Headlines

In their latest development blog posted on the PlayStation website, MLB The Show 17 has released more information on Retro Mode, regional cover athletes, pre-order bonuses, & the 2017 developer blog and Twitch livestream schedule.

- A nod to baseball games of past, Retro Mode allows user to play with simplified controls and old school presentation graphics/UI elements. Pitching in the mode consists of using just one button, X, and the direction analog stick will help adjust pitch type and velocity.

- In Canada, the cover athlete will be Toronto's Aaron Sanchez. In Taiwan, Miami's Wei-Yin Chen will grace the cover.

- The blog/Twitch schedule reveals a new presentation package and two new commentators joining the booth. While details have been edited out with asterisks, it is believed that the intended text is 'MLB Network Presentation Package' and 'Harold Reynolds & Jon Smoltz Join the Booth.' Presentation details will come via a Twitch stream on March 2.

Continue on to read the full blog to read the details of the pre-order bonuses and to view the pre-release content schedule. ...

Content update #3 (title update 1.05) is now available for EA SPORTS NHL 17.

The biggest inclusion is the addition of a new feature, Competitive Seasons, within Hockey Ultimate Team. This mode will allow users to compete in a monthly season format to earn rewards. The better the player fares each month, the better the reward that can be earned at the season's end.

Also included within this update are improvements/changes to gameplay, EASHL, and presentation, along with Tuner 1.02.

Continue on to read details of content update #3 straight from EA SPORTS. ...

Madden NFL Mobile has received a new January update including updating the digital cover athlete to Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown after previously highlighting Rob Gronkowski and then Von Miller in previous updates.

The primary focus of this update includes changes to Defensive Gameplans to help alleviate the severity and harshness of some counters. Other additions within this update include social media sharing, quick selling coin collectibles from the pack opening screen (ala NBA LIVE Mobile), as well as stability fixes.

Continue on to read the blog from developer Danny Doeberling. ...

With the Nintendo Switch now publicly detailed and heading towards its March 3 release date, for those in the sports gaming community the focus has shifted towards game options, both short & long-term.

During the Nintendo Switch Presentation and subsequent release of console and game information, only two sports titles for the console were announced: EA SPORTS FIFA and NBA 2K18. Both are scheduled for a fall 2017 release with 2K18 detailed for a September release.

During the life-cycle of both the Nintendo Wii and Wii U, 3rd party titles were lacking, specifically in the sports realm. While EA SPORTS began making titles for the Wii, they were often considered lacking features, if not watered down ports of the console version(s).

While there is some speculation that EA SPORTS FIFA on the Switch will be built off of the PS3/360 versions of the title (speculation EA denies, by the way), NBA 2K18 will reportedly include many of the same features as the PS4/XB1 version: MyPLAYER, MyCAREER, MyTEAM, MyLEAGUE, and MyGM. ...

EA SPORTS FIFA 17 Title Update #4 is set for release on PC, with the PS4 & XB1 versions in the near future.

The update includes fixes/improvements across gameplay, FIFA Ultimate Team, Career Mode, and Visuals/Presentation.

Continue on to see the update notes. ...

NBA 2K has announced that the second installment of Park After Dark will take place Friday, December 30 at 11 PM ET featuring the rapper Future.

Park After Dark consists of MyPark, Slam Dunk Contest, and Three Point Contest in a new, specific venue with a special in-game soundtrack featuring a DJ/host.

The inaugural Park After Dark on November 26 featured Snoop Dogg as the musical host, however the event was plagued by issues in playing MyPark games. On the PS4 side, it took nearly an hour and a half before users could play the 3-on-3 mode. While being billed as a "live set" from Snoop Dogg, the audio was clearly pre-recorded as Snoop gave shout-outs to players on courts where no games were being played.

A future Park After Dark (date not disclosed) will feature DJ Premier as the musical host. ...

In the latest MLB The Show 17 video, Community Manager and Developer Ramone Russell sheds light on the improvements and features coming to the game that were teased in the gameplay reveal trailer from earlier this month.

Some of the more significant improvements include improved spin of the ball off the bat increasing hit types (such as balls down the foul line), updated face scans, new legends, and four new historical stadiums including the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

Continue on to see the Playback trailer and the reveal/confirmation on some of what's new in MLB The Show 17. ...

The newest Madden NFL 17 game update is small in size (just 88.81 MB on PS4), but alleviates issues that arose during the game's most recent eSports event, the Madden NFL 17 Classic.

This update also prepares Madden Ultimate Team for the upcoming Holiday Freeze event.

Continue on to read the full list of announced patch improvements. ...

Yet another game update is now available for NBA 2K17.

According to patch notes released by 2K Sports, this update adds support for the upcoming NBA 2K17 All-Star Tournament, performance increases for users in certain MyPark venues, and reduced shooting effectiveness after excessive dribbling.

Given the large update size, there some speculation within the community that there may be more to this update than officially announced.

Continue on to see the short list of patch notes from 2K. ...