Right on the heels of a brand new update and in time for the Super Bowl, Madden NFL 20 has made it into the EA Access Vault. This is the first of the 2019 EA Sports games to be provided in full to subscribers.
EA Access has been available on Xbox One since 2014 and finally launched on PS4 last summer. For $30 a year or $5 month-to-month, members get unlimited access to the back library of EA games on the console which in addition to Madden NFL 20 now includes all pre-2019 EA Sports games plus the likes of Fight Night Champion, Anthem, Battlefield V, Star Wars Battlefront II, Need for Speed Payback, Titanfall 2, Skate 3, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst and many others. There’s also the 10 hour trials with every EA game that begin five days before release and 10% savings on all digital purchases whether it be the actual games or microtransactions within them.
Amazon currently has a deal on EA Access priced down to $25 for a year subscription on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.Â
The arrival of Madden to the Vault comes right on schedule with last year. In addition to potential new subs and hoping to pull in some new fans to buy Madden NFL 21, those introduced to the game for the first time without having to pay for it may be more inclined to invest in its Ultimate Team mode. NHL 20 and FIFA 20 will both follow likely in April.
Just in time for the Super Bowl and the imminent move of the game to the EA Access’ Vault is another significant patch for Madden NFL 20. The final update of X-Factor players is joined by the introduction of a significant new feature and the fixing of an issue introduced with a change made through the last patch. Read more
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦New episode of the Press Row Podcast talks racing game of year and decade.
♦Based on past instances Madden NFL 20 could be added to EA Access Vault this week.
♦Madden NFL 20 led the way on NPD chart for sales of sports games in December.
♦Madden NFL 20 finished 3rd however with NBA 2K20 2nd in sales for entire 2019.
♦Details on the post-Conference Championship roster update in Madden NFL 20.
♦Details on the Super Bowl Past program for MUT live now in Madden NFL 20.
♦All of the ratings changes in the latest roster update released for NBA 2K20.
♦Chris Bosh and Jason Terry are among new adds to classic teams in NBA 2K20.
♦Details on the changes with the latest minor patch released for NBA 2K20.
♦Details on the Headliners program for FUT that has gone live in FIFA 20.
♦New roster update has gone out in NHL 20 however no specifics provided.
♦Details on the Team of the Year Program for HUT live now in NHL 20.
♦Out of the Park Baseball 20 is currently on sale for just $5 for one more day.
♦Blu-ray releases this week headlined by Parasite and Terminator: Dark Fate.
The first trailer for MLB The Show 20 released today. As usual these initial looks offer little of substance but do contain some fun moments and a few glimpses at adjustments that have been made to gameplay and the reveal of new legends.
More interesting is the schedule for the developer streams which includes mention of new features such as team relocation for Franchise, perfect PCI placement guarantees, and an additional mode for Diamond Dynasty.
MLB The Show will be moving onto other platforms in the future but that will not be the case with this year’s game which remains exclusive to PlayStation 4. Chicago Cubs’ shortstop Javier Baez is the cover athlete with release set for Fri. March 13 for those that pay $80 for the MVP Edition or $100 for the Anniversary Edition or Digital Deluxe Edition while Standard Edition buyers will have to wait until Tues. March 17 to start playing.
The eighth post-release update of significance for Madden NFL 20 released today. The big change in this update affects the Run Commit mechanic. Unfortunately the well-intentioned changes may be disruptive in a negative way with run commits causing instant pressure on QBs leading to inaccurate throws making for just the latest blunder in what has easily been the worst post-release period for any Madden in the past decade. Read more
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Ranking the top five sports games of the decade which peaked about 2016.
♦New Press Row Podcast episode on the racing games of 2019 coming this week.
♦Details on the Playoff Program for MUT that is now open in Madden NFL 20.
♦Details on the third part to the Zero Chill MUT program in Madden NFL 20.
♦Sign-ups have now closed for the upcoming gameplay beta for MLB The Show 20.
♦New Year’s Resolution cards have attributes that evolve in NBA 2K20 MyTeam.
♦Little has been shared about AO Tennis 2 despite its impending Jan 9 release.
♦A bug on Jan 1st rendered WWE 2K20 unplayble but has since been fixed.
♦Free demo of F1 2019 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 is available now.
♦Draft Day Sports released the 2020 Pro Basketball version of the series.
♦Draft Day Sports announced the 2020 Pro Football version out later this year.
♦Grand Theft Auto V is the latest high profile addition to Xbox Game Pass service.
♦Blu-ray releases this week headlined by Joker and The Lighthouse.
EA Sports has released the last roster update for Madden NFL 20 of the regular season. The weekly updates will continue but primarily reflect performances from the teams in the postseason until the final update of the Madden 20 campaign which will follow the Super Bowl.
The record-breaking season for Michael Thomas has moved him into the 99 Club. Thomas began the season at 95 Overall but didn’t begin moving up until week 9. He has taken the place of DeAndre Hopkins who fell from 99 to 98 Overall in this update.
Other notables on the move include Lamar Jackson (+1 to 93), Keenan Allen (+1 to 92), Amari Cooper (-1 to 91), Chandler Jones (+2 to 89), Aaron Rodgers (-1 to 89), Za’Darius Smith (+2 to 88), Mark Andrews (+1 to 84), Melvin Gordon (-1 to 84), Philip Rivers (-1 to 84), Carson Wentz (+1 to 83) and Kirk Cousins (-1 to 82). Check out the complete spreadsheet on the official website for the current ratings and all changes across the league.
A decade that saw the sports video game genre shrink and evolve into primarily digital revenue generators is coming to a close. Plenty of debate could be had on what games deserve recognition for having been among the best of the 2010-2019 stretch.
Certainly several entries in the NBA 2K, FIFA, PES and MLB The Show franchises could easily be justified at or near the top of the rankings. Others like Madden NFL 17, Super Mega Baseball and Out of the Park Baseball could have made any list.
In the Press Row Podcast episode last month we went down our picks for the top five sports video games of the decade. Now on Sporting News you can read through the justification for each selection on my list.
The criteria involved which games were the most complete and out-of the-box ready, received strong support after release, influenced other games to come with innovations, and were especially high on fun-factor. The final selections ended up being MLB 13 The Show, NCAA Football 14, 2010 FIFA World Cup, Rocket League, and NBA 2K16.