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Sports Gaming News Weekly Wrap-Up – MLB The Show 23, Throwing Combos in Undisputed & More

Every Sunday we get you caught up on the sports gaming news you might have missed. This week we have plenty of new details on MLB The Show 23, the final Madden NFL 23 roster update and new patch for NBA 2K23. We also have some effective combos for Undisputed, the future for Madden’s commentary, community sliders and more featured content.

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Gran Turismo 7 Patch 1.27A game like Gran Turismo 7 will always carry a large amount of longevity simply because of the nature of the title and the need to unlock multiple cars, tracks, and upgrades. This is acceptable and understandable in racing video games, but at what point does the grind become too much? The answer to that question is up to each person, but the fact remains that working your way through all the unlocks feels intrinsic to Gran Turismo 7 and the genre.

For those already highly familiar with Gran Turismo 7, you have seen first-hand the basic infrastructure of the game, the story mode, the unlocks, and the time and effort it takes to secure all the in-game unlockable vehicles, tracks, and upgrades. What about players who have had limited or no exposure at all? For those looking to circumvent the system or expedite the process of having access to everything quickly? Well, welcome to the world of early adopters.

undisputed patchOne of the key ingredients to throwing effective combinations is knowing the strengths of your fighter. Going into fight with a Joe Frazier and trying to throw long, drawn-out combinations isn’t a smart strategy. Not only will you tire quickly, you’ll likely get beat to the punch if you’re opponent has a hand speed advantage.

On the flip side, this doesn’t mean that you should be throwing one-hitters constantly, but shorter combinations that blend a normal punch with a power shot can still be effective. In the case of more balanced fighters like Terence Crawford, combinations can result in a boost to certain punches, or in the case of Bud, combinations that carry additional damage per punch.

WBSC eBASEBALL POWER PROSWith very little notice, Konami has released WBSC eBaseball: Power Pros (2023) for both the Nintendo Switch and PS4/5. While this version doesn’t provide the depth of modes typically associated with the series, it offers the opportunity to enjoy the title in a single and multiplayer fashion.

So what is included in the newest Power Pros?

Whether you like swinging for the fences or pitching in the strike zone, baseball is all about batting, pitching, and fielding. The virtual world of baseball is no different. With easy pick-up-and-play mechanics, WBSC eBaseball: Power Pros is fun for both novices and skilled gamers.

Madden NFL 23 reviewOne of the threads that has remained popular on OS during the last week or two has been about the future of Madden‘s commentary and what people want to see out of it moving forward. This thread was started by EAGLESFAN10, and it’s something that has gone various directions. EAGLESFAN10 started it as more of a wishlist thread, citing NBA 2K for some of the things that game does and why Madden should do those things as well. But it’s also verged into talking about whether AI voices or AI-related innovations could help the commentary as well.

So let’s go through what the community has been talking about here.

MJWizards has finished his quest and now completed all three NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras on the PS5. He wrapped up the Kobe Era roster over the weekend, and I would be a terrible fan if I didn’t highlight it for everyone. This means we have 29 teams from the 2002-03 season ready to rock. We get aging players like Reggie Miller and Michael Jordan alongside the Kobe Bryants and Allen Iversons of the world. There are a lot of weird teams I sort of forgot about from this time, so like the other custom rosters, it’s great to see them completely filled out with real players.

fifa 23 slidersThe tinkering has continued for Matt10 and crew, but they have settled into Version 12.2 for a bit now so it’s probably time to share these FIFA 23 sliders once again. If you don’t know the drill by now, I’ll be posting Matt10’s latest thoughts and the slider set as well for all to scope out. As always, head to the forum link to get the most in-depth thoughts on the sliders and the ideas behind them.

How We Test:

Always in Career Mode. You are investing in sliders for a reason, and most of the time that is to play in Career Mode. So, it only makes sense to test in that same environment. With so many values to be looked at, and those values being in 1 point increments, it is very easy to come up with multiple versions of sliders. We will always test on Default first, then identify the main areas to look at. From there, it’s about collaborating and finding workarounds for those problem areas. With sliders, it is always a balancing act, fix one thing – potentially break the next.

madden 23 roster update week 14With EA Play now having Madden 23 on it, it feels like the right time to mention Matt10’s Madden 23 sliders for current-gen consoles, plus mention our Maddensliders section in general. For anyone just now picking up the game, sliders might not be the first thing you scope out, but they might be something you get to soon enough — maybe right around the same time you start to read our in-depth pieces on the game itself and how you can bust it open on offense.

With that in mind, Matt10 is one of the many people/groups putting out awesome work in our forums to help folks get the most of their sports video games. With that said, I’ll hand it over to Matt10 to showcase the sliders and talk about what the big changes are in these. As always, head to the thread on the forums to get the most in-depth look at these sliders and also read everyone’s thoughts on them (and maybe share your own).

MLB The Show 23MLB The Show 23’s pre-release hype train keeps chugging as we got the second feature premiere on February 14. Coming off the heels of last week’s deep dive into Storylines featuring the Negro Leagues, this week brought a closer look at gameplay.

During my Year In Review series looking back at MLB The Show 22, I spoke about the importance of gameplay in the overall Show experience. I touched on several areas I hoped to see some improvement, including fielding and hitting. I’m happy to say that this feature premiere addressed some key points. As usual, my focus will be on how the gameplay changes will directly affect online play in MLB The Show 23.

aew fight forever gameplayThe latest gameplay trailer of AEW Fight Forever showcases one of the better feuds in All Elite Wrestling history. Danielson and Page have faced off twice now in AEW. As many probably remember, their first match went to a 60-minute time-limit draw. Unfortunately, time expired right as Page was getting ready to pin Danielson after a Buckshot Lariat. It also happens to be the longest match in AEW history — for now.

This trailer doesn’t focus on the first contest. Instead, it completely embodies the rematch. As you could expect, Page and Danielson put on another five-star match. This time, however, Page retained the World Championship.

Madden NFL 23 reviewAs Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers decompresses in total darkness, teams are actively trying to trade for the 39-year-old gunslinger. And although there is no guarantee that a trade will happen, many teams in need of a starting quarterback are already lining up at Green Bay’s doorstep. But with limited cap space and a massive contract, there may only be a few realistic suitors. Additionally, it sounds like the Packers would prefer to trade Rodgers to the AFC, potentially cutting the list of suitors in half. But this is Madden, and we don’t have to play by the rules.

We’ve been playing the ‘what if’ game using Madden 23. This is no different. But before we get into the most likely destinations for Rodgers, we need to look at his contract. And. It. Is. Massive! According to Spotrac, Rodgers’ current deal is littered with team options. These don’t play a factor in Madden. What does play a factor in both the real world and virtual is his massive $60 million cap hit in 2023. This is how Rodgers’ contract is officially broken down, per Spotrac.

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Steve Noah
Steve is the Editor in Chief at Operation Sports. He's been here since the year 2000 posting news, features and interviews, along with keeping the hardcore sports gaming community alive and well for over two decades. He covers almost every game related to sports but enjoys basketball, football and baseball games the most.