EA Sports Announces NFL Head Coach 09 – We Called It First

by Chad Lakkis on February 26, 2008 at 5:17 pm

Long time readers of the site will remember that we reported this news months ago when an EA representative slipped and mentioned it to us at last years E3.

As the representative began to explain the contractual reasons behind certain coaches being excluded from the game he slipped and mentioned that they are “going through” the same situation with NFL Head Coach.

The latest installment of Head Coach will showcase Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy on the cover, and feature the following enhancements:

Different Interpretations of Player Ratings: This means that certain teams will value attributes such as speed differently. A receiver like Hines Ward may not be as valuable to a team with a speed philosophy.

Trade/Free Agent Acquisition Auction: Free agent signings are conducted much like an auction. A time limit is set and teams bid back and forth. Trades come in the way of packages and allow you to ask for specifics or simply demand that the team sweeten the deal.

More Realistic Player Behavior: Player personalities are bigger factors now, as certain players will demand mid season trades and/or contract negotiations, while others will respect the teams process.

Authentic Combine/Pro Day Experience: A detailed focus on the scouting process that begins with the Senior Bowl and ends with individual player workouts. Certain players will inevitably skip out on these events causing their attributes to remain an unknown.

The features above are based on IGN’s preview of the game. Full press release below.

EA ANNOUNCES NFL HEAD COACH 09

Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy Will Grace the Cover of NFL Licensed Strategy Game

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., – February 26, 2008 – Put on your headset, grab your clipboard and see if you have what it takes to be a head coach in the National Football League. Today, Electronic Arts Inc, (NASDAQ: ERTS) announces NFL Head Coach 09, featuring Indianapolis Colts’ head coach Tony Dungy on the game’s cover. Released under the EA SPORTS™ brand, NFL Head Coach 09 is a unique NFL experience that gives gamers the power to make decisions that define their career and ultimately the fate of their franchise as a head coach in the NFL.

“In NFL Head Coach 09, the gamer has complete control of their franchise’s destiny,” says NFL Head Coach 09 Executive Producer Jeremy Strauser. “From draft day to game day, the gamers’ decisions impact their team’s success and make or break a team’s road to the Super Bowl.”

In 2007, Dungy became the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl when the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI. Since Dungy’s arrival to Indianapolis in 2001, the Colts have earned six playoff berths and have won more than 70 regular-season games. Dungy has an impressive .661 winning percentage as a head coach over the past 12 seasons.

NFL Head Coach 09 provides a complete NFL experience, offering a variety of different ways to control an NFL franchise, on and off the field, in-season and off-season. With strategic game planning features, NFL Head Coach 09 places gamers in the coach’s seat by allowing gamers to comprehensively scout the opponent, build playbooks, and develop a team that will adapt to the philosophy and system of an NFL franchise.

The sideline is your playing field in NFL Head Coach 09 – gamers can make adjustments to plays and game strategies in an instant. The outcome of every game depends on game-time decisions made on the sideline. Success depends on proper preparation and knowledge of the opposing teams’ strategies, as well as expert and timely play calling.

Developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon, NFL Head Coach 09 will be available for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360™ video game system from Microsoft.

EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL Football, FIFA Soccer, NHL hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAAFootball, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR and NASCAR racing.