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Thursday, December 3, 2009
OSers not sure what to think of Backbreaker.... Stuck
04:02 PM - December 3, 2009. Written by MMChrisS
Check out this poll.

The results (before we get a bunch of people trying to prove this blog wrong by loading up on one option or another) are amazingly even. I honestly cannot remember a poll with such even results.

It certainly looks that while a lot of OSers think Backbreaker might be a 2010 Game of the Year type of game right now, many more expect the game to completely bomb. If nothing else, Backbreaker will be one of the most talked about games out there for awhile.

So be sure to vote in that poll, but we've got a new one up on OS asking about the EA Sports/Tiger Woods relationship. Be sure to vote in that one too. I also wrote a blog on that one this morning if you want to check out my thoughts.
Blog: MMChrisS
EA Sports standing by Tiger a good thing 
10:42 AM - December 3, 2009. Written by MMChrisS
You can't replace a well built brand overnight.

That seems to be EA's mantra with the Tiger Wood's series since they have decided to stand by Tiger. I'm not surprised, shocked, or even remotely puzzled by this move because it was simply the right move to make.

Tiger Woods is still the greatest golfer on the planet: past, present, and at least near future. You want your Golf themed video game branded around something like that.

And while I don't typically mix my personal beliefs into discussions like this, Tiger never claimed to be perfect. Tiger released a well timed statement, he apologized and he said he's working it out with his family. In this instance, there is nothing we can do and he sounds like he's doing what he can to patch things up. There's no reason not to forgive him -- not that there wouldn't be otherwise. I think most of his business partners are going to end up feeling the same way.

If you feel hurt by Tiger or if you have or will by any other professional athlete just know this: they're all human. Don't build them up to be bigger than they are, they are just as prone to setbacks and failures and you and me.

I believe EA made the right call here.

With that said, what do you think? Did EA make the right move by keeping Tiger on board?
Blog: MMChrisS
Thursday Other Stuff (12-3-09) Stuck
04:42 AM - December 3, 2009. Written by Steve_OS
QOTD: What's your top 3 sports video games of the year?

Happy Birthday to the following OS'ers!

supdog (33), Latrell (25), nightcreeper (21), supermati (20)
Blog: Steve_OS
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
So is it really the industry John? Stuck
07:14 PM - December 2, 2009. Written by MMChrisS
I love it when I can catch a corporation in double talk. Check out what John Riccitiello said about Madden and it's disappointing sales back in September:

“It is discouraging that one of our highest-rated and best-marketed ‘Madden’ titles in years is facing strong headwinds,” Chief Executive Officer John Riccitiello told employees in an e-mail released today. Industry trends “present a challenge,” he said.

Yet, just yesterday, EA touted 'record setting' sales of FIFA 10:

"Based on internal sales projections, FIFA 10 has sold through more than 4.5 million units worldwide since launch, a 26 percent increase over the same period a year ago (eight weeks in Europe and five weeks in North America). FIFA 10 also became the fastest-selling sports videogame in the world with 1.7 million units sold through at European retail in its first week after its launch on October 1, and it’s the top selling game overall in Europe in 2009."

My only question is...is it a depressed economy or perhaps something else leading to Madden's lower sales? You can't have it both ways.

Personally, I liked Madden but I love FIFA. And while FIFA does have a much more global reach, it's also breaking it's own records whle Madden isn't. In fact, Madden sales are actually lower this year.

What do you think is the cause of our little conundrum here?
Blog: MMChrisS
Backbreaker: It's a tough sell Stuck
06:59 PM - December 2, 2009. Written by MMChrisS
Natural Motion either has one of the greatest playing football games in the history of the world or it is about to heavily disappoint football fans around the world.

Without a franchise mode, at least in name, Backbreaker is going to have to rely on it's gameplay to pull in sales, and even still sales might just be tough to come by.

However, I see glimmers of hope here. If the game is able to deliver full customization options on a level not yet seen before so players can create NFL, college or even high school likenesses, then the game might have a chance if it catches on online.

From what it looks like, without anything more than screenshots, a few teaser previews, and a rather vague fact sheet, Backbreakers gameplay will be rooted in simplicity. This could be both a blessing and a curse as some developers are able to make a game layered like an onion, where there are more complex layers as you go deeper on top of the simple face. On the other hand, other developers can't make a game fun for more than a bit since they can't seem to make simple gameplay variable gameplay.

I'm not so sure we are going to see anything close to greatness from a first generaton game on a next-gen console. With a season mode which is customizable, there is some hope for replay value. But a Madden killer this game won't be. Given the fact sheet on top of everything else we already know, I'm going to be semi-bold in predicting Backbreaker could end up being a moderately solid game, but it won't be quite ready for primetime.
Blog: MMChrisS
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Some Turkey Day Ponderings on Review Scores Stuck
02:34 PM - November 26, 2009. Written by MMChrisS
It's Thanksgiving day and while I wrote this full article quite awhile ago, I feel it's a good day to publish it with news being slow otherwise. I covered my frustrations with reviews in an earlier blog post as well, so if you want a refresher check out my earlier blog here.

The most frustrating aspect of reviews for me is scoring the game. The thing is, there are just as many theories on how to properly score a game as there are theories on how not to score games. At OS, we encourage our writers to factor in a number of factors on how to score sports games to try to get as universal of a rating system as we possibly can. But it has been and will always be our policy to not score games for reviewers, that opens up a can of worms which you don't want to go down.

Here is a basic overview of what we look for:

Gameplay - First and foremost, we encourage our writers to consider the gameplay. How good is it? Is it representative of the sport it is representing? Most importantly, is it fun?

Game modes, innovation - Does the game offer different modes, does it innovate? How much lasting appeal does the game give? What are the online modes like?

Presentational Elements - How does the game feel from the moment the game turns on? How are the graphics? How does the game audio work? Are the commentators good?

Game Value - One of the more overlooked components of our reviews is the value aspect of games. If two games are completely equal but one is $20 and one is $60 brand new, then you have to take that into account with any final score.

So basically, games are judged differently depending on their price point and platform. Otherwise, games on handheld platforms would be hard to score above 4 or 5s since they don't measure up to their big brothers on the major consoles.


So with all of that said, what do you consider when buying a game? Do you look for gameplay, presentation, game modes, good value or a combination? How would you review games if given the chance?
Blog: MMChrisS
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Three Items to be thankful for..... Stuck
11:18 AM - November 25, 2009. Written by MMChrisS
It's Thanksgiving time, and as a sports gamer and looking back on this year of big releases there are a few things which we can be thankful for. Here are three:

1. There were no downright terrible major releases - Remember when Madden and NBA Live 06 stunk up store shelves? This year, the only possible candidate for suckitude comes from NCAA Basketball 10, but a lot of people kind of like the game. Every other release was pretty solid.

2. Developers haven't ran for the hills...yet - The OS crowd is a tough, tough crowd. If you get a jersey stripe wrong your whole product is ruined, we are hardcore to the bone. The fact many developers have continued to take on the challenge of the OS'ers makes me very thankful for them.

3. Gaming for free has never been better - Quick Hit Football? Frontpage Sports Football? It seems like there are dozens of these types of games around and many are really become quality. So if you are cash strapped in these tough economic times, you can still game for free and still feel cool about it.


So those are the three things I'm thankful for from this year in sports gaming. What are you most thankful for?
Blog: MMChrisS
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Tuesday Other Stuff (11-24-09) Stuck
04:25 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_OS
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009