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.
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.
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An exclusive look from Wired on the design of the Xbox One:
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What in the hell is up with Ricky Rubio’s legs?
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The NFL and Microsoft ALSO teaming up for fantasy football.
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Lionel Messi in action on the Xbox One:
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GIF of RGIII in action on the Xbox One:
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Looks like the XBOX is getting exclusive Ultimate Team content for FIFA 14.
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FIFA, Madden, UFC, NBA Live (lol) will be developed for release within the next 12 months. No NHL mention.
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Controller specs.
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The full specs for anyone interested. Buddy on stage just called it “space-age technology”… chill with that.
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You’ll be able to live track your sports fantasy teams WHILE watching sports:
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Here’s how your Xbox One controller looks:
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Official name: The Xbox One. Here’s how it looks:
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“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.
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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.
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Seats being filled right now.
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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.
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The tent the event will be held in. Looks fun. Or kinds cult-ish. Whatever.
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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).
This falls under the category of stuff you just don’t do. Keenan Allen, a rookie wide receiver who got drafted by the San Diego Chargers last month has some fans upset after sporting an Oakland Raiders (rival team) hat in a video he made on Vine. Allen hit up the In-N-Out burger joint and decided to post a short vid of his time there. Although there were some overreactions, Chargers fans weren’t happy:
@kaadeuce1 only an idiot would get drafted and post a vid of himself wearing the gear of a HATED rival. #smooth#benchplayer
@kaadeuce1 You’ve been traded to the Raiders. Wearing their colors means you have no clue about Charger nation!
— Sammy el Conservador (@SonofHope61) May 21, 2013
He has since deleted the video, so we can only muster up a screenshot, but when you’re dealing with die-hard fans, just don’t do things like that. Based on his Tweets, looked like he has learned his lesson:
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.
The big thing being touted in this year’s Madden game is the “Run Free” feature, giving you much more free control over your offensive ground game. If you’re a fan of the Madden franchise, this next piece should be a little concerning: EA Sports is also introducing a “Precision Modifier”, giving you the option of 30 different moves as a running back. You can string together these moves to create “devastating combos” (EA Sports’ words, not mine).
The “devastating combo” makes the game sound super arcade-y, reminiscent of arcade fighting games where combining combos gets you more XP. Also, while these moves look great, they really aren’t all that realistic. Here’s the video, and we’ll show you some GIFs after the vid to further illustrated the unrealistic animation.
And now for the GIFs. some of these moves are unrealistic, especially Chris Johnson’s spin.
Remember when he was on the cover of Madden NFL 2004? IMO, one of the best Madden’s of all-time, but I’m going off-topic. The Michael Vick comeback story isn’t going so great in the NFL, but he’s still somewhat of a household name (maybe not for all of the right reasons).
Vick has come out with a mobile game called “Mike Vick: GameTime”, an offense only 4-on-4 touch based football game. I tried it out today, and while the graphics aren’t great, it’s still a fun and quick way to pass the time.
Basically you’re the QB, and have 3 wide receivers to pass to. The more touchdowns the score, the more money you get. The more money you get, the more you can upgrade your players and become a better team. The one thing that I found annoying about the game was the fact that you had to pay for more plays in the playbook, but in this era of gamification, it’s expected.
Madden 25 announced last night that Barry Sanders would grace the cover, beating Adrian Peterson for the honor. They also released a new video with actual gameplay footage, highlighting their new “Run Free” feature, using the Infinity Engine 2 (we previously explained what it’s all about).
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