Author: Zox

EA Secures UFC License

electronic arts gets ufc license

Electronic Arts (EA) held a press conference today where it was announced that they have secured the rights to the UFC, the biggest fighting league in the world.  Dana White had said many times in the past that he would never work with EA but it looks like he has since changed his mind.

THQ, the previous owner of the exclusive UFC video game license, has had a lot of financial trouble over the last few quarters leaving them with really no choice but to sell off the rights to the UFC to their competitor EA Sports.  THQ shares are up over 11% in trading today.

The original deal between THQ and the UFC gave the company rights until 2018 but with questions about whether THQ will even be around in 6 years and the downward trend in UFC Undisputed games’ sales caused both UFC and THQ to reconsider.

EA Sports developed their own MMA game last year without the UFC license but that is comparable to a video game company developing a football game without the NFL license.  Even though EA MMA was a decent enough game, there was no real road to growth if they followed that path.

The biggest sports video game publisher coupled with one of the fastest growing sports in the world could be a recipe for a huge hit.  Most of the details have not been released but when they are we will pass it along to you.

Infinity Engine Will Improve Madden 13 Physics

Madden 13 will feature a new physics system titled the, “Infinity Engine.” Upon first look, it is obvious that the realism level has been increased significantly this year. When defensive backs go to contest a past…

Madden 13 will feature a new physics system titled the, “Infinity Engine.”  Upon first look, it is obvious that the realism level has been increased significantly this year.  When defensive backs go to contest a past, there will be actual body contact and both players will react like it.

The days of defensive backs merging into an offensive player’s body are over.  The same idea applies to the running game.  You can’t just run through your offensive line at full speed anymore.  If your running back’s foot happens to hit someone’s leg, he will react by stumbling or falling down instead of just going right through them like in Madden NFL 12.

Check out this video below for the full detail:

2 True Performance Skating Quick Clips

Ben Ross, producer for NHL 13, released 2 new videos going over the newest feature in this year’s EA Sports hockey game.  It looks noticeably different from last year’s game based mainly on increased realism.

There is a big emphasis this year on things like physics, momentum and speed.  Those additions in the new feature called true performance skating should make NHL 13 the best hockey game yet.

Take a look at the latest trailers below.

$15 Credit When You Pre Order Madden 13

Amazon.com is offering a $15 dollar promotional credit when you pre order the game through their website.  This is not the same as the $15 dollars off you received when you pre order NCAA Football 13, but rather it is a $15 dollar credit that can be applied to any future order on Amazon.com.

By pre ordering Madden 13 through Amazon, you also will receive $1 release date shipping, no tax in most states, and exclusive NFL legends pack, a low price guarantee and now also a $15 credit.  This offer is only good on the PlayStation 3 and XBOX 360 versions right now.  It is not available with the Wii or PS Vita.

Order your copy of Madden NFL 13 today!

Hockey Cover Vote Reaches Finals

Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators will battle Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers in the final round of the NHL 13 cover vote.  You can place your vote on the NHL.com website from now until June 4th.

Unfortunately, the winner wil not be revealed until June 20th.  Let us know who you are voting for in the comments section below, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

Madden NFL Rookie Ratings Changes Over The Years

Bo McCready over at Operation Sports put together one of the more interesting articles I have seen in a long time.  He charted the overall rookie ratings between Madden 07 and Madden 12 and found a staggering difference.  As a long time player of football video games, I too had noticed a downward trend in player ratings that rookies enter the game with.

He finds that the average overall rating for first round rookies in Madden 07 was an 81.44 while in Madden 12 that number dropped to 76.44.  In that context it looks like rookies should have less of an impact in current Madden NFL games than in the past.  But when he digs into the details a little more, he finds that the average first rounder in Madden 07 was the 40th best player at his position while in Madden 12 the average first rounder was the 42nd best player.

So while it may seem like the overall rookie ratings continue to trend down each year, it is not as significant as people make it out to be.  Check out the full article over at Operation Sports.