Joystiq

NBA Baller Beats review: Sweat the technique

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:00:00 EST

Let's get one thing out of the way right now: Within five minutes of playing NBA Baller Beats, a rhythm game paired with an actual basketball, I sent the ball sailing through the air and square into a table lamp. The lamp is okay, and thankfully my wife wasn't around to see it.

I've never been great at sports. Between the pressure of supporting a team and a tendency to over-think just about everything, the moment-to-moment demand of most sports overwhelmed me as a child. That has subsided somewhat as I've gotten older, though even now the only things resembling sports in my life are running, cycling, disc golf and the (semi) occasional match of tennis.

I couldn't tell you if NBA Baller Beats is a capable training tool for the discerning baller. I can, however, assure you that NBA Baller Beats is a lot of fun, and it just might help you learn a real-world skill.

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NBA Baller Beats review: Sweat the technique originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Baller Beats will work on carpet, comes with its own basketball

JC Fletcher — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:30:00 EST

Yes, Majesco has considered the fate of living rooms when faced with the threat of NBA Baller Beats, the Kinect game that asks players to dribble a real basketball in time to licensed music. "In NBA Baller Beats, dribbling is and should be contained very close to the body," Majesco's Chief Marketing Officer, Christina Glorioso, told Joystiq in an email interview.

"And in real life too, or the defender will steal it from you!" She said that in QA testing, "if a ball got away, it was more likely a ball rolling out of view of the Kinect rather than a flying object."

Continue reading NBA Baller Beats will work on carpet, comes with its own basketball

NBA Baller Beats will work on carpet, comes with its own basketball originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Baller Beats: Make Space to Jam in your living room

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:50:00 EST

You're gonna need all of Majesco's Mamas to help clean up after destroying your living room with the publisher's latest Kinect game, NBA Baller Beats. What in the world is NBA Baller Beats, pray tell? Why it's, "a fun, high energy and first-of-its kind participative basketball video game launching this fall exclusively on Kinect for the Xbox 360," of course! Yes, you read that right: it's a Kinect game played with an actual basketball in your living room.

It looks like Majesco is going all out for this one, with a tracklist featuring the likes of "Kanye West, Run DMC, Gorillaz, Them Crooked Vultures, Common, Tiesto and more." No word is given on Majesco partnering with any insurance companies alongside the game's launch this fall, but we expect to hear more on that at E3.

Update: USA Today's exclusive on the game describes it as more of a rhythm/music game than a dribbling coach. "Players bounce the ball to the beat of the music; your visual cue is a line of basketballs that flows on a musical trail," it reads.You'll also need to perform specific moves along the way. "An icon prepares you for an upcoming basketball move you need to perform, also in time with the music. That may be a crossover from one hand to the other, a dribble between the legs, a pass fake or shot fake." Color us intrigued! We're still terrified for our living rooms, of course.

Continue reading NBA Baller Beats: Make Space to Jam in your living room

NBA Baller Beats: Make Space to Jam in your living room originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rugby World Cup 2011 demo now on Xbox Live, tomorrow on Euro PSN

David Hinkle — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:30:00 EST

Don't be down in the dumps, everyone. There is reason to rejoice, as your appetite for high-octane rugby competition can now be sated through your favorite video game system! Xbox 360 users worldwide can download the demo right now, and it'll be available on PS3 tomorrow in PAL territories.

The demo features a playable match between England and South Africa. Remember, the actual, very physical Rugby World Cup 2011 is set to kick off on September 9 in New Zealand. It's the video game that's launching in Europe on August 26 for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

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Rugby World Cup 2011 demo now on Xbox Live, tomorrow on Euro PSN originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More FIFA World Cup 2010 media than you can shake a red card at

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:30:00 EST

We know, we know -- we've been desperately waiting for more new media on April's South Africa-themed FIFA release as well, and today we've finally got some more. Arriving care of GDC 2010, EA Sports released the trailer you see above and the smattering of new screens seen below (for Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 as well as the Wii).

The trailer urges players to take their own country's team to the World Cup, though we should issue a word of warning to those of you in the contiguous United States who choose to bring our fine nation to the top: it's just a game. Okay, okay, sorry -- we were just joshin' ya! We suppose it's possible. Maybe after the robots take over. Maybe.

Gallery: 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (Wii)

Gallery: 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (PS3/Xbox 360)

More FIFA World Cup 2010 media than you can shake a red card at originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: FIFA 10 moves 2.2 million units in the UK

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:29:00 EST

FIFA 10 has already found its way into 2.2 million UK homes, making it competition for the "biggest-selling game in the series so far," according to an MCV UK report. With today's earlier announcement of a free-to-play FIFA and the recent unveiling of FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa, and now this, we're quite considering naming it "FIFA Week" here on Joystiq.

And we're willing to bet that EA Sports marketing manager Trevor Uzice would be a big fan of that, especially considering he believes that "there's no denying FIFA 10 is the best football game ever." While we're not sure that the (admittedly impressive) sales numbers corroborate his sentiments, it's always nice to see marketing putting its most outlandish spin on any piece of news.

Gallery: FIFA 10 (360/PS3)

Report: FIFA 10 moves 2.2 million units in the UK originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIFA 10 Ultimate Team DLC pitched amid sales surge

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:30:00 EST

FIFA 10, the latest iteration of EA Sports' biggest global franchise, itself based on the world's most popular sport, is selling well. That's an understatement. Worldwide, EA estimates game sales have surpassed 4.5 million units since the October 1 launch, including a so-called record-setting first week, in which 1.7 million units were sold in Europe to make FIFA 10 the world's "fastest-selling sports video game." What better time to announce that the game will receive a fresh pair of legs?

EA today announced the pending release of FIFA 10 Ultimate Team, a DLC management mode -- introduced to the series last year (and ported to this year's slumping Madden game) -- that has been made over with a "redesigned chemistry system built around player relationships." Think: God game governing platonic dating-sim played with a deck of cards, and ... you're there. Come February, Ultimate Team will be available for download for 400 or $4.99 via Xbox Live and PSN.

Gallery: FIFA 10 Ultimate Team (DLC)

FIFA 10 Ultimate Team DLC pitched amid sales surge originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA: FIFA 10 is fastest-selling sports game 'ever'

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:36:00 EST

EA's annual footie franchise must be doing something right this year because FIFA 10 has apparently sold 1.7 million copies in Europe during its first week. According to EA, the title is "the fastest selling sports game ever and EA's biggest European launch in history."

Even with the positive launch, GI.biz spoke with an analyst who believes the sales aren't going to help EA in the long-term. Doug Creutz of Cowan and Company notes that heavy discounts at supermarket chains and other incentives made initial sales strong, but if the situation plays out anything like FIFA 09, the year-on-year sales will only grow marginally. But like a head-butt goal in the first minutes of a match, FIFA 10 is putting on a good show during launch.

Source -- EA announces record-breaking launch FIFA 10 (EA)
Source -- FIFA 10 record sales won't boost profits (GI.biz)

EA: FIFA 10 is fastest-selling sports game 'ever' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA Sports: 'How big can football get?' Us: 'Pretty big, we guess?'

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Showing the far reaching effects of football ("soccer" for us Americans) fandom in a succinct two minute video, EA Sports asks UK residents in its latest ad for FIFA 10, "How big can football get?" From the looks of the insanity in the commercial (found after the break), we're going out on a limb here and saying, "Substantially large." Would you care to up that wager with a "significantly enormous?" Maybe a "demonstrably massive?"

Gallery: FIFA 10 (360/PS3)

Continue reading EA Sports: 'How big can football get?' Us: 'Pretty big, we guess?'

EA Sports: 'How big can football get?' Us: 'Pretty big, we guess?' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here's a beautiful FIFA 10 trailer from GamesCom

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:15:00 EST

We may not know much about the athletes on the various covers of FIFA 10, but we do know that this trailer looks damn impressive. In fairness, the game often looks rather stunning, but the sizzle reel that EA has whipped up for GamesCom (found after the break) is specifically meant to show off the game to its most active market -- which certainly comes through in production quality. Though we don't watch a ton of sports (and we play even less) we're legitimately looking forward to EA's next entry in the FIFA series, set to release this October.

Gallery: FIFA 10 (360/PS3)

Continue reading Here's a beautiful FIFA 10 trailer from GamesCom

Here's a beautiful FIFA 10 trailer from GamesCom originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who? EA reveals FIFA 10 North American cover athletes

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:29:00 EST

After EA announced a trio of British gents gracing the cover of FIFA 10 in Europe last week, the company today revealed the box art for the North American iteration. Cuauhtémoc Blanco of Chicago Fire and Sacha Kljestan of Chivas USA appear on the box, with ~~Jason Bateman~~ Chelsea's Frank Lampard taking center stage.

EA also revealed the game's release date Stateside to be October 20, while a Euro release has been confirmed for October 2. We'll be spending the extra few weeks figuring out what exactly Chivas USA is. Peep the full cover and a new video of FIFA 10 in action after the break.

Gallery: FIFA 10 (360/PS3)

Continue reading Who? EA reveals FIFA 10 North American cover athletes

Who? EA reveals FIFA 10 North American cover athletes originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA reveals UK lovefest with FIFA 10 cover athletes

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

We've been known to dabble in a FIFA game from time to time, though cover athletes aren't really our forte, if you will. Rather than address our ignorance dead-on, we'll simply tell you that Frank Lampard of Chelsea, Theo Walcott of Arsenal and Wayne Rooney of Manchester United are donning the cover of this year's footballer.

Believe it or not, the game will feature more than just players from English teams. (Yes, we're just as shocked as you by that possibility.) The game is set to land in the UK on October 2, and Amazon and GameStop are putting the game's US release on October 20th.

Gallery: FIFA 10 (360/PS3)

EA reveals UK lovefest with FIFA 10 cover athletes originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIFA 10 hits the pitch October 2 in the UK

David Hinkle — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:35:00 EST

MCV confirmed with EA that its latest entry in the long-standing soccer franchise, FIFA 10, will arrive at UK retailers on October 2. There's no mention of a release date for North America, so we've put in word to EA to see just when we Yanks will receive the game. We'll be sure to update you as soon as we hear back.

FIFA 10 hits the pitch October 2 in the UK originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIFA 10 offers brief glimpse of footy-filled gameplay

David Hinkle — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:45:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

EA Sports is ramping up the hype machine for its very crucial FIFA franchise, as it has issued out a new teaser trailer for the latest installment, FIFA 10. Thankfully, it's not your average teaser trailer, as though it is short, it does contain actual gameplay footage. It looks like the one big improvement for this year's version will be bullet time.

FIFA 10 offers brief glimpse of footy-filled gameplay originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GC 2008: Rock Revolution late to the stage?

JC Fletcher — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:52:00 EST

Filed under: News, Rumors

We may have to deal with the rock status quo for a while until the Revolution arrives. According to IGN, Niais Taylor, associate producer of Konami's Rock Revolution, provided an "early 2009" release window for the music game during a demo of the drum kit (which the Wii version does not use). However, there is a bit of potential confusion.

If this unspecified release period is worldwide, or for the US, then the game has been delayed from its previous "2008" release. However, if this is the European release date -- which seems likely, since this information was presented at the Leipzig Games Convention -- then the European release, at least, is on track and we don't have any more information about the US release. But the possibility of a delay, we felt, was worth passing on.

GC 2008: Rock Revolution late to the stage? originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Beach Sports looks more like big bore sports

Candace Savino — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Screens

With all the multi-sport games on the market for the Wii, we haven't really kept tabs on THQ's rendition, Big Beach Sports. Since the software is releasing next week for the budget price of $29.99, though, it's time to give it a closer inspection.

Looking at these new screens, we have to say -- ignoring it seems like the right choice. Perhaps we're being a little harsh, but that's why we're paid the big bucks, after all. We can see that the developers were aiming for "cute," but might have gotten a bit closer to "ew ew ew."

We're not ones to nitpick about graphics if the gameplay is fun, yet performing things like "the bump" with the Wiimote seem too tedious to be a good time. Perhaps the oversaturated mini-sports market has made us too cynical, and hopefully we'll be proven wrong. Yet, for now, we'll file this game under "mehware."

[Via press release]

Big Beach Sports looks more like big bore sports originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Beach Sports ... better than little beach sports?

Candace Savino — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

THQ is going Wii crazy. Not only is the publisher responsible for bringing aliens, bands, deadly creatures, worms, blobs, and more to our Wiis, but now beach sports, too.

If you've ever had the urge to play beach games like bocce or cricket without actually going to the beach, consider yourself lucky. Big Beach Sports will feature those and others, including football, soccer, volleyball, and Frisbee golf. This THQ title will include single-player tournaments for the different sports, and also let you get your multiplayer groove going with up to three more people. Since the press release made no mention of online play, though, we'll have to assume for now that the game won't have any.

Will this summer release be a good beach adaptation of Wii Sports? We can't be sure, although at the very least, Americans might finally be able to find out what the heck is going on in cricket.

[Via press release]

Big Beach Sports ... better than little beach sports? originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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