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The Features Left On The Sidelines Of The Last-Gen Sports Games
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are finally picking up steam, but plenty of gamers still don't have either of those systems. Furthermore, most of the upcoming sports titles are still coming out for the PS3 and Xbox 360. The only major sports games sitting on the sideline this year on the older platforms are NBA Live 16 and Rory McElroy PGA Tour. What are the differences between the old-gen and new-gen versions of your favorite sports franchise? We looked into these upcoming series to find out.
The old-gen versions of these games won't look as good as the ones on the PS4 or Xbox One, of course, but here are the other differences we've found so far.
Madden NFL 16 (PS3/360) – August 25
One of the big new features of the new-gen version is the interaction between receivers and defensive backs – including timed button presses for different types of catches – but this feature is not coming to the PS3 and 360 versions. A representative told us this was due to technical restrictions with the old systems. The old-gen versions will support the updated XP goals system, but these are not surfaced in the game and during drives.
Nevertheless, the old-gen Madden does including the tweaked QB throwing (high/low throws, etc.), the Draft Champions mode, and other updates like stadiums and uniforms for the upcoming season.
NHL Legacy Edition
Platforms: PS3, 360
Release: September 15
EA Sports is doing something interesting for last-gen console owners. The Legacy Edition (only available for the PS3 and 360) is not as much a full new game, per se, but kind of a greatest hits of NHL modes and features from the last-gen tenure of the franchise – when it was skating in full stride. Legacy Edition features roster updates, the new schedule, EASHL, Be a Pro, One-Touch Dekes, GM Connected (for up to 30 online friends), and a total of eight leagues from around the world. The game also throws in NHL 94 Anniversary mode from NHL 14. Given how the new-gen iteration of the series is still building up its feature set, hardcore fans may still find something to like in the Legacy Edition.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2016
Platforms: PS3, 360
September 18
Konami has revealed quite a lot about this year's Pro Evo title, but hasn't commented on any differences between the console generations.
FIFA 16
Platforms: PS3, 360
Release: September 22
EA Canada is adding a lot of new content to FIFA 16, and much of it is coming over to the last-gen systems as well. Women's national teams, no-touch dribbling, FIFA Trainer, Passing with Purpose, new slide tackling, and better A.I. for interceptions and defensive responsiveness are all included. We haven't gotten our hands on the last-gen version, so we're curious how it actually feels when playing. Our hands-on impressions of the new-gen version were a little mixed when we played it at E3, but it was an early build.
EA Sports hasn't talked about changes to this year's career or Ultimate Team modes, so we'll have to see what, if any, differences there are for the last generation.
NBA 2K16
Platforms: PS3, 360
Release: September 25 (if pre-ordered), September 29
Developer Visual Concepts hasn't talked a lot about the full feature set for the upcoming title at all, but a representative did tell us that, similar to NBA 2K15, the feature sets between the old-gen and new-gen versions won't be the same. We'll have to wait and see what's exactly in NBA 2K16 on the new systems, but in NBA 2K15 there were big differences between the old and new generations. MyGM, MyLeague, online leagues, and MyPark were not on the PS3/360 versions, although they did have the 2K Heroes and Crew features. Unfortunately, given that NBA 2K15 on the old platforms wasn't a big upgrade to NBA 2K14, we're not hopeful that this year's game on the PS3 or Xbox 360 will be notable.
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