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'PES' Euro 2020 DLC will happen, even if Euro 2020 doesn't
While it's looking less likely there will be a European Football Championship this year, eFootball PES 2020 fans will at least get the chance to recreate the tournament on their own and online. Publisher Konami confirmed today it will release a free Euro 2020 update for the game on April 30th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
Volta Football is exactly what 'FIFA 20' needs
I still remember it like it was yesterday. Back in 2008, I would spend hours and hours playing FIFA Street 3 on the Xbox 360, mostly because I loved being on the sticks pretending to be Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho. His dribbling skills, flair and overall playstyle made him the perfect player for a street soccer game. This is why I was pumped when EA Sports revealed it was bringing back its recreational Street series with a new game mode called Volta Football that's debuting in FIFA 20. And while Ronaldinho is now retired from the world of soccer, there is another gem from Brazil who will be featured in Volta: Vinicius Jr., the 19-year-old wunderkind who plays for giant Spanish club Real Madrid.
'PES 2020' isn't perfect, but it's good enough to rival 'FIFA 20'
It was only about a year ago that I thought Pro Evolution Soccer was basically dead. That's how I felt right after Konami lost the licensing rights for the UEFA Champions League, the most important club competition, to its archrival FIFA from EA Sports. Despite this major setback, Konami hasn't given up on its beloved franchise, and that's great for soccer fans everywhere. At E3 earlier this year, I played a demo of the newly named eFootball PES 2020, which surprised me thanks to gameplay improvements, a redesigned menu system that's easier to browse and better visuals of players and stadiums. And while I have no doubt having the Champions League in PES 2020 would've made the game significantly better, there's still plenty to like in the full version of the title, which arrives September 10th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
ESPN+ is the English-language home for Copa America in the US
If you want to watch the hottest soccer (or rather futbol) tourney in the Americas, you'll have to pony up for an ESPN+ subscription. The service has struck a deal to become the sole home for English-language coverage of the 2019 CONMEBOL Copa America in the US, with every game streamed live. That's not hot if you were hoping to watch elsewhere, but it is a rare chance to see games with several of the world's best footie players in one place, including Messi, Neymar Jr. and Suarez.
'FIFA 19' has everything it needs to be the best
I've always tried to love FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer equally, though there are years when one franchise wins me over the other -- even if it's by a tiny bit. You can always count on the game mechanics of Konami's PES to be a pleasure to play, but EA Sports' advantage with FIFA has been that it owns the official licenses to the biggest clubs and players. I don't know about you, but I'd rather play with Manchester United than Man Red. This year, the most important change to FIFA 19 is the addition of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club competition, which had featured on PES since 2008. EA Sports didn't need the Champions League to make FIFA great, but it was basically the only thing it was missing. And now, at the expense of PES, it's finally here.
The World Cup showed how VAR will shape soccer’s future
For every football (aka soccer) fan, it doesn't get any bigger than the FIFA World Cup. Every four years since 1930, the tournament has been held in different parts of the globe, and honestly, it hasn't changed much. There was the expansion to include 32 teams in 1998, but the game's rules have rarely been altered -- largely because of FIFA's unwillingness to embrace emerging technologies. But the 2018 edition in Russia, which ended Sunday with France's win over Croatia, was different. For the first time ever, FIFA used the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) at its flagship competition. And the tech, for better or worse (depending on which team you cheered on), certainly made a mark.
After Math: Stage 4 capitalism
It's been another fun-filled week of plebes like us being crushed under the heel of big business. Want to take a trip into orbit? You're gonna need to mortgage your house and your children's futures. Want to own the last decent MacBook Pro? Tough, Apple now says that the garbage touch panel version is the only one for sale. Trying to watch the World Cup on YouTubeTV? NOPE. NO SOCCER FOR YOU. COME BACK FOUR YEARS!
Even the World Cup couldn't escape the 'Fortnite' fever
Now that England is out of the 2018 World Cup, there's one thing we're really going to miss about its team: The goal celebrations from midfielders Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard. While professional athletes creatively expressing themselves after scoring is nothing new, these guys stood out because their quirky moves were inspired by none other than Fortnite. Best of all, they did it at the world's biggest sporting event. Fortnite's mark on the World Cup in Russia is just the latest example of how inescapable the Epic Games' survival title is.
RIP, 'Pro Evolution Soccer'
I have a mild obsession with FIFA video games, largely because I like playing with official teams and players rather than fictional ones. But, I always gave Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) a chance. Two years ago, I even wrote that Konami's title was actually better than EA Sports', much to the the disbelief of many of my football friends. A big reason I always kept coming back to PES (aside from its more realistic gameplay) was the fact it had licensing rights for the UEFA Champions League (UCL), Europe's most prestigious club tournament. Since 2008, FIFA players have had to make do with a generic version that EA Sports created, which simply wasn't good enough. You need that UCL orchestral theme song and the original trophy to make the competition feel real. But thing will be changing soon, and Pro Evolution Soccer is going to suffer as a result.
How to watch the World Cup 2018
For soccer (er, football) fans everywhere, the next four weeks are going to be all about the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The globe's biggest sporting event, which takes place every four years, is kicking off Thursday, June 14th, when host nation Russia takes on Saudi Arabia at 11AM ET. And yes, we know the USA team won't be there, but football is bigger than just one nation. So even if you won't get to cheer on the Stars and Stripes this year, there's still plenty to look forward to at the World Cup.
‘FIFA 18’ let me live out my World Cup fantasies
It took a few tries, but I was finally able to lift the World Cup trophy with my beloved Mexico in FIFA 18. It wasn't an easy feat, either; I had to get past football superpower Germany in the final. But it happened, a 3-2 win! And that's probably the only way I'll ever get to see Mexico win soccer's most important competition. Over the past few days, I've spent most of my spare time playing FIFA's new Russia 2018 World Cup mode, which EA Sports made available free to all owners of the game on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. That gesture alone deserves a lot of credit, since during the last World Cup in 2014 the developer released a standalone game for the tournament that was $60. And that was just for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The latest-generation of consoles only got a disappointing, stripped down version.
Fox Sports' World Cup Highlight Machine is powered by IBM's Watson
We're only ten days away from the start of the FIFA World Cup 2018. And for soccer (er, football) fans in the US, Fox Sports will be the TV network responsible for bringing them all 64 games from Russia, at least if they want to watch them in English. But, beyond its broadcast offerings, Fox Sports wants to keep people engaged in the competition in different ways. Aside from its partnership with Twitter, which comes in the form of a show that'll stream live from Russia, Fox Sports has teamed up with IBM to build the ultimate World Cup Highlight Machine. Powered by Watson artificial intelligence, this video hub lets you create on-demand clips from every FIFA World Cup tournament dating back to 1958.
How La Liga is making Barcelona and Real Madrid games high tech
La Liga, Spain's professional football (soccer) league, is home to two of the biggest clubs in the world: Barcelona and Real Madrid. And those teams are each anchored by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, respectively, who are the two biggest players in the sport. While that alone is a reason to keep up with La Liga every season, the league isn't resting on its laurels and is working hard to make the game experience for fans more interactive -- particularly those watching at home. Through a partnership with Intel, La Liga is now letting TV viewers have access to 360-degree replays, thanks to the same True View tech that was recently implemented in the NBA and NFL.
Fox Sports will broadcast FIFA's Interactive World Cup finale
Fox Sports announced on Thursday that it will televise the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2016. The E-sport tournament pits 32 "Grand Finalists" against one another in a three-day contest that will eventually crown the official FIWC 2016 world champion. Fox has made significant efforts lately to integrate modern technology into its sports coverage. The company announced earlier this year that it will record the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament -- as well as the Daytona 500 -- in virtual reality.
Sling TV targets Latino viewers with latest channel bundles
The content programming spree for Sling TV continues today. Now, the company has announced two $5 bundles intended for the Spanish-speaking community in the US. Deportes Extra is one of them, featuring beIN Sports en Español, beIN Sports (English), Univision, Univision Deportes and UniMas. The other, Peliculas & Novelas Extra, comes with channels like Az Corazon, Cinelatino, De Pelicula, Pasiones and a pair that carry over from the sports-focused bundle: Univision and UniMas. Both packages are perfect for people who like watching football (soccer) and Latin American soap operas, better known as novelas.
Premier Live: Football European Style
American interest in soccer, or football as it is known in the rest of the world, reached an all time high during the recent World Cup in Brazil. More and more Americans are following the top European leagues. Rifra has five apps that will allow you to follow all of the top European leagues. You can choose among the English Premier Live 2014-2015, La Liga Live 2014-2015 for Spanish football, Serie A Live 2014-2015 covers Italy's top division, Ligue 1 Live 2014-2015 handles the top league in France, and for Germany's best Bundesliga Live 2014-2015. All of the apps are free, run on all iOS devices with iOS 5.1.1 or later. The apps offer one in-app purchase. For US$2.99 you can upgrade to an ad free experience. NBC Sports now broadcasts nearly all of the English Premier League matches on a variety of channels. If you find yourself watching those matches more often and want to track the teams more closely Premier League Live 2014-2015 will help you do just that. Premier League Live 2014-2015 provides you with all the information you need before, during, and after the match. You can check out schedules for the week's upcoming matches. Then you can focus on a particular game and get background on the city and stadium where the game will be played. You can also enter a prediction on the final score of the match and check back later to see how you did and how you stacked up with others. Once the game starts you can get live updates with goals scored and any yellow or red cards issued. After the game, you can check the standings to see where your favorite team lands and if you need to worry about being relegated at the end of the season. In the European leagues, the lowest finishers are moved down to a lower division and others move up to the top league. On the standing page, touching a team name will take you to the club's official website for even more information on the club, players, and in most cases where you can buy official club merchandise. A link for game highlights is also offered that takes you to a third party site to see video of the game. The apps all operate the same and use the same navigation. Each app has a "Help" button in the upper right corner to assist you if you are not sure how to get to where you wish to go. So if soccer has become your passion and you want to follow some of the best players in the world more closely these five apps: Premier League Live 2014-2015; Serie A Live 2014-2015; Ligue 1 Live 2014-2015; La Liga Live 2014-2015; and Bundesliga Live 2014-2015 will keep you up to date through the entire season.
FIFA 14 is now available for Windows Phone footie fans
Windows Phone owners no longer have to watch from the sidelines as their friends battle for supremacy in FIFA 14. EA has released a native version of the free-to-play soccer (aka football) title for Microsoft's platform with the same on-the-pitch action that you'd expect on Android and iOS, including options to buy both team points and special game modes like Manager or Kick Off. There's nothing specifically taking advantage of Windows Phone here, but Lumia owners wanting to dominate a virtual Premier League should be very happy.
Report: Xbox Entertainment greenlights global street soccer video series
Hoping to tap into the "world's most popular sport" market, Microsoft has revealed plans for an upcoming, Xbox-based video series focused on the global popularity of street soccer. The series, dubbed "Every Street United," comes courtesy of Mandalay Sports Media, a production company specializing in capturing the inherent drama of sport on film. Each of the series' eight episodes will spend half an hour focused on athletes from around the world. Details are still being nailed down, but Deadline describes the series' stated purpose as a quest to find "the greatest undiscovered local street soccer players." Despite this, Deadline claims that each episode will also feature a link to video games (though this is said to be relatively indirect). This move should come as little surprise to anyone following Microsoft's nascent push into the world of filmed content. In September, corporate vice president Phil Spencer expressed great interest in bringing sports programming to the Xbox, claiming that Microsoft would be "expanding what we do in sports to bring more international sports into the mix." There's currently no word on when or how Every Street United might debut, but it seems likely that Microsoft would want to use the lure of soccer to compel prospective customers toward picking up an Xbox One.
PES 2013 demo now available on XBL and PSN
Anyone else think it's weird that as faithful as Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 (known in Asia as World Soccer: Winning Eleven) is to the world's most popular sport, it's still called "Soccer" instead of "Football"? But that's neither here nor there: The hardcore football simulation is getting its latest entry this fall, and the demo for the new game is now available for download on Xbox Live and PSN. You can see new mechanics like PES FullControl, play with eight fully-licensed teams, or check out cover athlete Cristiano Ronaldo in the game, running at any difficulty level. Go, download, and enjoy yourself some brand new Pro Evolution Footb-- sorry, Soccer.
Trapped Chilean miners watch a little soccer via fiber optics
It turns out that being trapped in a mine in Chile is only one of the many problems associated with being trapped in a mine in Chile. The mental well-being of the victims looks to be just as important as the rescue mission itself: a small village of miners' family members has sprung up around the mine, offering moral support and preparing food to send down, and NASA psychologists have been offering their advice on the miners' sleep-wake cycles. A few PSPs made their way down the shaft as well. Today, they even got a soccer fix as they watched their team play the Ukraine via a projector lowered down to their safety chamber on a fiber optic cable (Chile lost 2 - 1). While we're not sure which heroic projector model descended 2,300 feet below the earth's surface, we're just happy that some tech could brighten these guys' day just a little bit -- especially considering they could be in there for up to four more months. [Image credit: Location Scout's flickr]
