Russell Westbrook Covers NBA Live 16

In the spirit of basketball, Russell Westbrook has been named the cover athlete for the video game NBA Live 16. Last night KicksOnFire.com posed a question to its Instagram in response to the news, "Will this persuade you to buy the game?" After NBA Live 10 EA Sports placed the game on a four-year hiatus due to overwhelming success by rival NBA 2K from 2K Sports. Moves like making Jay Z and LeBron James executive producers of 2K13 and 2K14 gave the game preference over the Live version. Curated playlists, player input, and keen attention to basketball culture bolstered 2K14 to the best-selling sports video game on next-generation consoles (Xbox One and Playstation 4) and five to seven million copies sold worldwide. However, NBA Live 14, 15, and now 16 have EA Sports poised for a comeback in NBA video game series. The addition of Russell Westbrook to 16's cover will entice gamers to buy Live over 2K thanks to Westbrook's dominance this season. Sport games are popular because they allow users to emulate and imagine otherworldly athletic talent that amazes us on playing fields. Consumers will see Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, James Harden, and director-producer Spike Lee representing NBA 2K16 and think dramatic storyline. Meanwhile, NBA Live 16 will be more attractive as Russell Westbrook represents ferocity and intensity. After all the Point guard recorded 11 triple-doubles--seven more than the any other player, almost willed his team to the playoffs without help from teammate Kevin Durant, and showed supremacy with an MVP performance in this year's All-Star Game. His speed-strength combo makes him a runaway train any gamer would love to ride to an NBA title, and updated graphics from NBA Live makes the experience all the more real. So, to answer KOF's question, yes Russell Westbrook's NBA Live 16 cover will persuade you to buy the game.

EA SPORTS™ FIFA 16 Features Women's National Teams

EA SPORTS™ FIFA video game franchise achieves tremendous success because it unites the diverse, varied, and passionate world soccer community. While soccer itself is a universal language, the video game is too. Kids in dorm rooms try their hand at the Real Madrid-FC Barcelona rivalry, fans in London control Chelsea on the pitch of Stamford Bridge to a Premier League cup, and World Cup season inspires youths across the globe to take their country to glory. FIFA's World Cup is without a doubt the most popular sporting event in the world; the Women's World Cup is gaining prominence thanks to riveting competition and big market success from the Americans led by Abby Wambach and heartthrob Alex Morgan. With the 2015 tournament eight days away, EA SPORTS™ capitalizes on the hype announcing FIFA 16 will feature 12 Women's national teams for the first time in the game's history. The squads include: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, and the United States of America (why is defending champ Japan not featured?). Ensuring FIFA's authenticity is continued for the female counterparts, USWNT players Megan Rapinoe and Sydney Leroux (aka Bae), along with Abby and Alex participated in a motion capture session at EA Canada. The game will feature new walks, runs, sprints, and horizontal movements. Along with the news came a trailer on YouTube that features female players working off EA SPORTS™ motto "It's in the game," declaring, "We're in the game." Be a part of history and purchase FIFA 16 September 25 and catch the 2015 Women's World Cup June 6 to July 5. Read the official press release from FIFA here.