By JJ Miller
WWE and 2K began announcing the roster for its upcoming next-generation video game, WWE 2K15, over the weekend, with more expected wrestlers to be reveled down the road.
While I don't watch wrestling anymore, I was a fan during my latter high school years and several names jumped out at me while looking at the list on 2K's website, including Big Show, Chris Jericho, John Cena, Goldust, Kane, Mark Henry, Rey Mysterio, Shawn Michaels, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker and Triple H.
Two other big names are included, with two versions of Hulk Hogan (classic Yellow and Red and "Hollywood" Hogan) included in the "Hulkamania" edition of the game, as well as retro Sting in addition to his The Crow-style persona from later years. Sting is available as a pre-order bonus.
Other popular wrestlers of note include the recently let-go Alberto Del Rio, the popular-but-injured Daniel Bryan and the "retired" CM Punk. Other names joining the list include Batista, Brie and Nikki Bella, Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes, Kane, Randy Orton, RVD and The Miz.
Other wrestles and divas expected to be included when the game is released on Oct. 28 are AJ Lee, Bad News Barrett, Big E, Bray Wyatt, Cameron, Cesaro, Curtis Axel, Damien Sandow, Darren Young, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, Fandango, Jack Swagger, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Justin Gabriel, Kofi Kingston, Luke Harper, Naomi, Natalya, R-Truth, Roman Reigns, Ryback, Santino, Seth Rollins, Sheamus, Summer Rae, Tamina, Titus O'Neil, Tyson Kidd, Xavier Woods.
A note at the bottom of the page says that the full roster is "coming soon."
Showing posts with label video games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video games. Show all posts
Monday, August 18, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
NHL 15 Demo coming Aug. 26
By JJ Miller
EA Sports has announced that the demo for NHL 15 will be released on Aug. 26 for both the Xbox One and Playstation 4.
The teaser for the game will allow you to play three two-minute periods as either the New York Rangers or Los Angeles Kings using a variety of camera modes. Also, two of the much-hyped Authentic Arenas will be on display, with users given the option of playing in either Madison Square Garden or the Staples Center.
The demo will also feature a practice mode, allowing a free skater to practice moves against a goaltender.
The full version of NHL 15 is slated for release on Sept. 9.
Below is the latest trailer for the game released at Gamescom 2014.
EA Sports has announced that the demo for NHL 15 will be released on Aug. 26 for both the Xbox One and Playstation 4.
The teaser for the game will allow you to play three two-minute periods as either the New York Rangers or Los Angeles Kings using a variety of camera modes. Also, two of the much-hyped Authentic Arenas will be on display, with users given the option of playing in either Madison Square Garden or the Staples Center.
The demo will also feature a practice mode, allowing a free skater to practice moves against a goaltender.
The full version of NHL 15 is slated for release on Sept. 9.
Below is the latest trailer for the game released at Gamescom 2014.
Wednesday, August 06, 2014
Eagles defense flying low in Madden
By JJ Miller
Those wanting to take the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl in the upcoming Madden NFL 15 game had better be prepared to win some shootouts.
After having a pair of players place in the top 5 of their respective positions on the offensive side of things -- running back LeSean McCoy and offensive lineman Evan Mathis -- the Eagles saw none of their defenders show up on EA's recently-released lists.
That isn't a huge surprise, but what may ruffle some Eagles fans' feathers are a pair of safeties that did.
Both free safety Jairus Byrd and strong safety TJ Ward were available as free agents this past summer and Philadelphia opted to pass on both. Interestingly enough, Byrd, who signed with New Orleans, ranks as Madden's top-rated player at FS with a 96 rating while Ward is third at the SS position with a 91 rating.
Said Madding Ratings Czar Donny Moore on the official EA Sports website, easports.com, of Byrd, "Byrd is the top-rated player in Madden in terms of Zone Coverage (99). His 81 Catching (best among FS) and 90 Play Rec make him the ultimate ballhawk in Madden NFL 15."
Of Ward, who signed with Denver, Moore noted "New to the Broncos, TJ Ward adds some hard-nosed football to the Denver secondary. With impressive 92 Hit Power, 88 Tackle and 86 Speed, Ward hits the hole and shuts down the opponent's run game. Despite his run stopping mentality, his Coverage and Pursuit ratings aren't too shabby at 84 and 86 respectively."
Sounds like two players that Eagles fans wouldn't have minded controlling on their TV this upcoming season.
EA also released on its website a full spreadsheet download of all the player's rankings (http://vassets.ea.com/Assets/
Quarterback Nick Foles was given an 88 overall, just ahead of three players ranked at 87 overall: punter Donnie Jones, center Jason Kelce and running back Darren Sproles.
One safety the Eagles did add, Malcolm Jenkins, has a 77 overall rating. Rookie wideout Jordan Matthews has a 73 rating.
Other NFL defenders of note include Houston defensive end J.J. Watt and Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman, both of whom received 99 ratings.
Also, current New York Jet defensive end and Temple product Muhammad Wilkerson was the fifth-highest rank player at his position at 93.
Madden NFL 15 is set to be released for the Xbox One, Xbox 360, Playstation 4 and Playstation 3 on Aug. 26. You can preorder the game here: http://www.easports.com/
Those wanting to take the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl in the upcoming Madden NFL 15 game had better be prepared to win some shootouts.
After having a pair of players place in the top 5 of their respective positions on the offensive side of things -- running back LeSean McCoy and offensive lineman Evan Mathis -- the Eagles saw none of their defenders show up on EA's recently-released lists.
That isn't a huge surprise, but what may ruffle some Eagles fans' feathers are a pair of safeties that did.
Both free safety Jairus Byrd and strong safety TJ Ward were available as free agents this past summer and Philadelphia opted to pass on both. Interestingly enough, Byrd, who signed with New Orleans, ranks as Madden's top-rated player at FS with a 96 rating while Ward is third at the SS position with a 91 rating.
Said Madding Ratings Czar Donny Moore on the official EA Sports website, easports.com, of Byrd, "Byrd is the top-rated player in Madden in terms of Zone Coverage (99). His 81 Catching (best among FS) and 90 Play Rec make him the ultimate ballhawk in Madden NFL 15."
Of Ward, who signed with Denver, Moore noted "New to the Broncos, TJ Ward adds some hard-nosed football to the Denver secondary. With impressive 92 Hit Power, 88 Tackle and 86 Speed, Ward hits the hole and shuts down the opponent's run game. Despite his run stopping mentality, his Coverage and Pursuit ratings aren't too shabby at 84 and 86 respectively."
Sounds like two players that Eagles fans wouldn't have minded controlling on their TV this upcoming season.
EA also released on its website a full spreadsheet download of all the player's rankings (http://vassets.ea.com/Assets/
Quarterback Nick Foles was given an 88 overall, just ahead of three players ranked at 87 overall: punter Donnie Jones, center Jason Kelce and running back Darren Sproles.
One safety the Eagles did add, Malcolm Jenkins, has a 77 overall rating. Rookie wideout Jordan Matthews has a 73 rating.
Other NFL defenders of note include Houston defensive end J.J. Watt and Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman, both of whom received 99 ratings.
Also, current New York Jet defensive end and Temple product Muhammad Wilkerson was the fifth-highest rank player at his position at 93.
Madden NFL 15 is set to be released for the Xbox One, Xbox 360, Playstation 4 and Playstation 3 on Aug. 26. You can preorder the game here: http://www.easports.com/
Thursday, September 26, 2013
NHL 14 Review
The latest installment of EA's fast-paced hockey series brings balance to both hardcore and casual gamers alike
By JJ Miller
Hockey has always toed the line of popularity in North America, attempting to balance hardcore ice junkies with the casual fans who want to see hitting, hits, more hits and fighting.
NHL 14 does its best to draw in both types of fans, offering deep simulation with a mix of the rough stuff.
The biggest example comes in the collision physics, developed along the same lines of that which powers the popular FIFA series. EA made sure that the hits are big and painful, but also accurate. Large players deliver bone crushing hits -- when timed and lined up just right -- while the little pests knock opposing players off balance and jar the puck loose.
Out of the box, the heavy hits and amount of fighting are above average for your normal NHL game, something sure to pull in casual fans. But for those who crave the accurate jousts, the hardcore simulation setting is a must and the sliders may need adjustment.
Speaking of fighting, NHL 14 delivers the impressive enforcer engine. Powered by EA Sports Fight Night technology, the new enforcer engine does away with the third-person button-mashing brawls and introduces a slightly zoomed dance between the two combatants. Fights can either happen off the draw, by instigating during or after the play, or your could be forced into a confrontation after delivering a big hit to a star player.
In a nice touch, players not involved stay live during the fight, so you'll see teammates pairing off and jousting with the other team or just gliding around the brawl.
Fights begin either already grappled or in a standing premeditated style. Players must time their punches and grabs or risk leaving themselves exposed for the big blow.
This nice upgrade adds another element to the game, but of course you are likely to see more fighting in an average game now.
On the ice, the AI is still shaky at times and it can be frustrating. Teammates often have little mustard on their pass and shot attempts and take odd routes in bringing the puck into the zone. Defenders also seem to struggle when the puck is carried across the middle, leaving goaltenders high and dry.
Garbage goals, though, seem to come in fewer bunches.
Another odd quirk, aside from the fact that the season modes do not include the names of the new divisions, is the fact that the computer-controlled players often times turn their back to the play along the boards when they have the puck, resulting in a lot of boarding penalties for aggressive players.
In another attempt to balance the hardcore and causal fan, EA put in one-touch dekes. While past gamers were able to pull off dazzling moves by rotating analog sticks with brain-wracking combos, the less talented can now use the bumper button and left stick to pull off dekes, if the player has the skill level.
True performance skating sees some upgrades in its second year in the NHL franchise. New animations are packaged and the game continues to nail down the aspects of balance, lateral skating and acceleration for an authentic feel.
GM modes return as does the Be a Pro career mode, but now under the title "Live the Life." This puts players into the role of either an existing or created player and has them control on and off-the-ice aspects of being a professional hockey player.
Players are given the choice of starting in junior leagues, at the draft or in the AHL/NHL like previous games, but NHL 14 introduces a relationship meter with fans, teammates, management and family. Positive ratings in these categories have a good influence on attributes, on-ice behavior and the cash/money, while a lower rating has negative effects, so Sean Avery wannabe's can beware.
Influences come in the form of media interviews, either pregame, postgame or when a roster move happens, as well as endorsement deals and off-ice interactions with teammates and families.
While the mode is certainly appealing, it does need work. Interviews and events offer four choices and some are just so ridiculous that no one in their right mind would make that choice. Expanded options would certainly keep these events fresh as they can become repetitive as well.
HUT and EASHL online seasons are also an option and offer a sort of Euro soccer style tier. Win and move onto tougher divisions; lose and get bumped down to lesser opponents.
The cherry on top of this game is the NHL 94 Anniversary mode.
EA celebrates its most popular and cult-followed edition of the game with a throwback mode of the game that puts the current physics and rosters onto the famous blue ice of the '94 game. Retro stars under the players, music and other options give a nod to the past and offers a more arcade style of play.
It's a one-trick pony for sure, but it is certainly a mode that will see tons of older gamers sit down and enjoy for hours with friends, though the mode is offline only.
NHL 14 may feature New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur on the cover, but his year's edition is all about the hits and physical play of the game. It is by no means a must-own, but is certainly worthy of a pick up if it has been a few years since you last played the franchise.
By JJ Miller
Hockey has always toed the line of popularity in North America, attempting to balance hardcore ice junkies with the casual fans who want to see hitting, hits, more hits and fighting.
NHL 14 does its best to draw in both types of fans, offering deep simulation with a mix of the rough stuff.
The biggest example comes in the collision physics, developed along the same lines of that which powers the popular FIFA series. EA made sure that the hits are big and painful, but also accurate. Large players deliver bone crushing hits -- when timed and lined up just right -- while the little pests knock opposing players off balance and jar the puck loose.
Out of the box, the heavy hits and amount of fighting are above average for your normal NHL game, something sure to pull in casual fans. But for those who crave the accurate jousts, the hardcore simulation setting is a must and the sliders may need adjustment.
Speaking of fighting, NHL 14 delivers the impressive enforcer engine. Powered by EA Sports Fight Night technology, the new enforcer engine does away with the third-person button-mashing brawls and introduces a slightly zoomed dance between the two combatants. Fights can either happen off the draw, by instigating during or after the play, or your could be forced into a confrontation after delivering a big hit to a star player.
In a nice touch, players not involved stay live during the fight, so you'll see teammates pairing off and jousting with the other team or just gliding around the brawl.
Fights begin either already grappled or in a standing premeditated style. Players must time their punches and grabs or risk leaving themselves exposed for the big blow.
This nice upgrade adds another element to the game, but of course you are likely to see more fighting in an average game now.
On the ice, the AI is still shaky at times and it can be frustrating. Teammates often have little mustard on their pass and shot attempts and take odd routes in bringing the puck into the zone. Defenders also seem to struggle when the puck is carried across the middle, leaving goaltenders high and dry.
Garbage goals, though, seem to come in fewer bunches.
Another odd quirk, aside from the fact that the season modes do not include the names of the new divisions, is the fact that the computer-controlled players often times turn their back to the play along the boards when they have the puck, resulting in a lot of boarding penalties for aggressive players.
In another attempt to balance the hardcore and causal fan, EA put in one-touch dekes. While past gamers were able to pull off dazzling moves by rotating analog sticks with brain-wracking combos, the less talented can now use the bumper button and left stick to pull off dekes, if the player has the skill level.
True performance skating sees some upgrades in its second year in the NHL franchise. New animations are packaged and the game continues to nail down the aspects of balance, lateral skating and acceleration for an authentic feel.
GM modes return as does the Be a Pro career mode, but now under the title "Live the Life." This puts players into the role of either an existing or created player and has them control on and off-the-ice aspects of being a professional hockey player.
Players are given the choice of starting in junior leagues, at the draft or in the AHL/NHL like previous games, but NHL 14 introduces a relationship meter with fans, teammates, management and family. Positive ratings in these categories have a good influence on attributes, on-ice behavior and the cash/money, while a lower rating has negative effects, so Sean Avery wannabe's can beware.
Influences come in the form of media interviews, either pregame, postgame or when a roster move happens, as well as endorsement deals and off-ice interactions with teammates and families.
While the mode is certainly appealing, it does need work. Interviews and events offer four choices and some are just so ridiculous that no one in their right mind would make that choice. Expanded options would certainly keep these events fresh as they can become repetitive as well.
HUT and EASHL online seasons are also an option and offer a sort of Euro soccer style tier. Win and move onto tougher divisions; lose and get bumped down to lesser opponents.
The cherry on top of this game is the NHL 94 Anniversary mode.
EA celebrates its most popular and cult-followed edition of the game with a throwback mode of the game that puts the current physics and rosters onto the famous blue ice of the '94 game. Retro stars under the players, music and other options give a nod to the past and offers a more arcade style of play.
It's a one-trick pony for sure, but it is certainly a mode that will see tons of older gamers sit down and enjoy for hours with friends, though the mode is offline only.
NHL 14 may feature New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur on the cover, but his year's edition is all about the hits and physical play of the game. It is by no means a must-own, but is certainly worthy of a pick up if it has been a few years since you last played the franchise.
Monday, September 10, 2012
NCAA Football 13 Review
By JJ Miller (The Phanatic Magazine)
Lets be honest. EA Sports has set the bar high with its football games. Much like cold pizza, even a subpar effort is still better than most.
Not that NCAA Football 13 is a bad game. Quite the opposite; it is another solid effort to bring the excitement of college football into the palm of one's hands in the comfort of their own living room. However, we know what the company is capable of and that makes some of the minor faults that much more
annoying.
EA made a big effort this year in improving the presentation of the game. College football is a religion all its own and the NCAA games have been making an effort to capture that the best it can. For this year's game, that includes new stadiums and a traditional pregame confetti like mascots, military parachutists for Army, Navy and Air Force as well as icons like the Texas cheerleaders and USC Song Girls.
The game also promotes authentic stadium sounds, recorded at actual games, but even in front of my decent home entertainment setup, I never really got the feel that the stadiums were buzzing. Sure, the shaking of the controller and mangling of the routes shown on screen pre-snap are nice as my Temple Owls invaded Beaver Stadium to battle Penn State, but it never seemed to affect things on the whole.
No quarterback jitters, players not being able to hear the playcalling, nothing of that sort.
Of course, it is impossible to capture a real college atmosphere on a disc, but there is still plenty of work to be done.
And while the game itself looks solid, especially the tackling and punishing of receivers going across the middle, the replays shown to mimic actual broadcasts are embarrassing. More often than not, players on a replay look as though they are gliding across the grass rather than running, a simple flaw that ruins the entire replay system.
It is a shame the replays are so flawed, because the actual in-game graphics are great. Quarterbacks move and throw with life-like quality and new animations for scrambling, sack avoidance and shovel passing are excellent.
Receiver awareness also gets a boost as you simply can't throw the ball to a player at any time. If, for say, a receiver is running a post route and you try to get it to him before he makes his cut, he won't be expecting the ball and it will go right by him.
Another great touch is the animations for wet weather. Many times I tried to hit my receivers as they were about to make sharp cuts to the inside or outside, only to see them slip to the ground as the ball headed in their direction.
NCAA Football 13 also makes full use of its partnership with ESPN, but not without some annoying habits that are to be expected when the "World Wide Leader of Sports" gets involved in something.
What the game does do well is the use of a sports ticker at the bottom that updates in real-time with your game during Dynasty play. Late afternoon games will flash final scores from earlier games and start times for the nightcaps while keeping you up to date on current contests.
Even sponsorship drops (Brought to you by Coke Zero!) aren't that repulsive as they make the presentation very lifelike.
What doesn't work is the studio updates with Rece Davis. They feature a box score and many repetitive generic statements from Davis and can get especially coarse when they feature the same game over and over.
Erin Andrews is also wasted as she does not appear on screen and her sideline reports are very generic. It continues to confuse why the commentators are programmed to use school's names instead of "both teams" or "the coach said."
The Dynasty mode, a staple for us geeks who want to take over a program, is once again solid and recruiting is so much fun you may at times want to skip the actual games just to move onto the next stage of trying to land top prospects.
After zeroing in on your targets and doing some preseason scouting and scholarship offering, inseason recruiting sees you get three "hours" of time a week to scout your recruits and addition hours to make phone calls in an attempt to talk up your school or trash others in a number of different categories, including new topics such as coach stability, stadium atmosphere and playing style, the latter one of a few topics whose rating for a school is updated week-to-week.
If shaping a roster isn't your thing, the Road to Glory mode allows you to take over a single player and shape his college career, actually starting in high school. A player picks his position (you can even put yourself on the field more often by giving yourself an offensive and defensive position) and racks up stats in high school games to noticed by schools during recruitment.
The career continues once a player has moved on to college and a player is given a host of goals to accomplish.
NCAA Football 13 also marks the first time that real-life players are in the game thanks to the Heisman Challenge.
Similar to the Road to Glory, a player can select from a handful of Heisman legends, including coverboys Barry Sanders and Robert Griffin III as well as Marcus Allen, Herschel Walker, Doug Flutie and Desmond Howard amongst others, in an attempt to duplicate their award-winning season through an
accomplishment of goals.
You can also place the legends on any team (welcome to Temple Barry) and the mode includes over 60 video interviews in which the greats talk about their careers.
It's a great bonus for college football fans, assuming they can overlook some f the graphical and sound flaws to the game.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Giroux wins cover of NHL13
The 24-year-old will be seen across the globe on the cover of EA Sports' NHL13, having beat out Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne for the honor.
"Congratulations to Claude on being chosen by the fans as the EA SPORTS NHL 13 cover athlete," said Adam Larry, NHLPA director of licensing and associate counsel. "We cannot say enough about the amazing job done by all those involved with the EA SPORTS NHL Cover Vote campaign. The terrific support that all 60 participating NHL players received from not only fans and gamers, but also other NHL players, the teams, teammates, friends and Twitter followers, drove the success of the campaign in its first year."
That victory was revealed in Las Vegas as the league paused for its final gathering of the 2011-12 campaign.
Giroux struck for career highs of 28 goals, 65 assists and 93 points in 77 games for Philly last season.
He fended off a stiff challenge from Rinne, who saw country music star Carrie Underwood -- married to Predators teammate Mike Fisher -- rally the public to the Finn's cause.
In all, over two million votes were cast to decide.
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