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MADDEN

Madden 23 Pre-Order Details

Madden 23 Pre-order

Tis’ the Madden 23 reveal season, and information from EA’s latest entry into the Madden franchise is coming out almost daily. We’ve got the Madden 23 pre-order details for you right here.

EA recently posted the pre-order bonuses for the Standard and All Madden editions of Madden 23. As has been the case the past handful of years, the All Madden edition comes with more content, and early access.

Below is the pre-order details for all editions as well as EA Play.

Madden 23 Standard Edition

For $59.99 you can pre-order the standard edition which includes:

  • Choice of 2 Elite Players (1 Offensive & 1 Defensive) in Madden NFL 23 Ultimate Team
  • All Madden Gear to use in Madden NFL 23 Ultimate Team and The Yard
  • Madden Strategy Item in Madden NFL 23 Ultimate Team
Madden 23 All Madden Edition

For $99.99, you can pre-order the Madden 23 All Madden edition. This pre-order gets you the following:

  • 3-Day Early Access starting August 16, 2022
  • 4600 Madden Points
  • Limited-time All-Madden Team Elite Player with pre-order by July 22, 2022
  • Dual Entitlement
  • Exclusive Early Access Challenges in Madden NFL 23 Ultimate Team from August 16 through August 18, 2022
  • Choice of 2 Elite Players (1 Offensive & 1 Defensive) in Madden NFL 23 Ultimate Team
  • All Madden Gear to use in Madden NFL 23 Ultimate Team and The Yard
  • Madden Strategy Item in Madden NFL 23 Ultimate Team

If you have access to any of Madden 20-22, you have access to a special pre-order: the Loyalty Edition. You can pre-order Madden 23 at a 10% discount, a little bonus for the games loyal followers.

EA Play and EA Play Pro Benefits

EA Play Members
  • Early Access starting August 16, 2022
  • 10% off your pre-order, Madden Ultimate Team Packs, and more
  • A Launch Welcome Pack in Madden NFL 23 Ultimate Team
  • Monthly Ultimate Team Pack and Vanity rewards tied to in-game seasonal programs
EA Play Pro Members
  • Access to the Madden NFL 23 EA Play Pro Edition beginning August 16, 2022
  • 500 Madden Points each month from August 2022 – July 2023**
  • A Launch Welcome Pack in Madden NFL 23 Ultimate Team
  • Claim monthly Ultimate Team Pack and Vanity rewards tied to in-game seasonal programs
  • Get 10% off purchases of EA digital content

Madden 23 will officially launch August 19 for all consoles and PC.

 

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Categories
MADDEN

Madden 23 Closed Beta Out Now, Here’s What To Know

Madden 23 BETA

Madden NFL 23 will be released in August, but some fans can start playing the Madden 23 closed beta right now. The test includes a few different game modes, including Play Now and H2H Ranked, with more to come later, Franchise and Ultimate Team modes.

It is a closed beta, so fans will need to get a code from EA to play. Anyone chosen for the beta is forbidden from recording, streaming, or capturing video and images. Those who violate the agreement will be removed from the test and are subject to a “complete” ban on all Madden NFL accounts.

Codes are being sent out periodically, so EA Sports has advised its players to check their email for a code if they don’t get one right away. Players can follow @EAMaddenNFL on Twitter for a chance to get a code. Unfortunately, new sign ups to participate in the beta test are no longer being accepted.

Madden NFL 23 will launch on August 16th on EA play and August 19th for everyone else, with the late John Madden gracing the cover.

What is included in the Madden NFL 23 Closed Beta?

Available Now:

  • Play Now
  • H2H Ranked

Coming Soon:

  • Face of the Franchise: The League
  • The Yard
  • Superstar KO
  • Franchise Mode
  • Squads/Multiplayer for The Yard
  • Squads/Multiplayer for Superstar KO
  • Madden Ultimate Team

Madden NFL 23 Beta Known Issues So Far

  • Mid-Air collisions at the catch point not triggering at a high enough frequency
  • Man Coverage defenders frequently do fakeout animations when covering Curl and Comeback routes
  • HB Slip Screen does not work properly
  • Aggressive catch mechanic breaks in some situations
  • Player ratings relevance to Skill Based Passing is not finalized
  • Skill based passing Reticle snaps back when the user releases the left trigger so the user is unable to place it and leave it
  • Underneath Zone defenders are breaking too early on intermediate and deep routes
  • Some Pass Rush animations are triggering too frequently on All Pro and All Madden
  • Some Catches do not sync up when throwing to Tight Ends on Flat routes
  • Defenders in play ball situations sometimes obstruct the receiver from getting to the ball and do not make a play on the ball
  • Running backs sometimes do not play an avoidance or a Chip block animation when running a route, getting caught at the line of scrimmage

EA Sports is conducting this beta to collect feedback, you can send bug reports and other feedback on the Madden Voice website.

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Categories
FIFA

Report: FIFA 22 Packs Use “Arsenal Of Tricks” To Exploit Players

FUT 22 Packs

A report on loot boxes, written by the Norwegian Consumer Council, has targeted FIFA 22 packs for misleading players about their odds of getting rewards.

The NCC states that the companies use “layers of virtual currencies to mask or distort real-world monetary costs”.

The report, published on May 31st, is an investigation into “how the gaming industry exploits consumers using loot boxes” and identifies FIFA 22 as a case study for this type of behavior. It goes on to accuse developer EA of employing “a wide arsenal of tricks to push consumers into spending as much time and money as possible exploiting consumers hope to receive the reward despite a minuscule chance and likelihood to do so.”

According to the NCC FIFA 22 markets its packs by trying to trigger players’ fear of missing out, and claims that EA’s transparency regarding odds are “meaningless probability disclaimers” that do not tell players the actual probability of getting specific cards.

Continuing on, the NCC claim that even when players get their desired reward from a pack, they rarely stay valuable due to “the FIFA gameplay cycle” that introduces stronger cards as the year goes on.

“This creates a continuous gameplay loop, where players are continuously encouraged to open packs in the hope of obtaining upgraded cards to keep up with other players.”

Another major talking point is the reports claims that FIFA‘s pack probabilities are “dynamically generated”. They “can potentially be manipulated in real time based on any number of factors, all with the objective of incentivizing and maximizing spending”. Because there are no listed odds players on the verge of halting purchases as a result of bad luck could be artificially given a high-value card in an effort to bring them back.

In summary, the report says “it appears obvious that the design and mechanisms driving in-game purchases in these games are predatory, manipulative, and exceedingly aggressive, targeting consumer vulnerabilities at every opportunity.”

The report has been backed by 20 consumer groups across 18 companies, urging governments across the world to regulate loot boxes. The report calls for gaming companies to be banned from “using deceptive design to exploit consumers” and says in-game currencies should “always be denominated in real-world currency.”

It adds that games likely to be played by minors should not offer loot boxes for real money, nor should they include pay-to-win mechanics. The report also calls for more transparency on algorithms and better ways for consumer enforcement authorities to enforce these rules.

If these steps do not alleviate the identified issues, the NCC says governments should “consider a ban of paid loot boxes”.

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Categories
MADDEN

Madden 23 Cover Star Is John Madden Himself

Madden 23 Cover

The Madden 23 cover will be a recreation from the first iteration of the game, featuring John Madden himself.

As we previously speculated, the cover star of Madden NFL 23 is the late coach and commentator, John Madden. The hall of famer will appear on all three editions of the game.

A fitting tribute to the recently passed legend, the cover art for this year’s digital edition will also pay homage to the original John Madden Football game released in 1988.

While Madden appeared on every cover throughout the ’90s his last appearance was in 2000. In 2001 the franchise switched to spotlighting NFL athletes on the cover.

The digital recreation of the cover was made by sports artist Chuck Styles, while the standard and MVP edition will see Madden depicted separately as a broadcaster and a coach.

EA is also renaming a renovated football field at its headquarters as “John Madden Field” in a ceremony with CEO Andrew Wilson and members of Madden’s family.

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MADDEN

EA Leaks The Six Players In The Madden 23 ’99 Club’

Madden 23 99 Club

There will reportedly be six players to start the season in the Madden 23 99 Club. These six players are Patrick Mahomes, Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, Myles Garrett and TJ Watt.

At the start of last season, there were five members in Madden 22’s 99 Club: Aaron Donald, Davante Adams, Jalen Ramsey, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. By the Super Bowl update, there were six and the club had a different look with Aaron Donald, Davante Adams, Jalen Ramsey, Myles Garrett, Tom Brady and Travis Kelsey making the cut.

Patrick Mahomes had a down year, relative to his high standards, but that didn’t keep EA from including him in the Madden 23 99 Club. The most notable player to drop out of the club is Tom Brady, who at 44 years old put together the best statistical seasons of his career.

We knew from the position leaks that Adams and Kupp would be in the 99 Club, no surprises there, but it will be interesting to see if they can match their production. Adams goes from the Packers to the Raiders and Kupp would have to complete the best two season stretch in wide receiver history to match his output from last year.

On the defensive side we can all agree Aaron Donald deserves his spot, and Myles Garrett did nothing to get hit with a downgrade. The newest addition TJ Watt, arguably should have been a part of the club last year.

Details regarding Madden 23 are piling up recently. Stay tuned for more.

 

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FIFA

Report: Big Changes Coming to FIFA 23 Ultimate Team

FIFA 23 Leaks

Rumors and leaks are pointing towards the popular game mode being set for big changes to the chemistry system in FUT 23.

Players Ultimate Team squads are typically limited by two things, the amount of coins they have and their squads chemistry. The latter can impact the ability of the team if certain conditions are not met.

To build team chemistry in Ultimate Team FIFA users currently have to play their players in their correct positions, while also having links to other players in the other positions. These links include that the players play in the same league, for the same club or represent the same nation. Chemistry is rated up to a score of 100 on Ultimate Team and should the team’s chemistry be below 100, it will negatively impact all of the players on the team, reducing their effectiveness.

Recent leaks on social media suggest that chemistry could be getting a major overhaul for FIFA 23. Reputable FIFA Ultimate Team trader @WeaverImBMW4er claims that the information he has received shows the ‘Chemistry’ system will be replaced by a new ‘Stars’ system in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team.

The reported changes suggest that EA will be reducing the restrictions that are in place with the current chemistry system, allowing players to be more creative with their team without taking a hit to their squads overall effectiveness.

FIFA 23 is expected to be released later this year, in what will be the last EA Sports FIFA title.

 

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FIFA

Who will be FIFA 23 cover star?

FIFA 23 Cover Athelete

FIFA 23 will be released later this year, but we still don’t know which player will be the FIFA 23 cover star.

Kylian Mbappe has been the guy for the FIFA franchise for the past two years, and the expectation is that he holds that title again for FIFA 23.

EA Sports has confirmed partnerships with UEFA, Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga following the decision to end their partnership with FIFA after almost 30 years. EA however did not announce an agreement of continued partnership with Ligue 1 after FIFA 23, which could see Mbappe be replaced as the cover star.

So if it’s not Mbappe on the cover, then who?

PSG, Liverpool, Man City, Milan, Inter and Real Madrid all have exclusive deals with EA so their players are most likely to feature on the cover. With that in mind EA could tab someone like Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, Manchester City’s Phil Foden or Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.

We’ll have all the details as soon as the FIFA 23 cover athlete is announced. Who do you want to see on the cover?

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Categories
Uncategorized

Video Game Industry Consolidation Shaking Things Up

Video Game Industry Consolidation

The video game industry got a huge boost during stay-at-home orders in the first year plus of the pandemic. But as things opened back up and people started resuming activities outside of their home, video game sales suffered, seemingly resulting in a run of major company acquisitions within the space.

If you believe the reports, there is more to come.

Take-Two Kicks Off Round Of Acquisitions

Take-Two Interactive Software started the run of consolidation with its acquisition of mobile games publisher Zynga. Take Two announced the $12.7 billion deal on Jan. 10 and completed the transaction on May 23.

Microsoft was next with its pending acquisition of publisher Activision Blizzard. Microsoft announced that deal, worth $68.7 billion, on Jan. 18.

On Jan. 31, Sony announced a deal to acquire game studio Bungie for $3.6 billion.

On Feb. 24, mobile gaming firm Playtika disclosed that it is evaluating its options, including a possible sale. Same with Electronic Arts and  Ubisoft, as both have been looking for buyers, according to reports.

More Acquisitions Coming

“Consolidation is definitely going to continue,” according to analyst Mike Hickey.

After Zynga, Take-Two will continue to look into more acquisitions, according to Chief Executive Strauss Zelnick.

“Our story has historically been one of organic growth with very specific strategic acquisitions along the way,” Zelnick said. Those deals include “the acquisitions that got us into the mobile business in the first place and acquisitions of smaller and medium-size studios that bring to us great teams and great intellectual property.”

What’s next for EA?

Electronics Arts is looking to make a move. EA has reportedly sought out large media companies, such as Comcast, as potential merger partners.

If that does not work out EA could decide to buy. They made arguably the most successful acquisition in the recent history of video games, purchasing Respawn in 2017 for $315 million, which led to the creation of the company’s most valuable game in Apex Legends.

The sale of EA could really shake things up. More to come.

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Categories
NBA 2K

NBA 2K22 Releases SWISH Pack Series And New Locker Code

NBA 2K22 Locker Code

Following the release of NBA 2K22’s Season 7: Return of Heroes, 2K Games unveiled the SWISH pack series, featuring multiple new Dark Matter units.

Following the release of Season 7: Return of Heroes, the new pack series is rolling out and includes new featured units of some of the biggest players in the league.

The recently released SWISH pack series is now available in the MyTeam store and includes six new units to obtain. Included are four Dark Matter players, one Galaxy Opal player, and one Pink Diamond player, sure to be some of the most sought-after units currently available in NBA 2K22.

The biggest prize will be one of the two Stephen Curry units, as both an Invincible card and Hero card are available and come in a 99-overall Dark Matter form. The Invincible releases have been hand selected by the developers and feature some of basketball’s biggest stars.

The other two Dark Matter units are Toronto Raptor Pascal Siakam and Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond. Galaxy Opal J.J. Redick and Pink Diamond Gary Payton II are also included in the promotion.

NBA 2K22 is also giving its player base a new locker code to obtain some free items as part of the promotion. With the code SWISH-DELL-OR-SETH-CURRY-DROP, players will be able to select one of the following: one SWISH Pack, 10 Tokens, one Diamond Shoe Pack, Galaxy Opal Dell Curry, or Galaxy Opal Seth Curry. This will be the first time this year players have the option to select a guaranteed Galaxy Opal unit. The newest NBA 2K22 locker code will be available until June 1. You can find all the locker codes here.

 

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Categories
NBA 2K

NBA 2K22 Season 7: Return of Heroes Details

NBA 2K22 Season 7: Return of Heroes
2K Sports announced its plans for NBA 2K22 Season 7: Return of Heroes, the event includes new challenges and rewards for MyTEAM and MyCareer.

As NBA 2K22 reaches the end, 2K Sports is dropping new content regularly in an effort to hold players interest. Season 7: Return of Heroes is live, putting the focus on assembling a roster full of NBA heroes to go head-to-head against other teams in an attempt to complete all the challenges introduced in the new season. With Season 6: Zero Gravity becoming the most popular season to date in terms of player completion, 2K Games surely has high hopes for Season 7.

Whats coming in NBA 2K22 Season 7: Return of Heroes?

For MyTEAM content, a total of 15 99-overall Dark Matter reward cards will be during Season 7. Players will start at Level 1 with a Hero Galaxy Opal Zion Williamson, obtaining several Galaxy Opal and Dark Matter players along the way. As the challenges increase in difficulty, so will the opportunity to construct a team full of high-end players.

The mural system is back. The reward for completing the mural is to be determined, the one thing we do know is it won’t be another Coach card.

MyCareer will also receive new updates, featuring a bunch of rewards for players completing each level and reaching the ultimate prize of Level 40 super stardom. In Season 6: Zero Gravity, players who reached Level 40 were granted a Bunny Suit, Season 7 appears to be continuing the trend. Season 7: Return of Heroes will roll out gadgets and costumes throughout the event, leading up to an NBA Mascot outfit at Level 30 and a Jetpack upon completion. For current-gen players, the Jetpack will not be available and, instead, replaced with the NBA Mascot outfit, while reaching Level 30 will be swapped with an Affiliation Mascot outfit.

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