Zion Williamson Is Your Next-Gen Cover Athlete for NBA 2K21

Zion Williamson Is Your Next-Gen Cover Athlete for NBA 2K21

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Well, if what we confirmed to be true back in the PlayStation 5 reveal when NBA 2K20 dropped its trailer, onlookers kinda predicted the future cover athlete for the current-gen and/or next-gen version of 2K Sports’ coveted professional basketball simulator.

Turns out, they were about 50 percent correct with their premonition, since Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard was announced Tuesday morning that he would be the cover athlete for the standard edition. Where they hit the nail on the head was getting the PS5 and Xbox Series X-generation cover athlete right in saying that the New Orleans Pelicans’ rookie sensation Zion Williamson.

The next-generation version of this year’s professional basketball rendition, set for pre-order on July 2nd, released its official cover, and it looks something like this:

forbes.com

That’s right. Williamson will be the first-ever rookie in 2K Sports’ history to be given the reigns of posing as the cover athlete for an NBA 2K game. Brought forth by the official NBA 2K Twitter account, a 44-second cinematic trailer that didn’t quite show any gameplay but in fact, reshowed and reiterated the graphical update that the game will be able to display with consoles that have twice the power as their current-gen predecessors.

There is scheduled to be a final cover athlete reveal for the “Legend Edition” on Friday and in somewhat of a posthumous fashion, there is a growing consensus in the 2K community as to who the final cover athlete might be…

Check out the official reveal trailer here.

Jul 1, 2020 No Comments
NBA Schedule Re-Release: Top 10 Games To Look Out For

NBA Schedule Re-Release: Top 10 Games To Look Out For

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The three-month pause on the NBA season looks to be nearing its end, as the season’s suspension will officially be up on July 30 with the return of the premier basketball league officially releasing their 22-team schedule last night in a televised special on ESPN.

The relieving information brought on to sports fans across the stratosphere came at a time of necessity, perhaps, given the unpredictable reality of the teetering improbability of a season resuming where COVID-19 infection rates are low-to-nonexistent. Still, NBA supporters must’ve been glad to hear the news about their favorite teams’ schedules for the compromised season and with that, we can’t wait to break down some of the more anticipated matchups for the remainder of the year leading up to the postseason which should tip-off sometime late August.

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10. New Orleans Pelicans vs. Utah Jazz- There’s nothing like the first. In what will be the official resumption of NBA competition since March 11, 2020 (AKA the infamous date that the NBA was suspended) basketball will be back, live and direct to the people on TNT at 6:30 p.m. ET. The NBA just couldn’t wait to get the phenom, Zion Williamson, back on primetime television as the Pellies have somewhat of a red carpet-like path to the postseason. Aside from the Clippers, they’ll have the Grizzlies, Kings, and Wizards as their main competition coming up.

In comparison to the other three teams duking it out for the eighth and final seed in the West, New Orleans has arguably the easiest schedule of eight remaining games, and the Utah Jazz have one of the harder schedules with games against the Lakers, Grizzlies, and Mavericks within their plans to earn a higher seed for the postseason.

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9. Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers – This is going to be the final regular-season matchup between these two Western powerhouses, but it may be a little more subsidized as we may have wanted in accordance with the news surrounding star Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic and his contraction of the Coronavirus.

Though it’s likely, It is yet to be seen if he’ll take part in the NBA’s bubble games but if he participates, we’re surely in for a barnburner and potential playoff preview. On the other hand, the Clippers are in prime position to uphold their second seed in the West with a fairly easy schedule. On August 12th at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, when the shorter season reaches its conclusion, this game could be a measuring stick for both teams now that both teams’ intensities must elevate in order to get ready for the playoffs.

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8. Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks – This could very well be a preview of our Eastern Conference Finals this year. This is the first game for both Boston and Milwaukee on their path to the playoffs as well, and it’s happening on July 31 at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Both teams have gotten wins off of each other earlier this season and line up with each other quite well for what should be another compelling duel between two of the East’s most prominent teams.

While the Bucks have one of the more difficult slew of games in Orlando (tack on games against Miami, Houston, and Toronto) they’ve set unprecedented marks this year and are still holding on to the highest average scoring margin of any team in the NBA (+11.3) and don’t look to be taking it easy on anyone. Boston, on the other hand, has a real shot of landing the No. 2 seed in the East with games against Brooklyn, Portland, and Orlando as the most challenging games on the list.

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7. Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks – Dallas is balancing on a tightrope when it comes to getting higher in the Western standings and any infraction against the seventh-seeded Mavs could be severe. They’re in a tight battle with the Thunder for a higher seed in the West, and Orlando could be a huge opportunity to improve their marks just in time for the postseason. Tipping off at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN on July 31, this now neutral Battle of Texas features several playmakers in James Harden and Russell Westbrook going against MVP candidate Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis in a contest that should be a good one.

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6. Miami Heat vs. Toronto Raptors – And next, we have yet another potential playoff preview that we’ll likely see at some point during the Eastern Conference Playoffs, tipping off at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV. Toronto’s laid plans of keeping the 2nd seed heading into August’s postseason could go awry, considering that they could lose their seeding with one of the more tedious schedules in all of the NBA. The Raps have to play the Lakers, Celtics, Bucks, Grizzlies, and 76ers and in the midst of that turbulence, lie the Miami Heat who could be a threat to reach the conference finals in their own right. But a lot of fans wouldn’t mind seeing Jimmy Butler exact revenge on the team that ousted him in the postseason last year.

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5. Houston Rockets vs. Milwaukee Bucks – One of the more suspenseful and rivalry-filled games that we’ll be treated to in Orlando, the two “good buddies” in Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden take their grievances to the court on August 2nd at 8:30 P.M. ET on ABC for what could very well be a Finals preview. Houston’s schedule isn’t all that challenging which can only mean good things for a sixth-ranked Rockets squad desperate for some wins. And when you look at the Western teams that are higher on the conference Totem Pole, teams like the Lakers, Nuggets, and Thunder may have a hard time keeping their status in the West.

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4. Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers – As mentioned in the last section about these Rockets’ rather easy schedule…this probably isn’t one of those games. Still, the duel between Houston’s league-leading backcourt in scoring – of course, that’s Russell Westbrook and James Harden – and LA’s most intimidating frontcourt and Pick-and-Roll connection – LeBron James and Anthony Davis – is still going to be a dandy to watch. It’ll be live on TNT at 9:00 p.m. ET. Had the virus delay never commenced, this was actually scheduled to be the next game on the schedule for both the Rockets and Lakers but as fate would have it, we’re getting this battle of Western Goliaths later in the summer.

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3. Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors – Taking place on August 7 at 9:00 p.m. ET on TNT, these teams could very well be neck-and-neck racing for the second seed and again, as mentioned in earlier sections, it’s polar opposites when comparing the strength of schedule between these Eastern factions. What won’t be up for debate is how intriguing this matchup is going to be. Boston is 2-1 this year against Toronto and by the looks of it, they have some sort of an advantage over the defending champions in more ways than one.

With this time off, however, Toronto will walk into Orlando as one of the lone squads that are completely healthy, and that’s quite a game-changing variable considering how much success Raptors coach Nick Nurse has had over the course of this year with his lineup combinations while missing substantial pieces like All-Star Pascal Siakam, Norman Powell, Kyle Lowry, and Fred VanVleet.

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2.  Memphis Grizzlies vs. New Orleans Pelicans – This is probably the final duel between the two presumptive Rookie of the Year candidates, and it could shape up to be a significant matchup, considering the playoff placement of the two teams that are battling for the final postseason spot in the West. Two must-see physical anomalies in Ja Morant and Zion Williamson could be playing for the continuation of their seasons, and their final duel for the 2019-20 season will take place on August 3 at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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1. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers – So, if all predictions are true and all media experts’ initial postseason theories are correct at the end of the day, the Battle of L.A. will be a thing by the time the Western Conference Finals go down. The duel of the Staples Center inhabitants will now, more than ever, play in a neutral arena (as if they were going to play in anything different, right?) and the best part of this rivalry’s renewal? It’ll be the first game out of the gate for the Clippers and Lakers’ trip to Orlando, as the two teams square off on July 30 at 9:00 p.m. ET on TNT!

Jun 27, 2020 No Comments
Thank You, Vinsanity: Vince Carter Officially Announces His Retirement

Thank You, Vinsanity: Vince Carter Officially Announces His Retirement

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Keeping it real here: it’s going to take a lot of time getting used to googling Vince Carter’s name and seeing “former American professional Basketball player in his bio.

And yes, it was expected considering that he announced that the 2019-20 season would be his farewell tour, but it is still going to be hard to see one of the more impactful superstars of the past two decades hang up the sneakers.

In what will go down as one of the many special moments stolen by the worldwide Coronavirus shutdown of sports this season, we’ll never get to formally see Vince Carter offer his goodbyes to the thousand of patrons inside Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena or in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center as an ode of respect to the fans of the Raptors and Nets, two of the franchises integral in carving out the legacy and storied career of the one we call “Half-Man, Half-Amazing”.

Instead, all fans and supporters of VC will get is a digital announcement, as the presumptive first-ballot HOFer took to Twitter Thursday morning to express his desire to step away from professional basketball, thus ending a 22-year career for the eight-time All-Star who played in eight jerseys in that span. Carter was on his “Winging it” Podcast on The Ringer when he declared his official retirement.

And deservedly so, he deserved a proper send-off – perhaps a cumulative career highlight montage, one final crowd address, a prolonged standing ovation – rather than the abrupt and sudden ending to his professional tenure on the eve of March 11, ubiquitously known as the date the season was suspended.

Looking back, he would’ve been a little more earnest of a more gratifying career conclusion; Though needing gratuitous persuasion from the onlookers within the Atlanta Hawks’ State Farm Arena, Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce looked his way and placed him with the third-team in the game’s remaining 19.5 seconds, ultimately leading up to a dribble handoff and top-of-the-key three-ball to score his 25,728th point, 2,290th and final three-pointer.

The lasting impact of Vinsanity won’t soon be forgotten if that nugget of information ever needed an appropriate mention. He had never had the luxury of reaching the pantheon of championship gold once in his time in the league but had done oh so much in the span of 22 long years.

When we think VC, obvious pictures roll into our heads: the gravity-disrespecting throw-downs both in-game and in that memorable 2000 Dunk Contest he did as a pioneer of modern dunking. The All-NBA teams he qualified for. His highlight-filled collegiate career. His many appearances in USA Red, White, and Blue as a member of the national team during his winning of both the Gold in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2003 Gold medal in the FIBA Americas Championship.

Oh, and the fact that he single-handedly made the sport of basketball cool in the entire country of Canada during his time as a Raptor.

Or, the multitudinous teammates he’s had throughout his 22 years in the business, including the youngsters he’s dropped knowledge for who weren’t even born when he was having his most-prominent years in the league.

A career that has seen its understandable decline in athleticism, Carter was never the type to lament about his diminishing role on the five teams he was shipped to in his waning seasons. And as quick as the physical transition from an All-NBA caliber high-flyer to a throw-in piece as part of trade negotiations, his humility, maturity, and understanding of playing the role of confidant and teacher developed just as expeditiously.

He could’ve bowed out gracefully and on the top back in 2012-2013 when he wasn’t exactly himself. But as his body slowly started to deteriorate, his mind found resolution and optimism. His unpredictable durability became a beacon of hope for players not quite comfortable with transitioning into lesser roles. During his second year with the Mavericks, who after signing Carter were still championship contenders even without him, still profited greatly from his contributions. He still averaged double-digits, completing his transformation to full-time reserve.

Carted did an interview with Sports Illustrated back in May of this year, and as Carter detailed his desire to retire last year, he said that he “had doubts”. And as fate would have it, he spotted a relaxed Kobe Bryant in the front row of the Nets home floor in the Barclays Center back in December. Two former rivals turned buddies embraced while Bryant’s daughter Gianna admired from afar and watched her dad and his former colleague conversate.

That conversation probably included old memories about their battles the two had in their careers, but moreover involved life after the game is over. Bryant confessed, in Carter’s words, that it was the happiest he had ever been. And then a month later, Vince Carter passed Dirk Nowitzki in scoring to earn spot No. 19 on the all-time scoring list, and the Flying Dutchman himself offered the same sentiment about retirement in a text, saying he was going to love it.

So, while it may be as anticlimatic of a conclusion to 22 seasons, in Carter’s eye, he may have already gotten his riding-off-into-the-sun moment: alongside the Knicks’ rookie guard R.J. Barrett at a free-throw hash, he logged his final minutes, played his final, 1,541st game, and drilled his final shot attempt for a total of five points in a win against the Knicks on a bizarre night that the entire NBA was forced into hiatus after players and fans in the stadium caught wind of the cancellation of that Jazz-Thunder game that caught the attention of national headlines.

When those same fans started chanting “We Want Vince”, imploring coach Pierce to put in the living legend that’s literally played in at least one game in four different decades, Carter said that it really started hitting him that it could all really be over. The legend may not have known at the moment that his goodbye was to be permanent this time, but as he’d say, “I ended on a pretty good note.”

And that he did. Thanks for everything, Vince.

Jun 25, 2020 No Comments
EA Play 2020: Detailing The Most-Anticipated Electronic Arts Games Dropping In 2020 & In The Future

EA Play 2020: Detailing The Most-Anticipated Electronic Arts Games Dropping In 2020 & In The Future

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In case you missed it, Electronic Arts held their annual future game showcase Thursday evening and though under different non-in-person circumstances due to the COVID-19 crisis, EA figured it was in the best interest to virtually reveal their upcoming projects for the newest generation of consoles coming later this year and in 2021.

Below, I decided to give a recap of all the games mentioned during last night’s event, including a jaw-dropping surprise of a reveal for longtime fans of the gaming company.

Apex Legends – Season 5: Fortune’s Favor

Season four of EA’s critically-praised shooter Apex Legends just experienced their most successful season yet, so it makes sense that they’d drop a new trailer on the newest season of adventures on the outer banks. Respawn announced that their free-to-play battle royale series will be making its debut on the Nintendo Switch this fall, and they also announced that cross-play will be a feature so that gamers of all consoles (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) can play together.

The Sims 4

Another EA Play; another Sims 4 announcement. A pattern that is as repetitive as wash and dry. EA announced that their franchise cornerpiece lifestyle simulator will be coming to Steam as early as….right now.

It Takes Two

Director Josef Fares, famous for his 2019 Game of the Year nominee “A Way Out”, displayed yet another emotionally-potent co-op title during EA’s event last night. Set for release in 2021, It Takes Two features a young daughter of two divorcing parents who copes by making two dolls out of clay, which both come to life. And by Fares’ standards, his co-op action-adventure platformer is going to “blow your f#&*ing mind away” when you play it.

Lost in Random

Another EA Original title, Lost in Random is a title by Zoink Games about a literal world ruled by dice and probability. With a bit of a gnarled, spooky vibe to it, this should serve as a fan favorite when it releases later this year.

Rocket League

Set to drop on July 14, Final Strike Games’ first-ever release is like a more-colorful, third-person based adaptation of Overwatch, but with a LOT of rockets.

Star Wars: Squadrons

Though the initial teaser trailer was released to the public just days ago, EA doubled down and showed their distinct gameplay for their next Star Wars title. And I must say…wow. The game both includes a solo campaign and a multiplayer campaign. And from a graphical standpoint, this could be EA’s most impressive title in the SW genre to be released yet.

EA Sports Montage Trailer

Now…for the sports. EA Sports went ahead and showed what felt like a massive movie trailer showcasing both FIFA 21 and Madden 21.

In the trailer, stars from both “footballs” were brought to life in image showing off the graphic grandiose that the next-gen consoles have the power to show. For Madden, EA showed clips of Ravens Quarterback and M21 cover athlete Lamar Jackson snapping ankles of a Packers defense on the field, new Bucs QB Tom Brady walking up to the line of scrimmage and Packers star wideout Davante Adams celebrating with a Lambeau Leap.

Conversely, FIFA graphics displayed the deceptively-speedy PSG striker Kylian Mbappe’ scoring a penalty kick in lieu of hundreds of thousands roaring in Parc Des Princes, potentially new crowd engines brought forth by the stunning audio of Liverpool supporters singing their club song, Real Madrid wing Eden Hazard attempting a wild bicycle kick to connect with the top corner of a goal, and more.

Next-Gen Tease

To keep on the same tab as EA Sports, Electronic Arts also displayed additional titles that will be released exclusively for next-gen consoles later this year and beyond. Detailing not only the games made by companies like BioWare (probably another Dragon Age) or Dice, who are key in making highly-esteemed Battlefield games, EA’s “sign-off” for this event praised the power of the next generation of consoles and the new barriers of ingenuity those game developers will now have with systems that have 2x the power of a PS4 or Xbox One, while also thanking fans for their continued giving of feedback and support.

But before EA would officially end the broadcast for good…there was one more game they’d make sure they’d not forget to leave out…

Return of EA Skate

You read that right! After a hiatus of more than ten long years, Creative Director Cuz Parry and Game Director Daren Chung presumably dropped collective jaws across the world when they announced that an untitled SKATE game was in the works. We didn’t see any gameplay for the game directors, as they said that they are in an early phase of creating the next skateboarding simulation and addition to their already legendary series.

Jun 19, 2020 No Comments
The New Era of Gaming Is Here: PlayStation 5 Specs, Notable Games And Current-Gen Comparisions

The New Era of Gaming Is Here: PlayStation 5 Specs, Notable Games And Current-Gen Comparisions

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Gamers, get ready to set aside that holiday spending money a little earlier this year because it’s that time again to upgrade the old’ gaming system.

After a brief postponement of their announcement to virtually release the potent PlayStation 5 to the public in lieu of the historical Black Lives Matter movement taking its place throughout the world, Sony had its groundbreaking system and game reveal this past Thursday.

Set for release in the final quarter of 2020, the fifth and easily most powerful system Sony has ever constructed will have two versions of the console that will presumptuously be the same price: one will have its signature Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive prominent in previous PlayStations, and the other will be a strictly digital version without a disc drive. There won’t be a difference in gameplay, and the enjoyable experience will be similar between the two.

So without haste, let’s get to the nitty-gritty and breakdown the specs of this thing in comparison to its predecessor PS4, as well as detail some of the games set to drop on the console later this year.

PlayStation 5 Official Specs

Sony had dropped gems surrounding the unprecedented technology that will be within the PlayStation 5, mainly with the controller. A DualSense controller with adaptive triggers, haptic feedback a new creation button that can be used to share gameplay content. It will also complete with a charging station for whatever controller you use. It’s signature controllers will be modeled in the fashion of the usual DualShock design, complete with a d-pad, two analog sticks and the classic four triangle, circle, x, and square buttons. Additionally, the DualSense controller will also have another center-mounted touchpad.

As for the system, the PlayStation 5 will be powered by an eight-core, 16-thread AMD Zen 2 Central Processing Unit (CPU) which can run up to a total of 16.5 GigaHertz (GHz) and a custom AMD RDNA 2-based Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) that runs at a total of 36 Compute Units (CUs) at 2.23 GHz with 10.3 TeraFlops.

In tech terms, that’s a literal twice-as-powerful system compared to the current-gen PlayStation 4 that’s CPU runs on 8 Jaguar cores at 1.6 GigaHertz and 18 Compute Units at 800 MegaHertz (MHz) and 1.84 TeraFlops in its GPU. So yes, that means that the PlayStation 5 will have twice the processing speed of an original PS4 and twice the graphic detail, evident in some of the games we saw during the PS5 reveal.

And what reveal would be complete without the reveal of the storage space on the console? When the PS4 was displayed to the public back in 2013, gamers were blown away when it was announced that over 500 GigaBytes (GB) was going to be on one system. And now with what’s being told to gaming fans, its successor is set to blow its predecessor out of the water with their storage space of over 825 GB on its Solid State Drive (SSD).

The memory will greatly differ on the new PlayStation 5 as opposed to the 4, considering that the new system will carry twice as many GB (16, to be exact) on its new GDDR6, which stands for graphics double data rate type six synchronous dynamic random-access memory (that’s a lot to read!) Its predecessor carried as much as 8 GB on its GDDR5.

Notable PS5 Games Dropping

Now that we’ve gotten past all the technical stuff, let’s get to what you’ve been probably looking forward to: the games! Here are some of the most anticipated games set to release later this year.

  • Gran Turismo 7- Presented by Polyphony Digital, a newer graphics, image and lighting system courtesy of the PS5’s horsepower (pun intended) look to make the newest installment of Sony’s exclusive and premier racing game the best of it’s kind. as not only the first next-gen title of the franchise but the first numerically-named title since GT6 back in 2013.

  • Spider-Man: Miles Morales –  Into The Spider-Verse fan. rejoice! An expanded remaster of Insomniac’s critically-acclaimed “Game of the Year” award finalist title Spider-Man, the PS5 iteration of this classic revisits the game on the PS5’s superior hardware and picks up on the story of the recently infected Miles Morales, who we (warning: spoiler alert!!!) last saw hanging atop a ceiling with Peter Parker.

  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Another PlayStation, another Ratchet & Clank release! Everyone’s favorite classic kid-friendly shooter will see it’s next-gen debut and with the PS5’s enhanced SSD, players are sure to be blown away from the colorful, distinct graphic display of Ratchet & his robotic buddy Clank’s next fun-filled adventure.

  • Horizon: Forbidden West – Aloy the hunter’s ventures travel to that of another realm choc’ full of animatronic beasts in the sequel to the stunning Horizon: Zero Dawn that impressed players across the globe with its stunning graphics and colors just a few years ago. Expect the same, if not more in its PS5 version.

  • Grand Theft Auto V – the first Third-Party game to reveal itself during the PS5 release, Rockstar Games is set to bring its best-selling open-world shooter for yet another generation of consoles. This new and enhanced version will drop in 2021.

  • Hitman III – The classic World of Assassination series that saw its reboot in 2016 is getting its much-needed PS5 version which should drop around January of next year. Agent 47’s missions are going to look visually stunning, especially with the new Dubai mission shown during the PS5 reveal.

  • Ghostwire: Tokyo – A brand new open-world exclusive for the PlayStation 5, the game features a dystopian city of Tokyo 99% depopulated by a paranormal event as demonic spirits ravage the city and its survivors. From creepy schoolgirls to faceless umbrella-yielding spirits dressed like regular Japanese businessmen, this new game has all the makings of a modern Japanese horror flick. You play as one of the city’s survivors who develops supernatural superpowers of their own during the mysterious paranormal event, so it’s up to you to defend the city against the evil forces.

  • NBA 2k21 – It’s Sneaker Reporter, so you know we had to include some sports video games into this. 2K Sports dropped a trailer of their highly-anticipated debut on the PS5 with Pelicans phenom Zion Williamson putting shots up in an empty gym. 2K was adamant about showing off not only the potency of the new gaming system but the potential upgrade to the game’s esteemed physics system. More gameplay is needed to make an educated inference on just how good this new brand of virtual hoops will be, and it is likely that gameplay will come later this year before the PS5 is available in stores.

  • Madden 21 – Although EA Sports’ coveted football title showed some skin for next-gen consoles earlier in May, the 31st release of EA’s yearly virtual gridiron simulator will see a full display and reveal trailer tomorrow on June 16, 2020. Ravens QB and League MVP Lamar Jackson is the official cover athlete and will likely be featured greatly in the trailer.

  • Resident Evil VIII: Village – It’s looking like the eighth iteration of this legendary series will transcend from its original third-person playstyle and adapt to more of a first-person campaign to further display the terrifyingly gorgeous new display of graphics onset by the new PS5 technology.

The PlayStation 5 will be available for public consumption by the holidays later this year.

Jun 15, 2020 No Comments