Press Row Podcast

It's the eight annual PCAs! Celebrating the year in sports gaming, the Pastapadre Community Awards recognize all the achievements from the genre over 12 different categories - as voted on by the community of consumers that actually plays them! The awards are handed out in this episode of the Press Row Podcast, with in-depth discussion on all the nominees and what the voting patterns say about the...

It’s part 2 of our set of shows talking to various friends of the Press Row Podcast, counting down their top 3 sports games of 2017! This week, we get a bunch of great guests to join, including Ryan Lewis from 4th String, Corey Andress from Electronic Arts, Daniel Baesel (aka UberYouTuber), Matt Kato from GameInformer, and Adam Burnett & Jeff Riddolls from Franchise Hockey Manager. It’s anothe...

A Press Row Podcast tradition continues with a gathering of many friends of the show to tell us their favorite sports games of 2017. There are no rules other than pick your favorites! This week's episode is the first of two shows, featuring great friends Gus Ramsey in one segment and Cicero Holmes in another. Many know Gus from his days at ESPN and the Bill Simmons podcast. Cicero, one of the crea...

With the Press Row Podcast's 2017 Sports Game of the Year and Racing Game of the Year having been decided we now turn to discussing the most important stories in the sports gaming world from the last year. These stories not only impacted the games in 2017 but could influence the direction of the various franchises and even the genre and the entire industry as a whole. On the show this week: Bryan...

For the first time ever, the Press Row Podcast awards its Racing Game of the Year. 2017 was a banner year for racers, with a slew of new releases of high quality that featured every kind of racing imaginable. Simulation titles, arcade games, cars, bikes, and karts all made big noise this year. To settle on a champion, we gathered noted friends of the show and avid racing game fans Greg Sewart, Dr....

A wide open field in 2017 has resulted in the most unpredictable and fascinating Sports Game of the Year voting yet! While many of the games were fantastic in general they all had some serious flaws that detracted from their full potential, and because of that expect there to be no consensus "best" game that will sweep its way to a victory. Will MLB The Show 17 repeat off last year's win with MLB...

Two of the biggest annual gaming events have just taken place between the PlayStation Experience and The Game Awards. Both were sure disappointments for anyone hoping to see sports games represented. This episode of the Press Row Podcast features discussion on the events and why, despite their place dominating sales charts and high cultural relevance, sports games continue to go without recognitio...

This episode of the Press Row Podcast features impressions of the beta currently being held for EA Sports UFC 3. With the series coming off an improved effort the potential for the third entry is very high, and the beta has provided the first opportunity to assess gameplay advancements as well as a revamped Ultimate Team mode.    Additionally the latest developments involving game monetization are...

We welcome Scott O'Gallagher from the NBA 2K development team back to the show this week! Along with host Rich Grisham, Scott explores NBA 2K18's gameplay, including 'chalkboard' sessions to help players understand what's happening on the court - and why. They also discuss the game's push into eSports, how different segments of fans look for widely varying experiences​, and what the transition fro...

It's an especially tumultuous time for the gaming industry as aggressive monetization tactics face intense pushback from media and consumers. Even as sports games consistently reside near the top of the sales charts and generate extraordinary digital revenue publishers are looking ahead for how to not only sustain that success but grow even further. In this episode of the Press Row Podcast the sub...

What can more powerful hardware do to improve some already very good sports video games? We got the answer this week with the release of the Xbox One X and in this episode of the Press Row Podcast the benefits of the pricey new console are examined. The likes of Madden NFL 18, FIFA 18, NBA 2K18, and Forza can now be played in native 4K with HDR (true also of the PS4 Pro) but the improvements go be...

2017 has proven to be, in many ways, a banner year for racing games. From Forza 7 to Gran Turismo Sport, F1 2017 to NASCAR Heat 2, Dirt 4 to Project Cars 2, there are plenty of interesting choices for the casual and hardcore racing game fan alike. However, even the most ardent fans of these titles have concerns. How do lootboxes and in-game economies truly impact Forza 7? How does the non-traditio...

The Ultimate Team style modes in sports games are more popular with consumers than ever before, and they're also leaned on more than ever by publishers for the revenues they provide. What is it about these team building, card collecting modes that have proven to be so compelling and successful? What challenges do they face right now and into the future? A panel of experts on the various modes thro...

Whether it’s the VC in NBA 2K18 or the increased presence of “loot boxes” in games like Star Wars: Battlefront II and Forza Motorsport 7, the influence on development directly related to monetization efforts is at the forefront of discussion right now amongst gaming press and consumers. In this episode of the Press Row Podcast the panel covers why it has taken until now for such immense backlash t...

Sports video games are enjoying - in many cases - their most profitable releases ever. In other areas, however, there are reasons for concern. We're joined by Mat Piscatella from the NPD to explore all the angles around the big business - and big money - of sports video games. What does all of this mean to consumers? What about developers? Who are the big winners, and who stands to be left out of...

With the recent avalanche of releases how does a sports gaming fan choose where to spend their money and time? Matthew Kato of Game Informer is welcomed for this episode of the Press Row Podcast to help sort through all the games that have recently arrived. Discussion includes which of the soccer games is the one to get, how microtransactions are affecting series like NBA 2K and Forza, the best sp...

2K Sports is facing criticism from all sides over the aggressive implementation of Virtual Currency within NBA 2K18. VC is nothing new to the popular basketball franchise however, so why has this become such a story now that mainstream gaming media, Youtube personalities, and consumers are all making their voices heard on the matter? We discuss the circumstances specific to the NBA 2K series that...

NBA 2K18 and NBA Live 18 came upon their respective releases having traveled dramatically different paths to get there. NBA 2K has grown into the second biggest sports game in the world and is guaranteed to be a smash hit now annually. NBA Live is simply trying to recapture some credibility after eight years defined more by its cancellations than even its sub-par editions. In this episode of the P...

Kat Bailey, Editor in Chief of USgamer and longtime friend of the show, drops by for a one-on-one conversation about all the new sports games of the fall. Kat dives deep into NHL 18, Pro Evolution 2018, Madden NFL 18, and NBA 2K18. If you’re wondering what big console sports titles to check out this year, Kat lays out the pros and cons. On the show this week: Richard Grisham, OOTP Developments/Hit...

With limited-time trials available to play for NBA Live 18, NHL 18, and NBA 2K18, this episode of the Press Row Podcast covers first impressions of the three games which all have drastically different circumstances surrounding their release. Live desperately needs to recapture some credibility, NHL is stable but looking to generate new sales to casual consumers, and 2K18 is guaranteed to be a smas...

With Longshot in Madden NFL 18 garnering high praise this episode of the Press Row Podcast features an interview with the architects behind the franchise's first-ever story mode. Mike Young (director, co-writer) and Adrian Todd Zuniga (co-writer) join the show to discuss the process behind crafting the story first as a movie and evolution into a compelling interactive experience for the game that...

The sports-gaming season is now underway with the release of Madden NFL 18, and following the initial impressions show last week we're back with a panel to break down many aspects of the game in a supersized two hour episode! Longshot story mode, Franchise mode, gameplay, MUT Squads, and more are covered in-depth, with the discussion later ending on some thoughts regarding the way the Madden and s...

Last year Madden was able to establish itself back within the upper-echelon of sports titles, finishing second in the Press Row Podcast Sports Game of the Year voting. Madden NFL 18 hopes to build on that success with the introduction of the series' first ever story mode, the return of online co-op, three new play styles, visual enhancements made possible due to the Frostbite Engine, and number of...

From cancellations to poorly received releases, the once proud NBA Live franchise has seen its reputation dissipate entirely at the same time its competition rose to prominence. The upcoming NBA Live 18 however appears ready to reestablish some credibility and strategies ranging from a free demo to a pre-order discount are making it a safer purchase for those open to giving it another chance. In t...

In recent years video game publishers have made dramatic shifts in how they promote their upcoming products. Whether it's holding back information longer or who it is that gets early access to spread information and media, the marketing landscape has changed as fewer games are released and they become more reliant on generating year-round digital revenue. In this episode of the Press Row Podcast w...