In Real Life

When A Briton Announces The NBA, The Result Is Comedy Genius

When I run my mouth about international soccer, I sound like a complete and total imbecile. When a Brit does the same thing about basketball, it is 100 per cent comedy gold.


April 28, 2012
News

MLB 2K12′s Perfect Game Challenge Does Judge You On Your Physical Skill

To throw a perfect game, a single pitcher must retire every batter and at least 27 of them, in a victory. That we know. 2K Sports, in its “$US1 Million Perfect Game Challenge, on Major League Baseball 2K12, applies a formula to those games, rating their degree of “perfection” so to speak, according to factors like pitch count and strikeouts. Here’s what I didn’t know until now: You are also judged on the physical perfection of your pitched game.


April 22, 2012
News

Will We Have Any Baseball Video Games On The Xbox 360 Next Year?

Though I wish I could say I was smart enough to think up this ruse in advance, I really did forget my backpack somewhere inside EA Sports’ Tiburon studio during a recent visit. This became an opportunity to roam all of its upper four floors of development, though not unescorted.


April 17, 2012
In Real Life

The Amazing Portal-Themed Mini-Golf Hole (With Bonus Minecraft)

Internet superstar Tom Scott (who we were only talking about a few weeks back) wanted to play some mini-golf for his birthday. So he had a course built. One incorporating elements of Minecraft, Portal and…Wheel of Fortune?


April 7, 2012
PlayStation

How Old Can A Guy Be Before MLB The Show Finally Throws Him Out?

Jamie Moyer, at 49, is scheduled to start tomorrow for the Colorado Rockies. When he does so, Moyer will become the oldest pitcher ever to start a Major League Baseball game. Only 11 other pitchers have appeared in an MLB game at age 46 or older.


March 30, 2012
PlayStation

The Silly Bulls*** Of Censored Soundtracks In Sports Video Games

Sports video games must licence everything. League symbols, player likenesses, individual events, even certain stadiums. Then they must provide a soundtrack every year and, yep, those songs must be licensed, too. It is a neverending headache unique to the sports genre.


In Real Life

Soccer Fans Use Awesome Pac-Man Mosaic To Support Their Team

Yesterday’s Champions League quarterfinal pitting AC Milan against Barcelona resulted in some light-hearted support from the Milan fans in the San Siro stadium.


March 26, 2012
In Real Life

Like The Rest Of Us, Madden Submits A Bracket And Prays It Gets A Winner

Indianapolis. St Louis. Griffin. Flynn. Washington. Seattle. Smith. San Francisco. Denver. Tebow. And now, Madden. The dominoes that fell in Peyton Manning’s release, free agency and his signing on Wednesday with the Broncos tumbled all the way to the cover of the NFL’s signature video game.


March 24, 2012
News

How Long Should A Game Hang In There Online Before It Taps Out?

EA Sports MMA was conceived as a two-year series, alternating publication years with its Fight Night cousin. No one thought it would be getting a sequel after its major licence, Strikeforce, was acquired by the UFC. But pulling the plug on MMA‘s servers shows the first edition’s lifespan fell far short of EA Sports’ expectations.


March 18, 2012
In Real Life

Ten Disasters Under The Covers Of Sports Games

This week, the Portland Trail Blazers released Greg Oden after a five-year, injury-tainted marriage that was star-crossed before he could show up for his first training camp. Oden is one of the most ill-fated athletes ever to appear on the cover of a video game, starring on the cover of College Hoops 2K8. It got me to thinking about other cover choices that either were ill-fated, or ended up that way — for athlete, or publisher, or both.