On the heels of Saturday night's NBA LIVE 18 event in California, event attendees have had their embargo lifted and are now able to share screenshots, a mini-trailer of the game, and video blogs from the event.

While footage and information is scarce in this initial release, some gameplay improvements did emerge such as a new skill-based counter move to help defenders stay with their man and an all-new Post System.

Continue on to see the first screenshots of the game, the first gameplay feature listing, and videos from the attendees. ...

Last night in Los Angeles, EA SPORTS hosted a private event featuring NBA LIVE 18. Held at the Siren Soundstage Studio, the invite-only soiree appeared focused on media and YouTube content creators and included NBA LIVE 18 signage, a swag box featuring sneakers, a barbershop, a face-scanning rig, and a basketball hoop for attendees to practice their shot.

The theme of the event centered around "The One," seemingly either the central marketing/promotional theme for the title and/or the name of a new game mode. Some signage at the event appeared to say 'One Career,' perhaps indicating it is the name of a new single-player or career mode.

Other prominently displayed signage appeared to include images of Anthony Davis (potential cover athlete? Displaying improved facescan/graphics?), outdoor venues, and a logo for 'The League' (perhaps another new mode or an aspect within career mode?).

An off-screen shot of the game shows LeBron James and the Celtics' Avery Bradley. The first official release of game information is expected, but not confirmed, to come anytime between now and June 10th's EA PLAY event in Los Angeles.

Continue on to see images from the event shared on social media by event attendees. If you notice something we missed, please let us know in the comments below. ...

Full details for NBA Playgrounds game update 1.1.0 are now available.

Among the significant upgrades in this patch are Challenge Mode, five new versions of Shaquille O'Neal, 15 new players, an on-screen shot meter, and a number of gameplay tuning/adjustments.

On a related note, the development team at Saber Interactive & Mad Dog Games have been very involved in discussing the game, answering questions, and taking feedback on the official NBA Playgrounds Facebook Group page, which is open to the public.

Continue on to see the full patch notes.


Patch ...

After finishing in the top two of the fan cover vote along with Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch's strong finish at the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race has landed him the cover of NASCAR Heat 2. Busch finished third overall, while Truex Jr. finished in 12th place. The driver with the best finish among the two would be awarded the cover. ...

Today, 704Games officially announced NASCAR Heat 2, coming September 12 to PS4, XB1, and PC.

According to the official press release, here re the first details regarding the game: "NASCAR Heat 2 builds on the core experience of its predecessor, NASCAR Heat Evolution, with advancements from returning developer Monster Games. These improvements include enhanced online multiplayer, a deeper career mode, track updates, additional drivers and other features in line with the 2017 NASCAR-sanctioned national series formats."

Through Friday, May 19 fans can vote for the two finalists to grace the cover of the game among these four contenders: Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Martin Truex Jr. The cover athlete will then be the driver between the top two vote-getters who has the better finish at Stage 2 at the Monster Energy All-Star Race on May 20.

Continue on to read the official press release and cover vote video from 704Games. ...

EA SPORTS has announced that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will be the cover athlete for the standard and G.O.A.T. editions of Madden NFL 18, set to launch in late August. The G.O.A.T. Edition will allow users to play the game three days early and will also include a bevy of Madden Ultimate Teams perks and bonuses.

Brady also addressed the much-discussed 'Madden Curse,' in not one, but two videos on his Facebook account.

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

Amazon's product listing for Madden NFL 18 provides the community's first information regarding the game.

The standard version of the game will release on August 25, with those who pre-order the 'g.o.a.t.' Edition able to play on August 25.

Among the early game info/features revealed: M18 will be powered by the Frostbite Engine and Play Now Live will allow users to play that week's NFL match-ups.

Gameplay improvements include target passing, three play style options (Arcade, Simulation, Competitive), coverage assignment options, and coach adjustments.

Continue on to see the official game info and description courtesy Amazon. ...

Today, 2K Sports announced that Shaquille O'Neal will be the cover athlete for the Legend Edition and Legend Edition Gold versions of NBA 2K18. These two versions of the game will join the standard version of the title. The cover athlete for the standard version of the game has yet to be announced.

Each version of the game will come with perks, including some physical items for the legend versions. The MSRP for the standard version is $59.99, Legend Edition $99.99, and Legend Edition Gold $149.99.

Last year, O'Neal's former Laker teammate Kobe Bryant was the legend cover athlete for NBA 2K17 and based on the announcement trailer it appears he will be involved the game's marketing plans again this year.

Continue on to see the announcement trailer. ...

Game update 1.05 is now available for MLB The Show 17, the second game update made available in the last week.

Like update 1.04, this update covers a wide range of game areas: gameplay (online and offline), stadiums, crashes, and more.

Continue on to read the full game update details for game update 1.05. ...