Community Member Blog
Champions of Gaming Community Blog: Week 1
By Damon Peterson
Hello everyone! My name is Damon Peterson (Gamertag MPDamon) and I am going to be posting a weekly update on my experiences in the Champions of Gaming contest. For a quick background I help run MaddenPlanet.com, EASPORTSFans.com, and my blog TheSportsGameGuy.com so I'm into sports games pretty big if that wasn't already obvious. Each Monday I will post the results and thoughts of my games. Right now I plan on getting a few games in on each title featured in the contest and then later in the month maybe moving to only one game that I have a chance of qualifying in. Early indication from skill is that would be EA SPORTS Soccer or Madden. .
This week I played three of the titles. EA SPORTS Soccer 09, Madden NFL 09 and NBA Live 09. I'll make sure to add the two other titles next week.
Madden NFL 09 - I got in one game of Madden this week. My opponent rolled with the Vikings so I selected the Eagles in favor of my home town Rams. I received the opening kick off and stalled at about midfield. My punt pinned my opponent inside of his two yard line and while I almost notched a safety he was forced to punt deep from his end zone. My next drive stalled also but well within field goal range as I choose to take the three points on 4th and 2. Now that my opponent wasn't stuck deep in his own endzone I could tell that his offense was much like mine with a run the ball mentality. Adrian "All Day" Peterson took the Vikings down the field but had to settle for a field goal before half. The second half was a back and forth battle of defense with myself finally getting into the end zone with Westbrook from about two yards out. The game ended at 10-3 with a victory. The main reason for the victory was being able to stop the run. I had to load the box with a 4-6 but luckily my opponent refused to pass even on 3rd and long. A tip for Madden players trying to qualify is to always pay attention to your opponent's tendencies throughout the game and use that to your advantage late in a close game. Most Madden gamers are creatures of habit and will always go back to what worked for them in the past.
EA Sports Soccer 09 - I was either lucky or unlucky with my games on this title throughout the week. Depends on how you want to look at it. I have five games played and am currently 3-2. One of my games was a nail biter and probably the most exciting soccer game I have ever played even though the score ended 0-0 in regulation. The shootout though was nothing short of amazing. Last year's game I was used to penalties being so easy for the shooting team. While the advantage should go to the shooter this year you have to be a little better with your kicks rather than just pushing left or right on the stick and pressing shoot. In 09 if you're too easy on the shoot button the ball won't go left or right very far giving the goalie a good opportunity of stopping it without totally just guessing. If I had to guess my opponent and I went 15 to 20 penalty shots in for both teams. It wasn't just both of us scoring it was making saves when they had to be made. The goalie continued the shootout at least four times. In the end I finally won with a excellent save. If I had to give a tip for shootouts I would suggest that you always place the ball on goal. I missed the net once by hitting the crossbar and my opponent missed 3 times wide, two of which would have ended the shootout right there. Err on the side of under kicking the ball rather than over kicking it.
NBA Live 09 - I can tell you early on this won't be a game I will be making the run to the championship in. I played one game of Live and got beat pretty handily. My Bulls hung with the Mavericks for the first half but in the end the fast pace of the game I couldn't keep up. I was having a lot of trouble stopping the ball from getting to the hoop and had to resort to giving the ball to Drew Gooden for 42 points instead of my normal guard style play with Rose, Gordon and Heinrich. I'll be trying this out again but may focus on another title if my B-Ball skills don't improve.
Look next week for me to at least add a game in the two other titles of Tiger Woods PGTA TOUR 09 and NASCAR 09. My prediction is I will start to focus on Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 as I play a lot of it offline and at least think I am pretty decent. Also if I wreck you in NASCAR I apologize early, I have some driving skills but sometimes it's out of my control.
My Teams of Choice so far
Madden NFL 09 - Eagles. I will usually try to match up with the other team. If my opponent can find another team on the game as bad as the Rams I will roll with them.
EA Sports Soccer 09 - Everton. I'm a big Everton supporter but they sometimes can't match up with some teams with fast strikers so I will go to Man U or Arsenal
NBA Live - Bulls. I need a team with good spot up shooters usually.
By Damon Peterson
Hello everyone! My name is Damon Peterson (Gamertag MPDamon) and I am going to be posting a weekly update on my experiences in the Champions of Gaming contest. For a quick background I help run MaddenPlanet.com, EASPORTSFans.com, and my blog TheSportsGameGuy.com so I'm into sports games pretty big if that wasn't already obvious. Each Monday I will post the results and thoughts of my games. Right now I plan on getting a few games in on each title featured in the contest and then later in the month maybe moving to only one game that I have a chance of qualifying in. Early indication from skill is that would be EA SPORTS Soccer or Madden. .
This week I played three of the titles. EA SPORTS Soccer 09, Madden NFL 09 and NBA Live 09. I'll make sure to add the two other titles next week.
Madden NFL 09 - I got in one game of Madden this week. My opponent rolled with the Vikings so I selected the Eagles in favor of my home town Rams. I received the opening kick off and stalled at about midfield. My punt pinned my opponent inside of his two yard line and while I almost notched a safety he was forced to punt deep from his end zone. My next drive stalled also but well within field goal range as I choose to take the three points on 4th and 2. Now that my opponent wasn't stuck deep in his own endzone I could tell that his offense was much like mine with a run the ball mentality. Adrian "All Day" Peterson took the Vikings down the field but had to settle for a field goal before half. The second half was a back and forth battle of defense with myself finally getting into the end zone with Westbrook from about two yards out. The game ended at 10-3 with a victory. The main reason for the victory was being able to stop the run. I had to load the box with a 4-6 but luckily my opponent refused to pass even on 3rd and long. A tip for Madden players trying to qualify is to always pay attention to your opponent's tendencies throughout the game and use that to your advantage late in a close game. Most Madden gamers are creatures of habit and will always go back to what worked for them in the past.
EA Sports Soccer 09 - I was either lucky or unlucky with my games on this title throughout the week. Depends on how you want to look at it. I have five games played and am currently 3-2. One of my games was a nail biter and probably the most exciting soccer game I have ever played even though the score ended 0-0 in regulation. The shootout though was nothing short of amazing. Last year's game I was used to penalties being so easy for the shooting team. While the advantage should go to the shooter this year you have to be a little better with your kicks rather than just pushing left or right on the stick and pressing shoot. In 09 if you're too easy on the shoot button the ball won't go left or right very far giving the goalie a good opportunity of stopping it without totally just guessing. If I had to guess my opponent and I went 15 to 20 penalty shots in for both teams. It wasn't just both of us scoring it was making saves when they had to be made. The goalie continued the shootout at least four times. In the end I finally won with a excellent save. If I had to give a tip for shootouts I would suggest that you always place the ball on goal. I missed the net once by hitting the crossbar and my opponent missed 3 times wide, two of which would have ended the shootout right there. Err on the side of under kicking the ball rather than over kicking it.
NBA Live 09 - I can tell you early on this won't be a game I will be making the run to the championship in. I played one game of Live and got beat pretty handily. My Bulls hung with the Mavericks for the first half but in the end the fast pace of the game I couldn't keep up. I was having a lot of trouble stopping the ball from getting to the hoop and had to resort to giving the ball to Drew Gooden for 42 points instead of my normal guard style play with Rose, Gordon and Heinrich. I'll be trying this out again but may focus on another title if my B-Ball skills don't improve.
Look next week for me to at least add a game in the two other titles of Tiger Woods PGTA TOUR 09 and NASCAR 09. My prediction is I will start to focus on Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 as I play a lot of it offline and at least think I am pretty decent. Also if I wreck you in NASCAR I apologize early, I have some driving skills but sometimes it's out of my control.
My Teams of Choice so far
Madden NFL 09 - Eagles. I will usually try to match up with the other team. If my opponent can find another team on the game as bad as the Rams I will roll with them.
EA Sports Soccer 09 - Everton. I'm a big Everton supporter but they sometimes can't match up with some teams with fast strikers so I will go to Man U or Arsenal
NBA Live - Bulls. I need a team with good spot up shooters usually.
Service Information: Find out more about the EA online service for Online Games. Terms of Service.
The views expressed in the linked sites are the views of the respective owners of each site, and do not necessarily express the views of Electronic Arts, its wholly-owned subsidiaries or Licensors. Electronic Arts does not endorse and is not responsible for content on third party sites.
Version Number: 2.7.0.08-10 DB Version #: 27005
Please log in to add comments.