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
Friday, December 23, 2016
04:21 PM - December 23, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
The folks at Dynasty League Baseball Online just released their 2016 data into the game with several new features to enjoy.
- 2016 season data is now included in the game.
- Updated ballpark charts to reflect the 2016 season.
- New Nationals Park Images now included in the game.
Monday, December 19, 2016
11:16 AM - December 19, 2016. Posted by soxnut1018. Written by Chris Sanner
The folks at Sony Interactive Entertainment break down their MLB The Show 17 trailer which was released earlier this month. Here are some nuggets you'll find mentioned:
- New hairstyles made it into the game (Shown in the new AA locker room).
- Road to The Show will feature a new non-linear decision making system, which will allow you to make big decisions that matter.
- More player and team specific personality will be included in this year's game.
- Spin of the ball off of the bat has been greatly improved with new hit types like curving hits down the line.
- Four new Historical Stadiums are included in the game. (Old Yankee Stadium, Hubert H. Humphry Metrodome, Shea Stadium, Sun Life Stadium) - Nice detective work 13SM13!
- All batter walkups in Diamond Dynasty will show the player card types on screen.
- Show Track allows for some new presentational elements in this year's game.
- More player specific home run swings.
- Both Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Griffey Sr. will be on the legends roster for MLB The Show 17.
Friday, December 16, 2016
02:50 PM - December 16, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
Read More - Four Experiences You Should Try in Steep
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
It is strange that after such a long drought we get two similar-in-concept snowboarding/winter sports games at almost the same time.
Steep, however, is a unique game and concept all its own after you play it awhile. Steep is a game consisting of four extreme sports: skiing, snowboarding, wingsuit flying and paragliding.
Not only are there four sports, there are a variety of event types from racing to extreme runs, with an interesting scoring system to boot. And to top all of that off, Steep has a huge open world to explore with literally hundreds of events to partake in.
There's a lot to love about Steep, with a few drawbacks along the way as well.
Read More - Steep Review (PS4)
09:58 AM - December 6, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
In a recent non-scientific poll we conducted here on Operation Sports on the frontpage, more than 57% of Operation Sports readers who participated say they think the sports game release calendar is too condensed and needs to be spread out.
On the other side of the debate, 32% of OS'ers did not see a problem with the release schedule.
OS User DJ summed up the problem many sports game fans face in the replies to the post:
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From a personal standpoint, this rings especially true. Granted, as the editor at Operation Sports I get early access to some games and get most of mine reimbursed -- but even doing that I run into a time crunch. To give games adequate time, I'm having to self-impose a more spaced out release schedule just so I can enjoy the games individually a bit more.
This year, our 'prime time' release season started with Madden on August 23. By the time WWE 2K17 dropped on October 11 -- we had had every major sports game release in that small window sans MLB The Show.
Contrast that schedule to the one where we used to have sports game releases start in June with a Golf or UFC title and go all the way into Mid-October with a WWE release.
It would seem an obvious move to possibly shift NBA 2K back into October closer to the tip-off of the NBA season and perhaps move FIFA up to the summer, before most club teams kick off their seasons worldwide. At that point, NHL would have room to breathe and so would the NBA franchise.
In reality, the WWE 2K franchise would probably do fine releasing on Black Friday or something like that -- as the WWE's prime time in their schedule is January - April in the lead up to Wrestlemania. But I'm just looking for ways to spread out the releases at this point from a consumer point of view.
So what do you think? How would you move the releases around to better serve customers? Sound off in the comments!
Monday, December 5, 2016
10:42 AM - December 5, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
Franchise Hockey Manager 3 picks up where FHM 2 left off in keeping the series on an upwards trajectory. Developed by Out of the Park Studios, Franchise Hockey Manager 3 brings improvements across the board but still doesn't quite nail every aspect. However, the series has progressed enough this year to be in a better place.
Read More - Franchise Hockey Manager 3 Review (PC)
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
04:04 PM - November 30, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball is a series which has been around for quite awhile. Its initial releases were highly regarded, but the series has recently kind of fell into a rut.
The Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball series puts you in the role of an NBA general manager, giving you control over a franchise and its future. Initially the game has fake teams (but correct rosters), but you can get around that by simply hunting down a NBA mod.
In Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball 2017, there's a lot of improvements over last year's game, and fans of management sims will likely find a lot to love about the game. Let's take a look.
Read More - Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball 2016 Review (PC)
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
04:11 PM - November 29, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
The three point basket has changed how the game of basketball is played -- and as recently as last year, a revolution on how teams approach the shot has really taken hold throughout the NBA.
NBA 2K has understandably had a bit of difficulty in keeping up with a game that is changing before our very eyes at times. At what point are three pointers too easy vs. at what point are they unrealistically hard?
And how do you strike that balance?
I have noticed quite a bit of chatter on three-pointers in NBA 2K17 over the last couple of weeks, with many of the complaints seemingly coming down on the "they're too easy to convert" side of the debate.
It's possible that is the case, but its also possible how you are shooting the three ball could depend on which team you are using, what player you are shooting with, what mode you are playing in, and any other number of factors.
On a personal anecdotal level, I played four games of NBA 2K17 recently and averaged 40.4% from behind the three point arc with the OKC Thunder. In real life the Thunder are hitting 34.5% -- but I'm also playing with a different personnel set at this point. The Spurs lead the league at 39.9% from behind the arc and the league wide average has hovered around the 35% mark for years now.
So technically we should expect to see the three point shots we take consolidate around that sort of an average.
But I'm not so sure there's a singular answer here. Could threes be too easy for certain types of shooters and not nearly easy enough for others? Are you finding that universally three point shooting percentages are too high? Too low? Are they just about right?
Sound off in the comments about your own experiences with three pointers in NBA 2K17!
Monday, November 28, 2016
11:40 AM - November 28, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
Did you happen to catch the NFL yesterday?
Basically, it was a party from beginning to end with great games just about everywhere you turned. Eight games were decided within a score, with the nightcap featuring a wild game between the Broncos and Chiefs which was decided in overtime.
And of course, our Thanksgiving football staples were also very entertaining. Dallas and Washington was thrilling while Detroit and Minnesota played in a tense defensive matchup.
In short, despite the complaints many assert over the NFL, this week really showcased what makes the league so great to begin with.
When it comes to Madden, I've personally had a lot of games which were very close -- with tense back and forth action in my franchise mode. In short, I experience a lot of games like what we've saw this week thus far and can honestly say that's made the game quite a bit of fun this year.
What about you? Are you experiencing games which have some unpredictable twists and turns in Madden?
Also who do you have in MNF tonight: Packers or Eagles?
Friday, November 25, 2016
09:12 AM - November 25, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
Sim is a tough word to define.
When you think you've figured 'sim' out, the definition is presented in a different way by someone else and you are left starting all over again on a quest to understand it.
My journey started in the earlier days of sports gaming with sim meaning something akin to balance and avoiding taking advantages of a game's unfixable flaws which created imbalances. It also meant forcing yourself to do crazy things like have to run the ball in Madden.
Today, with games a lot more balanced (but not perfectly so) it seems to be morphing into another definition entirely. Balance is still key, avoiding some flaws and money plays is still important, but the overall thought of 'simness' seems to be a little different than it was before.
I typically use a self-LOL inducing phrase, 'not sim' when something extraordinary happens in sports these days.
Kevin Love gets 34 points in a quarter? Not sim. Some of the Big XII offenses of the past few years? Definitely not sim. Aroldis Chapman throwing 105 mph? Nah, not sim.
But yes, they're all real events that really happen in sports. The unexpected becomes the expected quite often, which is why many of us keep coming back to sports in the first place.
So what about you? How do you handle the sports uncertainty principle while still desiring a simulation experience? Where do you draw the line at sim vs. not sim?
Sound off in the comments!
Thursday, November 24, 2016
10:58 AM - November 24, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
It's officially feast day here in America. Thanksgiving is a holiday where we share what we are thankful for, celebrate harvest, and of the year we just had. As with all Thanksgivings, many of us will gather around a table and celebrate all of this with tons of food -- and for OS'ers we'll then turn our gaming consoles on to enjoy some sports games.
We have once again had a really good year in sports gaming. Several games improved quite a bit this year, and several others have continued a streak of quality this year. The independent sports game scene is hopping, and mobile sports games only continue to improve in quality. There's a lot to like about sports games these days.
So let's hear what you are thankful for in sports gaming. Share a story, experience, or a singular thing which you are just thankful for over the last year in sports gaming!
Sound off and give thanks in the comments!
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
10:10 AM - November 15, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
Sometimes a piece of PR just hits your feed and you can't help but watch and be totally delighted -- this morning's case of that was an incredibly creative trailer done for Retro Winter Sports 1986, an upcoming mobile release based on classic Olympic Sports games from the '80s.
The trailer has trappings of the '80s, from the Commodore 64 on the shelf behind the developers, to a Sega GameGear, to Floppy Disks (!!!).
But seriously kids, floppy disks are...ah nevermind.
The game itself will feature six winter sports events: Ski Jump, Biathlon, Bobsled, Speed Skating, Curling, and Slalom. You'll be able to compete against up to 8 friends in a hot-seat style mode (or the computer) with 12 different countries to choose from.
Be sure to check out the trailer for the game, we'll certainly be awaiting its release while we wheel in the old TV set with Return of the Jedi playing in the background.
The trailer has trappings of the '80s, from the Commodore 64 on the shelf behind the developers, to a Sega GameGear, to Floppy Disks (!!!).
But seriously kids, floppy disks are...ah nevermind.
The game itself will feature six winter sports events: Ski Jump, Biathlon, Bobsled, Speed Skating, Curling, and Slalom. You'll be able to compete against up to 8 friends in a hot-seat style mode (or the computer) with 12 different countries to choose from.
Be sure to check out the trailer for the game, we'll certainly be awaiting its release while we wheel in the old TV set with Return of the Jedi playing in the background.
Monday, November 14, 2016
01:00 PM - November 14, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
You can call it a heist -- as the F.B.I. has accused hackers of using FIFA to steal millions of dollars from EA.
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The Ultimate Team/Coin phenomenon is obviously ripe for all sorts of abuse and scandal, and this is yet another case of what you might call the basic human nature of greed leading to unintended consequences.
This obviously also calls into question the problem that an in-game based currency system can bring when it comes to cheating. As eSports continue to rise in popularity and with real prize money is on the line along with in-game currency being one of the tools you can use for winning, what is to stop hackers from exploiting games in the future?
This will be an interesting topic and likely a story that we won't see resolved anytime soon.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
11:30 AM - November 3, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
"What were they thinking?!"
That thought came to me time and time again as I tried to play Infinite Air. If the wonky and very poorly designed control scheme was not baffling enough, it was the mechanics themselves that made enjoying Mark McMorris Infinite Air seemingly impossible.
Simply put, this is one of the worst sports games of the year.
Read More - Mark McMorris Infinite Air Review (PS4)
Friday, October 28, 2016
11:43 AM - October 28, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Chris Sanner
NBA 2K has been considered the gold standard of sports games. Every other sports game has been judged against 2K's overall quality over the past couple of years.
This year, NBA 2K17 isn't much different.
Initially I gave the game a 9.0, which qualifies as an all-time classic on our scoring scale.
There's a lot to like about this year's game, but more than a month after release and with the NBA season just beginning, it's worth taking a look at the game again to see if it still holds up to those initial lofty impressions.
Read More - NBA 2K17 Remains a Solid Buy
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