Thursday, June 21, 2012
The publicity surrounding FIFA 13 at E3 was good enough to make me sell my copy of FIFA 12 to Gamestop. If I need a futbol fix, I can always turn to 2010 FIFA World Cup. Along with FIFA I rid myself of NCAA Football 12. In one transaction I let go of my all-time favorite game and my least favorite game for a fraction of their release day value, in exchange for the hope that FIFA 13 will be even better.
EA Sports games are rarely worth keeping beyond a calendar year from ... Read More
Thursday, March 29, 2012
With the elbow injury to closer Ryan Madson the Reds chances of winning the NL Central dropped several percentage points. On top of the loss of Madson, the fallout from the competition for the fifth starter's job, is the questionable status of two closer candidates. Lefty Bill Bray is off to a slow start in Cactus League play. Righty setup man Nick Masset shoulder soreness resulted in a move to the DL. Aside from Sean Marshall, those two are top candidates to replace Madson as closer. ... Read More
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Traditionally, the Cincinnati Reds have come up short on the mound. Small market clubs with hitter friendly ballparks typically struggle in this regard. Reds GMs, managers, and pitching coaches have had to scrounge to assemble a staff. The combination of journeymen, rushed prospects with limited skills, and overmatched chuckers who should have remained in the minors kept the Reds under the .500 mark for a decade.
Entering the 2012 season, the unthinkable has happened. ... Read More
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Before PC and console gaming, board games were the outlet for sports fans. Numerous sims were on the market. The one brand that has survived and continued to thrive is Strat-O-Matic. The game has survived for 51 years. It is available to be played the old fashioned way, with dice, cards and charts. While a computer version has been on the market for a couple of decades, this is the first new season to be made available by direct download from the company's website. In addition, the ... Read More
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Once, I bought multiple titles each year from EA Sports: Madden, NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball, NBA Live, Formula 1, NASCAR, MVP Baseball (MLB & NCAA), NHL, World Superbike, Rugby, Cricket, even V8 Supercars. These were played on PC, original Xbox, and PS3. Several of the series listed have disappeared. Others are shipped with bugs, then fail to realize their potential when patches are issued. The only series I have listed that maintains any level of exceptional quality is NHL. The ... Read More
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Fourteen months ago I wrote a blog entry about the potential of the iPad. First editions of many products are uncertain. I waited for whatever refinements and enhancements would come.
Rather than wait in long lines with the fanboys at the Apple Store I chose an ordinary suburban Best Buy in my quest. The wait was uneventful. The quantities were too small for there to be any hassles. The biggest retail employees I've ever seen were on the sales floor, in case some mayhem ... Read More
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Granted, it is the middle of January. Chicago is glazed over by snow and ice. Some of us can't help but look forward to the start of Spring Training. No offense, the conference championships of the NFL, the mid-season NBA and NHL, and NCAA hoops are no real substitute for baseball in my world.
My true allegiance lies with the Cincinnati Reds. But at this time I look back at another club, a local ball club. The South Siders. The Pale Hose. The 2010 Chicago ... Read More
Saturday, January 8, 2011
2011 is all about the budget. Whether you are in Washington, some state capitol, or just trying to balance your own checkbook, you know the Great Recession has forced some difficult choices. One choice various media outlets has begun to highlight is “cable cutting.” Bills from cable/satellite companies have become bloated. People question the need to pay for entertainment. Most packages force us to pay for channels we don’t want, in exchange for the premium of keeping the channels we ... Read More
Saturday, December 11, 2010
When you have kids in Kindergarten the hot topic is THE Wishlist. I am going to apply that to my sports game addiction. Feel free to post your own.
1) Joey Votto is named cover athlete for MLB: The Show 11. Red. MVP. Rising star. Gamer, in the sense that he plays his sport to win.
2) It's second, but it's a high priority. A meaningful gameplay patch for FIFA 11. I intend to go into greater detail in my next blog entry. This game is so close to being ... Read More
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
I’ve been buying racing games for years. When Codemasters announced their plans to release a Formula One game, I was sold. The quality and fun of the Colin McRae series made me optimistic. Buying DiRT and trading it in relatively quickly, then skipping over GRID altogether made me unsure of how this new F1 game would turn out. Upon release of F1 2010, the signals have been mixed. The reviews were favorable, a number of them were raves. Once the public got their hands on the game, there ... Read More
Monday, October 11, 2010
The Cincinnati Reds 2010 campaign ended last night with a 2-0 loss to the defending NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies, completing a three game NLDS sweep. The first playoff game in Cincinnati in fifteen years ends in disappointment.
The bright side? A NL Central title. Ok, granted, it's the weakest division in baseball, with only one big market club, but it entitles the winner a bid for the playoffs. Having a winning record snaps a streak of losing records dating back ... Read More
Friday, October 8, 2010
Champions generally have the following qualities: they dominate, or they are able to stage a comeback. Game One between the Phillies and Reds was truly historic. A no-hitter in the post-season is the ultimate example of dominance. Cincinnati pride should be fully bruised. Remember the brawl at Great American Ballpark, followed by a sweep? While conventional wisdom would say the St. Louis Cardinals came away with the stretch run advantage, they managed to fold, and the Reds retook the ... Read More
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The Philadelphia Phillies have two consecutive pennants, a World Series win two years ago, a great assembly of regulars, a trio of aces, and a resurgent closer. No chance for the NL Central Champions from Cincinnati. A sweep is in the works. The Reds will be only so much roadkill, on the way to another Phillies pennant.
I cannot make a solid case for an upset. I only hope for one as a fan. I hope Dusty Baker and pitching coach Bryan Price have a creative approach to ... Read More
Saturday, October 2, 2010
FIFA 11: Patch or Practice
The FIFA series has improved over the last several years. Globally, it is bigger than Madden. It is a personal favorite, a midnight purchase. With each new version there is adjustment. Each year, the forums are filled with praise and complaints. Once the game starts flying off the shelves in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, the message boards are going to catch fire.
FIFA 11 has improved ball physics, different ... Read More
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Credit goes to Walt Jocketty and Dusty Baker for fulfilling owner Bob Castellini's mandate. In the words of Al Davis, "just win, baby." With a high leg kick, ... Read More
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