As we pass the five-year mark of no NCAA Football, SB Nation's Richard Johnson takes a look at how no college football video game ultimately hurts the Madden NFL franchise, at least in one regard - namely, the option.

Throughout the years where EA Tiburon developed both NCAA Football and Madden NFL, gameplay aspects and features could be shared helping to make each game better. With the option being a part of the NCAA Football franchise dating back to its predecessor Bill Walsh College Football, the code and legwork has existed for EA to share and incorporate it into Madden NFL.

However, now that NCAA Football is on ice, the investment that would have been necessarily made for the plethora of teams that run some form of option football - traditional, RPO, spread, etc. - such as Georgia Tech, Navy, and Nebraska would have been added to Madden. Whereas now devoting the time for Madden to do solely for what amounts to situational (or gimmick) playcalls have proven not to be worth the monetary or time investment.

Johnson's article states that the Ravens with rookie QB Lamar Jackson will have zone-read plays in their playbook in Madden NFL 19.

Continue on to read some excerpts of the article, available here in full. ...

In a nostalgia-filled week with social media and more reminiscing over memories of NCAA Football, SI.com's Eric Single has taken a look back at the PS2/Xbox versions of the game and how Sports Illustrated covers made it into Dynasty Mode.

Starting with NCAA Football 2004, considered one of the best versions of the game, the top storylines of Dynasty Mode would be surfaced in one of the most prestigious ways possible - on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Ask any college football fan who roots for a team who has won a national championship and you'll be likely to find a copy of SI commemorating their title as a prized possession.

“During the fall, everyone would wait and see who got on the cover of Sports Illustrated in real life—with all the big stories that were going on that week, what would grace the cover?” says Ben Haumiller, a producer at EA who worked on NCAA at the time. “And so you translate that into our world: If Sports Illustrated was just focused on college football, what would be the weekly top story that would grace that cover?”

Continue on for some excerpts of Singles' article, available in full at this link. ...

704 Games has officially announced NASCAR Heat 3 coming September 7, 2018 to PS4, XB1, and PC retailing for $49.99.

As part of the announcement, the first feature reveal for the game came via the reveal trailer and product website. Among the new features and improvements coming to the game are: the Xtreme Dirt Tour, Esports tournaments, eight new tracks, deeper career mode, stories, and gameplay improvements.

Some of the new tracks listed include dirt-racing at Bristol Motor Speedway, the final Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL layout, and the overhauled ISM Raceway.

Each copy of the game will come with a $50 race-ticket coupon, essentially making the game free for those planning to attend a race.

Continue on to see the first game feature reveal, reveal trailer, and official press release. ...

In a press conference from Athens, Greece 2K Sports has announced that the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the NBA 2K19 Standard Edition cover athlete. A rising star in the league, Antetokounmpo now looks to enter the 2018-19 season with a chance to stand out as one of, if not the best all-around player in the Eastern Conference now that LeBron James has headed to the Western Conference and the LA Lakers.

The first screenshot of the game is of Antetokounmpo and the most noticeable improvement over 2K18 is of arm muscle size and definition.

Continue on to see the reveal trailer, the first NBA 2K19 screenshot featuring Antetokounmpo, an archive of today's press conference, and the official press release straight from 2K Sports. ...

EA SPORTS has announced that those who own NBA LIVE 18 will be able to pre-order NBA LIVE 19 for 33% off, making it cost just $40. These pre-orders must be done digitally on PSN or XBL in-game on NBA LIVE 18 via an in-game menu panel. Community members have also noticed that EA Access (XB1) users can get an additional discount, making the XB1 version cost approximately $36.

Everyone who pre-orders the game will receive 'The One Edition' which includes the following cover athlete Joel Embiid signature items: Squad Player, Jersey, Gold Shoes, Gold Basketball, Signature Celebration, Customized Court. These items can be seen below:


It is unclear at this time if all purchasers of the game, regardless of timeframe, will receive these items. At this time, EA has only stated that pre-orders will. ...

Revealed during the 2018 NBA Awards, the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid will be the NBA LIVE 19 cover athlete.

Embiid made the All-Star Team for the first time in 2018 and also led the 76ers to their first playoff appearance since 2012. He is known for his memorable social media presence, not afraid to take jabs at others in the league.

Continue on to read the full press release from EA SPORTS. ...

A developer blog and Twitch stream highlights the presentation changes and improvements coming to Madden NFL 19.

Presentation improvements are highlighted by the addition of additional stadium exteriors and points of interest, 3D broadcast graphics, improved pregame and halftime flows, updated halftime show, two new replay camera views (Orbital and Overhead), and commentary call-back stories.

Continue on to read the blog from Sr. Game Designer Greg Heddlesten and an archive of the presentation Twitch stream from EA GameChanger 'MillsGamingTV.' ...

During tonight's NHL Awards it was announced that Nashville's P.K. Subban will be on the standard edition cover of NHL 19 while Wayne Gretzky will grace the Ultimate and Legend Editions.

The reveal trailer and press release unveiled the first details on game features, including the World of CHEL. From the press release: In NHL ® 19, the sport returns to the ponds where players can compete under a unified progression hub called World of CHEL that unites EA SPORTS Hockey League, NHL THREES™ Drop In and two new modes, NHL ONES™ and Pro-Am. NHL ONES™ pits three players against each other in a 1v1v1 free-for-all with no rules and no stoppages. Players can win to rank up to new outdoor locations and defend their position as king-of-the-hill. Players can also play in any World of CHEL mode to progress their online Create-A-Character, unlock rewards, and customize their look and their playstyle.

The game will include Real Player Motion technology that will also be found in Madden NFL 19 and NBA LIVE 19 this year. In addition, a new agreement with the NHL Alumni Association will allow 200 legends to be in the game. Franchise Mode's biggest area of focus will come in the form of an expanded and in-depth scouting system.

NHL 19 will be available on September 14, 2018. Ultimate and Legend Edition pre-orders can play the game beginning September 11 and EA Access users on September 6. Continue on to see the NHL 19 reveal trailer and the official press release courtesy EA SPORTS. ...

WWE 2K has announced that AJ Styles will be on the cover of the standard and deluxe editions of WWE 2K19, available October 9 on XB1, PS4, and PC. Those who purchase the deluxe and collector's editions can play the game four days early on October 5.

The game will include the Million Dollar Challenge where the winner of a tournament will face Styles for a chance at one million dollars. At this time, no additional game information has been announced.

Continue on to see Styles' cover announcement press conference. ...