Review Sprint HTC Hero

Todo comienza en algún lugar.  Para mí, el punto de partida en el mundo de los ¨smartphones¨ comenzó una semana atrás cuando compré el celular HTC Hero con plataforma Android.  El mismo es ofrecido en Puerto Rico como uno de dos teléfonos Android por la compañía Sprint.  Antes de hacer este cambio, llevaba varios años usando teléfonos sin acceso a Internet o planes de data con la compañía AT&T.  Sin embargo, luego de notar que los planes de otras compañías ofrecían más por menos, decidí tomar el salto a Sprint.  Aquí opté por el HTC Hero en parte por la buena reputación del mismo y además por el apoyo que la plataforma Android estaba obteniendo recientemente. Luego de más de una semana de uso, aquí les tengo una evaluación de lo que ofrece este modelo.

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Manila Venue Confirmed, New Screens

Producer Bryan Hayes posted up a write-up about the Thrilla in Manila, the third fight in the incendiary trilogy between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.   In it he also posted up three new screenshots including Ali and Frazier going at it on the Manila venue.  Here they are for your viewing pleasure:

For the original blog post go to:

http://tinyurl.com/df3hg9

Fight Night Nation Podcast Episode 2 is Out

Fight Night Nation Podcast continues this week with Warp and Poeticdrink2u as guests in order to discuss numerous news and answer the questions from the fans:

We discussed:

-New Physics Gameplay Trailer:

http://digg.com/u1CIJ

-Tommy Morrison on the game?

- Miguel Cotto on the game?

-Create a Boxer and Downloadable Content

-Answer Calls/Questions

Hope you all liked the show and let’s see you all in there live next week!

Physics Trailer is Out

EA Sports has released by way of Gamespot a short video highlighting the physics in their new game engine for Fight Night Round 4.  Here it is for your viewing pleasure:

As you can see it displays glancing blows, punches through blocks and, most impressively, inside fighting.  It seems this video has begun to dispel the air of doubt in fans minds concerning the game and it’s gameplay.

Fight Night Nation Podcast Live Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Satuday March 4, we will air the second episode of Fight Night Nation podcast live at 10:30 AM EST.  We will be talking live about the hottest topics on the forums and discuss our take on certain features in the game, mainly Create a Boxer.  Join us live by going to this link:

http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/45321

In there you join the show, call by way of Gizmo, Skype or regular phone and enter the Show ID 45321#.  If you have a registered Talkshoe account you can enter your PIN number so we know who you are.  If not, you can just enter with a “guest” user account.  There will be a section dedicated to fan calls, so stick around.

Cotto in Fight Night Round 4?

This comes by way of a user on the Official EA Sports Fight Night forums.  Warp1432 found an uncanny resemblance between a Miguel Cotto picture and the silhouette on a promotional empty box for Fight Night Round 4:

Here is the link for the forum post: 

http://tinyurl.com/d7wm9e

What do you think?  Is Cotto in the game?

Fight Night Round 4 Out June 30th

EA Sports has finally confirmed June 30th as the release date for the next installment in the Fight Night series, Fight Night Round 4.  After much debate and speculation concerning the release date, EA has made proof that their Summer 2009 release period was correct and give something concrete for fans to look forward to.  We hope to see you online on June 30th!

This came by way of the new EA Sports Fight Night site:

http://fightnight.easports.com

Fight Night Nation Podcast-Episode 1

At last our long awaited podcast is out.  PRGUY85, Rooster and Zfarls give out discussions on Buttons vs TPC and the recently announced Heavyweight Roster.  Bear in mind this first episode has it’s share of recording errors that WILL be fixed for Episode 2.  That being said, enjoy!

Heavyweight Roster Revealed

EA Sports is finally giving the fans a sneak peek at what the Heavyweight roster will bring about in Fight Night Round 4.  Here is a short trailer video created by Rooster with pictures of the boxers already disclosed:

Fight Night Round 4 Video Analysis

I already posted the IGN Video up and talked about their First Look article.  However I am going to post now my thoughts on the video.  It is deeper than what it seems at first sight.  Here is the video if you missed it:

0:11- That definitely looks like the Boardwalk venue.  Great atmosphere.

0:13- Ringwalks are in, as reported before.  Tyson comes in with his famous towel and there are 3 detailed game models behind him as his entourage.  Game models look extremely detailed, including his crew.

0:14- Robes are in, as reported before.  Two more crew models behind Ali.  So that’s already 5 different corner men on the game.  They are all extremely detailed too.  Fireworks are in for rinwalks as seen behind Ali.

0:17- Must note that this is all ACTUAL GAMEPLAY FOOTAGE.  Now more upclose with boxer models.  Extremely detailed and realistic lighting contrary to Round 3’s more stylized lighting system.  Can definitely notice what they have been saying about each muscle being detailed into the models.

0:21- Notice how Tyson ducks and gets close to Ali’s gloves when walking toward him.  That is the Inside Fighting right there and presumably the way boxers will fight when in close proximities.

0:22- Notice how Tyson’s straight misses Ali and goes right to his back.  This is what EA Sports was talking about with punches can land and go everywhere.

0:23- Facial animations are considerably better, specially cheek bones muscles and mouth reactions to punches landed.

0:27- Notice the press taking pictures right up close on the ring.

0:28- The Ali Shuffle is in.  Notice the corner men on the right corner.  This adds to the real-life boxing vibe fans yearn for this year.

0:30- Body punches and punches over all seem to really connect the other model.  Also, notice how Tyson walked in to Ali.  It really does feel like Tyson’s style was properly recreated for the game.

0:32- Devastating uppercut.  Again another punch that looks more like real life boxing matches.  Boxer face reactions help in delivering the sense of strength that single punch had.

0:33- Loving Ali’s bounce on his feet.  Again, at least with Ali and Tyson, style seem to be spot on.

0:34- Notice how Tyson evades Ali’s right hook while moving and ducking at the same time.  I do not remember being able to do that on Round 3.  Now, it’s not the parry that opens the opportunity for big punches but your actual upper body movement.  Also, it looks (like everything so far) a lot more realistic than the previous game.

0:39- Notice how Ali can abuse of his reach and how Tyson’s punches cannot reach him.  I guess this was somewhat shown on Round 3 but it is good to see they are actually developing it even more as it plays a big part in boxing strategy.

0:42- Was that a punch off a “parry” or block?  If it was, this mechanic already looks a lot better when compared to Round 3.  IGN already confirmed parry sytem as we know it is not in the game.

0:52- Do not know if that was a haymaker or just a well timed shot.  Judging by coverage by IGN and ESPN, now well timed shots are the ones that will have an effect on boxers not necessarily haymakers.  Ali counterpunched off a missed hook by Tyson and made him pay.  First time we have seen one of the boxers getting staggered.

0:54- Again notice face animation and cheek bone animation on Tyson’s face after getting punched by a devastating uppercut by Ali.

So that’s that.  Hope to hear your own comments on the video.  Stay tuned for more info.

Fight Night Round 4 IGN First Look

IGN has finally posted their first look on EA Sports Fight Night Round 4, due out for release later this Summer.  On the article they deployed the first in-game video featuring Ali and Tyson:

Some interesting points about the First Look article are:

1) Ability to save replays from your fights and share them online.

2) Haymakers don’t depend on how far back you wind up the stick.  It is now a modifier where a normal hook+right bumper will dish a haymaker.

3) Parry system is out.

4) Boxers can get Stunned by a good punch, in contrast to Round 3 where it was only by a Stun Punches.  When stunned boxers energy won’t go completely down but it won’t recharge until a certain amount of time after you get your legs under you.  Your ring movements and speed will go down while Stunned.

5) Getting up after a Knockdown now has you lining up an “avatar” with the left stick and then picking up your wobbly body with right stick.

6) Every possible stat is saved after your career mode fights.

That and a lot more is here:

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/961/961736p1.html

Hatton, Hearns, Chavez Confirmed for FNRD4 Roster?

The latest in a series of recent news reports on Fight Night Round 4 comes by way of the Canadian Press.  In a recent interview with Mike Tyson, The Canadian Press touched on several topics including his career, current favorites in the sport and details on Fight Night Round 4 where the heavyweight champion appears on the cover with legendary Muhammad Ali.  However, what is of interest is the fact that the article goes on to say some boxers that were still under the veil of secrecy in terms of roster appearance.  Tyson says:

"That's why everyone should get this game, because it puts Ali and me in our prime and has the two of us fighting magnificently well," Tyson told The Canadian Press in a telephone interview. "I haven't done well as Mike Tyson, but as Joe Frazier, I kicked a lot of ass.

"Maybe Joe Frazier is a better fighter in the game."

The article then states:

“Other fighters include Canadian Lennox Lewis, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns and Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez, as well as British light-welterweight Ricky Hatton and the man he will face live in the ring on May 2 in Las Vegas, Manny Pacquiao.”

http://bit.ly/IArkL (for the link to the article)

So, there you go.  Now we have confirmation by The Canadian Press that the likes of Joe Frazier, Tommy Hearns, Julio Cesar Chavez and George Foreman will appear in the game along with some other boxers we already knew of.

The Fight Night Round 4 Roster is finally taking shape and it looks so far like the best we have ever had so far.

Fight Night RD 4 on PS3 Mag: Hatton, Pacquiao Confirmed

More news coming from different sources for Fight Night Round 4.  A user on the IGN boards (crayoaMARKer) has posted pics from a recent PS3 magazine article on the latest boxing game.  The pics display the amount of details the ingame engine is displaying as well as confirms the inclusion of two more boxers into the roster: Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton.  Many of us already thought these two would be in the game but having them officially confirmed is even better.  Pictures of article after the jump:

 

 

Fight Night Round 4 Cover Unveiled

The cover displays both Ali and Tyson in accordance to how the fans voted for several months on the official Fight Night site.

Victor Ortiz Possibly on Fight Night Round 4 Roster

This comes by way of a MaxBoxing.com interview. Victor Ortiz manager said:

 
"Electronic Arts has just signed him and we are actually finalizing the last details of the contract, and there are some other people that have displayed some interest."

So, not a sure fire thing but perhaps this is another boxer we can count on for Fight Night Round 4 yet undisclosed roster.

New Fight Night Round 4 Video/Info

It has been a while since I posted a blog post, that is in no small part due to Twitter being the way I am currently pushing any short news on Fight Night.  Be that as it may, some info has been released that is worthy of its own blog post.  Last night, ESPN showed Mike Tyson and FN Producer/Developer Brian “Brizzo” Hayes going at it on Fight Night Round 4.  Here is a small portion of that segment:

So after watching that there are several things you might have noticed:

1) Ring walks will be prominent on the game.

2) Mike Tyson comes out with his trademark towel into the ring.

3) It appears that the Boardwalk is one of the venues that will be featured in the game.

4) Venues appear to be very active with great lighting and exciting crowd feel.

5) Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas CONFIRMED on the show that they are doing the game's commentary.

6) Bernard Hopkins is in the game, said by himself on the show.

Let’s hope this is the first of many gameplay videos and news about the game to come.

Fight Night Community Event Tomorrow

The EA Sports Fight Night Community Event start tomorrow, Monday, February 23rd.  In it, members of the community and gaming sites will meet the developers and play the game for the first time in order to later on provide their opinions on the game development to the public.  Also, developers will get a chance to get constructive criticism from these representatives in order to steer about a better release for us all.  Follow this event at:

http://fightnight.easports.com

http://www.twitter.com/fightnightnews

http://www.twitter.com/sk88z

If you are on Twitter, send us over a reply with the one question you want us to ask the developers while we are over there at the Community Event.  To do that, you just make a Twitter post (“tweet”) such as this:

@fightnightnews Will stamina play a big factor in this year’s game?

We will read them over and be sure to forward them to the EA Sports developers.

Fight Night Producers Answer Fan Questions

This was posted today on the Fight Night official site:

Hey Fight Night Fans!

Okay, look, maybe we underestimated your appetite for details about Fight Night Round 4. Maybe we overestimated your desire to read anything about what the team thinks about Ali, Tyson or the sport of boxing in general. (Brizzo is still going to post more Fight Game commentaries though, he doesn't care!) Evidently, some of you are very anxious to hear some details about the game. In an effort to satisfy your hunger, we took a look at the list of questions that POETIC has been compiling in the forums and selected a bunch of the most common ones to provide a handful of answers to.  Read on and then let's blow up the comments and forums.

The Roster
When will the roster be released?
When will you guys start dropping the Roster list?
Will [insert boxer name here] be in the game?
Jeff Atienza: We will begin announcing the rest of the roster in late Feb/early March. We can tell you now it will be the biggest roster for any Fight Night game to date.
Legacy Mode
Is the Legacy Mode the same as career mode?
Is Legacy Mode another name for Career Mode or is it a deeper experience?
How in depth will the legacy mode be? In the past the career mode was kind of garbage.
Jeff: Yes, Legacy Mode is the name for Career Mode. Everybody on the team is aware of the shortcomings in FNR3's career mode. Mike Mahar and Raymond Lo are working hard to ensure Legacy Mode is a deeper and more authentic experience. It includes new training games, divisional rankings, multiple titles in each division and several other features that you will hear more about in the weeks and months to come.
Arcade or Sim
Will this be the best version of a boxing sim?
Will this be a sim game or more arcade? (sorry, gotta ask!)
Is FN4 going to be like FN3 where you could get Frazier and throw haymakers and parry all day, or does it actually require strategy?
Is the boxing going to be sim or arcadey? Please say sim!
How much will skill and strategy actually come into play when trying to win a match?
Brian Hayes: I know you've heard this before, but we've rebuilt the engine from scratch. Our goal from the outset has been to create the most realistic boxing experience to date. The gameplay mechanics and AI have all been refined and improved to create a larger variety of styles and strategies you can use to be successful inside the ring.  It's too early for us  comment specifically on all the mechanics and details, but our objectives are to deliver more variety, excitement and authenticity to gameplay.

Referee In-Game
Will there be a referee in the game?
Will we get a referee inside the ring, like in Prizefighter and will it have a more active role in the fight?
Will there be a Ref in the Ring during the Fight?
Brian: Yes, there is a Referee present for the Pre-Fight Instructions and Post-Fight Results. Any time there is a Knockdown, a Point Deduction, Fight Stoppage or Disqualification he is a part of the action too. During the second-to-second flow of the fight the Referee is not visible. This is for a couple reasons: it allows us to use those resources to draw higher quality boxers and it prevents instances where the referee gets in your way.
Ring Entrances
Will there be entourages to accompany the fighter to the ring?
Will there be authentic entrances like Prince Naseem flying in on a carpet, or Tyson sporting the white towel?
Will each boxer come to the ring wearing their belts and their robes? (this is necessary for that authentic feeling)
Brian: Unfortunately, we aren't able to recreate all the theatrics and stagecraft used by some boxers. For example, there is no riding in on a white tiger and you won't be able to perform a live rap song on a stage with back-up dancers before your fight. However, you will see much more authentic ring entrances that include the trainer, the cutman, the chief second, robes, towels and championship belts.

Game Informer: Fight Night Round 4 First Pics

Thanks to PoeticDrunk for scanning these pics from the latest Game Informer magazine:

 

 

 

Fight Night Producers Unpacking Boxing Gear

Here is a video from the official EA Sports Fight Night site:

At least we know now that Lionsdale is possibly a confirmed brand in the game.