Press Row Podcast

Before the news storm that is E3 and EA Play arrive there's plenty to cover happening in the world of sports gaming. Impressions of the ARMS beta leads off the topics in this week's Press Row Podcast, along with the questionable decision made to release Super Mega Baseball 2 in September, a major patch for NBA Playgrounds, and the launch of another game subscription service on Xbox One.

On the show this week:

Bryan Wiedey, Pastapadre/Hit the Pass/Sporting News (@pastapadre)
Rich Grisham, Out of the Park Developments/Hit The Pass (@richgrisham)

Direct download: Press_Row_Podcast_Episode_222.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:56pm EDT

It's only May, but for games due out in late summer it's the time that their promotional cycles typically begin. E3 and EA Play are only a few weeks away and in advance of that EA Sports announced the first feature information for Madden NFL 18 and Konami has done the same for Pro Evolution Soccer 2018.

In this episode of the Press Row Podcast all of the news on Madden NFL 18 is discussed, including the introduction of the Frostbite Engine and Story Mode, three different 'Play Styles' (with a debate over whether removing randomness from sports is really the right way to go for competitive gaming), the various gameplay improvements cited so far and more. Additionally the new features for PES 2018 are covered, plus a look ahead at the announcement of the first tennis game for consoles since 2012.

On the show this week:

Bryan Wiedey, Pastapadre/Hit the Pass/Sporting News (@pastapadre)
Rich Grisham, Out of the Park Developments/Hit The Pass (@richgrisham)
Chris MillenniumOS, Operation Sports (@MillenniumOS)

Direct download: Press_Row_Podcast_Episode_221.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:06pm EDT

Arcade-style sports games have been making a resurgence as of late thanks to independent developers, but now for the first time one of them even has the backing of a professional league. NBA Playgrounds released this last week for just $20 with full league licensing and a deep roster of current players and legends, and it comes from Saber Interactive, a studio that has never before worked on a sports game.

The panel for this episode of the Press Row Podcast discuss the the aspects of NBA Playgrounds that have been executed well, the flaws that have been identified in gameplay and design, and improvements that could be made in post-release support and for a potential sequel.

On the show this week:

Bryan Wiedey, Pastapadre/Hit the Pass/Sporting News (@pastapadre)
Rich Grisham, Out of the Park Developments/Hit The Pass (@richgrisham)
T.J. Lauerman, ThatSportsGamer (@ThatSportsGamer)
Chris MillenniumOS, Operation Sports (@MillenniumOS)

Direct download: Press_Row_Podcast_Episode_220.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:22pm EDT

Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 17 is loaded with more content than ever, and while that’s great for those who are familiar with all the features and avenues to success it makes the mode more difficult to navigate for everyone else. With so many different ways to play, to earn cards, and spend Stubs, where does one even begin?

In this episode of the Press Row Podcast, host Bryan Wiedey is joined by T.J. Lauerman, Paul Sporer, and Kris Jardine to discuss Diamond Dynasty in depth, analyzing what’s been done best this year, where some trouble is being had, and providing insight on how to build teams in the most effective and efficient ways possible.

On the show this week:

Bryan Wiedey, Pastapadre/Hit the Pass/Sporting News (@pastapadre)
T.J. Lauerman, ThatSportsGamer (@ThatSportsGamer)
Paul Sporer, FanGraphs (@sporer)
Kris Jardine, SnaggleJ (@SnaggleJ)

Direct download: Press_Row_Podcast_Episode_219.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:05pm EDT

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