf courses, and the more niche Sega Rally games that eventually crept into the then-massive Chuck E. Cheese franchise. Simply put, the company's presence in the arcades over the last two decades has helped to create lasting memories for those who are old enough to recall a time when arcades had more to offer than an endless number of Dance Dance Revolution and Deer Hunter variants.
It came as no surprise, then, to see that OutRun Online Arcade, a port of Sega's most recent update to the classic arcade racer, quickly found its way to the top of the Xbox Live Arcade "most popular titles" list during the week of its April 15 release.
Read More - Outrun Online Arcade Review
Thursday, May 7, 2009
01:01 PM - May 7, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
It is a good time to be a sports fan. I mean just look at the sports calendar -- we are a month into the MLB season, the NBA and NHL Playoffs are in full swing, and there is also a litany of soccer, MMA, boxing, tennis, golf, F1, NASCAR and yes, even horse-racing events going on as well. But even though all these events are going on, I have been ignoring my copies of NHL 09, NBA 2K9 and FIFA 09. The current sports season dictates that I should be digging into those titles right now, but I have not touched them at all lately, not one bit. Instead, I have spent the last few weeks playing NFL Head Coach 09, a game about a sport that ended play months ago. So why this game, what makes it so unique?
Read More - NFL Head Coach 09 is an Underrated Sleeper
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
07:47 PM - May 6, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
Yes that's right, earning, as opposed to boosting, win-trading or whatever else people like to call the form of cheating that is commonly used to secure the game's precious attribute points.Here at Operation Sports, we assume that our audience is above cheating; that they, like us, embark down the path for the legend card with the expectation that the journey itself -- the stories gathered from overtime victories, dominating shutouts and thrilling come-from-behind victories -- will be worth more than any amount of superficial "experience points."
Read More - NHL 09: Tips for Earning Your Legend Card Online
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
08:59 AM - April 21, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
It is easy to get overwhelmed by the various variables found in NHL 09’s online character creator.From body size to attributes to the little details like sticks and skates, every decision in the create-a-pro section has a significant impact on what a created player can or cannot do on the ice.
So, hopefully this guide helps players better understand what the heck all these fancy options do, and in turn, helps people tweak those options to get the most out of their Frankenstein creations.
Read More - NHL 09: How to Build a Better Created Player
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
09:09 AM - April 8, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
Over the last two weeks, Operation Sports has covered NHL 09 strategies for defense and goaltending. Therefore, this week it is time to talk a little bit about offense.First, let me be clear that this guide is not here to show players how to exploit the game’s A.I. via glitch goals like the curve shot and the wraparound, but rather, this article is an attempt to inform people about hockey strategies that will work -- not just on the virtual ice -- but on the real ice, too.
Read More - NHL 09: A Non-Glitchers Guide to Offense
Thursday, April 2, 2009
08:49 AM - April 2, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
If there is anything rarer than seeing a human goalie between the pipes for an EASHL game, it is seeing two defensemen on the back line who do not:1. Whine endlessly about being stuck in a position they do not want to play.
2. Give up a ton of scoring opportunities to the other team because they have no clue how to play the position.
But, if you are one of the few Bash Brothers out there, crack open an ice-cold drink mister lonely EASHL defenseman.
You will not feel lonely anymore!
Read More - NHL 09: The Lonely Defenseman
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
02:18 PM - March 25, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
Of all the positions in NHL 09, it seems like the goalie position is the one that is neglected the most.Most of the players I have talked to agree that it is not so much because the position is not fun, but rather because the position is extremely difficult to learn -- much less master.
Part of the blame for that difficulty falls on EA Canada’s shoulder pads. The developers at EA Canada are the ones who have made the save controls completely counter-intuitive, given no on-screen indication of where the goalie should position himself, and put goalies at a severe disadvantage when it comes to dealing with input delay and the need to make split-second reactions to stop shots.
Read More - NHL 09: Goalies Wanted, Will train
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
10:59 AM - March 24, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
For some die-hard basketball fans, choosing between NBA Live and NBA 2K this year was like going to a used-car lot and trying to decide if you wanted a refurbished Pinto or a beat-up Camry.On the one hand, there is the familiar 2K engine, which has problems that have been compounded over the years because its owners have spent all their money adding frivolous features like a sleek spoiler, custom wheels and a lavish paint job, all while refusing to take the car in for the necessary maintenance on the parts that really matter: the engine, the brakes and the transmission, etc.
In the lot across the street sits an ugly looking Ford Pinto, with a rusting exterior, a broken passenger-side door handle and a non-functional air-conditioning unit. But since it just had its engine and transmission replaced, the Pinto runs well, and unlike the souped-up Camry, it will not leave you kicking it in its chrome-plated tires as it is lying dead on the side of the road with a pile of smoke rising from its engine -- though it may still explode if hit in the wrong spot.
Such is the state of this year’s basketball games: One is in dire need of an interior makeover (2K), while the other (Live) might be all right to use in a pinch but still needs a lot of exterior work before it is ready to become an "every day" type of car.
So, here are the key areas that the Live developers need to work on in the offseason if they want their game to earn a spot in the starting five of the 2010 lineup of sports games.
Read More - Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA Live 09
10:53 AM - March 24, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
If you have been paying attention to the community’s efforts to tweak NBA 2K9 during the past few months, you probably noticed that Neon1, one of the hardest-working NBA 2K community members, redid the ratings and tendencies for every player and coach in the game.As someone who had previously shelved NBA 2K9 out of frustration, I was initially excited to sit down and try this tweaked version of NBA 2K9 now that March Madness is in full bloom.
But after only a few games as my underachieving Grizzlies -- who have actually gotten a lot better, ratings-wise, since I last touched the game -- it became clear to me that the same opinion I had formed a few months ago still holds true:
NBA 2K9 is a mess, and no amount of slider tweaking or roster editing can save it.
So, in the first of a two-part series, I am here to explain why I have given up on NBA hoops this year, and I am also here to detail what needs to be improved in 2010.
Read More - Why I'm Done With NBA Basketball This Year: NBA 2K9
Thursday, March 19, 2009
11:21 AM - March 19, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
Gamers who have some experience playing PC games are undoubtedly familiar with Valve Corporation and its homegrown anti-cheat client. Valve's innovative "VAC" (Valve Anti-Cheat) has gone through two iterations -- the marginally successful VAC1 and the industry-leading VAC2 -- since its implementation into the classic online shooter, Counter-Strike, way back in 2002.
The service has done so well that, if one was to name any of the most popular PC shooters right now (Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike, etc.), there is a good chance that it is being "watched over" by Valve's VAC client.
Read more - Are Console Developers Doing Enough to Punish Cheaters?
Monday, March 16, 2009
11:31 AM - March 16, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
One of the major criticisms facing NHL 09's recently released patch is how it has allegedly turned the game into a "pansy" representation of the sport, which favors slow, deliberate strategy over the aggressive type of play that dominated the game prior to the second patch.This article is out to prove those criticisms wrong by showing that, on the contrary, the game still does reward aggressive tactics -- it simply no longer rewards the type of overaggressive tactics that would be blatant penalties at any level of hockey.
So here are a few tips to help gamers keep the pressure on opponents while avoiding the parade to the penalty box.
Read More - NHL 09: How You Can Keep Playing Aggressive Post-Patch
Monday, March 9, 2009
11:05 AM - March 9, 2009. Posted by MMChrisS. Written by Jayson Young
While most sports developers tend to roll out patches that amount to little more than a type of "cosmetic surgery" that fixes bugs, glitches and other technical issues, EA Canada has taken its post-release support of NHL 09 beyond the status quo. The studio has put out a pair of patches that have addressed the game’s technical flaws and also addressed some of the serious gameplay flaws that had gradually brought the online community to complete ruin.Read More - NHL 09: When a Man Loves a Patch
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