MLB 2K12/NBA 2K12 Combo Pack

mlb 2k12 - nba 2k12 bundle

2K Sports is bringing fans a heavily discounted way to get 2 great games for a huge discount.  Starting on March 6th, you will be able to get both MLB 2K12 and NBA 2K12 for only $69.99.  Sadly for PlayStation 3 owners this bundle is only available on XBOX 360, but it probably doesn’t matter because most baseball fans with a PS3 will buy MLB 12: The Show anyway.

This is not some sort of discounted version of both games combined into one.  You get the full version of both MLB 2K12 and NBA 2K12.  You will still be able to complete in the perfect game challenge, play online, and all of of that good stuff.  Jason Ardent the vice president of marketing for 2K sports had this to say,

If you are serious about sports gaming, this offer is simply too good to pass up. Fans waiting to get their hands on MLB 2K12 will also be able to grab NBA 2K12, our greatest basketball title to date.

If you are interested in getting the MLB 2K12/NBA 2k12 bundle, you can pre-order it on amazon for only $69.99.  Do you plan on buying it?

MLB 12 The Show Pure Hitting Video

mlb 12 the show zone analog hitting

The guy at SCEA and Sony released a tutorial video on how to properly use their brand new zone+analog hitting feature.  This new way of hitting can be intimidating and confusing at first but when you get used to it, you will find that it gives you more control than ever before.  You can still use the pure hitting controls so don’t worry about it if you aren’t a fan of change.  You can watch the full video tutorial below.

Final Madden 12 Roster Update Coming Next Week

For the last 5 months, Madden 12 fans have associated Friday with a new roster update on their PlayStation 3’s or XBOX 360’s.  EA Sports has decided to skip this week and launch the final roster update next week.  The update will include player increases and decreaes based on performance in the Super Bowl but also a lot of general maintanence with putting injured players back into the lineup and getting all the rosters exactly how they should be to get us to Madden 13.

For those of you that play online franchise, there will also be a roster update coming to that game mode so if you are thinking of starting up a new online franchise, it would be wise to wait until next week’s roster update before you start it up.  EA Sports has done a fantastic job of sticking to consistent roster updates this year which lots of Madden fans are very grateful for.  When the full details of the update come out, you will be able to find it at VG Strategy.

UFC Undisputed 3 Online Features

UFC 3 Online

As with any video game, the ability to play online with friends is a huge selling point.  It is likely even more important for UFC Undisputed 3.  Who doesn’t like beating the virtual crap out of one of your  friends online and then bragging about it until the next time you fight?  In a press release earlier today THQ released the full details on what to expect when you hop online in UFC Undisputed 3.

ONLINE EXHIBITION – In Ranked Matches, players will select their fighters, referee and venue within UFC or PRIDE® Mode. In addition, they will have the option to generate a Quick Match for automated matchmaking, a Custom Match to search with specific settings or select Create Session to host a match. Once a fight is complete, players will proceed to the post-game statistics for rankings information. Ranked statistics will contribute to a player’s Fighting Points grade and rank, as well as Fight Camp leaderboards.

EXHIBITION MATCHMAKING & FIGHTER POINTS – UFC Undisputed 3 will introduce new servers to significantly improve online matchmaking capabilities. Parameters will also be set on ranked matches to ensure fairness for leaderboard participants. The ranked settings are set to three rounds, while downloadable content and created fighters, mirror matches and camp fighting will be active during gameplay. In addition, Online Exhibition in UFC Undisputed 3 will introduce a new Fighter Points system. This system will enable players to compare ranks and show off their skill levels to see who is the ultimate champion.

HIGHLIGHT REELS – UFC Undisputed 3 will automatically save gameplay footage from fight rounds, up to the 50 most recent, enabling players to go back and watch them again. They will be able to save these videos to their Favorites and also cut clips from these fights to create a Highlight Reel. Highlight Reels may be also shared online so players can show off their accomplishments.

CONTENT CREATION & COMMUNITY SHARING – A community hub will allow players to upload their custom content, including created fighters, highlight reels and logo designs, and share the items with others from around the world. Once uploaded, anyone can download the content and use it within gameplay. A ratings system will allow players to rank each piece of shared content for others to review. In addition, players will also be able to download and review upcoming fight cards.

FIGHT CAMPS RETURN – Players may apply to join an existing camp or create their own, including selection of the camp’s name, developing a camp ID for use in match lobbies and creating a camp banner to be displayed during matches. The Camp Menu will offer several options based on player rankings, including access to the camp’s member list to monitor online status, option to view camp milestones and progress, as well as the ability to invite new camp members, accept applications and edit camp profile settings. In the gym, players will participate in free sparring with camp partners, play in unranked matches with camp members, compete in ranked matches outside of the camp and arrange chat sessions with up to four other players.

What do you think about the UFC Undisputed 3 online features?  Let us know in the comments section.

THQ Does Community Right

thq gets ufc undisputed 3 community rightAs most of you would expect, a lot of reviews for UFC Undisputed 3 will start to trickle out over the next few days.  Instead of releasing a traditional review of UFC Undisputed 3 (the game is great btw), I want to take some time to review something that is often overlooked: The community atmosphere that goes along with every game.

THQ seems to be the only gaming company that understands which people are most important to their success.  Other video game companies seem to cater only to the major video game media outlets like IGN and Gamespot.  Then they rely on those companies to get the news out to passionate fans and hope that the news eventually spreads to smaller websites.  But that ostracizes the true fans that play these games for multiple hours a day.  For example, where would the Madden NFL series be without the community websites like TheGamersLab.com, Madden-School.com,  GGmadden.com, MaddenTips.com, and countless others?  Yet none of those websites get the courtesy of being informed about upcoming news directly from EA Sports.  Furthermore, those websites have never been recognized by Electronic Arts as a part of their community.  Yet each of those websites have thousands of active users even now that football season is over.  It is only a matter of time before the people that dedicate their free time to those websites become fed up.

Now let me talk about my experience with THQ … If you head on over to the official UFC Undisputed community website, you will see prominent links to various fan websites within the community.  Last year they gave away free prizes like TapOut gear and a Brock Lesnar signed copy of the game to users on the relatively new website UFCgaming.com (which didn’t have a big fan base but it did have lots of loyal and hardcore fans). They invited representatives from the website UndisputedOnline.net to their headquarters to give them a behind the scenes look. They have consistently sent out emails informing even the small websites about trailers, screenshots, and news about UFC Undisputed 3.  They didn’t take the easy way out and send a press release to a huge media outlet and then call it a day. They reached out to those of us that have always been true fans.  Free review copies of UFC Undisputed 3 were sent out to not just administrators of fan websites but also dedicated members of those websites.  The community managers made real connections with their community and that should be commended.  THQ has made a lifelong fan out of me and countless others based purely on their interaction with the community.  Other gaming companies would be wise to follow their lead.

FIFA Street Game Modes

FIFA Street game modes trailer

Arguably the best part about FIFA Street is the variety of different game modes that are available.  Street football/soccer takes many different forms and the guys at EA Sports have incorporated that into the game.  You can choose from game modes such as 5-A-Side, Futsal, Last Man Standing, Panna Rules, or if none of those fit your style you can create a custom match.  In the video below the creative director of FIFA Street, Gary Paterson, goes over what you can expect in the upcoming game.