EA SPORTS has posted a new Madden NFL 18 blog detailing some of the top community requests from M17 and how they addressed them for M18.

Some of the highlights include: injuries away from the ball (including linemen), 'Ballhawk' now a timing-based skill, elimination of the 'Swerve' technique, improved fumble recoveries, size & weight more important in determining Hit Stick and impact block outcomes, and slower players less likely to catch faster players, among other numerous improvements.

This blog is one of the best and most-welcome for Madden NFL 18 thus far in the pre-release cycle and ALL sports games should do something similar. Sometimes the biggest improvement(s) to the game for many in the community is just improving and addressing concerns and issues from the previous iteration, so learning about these changes now should only bolster and boost community anticipation for the title.

Continue on to see the lengthy blog from EA SPORTS. ...

The WWE 2K18 Collector's Edition will be centered around John Cena.

Some of the extra content will include an exclusive Cena action figure, a ring mat and autographed Cena photo, and two (throwback) playable versions of Cena. In addition, two WWE legends return as part of the Collector's Edition: Batista (better known currently as Drax in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy movie franchise) and Rob Van Dam.

Continue on to see the full list of items contained in the Collector's Edition. ...

2K Sports has released the first screenshots and player ratings for NBA 2K18.

Three new screenshots showcase Canadian cover athlete DeMar DeRozan, Isaiah Thomas, and newly traded Paul George in the new Nike uniforms for the first time.

Continue on for the screens. ...

EA SPORTS has posted the first gameplay trailer for Madden NFL 18 and three blogs detailing specific areas of gameplay imrpovement coming to the title: the new target passing mechanic, new WR/DB interactions, and three selectable gameplay style options (arcade, sim, and competitive).

The new target passing mechanic adds an additional level of control by letting players see exactly where the pass will go and lead/deliver it with precision. The new WR/DB interactions essentially incorporate a new mini-game within gameplay featuring a bevy of new mechanics and options, and the three gameplay style options to let users select what type of experience they aim for when playing a game of Madden NFL 18.

Click the following links to read the specific gameplay blogs for the new target passing mechanic, new WR/DB interactions, and gameplay style options.

Continue on to see the first gameplay trailer for Madden NFL 18. ...

2K Sports has announced the full soundtrack listing for NBA 2K18 and also created a playlist on Spotify. This year the soundtrack contains 50 songs including ranging from the 90s to tracks from today.

NBA LIVE 15 cover athlete turned Team 2K athlete Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers contributes two songs to the soundtrack, Wasatch Front and Shot Clock. The latter will be a hidden track that can be unlocked via MyPLAYER mode.

Click here to listen to the soundtrack on Spotify and continue on to see the full soundtrack listing. ...

Four years after reporting exiting the EA SPORTS College Football franchise following the aftermath of the player likeness lawsuit settlement, the Ohio State University has been sued by former Buckeye two-time All-American Chris Spielman and other former players over the use of their player likenesses.

Courtesy The Columbus Dispatch: Spielman also said attaching his name to Honda puts him in a difficult situation given a separate sponsorship deal he has with a local Mazda dealership. Spielman said he is fine with Ohio State using his name and likeness for non-commercial purposes. “You can slap your name and logo on banners all you want,” he said. “But as soon as you slap a corporate logo on there, I have rights, in my opinion, to say yes or no, or to negotiate that.”

In 2013, Ohio State reportedly followed the lead of conferences such as the SEC, Pac-12, and Big Ten by withdrawing usage of their trademarks for what may have been known as EA SPORTS College Football 15 as they sought to minimize risks in potential future lawsuits over player likenesses. However, at least in the case of Ohio State, it appears they only made the move to save face at the time and did not have the interests of student-athletes at heart as they would engage in their own form of alleged player likeness infringement and face a lawsuit.

Continue on to read more on Spielman's class-action suit versus Ohio State. ...

On the July 12, 2017 edition of The Bottom Line with Mike'l Severe, former Arizona State and Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller was asked about his lawsuit versus EA SPORTS and the NCAA which proved to the death knell - along with the Ed O'Bannon lawsuit - for the NCAA Football franchise in fall 2013.

When asked by Severe if he accomplished what he hoped to as part of the lawsuit, Keller responded "...I think we did. I enjoyed it and really got behind the principle of why." He went on to add that "My small part of it kind of brought some things to light and kicked things in motion, but it was a small part of a bigger, bigger battle. I think we shed some light on some things and definitely accomplished what we set out to do, but again it wasn't to be a world-changing thing."

The questions regarding the lawsuit were very topical given they came during the same week NCAA Football would have typically been released. However, one has to wonder what was truly accomplished given the debate over 'should players be paid; is a free education enough' (as Keller asks in the interview) have not been seriously answered or addressed by the NCAA, conferences, or member institutions. ...

704Games has announced that NASCAR Heat 2 will retail for $49.99 ($10 less than standard retail titles) and pre-orders will begin on Monday, July 10. NASCAR Heat 2 will be released on September 12, 2017.

In addition, NASCAR Heat 2 will come with a coupon for $50 off the ticket price at any Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series, or NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway or Texas Motor Speedway.

These two moves may be 704Games' attempt to help the title stand out and succeed in a crowded fall sports line-up consisting of Madden NFL 18 (8/22), Everybody's Golf (8/29), NBA 2K18 (9/15), FIFA 18 (9/29), Forza 7 (9/29), WWE 2K18 (10/17), and NBA LIVE 18 (TBA).

Will the lower price point and event voucher entice you to pick up NASCAR Heat 2? ...

2K has announced that Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan will grace the first-ever Canadian cover of the game for NBA 2K18.

Worth noting is that the image used of DeRozan for the cover is from a December 2015 game versus the Chicago Bulls, but includes a Nike Swoosh logo. Nike takes over from Adidas as the apparel manufacturer for the NBA this upcoming 2017-18 season, however uniforms will not be unveiled for at least a few weeks. Unless Nike keeps a similar template for the Raptors, it appears 2K has photoshopped the logo onto the jersey, modified the side design, and changed the color of his leggings from black to white. Was this done to aid in the aesthetics of the cover, to provide a design different than Adidas' prior to the Nike reveal, or is it perhaps providing the first possible look into the upcoming design for Toronto?

Continue on to read the full press release from 2K Sports. ...