We’re now down to the semi-finals of the NHL 14 Cover Vote campaign and it’s down to the final 4: Pavel Datsyuk, Martin Brodeur, John Tavares and Sergei Bobrovsky.
We say farewell to 2 Toronto Maple Leafs who made it far into the campaign. Pavel Datsyuk narrowly defeated Joffrey Lupul in what was the tightest matchup of the last round. James van Riemsdyk made things interesting for Martin Brodeur as they battled for a spot in the semi’s, but Brodeur’s increased social media activity got him the W.
Semi-final voting runs until May 26th at 11:59 PM ET. The winner of the cover vote will be revealed during the Stanley Cup Finals.
One of the biggest announcements at yesterday’s Microsoft reveal of the Xbox One was their new partnership with the NFL. The technology for this collaboration is brand new, so it has potential to be great, or a disaster.
Here’s how it works: You’ll be able to sync your fantasy account and watch live NFL programming through your XBOX (obviously not free). When somebody scores, updates will be “snapped” to the right side of your screen (see image below). Of course, this is only for U.S. markets right now, but Microsoft has a global rollout plan that they haven’t released info on yet.
But the fantasy football aspect is just the beginning. The deal itself is worth $400 million over 5 years, and Microsoft will also be bringing their technology to the sidelines via Microsoft Surface tablets. The shots of wide receivers huddling around a binder, reviewing their previous drives will be no longer. Most of the paper will be substituted for tablets as early as 2014.
Here are 8 GIFs of pre-rendered cut scenes that EA Sports showed off today, highlighting their new IGNITE game engine . They look good. Not in-game footage, but good. BTW, what is up with the legs in NBA Live?
And that’s it from the Xbox Reveal. We’ll post some more high quality screens in a separate post after Microsoft puts it on-demand.
2:05PM ET
An exclusive look from Wired on the design of the Xbox One:
1:58PM ET
What in the hell is up with Ricky Rubio’s legs?
1:50PM ET
The NFL and Microsoft ALSO teaming up for fantasy football.
1:46PM ET
Lionel Messi in action on the Xbox One:
1:42PM ET
GIF of RGIII in action on the Xbox One:
1:38PM ET
Looks like the XBOX is getting exclusive Ultimate Team content for FIFA 14.
1:30PM ET
FIFA, Madden, UFC, NBA Live (lol) will be developed for release within the next 12 months. No NHL mention.
1:26PM ET
Controller specs.
1:22PM ET
The full specs for anyone interested. Buddy on stage just called it “space-age technology”… chill with that.
1:17PM ET
You’ll be able to live track your sports fantasy teams WHILE watching sports:
1:13PM ET
Here’s how your Xbox One controller looks:
1:07PM ET
Official name: The Xbox One. Here’s how it looks:
1:03PM ET
“For the first time you and your TV are going to have a relationship. It’s going to recognize my voice, my face, etc.” A little creepy.
12:57PM ET
3 minutes away. Before we begin, just wanted to say that by 360 red ringed on me yesterday, while in the second round of a NBA 2K13 Online Association Mode playoffs. THANKS.
12:42PM ET
Seats being filled right now.
12:32PM ET
Touched on this earlier, but we will for sure be seeing how the FIFA franchise looks on the next-gen consoles, but all other games are just rumors. I can also see NBA Live getting some sort of mention as they’re pushing that game for the next-gens.
12:18PM ET
The tent the event will be held in. Looks fun. Or kinds cult-ish. Whatever.
12:11PM ET
Today’s the day Microsoft unveils the next Xbox system, and we are here to cover and rip into every minute of their presentation. There’s a ton of rumors as what we should be expecting, but since we focus more on sports gaming, look for this liveblog to be sports heavy. I’m hearing reports that we’ll be seeing some features from FIFA, UFC, Madden and others. Will try and update as much as possible with timestamps (all timestamps in Eastern time).
The NHL 14 team released another developer diary to highlight their One Touch Dekes feature, another aspect of their True Performance Skating.
One Touch Dekes
Experience what it feels like to be a superstar through a new, more responsive deking system controlled with only the left stick and one-button. From beginner to advanced gamer, this system allows for quicker reactive dekes and intuitive combination dekes, allowing for more moves than ever before. Be careful who you’re controlling with the one touch dekes though, not everyone has hands like Datsyuk. Getting too fancy with the wrong player is the quick and easy way to lose the puck.
So you buy a used EA Sports game, and you want to go online to download updates or play with friends. All of a sudden, you’re hit with a $14.99 charge to access these features. Introduced in 2010, the EA online pass system is now no longer. Why was the service initially launched? They thought it was going to be a way to make money to combat used game sales, and people who pirate their games.
“Initially launched as an effort to package a full menu of online content and services, many players didn’t respond to the format,” said EA corporate communications director John Reseburg said. “We’ve listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward.”
If you’re a gamer who buys used games, or a pirater who downloads your games, REJOICE.
Madden released this playbook video today, highlighting the defensive control in the upcoming game. The last video was focused more on the running game, now you can see what it’s like on the other side of the ball. GIFs and some info directly from the Madden presser to follow:
MAKE YOUR PRESENCE FELT Last year, the major focus of the Infinity Engine was figuring out the basics of speed, momentum and other factors. With the introduction of Force Impact and a year of additional tuning, the dev team can now bring the power of Infinity to the Hit Stick. This allows for the biggest, most impressive hits yet, creating moments you’ll want to recreate over and over.
Furthermore, if you manage to pop a ball carrier with the Hit Stick while he’s performing one of the special precision modifier moves, the chances of causing a fumble increase. So if you’re up against an opponent who loves flashy moves, line him up with the Hit Stick and see if he doesn’t get a bit more conservative. This concept carries over into the passing game as well, as cornerbacks and safeties who trigger the Hit Stick as a receiver makes a catch have a higher chance of jarring the ball loose.
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