BLVDAVE

Friday, October 05, 2012

2012 MLB Standings and Wildcard games

BlvdAve congratulates Detroit Tigers 3B Miguel Cabrera on winning the 2012 AL Triple Crown Award. The first of its kind since 1967.

AL East

Rk	Tm	W	L	GB	R	RA	Inter	Home	Road
1	NYY	95	67	---	5.0	4.1	13-5	51-30	44-37
2	BAL	93	69	2.0	4.4	4.4	11-7	47-34	46-35
3	TBR	90	72	5.0	4.3	3.6	9-9	46-35	44-37
4	TOR	73	89	22.0	4.4	4.8	9-9	41-40	32-49
5	BOS	69	93	26.0	4.5	5.0	11-7	34-47	35-46

AL Central

Rk	Tm	W	L	GB	R	RA	Home	Road
1	DET	88	74	---	4.5	4.1	50-31	38-43
2	CHW	85	77	3.0	4.6	4.2	45-36	40-41
3	KCR	72	90	16.0	4.2	4.6	37-44	35-46
4	CLE	68	94	20.0	4.1	5.2	37-44	31-50
5	MIN	66	96	22.0	4.3	5.1	31-50	35-46

AL West

Rk	Tm	W	L	GB	R	RA	Home	Road
1	OAK	94	68	---	4.4	3.8	50-31	44-37
2	TEX	93	69	1.0	5.0	4.4	50-31	43-38
3	LAA	89	73	5.0	4.7	4.3	46-35	43-38
4	SEA	75	87	19.0	3.8	4.0	40-41	35-46

NL East

Rk	Tm	W	L	GB	R	RA	Inter	Home	Road
1	WSN	98	64	---	4.5	3.7	10-8	50-31	48-33
2	ATL	94	68	4.0	4.3	3.7	8-10	48-33	46-35
3	PHI	81	81	17.0	4.2	4.2	5-10	40-41	41-40
4	NYM	74	88	24.0	4.0	4.4	8-7	36-45	38-43
5	MIA	69	93	29.0	3.8	4.5	5-13	38-43	31-50

NL Central

Rk	Tm	W	L	GB	R	RA	Inter	Home	Road
1	CIN	97	65	---	4.1	3.6	7-8	50-31	47-34
2	STL	88	74	9.0	4.7	4.0	8-7	50-31	38-43
3	MIL	83	79	14.0	4.8	4.5	6-9	49-32	34-47
4	PIT	79	83	18.0	4.0	4.2	10-8	45-36	34-47
5	CHC	61	101	36.0	3.8	4.7	5-10	38-43	23-58
6	HOU	55	107	42.0	3.6	4.9	6-9	35-46	20-61

NL West

Rk	Tm	W	L	GB	R	RA	Inter	Home	Road
1	SFG	94	68	---	4.4	4.0	7-8	48-33	46-35
2	LAD	86	76	8.0	3.9	3.7	6-9	45-36	41-40
3	ARI	81	81	13.0	4.5	4.2	9-6	41-40	40-41
4	SDP	76	86	18.0	4.0	4.4	8-7	42-39	34-47
5	COL	64	98	30.0	4.7	5.5	2-13	35-46	29-52

WAR (Wins Above Replacement) - AL

Tm	WAR
M.Trout	LAA	10.7
R.Cano	NYY	8.2
J.Verlander	DET	7.4
M.Cabrera	DET	6.9
A.Beltre	TEX	6.6

WAR (Wins Above Replacement) - NL

Tm	WAR
B.Posey	SFG	7.2
A.McCutchen	PIT	7.0
R.Braun	MIL	6.8
D.Wright	NYM	6.7
Y.Molina	STL	6.7

Wild Card Matchup - AL (Friday Oct 5, 5:07 pm)

Braves (94-68) vs Cardinals (88-74)
Best 1 out of 1
Series Tied at 0-0
Regular Season Matchup : Braves 5-1 Cardinals

Probability of Winning the Series: Braves 60% - Cardinals 40%

Wild Card Matchup - NL (Friday Oct 5, 8:37 pm)

Rangers (93-69) vs Orioles (93-69)

Best 1 out of 1
Series Tied at 0-0
Regular Season Matchup : Rangers 5-2 Orioles
Probability of Winning the Series: Rangers 55% - Orioles 45%

Thursday, October 04, 2012

Weekend Box Office RESULTS September 28, 2012 - September 30, 2012

Whats up world, here's the latest weekend box office RESULTS ! Check back tomorrow for the latest batch of films in theaters !
- ZO (BlvdAve E.I.C)

TW	Title	Total	Week
1	Hotel Transylvania	$42,522,194	1
2	Looper	$20,801,522	1
3	End of Watch	$25,980,710	2
4	Trouble with the Curve	$23,473,347	2
5	House at the End of the Street	$22,193,316	2
6	Pitch Perfect	$5,149,433	1
7	Finding Nemo 3D	$36,444,806	3
8	Resident Evil: Retribution	$38,691,289	3
9	The Master	$9,568,624	3
10	Won't Back Down	$2,603,370	1
11	Dredd 3D	$10,865,000	2
12	The Possession	$47,490,000	5

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Games on the AVE: IGN Reviews NBA 2K13

Available onPS3 & Xbox 360

Competition, according to free market economic principles, makes the dueling products better as each pushes to outdo the other. And thus, we consumers are the ultimate winners. But what if your chief – and really, only – rival kept finding new and astounding ways to spin out, leaving you as the only car on the road? Would you kick back, ease off the gas a bit, and set the cruise control? Would you keep the pedal to the metal anyway? Or would you drop the top, start turning down new streets, and see where the open road takes you?

NBA 2K13 unquestionably takes the latter path, lacing the latest version of its annual basketball simulation with wild features that, rest assured, take nothing away from the already stellar pro-hoops gameplay. Some of the new additions are great, while others you can live without, but, in the end, 2K13 is the pinnacle of basketball gaming on this generation of consoles.

A Court Fit for a King

2K13 has the cajones to mess with its tried-and-true simulation gameplay a bit. The pacing, flow, and feel all remain impeccable. The post-up game is not only playable but enjoyable. The big change is the right thumbstick-based Dribble Stick, which marries the Freestyle controls of last generation’s NBA Live titles with the existing NBA 2K Isomotion control scheme. Shooting is now accomplished by pulling in LT/L2 in combination with a right stick directional press. It certainly takes getting used to given the years of shooting without an additional trigger pull, and odds are you will, like me, occasionally forget and fail to take a wide open shot you meant to attempt. But you’ll eventually get used to it and grow to like the added dribble controls, as they’re not nearly as arcade-y as they were in NBA Live’s heyday, but still add an extra layer of player control to the gameplay.

2K13’s biggest problem – particularly with the Dribble Stick – is that none of its new features are explained well, if they’re explained at all. You’re never given a proper tutorial on the critical new dribble moves. Rather, the first time you start up the game, you’re treated to a screen that essentially says, “You can control your dribble with the right stick now. Wiggle it and see what happens!” So too are Signature Skills practically kept shrouded in secrecy unless you study the list of them in the main menu.

Games on the AVE: Gamespot Reviews FIFA Soccer 13

Also available on PS3

From the moment you first set foot in one of FIFA Soccer 13's beautifully detailed stadiums, it's clear that EA's latest football outing isn't the revelation that its predecessor was. Sure, it's still feature-packed and entertaining, but where FIFA Soccer 12 revolutionised and updated the classic FIFA formula in some wonderfully inventive ways, FIFA 13 merely maintains it. Its long list of improvements--enhanced physics, AI, player physicality, a better defending system, a tweaked Ultimate Team mode, and a new Skill Games mode--are welcome and well-implemented changes. But on the pitch, it's hard to tell that you're playing a dramatically different or better game than FIFA 12. Indeed, some of FIFA 13's new marquee features are mere tweaks of those introduced in FIFA 12, one of which is the infamous player impact engine. It has been overhauled in an attempt to reduce those odd, fumbling, and sometimes-hilarious collisions that players made as they bounced over each other on the pitch like rag dolls. But while there's certainly a noticeable improvement in the physics system, with far less slipups, it's not infallible; there's still the odd glitch here and there as players do inhuman backflips over others and flop along the pitch like weird anthropomorphic fish.

Better are the changes to the dribbling system, which have been inspired by the work done on FIFA Street. Now you can swirl the ball around a player's feet using the analogue stick, teasing defenders with cheeky dummies, stops, and skilful flicks. Pulling off such manoeuvres is so very satisfying, and this system works great with another tweak that means players no longer have to face the direction in which you want them to dribble. This makes play look and feel much more natural, letting you actively shield the ball or ensure that you're always facing the goal when zipping around defenders for the perfect strike. Getting a first touch on the ball also has an added air of realism, thanks to a new system that attempts to stop the uncannily skilful control that players had when receiving a ball. Now factors such as the height of the pass, its speed, and the statistics of the players themselves are taken into account when players receive the ball. Without the guarantee of player control, you're forced to rethink passes and strategies in order to keep possession. A fast long ball into free space might seem like the best option, but when there's a strong chance the ball could pop up, be a miss-hit, or simply run away from a player, it's suddenly far less attractive.

The on-pitch action is some of the smoothest and most enjoyable the FIFA series has created; the AI makes better, more intelligent runs, and the tactical defending system now takes into account player size, meaning larger players can strong-arm the ball from weaker ones, or fight off defenders better. It all makes containing, jockeying, and whipping a leg out for a tackle feel much more fluid than before. Silky manoeuvres and swift runs down the pitch are much more realistic, while goals look spectacular, thanks to some great visuals and highly stylised replays that replicate the magic of watching a match on TV.

Games on the AVE: IGN Reviews Resident Evil 6

Also available on PS3

Undone by its ambitious attempt to pack four game experiences into one, Resident Evil 6 suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. At times it very much embraces its old school heritage, pitting its heroes against horrific creatures in the darkest, filthiest locales imaginable. Tension is palpable thanks to production values that reach new heights for the franchise. Yet it simultaneously attempts to be the largest, most action-packed entry in its history, betraying the aforementioned strengths. Lengthy firefights, driving sequences and other ill-conceived ideas grind the game's incredible moments to a halt. The result is something erratic and never sure of itself, delivering brilliance one moment and something far less interesting the next.

At the heart of Resident Evil 6 are the game’s four campaigns and seven lead characters. Rather than weaving these characters and stories along a singular campaign, Capcom diffuses them across four individual threads, each with its own beginning and end. This singular choice defines everything about this game, highlighting both its greatest accomplishments and remarkable shortcomings. Resident Evil 6’s over-the-top world is built piece-by-piece through its four storylines, which cleverly integrate with each other. Questions aren’t necessarily answered until the entire plot emerges through different perspectives, and the realization that the game’s designers deliberately held something back to unleash it during a later campaign makes the effort of pushing through four individual campaigns worth it. It’s remarkable to enter a scene, realize its place in the larger timeline, and get a payoff for something that was merely hinted at during an entirely different character arc. There’s a cumulative narrative effect that occurs here, one that wouldn’t be possible if Capcom chose a different path.

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Resident Evil 6’s over-the-top world is fundamentally built through its many storylines, which cleverly integrate with each other.

Every storyline in this game, through a combination of great environments, great enemies and a carefully cultivated sense of wide-eyed, B-movie horror, has situations so memorable that they’ll be seared into your brain. It’s hard to forget the first time you’re crushed by the relentless, beastly Ustanak, or watch a creature spew out C-virus gas in a crowded area, turning dozens of trapped human survivors into flesh-eating zombies. These moments come frequently, often serving as vivid, gory reminders of the game’s tense storytelling prowess.

Yet the layered narrative sometimes works against the gameplay. As the campaigns cross paths, the game forces players to replay sequences - including some lengthy encounters that really ought to be played once and only once. There is nothing gained from this repetition, as the only story revelations come from cutscenes and dialogue - not in-gameaction. A game that thrives on the stacked benefit of multiple perspectives manages to forget how that negatively impacts the actual experience of playing through encounters repeatedly.