The Arrival of Madden 15.

We have seen Kevin Hart and a Franco brother endorse it. We have even seen Damian Lillard in the new commercial. Well , the time has come...MADDEN 15 IS IN STORES TODAY. Football fans all over the nation can now enjoy the new Madden. Now that it's out, let's talk about some of the new features on the game that seperates it from Madden 14.

NEW FEATURES:

(via EASports.com)

-Pass rush mechanics
A new feature called "jump snap" allows for gamers to have a jump start towards the quarterback if timed correctly. If not, people will get the 5 yard penalty.

-Tackling
There are 4 different types of tackling that have been implemented into the game. Pressing A+X makes for a conservative tackle, pressing LT + A/X performs a conservative 'breakdown' tackle (sure tackle) , X is a diving tackle, and using the right stick is the big hit. Just like there was a passing cone for quarterbacks in Madden 06, there is a tackling cone for defensive players. Let's see if this feature will truly make defense more fun.

-Game Prep and Confidence
In this year's Madden game, look out for "confidence" ratings to affect players. Players will have a confidence rating between 1-99. In Madden, a player's confidence can be affected by a number of different factors: whether a player is a starter or backup, margin of victory/loss, and their performance in a big game. If a player's confidence drops below 30, you will see a change in his ratings. If his confidence rating reaches a 75 or higher, his overall rating will increase.

NFL Fantasy Draft Sleepers: Mike Wallace

Coming off of a sub-par year, Miami Dolphins wide reciever Mike Wallace will be looking to be more productive and effective this season.  Yardage wise , Wallace did not have a bad year. Wallace finished with 930 yards. With that being said, it's not up to his standards. In both the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Wallace finished the year with at least 1,190 yards and 8 touchdowns.



With new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor , look for Mike Wallace to be moved around in order for him to get the ball in his hands. One thing that fans must not forget is that Wallace is still one of the fastest receivers in today's game.  If you are looking for a late-round receiver to add to your team, really consider Mike Wallace.

Fantasy Draft Time Sleeper of the Day: Cam Newton

While Cam Newton is considered by many as one of the better players in the league, he is a mid-level quarterback in the fantasy draft. There are at least 5 quarterbacks that are going before Cam in a draft:    Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Arron Rodgers, Andrew Luck. Even with these five gone, that still leaves Jay Cutler, Matthew Stafford, Colin Kaepernick, and Nick Fowles.

There is a lot of uncertainty as the recievers have no true expierence with Cam Newton. With that being said, he will rack up points running TD's as well as the passing TD's.  

One thing that will help Cam is the fact that the Panthers is great. The Panthers finished 2nd in both points and yards. Their defense can provide Cam with at least decent field position a decent amount of times in which Cam will have the opportunity to capitalize on. With the addition of Kelvin Benjamin, look for a lot of red zone scores.   

My Comparison: Jadaveon Clowney

"My Madden rating for Jadeveon Clowney is: 79" were the last words that I wrote pertaining to the number 1 pick in the Draft. Granted, it was the highest rating given out of this year's draft. While my rating was lower than EA Sports, (which is an 83) it wasn't too far off. Let's take a quick look at why the rating is what it is.

To put this in simple terms, Jadeveon will be a BEAST to play with on Madden. Who else do you know  has a power move of a 94 and the speed of 88?? No one. While I did think this speed and power moves would be high,  what will separate him the most from other defensive linemen is his acceleration. With a 92 rating , he will be able to basically chase down anyone. Running backs, receivers, quarterbacks, doesn't matter. Clowney will by far be the most exciting defensive linemen to play with in Madden.

Cristiano Ronaldo/LeBron James

When you think of the latest sports superstars that would be named in any conversation, two that come into mind are: LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo. While each of these two do play their respected sports, they are arguably the best players in their sport. Let's breakdown the two:

Players:	LeBron James	Cristiano Ronaldo
Points/Goals	27.5 Points Per Game	69 goals in 2013 alone
Assist	6.9 Assist	118 Career Assist (2003-2014)
Awards	4 time MVP	2 time PFA Players’s player of the year
Current Contract	6 year , 110 million	6 year, 132 million

As we see here , both are highly ranked in their respective sports. My belief is that both are in their prime. Both Ronaldo and James are 29 years of age. Coming from different backgrounds, both had a lot of hype as a youngster. In the United States, James had hype around him since he was in high school, being the first high school athlete to ever be on the front cover of an ESPN magazine. Ronaldo was able to show the entire world has good he was dating back in the 2006 World Cup. In that World Cup, Ronaldo put Portugal on his back. In the round of 8, Ronaldo scored twice in the penalty shoot-out to win the match against a dominant England team. That year, Portugal went on to finish 4th in the tournament.

STYLES OF PLAY:
When comparing James to Ronaldo, they have a simple style in which they affect the game. James doesn't necessarily need to score to be very effective in a game. James has the ability to setup teammates with his passes, defend the other teams best player, and rebound just as well as most big men in the NBA.

Playing LW , Ronaldo has the ability to draw defenders towards him in order to pass it to Postiga to score a goal. While Ronaldo will be looking to score his points, he isn't afraid to make the necessary pass.  Ronaldo's passing which will definitely help Portugal if they want to contend for a World Cup.

CLUTCH GENE:
Both players are one of the best players under pressure up to date. In LeBron's career, it took him a while to build a reputation as a clutch player. In fact, early in his career he was seen widely as a player that folds under pressure. The defining moment for him overcoming his bad reputation occurred in the 2012

As both James and Ronaldo partake in some of the highest level of competition in their careers , look for these qualities that make them who they are.

Should psychie be added in sports video games?

Watching this year's playoffs, I came to a realization that as good as video games are, they do not show player's emotion. There are players in the past that did perform (Ron Artest, Dennis Rodman) alot off of emotion. Tempers can flare, people can be happy, and simply feel down and not play well. While emotion is something that can't be simulated to perfection in any way, video games may want to add some type of performance rate on just a few players.

The perfect and relevant example in this year's playoffs is Indiana Pacers Center Roy Hibbert. When focused, Roy Hibbert is a double-double machine. When not mentally in the game, Hibbert can finish a game with 2 points and 1 rebound.



While writing this, I thought about one simply question: "How would this be implemented into a game?" This would have to be answered by using programming. Let's say after playing in three quarters, Roy Hibbert only has 1 rebound. With programming, an if/else statement can be made that requires Hibbert to have a certain amount of points and 1 rebound by the 4th quarter. If he doesn't meet that requirement by then, his shooting and rebounding skills should dramatically decrease. While the fourth quarter is the most important quarter in a game, if Hibbert is not producing by then, don't look for him to do much more.

This addition for a game wouldn't have to be in every aspect of a video game. For example, if you are playing with your friends or playing in franchise/dynasty mode, this doesn't have to take place since the gamer is manually controlling the player. However, if you are playing in career/myPlayer mode then I believe that this will increase the game.

Wanna discuss this article? Tweet me @SportsWatcherss and let me know what you think.

NFL Slam Dunk: GONE

On March 25th, the NFL released a statement saying that any players that dunk on the goalpost will be fined. This is one a rule that I think alot of players and fans question. This type of celebration is in no way, shape, or form better for the league. For one, the celebration is not insulting to the opposing team when done. No one is getting offended because a player dunks the football.

Secondly, no one has gotten seriously injured by doing this touchdown celebration in the NFL. More players have gotten hurt due to running into the wall, items on the side, or photographers than they have with the goalpost. If any rule should be added, photographers would have to be further away from the sideline.

Lastly, the NFL seems to be taking the fun out of the game by adding this rule. In ANY type of competition, whether it be for job positions, college acceptance letters, or touchdowns, people celebrate when they are successful. The NFL has already taken out any possibility of being really creative. (Basically because of Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens) One of the last few types of a legal celebration is now gone.

While some may say that celebrations can be lengthy and prolong the game, fans want to be entertained. Majority of the NFL fans do enjoy seeing touchdown celebrations, especially creativity. If anything , one were to think that ratings would go up even more because people will view games just to see a touchdown games. I'm sure many fans used to watch Bengals games just to see Chad Johnson (Ochocinco) celebrate.

The touchdown celebration was once very big. There were even options of how to celebrate a touchdown in Madden 09. When something like that is incorporated into Madden you know it's making an impact on the NFL culture.

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NBA Live 14 New Update

This coming Monday, NBA Live will release an update available to all people that own Live 14.After the game was released , alot of gamers were complaining that was no kind of Practice mode or Shoot-Around. That is one of the things that gamers almost assume would be in a sports game. EA Sports listened to  the large amount of complaints, and the new update will contain that. This will allow gamers to have a feel for every player that they want to use. They can use this to get the timing of any player's shot. This can come in handy when you're playing against friends with your favorite team.

In addition to adding the Practice Mode, the new update will contain some of the visual improvement on player's face. The past few weeks, EA Sports has been meeting with different NBA teams in which they are doing something called player scans. Player scans are basically pictures and face scans that really focus on someone's facial features (marks, size, etc.). Once they scan every player, they  hand these scans to the Computer Animator in order for them to duplicate that face as best as they can. This method has so far proved to be successful. EA Sports ' NBA Live staff truly believes that this will give the players within their games very realistic faces. They plan to use in this year's game, and in the future to really enhance the game.

Last but definitely not least, the gameplay has been modified. With gameplay, EA Sports has improved "responsiveness and control for first steps". This means that will quicker players in the league will have quicker steps when they have the ball. In real life , a quick first step allows you to be a step ahead of your defender as you drive. This part of the new update is supposed to give the gamer that realistic motion. :Look for these imporved aspects to be a major upgrade for NBA Live.

NCAA Addition

Imagine you are the coach of a football team. If you highly anticipated player, and he's not playing up to your standards, what would you do? Well, more times than not , you would bench them.  In NCAA Football, the road to glory mode allows you to play no matter what. However , I thought of this idea based on seeing players and having players not play well for short periods of time. In this stance, I  believe that players would normally at least be benched. Even if they start to play in the 2nd quarter, they would at least be handled some type of warning that they need to play better.

In order for this to be successful, each position should be held to a certain standard depending on the level the gamer is playing on. For example, a rookie level running back should have at least 50 yards in 20 carries. The standard shouldn't be too difficult for anyone to achieve on each because if they get too hard, that would deflate the fun , excitement, and freedom from the game.

If this feature were added to the game, this would improve the game that is already great.  Both new and expert players would love this and  both benefit. Expert players would not be bored and would be challenged while still have some fun.  The new players would have something to strive for and brag about. This would make the game even more realistic and would raise the game up to another level!

EA Sports does not reach agreement with NCAA: Will this be the last "NCAA" football game?

    With the contract between the NCAA and EA Sports ending soon, the chance for a renewal has been demolished. The NCAA and EA have agreed to part ways, as they could not successfully come together. Although the game will not be affiliated with the NCAA, college football games will still be made. According to bleacherreport.com, the game will no longer include NCAA names and marks. How will the game operate without those marks? Will this new version of the game be as popular as "NCAA Football"??  Well as of now, that remains to be seen. However, EA Sports is working with the CLC (Collegiate Licensing Company) on allowing teams to be able have their particular marks within the next generation of college football games. The fact that  EA Sports is working with the CLC is pivotal because most of the Division I football schools are licensed under this company. If EA is able to pull that off, then the game should be just fine; But until then,  EA Sports will have to decide on many changes in the near future.

Video of some gameplay features:

NCAA Football 14: First Gameplay

   It's finally here: NCAA Football 14. For sports gamers, it's been the most anticipated game this year thus far for the '14 games. Offering new features for Dynasty mode, recruiting, atmosphere, and more, I must say that the game did not disappoint.
 
   The gameplay was very smooth. It was very easy to control the player in whichever way I wanted him to go. The cuts that the gamer now has the ability to is amazingly realistic.

 In NCAA Football 14,players can now cut from one direction to another on the dime.  After playing one time, I can see a MAJOR  upgrade in the way tackling was made. In NCAA Football 13, tackling would either be in two ways: you either tackle the opponent in a regular way, or they just get close-lined. In football, that's not always the case. There are high tackles, lower body tackles, and 'whatever it takes to get the player down' tackles. Throughout my game, I was able to hit my opponents up high, hard, and even twirl them down from the ankles. I was also able to hit them from the waist. That part of the game was great to see.
 
Another part of the game that I found interesting were the players' movements. From time to time, you would see players stumble or slip. This was a great feature to add into the game because like in real college football, players slip all of the time. I loved the way it was added because even though it's there,  it's not prevalent to the point where it disrupts the game. It won't be a feature that would make or break a game.

   Acceleration has become very important in the game. What I mean by that, is saying that if one player is faster than another, it will show. In the open field, the person with the ball will either separate from the defender or get tackled , depending on their speed.

From what I've seen thus far, this game seems to be very promising. As I enter the glory mode and the dynasty mode, I can only hope that the game will continue to impress.

Return of Live

   It's been a few years, but it's FINALLY coming back. NBA Live will return after three long years since it's 'NBA Elite 11' collapse. For as long as I can remember , when it comes to professional basketball video games, the "NBA 2K series" and the "NBA Live" have competed back and forth for the title of the #1 selling basketball game. The NBA Live series lasted until 2010. For 2011, EA Sports changed the name of the series to "NBA Elite". The game NBA Elite 11 was set to release in October of 2011, but due to many glitches and such, EA decided not release the game. In the demo, one prevalent glitch displayed former Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum being stuck at half court.

   Since then, the basketball gaming world has been dominated by the NBA 2K series. NBA 2K 12 sold for over  five million copies, while NBA 2K 13 has the franchise record for most sales during a debut week in the history of the franchise. While these two games have been great, part of their success is because of the lack of competition. 

     Determined to return, EA Sports hired a whole new team to bring back the once very popular NBA Live game. With new features such as bouncetek, the user will have the ability to control how the players dribble like never before. The EA Sports team is aware  that they have a lot of ground to cover, but  seem to believe that they can reestablish their spot as a top notch game within the gaming industry. Since March, EA Sports has been advertising their advancement with a new video machine called the Ignite E3 engine. This engine is something that will be used to take games to another level, especially for the XBOX one and the Play Station 4 counsels. During an EA Sports NBA Live 14 Q & A via Twitter, I was able to ask how this engine will help the game. EA responded to my question stating: "Animation quality, physics, and fluidity to name of few."  As an excited NBA Live fan, I can only hope that this engine would serve as a positive step in the right direction. NBA Live 14 drops in the fall.

 NBA Live 14 Trailer

Business in Madden

     
                                                             

        Once upon a time, the Madden game was at an all time high when gamers had a  realistic experience   being an owner of the team. Whether you owned a current professional NFL team, or used innovation in creating one, you were forced to make pivotal decisions in both the football world and in the business world!
        In Madden 2004, before each season you were forced to come up with prices for items such as: hot dogs, nachos, soda, beer, and even foam fingers. Parallel to real life, if the prices were too high, then people would not purchase food. Otherwise, revenue would continuously increase. Beer was very important within the food sales industry. On Madden, the average price of beer was $8. As a owner, you were able to get away with selling it up $11, but any price above that was ridiculous. Jersey's were also a valuable item that would be sold. As an owner , every gamer had the choice to either an average price for jerseys around the league, and to heighten or  lower the price. With money earned, each year franchises had the opportunity to relocate their teams, or renovate their stadiums. If an owner had the money to add renovations  then they could. Their were options that carried from adding 5-star restaurants to personal televisions on each seat.
   
        Madden has been the epitome  of professional football games for the past 20 years, and there has always been an authenticated game-play within it. However, I believe that Madden 2004 was one of the greatest Madden games produced because it also provided an educational part into the game.(Not to mention having the greatest Madden soundtrack that was ever made.) Being a little kid, I learned about revenue and losses because of Madden, player's contracts, and stadium renovations.  The constant decisions that I had to make about how I can make more money were real and authentic, since real NFL owners are forced to do the same. For anyone who still has a Play Station 2 or Nintendo GameCube,  I highly recommend that you invest some money into this game. It's currently on eBay for prices as low as $3.99.

NCAA Football to Madden 13: Next Level Dreams are Crushed

   For too many years, there has been one thing that Franchise users of Madden and Dynasty mode users would love to do: import draft classes from NCAA football, and add them unto Madden. Myself, along with many other fans have created stupendous teams on both NCAA football dynasty mode, and Madden franchise mode. There is nothing like it.
 
   In NCAA football, I , like many other gurus  would either create a team, or use a terrible team, and enjoy the beauty of developing them into a 5-star national championship winning school. With dynasties, the gamer would be forced to play and win as many games as they can , while trying to recruit players that will only enhance their program. During the off-season, you are recruiting your behind off to get the hidden gems, or diamonds in the rough that you may not have seen during the regular season.You then make a schedule that you think you're team can handle, then you are about ready to go.   By that next year , you're excited to see how much your incoming recruits will help,and how much the guys from last year have improved.
 
    As you continue to repeat the process from year to year, you get to witness players develop. Some may not turn out the way that you have originally thought they would, while others may become a surprise in the fact that they are doing well.
 
    This is where Madden comes in. From NCAA football, you have seen a player develop,and you want them on your team to help you win it all with your pro football team. At the end of each year, a question used  to pop up that would say: Would you like to import a draft class?" and if you didn't have one, then a made up class would be created. As an owner , you could create and develop talent, that you can take with you to the pro level and develop even more. The years that NCAA football and Madden were able to give gamers that option were the best days. Both games have only gotten better in many different areas, but that was option was something special. This option allowed gamers reap the benefits of investing their time and effort of developing players into potential NFL superstars.Hopefully, this will all change come August 2013!

Adrian Peterson vs Barry Sanders

   

     Throughout the month of April for Madden's 25th anniversary, EA Sports has allowed  fans to vote on what player (current and retired) should be featured on  Madden NFL 14. After rounds of battle, the vote is down to two of the best backs to ever play in the NFL: Barry Sanders and Adrian Peterson. These two backs were great in their own way. Barry Sanders had 10 pro bowl appearances  where each year he collected at least 1,000 rushing yards. Adrian Peters is coming off of a year in which he was only 9 yards short of the NFL record for having the most yards in a single season, finishing with 2097 yards. Before I make my vote known, let me give you some information about these two superstars.

      Barry Sanders was a running back for the Detroit Lions during the 1990's.He attended college at Oklahoma State University , where he played for three years before entering into the NFL Draft. Only standing at 5'8, Sanders was able to change the way running back play because of his ability to evade defenders and for literally being able to change his speed in the blink of an eye. Sanders was almost always one of the smallest guys on the field, and playing running back, he always had a target on his back. When linebackers would see Sanders running straight towards them, their eyes would light up, ready to punish the little back. Once close, Sanders would fake one way, and as the defender lunges towards him, move the other. As Barry would be headed one way , the defender would be left with nothing but thin air. Many scenarios such as this is what made Sanders great. When asked why he always tries to evade instead of run through defenders, Sanders replied:"I'm running for my life. I don't want to get hit!" Well, that sure worked for him!

       It seemed as though he was always running for his life, because for most of his career he had a terrible offensive line. Year in and year out, Barry would be forced to use his elusiveness the second he received the ball because his offensive line couldn't block well. The Lions were better off hiring 5 sumo wrestlers to sit there and grab defenders than having the bad o-lines that Barry had to deal with. Nevertheless, Barry Sanders was able to have a single season in which he rushed for 2000 yards, and oh yeah, finish his career as the third leading rusher in NFL history.

(WARNING: Video contains explicit lyrics. If sound not desired, simply mute the volume. Viewers discretion is advised.)

Adrian Peterson, known as "AD" (All Day) is the current running back for the Minnesota Vikings. Peterson attended Oklahoma University for three years, and then declared for the NFL draft. I'm not sure why, but Peterson somehow fell to be the 7th player drafted the year that he entered it. Although he had small questions about a collarbone injury, Peterson had 1925 rushing yards in his freshman year alone. Either way, the first six teams that took a pass on Peterson missed out. Peterson is the ideal running back for anyone's team.If you're looking for an example of a balanced running back, look no further. Peterson possesses the ability to outrun defenders , and the strength to run through them. He also has the durability to carry the football 20-25 times a game, which is a lot in any football game. Part of what makes Peterson great is his determination. Every time he runs into an obstacle, he seems to humbly bounce back even stronger than he was before that obstacle occurred.  In 2011, after signing a 7-year $96 million dollar contract, midway through the season Peterson tore his ACL and MCL. These are severe injuries, and many times players just do not return to their form. Well, not only did Peterson do so, but he recovered before the time he was expected to. Peterson had 2097 rushing yards, falling only 9 yards short of the record for most rushing yards in a season. Having that many rushing yards in one year is simply not human; it's really something a person only does on a video game using the rookie mode. That statistic alone serves as a testament to how good he is.

   Whoever becomes the cover player will surely have the credentials to be on it. As a voter, fans cannot go wrong with either choice. With that being said, I have decided to vote for Barry Sanders because (1. he was able to perform the way he did with a horrible team (2. averaged 1500 rushing yards throughout his career and (3. Peterson has more time and opportunities to be on the cover of a Madden game since he is still in the league. In the words of the artist Wale,"My people never block, I think I'm Barry Sanders!"