In the earlier posting the focus was on the first big names to commit to new teams. Those were Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva to the Pistons and Hedo Turkoglu to the Trailblazers (which has earlier been confirmed – and updating has now apparently fallen apart). Yesterday a new wave of news came with agreements coming in from Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza. Continue on to check out the most recent developments and leave your thoughts on them in the comments.

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Last year we had a successful online dynasty which was very enjoyable and allowed me to post occasional updates to the site on its progress. That will happen again this year but with more availability because there will be multiple ongoing site related dynasties. Here are the details on them and how to sign-up if you are interested in participating.

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One of the intriguing stories leading up to and through the release of UFC 2009 Undisputed was how the fighters were being forced into lifetime contracts. Now comes news that the UFC may be taking things even further by intimidating fighters who are not currently signed by them by making it known that they will never be accepted into the UFC should they sign on for EA Sports’ MMA. BloodyElbow has the info as pulled from forum sources.

I hear that all mma managers were informed that if any of their clients not currently under contract with the UFC….. sign to be a part of the EA game…….the will forever be banned for fighting in the UFC.

When it comes down to it if a fighter has the potential to make the UFC money they’d surely take them on regardless. Who this really will affect are those guys who are on the brink or would be competing for a spot. If they feel it would hurt their chances than it very possibly could sway them from deciding to go over with EA. This does add to the struggle that EA is facing with their MMA title which will not be able to put together a roster nearly as enticing as what UFC will have every year.

Even though players can’t officially sign with teams until July 8th some have already agreed to terms with new teams. While next offseason is the one everyone is waiting for there are still some impact players available this year. Here is a look at the biggest names to commit or appear to be on their way to doing so thus far this offseason and what it means for the teams involved.

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EA Sports announced today that over 100,000 teams have been created on the Teambuilder website for NCAA Football 10. Currently I’m working on my Transformers themed team and the community based Pastapadre Ninjas have already taken shape. I just recently started playing around with it and was surprised by how user-friendly the process is while still offering a great amount of options and depth.

From a business standpoint Teambuilder is likely to be a huge success and this milestone is a sign of that. Consumers who become invested in the game from creating teams are almost certainly going to buy NCAA. It provides a lot to look forward to for not only those who have made their own but also for the ability to download ones created by others. In a rough build-up to the NCAA release Teambuilder has been and looks to continue to be the bright spot.

Though it has yet to be officially announced TeamXbox has the details on an Anniversary Edition of NBA 2K10. Available in limited supply for $100 it will include a game storage locker, Kobe Bryant McFarlane and poster, video chronicling the history of the NBA 2K franchise, and access to the “Gold Room” which is a VIP online lobby.

The most significant piece of news out of the Anniversary Edition is the reference to a VIP lobby. 2K9 removed lobbies in favor of the unpopular Team 2K competition which resulted in a major disruption to the community. Given that there will be access to a special lobby for AE owners it would seem to reason that the regular lobbies will be returning as well.

2K Sports has released the first screenshot for NBA 2K10 and it features the new Cleveland Cavalier Shaquille O’Neal. Lebron James is also visible in the background doing his pre-game chalk routine. Both NBA games have now featured that as part of their initial campaign. Check out the full screen in the gallery and leave your thoughts on in the comments!

Today brings the raising of the embargo on the Road to Glory mode in NCAA Football 10. There will likely be media previews out on it later today. Until now all we’ve known about the mode is that it represents a revamped Campus Legend with the addition of Erin Andrews. EA has now released their official description of the mode and a video about it which you can watch here.

The new Road to Glory mode allows you to choose a position, embark on a college career and then reflect on your greatest moments through video presentations presented by Andrews. For the first time ever, your actual in-game highlights will be featured in these broadcast-style presentations. Plus, an all-new, completely redesigned 3-D dorm room prominently displays triumphant moments through photos, trophies, NCAA Football news and more. New online leaderboards allow you to compare your legend versus every other legend across the nation. The comparison of each position can be sorted by everyone who is playing that particular position with the same team, the same conference or can be compared across all NCAA teams.

I used to play a lot of Campus Legend mode until the last two years where it has gone largely untouched. It is difficult to say if the new presentation and additions will be enough given there were other underlying issues with the mode that needed to be addressed as well.

Fight Night Round 4 made its way out last week as one of the most anticipated sports releases of the year. Over the last couple days I’ve found myself trying to get a feel for the game and playing online. Some of the detrimental aspects and design decisions have stood out the most once getting past the fantastic visuals. Continue on for some general thoughts and leave yours in the comments!

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After a few days of voting it is time to declare the winner of the NCAA Football 10 Teambuilder community team creation. Kyhadley’s Ninjas jumped out of the gate and the others never were able to challenge in the voting. Kyhadley will be receiving a copy of NCAA 10 and I will be awarding some of the community who put a lot of time into making teams as well. Masta Solidus, MannyBeltre, and LVradio will get a copy of the game too. Thanks to everyone who made the effort of creating a potential Pastapadre team!

Look for the team to download when the game is released by searching the name hadpats9. The roster is made up of forum community members. After downloading you’ll be able to edit the team as desired. This is the team that will be used by myself in the community website online dynasty! Continue on to see the uniforms, field and current roster.

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