The news is in regarding All-Pro Football 2K8’s initial sales, and the numbers don’t look good. From a business standpoint, the numbers are very important to Take-Two and 2K Sports. The company has come out and said that they realize they are in competition with Madden. This caused many individuals to laugh at the remark, however we ask you this, if you thought you had a superior product that you had busted your butt working on, would you not stand up for it?

We know this may be asking a lot, but if you stripped away the John Madden name, and “heck” why not … the icon is barely in the game these days anyway. Then take away the All-Pro angle 2K is using and the NFL license powering Madden. What would you have left? What would you be comparing? The answer is you would be comparing the gameplay.

Gamers like to play dress up and pretend that they are their football hero. While we understand and can relate to that to an extent, there is an excessive amount of weight put on the words “and Tom Brady drops back, he looks, he throws and finds Randy Moss open in the end zone.” The power of the exclusive NFL license alone effects Madden sales enormously, however for the team at EA Sports to breeze by each year essentially selling us a roster update is just wrong.

We are not saying that Madden has not made progress over the years, that would be a lie. What we are saying is that after acquiring the NFL license it appears to us that EA Sports became content for the most part and saw no problem in not only taking their time, but also overlooking the minor details that made them who they are today. That said, it is pathetic to watch mindless fans follow them year in and year out.

A company that once claimed to have every detail in the game could not even answer us directly as to why they left nets and referees out of the game again for the third year in a row. If that wasn’t bad enough they announced recently that they would be shutting down their 2006 game servers soon essentially forcing gamers to buy the next release of the game.

When a person does these sorts of things people refer to them as an individual who is calling out of help. Is EA calling out for help or are they calling our bluff? Think about it. They know they are a Monopoly when it comes to Pro Football, but this year you finally have a choice as a gamer. You don’t owe it to 2K Sports, you owe it to yourself to give All-Pro Football a chance.

Forget the tasteless videos that were created by Gametrailers.com showcasing their version of Mike Vick and then following that up by taking OJ Simpson and putting him on a team called the Assassins. That was poor judgment on their part, beyond that who are we to determine any other motives they may or may not have had. What we do know is that those clips had nothing to do with Take-Two or 2K Sports directly.

At the end of the day you have a choice. EA Sports has had a choice for 3 years now, and each year they have come to the table with an excuse. This year they were too focused on gameplay to throw in a net behind the goalposts. Too focused on gameplay to bring back the referees. To say to us that they focused so much on gameplay this year, leaves us asking “what did you focus on the other years?”

Look, we don’t have it out for EA, in-fact we are big supporters of some of their games on this site. We grew up playing Madden and we would love nothing more than to see EA Sports give us the game we deserve, yet after three years of marketing hype and disappointing gameplay, it is hard to not feel as if the only control we have over that outcome lies in our decision to purchase the game or not. This is not to say that All-Pro Football is anywhere near perfect, as it has its share of flaws as well.

There is a saying that goes, if someone enters your space and knocks you onto the floor, shame on them … but if they come back in an hour, and you are still laying on the floor, shame on you. In other words, complaint without action gives the appearance of foolishness, and a company will not change when they believe that the majority of their customer base is foolish enough to continue to buy their product as is.

If you own a copy of 2K Sports All-Pro Football 2K8 then you are probably among the many who are happy with the purchase. However, one owner wants to know if he can sue the company for misleading information on the back of the box.

The poster on 2K Sports message board is upset with the game stating…

“The back of the box says game includes over 240 HALL of FAME legends.”

His post is titled “Can I sue 2K for false advertising?” … now, while the game does include over 240 former NFL players, not all of them are Hall of Fame material.

Yes, the list of “all-pros” was announced well before the game hit store shelves, however he could claim that he never saw it, but the fact that he is savvy enough to post on the companies message board wouldn’t do much to help his case, as he obviously knows how to work a computer and browse the internet.

Would our little lawsuit happy poster stand a chance in court? Well, you can sue anyone for pretty much anything these days, so if has the money and the time then he probably does. The rest of us would most likely suck it up, take some responsibility for not doing more research ahead of time, and trade the game in for something else.

You take the snap and look up. A quick check to your first receiver, a glance at your second, and before you can release the ball you are picking chucks of turf out of your helmet.

Like to drop back, scramble for half a minute, toss one up through the clouds, over the sun, and back down into the hands of your money receiver who always seems to be open? Eh, well then maybe this game isn’t for you, but if you want to learn the game of football and are willing to take your lumps along the way in doing so then read on.

When you first crack open the game, you MAY see a bright light shine down from the heavens … it’s quick though, so pay close attention. Start up the game and you are greeted by the 2k Sports All-Pro Football Logo. Once you press the button to continue you will notice that before you can really do anything at all you must first first create a team.

CREATE TEAM – SELECT ALL PROS
The team create option is loaded with customization and can be a lot of fun. First things first, you need to fill your roster of eleven pros. You will notice that you have three tiers of skill. You are allowed two gold level players, three silver level players, and six bronze for a total of eleven. Take your time here and browse them all thoroughly. If you are careful and do your research you can find some great value in the bronze and silver tiers.

If you don’t want to pick the pros for yourself there is a button that allows the computer to randomly generate them for you. Once your pros are all set the rest of your team will be filled out with random players by position and based on the type of criteria you set. For example you can set your receivers to be balanced, speed, or possession receivers.

We were a little disappointed at first with the limitations set when it came to loading up on all-pros. With so many great gold level players it would have been nice if 2K allowed for a few more on each team, maybe two for each side of the ball? Now, we say “at first” for a reason, and that is because once you start playing with your team and get familiar with what they can and can not do, you get over this pretty quickly. That said, it still would have been nice to have an option that could turn the games “handcuffs” off allowing a bunch of friends to get together and conduct an off line draft to fill out their online league rosters.

One last thing to note here is that there are no numeric ratings for players, instead the game focuses on special abilities called out in the form of icons located in the players bio such as rocket arm, 4th quarter comeback, soft hands, and speed burst. Additionally, only the pro players have bio cards, the computer generated teammates do not.

All of this may sound a bit confusing at first, but step back for a minute and ask yourself this … in real life how do teammates familiarize themselves with each other and get on the “same page”? Thats right Allen, “we are talking about practice”. How effective is my QB’s rocket arm? Can my reciever catch the deep ball? Will my O-line be able to block a killer pass rush? The best, and most realistic way, to get answers to these questions is to hit up practice mode (which we will get into later) early and often.

CREATE TEAM – TEAM DETAILS
Once your team is filled it is time to pick a logo, team name, location, and design your uniform. Pretty much everything from your teams socks and shoes up to their helmet is customizable, and despite what was said by 2K, our group here has been able to create NFL like teams very easily with the resources available in the game.

The Miami Flippers can be transformed into the Dolphins with very little work and after a few minutes of swapping out colors the New England Red Coats will bare a striking resemblance to that team with three Superbowl rings from Foxborough Massachusetts.

All in all though, it is just as fun to create your own team, and once we got the “wow we can make our favorite NFL team” feeling out of our systems that is exactly what we did. When you wield that much power in your hands why stop at pretending to be something when you can create something of your own and show it off instead.

The level of customization in the game is amazing. You may not notice it at first, but outside of the obvious things like the team logo on the field, you will see that the seats in the stadium as well as the fans clothing all update to reflect your new team colors.

GAME MODES
Alright, you have your players and your team is decked out in the city and stadium of your choice … are you ready for some football? Game modes are everything you would expect, as long as you aren’t expecting a franchise mode. There is a pretty in-depth practice mode, head to head, season, and best of all online head to head and league play! If you have always wanted to create a player, throw him on to your custom team, and bring that team online then give yourself a hug because your wait is finally over.

All-Pro Football is about customization online and you are going to love every minute of it. League Mode is truly a gift and will make you forget all about the games lack of a franchise mode. Simply put, once you and your friends are locked in to the weekly grind you will be too busy trash talking to miss ten seasons of computer drafts and lopsided victories.

GAMEPLAY / GRAPHICS & ATTENTION TO DETAIL
The animations are fluid and more importantly are extremely responsive to your command. Want to stop on a dime, spin around and take off towards the end zone like you stole something? Consider it done. How about trucking over defenders like BIG FOOT at a monster truck rally? You can do that too. Defenders need not worry though, 2K has them covered as well. Dive for a player with 2K’s reach tackle system and shatter their dreams of scoring six. Experience gang tackling the way it was meant to be with some of the best gang tackling animations we have seen in a video game thus far. Run out of bounds and your teammates on the sidelines will brace you.

The kicking game requires that you pull back on the right analog to start the kicker in motion and push up quickly as he approaches the ball. This will take some time getting used to for most gamers, but once you get it down, you will find it very satisfying and it will be hard to go back to anything else.

The AI in this game is so unbelievably smart that it will make you sick at first. Best advice we can give you is to forget the plays that worked for you in the past and become a student of the game of football. Watch the defenders on offense and try to anticipate their next move, and when you are on defense pray that Jerry Rice breaks a leg … literally, because we have yet to see a defender stop the man from catching a ball.

Player models are a bit cartoonish in the face, but that is the look they were going for and it totally makes sense for a game that focuses heavily on so many big named athletes. They actually remind us a bit of caricatures which again make sense for a game of this nature. Players come in three body types each with the option of being either ripped, normal, or fat.

And in case you were wondering, yes the game has a net behind the goal posts and referees are on field as well. You will also notice things like players praying together at mid field. The cheesy player voices are back and there is no shame in admitting that you love them. Who can forget the sound of ghetto fabulous Tom Brady uttering the words “Yea yea, I would like to thank my O-Line” after a big victory in 2K5.

We initially thought the stadiums were going to be unrealistic and take away from the football experience but after playing in them all we admit we were wrong. They are works of art, animated, full of character, and very well thought out. Each stadium comes with its own signature celebration dance that members of the team calling it home can perform there.

COMMENTARY / MUSIC
Dan Stevens and Peter O’Keefe are back with a few oldies but goodies. You will notice a lot of the same audio from 2K5 mixed into the game but who cares. These guys are the best in the video game broadcasting business. Dare I say, you can’t coach that.

Music is repetitive and while there are a few tracks that make you want to strap on a helmet and hit someone, most will make you want to press mute and strangle someone. That said, video game soundtracks have become less about original music and more about marketing new bands. So if it’s music you want, load up your own and avoid subjecting your ear drums to the video game worlds equivalent of MTV.

REPLAY VALUE
If you like franchise mode then you are going to be a little let down, but if you are willing to give online league play a try then this game will keep you entertained for a very long time. The ability to create multiple teams and select the one you think matches up best with your opponent adds variety to the game as well.

CLOSING COMMENTS
If you long for authentic football simulation and consider yourself a gamer then All-Pro Football 2K8 should definitely be in your collection. It gives its all on the field, and leaves nothing out.

This is the second All-Pro Football video from 2K Sports and it features highlights of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, Dick Butkus, and The Fridge. We definitely feel this one looks better then the first video so check it out.

Click here to view the embedded video.

We start things off with a close up of Mr. Happy Feet himself, John Elway as he scampers into the end zone. Many of us remember the run John made towards the end zone in the 1998 Superbowl against the Packers and the hit he took on the way which spun him up in the air sideways. The clip in the video that resembles the hit in the Superbowl also showed us something else. The thing we noticed here was that his feet do not collide with that of the lineman as the lineman gets muscled backwards by the defender into Elway. This impressed us and made us think, hey maybe there is some sort of on the fly aspect to this game engine.

That feeling was short lived though as we went through the film again and noticed that the introduction huddle features less than impressive collision detection when one of the players in the huddle decides to plant his hand about 6 inches into his thigh. See below.

Forget Stickum, this guy’s using Seeum. Now you see um, now you don’t.

Alright, so we have shown you the good and the bad. Now we are going to lay out a few screen grabs we have taken of the in game tackles and falls since that is all we really have to compare with the NaturalMotion video. While we have no idea if the game will or will not be using natural motion, we do know that the process was underway for an interview with the CEO of NaturalMotion when suddenly we were informed that it would have to be postponed due to the fact they would not be able to discuss any Euphoria related information at the present time. We also believe that the video showed a good amount of variation in the falls and tackles, as you can see below.

Now all of the variations we saw could mean they have a ton of canned animations loaded into this game or they in fact are using some sort of reaction based engine similar to Euphoria or even Euphoria itself. We want you to take a look at the information above and below and voice your opinions on this topic. We look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jerry: They look scared John. John: What do you think Barry? Barry: Yep.

If this years Madden doesn’t bring significant change, if the marketing hype surrounding it ends up being nothing more than the same old same old, then we can’t help but agree with Jerry, John, and Barry. EA may have reason to break sweat again, and this time 2K will be doing it WITHOUT the NFL license. You have to admire people that are willing to stare down a giant and challenge them head on.

We recently got a hold of several All Pro Football 2K8 images and while we may be wrong, we think that at least one or two of them are ones you won’t see anywhere else right now. For example, check out the cool image of one player celebrating on the home field of the Beasts while an ominous black figure watches over him from above the end zone! I have been to quite a few NFL games and I have never seen anything as cool as that, well there was the time Randy Moss pretended to pull his … never mind. Enjoy.

Update: Thanks to Oldkingsman on the 2Ksports message board for the correction on the team name.

Take 2 Games is the parent company of both Rockstar and the 2kSports label. So what does all that mean? Well, in a recent interview regarding the application of NaturalMotion one of the employees was asked about technology and hinted that tests had been done using football situations such as tackling, catching, running, etc. When asked to elaborate he reinforced that both 2kSports and Rockstar are under the same umbrella company.

We followed up with them again last week via a telephone call to a sales rep. When asked about the possibility that 2kSports is using NaturalMotion in their soon to be released All-Pro Football he laughed and said “maybe”

Take from this what you will, but it sounds like 2kSports is ready to give the Madden franchise a run for its money … again.

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