until the metal comes off

UStream SSX's E3 Demo at the Community Event

2011-07-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

Coming off the heels of an incredible showing at E3, SSX Producers Todd Batty and Connor Dougan share their multiple award winning demo to SSX fans everywhere. I just hold the mic ;)

Video streaming by Ustream

NHL Franchise Feature - HUT / EAUHL

2011-05-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

18-May-2011

In this week’s NHL Franchise Feature we look at a feature introduced in NHL 11 that has totally changed the way hockey gamers play NHL with the Hockey Ultimate Team game mode. Along with HUT, the EA SPORTS Ultimate Hockey League (EAUHL) was built and currently holds over 100,000 teams vying for virtual Season Trophies and EAUHL Championships.

The idea of Hockey Ultimate Team and came about with understanding that it was important that gamers have the ability to create their own team and collect players that they wanted to play with.

“The main thing we wanted to create was a kind of franchise mode for people who play online,” says Producer Andy Agostini. “With the ability to train players into superstars, manage a salary cap and build team chemistry, you’d be able to give your team every advantage when it faces other teams in the EAUHL. We believe we’ve provided that.”

Following in the footsteps of the FIFA and Madden franchises, the NHL’s version of Ultimate Team is similar yet has a unique flavor that separates itself from the others with the implementation of monthly seasons, playoffs, and real-world prizing.

“After seeing the success of Football Ultimate Team we had always been interested in the idea of Hockey Ultimate Team,” continues Agostini. ”When we decided to build the feature in NHL 11 we went and spoke with the FIFA developers to discuss how they made this great feature. After that discussion we decided create the feature but with a hockey spin to it.”

Scott Vanderspek, GM of team BLACKOUT on the XBOX 360, found himself on top of the Leaderboards as the Overall EAUHL Champion last fall. ”HUT is a very exciting game mode which is sort of a cross between the Be a GM mode and Online Versus Play,” stated Vanderspek who also earned a trip to the Winter Classic this past January with his Season Championship. ”Players who enjoy customizing their team to best suit their style of play, as well as the intense competition involved in online play, will love this game mode.”

“Another great aspect of Hockey Ultimate Team is the ability to play a variety of different teams which contrasts with traditional Versus play in that the majority of your opponents will choose from a select number of elite teams in the NHL which can become quite repetitive,” says Vanderspek.

“The idea of creating a team and managing it so that you can put the players you want on the ice and proving that they can win was one that drew us to the feature,” says Agostini. ”Fantasy Sports are built on this model and fans think they can build a better team than the general managers and coaches of their favorite teams.”

As with many new game modes, there’s usually room for improvements and it’s usually our top players that provide some of the best feedback.

“One area that I would like to see improvements in is with the reduction in the amount of certain popular players,” states Vanderspek. ”Playing online, it seems as though at least half of your opponents tend to have a Taylor Hall or Jordan Eberle. I find this strange seeing as the odds of seeing a Crosby, Malkin or Ovechkin are so low.”

Sounds like every GM in the NHL to me, who wouldn’t want more Crosbys, Malkins or Oveckins! But I get your drift, and luckily Agostini and the rest of the team are confident that there will be plenty of improvements that current and new HUT fans will be sure to appreciate.

“We are always trying to improve the modes we create,” says Agostini. ”Hockey Ultimate Team will be something we’re looking at this year as well.”

NHL Franchise Feature - OTP / EASHL

NHL Franchise Feature - Be A Pro

NHL Franchise Feature - The Skill Stick

Look out for the first NHL 12 screenshot on the EA SPORTS NHL Facebook Fanpage this week and the first NHL 12 Feature Reveal video on IGN.com next week!

Pacquaio vs Mosley: The Fight Night Verdict

2011-05-06T15:26:00.000-07:00

In the final sim we conducted with ESPN last week, we matched-up Manny Pacquiao against his May 7th opponent, Shane Mosley, in what's sure to be the fight of the year for Pacquiao's WBO Welterweight Championship. Both fighters love a good fight and don't expect to see either running from an opportunity to exchange punches in the middle of the ring.

Leading up to the fight, Showtime released a few behind the scenes looks at the two boxers as they readied themselves for the fight to be held in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand. Check out the first 3 episodes below and look out for the 4th episode airing Friday night on Showtime and repeating on CBS this Saturday prior to the fight.

Fight Camp 360 - Pacquiao vs Mosley

As we did with the previous 3 Pacquiao sims, check out the official EA SPORTS simulation of the Pacquiao-Mosley fight along with a brief analysis from EA SPORTS’ Alain Quinto and Aaron Boulding.

Shane Mosley

Welterweight | 46-6-1 (39 KOs)

At his physical peak, Mosley – considered in some circles to be the world's top fighter only a few years ago – possessed a combination of power and speed that few fighters at any weight could match. He dismantled both Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas twice, and even in his losses to Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright, Mosley gave as good as he got. A good counterpuncher with a dangerous right hand, he fights with a style that could be troublesome for Pacquiao. But at age 39, does a step-slower Mosley have even a puncher's chance against Manny?

Quinto: A few years ago we had a community event up here in Canada for Fight Night Round 4 and Shane Mosley was an invited guest to the studio to talk about his involvement in the game. I was very impressed with how well spoken he was and with the positive attitude he had about his career. During a conversation he was having with some of the other community members it had come up that I was a big fan of fellow countryman Manny Pacquiao which immediately became a question of whether or not he would stand a chance against the reigning pound-for-pound champ. He told me that he’d fight him anytime, anywhere. Knowing his career stats to that point, I was just as confident that he would give Pac-Man a great fight and had a good chance at defeating the Fighting Pride of the Phillipines.

But that was three years ago. Since then, Mosley has gone further past his prime and though he’s shown a few flashes of his glory years of the late 90’s, he’s not as fast as he once was. Although he still packs a mean one-punch looping right hook along with the heart of a lion, he doesn’t stand much of a chance against a boxer that just keeps getting better with every fight he’s had since he was a teenager.

Manny Pacquiao is a much better fighter. He’s faster than Mosley, he has the lasting power to go well into the late rounds of fights, and he has the backing of millions of followers whether they be countrymen who love him religiously or boxing fans who know a great fighter when they see one. As the simulation predicts, Shane Mosley will get knocked out for the first time in his career and though I was only slightly confident that Pacman could do so a few years back, this week it’s without a doubt that I believe this fight will not go past nine rounds.

Boulding:

I’ve run this fight a few times myself in Fight Night Champion and not to be condescending but there are very few paths to victory for Shane Mosley. Manny Pacquiao has a lot of room for error in this fight because he can take a devastating punch, learn from it and quickly recalculate to erase any mistakes. We saw that on display in Dallas against Antonio Margarito. I’ve always felt that Pacquiao’s greatest attribute is his boxing toolkit that allows him to go get whatever he needs –defense, footwork, a jab—to address a problem that an opponent presents. And this is where Mosley is between a rock and an anvil.

At this point, Mosley’s right hook is like a utility bill --it brings power and you know it’s coming. He would need to catch Pacquiao with a flurry or three, put enough power in them and then hope Pacquiao is having an off day where punches actually hurt him. Meanwhile Mosley has to have a gameplan to withstand the punishment that he knows is going to be coming from Pacquiao. More than one fighter of this generation has tried to limit the shots they take from Pacquiao by slipping, retreating and covering up once he starts firing and it’s never worked. Margarito tried staying still and standing his ground against Pacquiao onslaughts and that turned ugly, literally
.

Virgo Twittascope, Saturday, March 19, 2011

2011-03-19T01:54:00.000-07:00

Virgo Twittascope, Saturday, March 19, 2011

Today's Virgo Full Moon in your 1st House of Physicality is likely creating stress in your body. How you are able to move with this intense energy flow could be a mystery, yet your happiness depends upon finding a sensible solution. Don't try to force the issue. When others see that you can be graceful under pressure, they will continue to accept you as their leader, whether or not you asked for the part.

Earth, Sun, and Comet Elenin were in alignment in both the 2010 Chilean and 2011 Sendai earthquakes

2011-03-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

The following commentary and video was posted on YouTube by 9Nania on March 8, 2011, prior to the deadly series of earthquakes and tsunami that has rocked Japan.

“This year, the same alignment happens March 11-15, and the comet is much closer. PLEASE move away from fault areas during this time!”

Fight Night Champion Live Chat - DLC Reveal

2011-03-14T16:44:00.001-07:00

Fight Night Champion DLC Reveal

This moment in life. A Prayer for Antonio Santos.

2011-02-20T02:58:00.001-08:00

There are moments that tend to put perspective on life and I don't know about you, but I seem to be bombarded by them more and more and it just feels like this may be a year full of them. I haven't really felt the need in a while to share some personal stuff, however, today I was part of something pretty special yet at the same time something that is extremely tough to cope with. Carissa's father has been very ill as of late and he's gone from being diagnosed with pneumonia in both his lungs to what now seems to be cancer in advanced stages. A biopsy this week will determine for sure what a handful of doctors are now finally seeing and we will know just how long he may have left with us. Though his wife and Carissa's sister only found this out a few days ago, Carissa just found out today and we shifted our evening plans to be with him tonight.

The last few weeks doctors were unsure about the diagnosis of pneumonia as the main issue as Antonio, Carissa's father, continued to deny major symptoms and stubbornly avoid sharing some details such as the difficult evenings of little sleep and coughing up of blood. Though his wife, Imelda, would tell his doctor that there was something seriously wrong, Tony would shrug it off and say he's fine. Whether it was because he was just being a stubborn, filipino male or whether it was fear of seeing his family around him suffer with him, for some reason he just didn't want to fully admit that something was wrong to the doctors and as time went by, things became worse.

A few years ago, he suffered from a stroke and was never the same. He had to stop working, he quit smoking, and learned to just take it easy and enjoy the simple pleasures in life. One of these simple pleasures was singing in the church choir which he began to do in his spare time. Along with a group of fellow filipinos, he would enjoy singing and look forward to every opportunity to be with friends and sing. It was shared with me tonight that when he stopped singing it was because of a small cough attack that, in his words, felt like 'his heart had exploded'. Looking back at this now today, we believe that this may have been when the cancer began to tear through his lungs.

He would stop singing yet continue to not admit to any major health issues even to the doctors. Since his stroke, some of his communication capabilities suffered and there were times where maybe his comprehension of the full picture wasn't there. Yet at the same time, there was a knowing that he was coming to a crossroads in his life and he would quietly ask for special gatherings with friends and family as if he knew more than what he was willing to admit to even those closest around him. He would finally ask to be taken in to be checked out which had to have been a last resort and even by that time, I can imagine that he was well past the early stages of the cancer.

When the pneumonia was diagnosed, plans for an early Feb birthday party for him were trimmed down considerably and though he was already losing plenty of weight, the thought of cancer wasn't there among family members and he had enough energy for a small gathering and even made his way down to greet his guests with a strong smile and a willing spirit. Though we continued to pray for healing, symptoms continued to get worse as nights had him in coughing fits unable to breathe and large amounts of blood coming from his mouth. As his daughter and wife were finally seeing things get worse and sharing these major symptoms with the doctors, Tony had to admit that he had in fact been suffering for a little bit of time now. And if anyone has experienced a family member suffering from lung cancer, they'll be the first to tell you that it's not something you would wish for your worst enemy.

Since the doctors have diagnosed lung cancer and advised for final preparations, family and friends have been steadily coming to see him. Over 40 masses have prayed for him and the well-wishes have given him the strength to eat more than a few tablespoons of food and even come down tonight to greet his guests once again which included the choir that he had to stop playing with a few months back. When the guests first arrived, he remained in his room as everyone had a bite to eat and catch up with our family. Some even shared their own heart-wrenching stories of family members who have suffered from cancer. Hearing some of the similarities, it is tough to see that it can be anything but cancer now. Though it was tough to hear, there was some perspective gained in that if he is indeed in his late stages that he may not have to suffer much longer.

He would make his way down a few steps with a smile, though he would cover it with a mask so not to accidentally spit out blood. His friends greeted him with smiles and hugs and were careful not to get too close for his immune system is fairly low. They took group pictures as he sat halfway down the steps only because it took so much energy to go down and then go back up. After more greetings, his friends continued their dinner and I saw an opening to sit on the step below and share a word.

I asked if there was pain. He said he felt good now. I thought, "oh how stubborn", but didn't feel the need to share that. And then as if on cue, he said, "It does hurt, when the blood comes out." I nodded and began to send him Reiki energy by putting a hand on his knee and just smiling. I don't know if he was aware, however, I don't think he minded that I was there. I said that I imagined that it was a lot of ups and downs when it came to how he was doing. He nodded and said, "God is looking out for me though. He will take good care of me," I almost started to cry when he said that.

Earlier, I had heard that he said to his wife that he was ready and that he wouldn't be able to deal with the pain much longer. It was why he wanted to have the gatherings and to be with family and friends. He would find moments like this to find the strength to share smiles and greetings. Even when you are so close, it's sometimes so hard to admit that someone seen as so strong in their lives are now slowly being broken down. I know that this is very difficult for his wife who also deals with pains of her own yet, however, is also finding the strength to believe that he can still somehow pull this out. It was only when she witnessed his recent painful attacks during the night that she began to believe that this is something more than just a mere cough or cold that he'll get over. To continue to feel that he will get better and that this will pass was what was the norm, however, this week has been one that acceptance of what this really is has finally began to set in. And no matter how you slice it, this will not be easy at all.

He smiled as I continued to send him energy for at the very least I hoped that he could continue to be pain free if only for a while as his friends were present. He would find the strength to come all the way down the steps and sit on the couch as his friends set up to sing for him, a nice surprise for me that I had hoped would happen. They would sing some filipino love songs for him which were all absolutely beautiful and as I looked upon him as they sang to him and his family, I saw he was pleased and he smiled. For someone literally spitting out gallons of blood only days ago, for him to find the strength to be there at this moment was incredibly heart-felt, in itself was a miracle, and showed immense courage to enjoy and share life as he could. The love that was in the room during them singing was just what the doctor ordered and even I felt how unconditional it all was among each and everyone there tonight. We left him this evening with a much better understanding of his situation and I'm sure we'll be prepared for whatever the news returns following the biopsy this week.

In the meantime, things become day to day and I pray for healing for Antonio Santos and to keep any and all his pain to a minimum. I know the large number of dedicated masses has helped to provide him with the strength to do the simple things and I ask for continued prayers to anyone who reads this. And if these are, in fact, his final days with us may they be ones filled with unconditional love such as that I witnessed tonight for that alone has the power to eliminate any and all suffering in everyone everywhere.

This moment in life. A Prayer for Antonio Santos.

2011-02-20T02:57:00.000-08:00

There are moments that tend to put perspective on life and I don't know about you, but I seem to be bombarded by them more and more and it just feels like this may be a year full of them. I haven't really felt the need in a while to share some personal stuff, however, today I was part of something pretty special yet at the same time something that is extremely tough to cope with. Carissa's father has been very ill as of late and he's gone from being diagnosed with pneumonia in both his lungs to what now seems to be cancer in advanced stages. A biopsy this week will determine for sure what a handful of doctors are now finally seeing and we will know just how long he may have left with us. Though his wife and Carissa's sister only found this out a few days ago, Carissa just found out today and we shifted our evening plans to be with him tonight.

The last few of weeks doctors were unsure about the diagnosis of pneumonia as the main issue as Antonio, Carissa's father, continued to deny major symptoms and stubbornly avoid sharing some details such as the difficult evenings of little sleep and coughing up of blood. Though his wife, Imelda, would tell his doctor that there was something seriously wrong, Tony would shrug it off and say he's fine. Whether it was because he was just being a stubborn, filipino male or whether it was fear of seeing his family around him suffer with him, for some reason he just didn't want to fully admit that something was wrong to the doctors and as time went by, things became worse.

A few years ago, he suffered from a stroke and was never the same. He had to stop working, he quit smoking, and learned to just take it easy and enjoy the simple pleasures in life. One of these simple pleasures was singing in the church choir which he began to do in his spare time. Along with a group of fellow filipinos, he would enjoy singing and look forward to every opportunity to be with friends and sing. It was shared with me tonight that when he stopped singing it was because of a small cough attack that, in his words, felt like 'his heart had exploded'. Looking back at this now today, we believe that this may have been when the cancer began to tear through his lungs.

He would stop singing yet continue to not admit to any major health issues even to the doctors. Since his stroke, some of his communication capabilities suffered and there were times where maybe his comprehension of the full picture wasn't there. Yet at the same time, there was a knowing that he was coming to a crossroads in his life and he would quietly ask for special gatherings with friends and family as if he knew more than what he was willing to admit to even those closest around him. He would finally ask to be taken in to be checked out which had to have been a last resort and even by that time, I can imagine that he was well past the early stages of the cancer.

When the pneumonia was diagnosed, plans for an early Feb birthday party for him were trimmed down considerably and though he was already losing plenty of weight, the thought of cancer wasn't there among family members and he had enough energy for a small gathering and even made his way down to greet his guests with a strong smile and a willing spirit. Though we continued to pray for healing, symptoms continued to get worse as nights had him in coughing fits unable to breathe and large amounts of blood coming from his mouth. As his daughter and wife were finally seeing things get worse and sharing these major symptoms with the doctors, Tony had to admit that he had in fact been suffering for a little bit of time now. And if anyone has experienced a family member suffering from lung cancer, they'll be the first to tell you that it's not something you would wish for your worst enemy.

Since the doctors have diagnosed lung cancer and advised for final preparations, family and friends have been steadily coming to see him. Over 40 masses have prayed for him and the well-wishes have given him the strength to eat more than a few tablespoons of food and even come down tonight to greet his guests once again which included the choir that he had to stop playing with a few months back. When the guests first arrived, he remained in his room as everyone had a bite to eat and catch up with our family. Some even shared their own heart-wrenching stories of family members who have suffered from cancer. Hearing some of the similarities, it is tough to see that it can be anything but cancer now. Though it was tough to hear, there was some perspective gained in that if he is indeed in his late stages that he may not have to suffer much longer.

He would make his way down a few steps with a smile, though he would cover it with a mask so not to accidentally spit out blood. His friends greeted him with smiles and hugs and were careful not to get too close for his immune system is fairly low. They took group pictures as he sat halfway down the steps only because it took so much energy to go down and then go back up. After more greetings, his friends continued their dinner and I saw an opening to sit on the step below and share a word.

I asked if there was pain. He said he felt good now. I thought, "oh how stubborn", but didn't feel the need to share that. And then as if on cue, he said, "It does hurt, when the blood comes out." I nodded and began to send him Reiki energy by putting a hand on his knee and just smiling. I don't know if he was aware, however, I don't think he minded that I was there. I said that I imagined that it was a lot of ups and downs when it came to how he was doing. He nodded and said, "God is looking out for me though. He will take good care of me," I almost started to cry when he said that.

Earlier, I had heard that he said to his wife that he was ready and that he wouldn't be able to deal with the pain much longer. It was why he wanted to have the gatherings and to be with family and friends. He would find moments like this to find the strength to share smiles and greetings. Even when you are so close, it's sometimes so hard to admit that someone seen as so strong in their lives are now slowly being broken down. I know that this is very difficult for his wife who also deals with pains of her own yet, however, is also finding the strength to believe that he can still somehow pull this out. It was only when she witnessed his recent painful attacks during the night that she began to believe that this is something more than just a mere cough or cold that he'll get over. To continue to feel that he will get better and that this will pass was what was the norm, however, this week has been one that acceptance of what this really is has finally began to set in. And no matter how you slice it, this will not be easy at all.

He smiled as I continued to send him energy for at the very least I hoped that he could continue to be pain free if only for a while as his friends were present. He would find the strength to come all the way down the steps and sit on the couch as his friends set up to sing for him, a nice surprise for me that I had hoped would happen. They would sing some filipino love songs for him which were all absolutely beautiful and as I looked upon him as they sang to him and his family, I saw he was pleased and he smiled. For someone literally spitting out gallons of blood only days ago, for him to find the strength to be there at this moment was incredibly heart-felt, in itself was a miracle, and showed immense courage to enjoy and share life as he could. The love that was in the room during them singing was just what the doctor ordered and even I felt how unconditional it all was among each and everyone there tonight. We left him this evening with a much better understanding of his situation and I'm sure we'll be prepared for whatever the news returns following the biopsy this week.

In the meantime, things become day to day and I pray for healing for Antonio Santos and to keep any and all his pain to a minimum. I know the large number of dedicated masses has helped to provide him with the strength to do the simple things and I ask for continued prayers to anyone who reads this. And if these are, in fact, his final days with us may they be ones filled with unconditional love such as that I witnessed tonight for that alone has the power to eliminate any and all suffering in everyone everywhere.

Want A Successful Community? Don’t Be A Social Media Manager

2011-02-18T01:13:00.000-08:00

by RACHEL HAPPE on FEBRUARY 16, 2011

I’ve held the position that social media management and community management are not the same thing for a while. This morning, a blog post by Maggie McGary (and the subsequent comments) about the value of Klout for community managers made me pause again. There has been a lot of attention on defining and finding influencers lately and to me, everyone is an influencer in the right context. Looking at influence independent of context is a fool’s errand but it struck me that marketers may be after channels instead of influencers per se. They want the most bang for their buck to drive awareness and that makes sense.

Aggregation of content. Ratings. Word of Mouth. Awareness. The more you get individuals with a lot of attention to share your content, the more awareness it receives. That’s great social media marketing.

Once you have people’s attention though, how do you get them to actually change behavior? Pushing more content from well known people is not likely to help except to the extent that it keeps them aware. As a pretty basic example, I’m not going to trade in my current TV just because well known people that I respect share a lot of information about new 3D TV. What will get me to switch? If half of my friends starting telling me stories about how much clearer, cooler and energy efficient (whatever the case may be) the new product is, over time I am likely to consider switching. That behavior change takes deep peer relationships, context, and time – factors that are not abundantly present in fast-paced social networks. However, behavior change DOES happen in communities of peers – whether online or offline – through a flow of influence. The more complex the desired outcome, the more defined the community needs to be.

The same things that work brilliantly to grab people’s attention in large social networks can kill communities. Why? Focusing on just the most viewed content and most active members leaves little room for the contributions of others and little reason for them to stick their neck out to participate or create content. I recently re-read advice given to our CR members from Burr Settles about building a community for FAWM and how instead of aggregating content and highlighting the most popular things (which were not necessarily the best), he works hard to highlight content that has had no feedback. Why? Because highlighting the least reviewed content encourages content creation and participation from every member. Highlighting the most popular only reinforces for the majority of members that their voices don’t matter because they don’t have popular attention. It is why using the 90-9-1 rule of engagement can subconsciously cause community managers to ignore 90% of their members – assuming that they just won’t be converted. Communities are about maximizing engagement and relationships to encourage learning and with it, behavior change.

Good community managers intuitively do some of the following to encourage broad participation:

Break up cliques or ask people to take those groups private/semi-private
Proactively seek out and promote involvement, particularly from people that have not yet participated
Encourage lurkers and quiet community members to get involved by asking their opinion or giving them specific roles and tasks
Encourage less active members by asking other members to reach out to them
Welcome new members and invite them to participate in a ‘baby pool’ before getting involved in the general community
Generally staying behind the scenes and letting members do the majority of the talking

For social media managers it is much more important to be front and center, build a core group of followers that are broadly ‘influential’ in their own right and contribute a lot of content.

Both of these roles are important and serve different purposes in the new flipped funnelof the customer lifecycle. But confusing the roles can make it quite difficult to build a robust community that has long term impact on member loyalty.

What’s your experience been? Have you mixed up the two approaches and had success? The comments are where the action is… let me know.

Original Article - http://community-roundtable.com/2011/02/want-a-successful-community/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+TheCommunityRoundtable+(The+Community+Roundtable)

Eliza Dushku Featured in Fight Night Champion

2011-02-10T14:31:00.000-08:00

Fight Night Champion is breaking down barriers with a new story game mode dubbed Champion Mode in the upcoming release of the game come March 1st. There's been a lot of excitement around the new challenge for boxing fans and what's even better is that we brought aboard some great talent behind the creation of the story along with the stars that delivered fantastic performances in the game.

Video Games | GTTV | GTTV Episode 401

Xbox 360 | PlayStation 3 | Nintendo Wii | PC Games

Written by Oscar-nominated writer Will Rokos (Monster's Ball), the story puts you in the shoes of our hero Andre Bishop played by LaMonica Garrett (Transformers: Dark of the Moon), as he climbs his way through the boxing ranks and encounters challenges inside and outside of the ring.

Also featured in the Champion Mode story is the daughter of Promoter DL McQueen, Meagan McQueen, played by Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse) who's appearing in her fifth video game.

Check out the video above to catch her interview with the folks at GTTV and listen to the audio podcast here with EA SPORTS Community Manager Alain Quinto who spent a few minutes chatting with the action star!

Podcast Powered By Podbean

I still have a soul

2010-12-03T20:43:00.000-08:00

Who's next after Pacman retires?

2010-11-13T13:35:00.001-08:00

Tonight Manny Pacquiao fights Tony Margarito for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight Championship in Dallas, TX where he last beat Joshua Clottey a few months back. As a Pacman supporter, I'm firmly behind my fellow countryman in his quest for an 8^thdivision title and should be the better of the two combatants in Texas Stadium. Just like Jeff mentioned in his blog the other day, we Filipinos are gambling folk and there's nothing I like better than a sure thing. There's no doubt in my mind that this one's a sure thing.

Manny's Last Fight?

Pacquiao will be fighting over 147 for the first time while Margarito will step in the ring for only his second bout in the weight class, the first being in a fight I'm sure he'd rather not ever have mentioned again. Manny looks to add to his legacy while Tony looks to redeem his.

It'll be speed and accuracy versus endurance and power as Margarito's chin will resist a bit of the punishment bound to fly at him in the way of right jabs, left crosses, and right hooks. Margarito will stalk Pacquiao around the ring as his longer punch will continually be avoided and followed by counters. There will be times where he will catch the smaller fighter on the ropes or in the corner and get in a few heavy shots, but for the most part his aggressive style will have him walking into punches from directions he will never have known possible. I'm predicting Pacman gets the TKO in the seventh after putting Tony down for the third time in the round.

Manny and his people know this is a good fight for him and though many will call for the immediate signing of Manny and Mayweather once again, it's very unlikely that'll happen, IMO. A lot has been said about Manny's side projects between fights and even during training for fights. There's nothing he won't do for his people however with a legacy stamped with 50+ wins and eight titles in eight weight classes, it will be time for him to hang up the gloves and devote his time to other endeavors. He has said himself that he has already accomplished everything he has ever wanted to from within the ring. His life in boxing has been a storied one and though it won't continue in arenas fighting for titles, his legacy will grow as he blazes a new trail to become the Filipino president one day.

His departure from boxing will leave behind a void for a new Champion to take the helm.

Are You Next?

Only the future knows who will rise from the mediocre to become the next big thing in the actual squared-circle. In the virtual one, however, EA SPORTS Fight Night Champion will have you looking to be the next one to overcome adversities in and out of the ring. If you haven't yet seen the trailer, check it out below and read their write-up here: IGN - Fight Night Champion Preview. We are only a few months away from the launch of one of the most anticipated games of 2011.

EA SPORTS Fight Night Champion

Early Impressions

Recently at EA Canada, we hosted the Fight Night Champion Community Event and brought in a handful of boxing enthusiasts to get an early look at the game and to provide their input into the development of the next iteration. Here are some of their overall impressions:

"I am very excited about what we saw and got to put our hands on. I think many people will be really surprised. Fight Night Champion really impressed me and left me wanting more." Derek Hernandez aka Phobia, Operation Sports.

"I can say with a strong confidence that I am truly enjoying the direction the team is taking." Ant Lynn aka Indigo72, EA SPORTS Fight Night Forums.

"As a hardcore Fight Night/Boxing fan, I think a very dominate majority of the people who buy the game when it comes out will definitely be pleased." Justin Allen aka TERMINALD, EA SPORTS Fight Night Forums.

"Playing Fight Night champion for approximately 16 hours gave me one of the most realistic experiences I've had with boxing since I stepped away from the real ring five years ago." Quenton O'Neal aka xxreignmakaaxx, EA SPORTS Fight Night Forums.

"We came into this event with your Wish List printed, primed and sealed for Brizzo and Mahar, and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised to not have to deliver it." Rob Smith aka wepeeler, EA SPORTS Fight Night Forums.

"This game is so addictive, realistic and compelling it is truly like no other boxing game ever made. With the greatest respect, it blows FNR4 out of the water." Anthony Vretenar aka vretz2121, EA SPORTS Fight Night Forums.

"This game has set the bar not just for the Series or boxing games, but I have a feeling it's going to raise standards in other sports titles as well." c45h Nick Rask, EA SPORTS Fight Night Forums.

Look out for more impressions from these guys along with early reviews that should be hitting the wire next week. We plan on releasing a handful of videos next month revealing the story behind the new Champion Mode in the game. However, we will need your help to do that. Become a fan of the Fight Night Champion Facebook Fanpage and keep an eye on the Champion Tab for the first task that we will be asking fans to do in order to unlock the first of five Champion Mode reveal videos. Follow us on Twitter @EASFightNight and @sk88z.

So if you're wagering on the fight, you're going want to put your money on Manny. Once you collect your winnings after he floors Tony in seven, put a few of those dollars down and pre-order Fight Night Champion.

Next to Manny, it's your next best bet that's sure to pay off.

I love to fly...still

2010-09-13T00:44:00.000-07:00

It’s Sunday night, I’m on the last of six planes I’ve been on this week, and even though I love to fly it’ll be nice to be home. Normally I prefer the aisle seat so I can get up without having to interrupt anyone, it’s that polite Canadian manner that I’ve grown up with. On each of the five planes before this, I had an aisle seat but on this last one, I sit in 22A on United Airlines 97 from Chicago to Vancouver, and as the plane flies through the evening skies a quarter moon accompanies the ride above the sparkling lights of the cities below. It’s a perfect setting for me to reflect on this past week.

You see, NHL 11 and NHL SLAPSHOT launched this week and all spring and summer as the Community Manager on these titles, I’ve been excitedly planning and looking forward to the events that I’m now returning home from. My travel started on Tuesday when I rolled out of bed at 4:30am and kissed my wife Carissa good-bye and made my way to the airport for a 6:00am flight to NYC via Chicago. It would be in New York that we would officially kick off the launch of NHL 11 with this year’s cover athlete Jonathan Toews along with last year’s cover athlete Patrick Kane at the NHL Store in Manhattan.

This would be followed by a couple more flights to get to Dallas for the Stars Ice-Breaker event where plans were made for demoing the game. These plans were locked in and all we need to do was get on the planes, get into these towns and execute.

The launch in NYC would also serve as the venue where I also hosted 12 of the top gamers who played on the two NHL 10 EASHL Championship teams a few months prior. For winning the their respective console’s online tournament, these players who had never met before in person received the chance to celebrate their victory in the Big Apple and take part in the Launch Event festivities.

During that flight to Chicago, I couldn’t help but look back at last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs and how I was going to have a chance to meet these same two players who defeated my beloved Canucks two years in a row. At first it kind of irked me when it was decided that Toews would be the cover on NHL 11 not only given that, but also because of the fact that we had another Chicago guy on the cover two years in a row as well. Argh. I eventually came to appreciate and understand the reasoning behind the decision: Canadian Gold Medalist, a great personality (Mr. Serious is just a front ;) and the youngest captain in the league who also just happens to be the most recent one to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup to make that first pass to his team. Even though I’ve learned to accept it, doesn’t mean I totally have to like it ;)

I also wondered how these 12 gamers would get along with one another in person and how the event was going to fit with them hanging out and taking part in the festivities and get autographs for their copies of NHL 11. We planned for media to have their time with the players along with a trick-shot competition and an autograph session for people who also picked up the game from the store on Wednesday, which just happened to be my 36th birthday. No, I didn’t plan that, but I imagined that it was going to be something being in NYC celebrating what one friend on facebook called, “my celebration of escaping the womb”. Couldn’t have said it better myself. A lot of different variables, though we planned to be ready for anything. Well, almost everything.

Flying into Chicago though was something else that Tuesday morning. About a half hour out, we hit some serious turbulence that at first I thought we’d clear eventually, but as the pilot came over the intercom and asked everyone to take their seats and fasten their seat belts, it seemed we were in for a rough landing in the Windy City.

The plane began to rock back and forth as we made our descent and I couldn’t help think, if only for a moment, that what would happen if the plane tipped coming in and landed on one wheel snapping it off and skidding plane into the ground. Gulp. I remember looking around me and noticing a couple of people holding on to their armrests with a little bit of extra grip with white in their knuckles. I’d never had a fear of flying and, as mentioned, I actually love to fly.

However, coming in as bumpy as we were I had these crazy thoughts and even told myself quietly that if we landed safely I’d be extra good in NYC. I wouldn’t give Kane a hard time for ripping my heart out in the playoffs and I’d give extra shots to the EASHL Champs during our Championship dinner. In a matter of a few shakes of the plane I’d gone from a great flyer to one of the white-knuckled poor flyers that I’d always giggled at in the past.

The approach into Chicago didn’t ease up. Every drop as we descended was accompanied with shakes and rocking and I found myself with some serious dry mouth. I looked out the window as the horizon rose and fell with the motion of the plane. I had five more flights to get through during the week and I wondered if all of them would be as bumpy as this one. Of course they wouldn’t, but man, crazy thoughts take over one’s mind as fear grips like a mo-fo. I still had to get to NYC and then from there to Dallas via DC a few days later. Would I even make to a few days later???

The plane was about twenty feet above ground when a gust hit the wing for one last tilt which made one lady yelp. And once the one lady yelped, others seemed to hold their breath as a synchronized inhale spoke for the entire cabin. And then the back wheels hit the ground followed by the front wheel and the cabin exhaled. Finally!

“And let me be the first to welcome you to Chicago,” said the pilot. “I guess there’s a reason they call this the Windy City.” The passengers let out a cheer and even I had to let out a Ric Flair “Wooo!” for touching down safe and sound. Upon leaving the plane I’d give the pilot a thumbs-up and he replied with a nod and a wink as if he’d done it a thousand times. I’m sure he had.

Of course, the week would go awesome as planned and I was extra enthused through all the events from NYC to Dallas. The flight before the one I’m on now was actually into Chicago as well and though I had a few thoughts tracing back to Tuesday, the approach and landing was nowhere near as bumpy. I’m glad that the experience didn’t remove my love for flying and if only making me appreciate the ground a little more than usual.

So as we prepare to descend into Vancouver, the window seat has been somewhat welcome. We were late getting out of Chicago only because they had some repairs to do to the auxiliary engines. I know there were some put off by the forty-five minute delay, but I had no problems waiting all night if it meant making sure the plane was safe enough to fly.

Looking out on the night sky, with all the fun of launching this week, I find it funny that with all the planning that went into this week, I can appreciate now how traveling for some can be the toughest part. I won’t let that stop me from flying in the future as I love creating and being a part of these events. I guess no matter how much you plan for them, however, one’s always bound to encounter bumps on the road…I mean, in the air.

MasterBatters, Kensington Slo-Pitch Div II Champs!

2010-08-26T23:34:00.001-07:00

In what can only be called one of the most exciting finishes in Slo-Pitch Softball history, the MasterBatters overcame numerous hurdles, unruly opponents, sketchy rosters, and worst of all – blazing heat to win six out of seven games en route to the team’s second Championship in two years, this time taking a step up and winning the B Division!

With only barely being able to field a team, the MBs were matched up against A Division’s Beer Factor who finished outside the top 8 and were relegated to the B Division playoffs. Without shade and without subs, the MBs played great defense behind Heather’s pitching and consistent batting from the entire team getting out to a 5-0 lead and never looking back. The second game would see more of the same as Beer Factor would strand a number of players on base with big plays being made in the field by the MBs. The series would be clinched with a catch made by Dave sprinting in from left field, right by Trevor roving, and making a 2-inch off the ground catch to close the series and send the MBs to Championship Sunday in a semi-final match-up against the Coyotes.

Heat would be a factor once again as record highs in the city would drain teams the longer they played into the day. The Coyotes and MBs have had numerous battles this year splitting games and their squad sounded pretty confident once they found out they were playing us. Add the subtle injuries players were starting to feel and it looked to be an uproad battle to the finals. The teams would split the first two games with MBs winning the first with consistent fielding including a nice play from Byron-Quinto-Trevor-Dave to get an out at third, while the MB bats continued to roll with Dan finding the base numerous times when we needed support the most. With a change in the 2^nd game moving Ollie into center, the Coyotes took advantage of a blazing sun and a capless CFer to get some big runs and taking game two. A pitching change in the third would turn the tables back to the MBs as the Coyotes would have a hard time getting their bats on the Quinto-sidespin falling behind 9-0 and possibly getting mercy-ruled out of out of the playoffs. Unfortunately, some hits and an poor throws on bunts on my part put them on the board and extended the game. I would battle throws to first most of the day, though big thanks to Jenn for digging a couple out of the dirt. On the flip side, huge props go out to our ladies who consistently found first on clutch hits and key bunts out-running throws or pushing our runners along into scoring positions. The game wasn’t without more stellar defense including a belly-flop diving catch from Trev now on third to end an inning with runners on base while old-man Colin continuously found life to make catch after catch from the rover position. In SS, Dave would secure the win with plays to first where Jenn consistently made outs whether throws were coming from him or Sheri on 2^nd who also was as cool as a cucumber given her counterpart on the other team was a complete douchebag with a mouth like a NYC trucker. The team would need a break and re-fueling before taking on the surprising Canadian Flyers in the Championship Finals.

Before the finals even began, there were questions about the CF roster. Players that were unfamiliar to many made up a pretty strong squad that defeated the Relics in their opening series before coming back and beating BullsHit in their semi-finals. Though their coach was unable to produce lineups proving their players played enough games, we would take their word, focus on our game and play the finals out without question. Add the fact that they also had a few players from the Fireballs joining them on their sideline, and it was a series that had the makings of potential fireworks. Once again, no shade and little rest as the first game started. The teams would exchange runs early before the MBs slowly crept away late taking the first game after key outs from Byron/Colin/Dave in the field. Game two would see a pitching change on their side which would make a difference as the CF’s went out to an early lead after a muffed throw to first (again) and big hits on their side. It would be the only 3 runs they would get all game.

Their bench began to gain confidence as the MBs, looking a little weary from long games and scorching heat started popping up balls and having a hard time getting on base. Comments about a no-hitter and shutout began ringing on the other side, however the MBs defence still held their own with key two-handed catches from Dan in right and some big throws from the outfield to first to catch a couple of their slower runners (Great rule change, btw!). In the sixth is when the tides would turn as a two-out pop deep to center by Byron was uncharacteristically played just short and dropped. Dan would fly into home as would Byron beating the relay to put the MBs on the board down by only one run. In the bottom of the sixth, the CFs would rally themselves getting runners on base. With one out, the key play saw a hit into the field where Dave came up throwing to third where Ollie put his foot down in front of the bag and put the tag on their runner for the 2^nd out. The third out would be a pop-up short to left which would have been a sure score from their runner from 2^nd, but Byron would make a diving catch to end the inning. In the last inning, the comeback would be complete when Ollie would take his momentum from the out and turn it into a big hit himself. Patience would be a virtue as I chased a bad pitch high for a second strike and after not finding a base all game, it didn’t look good. Holding back on the next few pitches would put the count to full and I’d find a gift of a pitch that I swung on that zinged right past the pitcher’s head into center field for a double with Ollie representing the tying run at 3^rd. Cue more drama as Trevor would swing at the 2^nd pitch and push the ball into the field scoring Ollie for the tie and moving me to third. Jenn would find a bunt and on the throw to first for the out, we’d take the lead as I crossed the plate moving Trevor to 2^nd. Dave would pop up to deep right and as their players celebrated the catch, Trevor sprinted around 3^rd and made it into home for a two-run lead. It would be all the runs the MBs would need to close things out.

In the bottom of the 7^th, we’d get the first out with a hit straight back to me…an easy underhand to first. They would get a hit into short right putting the tying run at the plate and a runner on 1^st. Pop up to right where Dan’s two-handed magic would make the play. Two outs, female at the plate…everyone knew the bunt was coming to advance the runner. Then the pitch…and the bunt…and everyone behind me gasping for a breath. Heather behind the plate, let up and I grabbed the ball, stuck it into my glove with a step and drilled a throw to first praying to God that it would hit Jenn’s outstretched glove. The smack of the ball hitting the glove a step before the runner’s foot planted was sweeter than angels singing as the celebration began and comments of disbelief over the throw echoed amongst us. It’ll be a finish I’m sure those who were present will never forget…especially to those Fireball players present to watch the game including our favorite 3^rd baseman who Heather over-heard sayin’ “Man, I hate these guys.” I have a feeling he hates us even more J

A huge thanks to everyone on this team that made this year’s season so much fun to play in. Though there were ups and downs, it couldn’t have ended any better. But is it the end?

The New Shooting Mechanics in NBA ELITE 11

2010-06-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

What do you think about the new shooting mechanic?

Quick Pics from E3

2010-06-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

E3 is just about in the books and these past three days have been nothing short of a video gamers dream come true! I know we've got more videos on the way but in the meantime I thought I'd throw up some pics from my walk through the EA SPORTS floor today. Great job by all the EA SPORTS demo staff on hand as it's no doubt there are plenty of tired feet and lost voices among them.

But enough from me...click on the thumbs to see larger versions and thanks to all the fans at home for their replies and comments on my twitter this past week.

EA SPORTS Dominates Best of E3 Sports Category

2010-06-15T23:09:00.000-07:00

The critics have spoken and the hard work put in by the number of development teams at Tiburon and EA Canada have been recognized on Day Two of E3. IGN released their list of nominees, less Best Overall game, and within the Sports Video Games category EA SPORTS had the only five titles listed. The five that will by vying for their Best Sports Game at E3 are EA SPORTS MMA, Madden NFL 11, FIFA Soccer 11, NHL 11, and NBA JAM.

What was also pretty cool was during today's EA SPORTS Show with Peter Moore, three EA SPORTS titles also received nods to get into the Video Game Guinness Book of World Records. The FIFA franchise, with Producer David Rutter on hand, received a Guinness Award for the highest sales in a franchise pushing out 60 million copies in its lifetime. The Madden NFL franchise was recognized for its longevity as Senior Producer Phil Frazier received the award for most titles in a series. Does anyone know how many years the franchise has been out? First correct answer tweeted to me @sk88z gets a copy of Madden NFL 11 when the game ships! Lastly, NHL 09 received a Guinness Award for being the First MMO Sports game with David Littman receiving the award on behalf of the team back at EA Canada.

With a couple of extra hours more than yesterday and what seemed to be bigger crowds, the show floor definitely heated up and I joked on twitter that the one booth that could've been as big a hit as the EA booth would've been a Speed Stick one. However, if you were lucky enough to get in behind closed doors to check out some of the EA SPORTS games that weren't on the show floor, you were welcomed with some nice AC and an exclusive look at NHL 11, FIFA 11, NBA ELITE 11, and OTP action in Madden NFL 11.

Following today's EA SPORTS Show (we'll have videos tomorrow right here on the Inside EA SPORTS blog), select community leaders were given an opportunity to not only get inside those closed doors, but they also were given a chance to speak directly with Peter Moore and get some questions with him. Community leaders from Operation Sports, the The Bitbag, TQCast, SFX-360, 360 Sync and more got inside looks that were usually only reserved for larger press outlets.

See below for videos posted today including a look at demonstration of EA SPORTS Active and a full quarter of NBA JAM:

And if you missed the blogs posted earlier, click here to check out yesterday's EA SPORTS Live Show and OTP action in Madden NFL 11.

Check back tomorrow for more from EA at E3 including today's EA SPORTS Live show featuring another live demonstration of EA SPORTS Active on the XBOX 360 Kinect, and Gus Johnson doing live play-by-play with Madden NFL 11.

That's it for now...we're off to the Strikeforce MMA event tonight at the Nokia Center and then who knows what the night brings. May want to follow me on twitter for a fun tweetphoto or two ;)

EA's E3 Press Conference Impresses

2010-06-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

Though the doors to the LA Convention Center don't open until tomorrow, today was filled with early E3 goodness as press conferences from first-party manufacturers and leading publishers, including Electronic Arts, were attended by gamers that have descended into the city. EA proudly introduced ten titles that will be featured this week and among them, EA SPORTS grabbed the attention of sports gamers as President Peter Moore introduced EA SPORTS Active 2, EA SPORTS MMA, and Madden NFL 11.

With yesterday's official unveiling of the XBOX 360's Kinect (formerly known as Natal...I wonder if it'll have a symbol?), EA SPORTS Active 2 naturally becomes the first game out the label to bring the new motion sensing device to our fans. The on-stage demonstration saw @EASActiveGirl and others sweating it up with new exercises using the new wireless leg and arm straps that include heart-rate monitors (which by the way had KP up at 167 bpm...either that's quite the workout or she was just a tad nervous on stage as well!). Check out the newest EA SPORTS Active 2 video here.

Here's what fans had to say on Twitter:

@yuki_hime - @EASActiveGirl You were looking good up on that stage. Looking forward to seeing more of EA SPORTS Active 2!
@scbound - I want the EA SPORTS Active 2...definitely something I'd love to get!

We've known for a while now that coming this fall we'd be diving into mixed martial arts with EA SPORTS MMA. Today the team from Tiburon announced that two fighters will be on the cover of the game which will officially be released on October 26^th.
Gracing the cover of the first MMA game from EA SPORTS will be the ageless legend Randy Couture along with heavyweight bruiser and world champion Fedor Emelianenko. Moore talked about different individual fighter styles and how they've been recreated in the game along with how different real-world environments will provide their own flavor making every fight unique.

The biggest news coming out of the game, however, had to be the announcement of EA SPORTS Live Broadcast. This new feature in EA SPORTS MMA gives gamers the chance to fight in front of fans everywhere and truly experience what it is like to be a professional athlete. You will be able to upload your personal pre-fight hype video message online and selected fighters will have their fights broadcasted live along with accompanying play-by-play. It's a pretty ambitious endeavor and could most definitely be the start of something bigger and better for all EA SPORTS titles. Make sure you tune in tomorrow at 3PM PST to see the first EA SPORTS MMA Live Broadcast!

@brianjyriel - EA MMA is lookin' awesome! Especially EA SPORTS Live Broadcast!
@TheCodySchulman - Sounds like the most badass MMA game ever!

Finally, Moore unveiled some of the new features to Madden NFL 11 including an all new way for gamers to call their plays and online co-op. What better person to enter stage-left than 4-time Super Bowl Champion and Hall of Famer Joe Montana. They broke down what coaches and QB's do during play-calling and how the card the coach holds contains plays divided up by situation. For example, there are specific plays the coach would call in a 1^st and 10 down in your own half vs a 3^rd and 4 inside the red zone. By the sounds of it, plays will be available in the menu based on down and distance which should make it a little easier to get the right play at the right time. I'm pretty sure during Joe's time they didn't have mics inside player's helmets providing coaching advice on the fly, though it is a cool new feature in the upcoming Madden. Check out the new features here: PS3 Features / XBOX 360 Features

@Lirodon - Madden NFL 11 looks quite awesome!
@jcallahan - Madden NFL 11 looks to easily be the slickest, most accessible, and all around best Football game ever. Oh and the cover is awesome.

During the press conference, we also pushed out a bunch of new content including the first NHL 11 trailer, NCAA Football 11 blog and video to go with today's demo release, and more videos from Peter Moore on his thoughts on EA SPORTS MMA, Madden NFL 11, and NCAA Football 11 at E3 this week.

All this and we haven't even gotten inside the conference center yet! For the lucky fans that are at E3 tomorrow, make sure you head over to the EA stage at 3:00PM PST where Peter Moore will be hosting the EA SPORTS Show and talking with producers and special guests. On tap for discussion will be NBA JAM, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 on the Sony Move, NHL Slapshot, and EA SPORTS MMA. I'll be there a little bit before the start to give away a bunch of swag so follow me on Twitter and during the show we'll be giving away a couple of Dwight Howard autographed copies of Nintendo Power along with some tickets to Wednesday night's Strikeforce event.

Tomorrow plans to be quite the opening day of E3 and I couldn't be more excited to be in Los Angeles for this year's event. Look out for tweetphotos, quick stories, and swag giveaways live and on twitter from the EA SPORTS Community team throughout the week.

NHL Communty Event Recap

2010-05-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

Last week’s two-day NHL 11 Community Event went off without a hitch and before I get into some of the details, it would not have been as successful as it was if it were not for the quality of feedback brought to the event by our 13 community invites. From hardcore hockey enthusiasts to casual sports gamers, the group received the full attention of many of the developers who were fully involved in the process as the group logged close to 200 hours of game time among them.

“It was the best one we’ve ever had,” replied Lead Gameplay Designer Jason Rupert who led many of the feedback discussions and was extremely hands-on with the representatives from many sites including Steve “Qb” Shaulis who moderates the NHL forums on Operation Sports.

“The devs were quite open about what could and couldn’t be done in this cycle,” Shaulis writes in his Arrival and Day One recap, “but at no point did they dismiss an idea or attempt to avoid discussing something.”

“I was greatly impressed with the number and length of the feedback discussion sessions as well as the developers taking notes (usually Gurn, Nate and Redshirt),” added Mandy “LadyLuck34″ Paez from Gamertag Radio in her NHL 11 Community Event Write-up. Check out LadyLuck34’s pics from the event here.

Day One started with presentations from Creative Director, David Littman who walked the group through the new features of NHL 11 to the wide-eyed approval of everyone present.

“They spoke about what they had and what they loved to see in the game from their point of view,” writes Luc Wolfe in his EA SPORTS NHL 11 Community Recap on crashthenet.ca. “The even spoke about some ideas they took from our websites.”

“A lot of what we saw was very impressive, and we learned a bit about how decisions regarding the game are made,” adds EA SPORTS Game Changer and NHL moderator, Stephen “LuGer33″ Boraske, in his NHL 11 Community Day Recap, “and also that the developers DO READ THE FORUMS. A LOT.”

For the next eight hours the group flipped through prepared notes searching for bugs and things that irked their respective communities, and I’m glad to say that there were many pleased looks throughout the room. Representing the EA SPORTS NHL forums, LuGer33 probably had the biggest list of all. “I had myself a packet from the forums (gameplay fixes, non-gameplay must fixes, etc), and I started heading through the game and checking off items on my list at a very satisfying rate.”

Qb adds, “I ignored the cheers, gasps, and ruckus caused by 13 other gamers getting their first taste of the game to do my appointed duties on behalf of the OS community. After cruising through the options - a surprise or two there - I chose the Penguins, went straight to their roster and proceeded to grin from ear to ear.”

The group provided quite a bit of feedback for Rupert, Producers Gurn Sumal & Nate Ng, along with Sean Ramjagsingh who joined the event for Day two and on this second day the team was able to produce a new build with some fixes directly from the feedback that was provided.

“I played a slightly newer version Friday than I did on Thursday because Rupert actually worked on tweaking the build until 1AM in order to be ready for day two of the event,” writes Ed “IrishSniper87″ from his NHL 11 Community Event Thread on HFBoards.com. “The devs wanted us to give them as much feedback as possible, all the way from minor issues and wants, to much larger issues and things that we might want in NHL 12. Gurn and Nate in particular spent almost the entire two days observing, taking notes, and interacting with us. It was incredible.”

Before the guys got their hands on their game controllers on Day Two, they first got their hands into some sweet gear for a morning skate with some of the developers and Abbotsford Heat coach, Jim Playfair at 8-Rinks in Burnaby.

“I met Rammer at the rink early,” writes Jordan “Vicodin14″ Patricio from the EASHL Forums on Operation Sports in his EA SPORTS Experience article. “I got to see the surprise early…brand new Bauer Vapor X:40 one piece composite sticks for each of us, a set of Bauer Vapor X:60 gloves and a home or away EA SPORTS NHL 11 jersey.”

“Having played in the NHL and coached for a number of years (Playfair) was really kind to us for not being very good at hockey,” quips Matt Elliott, one of the voices of the Target Demographic podcast hosted on Platform Nation, from his NHL 11 Community Day Experience article.

“We did some passing drills, skating drills, cycling drills, and ended up forming a scrimmage match with some of the developers,” adds Graeme Huysmans in his thread about the event on the IGN Boards. “I actually ended up scoring a diving one-timer during one of our drills, which was pretty cool. At the end of the skate, we managed to witness Jim smash his stick against the boards, almost taking out Epik from The Breakaway.” Video is on its way ;)

Following the AM skate, it was back to the studio for a Q&A with Playfair and then more gaming on the new build with more areas of the game to dive deeper into. Though the group was unable to share their impressions of the game at the time, two announcements were made from our PR department including a First Look at the All-New Real-Time Physics Engine in NHL 11 on Day One and the official announcement of the Canadian Hockey League in NHL 11 on Day Two. Check out all the latest screenshots on the NHL Facebook page.

From here, those that were present are now patiently putting together their impressions for a summer filled with feature releases and tidbits about the game. If you want to get a glimpse of the game before the September release, make sure you’re following these folks above who were here at EA Canada who had some serious hands-on experiences with the game. With E3 around the corner, Stanley Cup Finals, and upcoming NHL draft, we’ll be sure to be dropping the news you’ll all be waiting to hear about next year’s NHL title.

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind

2010-05-09T23:52:00.000-07:00

From Marc and Angel Hack Life

These questions have no right or wrong answers. Because sometimes asking the right questions is the answer.

How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
Which is worse, failing or never trying?
If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?
If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
Would you break the law to save a loved one?
Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?
Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
Why are you, you?
Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
What are you most grateful for?
Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
Has your greatest fear ever come true?
Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?
What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?
At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
If not now, then when?
If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?
If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that?
Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?

Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

Conversation Manager vs. Community Manager - Digital Influence Mapping Project

2010-03-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

Conversation Manager vs. Community Manager - Digital Influence Mapping Project

Social Media Is Dead: Long Live Common Sense.

2010-03-27T18:41:00.001-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Social Media Is Dead: Long Live Common Sense.

View more presentations from David Armano.

A Bug's Life - Shipped Bugs

2010-03-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

Before I was in Community Management, I had a two-year stint in QA as a tester on Def Jam Fight for New York (one of THE most underrated games to come out of EA Canada, if I do say so myself ;) Things have changed since I left QA three years ago though, for the most part, game development and QA have remained somewhat inflexible when it comes to the tight schedules that teams have to keep.

Let's take a look at the cycle that most sports titles have to contend with. There are some that have the belief that games are built start-to-finish within a year. That would be quite the huge accomplishment but most games that I have worked on began 1.5-3 years before the actual ship date of that specific title. Meaning that much of the planning and early pre-production phases are done even before the current year's game has shipped. At this time a lot of the decisions regarding what goes into the game and what doesn't go into the game are made based on the scope: risk and time to implement the feature.

If it doesn't make it into the game, the decision is then whether or not to consider it for next year's (which is actually for two years away) planning stage. In this way the team is always looking down the road at least a couple of years, while basing their decisions on improving and creating the best game, without compromising on the ship date.

Why is ship date so important?

Simply put, there are many key partners in the publishing of a game that are affected when ship dates move, whether they be in or out. Do you ever go to the credits of the game? Not only are game teams made up of the developers such as artists, software engineers, testers, and animators; but as well the marketing folks, sales people, manufacturing and retail personnel all work with the specific date in mind. In most sports titles, the biggest partner is obviously the league and the most the important thing for them is the ship date and ensuring that it's at or around the start of the actual sport's regular season. I think the only exception in the EA SPORTS stable of games is Tiger Woods PGA TOUR.

Would it be better if games were then just developed every two years?

I don't know about you, but I can't imagine an August without Madden, a September without NHL, or an October without Live. I personally need more than just a roster update every year.

When does QA really get into testing the game?

I won't go too deep into process, basically QA is involved 1.5 to 2 years prior to ship date finding bugs to everything that the the development team is working on. At these early stages there are a lot of bugs from misaligned text issues to graphics with missing textures to jittery animations. Everything is written up from a single spelling mistake to a hole in the world where players can leave the play area. We're not just talking hundreds of bugs...we're talking thousands!

Bugs are categorized on many levels and then are distributed to one or a team of developers to prioritize among ever growing bug lists. By the time a game is put on the shelves, its next iteration will already have bugs assigned based on the code already being designed for it. Also at the time a game is shipped, a huge focus is put on the customer feedback as this critical period in the first couple of months help the team determine whether or not to stay on track with already made plans or make changes.

Keep in mind that this is also being done as feedback is also considered for current title updates and what can be done right away to improve the game without compromising it in any way. It really does become a tricky time and risk-management balance that EA may not be perfect in by any means, but it's tough not to appreciate how well some of the teams manage their time and resources and are able to hit deadlines they way they do with the quality they have.

With that being said, once a game is shipped, there's a 6-7 month period where if there is a feature the teams wants to put in it better be during this time or else it mostly becomes something for the next year. Once the team begins completing features during the early milestone phases, which are filled with bugs, they approach Alpha at which point every feature they want to have must be in the game, bugs and all.

During the alpha phase, QA digs in and writes up bug after bug which get assigned to devs who prioritize those. Many times, fixes come in that take care of many bugs at a time. Beta is declared once all issues are fixed and closed away or shipped.

What's a shipped bug?

A bug can be shipped for any number of reasons. It could be a small graphical bug that is hardly noticeable. It could be very difficult to reproduce requiring a user to go through multiple steps in order to make it happen. Or fixing the issue could potentially cause other issues to occur that would make things worse. There are very tough decisions that are made when it comes to determining what bugs get shipped and what don't. With quality needing to be first in the minds of the developers, these decisions are sometimes the most difficult during the whole development process.

I've seen many a developer want so badly to fix a bug they knew they could fix only to be told they couldn't because it would break other areas of the game. At the same time, I've seen the tough decision made to push a game out extra days to weeks much to the dismay of advertising and retail teams who have timed ads set in order to ensure quality is seen in a final product.

Once a game goes Beta, it is sent through further rounds of testing internally along with third-party vendors such as Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo who have their own strict guidelines that must be adhered to. During this time, the team tests in parallel and if the decision for a title update is made the team would be ready to go with a build (specific version of the game) to submit.

While third-party testing goes on, manufacturers create the software and packaging, eventually shipping the final product to retail a few days before they are to be released.

All the while, planning for next year's game continues...

Here's some of the worst bugs of all time - Worst Videogame Bugs

And check out this list - Top 8 Bugs That Made the Game Better
...I'm especially a fan of #6 ;)

Draped in Gold

2010-02-28T00:33:00.000-08:00

Martin Scorsese could not have written a better script for a final weekend of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. A most dubious start two weeks ago with rain (not snow) pouring down on Wayne Gretzky as he was driven from BC Place to the outdoor Olympic cauldron, moments after a mechanical issue failed to raise one of four arms on the indoor Olympic cauldron. Earlier in the day the death of a young Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili loomed large in the minds of the billions watching the opening ceremonies to kick off the 16-day spectacle. But as a testament to those working and participating in the games, and to the millions of locals who did open their arms and offered a smile along with a hand in friendship, the world went from being overly-critical of the games to fully embracing the city for the outstanding show of competitive spirit and first-class hospitality that has been found among our Canadian community.

It didn't take long before the medal count began as defending Women's moguls Olympic champion Jenn Heil captured a slightly disappointing Silver medal behind a run by Hannah Kearney that was nothing less than perfect. It would raise questions of whether or not no matter how well we did, were we going to get that elusive Gold medal on home soil?

We didn't have to wait long as Alexandre Bioldeau would climb the mountain himself edging Canadian-turned-Australian Dale Begg-Smith in what some would consider an upset to not only capture our country's first Gold medal, but would open the doors and release some of the pressure for other Team Canada hopefuls to climb the podium. Alex already has become somewhat of a folk hero in this country and you can guarantee that the whilwind ride, which included a visit to our EA Canada office in Burnaby, wont end anytime soon!

We would continue the Gold Rush taking numerous medals in Speed Skating and Ice Dancing. There would be disappointments on the slopes with medal hopes dashed in downhill and individual slalom races. All the while, team sports such as hockey and curling kept us on edge game after game leading the charge towards elusive Gold Medal matches.

Rain would part to sunny skies and bring record warm temperatures adding to the party atmosphere in Vancouver. The downtown core has been absolutely nuts and while employees in many companies took extra sick days to take in the events from zip-trekking downtown to partying it up at the Heineken House, there has been one event that is the pinnacle of these games that has been at the center of the Olympic conversation: the Gold-Medal Men's Hockey game.

After a shocking seventh-place finish in Turin, the pressure for the Canadian team to finish in the medals at home has been more than overwhelming. In a city desperate for a hockey Championship, two early wins over Switzerland and Norway set up Act One in a USA-Canada match-up that also saw USA come into the game undefeated.

Canada would out-play and out-hustle the Americans. But our neigbours would win the one stat that matters most, upset the Canadians, and force them to play a get-in game against the Germans just for a chance to play in the Quarter-Finals against a highly touted Russian team. Funny though that even after that loss, the city still continued to party in the streets and celebrate the games as if we had won that game. Maybe we were in shock or maybe we knew that it was not yet the end of this hockey story.

Meanwhile, the medal rush would slow down compared to the haul other countries were beginning to take in. There was no stopping the Americans as medals in half-pipe, figure skating, and speed skating pushed the powerhouse to the top of the leaderboards. Germany and Finland along with Norway, Austria, and Russia picked up medals to round out the top countries. Canada, relegating to the fact that it would be nearly impossible to catch the Americans continued to keep its collective head held high. We would admit that the pressure on our athletes to Own the Podium may have been setting the bar a little higher that we should have and we should not forget to be proud of our accomplishments no matter where our athletes finished.

And no better athlete exemplified this better than Canadian figure skater Joannie Roachette who lost her mother only days after arriving to Vancouver to watch her skate in the Olympics. The six-time Canadian Champion chose to remain in the competition and skate for her mother, no doubt full of emotion which released following her perfect short-program. She would follow up with a near-perfect long program and won a bronze medal behind Canadian-coached Kim Yu-Na and win the first medal for a Canadian woman in figure skating since Elizabeth Manley won a bronze medal in the Calgary '88 games.

Though it wouldn't matter if she won a medal, she would say, it was a moment this country won't soon forget when she received her's wearing her heart on her sleeve throughout the entire competition. Along with Bronze-medalist Petra Majdic from Slovenia, who continued to compete in a cross-country event after breaking a rib and puncturing her lung, Rochette would also receive the special Terry Fox Medal which recognizes individuals who embody the same spirit at Fox did as he attempted to run cross-country as an amputee for Cancer research in 1980.

The Canadian Women's hockey team would defend their Gold medal and shutout the Americans while the Canadian men would survive a mini third-period comeback to follow up on USA's semi-final win over Finland to set the stage for the Gold Medal game that everyone in the world can now hardly wait to see. It's the reason I'm writing this blog...I can't sleep.

If there wasn't enough pressure on the guys, after a couple of days of solid performances earning our country a total of 13 Gold medals going into Sunday, one more Gold medal would eclipse the existing tie with Russia who also took home 13 Gold medals in the 1976 Winter Games. One more Gold would put us in that place of elite standing that we originally thought only came with the most medals. Well, Canadians now look to a new definition and proudly claim the honour of Quality among our athletes and at the very least owning the top step of that podium and the Gold & Glory that comes with finishing in first.

Regardless of today's Gold medal hockey game, we should be content with our performance. Not only with our athletes but with the thousands of volunteers and performers that worked and performed for the throngs of people in the city and those that took in the games around the world. We have overcome adversity in so many different ways during these games and have won over critics many times over setting the bar for future games. The city alone deserves a Gold medal for hosting an unforgettable Olympics experience.

Win or lose this afternoon, these games will end, and Monday will come after Sunday. We will miss the fever of the Olympics and look to live with this new spirit we've built and help those in need like our Chilean brothers and Asian sisters devastated by recent earthquakes and tsunamis. Whether it's in these games or outside these games, we have proven that this Canadian spirit lives through us and is shared through us to all in the spirit of humanity. These past two weeks plus have been the illustration to the world of how and what we all can be, achieve, and exemplify.

Nice work, eh, Canada?

Now let's head out there this afternoon, go FTW, and close the book on the Olympics with an ending we all can be proud of.

EA SPORTS NHL Producers Talk NHL 10

2010-02-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

NHL Producers Talk NHL 10

MJD Goes FTW at Madden Bowl XVI

2010-02-05T12:46:00.001-08:00

Super Bowl XLIV is upon us and from the number of players and number of commercials that didn't make the game to NFC Champs and AFC Champs that did, the wait for the big dance is all but over. The streets of Miami are hotter than ever and the excitement of Super Bowl has been fever pitch since the start of the Pro Bowl this past weekend.

EA SPORTS kept the ball rolling last night with Madden Bowl XVI as pros hit the sticks for a lot more than just bragging rights. The winner of this year's Madden Bowl received the pretty swank diamond encrusted XBOX 360 seen here. With the likes of Chris Johnson, Jared Allen, Maurice Jones Drew, Santonio Holmes, Miles Austin, Patrick Willis and others, there was no shortage of trash-talk going down during the First Round match-ups.

In the Championship Final, it was MJD versus Patrick Willis for all the marbles and ultimate bragging rights. After going up 10-0 at the half, the Jags RB slowed the game down on the ground eventually tagging on another FG to take a 13-0 lead. The 49ers LB was only able to muster a FG down the stretch as MJD would watch the clock wind down and take this year's Madden Bowl bling presented by EA SPORTS President Peter Moore.

With one trophy presented, the focus now heads to Super Bowl Sunday and with predictions coming from all angles. One of the most solid predictions over the past few years has been the Madden NFL sims that have called many a winner when it comes to the Big Dance. You may have already seen the sim, though you may not have caught the complete inside look with game producer predictions and Kammi's #1 Madden NFL 10 Play of the Year in the Madden NFL 10 Super Bowl XLIV Extravaganza! Make sure you check it out for a much deeper look into the musings of the EA SPORTS Live team!

Now if Drew Brees can work his magic this Sunday and help make the sim come true, he'll definitely better his chances of becoming next year's Madden NFL 11 cover athlete. For the first time ever, in partnership with Doritos, in the Change the Game promo fans can now vote for either Brees, Reggie Wayne, or Jared Allen to appear in the next iteration of Madden NFL. Check out the player highlights and cast your vote now at http://doritoschangethegame.com

Personally, I'm picking the Colts to win as I just don't see Peyton making many mistakes and I have a feeling that the Colts d will be able to contain Bush and the Saints' running game. Will they be able to stop Brees' arm and Marques Colston magic? I'm hoping so, just as I'm hoping to see mon bon ami Garcon have another big start as well. Enjoy the game this weekend everyone!

Who's your pick to win?

One Sexy Stream

2010-02-05T12:44:00.001-08:00

State of the EASHL

2010-01-21T12:14:00.000-08:00

Taken from the official EASHL forums

It's my hope that GM's/Players of teams that are looking to compete in this year's EASHL Championships read this.

I want to be clear that the NHL development team and I are passionate about making the EASHL the premiere sports gaming league in all of sports video games. I have seen what other titles have done with their single player tournaments and I've seen both the good and the bad. The good is the competitive spirit which brings the best players together for Live and Online events culminating in annual major events to crown winners. The bad is what some of these players will do to get to the top whether it be by exploiting the game or playing in a manner that is unrealistic to the real game to win at all costs. Usually this comes by way of taking advantage of AI as users learn to master games and finding go-to plays that work more often than not.

Using exploits in games is common though that does not mean that they are welcome. Which brings me to the EASHL, currently the only sports gaming league that offers gamers the opportunity to play without AI teammates thereby eliminating opportunities for opponents to use exploits. It's been a common theme that teams that play without a full complement of players will be open to teams looking to exploit AI. It was our belief that if teams played with a full squad there would be fewer complaints about this.

We also took into account teams that would create numerous teams to win-trade against and have adjusted the points structure to allow diminishing returns for teams playing the same teams repeatedly and possibly winning games unfairly. We understand that some teams will attempt to climb the leaderboards using whatever means necessary and we do our best to deter teams from playing the same team by allowing few points for repeated wins over the same team. We still see that teams attempt to win this way, though we've also noticed that teams are catching on realizing that the points are just not tallying as much as they hoped.

The one issue that we didn't take into account and would like to address here are teams that "lie down" to other teams to help those other teams receive wins. There has been some discussion with top teams receiving wins unfairly and please know that we have looked at all the teams involved that have been accused of this. Whether it's teams that are colluding behind closed doors or players that are playing for teams they don't normally play with, there isn't much that we can do on our end to prevent that given the current system. That does not mean, however, that we will just sit by and allow this to happen.

My first question is, why would any team lie down for another team? Why would a player play for another team in order to help that team get ahead of another? My first challenge is to the community and all teams/GMs/players is to have good standing within the community. It's easy to come onto the forums and blast other players and teams for whatever reason but this behavior only lends itself for others to attack back. I would ask that teams make an effort to be more mature and to take responsibility for their behavior in game and on the forums.

For those players and teams that do give "free wins" to other teams, know that we are keeping a very close eye on you. The main reason we call our annual championship an invitational is to invite only the best and respected teams in the league. Over the past few months with our season champions we've received numerous PM's and emails about teams that have colluded, players that have jumped to other teams, and possible wins that were questionable. Please know that we do track this information and when it comes down to selecting the teams for our championship, as we did last year, we will make tough decisions to not invite teams that have been repeatedly called out. Bottom line, again, it comes down to whether or not you have the respect of your peers in the community and if you don't, you possibly leave yourself open for others to target. Though we do not condone such behavior and plan not to reward such behavior, I would say that it's much better to have the respect of the community so teams wouldn't want to prevent your team from winning.

Where I'm going with this, and I appreciate those that have taken the time to digest this, is that it's the human factor we are dealing with and not the AI as with other titles. I challenge all top teams/GMs/players to take responsibility for your behavior in OUR league. In any league, there are ways to cheat the system, but does that mean you must? The community will always speak loudest and call out those that do attempt to cheat the system as we've seen last year and this year. For those that come on the forums, play 'dumb', and think they can get away with being involved in unfair wins...you need to think again as you definitely risk an opportunity to take part in what is looking to be an incredible Championship this year.

Just remember that we didn't wipe suspected teams until late in the year last year and we do not intend to "show our hand" early this year at all. Though we do want to reward teams that have been successful in our monthly seasons and teams that have played well overall, we will not reward teams that may have gotten there unfairly or teams/players that have colluded with teams that may have moved up unfairly. A trophy or medal is one thing...an invite to the Big Dance at the end of the season is another.

Please feel free to leave your thoughts and comments here though please refrain from calling out any team or individual here. If you must, please PM me directly. Also, please don't copy/paste post as it's fairly long and will clutter the thread.

Fly on the Wall at EAC

2010-01-11T17:13:00.001-08:00

A Classic Returns

After all the speculation over the past month over a 102-character tweet I made in the beginning of December, EA SPORTS today announced the return of 90's arcade classic NBA JAM to put an end to the rumours and put the excitement back into 2-on-2 basketball. It was definitely pretty tough keeping the secret in the box as a huge fan of the game myself. I recall my favourite duo of Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton occupying my time back in the day on one of the limited-edition machines. I remember me and a buddy running this one machine on many nights as line-ups of challengers placed their two-bits on the glass only to get their butts handed to them in the ensuing onslaught of rainmakers and clutch treys. Some of the best games we had were against the Lakers with Vlade Divac and James Worthy or the Jazz who delivered with Karl Malone and the very reliable shot of John Stockton. Sometimes I wondered if there was code in the game where if Stockton had the ball in the last few seconds down by one, he'd always hit his shot. It drove me nuts losing last shot games!

So with the official announcement the team will be polling NBA fans on which players they want to see in the game. The first round of player voting is now open for the Sacramento Kings, LA Clippers, and Oklahoma Thunder. Make sure you check out the official NBA JAM website to and check back weekly for new teams to vote on!

FIGHT NIGHT Round 4 Champions Pack II (XBOX 360) and Title Update #4 Available Next Week

While PlayStation 3 owners have been enjoying the latest downloadable content for the past few weeks, XBOX 360 owners have been patiently waiting for the re-release of Champions Pack II which I'm being told is now scheduled to be released on XBOX Marketplace on January 18th. Along with the downloadable content for the 360, a title update to address some issues will be released on both consoles.

Following the release of the new content, on January 27th from 3PM-8PM PST we will be hosting a live XBOX LIVE Community Playdate with the developers of the game. Along with the chance to knockout one of the producers, gamers will also have the opportunity to provide the team with their feedback of the game if they happen to get paired up with a developer or through the Cover-It-Live event that I will be hosting during the session. So if you can't find your way into a match against one of the developers or fansite leaders that will also be joining the Community Playdate or are a PlayStation 3 gamer, feel free to join us in the side-discussion we have planned as well.

Last Week to Qualify for the Knockout Round in the Gillette Champions of Gaming

After weeks of qualifying, we are now down to the final opportunity for gamers to qualify for the Knockout Round and a chance to play the pros in the Gillette Champions of Gaming. Weekly qualifiers for Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10, Madden NFL 10, NHL 10, NBA LIVE 10, FIGHT NIGHT Round 4, and FIFA 10 have been excitedly waiting for the next round to begin and with the last chance for entrants to battle their way in, it's going to be a dog fight right until the final minute of play on January 17th.

It's not too late for a shot to play some of the best athletes in the world in Orlando so don't miss your chance! Go to your in-game tournament menu and go FTW this week with your favourite EA SPORTS title! There's no fee to enter and today is the first day of the last round which ends Sunday night.

NHL 10 Team Fixes Exploit, Prepares to Release Tuner Set 1.03 and Updated National Team Rosters

Over the holiday break a few of the NHL 10 developers were notified of an exploit in the game that some were using to avoid getting losses when playing EASHL games. Many thanks to those in the community that assisted with re-creating the issue. However, shame on those that would take advantage of such bugs in the game! Yes, I know, these should've been found before the game is shipped though I've never been a fan of people who would exploit such issues in games instead of taking a loss like man. Anyhow, the team was able to identify the root cause of the bug and have since deployed a server-side fix to address the issue. Producer Matt Mahar made this statement on the NHL 10 forums late last week:

There have been many posts about a "pause glitch" that has been happening to teams. We tracked this down and figured it out, thanks to help from the community. Really appreciate you guys bringing it to our attention. It was not actually a "pause glitch" in that it had to do more with privacy settings and when/if a user exited the game.

The adjustment of the privacy settings was causing inconsistencies with the game reports that we produce at the end of each game and the game would be thrown out. Meaning, no loss to a team when one should have been counted. This was used by only a few teams and did not result in any major point adjustments.

We have fixed the issue and pushed the server side fix up last night. This should no longer be occurring.

Thanks again to the community members that gave us valuable insight.

Enjoy the game!

Matt

Furthermore, the team has also been working on some tweaks for the next Tuner Set scheduled for release within the next two weeks. Matt and others on the team have been lurking in the NHL 10 and other hockey gaming forums for gameplay feedback and have spent some time working on further improvements to the game.

Add the work the Rosters team has been continually providing since launch and it's no wonder they have once again received kudos throughout the industry as one of the strongest game teams around. The latest from Producers Andy Agostini and Gurn Sumal is that fans can expect to see National Teams updated before the beginning of the Olympics answering the call put out by the community to skate as their favorite countrymen.

Iron Man 2 Trailer

2009-12-16T16:43:00.001-08:00

Champions of Gaming

2009-12-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

Compete for a Chance to Play the Best in the Gillette Champions of Gaming
If you're ready for the challenge, you need to check out the Gillette Champions of Gaming. Earn a shot at playing the world's best athletes including none other than Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, or even Rodger Federer. The qualifying rounds are already under way though new rounds start every week and ends mid-January. So if you play Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, FIFA Soccer 10, NHL 10, FIGHT NIGHT Round 4, or Madden NFL 10 bring your game online for a chance at some ultimate glory.

Changing Times

2009-12-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

When I first started working at EA close to about five and a half years ago I remember one day I when I was working as a QA tester on Def Jam Fight for New York and I saw a forum post about the possibility of future iterations. Now I knew at the time it was important that I didn't divulge any top secret information and even then I didn't know that we would end up making Def Jam Icon a couple of years after that. I jumped on the post and mentioned that if people really enjoyed DJFFNY, why wouldn't a third one be made? That was it. A few words. A day later, that post was deleted.

I didn't know why it was that way and I only speculated it was because back then we weren't allowed to be on the forums and, in fact, were discouraged from participating and discussing company information with the public. In my past year now as a Community Manager, I'm proud to say that things have definitely changed.

I'm not sure where and when it started in the company, but for me I noticed the change working with @stephensonmc who was the CM before me while I was working in product marketing on NHL08. A pure community guy who ran his own Madden site, he pushed the envelope bringing in gamers from all over who had strong opinions and feedback on our games, and he set up community days where influential gamers would meet with producers who were totally open to their feedback. He did that for NHL08 and I was amazed at the interaction and what the devs were able to gain from their feedback and participation. Since that time other CM's and I at EA have carried that torch with many of our titles and have changed the way we interact with our fans.

With the growth of numerous social media channels, now more than ever it has become very important to involve the community voice along with giving our game developers a platform to communicate directly with fans (and detractors) of their games. From developer blogs to podcasts to videos, our goals have been to open the doors that have been held locked for so long and allow our users to be a part of the development process. Sometimes getting producers to get out into the open can bring about small fears for some folks especially leaving themselves in the line of fire to an ever-fickle sports gaming fan. But I honestly feel that the more we provide an opportunity for our fans to be a part of the process, the better our games will become. At the end of the day, everyone wants to see the best game come out of the process.

The way things are being done are definitely changing and I've seen a lot of that this past year. Mind you, as open and as transparent as we try to be, we can't give away all the inside stuff and with more voices on the inside speaking out we still gotta be mindful of the complete organization and working together with all our teams within all our games. I say this in response to a little leak I put out earlier this week about overhearing some execs at work talking about announcing a new game next month. I had no idea that one tweet would get picked up so quickly and when I saw my name on German sites, I was like, oh man. To say it had a few people at work scrambling would be an understatement. And no, I can't confirm or deny the many guesses that people have said; I'm already being watched close enough for another slip! ;) I'm glad however that they didn't ask me to take it down and that all that was requested is that I keep things on the dl until the announcement in January.

Anyhow, I'm looking forward to that and until then I enjoy reading what the community has to say about what they would love to see. I think our fans will be buzzin' a lot over the next year and I'm gonna do my best to keep pushing the envelope as your guy on the inside. I'm planning to update this personal blog a little more often with my thoughts and perspective, so I welcome your comments and questions and will do my best to let u know what I know.

Keep gamin'!

~sk88z

Chris Brogan Newsletter

2009-11-26T23:54:00.000-08:00

Emigrate from a Nation

It's time for you to fill out a few forms, pack your bags, and hug the neighbors, because you're leaving. It's time to escape the nation of Procrasti. And I have some ways to help.

Procrastination comes from a lot of sources, some of them, not as obvious as others. For one, you might be procrastinating because you've said yes to too many things (this happens to me a lot). You might be procrastinating because you don't clearly understand the directions. These are some situational reasons for procrastination. Let's walk through a simple system to help curb procrastination.

Procrastination Eliminators:

* Limit Glass Time - This includes TVs, game platforms, laptops, cell phones, and anything with a screen. I include computers from the recreational side. A half hour of Farmville can easily be turned into a half hour of quality business activity or networking.

* Limit Switching Costs - It's hard when you multitask. For short bursts of time, cut off Twitter, your Inbox, Facebook, and everything else that will distract you.

* Stop Saying Yes - The more you can say no, the more time you have to be excellent at what you're doing. (I have to work very hard on this).

* Align Constantly - Ask yourself this question ALL the time: "Is this helpful to my goals?" This goes a long way towards killing procrastination.

Procrastination Fixers:

Note: if you take more than 30 minutes on the following, you're probably procrastinating.

Step 1: Define what needs doing. Without knowing all that's on your plate, you don't know what you're procrastinating on, do you? Write a very quick/simple list. There are a million ways to do this. Don't obsess over HOW, because that is also procrastinating. Write out the list of what needs doing by when.

If you want a way to declutter your lists, check out Leo Babauta's book, The Power of Less. (affiliate link).

Step 2: Define which are most important, which are urgent. The best system I've ever seen for this is David Allen's Getting Things Done. (affiliate link) I am absolutely the worst at using this system. It doesn't work for me, or I'm too multi-threaded to better make use of the system. Just the same, without some level of prioritizing, you won't get to the things that matter.

Step 3: Quilt your time. There are two ways we find time. One is by scheduling blocks to do work. The other is by quilting. I first wrote about this http://www.chrisbrogan.com/time-quilters/ in 2006. Essentially, stuff things you have to do into the little pockets of time where you can find them.

Step 4: Execute in small bites. It's so much more rewarding to accomplish tasks. If you can, break every task into small bites and get some done every once in a while. (This is from David Allen's "next action" ideas in GTD).

Step 5: Take breaks. I know this seems like the worst advice for a procrastinator, but if you know that you've scheduled breaks every 20 minutes or every 40 minutes, then any task becomes easier to do. How hard is it to do pretty much anything for 20 minutes?

Step 6: Reward your success. If you don't praise and reward yourself for your hard work, there's no internal value and that means you won't likely do more of that. Make sense?

This isn't the end-all of how to manage procrastination, but then again, you don't have time to read too much more. Get the nuggets, absorb them, try them out, and see what you can incorporate.

For the rest of the newsletter, go here: CB Newsletter

FIGHT NIGHT Round 4 Producer Chat

2009-11-19T10:25:00.001-08:00

FIGHT NIGHT Round 4 Producer Chat

Will Cotto Put the Breaks on Pacman's Plans for Seven Titles in Seven Divisions?

2009-11-09T15:00:00.001-08:00

This Saturday Manny Pacquiao will fight WBO Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto for a chance to win his seventh title in seven different weight divisions, something no boxer in history has ever done. In his most recent fights, Pacquiao dominated Oscar De La Hoya in a fight last December where De La Hoya didn't answer the bell in the ninth; and this past summer he destroyed former Welterweight and Light Welterweight Champion Ricky Hatton in two rounds. Cotto, a two time Welterweight Champion, picked up his second Welterweight belt defeating Michael Jennings for the vacant WBO title and successfully defended the belt in his first defense against Joshua Clottey this past summer. Immediately after that fight, plans were being made for the Pacquiao-Cotto fight which boxing fans will be treated to this Saturday night at the MGM Grand Hotel.

There's been a lot of talk around the catchweight of 145 pounds that has been agreed upon though imposed by Freddie Roach and the Pacquiao camp. Some are calling this a bit of a headgame but I wonder if making Cotto fight only a pound less than what he normally fights at may have actually benefited Cotto more. Though he has gotten into the gym earlier than he usually does for fights, the thoughts that he would overtrain (such as De La Hoya seemed to going down to 148) don't seem to be manifesting. In fact, the extra training has not only brought his team closer together but Cotto seems to be the best shape of his life and looks to be getting stronger as he nears Saturday's fight night and the 145-pound mark. The one thing that he hasn't been able to replicate in training with his sparring partners is the speed that he will have to contend with this Saturday.

On the other hand, Pacquiao's star seems to be shining more than ever and though he's always had other interests outside of the ring, this past year has kept Manny busier than ever. Pacquiao wanted to train for train for the fight back in the Philippines in the northern mountains of Baguio. Roach actually suggested the team train in Vancouver (would've been awesome) but thoughts of a rainy city pushed them to decide to head to the motherland. Ironically, the islands were pounded by a number of typhoons while the Pacquiao camp was set up in the PI and Manny himself looked to be affected wanting to help out wherever he could.

Pacquiao further saw himself seeming distracted when training in Manila as fans continually sought to get a glimpse of their hometown champion, while also finding time to do television appearances to talk about his career and upcoming fight. Add to this is Floyd Mayweather's schooling of Juan Marquez, who Pacquiao won twice and lost once against, in September setting up a possible next match against the Filipino Buzzsaw and it's easy for people to contend that Pacquiao may not be as focused as he could be for what should be his biggest fight of his career.

The questions now become, though he has always been a multi-tasker out of the ring, will these distractions finally catch up with Manny? Will Pacquiao find that focus he needs to win his seventh title in a seventh weight class? On the other hand, will the extra training for Cotto which seemed to have made him as strong as ever, be enough to counter the speed of Pacquiao's fists which have been described in the past as blinding razors that come at all angles. If the winner was decided in training camp, as many in the industry allude to, then the edge may go to Cotto.

That's just a few of the many thoughts I have going into this fight this weekend. And at the end of the day, all it takes is one big punch in the right to turn a fight around or to end it completely. I asked our community on the forums what their predictions are for the fight. Personally, before the training began I thought Manny would defeat Cotto early, but after noting how each camp has prepared for the fight, it really looks like Cotto could put up a decent fight defending his title looking as good as he ever has. Regardless, I'm still picking Pacquiao FTW and see him being too much for Cotto to handle stopping him in the 8th.

Here are some of the community predictions:

"I pick Pacman in 11 rounds, or a decision, I can't really see him actually knocking down Cotto, but I can see him stopping Cotto on cuts." ~mi_hee-fan

"Manny Pacquiao by UD. The fact of the matter is Roach is not going to teach Pac to rush in there Bob Sapp style. Pac is going to pick Miguel off with hit and run tactics all night. And for those who are unsure of Pac's chin, he has been hit flush and has not been KO'D yet." ~j-bels08

"His chin ain't bad but it ain't good either. I don't say this because I hate him, he is one of my favourite fighters, but Cotto will KO him big time." ~I-The_G-Man-I

"I think Cotto by decision because the fights at 145 pounds i think Cotto will hurt him early then Pac-man's heart will keep him in the fight but Cotto will win on points." ~Evanz14

"I didn't believe Freddie when he said Manny would KO Hatton within 3 rounds or when he said KO De La Hoya in 8. He was shockingly right about both. Looking at where Pacquiao is right now, at his peak and prime, and how Freddie Roach is such an evil genius, I can't predict what round but its gonna be a KO win for Manny." ~pinoyboi516

"I think Manny wins this. I think he will knockout Cotto in less than 8. Speed is greater than power. Manny is faster and very strong. Cotto will go to the body but Manny will sidestep, make him miss, and make him pay with counters." ~reznick8

Look out for the official EA SPORTS Pacquiao-Cotto simulation by the game team to be released this week.

Competing FTW

2009-11-06T13:07:00.000-08:00

Everyone is a little bit competitive in their own way. Whether you play real life sports or sports video games, competition is what determines the best above the rest. For years EA SPORTS has set the benchmark in sports video games. And year after year gamers around the world connect to settle differences between foes, team-up to defeat rivals, and play their favorite sports with as much passion as the athletes that grace the real-life stage. This year is no different and with a stable of titles on the shelves, EA SPORTS fans are busier than ever competing FTW in their favorite sports games.

EA SPORTS Challenge Hits Anaheim
Alongside the guys at the Major League of Gaming, we've got our next round of Live gaming battles in Anaheim, CA, where some of the best sports-gamers in the nation will put their PS3 skills to the test. All the Madden Spectator passes have been sold out, though there still are some remaining for FIGHT NIGHT Round 4 and NBA LIVE 10 gamers for this weekend's live tournament. With some serious prizing, the competition is tough and it's no wonder the best from the entire nation find their way to compete at these live events.

Title Update and DLC Brings New Battles to FIGHT NIGHT Round 4
On the topic of tough, there are none tougher than the chins on Brizzo and Mahar (the 'Mike' variety) as the FIGHT NIGHT Round 4 producers will be fielding community questions about the upcoming title update, with game adjustments that the fans have hoped would be changed and haven't been shy voicing about on the forums. Well, just as they were critically vocal about what they wanted changed, it's these guys that have done a 180 themselves singing the praises as the team looks to deliver improvements that will enhance online play and further make the game even more realistic than it already has been. Check out what the title update consists of here.

If you're on the Playstation Network, Brizzo and Mahar will be hanging out Club Fight Night in the EA SPORTS Complex wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving on November 25th between 3-4PM PST. Catch the producers there if you have any questions or feedback for the guys. Or even just challenge them to one of the games in the EA SPORTS Complex.

For those that have a few bucks saved up come December, the next set of downloadable content will also include three new boxers and two new Game Modes, including Ring Rivalries and Old School Rules. Community members are chompin' at the bit for a chance to box with Evander Holyfield, Sonny Liston, and Bernard Hopkins and I can't wait to see some of the battles that'll come out of these new additions to the game.

If you haven't yet stepped into the ring, there's no better time than now as gamers can pick up the game for only 40 bucks. Get your buddy a copy so you can get online and beat the s!@# out of each other this holiday season. I wonder if I should copyright that...it could end up on a Hallmark card.

Compete and Chat with the Game Producers
Especially if you have an XBOX 360, you'll want to grab a copy as we'll be hosting another Community Playdate, FIGHT NIGHT style, after the title update and DLC drops. Look for more details to come on the December 9th playdate and live chat soon.

NHL 10 fans had their chance to match up against me and some of the devs last week. For about six hours members of the community got a chance to talk to the producers and give some game feedback while testing their stick-handling skills and going FTW against some the team's best. Check out the recap of the NHL 10 Community Playdate here.

Compete for a Chance to Play the Best in the Gillette Champions of Gaming
Back to the topic of competitions while the PS3 gamers battle it out in Anaheim this weekend, you XBOX 360 owners better brush up on your online skills as the Gillette Champions of Gaming makes a return for another year. Earn a shot at playing the world's best athletes including none other than Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, or even Rodger Federer. The qualifying rounds start soon so if you play Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, FIFA Soccer 10, NHL 10, FIGHT NIGHT Round 4, or Madden NFL 10 bring your game online for a chance at some ultimate glory.

So as I said, there's a lot of competition going on. With all the competing going on though, the one thing that remains is the sportsmanship; the "Good-Game's" after the battles and the nods to your opponents for their nice play. Let's not forget that even the pro's meet at the on the middle of the battle field for a handshake after a game.

It is the competition, after all, that brings the best out of us and pushes us to be better every day.

Now that, I did read on a greeting card.

NHL 10 Community Playdate

2009-10-20T17:04:00.001-07:00

NHL 10 Community Playdate

NBA LIVE 10 Launches and It's ON!

2009-10-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

Since the demo launched over three weeks ago, close to a million gamers got a taste of NBA LIVE 10 and have marked their calendars for the release and EA SPORTS latest pro basketball title. Well, today’s the day we hit the hardwood and welcome fans back for a big year of tomahawk dunks, behind-the-back passes, and ankle-breaking drives. Are you ready to go LIVE this year?

Over the past year, the development team has been working tirelessly listening to the community and creating a basketball experience that fans can be proud of once again. From improved Passing Controls to a smoother Shooting mechanic, ballers have been raving about the control and precise movement of the game. Add in the new Dynamic DNA system and all-new adidas LIVE Run and you’ve got up to date rosters and a chance to create your team and play with the best of the best! Listen to Lead Producer Sean O’Brien’s Launch Podcast as he puts it all together and talks about the biggest reasons gamers will be loving LIVE this year.

Here are some comments from our every growing NBA LIVE community on the EA SPORTS Forums:

For me, after comparison the demo of NBA Live 10 and 2k10, my result is: NBA LIVE 10 (PS3) yes man, it’s a better game. ~boboudou25

A game I didn’t really enjoy at the beginning, and was almost writing off due to frustration, has turned into possibly the most enjoyable simulation basketball game I’ve ever played. It honestly, really is like playing real basketball. ~Sealy21Garnett

My impression of the game is that it is the best basketball game I’ve ever played. It feels genuine, it’s very team oriented and you just can’t say “hey I’m Kobe Bryant there are 3guys protecting the paint and I’m just gonna dunk on all of them.” and I love that. ~pardoxi

Not only has the game getting great reviews, the NBA LIVE 10 Soundtrack has been one of the best and truly brings the culture of basketball into the virtual arena. This year, the team has partnered up with DJ/Producer Mick Bookie to host the NBA LIVE 10 Mixtape bringing together the hottest tracks from the soundtrack for fans to download. Check out and download exclusive tracks from De La Soul and other renowned artists here.

For those that aren’t yet convinced or you just want to show off your skills, make sure you check out the NBA LIVE Invasion Tour coming to a city near you! From New York to Texas and from Kansas to Florida, the EA SPORTS Events bus will be rolling in consoles and HD’s for fans to get their hands on the game. If you’re in Orlando, make sure you give a shout out to @closphoto and @the_eric_gray from the EA SPORTS Live Production team who will be looking to talk to fans and get their feedback on the game!

Make sure you’re following the official NBA LIVE 10 twitter for the latest news from the team as well as LIVE twitter updates from cover athlete Dwight Howard. Get online and let them know what you think of this year’s title! It’s Tip-Off time kids, Let’s GO!

Linden to Stick to Virtual Ice and Guarantees "No Comeback"

2009-09-22T22:47:00.000-07:00

In preparation for tonight’s Midnight Launch at the Robson and Granville Future Shop, former Canuck Trevor Linden got his hands on NHL 10 alongside Producer David Littman and some of the local press.

“I’m amazed with how authentic and lifelike the game plays. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve played the game and even with something like Sedin winning the face-off, it looks exactly how he really does it.”

Linden, always a gentleman and great ambassador of the sport, received some pointers with Litty before going through the press gauntlet. In between an interview with Electric Playground and the Canadian Press, I had time to play against him and ask a couple of my own questions. In particular, I wanted to get his thoughts on Theo Fleury’s return to the game at Calgary’s training camp this past weekend.

“The way he went out wasn’t the way he wanted to go out, so I think if it works out for him then that’s great. I don’t think he’ll be breaking any records,” he stated when asked about his potential. “but if he ends up playing I see the city of Calgary getting really excited about him returning.”

Which lead, of course, to me asking him about returning to the Canucks lineup after being away for a year, “No way, no comeback” he said with a smile and a laugh. “There might not be a lot of things I can guarantee, but that, would be one of them.”

With that, I went on to score the only goal of the period that we played and he was gracious enough to comment on how nice a goal it was. “Luongo should’ve had that one,” noting the goalie’s failed attempt to backhand the puck out of the air. “Nice goal.” Lou actually did deflect it, but it then went off of a defender near the crease and into the net…but I digress.

For those of you in the Vancouver area, get to the Future Shop on Granville and Robson early as Linden will be signing autographs from 9PM to 11PM. Stick around until midnight and be first to grab a copy of NHL 10. For those of you in Toronto, former Leaf Wendel Clark and current Leaf Matt Stajan will be at the Toronto Life Square Future Shop doing the same before midnight hits Eastern time.

FTW - Hockey Time

2009-09-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

September is one of my favourite months of the year, not only because I get a year older (or despite it, that is) but the presents I receive are usually in the form of one of my all-time favorite games, NHL 10. This year NHL 10 hits the streets next week on Tuesday the 15th and for the first time we will be hosting a couple of midnight releases at Future Shops in Toronto and Vancouver. With President Obama welcoming the Pens to the White House today and team prospects hitting the ice this week, it's officially time to think hockey.

Growing up in Vancouver I've been a fan of the Canucks since I was allowed as a kid to stay up late in '82 to watch their magical first run into the Stanley Cup Finals against the New York Islanders. The series didn't go the way Canucks fans wanted it to, but it was a great run and a great year for the guys who wore the Flying V's. At seven years old I was hooked on the game and the team, and over the years as the jerseys and the team changed, I longed for them to return to the finals for another chance at their first Cup.

Then came '94 and that chance against the other New York team, the Rangers. In a battle where players on both teams left it all on the ice, the series would go seven games and the Rangers would win the Cup by a goal. One of the most memorable pictures is of the team's captain Trevor Linden leaning his head on goaltender Kirk McLean's mask after the loss. It signified all the sweat and tears and eventual heartache that came with coming so close to capturing the holy grail of hockey.

Back then while at UBC, my buddies and I relived the series looking for different outcomes on the SNES with NHL 95 and spent more hours playing the video game than I should have. We'd set up tournaments and battle throughout the school year and I even remembered playing games to simulate what we thought would happen in games to come. We didn't care that the game wasn't as authentic as it is today, we only cared that we could be play as our favorite team and feel the rush of scoring the game winner (most of the time with the dreaded one-timer goals). We always wondered, "Could it get any better than this???"

Your damn right it could and next week the series that has received the Sports Game of the Year nod for the past two years isn't holding back with NHL 10. The team followed up '09 with 3-on-3 NHL Arcade and still managed to put in over 200 gameplay improvements to kick it up a notch for this year's game. The producers have been providing the community with regular blogs and videos and screenshots to whet gamers' appetites. Even the demo was one like none other giving NHL fans new and old to the series a taste of the new Battle for the Cup and Be a Pro modes.

And so with Linden retired, there's time for him to take up gaming and what better game to do so than with NHL 10 where he can don the '94 uni's or, better yet, go old skool with the Flying V's in this year's game. Recreate those Stanley Cup Finals and hope for a different outcome in the new Battle for the Cup mode which has been implemented into the game very nicely. Or just jump into Season Mode and play with Luongo fresh off one of the most lucrative contracts ever for a Canuck (is Gillis a genius or what?). A whole other blog there in itself but something that I may look into with some of my own players with the new Be a GM mode.

Like most hockey fans, I'm excited at this time of year as the release of the game next week means that the season is right around the corner. Can this be the year my 'nucks go FTW and finally put it together? Again, another blog for another time.

Next week however, join Trevor Linden along with me and the game producers at Future Shop on Granville & Robson Monday night for the Midnight Release event. Be first to pick up a copy and see if you have the stick skills to bring home the Cup yourself. And for those of you in Toronto (boooo! Lol), you can join other NHL producers along with former captain Wendel Clark and current Leaf Ian White at the Toronto Life Square Future Shop. It's time to go FTW with one of the Best Titles of The Year!

Tonight We Dine With Kings

2009-09-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Today the LA Kings had their opening day of LA Kings Fest and EA SPORTS was to not only be a part of the festivities with a large chunk of space carved out with systems set up to show off NHL 10, we were also invited to meet some of the Kings prior to their walking on to the stage to meet their fans at the Nokia Center.

It was much more than today’s team however; it was their past, present, and future that were all in attendance during tonight’s affair. After setting up the PS3 and XBOX 360 systems that will be playing NHL 10 through the weekend, producer Andy Agostini and our crew were provided with some VIP passes to hang with the likes of the Triple Crown line of Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor, and Charlie Simmer in one corner, while team President and Hall of Fame inductee Luc Robitaille chatted with some of his young superstars and prospects in another.

The moment we walked into the green room we were introduced to RW Justin Williams and assistant captain Anze Kopitar. One of the first questions Williams asked me after telling me that he played NHL 09 online when he was on the road with his buddies was, “So, what’s new in the game this year?” I went into some of the details of board play and he seemed pretty impressed. “I’m coming by the booth tomorrow to check it out.”

As we moved through the room, we saw the Triple Crown line reunited and it reminded me of those late 70’s and early ’80’s days when Dionne, Taylor, and Simmer were a menace to my beloved Canucks. Even the younger Kings were impressed as they looked up at the monitor that was showing a video of the three back in the day and how that line electrified Kings fans with their chemistry.

With some of them lined up to play some lucky fans tomorrow on the sticks, we were then introduced to defenseman Drew Doughty, Davis Drewiske, and goalie Jonathan Quick. With Drew just returning from Team Canada’s orientation camp, I asked him about his experience as one of the youngest players to be invited.

“It was an incredible camp. Last year I didn’t think I would make the Kings team and then to have the year I had and to be invited to the camp was unbelievable.” He talked about meeting Ryan Smyth for the first time and how excited he was about him coming to LA. “He’s a great guy and he’ll bring a lot of leadership and experience to the team.”

It wasn’t all about hockey on the real ice however as he did ask about his in-game rating this year admittedly stating that he’s one of the better gamers on the team. I let him know that Andy was the guy in charge of that. They had a friendly discussion over his rating (”Andy, you still haven’t answered the question,” asked Doughty) and with a smile and a wink, let him know that though he was pleased to be higher than last year, he’ll be looking to improve on his 83 rating from this year on future roster updates.

Drewiske on the other hand was just stoked to be in the game. “When I saw the picture you guys put up (from yesterday’s blog), I told my girlfriend and I literally had a tear in my eye,” he said with a laugh. His plan is to be permanent fixture on the team after playing 18 games with the Kings last year. On a squad with a great young core, he seems to be a good fit with their organization.

I then noticed (or was nudged to notice) Dustin Brown sitting right behind me and I kindly introduced myself. Little did I know that he was in the middle of rehearsing his speech for the fans and as I was about to give him back his space, he waved it off without a worry. The Kings captain was nice enough to answer some of my questions about the team’s outlook for this year.

“We’re a lot more optimistic this year that’s for sure. We all got together earlier this summer with the goal of bonding as a team and I’m confident in what we can do with our core group of guys here.” I was impressed to notice the experience in his voice well past his youthful 24 years of age. By the way…his speech went off without a hitch other than a small stutter that the crew blamed me for.

With that, the team of old, of today, and of the future made their way to their adoring Kings fans as they were all individually introduced and made their way high-fiving them down the isles. Back in the green room, the crew and I watched and took it all in ourselves.

We were reminded that at the end of the day though these guys make a ton of money playing a game they love, there’s this genuine excitement when they see themselves in an EA SPORTS NHL video game. It’s not about money…it’s about being In the Game.

FTW - These guys have played before

2009-09-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend the LA Kings kicked off their 2009-10 season with interactive events and face-to-face time among fans at the first ever Hockey Fest in LA. The three-day event featured players old and new signing autographs and doing Q and A sessions with fans while they all got a chance to get interactive with mini-arenas set up to test shooting, accuracy, and one-on-one skills. We got the invite to come and debut the full version of NHL 10 and also set up a draw for fans who won games to earn a shot at going up versus one the Kings players themselves.

The four lucky fans selected were Ethan Berge, 17, who went up against Jack Johnson; Justin Price, 19, who took on netminder Jonathan Quick; Richard Aho, from Anaheim, was paired up with Davis Drewiske; and Alex Leggett, 12, who took on one of his favorite players from the team, last year’s rookie sensation, Drew Doughty.

Berge may have thought he had the upper hand going into his match with Johnson as following my brief pre-game interview with him, Johnson stated that he’d not played the game though claimed his brother had a copy and that he was familiar with the series. He even asked if there was a way to use the classic controls to “give himself a fighting chance” against Berge who agreed to play with the older controls.

Unfortunately for Berge, Johnson may have been playing possum as he ended up shutting out the Kings fan 6-0 and even scoring a hat-trick with his own player in game…one of those being of the short-handed version! It was the oldest trick in the book as he snookered his way FTW. “What can I say? It must be beginners luck,” he said with a sheepish grin.

On the other side of the bench was Jonathan Quick who chose the West All-Stars while Price took the East. Quick also hinted that he needed all the help he could get. This time, however, this King did as Price went out to a 2-0 lead by the end of the first period leaving Quick to wonder if playing outside the crease was as much fun as his familiar spot between the pipes. “I usually leave the play-making and scoring to the other guys,” he joked.

The two would exchange goals in the following two periods before Price closed it out with a pair for a 6-2 win. The biggest celebrations though came when Quick scored his goals as well as when he virtually dropped Price with a heavy punch when things got a little rough in the All-Star Game between the two.

While these games were going on, Drew Doughty and Davis Drewiske were warming up a few consoles over and getting a few quick tips from Producer Andy Agostini.

Drewiske started his game a little slowly as Richard’s tough defence kept the King shotless until late in the 2nd period. “He’s playing pretty tight and I’m picking my spots,” he said with a smile though it seemed he was getting a little outplayed by Aho. On his third shot late in the third period, he would slip one by Aho’s goalie and send the game into overtime.

There would be no scoring in the extra five minutes, and in fact, they would need a few extra shootout rounds before Drewiske went on a breakaway and neatly spun one into the top corner FTW.

The surprise of the event was the gaming skills of Drew Doughty. I know yesterday I said that at times it’s not about winning and it’s about being in the game…well, not this time. All four of these guys had that winner’s intensity in their eyes when they played and it was most evident with Doughty who showed no mercy going up against 12-year-old Legget. Ok, maybe he showed a little bit of mercy as the youngster had a hard time finding the back of the net, showing a bit of nerves sitting next to one of his favorite players.

“Drew’s pretty good at this game,” he said with a smile that never left his face despite losing 2-0 to Doughty. “I just can’t believe I had a chance to play with him and get everyone’s autograph and talk to them. It was pretty awesome!”

“Who’s next?” asked Doughty after chatting and signing an autograph for Alex. In stepped Producer Andy Agostini. Needless to say, the crowd began to put their money on one of the makers of the game but after Doughty went up 2-0 in this game as well, it became obvious that he not only had the skills on the real ice, but he had them on the virtual one as well. By the end of the tilt, Doughty would win 3-0 and post two shutouts back-to-back, leaving Agostini to claim he was a little star-struck as well going up against Doughty. Is it possible that he may have left a lasting impression on the stats-guru and may possibly up the sophomore’s overall game ranking? Time will tell with future roster updates, right Andy?

I asked the defenceman what he thought of NHL 10 following his second win, “I really like the new features. I played a little of the game last year and it flows really well.” I wanted to see him go off against Jack Johnson but he had already left to sign autographs a booth or two away. I guess I’ll just have to send them a copy and find out who wins between the two when they play on the road.

FTW, I’ll put my money on Drew.

Huge thanks go out to Rick Kim of XboxPulse.com and Rudy Colon of SFX-360.com who provided some of the pictures in this blog. Check out some of their photos and coverage of LA Kings Fest here: Photos - Rick Kim and Blog - Rudy Colon

Tiger maintains attitude during 4-shot swing on the 16th to win Bridgestone for 70th victory

2009-08-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Greenwood/Getty Images

A week after he wins the Buick Open after an up and down series of rounds, and three weeks after missing the cut at The British Open, Tiger went to work this week at the Bridgestone Invitational and hit an 8-iron on the par-5 16^th hole, 182 yards, to put the ball within one foot of the cup. A gimmie.

Tiger started the round three strokes back of Padraig Harrington who also hit his first shot in the rough, though on the opposite side on the right of the 16^th. Tiger had to punch his ball out to the fairway leaving him a long third. Padraig, however, looked to clear a bunker on the left leaving him a little closer for a third shot, though a risky play. He would barely clear the bunker and give himself a terrible uphill lie on the lip to go at the tight flag, no more than three paces to the drink.

With Tiger to shoot and down a shot just after giving up the lead following bogeys on 13 and 14, this was one of the biggest tests for him all weekend. You could see him holding himself back from exploding when he teed off into the rough and maintaining his attitude. He’s recently been called out following his missing the cut at The Open for being a little more emotional than others following a poor shot and you he knew the best way to turn things right back around was a perfect third shot and put the pressure right back on Harrington.

He took out his 8-iron. Someone better tell him that it’s 182-yards and not 138. Oh, wait, that’s my shot…he can hit that. Full swing, power at 110%, a little left to right wind. With those two bogeys behind him and a chance to swing himself right back into the lead assuming Harrington will leave himself a tough 4^th, Tiger took back the club for the swing and in an instant hit the poor golf ball as hard as he could and looked to fly the ball over the water and next to pin. An improbable shot…unless you’re the number one player in the world.

The ball flew majestically high and landed to left of the hole a few yards past it. The ball spun back to the hole as close-to-perfect as one could be less than a foot from the pin. Check.

Harrington, the defending PGA Champion to be played next week, would put his shot over green and into the deep stuff. He would then follow with an attempt to full-swing a flier to within a few feet, a tough shot regardless, but knowing that Tiger’s ball is sitting a few inches from the cup for birdie made this his forth even more pressure filled.

His swing would get more of the ball than he wanted to as it bounced next to the hole and skipped into the pond. With that shot, he would have to pace back to the other side of water and back-up to get a full swing at the hole, close to a hundred yards from the hole. Check-mate.

By the end of the hole, Paddy would triple bogey and then watch Tiger tap in his birdie for a four-shot swing with two holes to play. Tiger would then finish another work week with a birdie putt on the 18^th to win his 70^th tournament on the tour and position himself, once again as the favorite going into a major with the PGA Championships next weekend.

Just when you thought that Tiger couldn’t impress, he takes out a pressure-filled eight-iron and makes the shot of the tournament. So sure, at times he may lose his cool on a bad shot. With shots he knows he can make, it’s these he counts on when the pressure is on. More often than not, we see him come up with something incredible that just makes people shake their heads. Less often, he’ll miss and that may come with a wince or even a curse.

My take, it happens less often than not and he’s entitled to be unimpressed after, time and time again, showing such perfection. It’s such a rare occurrence for him to miss that people break it apart because it’s the one thing that happens so rarely. He’s only human and he wears his emotions, win or lose, on his sleeve. It’s these emotions that push him to even attempt the shots he looks at making. He knew going into that third that he pulled the club out of his bag for one reason only…to impress. I don’t know about you, but I’m impressed. Damn…impressed.

Monday FTW - Weekend of Champions

2009-06-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

It was a weekend of winners as the NBA and NHL crowned new champions over the weekend while at the same time EA SPORTS looks at crowning some gaming winners over the next few weeks as well.

Congratulations go out to Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins as they overcame a 3-2 series deficit to go FTW in the final two games and earn the right to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup in Detroit, winning only their second game in Hockeytown in the last two years.

After being chased out of game 5, Marc-Andre Fleury came up with two career games and received a little help from the crossbar near the end of game seven letting in only two goals in game six and seven to backstop the Pens to the Cup. With Sid injuring his knee in the first period of game seven, the team rallied behind their captain as Maxime Talbot scored two of his biggest goals to give the Pens the scoring needed to win.

It was quite the moment for Sid the Kid as he shared the ice with owner Mario Lemiuex who hadn’t hoisted the cup since ’92 when he won his second in a row as a player. Sid was so much into the moment that he almost forgot about shaking the hands of last year’s champions leaving some of the Red Wings to patiently wait for him to shake his hand. Did he snub the team or was he just into the moment? I’ll say that patience is a virtue and even for the Wings, though it had to be bitter watching the Kid celebrate, those are the breaks when it comes to winning a championship.

Kobe can now remove the kryptonite from his shorts as he shook a monkey off his back (or a gorilla named “Shaq”) winning his fourth Larry O’Brien Trophy and confidently leading the LA Lakers to the NBA Championship over NBA LIVE 10 cover athlete Dwight “Superman” Howard and the Orlando Magic.

The Black Mamba was double-teamed throughout game five which left other Lakers shooters open. The team delivered hitting 50% of their shots from the arc and hitting 75% from the line to disappoint the home side looking to extend the series to a sixth game. It was a big 16-0 run following a confrontation between Trevor Ariza and Hedo Turkoglu that was the difference in the game.

The championship was also head coach Phil Jackson’s tenth and there was no shortage of celebration as he remains undefeated when his teams win the first game of a championship series.

With these championships in the book, EA SPORTS looks to crown its own champions as we kick off the NHL 09 EASHL Invitational in a couple of weeks. For months, the EASHL has been running strong and hundreds of teams have played thousands of games and have climbed the leaderboards to earn the right to be invited to our first post-season tournament.

Congratulations go out to the two regular season console champions: Shammers United who finished the season playing 3235 games and amassing 8234 points on the Xbox 360 while the No CryBabys played 1278 games and earned 7135 points to clinch first place on the PlayStation 3. These are the first teams that have received invites to the tournament and we will announce the other seven teams per console this Wednesday.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, you have to see the EA SPORTS ‘Joy’ commercial that aired at the NBA Finals last week. Coinciding with the commercial is our Welcome to the Win webpage from EA SPORTS Beta highlighting athletes’ wins in their respective sports. We will also be sharing our gamers’ wins as well so stay tuned to the site and look for new areas to unlock in the near future.

To close, congrats go to local swimmer Brent Hayden of Vancouver who went FTW and defeated Olympic Gold Champion Michel Phelps during the Santa Clara International Grand Prix swim meet over the weekend. Hayden swam a personal best of 48.44 seconds in the 100-metre freestyle to edge Phelps who clocked in at the finish at 48.87 seconds.

Ask these guys if every second counts, and you’ll appreciate what it takes to be a champion.

will ea sports go ftw at e3?

2009-05-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

After weeks of preparing to show off their studio’s best, developers from around the world descent on Los Angeles for this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, where gaming press will be ready to share with the public the latest news at a moment’s notice. Teams at EA SPORTS have put together videos, gamed hours on demos, and are ready for the massive questions that are bound to come from the hungry appetites of those lucky enough to get an invite to the expo.

The EA SPORTS stable will be in full force at E3 this year but not every game there will be fully accessible to those in attendance. EA Canada’s NHL 09, the winner of no less than twelve Sports Game of the Year Awards, will be inviting an even luckier few press inside closed doors with Producer David Littman and the upcoming NHL 10 game. For the rest of us, we’ll have to keep our eyes peeled for an upcoming blog on physical play from Producer Sean Ramjagsingh and new news about the upcoming EA SPORTS Hockey League Invitational Tournament to that will start later in June. Follow @NHL10 and myself, @sk88z, for when the latest news drops.

There will be many channels for our community to follow us at E3. I’ll be working with fellow EA SPORTS Community Managers @easports @raczilla, @dochowser, @dewiel, and @EARom relaying video, pics, and stories from our team of @The_Eric_Gray and @CLOSPHOTO on the ground at the LA Convention Center. I just hope the two Magic fans aren’t going to get themselves into any trouble running around downtown LA with their Orlando jerseys on. Also down there from our team will be @Active_Girl who will be busy getting people Active and started on the 30-Day Challenge that many are starting today.

I’m not going to let anything out of the bag before Peter Moore gets on stage Monday, though I will let you know that if you’re a Fight Night Round 4 fan, you’re going to want to tune in to http://ea.com/e3 at 2PM PST. Along with some news about one of the most anticipated games of the year, there will also be a few surprises and special guests.

We will also be posting video from press conferences and surrounding mayhem on http://insideblog.easports.com and don’t forget to tune in everyday at 12PM PST to EA SPORTS Live with the Thompson Brothers @PrimeTimeSA and @mamboking to get the latest sports gaming news from E3.

On the heels of this year’s biggest upset in the French Open as Rafael Nadal loses his first sets since 2007 and first match ever in Roland Garros, EA SPORTS will be hitting some hard baseline shots of its own with the launch of EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis later this week. Check out a recent blog and video from Producer Thomas Singleton talking about all four Grand Slam venues including the French Open’s Roland Garros and the historic Wimbledon, making its first ever appearance in a tennis video game.

Not to be outdone, EA Tiburon will be rolling out the red carpet putting the driver in the hands of the press in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10. Along with Grand Slam Tennis, the Wii version will be compatible with the new Wii Motion Plus and will be really taking the game to the next level. On the PC side, check out Peter Moore’s most recent blog on Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online that will allow gamers to pick up and play anytime they’ve got to get their swing on.

With football season right around the corner, mainstays Madden NFL 10 and NCAA Football 10 will be put through the paces in the hands of the press. Check out one of the latest NCAA Football 10 videos with Producer Ben Haumiller and Game Designer Russ Kiniry on the game’s Season Showdown feature. For you looking to see more on the senior title, watch and listen to Producer Phil Frazier and other devs talk about Online Co-Op, new to the game and something the community has been craving for years, in this installment of the Developer Series.

So you’ve noticed those videos on the new EA SPORTS Beta site? Just this past week, the online web teams from both studios have launched a new look for EA SPORTS fans which now incorporates a freshly skinned EA SPORTS World to match into the new EA SPORTS Beta site. Check out the EA SPORTS Beta FAQ here and feel free to leave your feedback on the site in our forums.

Over the past six months as an EA SPORTS Community Manager here at EA Canada, it’s been a pleasure to bring our fans behind the scenes action from producer blogs and Q&A’s to athlete interviews to the ultimate in community participation hosting game fans at our Community Events. We’ve made some huge strides not only listening to the EA SPORTS community but bringing you into the mix and having you all take part in the design and creation of our titles. Check out last week’s FIFA 10 Community Day hosted by Rom Broad and our other FIFA Community Managers from around the world.

I recall a time when I started at EA Canada over five years ago as QA Tester and I made a comment on the forums that was taken down because it came from someone within the company and wasn’t an ‘official comment’ on the game. I am glad to say, those days are no longer as we continue to thin the veil between our fans and the developers. Over the next months we’ll continue to try new things and continue to break down the barriers with hopes of involving our community, and of improving and making better titles year in and year out.

Here’s hoping EA SPORTS goes FTW at E3 this week!

Live with The Williams Sisters

2009-04-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

EA SPORTS - The Williams Sisters - Grand Slam Tennis

Live with the Madden 10 cover Athletes - Troy Polamalu & Larry Fitzgerald

2009-04-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

EA SPORTS - Madden 10 Cover Atheletes: Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald

Live with the Pittsburgh Steelers Tuesday April 28

2009-04-24T18:51:00.001-07:00

EA SPORTS - Pittsburgh Steelers

TYSON - A Review

2009-04-24T15:39:00.000-07:00

For those of you that are itching for more on the game, stay tuned to IGN who will be revealing more boxers from the roster.

When I was a kid, I watched Mike Tyson knock out Michael Spinks and it blew my mind. I had no idea who this guy was and he took society by storm in and out of the ring. My memories of him consisted of fast KO's and celebrity appearances whether it was in a Fresh Prince music video, a video boxing game, or even in a wrestling ring. In the film TYSON though, you will see none of those memories other than the knockouts and you will see a side of him that you might not be too familiar with.

Here is my personal review of the film that I had the pleasure of watching during last Monday's NYC premiere screening with Mike and his guests.

TYSON

He is the most feared boxer ever.

After the red-carpet screening in New York, even Mike himself said that after watching the documentary as objectively as possible, he found himself scared of this person on the screen. It is not something that he’s used to even though, during a period of his life, he would call himself God and feel capable of anything. This, in fact, was something totally new to him and, for most in the audience, it too was a very different way to see Mike express himself.

Some were used to seeing the Tyson that won the heavyweight championship at a tender age of twenty growing up with him during his storied boxing career. Some were used to seeing the Tyson whose drama outside the ring constantly put him in the spotlight. While some were used to seeing him as the introverted kid he describes himself as on a windy path just like a lot of people we are likely to already know in our own lives.

You do not hear the questions being asked, you only hear Mike. In his words, and you listen and hear a truth about Mike you haven’t heard from him before. Gone is the fear in the words that sometimes had no meaning and were only said to entice fear in his opponents whether they be in or outside the ring. Gone are the attempts of his ego trying to win another battle, for fear of loss is the worst fear of them all especially for a competitor such as Iron Mike. What is left is just Mike and a look back at one of the greatest boxers that we will ever know.

This film will remind you of why he became so feared in the ring at such an early age. Watching the clips from those fights you see the intensity in his eyes when he walks to the ring. He walks with purpose and electrifies audiences just by entering it. Every fight is the culmination of years of training with one of the most skilled boxing minds in the game, Cus D’Amato. He was the man Mike describes as one of the only persons he ever trusted, raising him from the age of twelve to become a defensive master who would bob and weave and lean and punch in combinations that nobody had ever seen before. Power punches with remarkable speed that came from places they shouldn’t, and with accuracy and precision that only years of training could provide. Kid Dynamite, as he was first nicknamed, was the post-Muhammad Ali fighter the world dreamed of.

This film will challenge what you think you know about Mike. You will need to let go of what you have seen in the media during some of that time. In today’s social media, truth is as prevalent as ever, and this will be one truth you will never forget as Mike takes you within and bears it all for the world to see.

Do some people still long for Iron Mike? The adored God of the ring who couldn’t be stopped; who travelled all over the world, and was greeted by millions of adoring fans wherever he went? If I want to re-live Iron Mike, I’ll pop in my copy of Fight Night Round 4 when it comes out and watch old fights on youtube.

I now understand that for Mike, it isn’t about going back, it’s about moving forward and accepting everything he’s done, without any need to ask for forgiveness. As one of the most influential beings on this planet, when he does this, just as we followed him in his boxing career, we will follow him in his film career and, forgive him anyway, because he’s only a man who is not anymore a God than you or I am.

And I don’t believe that is taking anything away from him at all. He talked afterwards that he’s still in awe of how people are responding to the film and how he’s not used to not having to train hard for this type of approval that he would normally receive from winning a fight. Here he was, letting it all hang out, take it or leave it, and people were accepting it. People were looking beyond it and accepting him.

The question was asked from the audience of what he would do now. He mentioned he is working with Jamie Foxx on a feature movie on his life. After watching the documentary about it, I am intrigued how Foxx will portray Tyson as I’m sure this film will have much influence on the making of that one.

In the end, I learned more about Mike than I ever thought I knew about him. I was always a fan since the first time my father and I watched him KO Michael Spinks in 1988. And now, I’ve gained a level of respect for the man after what I’ve seen of him in this film.

He is one of the most influential people in the world today.

Welcome Back, Tiger

2009-03-29T19:47:00.001-07:00

From the madness of the NCAA Basketball tournament to the stretch run of both NBA and NHL playoffs, this weekend had no shortage of team sports’ magic and mayhem. You’ve got Villanova and Michigan State downing #1 seeds to go the Final Four, the ‘Nucks in a brawl with the ‘Hawks in a potential first-round preview, and the Raptors with a last-shot OT win over the Bulls. To be honest though, it was the DVR for a lot of those games as it was the individual play of one player that had me shaking my head in disbelief and glued to my HD most of Sunday.

With his finest red with white pin-striped shirt on, Tiger Woods once again reminded the sports world of what we’ve been missing for the past nine months. At the Arnold Palmer Invitational this past weekend, down by five strokes to Sean O’Hair after the third round, the buzz began as people wondered if Tiger would be able to make up the difference going into Sunday’s final round.

This was probably the most pressure he’s faced in a long time. Sure there was the Accenture match play event last month where he lost to Tim Clark who hadn’t made a bogey that entire round; though who could blame Tiger after making only one bad shot on the 15th? Prior to that, the only time he had gone FTW in the last nine months was during his victory over Guillermo at the EA SPORTS Gillette Champions of Gaming tournament in January.

I remember watching him at last year’s US Open cringing with every shot as he went FTW after a 19-hole playoff. I had no idea that it would be his last tournament for such a long period of time. For most athletes, the absence away from the sport would bring about some rust that would take some time to brush off. For most athletes, it would take a few weeks or a few games or a few tournaments to get back into the swing of things. Though as we’ve seen time and time again from the 14-time major champion, Tiger is not like most athletes.

On Sunday, following a mid-morning morning rain-delay, Woods would need 15 holes to reduce the five-stroke deficit and pull in to a tie with O’Hair playing in the final group. O’Hair could muster only one birdie all day and though he played with the lead, when you’re grouped with Tiger who was on fire on the final day, it must’ve felt as if it were only a matter of time before O’Hair would become one of many that would succumb to the pressure by Sunday evening.

On the 16th hole with Woods in the rough after gaining a share of the lead on 15, O’Hair would all but seal his destiny going for the pin with a 7-iron and coming short and wet to bogey the hole. On his swings, Tiger would go up and down for par to take his first lead of the tournament. On the ensuring hole, Woods would make it interesting with a bogey while O’Hair would make par setting it up for yet another dramatic Bay Hill finish.

With the night looming, the magic continued as Tiger would make two perfect shots to set himself up for a birdie putt no less than 12 feet away. O’Hair, who had been hitting right most of the day, just didn’t seem to get into a rhythm (could you blame him?) though he would par 17 to tie Woods and really did nothing wrong on 18 other than miss his birdie putt.

Though that was all that Tiger would need and in all too familiar position, as he did a year ago with O’Hair in the final group again and for the third time at Arnie’s tournament, Woods would drain the putt on 18th at Bay Hill FTW and pump-fist his way to his first victory since the US Open. It was his 9th victory in his last 14 PGA Tour starts.

"It feels good to be back in contention, to feel the rush," Woods said. "It's been awhile, but God, it felt good."

It’s a feeling that many, including myself, felt through each hole and every stroke on Sunday as well.

Welcome back to the rush of the winner’s circle, Tiger.

EA Football World's 1 Millionth Video

2009-02-26T15:02:00.000-08:00

EA SPORTS™ Football World: The Millionth Video

Gatorade at ASW

2009-02-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

NBA Live - GI Joes vs Pros

2009-02-26T14:42:00.000-08:00

I'm Batman

2009-02-04T00:38:00.000-08:00

Batman: Arkham Asylum 'Joker's Trap' trailer HD

Tonight's Dinner Conversation with My Brother Dex

2009-01-30T01:50:00.001-08:00

For some life after Christmas can seem a little slow with a New Year's hangover and the rut of having to pay off the Christmas Visa after splurging a little more than you should have. I've just passed my first three months as Community Manager at EA Canada and the one thing my life is not, is slow.

I was having dinner with my brother Dex who came in from Toronto to do a photo shoot and we were catching up on each others' careers. He had moved out there to be closer to the fashion capital of the world, NY, as he's really gotten busy with his photography work and he was just in town for a bit to do some shoots here in Vancouver. As a fashion photographer I always thought he had one of the coolest jobs in the world...for obvious reasons

We both had this look of 'busy' on us as we chatted on different projects. I hadn't realized how many places I've had a chance to be involved with lately and how through my work, I've really had a chance to not only meet and work with some great people at EA, but also some pretty cool people from the gaming and sports community as well.

I mentioned having just returned from Orlando where I met up with the other Community team members and that lead to a talk about doing some more traveling (which I absolutely love to do) to Phoenix for the upcoming NBA All-Star Game in a couple of weeks.

Our plan is to hang out and follow Tim Ahmed the winner of the NBA LIVE Jersey Creator contest who created this year's Rookie and Sophomore Jerseys. Check out the coverage of him at Wed night's Knick's game where he got a chance to hang out and was even mentioned over the PA system with his jerseys. Cool stuff. Add this to covering our NBA Live Challenge Finals and it should be a great weekend in Phoenix.

We'll be hanging out this weekend and watching the Super Bowl with family and friends which, yes, even us folks in Canada do every year. I let him know that we had our Madden Bowl tonight and even showed him some footage from our new Inside EA SPORTS Blog where Raczilla has been posting pictures from all night. We checked out some of the pics and he thought it was pretty cool to see Evander Holyfield along with a handful of football pros chillin and playing some Madden. Congratulations to Tampa Bay's Antonio Bryant who took home the hardware this year.

He did critque some of the pics being the photographer that he is and I try to take some pointers from him as he's pretty good at capturing light in his shots. I guess it takes some steady nerves as well when you're shooting eye-catching beauties. I totally thought our guys did a great job with the shots and he's just a perfectionist

We talked about the upcoming Fight Night Round 4 Community Event and he got a kick out of some of the videos by our producers. He was pretty impressed with some of the early screens he saw of the boxers and even compared lighting to some of the stuff he's done with athletes sweating and how lighting is affected by that. I told him I'd reserve him a copy for his PS3 when the game comes out this summer.

He asked how the Canucks were doing. And that's pretty much when the conversation ended. That's another blog post altogether! I did mention that I do get a chance to hang out with the Canucks' Ryan Kesler who will be touring and checking out our facilities and doing a motion capture session at EA Canada. I'll be blogging and taking some pics for EASW, so that should be pretty cool too.

We flipped on the HDTV to catch a favorite of mine Stand By Me on the screen and I noticed him glance over with a pleased look on his face and a quiet nod.

For the first time it kinda felt that he thought that I actually had one of the coolest jobs in the world. I'd have to say it's still up for debate, though I am pretty grateful for the opportunities that I've got, since at the end of the day, I still get to go to work and pick up a controller from time to time as well. Who's luckier??

3-On-3 NHL Arcade

2009-01-29T15:21:00.001-08:00

EA SPORTS™ Football World: Top 10 No. 3

2009-01-29T08:59:00.001-08:00

EA SPORTS™ Football World: Top 10 No. 3

NHL 09 Top 10 - Jan 9 / 09

2009-01-19T23:24:00.000-08:00

EA sk88z, I'm in the Game! - Jan 17/09

2009-01-17T16:13:00.000-08:00

Another busy week for me as I had the opportunity to travel to Orlando to our Tiburon office where I had the chance to meet up with other Community Managers and our LIVE Production team who does a lot of our Top 10's along with other content that you see on EA SPORTS World. I had a chance to share some of the things I've done with the NBA LIVE team so far and discuss with them some of our upcoming plans with the NBA All-Star Game, Super Bowl - Madden Bowl, and Fight Night Community Day Event.

I've had some PM's about my career at EA Canada, and I'm happy to share some tidbits here. I started at EAC back in '04 as a QA Tester on Def Jam Fight For New York which I had a total blast working on. In fact a lot of the people on that team I still hang out with today. I honestly think it's one of the most underrated games ever to come out of the studio. It had a great fighting engine and some of the battles we had as a QA group were quite intesnse.

I moved on to other games such as NFS Underground II followed by a couple of stints on FIFA Street and even Cricket. I worked on the next iteration of FIFA Street as a Senior Tester as well as worked on handheld titles with NBA LIVE and SIMS 2 Pets. Quite a range of games though the main thing was that I had a great chance to work closely with development teams and learned the ins and outs of the game development process which is something that I'm truly grateful for.

Following some time in QA, I was an assistant in the Marketing department at EAC working on college sports as well as on NHL. Again, some great experiences as it broadened my understanding of the development cycle post submission and into the publishing realm. I grew to learn about what it meant to truly appreciate the consumer's point of view as well as understanding how important it is to adapt to the changing times especially when it came to the video game industry which doesn't necessarily respond like most industries.

This past week, I met our LIVE Production team and fellow Community Managers from both Europe and Florida who manage our Soccer titles and NA Football titles as well as Tiger at Tiburon. It was an opportunity to do some serious planning and to hash out how we're going to bring our games and the experiences creating and playing these games to you, our community.

Content-wise, we have plans for Live events and instant communication to truly bring our fans into the process. In my experiences at EA, I've always been one that is really excited about gaming and until you get inside and see that it's a lot more than just programming a game and putting it out, that in fact the people behind the game are as passionate about the game and fans of the games they make, sometimes it's hard to appreciate the roles these people have.

From upcoming tournaments to articles about our gamers, we will continue to scour the community for ideas and our star players to talk about them. Make sure you check out our featured profiles as we continue to grow our specific EA SPORTS World Community. This week, to follow along on all our simulations, predictions, and news articles, go check out my tweets on Twitter and make sure you add me. We've got some cool stuff planned and we'll be utilizing Twitter in many different ways to bring you closer to the action.

For now, still planning our big Fight Night Round 4 Community Day event next month along with gearing up for some serious NBA LIVE Challenge competition as that gets going this weekend. Grand Prize of $25K in cash and prizes is quite something this year! Get signed up and maybe I'll see you in Phoenix at the Finals!

NHL's Top 10 Saves of the Week

2009-01-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

Dec 26 Youtube NHL Top 10

2009-01-09T01:28:00.000-08:00

Busy first week back at EAC - sk88z's Blog - Operation Sports

2009-01-08T22:36:00.000-08:00

Originally Posted on Operation Sports

Talk about a crazy first week back at work here at EA Canada. As a first blog post here in OS, I wanted to share a little of what I do in my day-to-day as a Community Manager. I really do think I have one of the sweetest gigs around and I consider myself pretty lucky to work with the talented people that I do.

Fight Night Round 4 - I'm in the midst of putting together our Community Day event near the end of February and putting out invites to EA Fight Night fans. I'm a huge fan of the game myself and really excited about having some of the community come on in and check out what's in store.

If you haven't yet chimed in on the Ali vs Tyson debate, check it out on the official website: Fight Night Round 4 and talk about it in our forums (as well as on the OS ones of course). I'm looking for an OS representative as well (non-editor) so if anyone is interested have one of the OS editors here send me your info.

NBA LIVE - I've been working with the NBA LIVE team who I know are present on these boards quite a bit. I think it's great that they are out in the community talking and listening to the fans and from what I can tell from their planning, the game is going to, once again, make some huge strides.

We've just launched our NBA LIVE Staff Group Page where, along with here, I've asked them to talk about their behind the scenes look at the game as well as talk about who they are in general. Check out Jeff Antwi’s look at some of the talent from a recent Motion Capture session, Ryan Santos’ Sneak Peek at some of new kicks that will be in the game, Marcus Stephenson with another look at Dynamic DNA, and Gameplay Designer Mike Wang tells us about his holiday break.

NHL - On behalf of the team, I'm excited that OS has recognized the hard work that the team has done over the past year(s), and thank the editors for work they've done. Being recognized by the gang here for the SPOY is some huge recognition and I know the team will be pleased to hear that they're the recipients of this year's award.

For those of you that are interested, there were also a couple of Q&A's on the upcoming 3 on 3 NHL Arcade game soon-to-be released. Check out my Q&A with Matt Mahar and ESPN's Jon Robinson's Q&A with Matt and David Littman.

I've also began to Simulate NHL Games of the Week and you can check out our first round of sims to see if you agree with what NHL 09 predicts.

NCAA Basketball - Looks like the voting is just about all counted up for the EA SPORTS Toughest Places to Play contest and if you haven't had a chance to vote yet, I'm told they'll be shutting it down this weekend. I've also been told that I may have a chance to visit a couple of the schools to write about it so I'm personally really excited about that! Take me to UCLA!!!

Make sure you also check out Producer Novel Thomas' handy work in his Hoops 101 videos that give you the edge in the game. I'm working with them as well to get their Staff Group page up, though I know that the team has a lot of presence on these boards as well and I know they've had a lot of interaction with you folks already.

I'll come back from time to time to share my thoughts & rants with you as I know that the hardest core fans are here at Operation Sports and I wanted to acknowledge that and share a little of what goes on here at EAC. Feel free to message me directly or leave me comments and I'll do my best to respond to them. In the meantime, I'm prepping for a trip to Orlando next week to meet up with my fellow Community Managers from around the world and plan our ideas for the upcoming quarter.

I can't wait to get out of the snow and into some warm Florida sun!!!

2009 NHL Winter Classic

2008-12-31T13:45:00.001-08:00

NHL 09 Top 10

2008-12-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

He shoots, he scores! Some good camera work here. Nice save too!