Press Row Podcast

Feature announcements for upcoming sports games are an annual tradition out of E3. This year EA Sports has revealed a major new mode for FIFA 17 and a bevy of improvements and additions for Franchise mode in Madden NFL 17. In this episode of the Press Row Podcast presented by Hit The Pass those announcements are covered with guests from the development teams of both games. Up first from FIFA 17 ar...

Take a look at wishlists for almost any annualized sports game and you'll see fans requesting changes to commentary. It's an area of the video games that is one of the most difficult to reproduce from actual televised broadcasts. Once a commentary team is in place developers hesitate to make major changes, as the audio libraries continue to build year-by-year and priorities inevitably are directed...

While basketball fans may be excited that NBA 2K17 will be out earlier than ever before with its move up to mid-September, it only further compresses the window where the majority of the sports games for the year are released. Within a four week span, six major sports games will go out, and there may be even others still yet to be announced. In this episode of the Press Row Podcast presented by Hi...

With EA Play and E3 nearing the promotional cycle for the next Madden has gotten underway. There's a lot to be excited about already for Madden NFL 17 including long-overdue work to Special Teams, a new defensive AI system, special moves for ball-carriers, and a "renewed focus on Franchise mode." In this episode of the Press Row Podcast, Bryan Wiedey, Rich Grisham, and Kat Bailey discuss all the n...

The current state of sports games - on console, PC, and mobile devices - is ever-changing and evolving at a rapid pace. Former creative director of the Madden NFL series Ian Cummings returns to the Press Row Podcast to join host Bryan Wiedey and friend of the show Rich Grisham to discuss his own mobile game as well as the "bigger picture."   For starters, Ian describes his mobile game Photo Finish...

EA Sports has been unable to recover from the attempted reboot of NBA Live as NBA Elite while at the same time seeing their competition flourish to become a juggernaut. It's been six years but the company has yet to produce a quality and compelling product since that fiasco and in the process consumers have lost all confidence in the Live brand. The series simply can't escape its past. Knowing tha...

There's been a heavy focus with recent episodes of the Press Row Podcast on the two big games that released in March, but now attention turns to some news relating to titles that are still off in the future and a favorite that has just been updated. The trio this week discuss the first features to have been revealed for NHL 17, how EA Sports is considering adding Virtual Reality to the next UFC ga...

Team-building modes in sports games are intended to be played for months on end, if not year-round, making them initially tough to assess when in the early days following their respective releases. With over three weeks now having been spent playing Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 16 there's a lot more that has been evaluated following the coverage in the review roundtable episode, so host Bryan W...

MLB The Show 16 represents another year forward for a series that knows its many strengths and continues to build on them but may not be doing enough to bolster its areas of weakness. All the while a new issue has emerged in recent days with crippling server drag being felt throughout all the menus severely hampering the experience for all consumers. This review roundtable panel discussion on MLB...

With the release of several sports games this month the start to the 2016 campaign is here! Former host Rich Grisham returns this episode for an early impressions discussion on MLB The Show 16 that covers new features in Diamond Dynasty, Road to the Show, Franchise and more! It's also the start of something potentially big with shipping of Virtual Reality headsets getting underway. The conversatio...

EA Sports UFC 2 is undeniably a stronger product than the company's first two efforts at the sport of MMA that released in 2010 and 2014. From the Knockout Physics System and KO Mode to new controls for transitions and the introduction of Ultimate Team there's a lot there to be evaluated. While much of what has been done is positive there's also submissions proving to be a non-factor and a disappo...

Press Row Podcast: Legends of the Past and Present The NBA 2K series has long celebrated the history of the league and its players. Now, however, its development team is faced with an interesting, and unenviable task: how to replicate the skills of an active legend-in-the-making doing things that have never been seen before. Another series, Out of the Park Baseball, is back with its 17th edition t...

The release of MLB The Show 16 is now just around the corner and this episode of the Press Row Podcast features a rundown and reaction to all the latest features and improvements that have been detailed recently, covering gameplay, presentation, Sounds of the Show, and Diamond Dynasty. Other topics include the lawsuit over the alleged as unauthorized use of tattoos in NBA 2K16, the lackluster UEFA...

There was a LOT to dig into with the one-week beta for EA Sports’ UFC 2, including updated gameplay and graphics and new Practice, Skills Challenges, and Ultimate Team modes. How has the sequel improved from the 2014 effort and what remains a concern? What new has been learned about UFC 2? Will it be more welcoming to novices given its inherent complicated nature? Host Bryan Wiedey is joined by Dy...

After a lull of several months there are new sports game releases on the horizon. MLB The Show 16 will land in late March and news this week relates to Road to the Show and a new feature called ShowTime. Is that mode in particular getting too gimmicky? Meanwhile there's a lot going on for mid-March's EA Sports UFC 2 from a beta, to announcement of Mike Tyson, live streams of gameplay, and details...

It's the 164th episode of the Press Row Podcast, but the first since its inception without trusted host Rich Grisham. After catching up on what everyone has been playing over the last several weeks the crew transitions into a discussion on one of the subjects brought up most often by gaming fans, and that is in regard to the situation with college sports games. Why are they gone? What would it tak...

Our annual holiday tradition podcast is back! We bring together all sorts of friends of the show from recent months as well as past years to each count down their top three sports games of the year. From game makers to game critics, a host of different viewpoints are represented, making it one of the most popular and talked-about shows we do each year. Enjoy the show!

The most-anticipated, most-listened to Press Row Podcast episode of the year is here! The entire panel gets together to state their cases for each of the biggest and best titles to be named Press Row Podcast Sports Game of the Year for 2015. Will it be FIFA 16? Will it be Rocket League? Will it be MLB 15 The Show? Will it be NBA 2K16? Will it be Madden NFL 16? Will it be FIFA 16?  Join longtime Pr...

In the 161st episode of the Press Row Podcast, our two experts take us through the year in the racing games. In many ways, 2015 was an excellent year for fans of the genre, with a selection of simulation, arcade, niche, and non-traditional vehicle options. Greg Sewart and Dr. Ken Parker each join host Rich Grisham to talk about it all. Enjoy the show! Joining us this week: Greg Sewart (@sewart), P...

In the 160th episode of the Press Row Podcast, several of our longtime panelists get together to discuss the biggest, most important stories in the sports game world in 2015. From the unexpected success of Rocket League to the surprising influence of EA Access, the continuing shift to digital revenues in big time games to the overall strong quality of the majority of games, there were a lot of dev...

In the 159th episode of the Press Row Podcast, Madden’s eSports Producer Matt Marcou joins host Rich Grisham to talk about all the details related to Madden’s brand new foray into the explosively popular world of eSports. Marcou discusses why eSports overall has gotten so big, where Madden hopes to fit into that equation, the elements that have led him and the Madden team to craft Draft Champions...

In the 158th episode of the Press Row Podcast, Rich Grisham, Bryan Wiedey, and Owen Good chat about a number of topics as the current sports game year gets into high gear. Owen weighs in on last week's discussion about a wishlist for next year's MLB The Show, Bryan discusses the nifty new content for Rocket League, and then the entire crew breaks down the significance of the new, large patches for...

The 157th episode of the Press Row Podcast is a series of three discussions between Rich Grisham, Bryan Wiedey, and our community. Up first is a chat about hopes and expectations for MLB 16 The Show as we near the time of year that we typically start to hear about new features for Sony's excellent baseball title. Next, the topic shifts to the concern about pro athletes, violent or illegal off-fiel...

Whether you’re a big fan or have zero interest, the explosive growth of money, coverage, and influence of eSports is undeniable. As major game publishers analyze the eSports landscape, what – if anything – does it mean for fans of “traditional” sports video games? Are are the similarities and differences between mainstream sports and eSports? Why have eSports become so popular in the first place?...

A decade ago, the most monumental decision in sports gaming history took place. Electronic Arts secured the exclusive license to make NFL-branded console video games, and the industry has never been the same again. 10 years later, what does that mean? Is it possible, much less likely, that anyone will ever make a competitor to Madden? If so, what would it take to accomplish it? Join our panel of O...