News & Updates
  • Details on a third patch coming down the line for Madden NFL 21
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    Posted August 31st, 2020 at 4:45 pm No Comments »

    With the chatter around Madden NFL 21 the most negative in series’ history EA Sports has provided details on an upcoming patch a full week and a half in advance of its targeted Sept. 10 release, with some intent likely about altering the discussion taking place.

    A pair of patches already tackled some of the early technical issues but much still remains on the table to be handled. This next one will not deliver promised new Franchise Mode features with the publisher now teasing info on plans to come in the near future. Read more

  • Madden NFL 21 Review
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    Posted August 28th, 2020 at 12:00 pm No Comments »

    Between the ongoing pandemic and impending transition to new consoles Madden NFL 21 and other sports games this fall will have faced unprecedented challenges. Some of what that could mean has already been demonstrated with the release of Madden 21 which has stumbled out of the gate to the worst reviews in the 32 year history of the series. Read more

  • Early issues with Madden NFL 21 already being addressed
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    Posted August 26th, 2020 at 6:30 pm No Comments »

    EA Sports has already released one update for Madden NFL 21 with another patch scheduled to arrive by the end of the week. The fixes implemented are for things that severely impacted player’s first impressions and made it appear obvious that the game was not quite ready for release. Those range from slowdown in the Ultimate Team menus, to missing players making The Yard quite literally unplayable, fields missing yard and slideline markings, and even the Seahawks being misspelled as the ‘Seahacks’ in the graphics package.

    As discussed on the latest Press Row Podcast, Madden NFL 21 is likely to be a very different game just a matter of weeks from now. These first patches attack some of the technical issues that have plagued its first days. Read more

  • Press Row Podcast: Madden NFL 21 and PGA Tour 2K21 Release Reaction
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    Posted August 25th, 2020 at 8:30 am No Comments »

    In the midst of a pandemic two major sports games have just released. One seems to have handled the challenges to produce a possible Sports Game of the Year candidate while the other may have been better off delayed. Pastapadre, MillsTwitch, and Rich discuss first impressions of Madden NFL 21 and PGA Tour 2K21.

    Check out the podcast through Apple Podcasts for iOS, on Android with the Stitcher app, or with Pocket Casts on iOS, Android, and Windows. The show can now also be found on Spotify! Subscribe and give the podcast five star reviews to help support the show. You can also listen with the streaming player found below.

  • Demo for NBA 2K21 now available
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    Posted August 24th, 2020 at 8:00 am No Comments »

    The demo for NBA 2K21 has gone live on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It should later today for PC as well. The download is a massive 31GB which is slightly smaller than it was with NBA 2K20 but 2-3 times larger than years prior.

    Included is the ability to play exhibition games with the Bucks, Clippers, All-Time Lakers and All-Time Celtics. The MyPlayer Builder is also featured in the demo. Unfortunately there is a limit of five games that can be played. After that the 2KU options and MyPlayer Builder are all that can be accessed.

    Up until last year the opportunity to try out the NBA 2K games was referred to as “The Prologue” given that the popular story mode played a role and progress that was made there carried over to the full game when purchased. With NBA 2K20 publisher 2K Sports went back to referring to it simply as a demo considering it only included two teams for an exhibition game, the character builder and shootaround.

    2K Sports has stuck with the release date of September 4th even though the current NBA season will still be in the midst of the playoffs and the next season looks to start likely in late December. This gives them an opportunity to sell 2K21 on numerous occasions, both from current to next-gen and from original date to a relaunch when the new season tips off. Keep in mind that only the $100 edition of NBA 2K21 will get those who purchase the game for free on the next-gen console and the price has been bumped up to $70 otherwise on the new systems.

  • PGA Tour 2K21 Review
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    Posted August 20th, 2020 at 12:15 pm No Comments »

    The fourth entry in the series previously known as The Golf Club is certain to get increased exposure due to the rebranding to PGA Tour 2K21 and the marketing might provided by publisher 2K Sports. Overlooked by some and arguably underrated in the past by others, this latest iteration won’t seem dramatically different to those who are familiar with The Golf Club but does deliver a more welcoming experience for newcomers and those who may not find themselves improving at a rapid pace. Read more

  • 10 hour trial for Madden NFL 21 now available through EA Play
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    Posted August 20th, 2020 at 9:00 am No Comments »

    Madden NFL 21 can now be downloaded as a timed trial with EA Play on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. The EA Access subscription service was rebranded as EA Play earlier this week.

    Subscribers to the base service will get 10 hours of playtime after which it will expire requiring a second EA Play account to get 10 more hours or the game to be purchased come release. The timer ticks down whenever the game is loaded regardless of whether it is being actively played, menus navigated, or if there is any activity taking place at all. Because of that make sure to exit out and close the application from the respective home screens when not in use.

    The 10 hours are there to play immediately but can continue to be used even beyond release. Any progress made in the various modes and online results will carry over if a full copy is purchased. The complete game is available during the trial period.

    EA Access launched July 2014 on Xbox One and later was joined by Origin Access on PC. After being prevented by Sony from releasing the service on PS4 it was finally cleared to launch on the system last year. EA Play includes the “Vault” which offers unlimited play with nearly every game from the company’s catalog this generation, 10% off all digital purchases, and the ability to play games up to five days before they release with a limited timed trial. EA Play is $30 for a full year or $5 month-to-month.

    Madden NFL 21 features an updated Face of the Franchise campaign, an arcade mode called The Yard, a variety of improvements to gameplay, and practically nothing for Franchise Mode however that will be remedied post-release. Purchasing the game on current-gen will mean also getting the game for free on next-gen consoles.

  • The Line Drive for August 16
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    Posted August 16th, 2020 at 4:00 pm No Comments »

    The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.

    ♦Developer blog goes into current-gen gameplay improvements for NBA 2K21.
    ♦NBA 2K21 demo including the start of MyCareer will be out on August 24.
    ♦Developer blog goes into detail on the new mode The Yard in Madden NFL 21.
    ♦EA Sports revealed the full list of songs on the soundtrack for Madden NFL 21.
    ♦Developer blog goes into detail on what to expect from Career Mode in FIFA 21.
    ♦Developer blog goes into the improvements made for Pro Clubs in FIFA 21.
    ♦Developer blog goes over everything for Volta for its second year in FIFA 21.
    ♦Details on the latest roster update with ratings changes for MLB The Show 20.
    ♦Details on a very minor patch that went live recently for MLB The Show 20.
    ♦Early access beta for the mobile UFC game is now playable for Android devices.
    ♦Roster of wrestlers at launch and post-release revealed for WWE 2K Battlegrounds.
    ♦Rocket League will become a free-to-play game at some point later this summer.
    ♦EA Access subscription service is being rebranded as EA Play starting this week.