Author Bio
Chris SannerHome Town: Bethany, OK
Sports: Football, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Wrestling
Games: The Show, NCAA Football, NHL, FIFA, NBA 2K
Teams: The Sooners, Rangers, Thunder, Chiefs
OS Username: MMChrisS
Tags: Live: MMChrisS PSN: OSChrisS
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
01:30 PM - May 17, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
NBA Playgrounds is a fine-tuned blend of arcade basketball and competitive play. It has a tendency to lean on the former, but the 2-on-2 matches can get awfully tense in the final moments of a game, especially in more difficult matches against the A.I.
The game strives to be a modern-day take on the NBA Jam formula, letting players leave realism and simulation at the door in favor of a faster pace. It doesn't live up to the aforementioned classic, but it's just fresh enough that it's able to chisel a spot for itself among the short list of arcade sports titles on the current generation of consoles.
Read More - NBA Playgrounds: A New Take on Street Style Basketball
Saturday, May 13, 2017
11:46 AM - May 13, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
All aboard the Madden hype train!
We've officially started the slow ramp up to a new season of Madden NFL, as the first details (and footage) of Madden NFL 18 hit the wild yesterday. The inclusion of Tom Brady as the cover athlete is a bold move -- but ultimately cover athlete's importance is probably waning quite a bit.
What is important are the details which were revealed about the game. Here's my quick breakdown:
- Target Passing, who knows? This could be a major, major thing or a gimmicky feature like the passing cone. My question is how much is it forced upon players? My second question is, regardless, how good and effective is it going to be? I'm full wait and see on this one.
- Frostbite Engine looks good. If nothing else, the trailer really sells that Madden is taking a pretty solid step ahead visually. The lighting and stadiums are a solid step ahead. It seems like some details weren't included in the trailer (did you notice the barren sidelines?). Animations and players look similar, but overall the game will likely look a bit better this year versus prior years.
- The Play Styles Totally Are for eSports. I mean, there's no confirmation of this, but its pretty clear the Madden team is wanting to grow that segment of the audience and a play style fully focused on 'Competitive' will do that. Most OS'ers are looking at Simulation and hoping for the best. So am I.
- Franchise mode isn't getting anything big. The description adds nothing new and is an overview of the mode as we know it. I have a feeling the Frostbite upgrade took a lot of time and resources and the actual enhancements to modes, etc. is going to be focused on the card and competitive modes. I know, I don't like it either but it is what it is.
- Coverage Assignments, maybe it'll be fun to be a CB or S? There's been a lot of work in previous years to make Madden fun on both sides of the ball. The area that still lacks is playing pass coverage. Hopefully these will help with playing a DB in Madden.
- Coaching Adjustments: I'm on full wait and see. The details don't sound like anything that I'm not already doing myself during games. But I am guessing something about this will enhance the strategic side of the game, maybe?
The big leap with Madden this year is going to be the Frostbite engine. FIFA last year went through the same transition with no huge areas of progress. It's likely the upgrade took a lot of time and resources and big back of the box additions probably were hard to come by. Regardless, the Frostbite engine was instantly noticeable as an upgrade in environmental visuals -- I'm excited to see gameplay to see how it all ties together when the game is actually running in a way we will actually experience it.
What did you think of yesterday's Madden reveals?
Friday, May 5, 2017
02:14 PM - May 5, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
Its 2017 and the world is still obsessed with the long-ball. Plus, when it comes to adding some insta-offense to your lineup, power hitters are a great option to turn towards.
In this video we look at eleven of our top recommendations for power hitters. Some are going to be much more expensive to come by (*cough* Mike Trout) versus others. However, if you are looking for a power hitter to add some dynamism to your lineup, these 11 guys fit the bill.
Be sure to check out our list in the video above and add your own suggestions in the comments! Also, if you haven't done so, be sure to subscribe to us!
In this video we look at eleven of our top recommendations for power hitters. Some are going to be much more expensive to come by (*cough* Mike Trout) versus others. However, if you are looking for a power hitter to add some dynamism to your lineup, these 11 guys fit the bill.
Be sure to check out our list in the video above and add your own suggestions in the comments! Also, if you haven't done so, be sure to subscribe to us!
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
04:12 PM - May 2, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
The MLB The Show 17 patch v1.05 hit your consoles yesterday and thus far, the community is reporting some good things with the newest patch. Here’s a round-up:
- Quick Counts and pitchers being pulled has largely been fixed. There’s still some instances people are reporting where pitchers may be getting pulled too soon — but overall the game is delivering a much more realistic experience here.
- Similarly, pitchers aren’t pulled nearly as fast in managed games either. The whole management system of when a pitcher is pulled seems to have been improved quite a bit.
- The bat sound has been fixed and sounds much better. (Thank goodness).
- Some are reporting home runs are the same as they’ve ever been, which wasn’t addressed in the patch but community members have shown some concern HRs are too frequent in this year’s game.
- Bunting is much improved, less frequent more ‘rocket bunts’ are being reported though they’re still there. As one note, its likely rocket bunts are more frequent with players who are bad at bunting vs. those who are good.
- There was some work done on the balls in the dirt/catcher throwing runners out that wasn’t mentioned in the patch notes. It seems most still feel this isn’t quite right, but some reports of improvement were mentioned.
- Online play issues continue at least off and on for users. There are some structural things like pause time getting some complaints as well. As for the servers, there are still reports of having issues with lag and freezes but by most accounts the game seems ahead of where it was a couple of weeks ago.
The patch looks to have improved the experience in most ways in the game. At this point, more than a month after release, the game has come a long way and there's more than enough reason to jump in if you have been hesitant to. Just keep in mind that the online experience of the game still isn't completely smooth, but overall MLB The Show 17 is playing the best game of baseball we've ever seen on consoles.
OS’ers are discussing the new patch in our patch notes thread on the forum. Be sure to report your own results for these and other issues below in the comments as well!
01:38 PM - May 2, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
The beautiful thing about a new Madden in August is that the rosters for all 32 teams will look at least slightly different -- if only because the draft brings in a crop of new talent each and every year.
Because of that, teams do feel different and new approaches are developed by Madden players to take advantage of the tweaked rosters. With that said, this year's NFL Draft First Round didn't actually feature a ton of players you'd label as Madden game changers.
In fact, many of the picks were players who's importance in Madden has never been as high as a good RB, WR, or QB. I purposefully limited myself to five picks and because of that if you are an offensive lineman in any way you just had no chance to make this list. Ditto for most defensive players sans a good edge rusher.
So with that said, here's the five players I think will change Madden the most in Madden NFL 18...
Read More - The Five Rookies from the First Round Who Will Change Madden the Most
Monday, May 1, 2017
05:39 PM - May 1, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
There's a debate amongst baseball fans about when and where you should bunt, with many different opinions on the subject. If you are part of the Sabermetric 'never bunt ever' crowd, this video is totally not for you.And maybe we can spend time on that in a future video?
But today we're looking at bunting. When you should do it (if you are going to) and what situations makes the most sense. Of course, there's a lot of different situations you just can't cover in a 3 minute video...so we're going to keep it broad. We trust you are smart enough to fill in the gaps.
- Don't bunt with two strikes. Just don't.
- Don't bunt with two outs. Generally this is the rule, but there are exceptions here, especially with a really fast baserunner and an effective baserunner.
- Do bunt to catch the defense off guard. If the third baseman is in a shift and playing deep, a good bunt is going to get you on a lot. The catch-22 here is most hitters who a shift is done for don't bunt all that well.
- Do Bunt to move a runner with a specific end goal in mind. You shouldn't be bunting down 4 runs, but if you are tied in the 9th with a runner on first with 0 outs? Kinda makes sense then.
So let's get to it, when should you bunt in MLB The Show 17, watch the video above and leave your own comment below!
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
03:21 PM - April 18, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
Editor Chris Sanner recently got a chance to go out to 2K and chat with several members of the NBA 2K team about what it was like to go from a member of the OS and Sports Gaming Community to working in gaming.
This is our last video in this series, and it covers several very good and helpful topics from how to get noticed by developers, how you can stand out as someone who is respected and listened to, what sacrifices are made working in gaming, and some parting advice from our panelists!
As part of this series, we are also wanting to encourage anyone interested in working in gaming to look into it. The results of what former OS'ers have been able to do at 2K Sports in particular speaks for itself.
If you are interested in seeing if you have what it takes, we are encouraging all members of the community to contact Chad Riggleman, a recruiter at 2K Sports, about how you may fit in with their future. E-mail Chad at [email protected].
This is our last video in this series, and it covers several very good and helpful topics from how to get noticed by developers, how you can stand out as someone who is respected and listened to, what sacrifices are made working in gaming, and some parting advice from our panelists!
As part of this series, we are also wanting to encourage anyone interested in working in gaming to look into it. The results of what former OS'ers have been able to do at 2K Sports in particular speaks for itself.
If you are interested in seeing if you have what it takes, we are encouraging all members of the community to contact Chad Riggleman, a recruiter at 2K Sports, about how you may fit in with their future. E-mail Chad at [email protected].
Friday, April 14, 2017
10:43 PM - April 14, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
Many OS'ers are reporting some severe issues with online connectivity with MLB The Show 17. The up and down online experience has impacted several modes in the game, making some modes virtually unplayable in the first two weeks of release.
The issues have been so persistent and negative that Sony released a detailed statement yesterday on the server issues, even promising a make-good to fans for the issues.
It seems like tonight the issues are particularly bad, with many users reporting a virtually unplayable experience. Its very possible, even likely, that the Easter Holiday weekend has led to more people than usual online today and tonight.
Here's a sampling of reports from today/tonight:
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The issues are severe and persistent enough that it seems most users in several different modes are seeing their experiences impacted. For many, the modes they bought the game for are simply not playable and have not been consistently reliable for two weeks now.
-EDIT- I would also like to add that the developers added a new Rookie Program today for Chipper Jones. As of now, the stats for that Mission do not appear to be registering for a large swathe of people (if not everyone), so I would avoid doing it for right now until that has been fixed. - Chase Becotte, Senior Editor.
Be sure to comment what your experiences have been tonight and throughout the past couple of days in the comments below.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
04:28 PM - April 11, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
There comes a point in every MLB The Show player's life where hitting just clicks. Unfortunately, that time usually comes a couple of months after you've already owned the game. To help expedite that process, here are five tips to help you become a better hitter in MLB The Show 17.
Read More - Five Tips to Improve Your Hitting in MLB The Show 17
Read More - Five Tips to Improve Your Hitting in MLB The Show 17
Monday, April 10, 2017
12:11 PM - April 10, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
Editor Chris Sanner recently got a chance to go out to 2K and chat with several members of the NBA 2K team about what it was like to go from a member of the OS and Sports Gaming Community to working in gaming. In this third video, we take a look at the realities of game development while being a fan of the game series. Also discussions of skills you need to work in gaming as well as the importance of passion.
Next week is our last video in the series and will include a lot of great advice from the guys at 2K about how to get noticed by gaming companies and what you can do to stand out. Stay tuned for that one!
As part of this series, we are also wanting to encourage anyone interested in working in gaming to look into it. The results of what former OS'ers have been able to do at 2K Sports in particular speaks for itself.
If you are interested in possibly working in gaming, you should certainly give it a try! We are encouraging all interested members of the community to contact Chad Riggleman, a recruiter at 2K Sports, about how you may fit in with their future. E-mail Chad at [email protected].
Friday, April 7, 2017
05:09 PM - April 7, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
Out of the Park Baseball is one of my favorite series in Sports Gaming. I'm a baseball stat head, business nut, and I love the history of the game. Those three things combine in OOTP 18 for a playground of endless possibilities.
As one example, I am going to take the Major Leagues from 1925 in this video and we are going to simulate an entire season as if the game were in 2016. Managers will manage to 2016's tendencies, stats will accrue to fit closer to the modern era, and more. This is just one of endless examples of things we can do with OOTP Baseball.
We wrote a piece on this year's game and recommended it highly, if you are interested in the GM aspects of baseball or playing in a statistical playground, then you should definitely check OOTP 18 out.
Please subscribe to us on YouTube! We're building something pretty fun and awesome there and you won't want to miss our content!
Thursday, April 6, 2017
11:09 AM - April 6, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
I put together this video of some of my early thoughts while still knocking around AA ball with my RTTS Character this year, the 'Magic Mullet' Harvey Honeycutt.
Overall the mode is still very solid, and 'Pave your Path' has a lot of potential -- but I'm early enough in the game I haven't seen much of where that might be heading. The documentary style hasn't really clicked for me and I'm not sure it actually adds to the mode.
The foundation to Road to the Show in MLB The Show 17 is still very good though. I have always enjoyed the character building aspect of the mode. Thanks to the tools introduced last year to speed up the progression, its still a must play -- especially if you haven't given the mode a try in awhile.
Overall the mode is still very solid, and 'Pave your Path' has a lot of potential -- but I'm early enough in the game I haven't seen much of where that might be heading. The documentary style hasn't really clicked for me and I'm not sure it actually adds to the mode.
The foundation to Road to the Show in MLB The Show 17 is still very good though. I have always enjoyed the character building aspect of the mode. Thanks to the tools introduced last year to speed up the progression, its still a must play -- especially if you haven't given the mode a try in awhile.
Monday, April 3, 2017
01:26 PM - April 3, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
Editor Chris Sanner recently got a chance to go out to 2K and chat with several members of the NBA 2K team about what it was like to go from a member of the OS and Sports Gaming Community to working in gaming. In part one we looked at what each of the guy's experience was going from community member to game creator. Today, in part two, we are looking at misconceptions about what game creation is like along with a discussion on the importance of experience in getting hired in games.
Coming up in future videos we have more conversations on what its like to work in gaming, how to get noticed by game development companies, and how you can help improve games even if you aren't an employee.
As part of this series, we are also wanting to encourage anyone interested in working in gaming to look into it. The results of what former OS'ers have been able to do at 2K Sports in particular speaks for itself.
If you are interested in seeing if you have what it takes, we are encouraging all members of the community to contact Chad Riggleman, a recruiter at 2K Sports, about how you may fit in with their future. E-mail Chad at [email protected].
Friday, March 31, 2017
12:28 PM - March 31, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
The times, they are a changin'.
We're announcing some big changes at OS, and if you are interested about where we're heading you should click on the link below to find out.
(Spoiler: We'll look different soon)
Read More - A New Era Beginning Soon at OS...
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
04:28 PM - March 29, 2017. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
But yet, I couldn't help myself.
A small tweak here, move this player to AA from AAA because he's struggling, adjust my pitching staff, let's see if the Reds will take this trade.
And then it was five hours later and 1:10 AM. That's how Out of the Park Baseball has always gotten you, and again this year, that's how it got me again.
Out of the Park Baseball 18 is the latest release in a series that has become a staple in the discussion for Sports Game of the Year here at Operation Sports.
Read More - Out of the Park Baseball 18 Is Another Home Run
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