UFC May Ban Fighters That Sign With EA

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.

Initial FNR4 Impressions

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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FNR4 360 Hard Drive Performance Evaluation

Something I’ve done in that past that has been popular is taking a look at the differences in games on the 360 when played from disc vs the hard drive. Installing to the HDD has shown performance improvements in the games as well as cutting down on the stress to and noise from the console. Here is a look at the difference being seen in Fight Night Round 4.

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FNR4 Photo Face Creations

Through a few of the EA Sports titles the Photo Game Face feature has been evolving and improving. For Fight Night Round 4 this is a selling point in being able to add to the stable of fighters through creations of your own or by downloading others. I decided to look through the boxer gallery and found some that looked quite good and others that showed little resemblance to who it was supposed to represent.

What are your thoughts on the feature? Have you created a fighter through Photo Face that is worth checking out and downloading? Link to it in the comments!

EA Sports MMA Shaping Up

Announced at E3, EA Sports MMA is set to release in 2010 and from then on alternate years with the Fight Night series. The game has been in development for quite some time so while it will be a while before details start to come out there is still discussion on the direction of the game and some early fighter signings.

In an interview with Gamastura, EA Sports President Peter Moore discussed the game and how they are targeting individual fighter rights. Given that THQ holds the exclusive license for UFC that makes it much more difficult to fill out a roster with fighters who are well known to the public. The UFC 2009 Undisputed fighters were forced into lifetime agreements with THQ so none of them will be a possibility.

We are looking obviously at every fighter that we can, that we feel is applicable from a quality level and then analyzing their image rights, and if they’re available and we want them — then we’ll get them. If they’re not then we’ll move on to the next fighter.

So far confirmed for the EA MMA game are Tim Sylvia and Randy Couture and likely Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi. That is a pretty good start but it remains to be seen if a roster could be built based off non-UFC fighters that will be appealing. Eventually the game may end up having to be more about created fighters and offering a high level of customization.

Waiver Wire Podcast 6/20

In this edition of the Waiver Wire Podcast, Chase Becotte from Operation Sports and I discuss the NCAA Football demo and our thoughts on how it compares to what we played while out at E3. In addition the issues with the rosters and the downloadable content cheats are gone over at length. Also on the plate for this podcast are impressions of The BIGS 2 demo and some wrap-up feelings on Madden 10 and Backbreaker coming out of E3.

To download the podcast click here and leave your thoughts in the comments!

New NHL 10 Features List

Thanks to the product listing from Gamestop we have new info on NHL 10. Until now most of what has been relayed has been about the physicality and fighting enhancements. However this features list provides details on specific modes such as a new GM mode and Playoff mode with improvement to playoff atmosphere.

New Battle for the Cup Mode: Experience the intensity of NHL playoff hockey. Play through injuries, intimidate rivals, and match lines as storylines carry across the entire series.

Build a Stanley Cup Champion: All-new GM mode lets you scout amateurs, put players on the trading block, hire staff, and earn experience points to become a legendary GM.

Battle on the Boards: Shield the puck with your body, kick-pass it to teammates, or pin your opponent against the boards with an all-new board play engine.

All-New First-Person Fighting: Change the momentum by trading blows with an NHL enforcer. Tug an opponent’s jersey to gain an advantage—before or after the whistle.

Become the Ultimate Pro: Improve your draft status by dominating the prospects game, then use new coaching tips, improved teammate AI, and detailed position instructions as you build the ultimate career.

Capture Multiple Championships: The coveted EA SPORTS Hockey League Cup is always up for grabs as new seasons start on a monthly basis online.

New Intimidation Tactics: Fore-check defenders, pressure the puck, and finish checks to force your opponent into mistakes, as players fatigue, bobble passes, and avoid collisions under threat of physical pressure.

All-New Post-Whistle Action: The action never stops! Antagonize opposing players, finish checks, retaliate for late shots on goal, draw penalties, and pick fights—all after the referee blows the whistle!

PFC 4: The Comeback

Another week in the PFC brought about two title changes and three successful defenses. After successfully retaining in the first fight of the week Keith Jardine took on a second challenger and dropped the Light Heavyweight title to Rashad Evans. Continue on for the results from PFC 3 and for the PFC 4: The Comeback card.

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UFC 2009 Dominates May Sales

UFC 2009 Undisputed was expected to be a strong seller. The sport is on the rise, reviews and buzz were good, and the marketing was heavy. However I’m not sure if many would’ve predicted that UFC would sell over one million copies in just the 12 days it was on the market in May.

With the NPD releasing sales numbers today we found out that the 360 version moved 679,600 copies with the PS3 selling 334,400. The game obliterated everything else for the month. To put it in perspective the 1.14 million sold falls just about in the middle of what NCAA Football 09 (640K) and Madden 09 (1.64 million) sold on the 360/PS3 in their respective first months last year. So this is a significant consumer response to the UFC product.

This isn’t a game that will see a huge drop-off either because of the strong word of mouth and as the marketing push continues more consumers will take a chance on it. THQ is already working on the sequel as it appears support from UFC and the success of the game have turned it into what will now be a yearly franchise.

PFC 3: High Stakes

Championship belts changed hands in two of the four title match-ups in PFC 2: Showdown. Now the card has been released for PFC 3: High Stakes. For anyone interested in participating make sure to sign-up in the forum and you’ll be eligible to be a part of the next event. Continue on to view the results and upcoming card.

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