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Annoying EA Madden 2010 In-Game Pop-up Advert Seems to Have Been Removed

Chad Lakkis — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:53:22 +0000

I reported earlier that Madden 2010 received an update which included an extremely intrusive pop-up advertisement that reared its ugly head before each snap in the game. After banging my head against the wall in frustration, I decided it would be better to reach out for a comment on the matter from EA Sports/Tiburon.

While waiting for a response, I decided to power up the PS3 to capture a video of the advertisement in action to better illustrate just how much of a distraction it was. To my surprise, it was gone. I’m not sure if the ad is time of day based or what but it isn’t showing up anymore. Could we have possibly got our point across to EA that quickly?

Please sound off in the comments section below if you are still seeing the ad or if it has vanished for you as well.

Update: Owen Good over at Kotaku let me know that the ad is still popping up in the 360 version of the game, so as of right now it seems that whatever change (if any) that was made only effects the PS3 version.

Madden 09 Jets Farve Cover Breaks The Huddle

Chad Lakkis — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:08:39 +0000

The EA Sports Madden 09 cover update we mentioned would be happening a few days ago appears to be complete — as you can see above. The site which first came into possession of the box art, is also claiming that Walmart will be updating the cover in their stores as early as noon tomorrow.

The in-store update by retailers was never mentioned in the previous press release issued by EA Sports, and if true, all I can say is “thank God I got mine before the cover change was forcefully put into effect by retailers.” In his New York press conference, Brett stated that he would always be a Green Bay Packer, and I couldn’t agree more.

Madden Curse Sacks Retirement, Strikes Again

Wade Larson — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:09:10 +0000

The Madden Curse has struck again, and this time it hit a man thought untouchable.

Every year since Madden 2000, the athlete featured on the game’s cover has fallen from grace, usually due to injury. It happened to Faulk, Vick, and Culpepper. It laid low Ray Lewis, Donovan McNabb and Shaun Alexander. It even gave Vince Young his first career game missed due to injury. It’s called the Madden Curse.

Perhaps it’s all superstition, or perhaps the super-stars who make the cover are just unable to maintain the level of greatness that got them on the cover. Either way you look at it, the Madden Curse is a disturbing trend.

It looked like the curse would be put to rest in an ingenious way in 2009. Put a retired guy on the cover. But the fabled quarterback Brett Favre just couldn’t stay retired. And, now that he’s playing for the Jets, will he suffer the same fate? Will his glorious resurrection be heralded as a Phoenix rising? Or will he merely burn out like so many superstars who can’t give up the game?

Or has the curse already been cast? Hit the jump for some superstition speculation.

With Favre retired after a spectacular year, it looked like the golden boy of Green Bay would make the perfect cover athlete. Everyone loved him, even if they hated him, as the good ol’ boy of Green Bay, he was one of those athletes everyone could respect. And the curse would hurt no one, it seemed, as Favre would not have another season to screw up.

But now that’s changed. Favre has caused a sport sensation by coming out of retirement, drawing the ire of long time admirers and putting himself in the spotlight in a negative way for perhaps the first time.

In a way, this is the most insidious form the Madden Curse has ever taken. The people of Green Bay are torn, their shining idol has fallen faster than that statue of Saddam, and in the end no one on either side has come away unscathed.

The team management will be reviled for cutting Favre loose, and Favre’s legacy has already been tainted by the bizarre drama that has unfolded this summer. As a New York Jet, he’ll likely go from messiah to pariah before anyone has a chance to throw the red flag and view the replay. Number 4, who had MVP-worthy season, taking his Packers to the NFC Championship Game, will now be playing for a team that won only four games last year.

Maybe its time to go back to putting John Madden on the cover.

To All Who Say Bloggers Aren’t Real Journalists

Chad Lakkis — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:28:51 +0000

Sure, the blogging community makes its share of mistakes, but as you can see above (and previously here), so do the “real journalists”, even the ones “real” enough to work for big publications like The Washington Post.

Now, I’m not saying that incorporating features from a 1970s German film about mining wouldn’t make a nice addition to the well known EA franchise, I’m just not sure that I fully understand how it would mesh with the traditional American football aspect “Madden” is best known for. But hey, that’s for the real journalists to figure out, and we’ll be sure to blog about it when they do.

Source: Teh Washeengton Powst

7-Eleven Madden Meal: “Turducken Feast” Plus Madden 09 Demo for $5.97 – Boom!

Chad Lakkis — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:36:37 +0000

The 7-Eleven chain of min-marts have begun busting out marketing collateral for their “Sack Madden Meal” deal.

I haven’t personally stepped foot into a 7-Eleven in years, but according to Joystiq, the $5.97 deal buys you a “Madden sub” (turkey and cheese is the mini mart equivalent to a turducken sandwich), your choice of Doritos, the chain’s signature BIG GULP drink, and most importantly, the Madden 09 demo.

The 7-Eleven version of the demo includes some additional treats you won’t find in your 1.1 GB download. In addition to the virtual trainer and 2 minute gameplay drill found in the downloadable demo, you’ll get several highlights from the NFL Films collection.

And, apparently sine Madden has often been quoted saying “chuck the ball down field”, the team putting together the DVD thought it would be appropriate to toss in a few highlights from NBC’s “Chuck”. Yeah, I’m sure that’s why they did it.

Via: Joystiq

Madden NFL 09 and Facebreaker Demos Now Available On PSN and XBL

Rangebar Merani — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:40:42 +0000

Playable demos for Madden NFL 09 and Facebreaker have hit Xbox Live and the Playstation Network today.

Madden NFL 09 is due to hit stores on August 12 and Facebreaker just a few weeks later on September 5.

Check out our hands-on previews of Madden NFL 09 and Facebreaker from E3 to see how impressed we were by both EA Sport Titles.

Source: Majornelson.com and Playstation.Blog

Madden NFL 2010 Info Leaked – On Field Refs & Chain Gang Set To Return Next Year

Chad Lakkis — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:54:01 +0000

Last year at E3, we were able to unearth information about a yet to be released NFL Head Coach game which ended up being confirmed several months later. This year’s conference has its share of surprises as well.

It has been confirmed to me that the chain gang and on field referees will in fact be making a return to Madden banded NFL football in the 2010 installment of the game. That’s all the information I have at this time, but be sure to check back often for updates.

Hands-On Preview: Madden 09 (Eating Crow)

Chad Lakkis — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:12:29 +0000

Could this be the year Madden shuts up critics, and takes it to the house?

Those who have been following Ripten since its inception just over a year ago, know that I have not been the biggest EA Sports/Madden supporter. I have compared their in-game animations and player control features to “constipation”, and openly bashed their seemingly lax approach to churning out the Madden franchise year in and year out.

Their in-game commentary made me want to vomit, and their so called attention to detail “in the game” was laughable at times. I even went as far as to compare EA’s NFL license extension to the on-field suicide of the fictional football player in The Last Boy Scout. In other words, I had completely given up on Madden, and the notion of ever being satisfied playing video game NFL branded football ever again.

I went to E3 with no knowledge of the Madden 09 game, and even jokingly worked the line “WIll Madden have field goal nets” into the crystal ball animation on our E3 predictions post shortly before the event kicked off. For those who are unaware, Madden has not had field goal nets, on field refs, or a chain gang since they launched their next gen version several years ago.

As I wrapped up an interview with a Sony Home rep, a writer of mine approached me on the E3 show floor. He uttered one simple comment that changed everything. “Hey Chad, they have field goal nets.” Armed with this knowledge, I felt compelled to walk over to their booth and, at the very least, take a look.

At first, I just watched as the Tiburon rep finished up a game with another member of the press. The kicker approached the ball and sure enough, up rose the NFL branded field goal net. I smiled just a little, but surely the rest of the game would suck — right?

The kickers leg swung back, the ball went through the uprights, and I heard the voice of Cris Collinsworth. I said to myself … could this be true? Could EA Sports really be giving NFL loving gamers the game they finally deserve?

No more watching, it was time for me to get my hands dirty. I grabbed the controller, and prepared myself to unleash question after question, fully expecting misleading answers and double talk … but it never happened. Every question I asked was answered as honestly as any Madden doubter could ever hope for.

Field Goal Nets / Attention to Detail

I asked why the sudden inclusion of nets? Why not sooner? The rep responded by first admitting that the company should have addressed it sooner, but also explained that the inclusion of a net was not as simple as many may think it to be. I was willing to let that one slide, so I moved on to controls.

Running the Ball

Will we finally be able to control our player without feeling like we are sliding on ice? The answer is yes. Madden 09 feels completely different. It was explained to me that the momentum was miscalculated in previous versions of the game, and that the team made every effort this year to fix it. The result makes for super smooth control and split second response time.

Responsive controls will help you leave would-be tacklers in the grass.

I tested the controls out in a new area of the game called “Virtual Trainer”. Think big dark room with glowing white grid lines on the ground. Your team consists of orange hologram generated players, while the opponents are a shade of blue.

The moment I started the running back drill, I could feel the difference. The slightest move of your left analog and the on-screen player responded. To juke, simply tap the right analog in the desired direction. Spinning can be done with the right analog as well by whirling it in the direction you want to spin.

Catching the Ball

Catching a pass appears to be more fluid than ever as well. The rep explained that there are only really about 5-10 catch animations, and that each is made slightly different each time by the addition of on the fly joint and hand response in relation to the flight of the ball. For example, the same canned animation can look totally different if a ball is thrown waist high as opposed to above the receivers head. You will also be able to perform over the shoulder catches in Madden 09.

More Fail, Less Bail

In previous iterations of Madden, an attempt to stiff arm, for example, would be calculated by the game, and if it was not going to be successful, the animation would not play out. This would leave gamers (like myself) screaming at the TV “but I pressed stiff arm!!!”

This year however, Madden will feature specific “fail” animations. So instead of seeing nothing when you wiff on a stiff, you will now be able to witness your attempt to establish masculine dominance get rejected like Kobe Bryant at a Colorado Ski Resort.

The Pocket Actually Feels Like a Pocket

Step back into the pocket just once and you will notice the difference. Lineman seem to double team properly and actually try to force defenders away from you. The line for the first time really seems to work as a cohesive unit.

A pocket even Brett Favre wouldn’t mind staying in for a while.

Dropping Back to Pass

Gone are the days of 45 yard drop back passers. QB’s will now be rewarded with bonuses to their stats for playing realistically and staying within a reasonable pocket. If you drop back further than 15 yards, your passing icons disappear and your accuracy shits the bed. The vision cone (aka: the Peyton Manning sees the entire field but you don’t cone) has also been removed from the game.

No Place To Hide / Jiggle Before The Wiggle

In previous years, certain receiver routes took advantage of blind spots (notably the sidelines) in the Madden cameras coverage. This has now become a thing of the past, as the new Madden 09 camera system slightly pans back to make sure that every player on the field is visible at all times.

Another camera enhancement can be seen on break away runs and receptions. If no one is in site as your player closes in towards the endzone, the camera will change to a low angle zoom of the player running for pay dirt and jiggle from side to side as though the cameraman is running behind you.

Celebration Requires Initiation

Madden 09 will feature celebrations that require the controlled player to run to a specific section of the field to activate them. For example, taking Randy Moss into the endzone lit up the back of the endzone and a small section near one of the goal posts. This allowed for either an endzone dance or a jump into the stands. Certain marquise players such as TO and Chad Johnson come with signature dances, however you will not be able to pick the dance you want to perform.

Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth Take Control

Finally Mr. Generic announcer has been put to bed. To be honest, the place was loud and I couldn’t hear all of the commentary made by the new duo, but anything is better than the former stiff they tried to pass off as an announcer. If Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth have half the chemistry of 2K’s Dan Stevens and Peter O’Keefe we will all be in for a treat.

Madden-o-gram

Hologram Madden will live forever!!!

If you are like me, you grew up playing Madden back when Madden was actually in the fucking game. Well, being that this is the 20th anniversary of the franchise, we are all being given greater access to the man. John Madden will introduce every match-up and also appears as a hologram in the “Virtual Trainer” section of the game described below.

Virtual Trainer / Madden IQ

When EA Sports announced the Live DNA feature for their NBA Live 09 game at their E3 press conference, I was impressed, but Madden IQ and Virtual Trainer are by far the coolest features to hit a sports game since 2K’s VIP system.

Virtual Trainer mode is introduced by a hologram representation of John Madden (as mentioned above), and asks you to run a series of position specific drills in a hologram type environment somewhat reminiscent of Tron. Each movement you make is calculated and once you complete all the drills, you are awarded a Madden IQ. This IQ is constantly updated after each game you play based on your in-game performance.

Madden Virtual Trainer takes visual queues from Tron

Equipped with your Madden IQ, you will now have access to your own custom skill level that directly corresponds to your unique IQ. Why is this cool? Because it tweaks the AI of the opposing team based on your IQ, making for a more realistic gameplay experience.

For example, you may be really good at running the ball, but not so good at throwing it. This would create a custom difficulty level for you that increases the run defense of the other team, but eases up on their passing defense AI.

The Madden IQ and custom difficulty level is not just for playing the CPU, two gamers can use their custom difficulty levels in head to head match-ups, allowing for a more level playing field than ever before. It will be interesting to see how/if this feature is allowed/encouraged in Madden gaming tournaments.

Be Kind Rewind

If ever you have played a game with your buddy and wanted a do over, your wish has been answered. Madden 09 features an in game mulligan system called “rewind”. When playing the computer, it allows you to try the same play again against the same defense, giving you the option to go another direction for better results.

When playing against a friend however, Rewind gives you both a chance to run the same play over with whatever play you like. This could be great for the less aggressive types, or even those that want to spot a buddy a few do overs in order to entice them to play. Rewind is optional, and you will be able to disable it if you like.

Knocked On Your Backtrack Jack

Another new feature in this years Madden 09 that took me about 20 seconds to fall in love with was Backtrack. The feature essentially illustrates on screen where you should have gone with the play and is instantly initiated whenever you take a sack or throw an interception.

Silly Garcia. You should have thrown to your right.

Take a sack while you were looking to throw the ball down field, and Cris Collinsworth will kindly show you the dump off receiver you should have gotten rid of the ball to. Throw a pick, and C squared will turn your TV into a giant telestrator, pointing out exactly where the ball should have been placed.

A great feature for some, EA realized that not everyone will want this enabled. Therefore, you will be able to turn this, as well as the Rewind feature, off if you decide they aren’t for you.

Sideline Dolphins Flip No More

One of the funniest moments in my chat with the Tiburon rep was when we began to discuss the sideline teammates. I pointed out that they looked terrible last year and all moved in unison. He agreed and even went so far as to admit the team jokingly called them flippers because of their cheesy and repetitive clapping hand motion.

The good news is the flippers are gone, and in addition to the team members on the sideline getting an overhaul, the entire sideline itself has been redone. Everything from random standing dudes to New England’s undercover cameramen have been reworked for Madden 09.

More Fans, Less Clans

It may seem like a small thing, but EA Sports has also taken the time to better randomize the crowds in each stadium. No longer will one section look like they rode in together in a giant caravan of love.

Kick & Prepare to Stick

For the first time in a Madden game, players will be able to line up a player to return missed field goal attempts. Finally, teams with the likes of Devan Hester and Antonio Cromartie will be able to make 50+ yard field goal trying fools pay for their pathetic attempts to score.

You are really going to regret kicking that field goal in about ten seconds.

Parting Thoughts

Of course, the conversation revealed that not everything in the game has been updated just yet. The Superbowl celebration remains the same, and while the game does have a Hall of Fame team, we still won’t have access to classic teams like the 72 Dolphins.

However, if you take into consideration everything that EA Sports has done, I think that most gamers who turned their head to Madden (like me) will be willing to give Madden 09 a shot. Especially when it clearly seems that EA Sports and Tiburon are finally starting to see the bigger picture.

I was able to get one bit of information that should make Madden gamers happy. Next years Madden NFL 2010 will finally feature the long awaited return of on field refs and the sideline chain gang! You heard it here first.

NCAA 09: Arkansas’s Darren McFadden Named Xbox 360 Cover Athlete

Chad Lakkis — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:48:30 +0000

EA has announced the University of Arkansas star running back, Darren McFadden, as one of four athletes set to appear on the cover of NCAA Football 09 — EA’s latest edition of videogame collegiate brand football.

McFadden will grace the cover of the Xbox 360 version, while the PS3 version will have its next gen cover athlete revealed on April 24th, just in time for the NFL Draft hysteria. EA will then wrap up the Sony related covers by announcing the PS2 and PSP versions in May.

“These four athletes represent the best and brightest of college football, but our selections aren’t just about Heisman candidates and All Americans,” says Sr. director of marketing for EA SPORTS Tom Goedde. “They represent the spirit and passion of the sport in the same way EA SPORTS video games do.”

What about the Nintendo Wii you ask? In what can be considered as marketing genius, or simply more fuel for the “Wii is for kids” debate, the Wii version of NCAA 09 will not feature an athlete at all. Instead, EA will give that honor to the winner of their “NCAA Football 09 Cover Mascot Challenge”.

If you are dying to find out whether your teams favorite mascot gets the nod, you can do so on March 18th by visiting the official NCAA Football 09 website.

EA Extends Exclusive NFL License To 2013 – “Ain’t Life A Bitch?”

Chad Lakkis — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:06:29 +0000

The news out of Redwood, CA is in, and it doesn’t look good for fans of NFL branded videogame football. The contract end date that many of us had been counting down to, has been extended through the 2012 season.

The moment the press release hit my in-box, all I could think of was the opening scene to “The Last Boy Scout”. Lynn Swann, playing a sideline reporter, asks a cowboy hat wearing professional football owner if he believes that pro football is on the decline? The owner answers no, and points out that his star player, Billy Cole, is having the game of his life.

Billy then proceeds to catch a pass, run down field, pull a hand gun out of his pants, and shoot every defender in his way until he reaches the end zone, at which point he removes his helmet, utters the words “ain’t life a bitch”, and promptly shoots himself in the head.

Yeah– that pretty much sums up my reaction to this news. I purchased Madden 08 this year because I felt obligated to review it for our readers, but many of my friends refused to do so, and those who did returned it for store credit shortly thereafter.
[youtube width="480" height="401"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVrsGHs2MCk[/youtube]

The sports gaming population, in large part due to EA, have come to expect that which is in the game to be “in the game”, and for the past three years, that has not been the case. I hope that EA Tiburon rededicates themselves not only to the game, but to the fan and the EA slogan that defined an era of video game sports for so many years.

Tiburon, if you are reading this, hear my words:

Double talk and excuses can only be tolerated for so long, and once gamers reach their collective breaking point, not even the power of the exclusive NFL license will save you. What we are asking is simple, spend less on marketing, and more on the actual videogame development. The time for talk is over.

Bring back the chain gang, the on field refs, and for the love of God, put a net behind the goal posts so we don’t have to keep kicking our adoring fans in the head every time we boot a field goal. We want to love the game, so do your part, and we will do ours.

Press release in full available below.

EA EXTENDS INTERACTIVE VIDEOGAME AGREEMENTS

WITH NFL AND NFL PLAYERS

Exclusive Agreements Renewed Through 2012 Season

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – February 12, 2008 – Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS) today announced an extension of its exclusive licensing relationships with the National Football League and NFL PLAYERS to develop, publish and distribute interactive football video games. These agreements – which were negotiated separately and are extensions of contracts originally signed in December 2004 – provide EA continued rights to NFL teams, stadiums and players for its critically-acclaimed and best-selling football videogames through the end of the 2012 season, which culminates in February 2013.

Both agreements include all aspects of the interactive experience, including console and handheld games as well as console-based online features. The agreements also provide EA access to both NFL Films and the NFL Network to enrich its game experiences. Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

“This is all about bringing authenticity and realism to NFL videogames,” said Eric Grubman, President of NFL Ventures. “EA SPORTS continually works to maintain the cutting edge for NFL products across a variety of gaming platforms. We like the fact that they never rest.”

“This is great news and it means we can continue to produce the best interactive experience possible. It also allows NFL PLAYERS, the NFL and EA to continue to build our brands,” said Gene Upshaw, Chairman of NFL PLAYERS and Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association. “We offer a very unique experience. “

“We are excited about the opportunity to extend and expand our relationships with the NFL and NFL PLAYERS,” said Peter Moore, President of EA SPORTS™. “For nearly two decades, EA SPORTS has been bringing sports fans closer to the great game of football through the breakthrough interactive experiences of our videogames. Game quality is our top priority, and we’re committed to pushing our gameplay innovation, connecting football fans via rich online experiences and delivering the most visually stunning sports games on the market.”

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2008, EA’s Madden NFL franchise has consistently been one of the videogame industry’s best-selling and top-rated products, generating more than $2 billion in retail sales. Madden NFL 08 earned awards from the 2007 Game Critics Awards at the E3 Media and Business Summit, The SpikeTV Video Game Awards, and the GameSpot Readers Choice Awards last year. The game is available on the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, Xbox 360™ and Xbox® videogame and entertainment systems from Microsoft, Nintendo DS™, Wii™, PC, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, mobile handsets and Mac. EA also produces the arcade-football game NFL Tour which hit stores in January 2008, and NFL Head Coach, which was released in 2006. EA SPORTS recently hosted Madden Bowl XIV in Scottsdale, Ariz., as part of Super Bowl XLII festivities.

Both agreements grant exclusive rights for action simulation, arcade-style and manager games on the PC, handheld game devices and consoles.

Technology Looks To Advance Simulated Conversation In Video Games

Chad Lakkis — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:32:06 +0000

You catch the ball with your hands. These are called hands. You follow?

We posted some news a while back about the possibility that EA was secretly working on another NFL Head Coach game. It generated a buzz, and today we received a message from someone regarding the story.

A gentleman by the name of Mark Smith, of SIMmersion LLC, located in Columbia Maryland, asked for some help getting in touch with EA Tiburon regarding a product his company created that he believed could help make a sequel to the NFL Head Coach game much better than its predecessor.

We were obviously interested in finding out more, so we clicked on the link he supplied in his correspondence. After digging around for a bit and making our way through the site we found a link that said “click here for a demonstration” — so we did.

We watched as a woman wearing a headset device conducted a conversation with an a man via her laptop. What is so special about a webcam conversation over the internet we thought? Not even close. As it turns out, what we were in fact watching was an individual undergoing training by conducting an interrogation with a simulated person.

So here is how it apparently works, there is a vast database of responses which are linked directly to video clips of live actors giving each response. The same response could be contained in the database with hundreds of slight variations in delivery and or body movement. You ask a question and the voice recognition software kicks in, processes what you said, goes into the database, grabs a response and plays the corresponding video that relates.

In the interrogation example above, the video actor may shrug his shoulders a bit and change his eye movement ever so slightly as he answers yes, it would then be your responsibility to process what you saw and heard, determine the validity, and then decide what you want to say or ask next. The site claims that each conversation with one of their many simulations can currently last up to an hour.

At first we did not believe the site or the product was for real, as several of the sites pages came up blank while clicking around, so we clicked on over to their “in the news” section (which worked), and sure enough, it had been mentioned in several publications, however the latest mention was November of 2006.

If this technology were to be applied to a game such as NFL Head Coach 2, it could very well be used to fix the repetitive and mundane conversations we all suffered through in our attempt to enjoy the original. Imagine being able to sit down with a current player to talk about his availability on Sunday, reading his body langauge as he says “my knee is fine coach”, or being able to analyze the look in a free agents eyes and decide if he is really a good fit for your team. Will he help us win a championship, or tear our team apart? Such a level of realism has yet to be achieved in a game, and it would be amazing to see the day when it finally does.

Check out the video demonstration of SIMmersion’s Simulated People technology at www.simmersion.com and be sure to report back and let us know what you think.

Madden 08 3rd Roster Update Release

Chad Lakkis — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 03:44:50 +0000

Bad boys Randy Moss & Terrell Owens ratings rise. Look who’s laughing now.

Hey Rams fan, are you tired of having Orlando Pace protect your blind side as you sit back in the pocket picking apart opposing defenses? Well then, good news — the third Madden 08 roster update will have you lying on your back toothless and grasping at your rib cage faster than Chicago’s Lance Briggs can flee the scene of an accident.

Notable Transactions: David Bostons guns (the flexing kind) are no longer in Tampa, Byron Leftwich has a new home on the bench in Atlanta, and Tank Johnson brings his guns (the shooting kind) to Dallas.

Notable Increases: Randy Moss and Terrell Owens both get significant bumps in the rating department (so much for being team cancers), and as if he isn’t good enough, Tom Brady squeaks his way up a point from 98 to 99.

Notable Decreases: Tedd Ginn drops from 79 to 77 as the Dolphins approach week 5 with a dismal 0-4 record … hey maybe the Chargers and Dolphins can swap head coaches — would anyone notice? More importantly, if New England goes undefeated and Miami goes winless, I wonder if the 72 Dolphins team will try some of the Patriots new tasty humble pie? Anything beats hearing about them drinking champaign again. And while Carnell Williams suffered a season ending injury, Bucs fans will retain the use of his services a little while longer as the running back dropped from 88 to 87, but was not placed on IR list.

Notable Injuries: In addition to Orlando Pace (mentioned above) the Bears and Bills are apparently having a contest to see who can lose the most players on defense. Buffalo, who let go of half their starting defense in the off season, loses what might as well be the other half with Paul Posluszny, KO Simpson, and Jason Webster all lost for the season. Hey, at least you still have Marshawn Lynch Bills fan (knock on wood).

Notable Contracts: JaMarcus Russell finally signs on the dotted line only to be greeted by what appears to be a healthy Cullpepper in Oakland.

The full list is available below.

Transactions

* S Will Demps – Signs with Texans
* C Chukky Okobi – Signs with Cardinals
* CB Anthony Madison – Released by Bucs
* CB Sammy Davis – Signs with Bucs
* DE Bryce Fisher – Traded to Titans
* QB Charlie Frye – Traded to Seahawks
* TE Michael Gaines – Signs with Bills
* T Todd Steussie – Released by Rams
* T Patrick Estes – Released by 49ers
* DT Attiyah Ellison – Signs with 49ers
* LB Johnny Baldwin – Signs with Chiefs
* LB Wesly Mallard – Released by Broncos
* LB Buster Davis – Signs with Lions
* DT Russell Davis – Released by Seahawks
* T Rashad Butler – Signs with Texans
* LB Jordan Beck – Released by Falcons
* K Justin Medlock – Released by Chiefs
* K Dave Rayner – Signed by Chiefs
* G Tutan Reyes – Released by Jaguars
* WR Reche Caldwell – Signed by Redskins
* DT Ed Johnson – Added to Colts
* HB Pierre Thomas – Added to Saints
* K Billy Cundiff – Released by Falcons
* DE Copeland Bryan – Added to Bills
* S Bryan Scott – Signs with Bills
* LB Jamie Winborn – Added to Broncos
* QB Ken Dorsey – Added to Browns
* DE Greg White – Added to Bucs
* WR David Boston – Released by Bucs
* WR Mark Jones – Signs with Bucs
* HB Luke Lawton – Added to Colts
* DT Antonio Garay – Added to Bears
* K Morten Andersen – Signs with Falcons
* TE Delanie Walker – Added to 49ers
* FB Madison Hedgecock – Released by Rams/Signed by Giants
* T Adam Koets – Added to Giants
* DE Brent Hawkins – Added to Jaguars
* LB Nick Greisen – Released by Jaguars
* DT Russell Davis – Signs with Giants
* DE Mike Devito – Added to Jets
* WR Wallace Wright – Added to Jets
* LB Anthony Cannon – Added to Lions
* CB Tony Beckham – Added to Lions
* C Nick Leckey – Released by Cardinals
* CB Tramon Williams – Added to Packers
* HB Ryan Grant – Added to Packers
* FB John Kuhn – Added to Packers
* WR Carlyle Holiday – Removed from Packers (Injury)
* CB Curtis Deloatch – Signs with Panthers
* LT Frank Omiyale – Signs with Panthers
* TE Christian Fauria – Signs with Panthers
* CB Dante Wesley – Removed from Panthers (Injury)
* RT Mark Wilson – Added to Raiders
* FS Hiram Eugene – Added to Raiders
* FB Richard Owens – Signs with Rams
* HB Cory Ross – Added to Ravens
* DE Edgar Jones – Added to Ravens
* S Omar Stoutmire – Signs with Redskins
* DE Anton Palepoi – Released by Saints
* DE Josh Cooper – Added to Saints
* DT Ellis Wyms – Signs with Seahawks
* CB Allen Rossum – Signs with Steelers
* DT Jesse Mahelona – Released by Titans
* FS Vincent Fuller – Added to Titans
* C Eugene Amano – Added to Titans
* QB Byron Leftwich – Signs with Falcons
* DT Tank Johnson – Signs with Cowboys
* LB Andre Frazier – Released by Bengals
* LB Dhani Jones – Signs with Bengals
* G Will Montgomery – Signs with Jets
* LG Rick MeMulling – Signs with Redskins
* FS Jamaal Fudge – Added to Jaguars
* LE Andre Coleman – Added to Chargers
* RE Chris Wilson – Added to Redskins
* WR Shaun Bodiford – Signs with Packers

Ratings Up

* LB Rob Morris – 81 to 83 OVR
* LB Freddie Keiaho – 73 to 75 OVR
* HB Marion Barber – 86 to 87 OVR
* HB Derrick Ward – 72 to 77 OVR
* DE Cullen Jenkins – 84 to 86 OVR
* LB Nick Barnett – 88 to 90 OVR
* DT Johnny Jolly – 73 to 77 OVR
* SS Atari Bigby – 71 to 73 OVR
* DE Juqua Thomas – 72 to 78 OVR
* SS Sean Considine – 83 to 85 OVR
* WR Jason Avant – 70 to 73 OVR
* FS Jim Leonhard – 67 to 71 OVR
* CB Dre Bly – 90 to 92 OVR
* TE Jeff King – 77 to 79 OVR
* WR Lance Moore – 71 to 73 OVR
* WR Glenn Holt – 66 to 68 OVR
* WR Roscoe Parrish – 69 to 73 OVR
* FS Jim Leonhard – 71 to 76 OVR
* DT Amon Gordon – 69 to 73 OVR
* HB Travis Henry – 88 to 89 OVR
* DE Elvis Dumervil – 79 to 81 OVR
* WR Brandon Marshall – 80 to 82 OVR
* HB Jamal Lewis – 84 to 86 OVR
* WR Josh Cribbs – 62 to 64 OVR
* QB Derek Anderson – 78 to 79 OVR
* LB Barrett Rudd – 80 to 82 OVR
* WR Ike Hilliard – 76 to 80 OVR
* DT Darnell Dockett – 85 to 86 OVR
* DE Antonio Smith – 74 to 78 OVR
* LT Mike Gandy – 80 to 82 OVR
* LB Gerald Hayes – 82 to 83 OVR
* LB Stephen Cooper – 74 to 77 OVR
* LB Napoleon Harris – 78 to 80 OVR
* DT Alphonso Boone – 75 to 78 OVR
* FS Bob Sanders – 96 to 97 OVR
* LG Ryan Lilja – 87 to 89 OVR
* RG Jake Scott – 88 to 91 OVR
* RT Ryan Diem – 91 to 93 OVR
* LB Freddie Keiaho – 75 to 79 OVR
* QB Tony Romo – 84 to 89 OVR
* P Brandon Fields – 67 to 74 OVR
* C Jamaal Jackson – 84 to 86 OVR
* LB Omar Gaither – 81 to 82 OVR
* LB Rocky McIntosh – 78 to 81 OVR
* HB Artose Pinner – 68 to 70 OVR
* LB Stephen Nicolas – 68 to 70 OVR
* WR Roddy White – 74 to 75 OVR
* DT Aubrayo Franklin – 75 to 79 OVR
* DT Isaac Sopoaga – 74 to 78 OVR
* DE Bryant Young – 86 to 88 OVR
* LB Manny Lawson – 78 to 81 OVR
* LB Patrick Willis – 84 to 85 OVR
* DE Marques Douglas – 80 to 82 OVR
* DE Justin Tuck – 70 to 75 OVR
* LG Rich Seubert – 84 to 87 OVR
* LT David Diehl – 84 to 88 OVR
* RG Chris Snee – 92 to 94 OVR
* WR Plaxico Burress – 90 to 92 OVR
* C Dennis Norman – 63 to 67 OVR
* DT Marcus Stroud – 94 to 95 OVR
* WR Dennis Northcutt – 77 to 78 OVR
* MLB Mike Peterson – 92 to 93 OVR
* CB David Barrett – 75 to 76 OVR
* DE Kenyon Coleman – 76 to 79 OVR
* WR Calvin Johnson – 88 to 89 OVR
* DT Shaun Rogers – 94 to 96 OVR
* HB DeShawn Wynn – 72 to 73 OVR
* WR James Jones – 75 to 78 OVR
* TE Donald Lee – 77 to 78 OVR
* SS Atari Bigby – 73 to 75 OVR
* C Dan Koppen – 87 to 90 OVR
* HB Sammy Morris – 78 to 79 OVR
* WR Randy Moss – 93 to 97 OVR
* WR Wes Welker – 83 to 86 OVR
* RT Nick Kaczur – 81 to 82 OVR
* RG Stephen Neal – 87 to 89 OVR
* LG Logan Mankins – 92 to 94 OVR
* LT Matt Light – 91 to 94 OVR
* DT Vince Wilfork – 92 to 93 OVR
* DE Ty Warren – 89 to 90 OVR
* DE Jarvis Green – 79 to 82 OVR
* ROLB Rosevelt Colvin – 85 to 87 OVR
* QB Tom Brady – 98 to 99 OVR
* WR Ronald Curry – 79 to 80 OVR
* RT Cornell Green – 75 to 77 OVR
* RG Cooper Carlisle – 80 to 84 OVR
* MLB Kirk Morrison – 88 to 90 OVR
* ROLB Thomas Howard – 82 to 85 OVR
* WR Terrell Owens – 94 to 97 OVR
* C Brett Romberg – 68 to 72 OVR
* DT Cliff Ryan – 67 to 69 OVR
* LB Brandon Chillar – 73 to 75 OVR
* HB Musa Smith – 76 to 77 OVR
* LE Dwan Edwards – 66 to 68 OVR
* LOLB Jarret Johnson – 77 to 80 OVR
* RE Haloti Ngata – 82 to 84 OVR
* P Derrick Frost – 76 to 80 OVR
* MLB Lofa Tatupu – 94 to 95 OVR
* HB Najeh Davenport – 77 to 79 OVR
* ROLB James Harrison – 73 to 83 OVR
* MLB James Farrior – 93 to 94 OVR
* CB Deshea Townsend – 84 to 85 OVR
* RT Willie Colon – 70 to 75 OVR
* WR Santonio Holmes – 81 to 82 OVR
* WR Roydell Williams – 67 to 70 OVR
* CB Cortland Finnegan – 73 to 79 OVR
* DT Tony Brown – 73 to 77 OVR
* K Rob Bironas – 82 to 85 OVR
* LE Antwan Odom – 75 to 78 OVR
* LT Michael Roos – 82 to 84 OVR
* MLB Ryan Fowler – 72 to 75 OVR
* RG Benji Olson – 91 to 93 OVR
* RT David Stewart – 76 to 80 OVR
* LG Jacob Bell – 87 to 89 OVR
* ROLB Chad Greenway – 79 to 81 OVR
* QB Matt Schaub – 83 to 84 OVR
* RG Fred Weary – 77 to 78 OVR
* CB Charles Tillman – 91 to 92 OVR
* DT Tommie Harris – 97 to 98 OVR
* DE Mark Anderson – 85 to 86 OVR
* HB Kenny Watson – 73 to 77 OVR
* MLB John DiGiorgio – 67 to 70 OVR
* WR Brandon Marshall – 82 to 83 OVR
* DT Amon Gordon – 73 to 77 OVR
* DE Elvis Dumervil – 81 to 83 OVR
* WR Braylon Edwards – 86 to 87 OVR
* MLB Leon Williams – 74 to 76 OVR
* QB Jeff Garcia – 84 to 86 OVR
* HB Earnest Graham – 72 to 74 OVR
* MLB Barrett Ruud – 82 to 84 OVR
* MLB Gerald Hayes – 83 to 84 OVR
* DT Darnell Dockett – 86 to 87 OVR
* HB Edgerrin James – 91 to 93 OVR
* DT Gabe Watson – 73 to 76 OVR
* LB Shaun Phillips – 86 to 88 OVR
* WR Vincent Jackson – 81 to 84 OVR
* TE Antonio Gates – 98 to 99 OVR
* SS Antoine Bethea – 85 to 86 OVR
* HB Marion Barber – 87 to 88 OVR
* LG Kyle Kosier – 85 to 87 OVR
* TE Jason Witten – 92 to 93 OVR
* K Nick Folk – 71 to 76 OVR
* RG Leonard Davis – 90 to 92 OVR
* HB Brian Westbrook – 94 to 95 OVR
* WR Kevin Curtis – 81 to 83 OVR
* DE Trent Cole – 82 to 85 OVR
* C Jamaal Jackson – 86 to 88 OVR
* WR Roddy White – 75 to 78 OVR
* HB Fred Taylor – 89 to 90 OVR
* SS Sammy Knight – 74 to 83 OVR
* QB David Garrard – 82 to 83 OVR
* MLB Mike Peterson – 93 to 94 OVR
* WR Shaun McDonald – 70 to 74 OVR
* QB Brett Favre – 89 to 90 OVR
* LE Aaron Kampman – 94 to 95 OVR
* C Justin Hartwig – 82 to 84 OVR
* RG Jeremy Bridges – 81 to 84 OVR
* C Jeremy Newberry – 83 to 84 OVR
* CB Stanford Routt – 68 to 77 OVR
* HB LaMont Jordan – 83 to 85 OVR
* ROLB Thomas Howard – 85 to 86 OVR
* LOLB Brandon Chillar – 75 to 77 OVR
* K Matt Stover – 94 to 96 OVR
* CB Kelly Jennings – 78 to 80 OVR
* HB Willie Parker – 89 to 90 OVR
* HB Adrian Peterson – 87 to 88 OVR
* ROLB Chad Greenway – 81 to 83 OVR
* MLB E.J. Henderson – 84 to 85 OVR
* DT Amobi Okoye – 79 to 80 OVR
* FS Von Hutchins – 76 to 79 OVR
* FS C.C. Brown – 71 to 75 OVR
* MLB DeMeco Ryans – 88 to 89 OVR
* WR Andre Davis – 67 to 70 OVR
* QB Vince Young – 87 to 88 OVR
* DT Albert Haynesworth – 85 to 87 OVR

Ratings Down

* HB Carnell Williams – 88 to 87 OVR
* DT Justin Harrell – 78 to 76 OVR
* FS Nick Collins – 80 to 79 OVR
* CB Paul Oliver – 76 to 73 OVR
* LB Joey Porter – 93 to 92 OVR
* G Chris Liwienski – 82 to 79 OVR
* G Rex Hadnot – 84 to 82 OVR
* T L.J. Shelton – 83 to 78 OVR
* T Vernon Carey – 84 to 81 OVR
* HB Reuben Droughns – 80 to 75 OVR
* S Gibril Wilson – 89 to 86 OVR
* WR D.J. Hackett – 82 to 78 OVR
* QB Rex Grossman – 84 to 83 OVR
* CB Ricky Manning – 86 to 84 OVR
* CB Leon Hall – 80 to 78 OVR
* DE Tim Crowder – 78 to 77 OVR
* FS Will Allen – 80 to 78 OVR
* LG Anthony Davis – 82 to 78 OVR
* DE Gaines Adams – 84 to 82 OVR
* CB Antrel Rolle – 84 to 82 OVR
* DE Bertrand Berry – 92 to 90 OVR
* DT Quinn Pitcock – 75 to 69 OVR
* DT Dan Klecko – 77 to 73 OVR
* CB Chris Houston – 80 to 77 OVR
* CB Corey Webster – 80 to 78 OVR
* DE Michael Strahan – 94 to 92 OVR
* CB Aaron Ross – 80 to 79 OVR
* LB Kawika Mitchell – 85 to 80 OVR
* DE Reggie Hayward – 88 to 86 OVR
* WR Dwayne Jarrett – 77 to 76 OVR
* WR Drew Carter – 70 to 72 OVR
* CB Tory James – 85 to 83 OVR
* WR Donte Stallworth – 84 to 82 OVR
* C Andy McCollum – 82 to 76 OVR
* WR Brandon Lloyd – 78 to 73 OVR
* WR Devery Henderson – 82 to 80 OVR
* WR Terrance Copper – 76 to 73 OVR
* FB Dan Kreider – 93 to 88 OVR
* LB Lawrence Timmons – 80 to 77 OVR
* RT Max Starks – 83 to 79 OVR
* WR Paul Williams – 70 to 65 OVR
* CB Kelly Herndon – 80 to 78 OVR
* DT Randy Starks – 79 to 75 OVR
* P Craig Hentrich – 85 to 83 OVR
* LOLB Rufus Alexander – 73 to 68 OVR
* WR Sidney Rice – 78 to 76 OVR
* C Mike Flanagan – 87 to 82 OVR
* TE Daniel Graham – 88 to 86 OVR
* WR Ted Ginn – 79 to 77 OVR
* DE Jevon Kearse – 88 to 86 OVR
* WR Reggie Williams – 78 to 77 OVR
* WR Mike Walker – 74 to 71 OVR
* FS Nick Collins – 79 to 78 OVR
* CB Ken Lucas – 88 to 86 OVR
* CB Fabian Washington – 85 to 83 OVR
* HB Michael Bush – 78 to 75 OVR
* FS Brian Dawkins – 97 to 96 OVR
* DT Corey Simon – 83 to 81 OVR

Injuries

* LB Michael Okwo (Bears) IR – Shoulder
* T Orlando Pace (Rams) IR – Shoulder
* S Yeremiah Bell (Dolphins) IR – Achilles
* DT Dusty Dvoracek (Bears) IR – Knee
* S Mike Brown (Bears) IR – Knee
* T Jon Jansen (Redskins) IR – Ankle
* S Jason Simmons (Texans) IR – Knee
* DT Jason Ferguson (Cowboys) IR – Bicep
* S Ko Simpson (Bills) IR – Ankle
* CB Jason Webster (Bills) IR – Forearm
* DT William Joseph (Giants) IR – Back
* WR Chansi Stuckey (Jets) IR – Foot
* CB Justin Miller (Jets) IR – Knee
* CB B.J. Sams (Ravens) IR – Knee
* TE Mark Campbell (Saints) IR – Back
* FS Nate Salley (Panthers) IR – Knee
* DE Adrian Awasom (Giants) IR – Back
* LB Manny Lawson (49ers) IR – Knee
* SS Gerald Sensabaugh (Jaguars) IR – Shoulder
* MLB Paul Posluszny (Bills) IR – Forearm

Contracts

* DT Pat Williams (Vikings) – 3 year extension
* TE Chris Cooley (Redskins) – 6 year extension
* QB Kyle Boller (Ravens) – 1 year extension
* P Nick Harris (Lions) – 5 year extension
* QB JaMarcus Russell (Raiders) – 6 year contract
* G Brandon Moore (Jets) – 3 year extension
* DB Jordan Babineaux (Seahawks) – 5 year extension
* DT Tony Brown (Titans) – 2 year extension

Weapons

* HB Brian Westbrook (Eagles) – Becomes Speed Weapon
* HB Willie Parker (Steelers) – Loses Speed Weapon
* CB Walt Harris (49ers) – Loses Smart Corner
* HB Edgerrin James (Cardinals) – Becomes Trucking Weapon
* HB Marion Barber (Cowboys) – Becomes Trucking Weapon
* QB Tony Romo (Cowboys) – Becomes Accurate QB
* WR Kevin Curtis (Eagles) – Becomes Speed Weapon
* DT Albert Haynesworth (Titans) – Becomes Power Move Weapon

EA Sports Madden 08 In-depth Review

Chad Lakkis — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 04:24:30 +0000

At the 20… 10… 5… oh! Down just short of the goal!

We won’t bother hitting you with a creative intro, because there will surely be enough sites out there filling your head with marketing mumbo jumbo. In other words, you won’t confuse our review with something you may find on the back of the Madden game itself, so let’s get on with it.

Improved control and animation with an occasional dose of constipation.
The best overall enhancement this year is the addition of breakaway animations. It is now much easier than last year to control the direction of your player. We intercepted a pass and ran down field noticing that the cornerback actually hugged the sideline. As we edged him close to it, his animation changed to reflect the careful toe placement required in order to stay in bounds.

There are new animations on both ends of the ball, plenty of new tackles, and a refined hit stick allowing you to hit an opponent both high and low. However, while they have added new running animations you will still notice your player running like he has a stick up his butt from time to time.

With great power comes … you’ve heard this one before.
The power of exclusive NFL license means that everyone from Atlanta’s DE John Abraham to Houston’s DT Jeff Zgonina will be at your disposal once again, and the very best of the best this year will be drawing more attention to themselves than Mike Vick at a PETA Conference. That is because EA Sports has created “weapons”, a new icon based system (appearing as a circle under the players on field) that screams “Hey Chad Johnson is a playmaker” which is useful in the event that his real life counterpart forgets to mention it at least fifty times when interviewed during the regular season. There are twenty-four weapon categories in all ranging from stiff arm and turbo to read the field and pancake block.

With an overall team rating of 97, the New England Patriots have so many playmakers that the field looks like it’s got a bad case of acne every time they step onto it. While you won’t see Tom Brady in the end zone very often himself, there will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate in Madden 08.

Superstar? You know you are.
A great idea that was introduced last year got better this year by simply changing the camera angles based on the position you selected, and if watching yourself get denied up the middle doesn’t sound appealing, you can also play this mode as an incoming rookie this year as well.

Exclusives can be elusive, but this is down right abusive.
Gang tackles are “in the game” for both consoles this year, and while there has been much discussion regarding frame rate discrepancies between the PS3 and Xbox 360, the only official comment we received from EA was that they strive to make the best game possible for each platform.

What we do is we make great games for all of our systems and all of our partners, and so we try and give people the best experiences that they can have. So what we focused on was gameplay this year, so as you see that you’ll see how good the animations are, you’ll see all the gameplay improvements on the PS3 and the Xbox 360. We think a lot of people will really enjoy both of them as they get the opportunity to play. – EA Senior Product Manager, Jerrold Smith

We are not sure that is going to fly with PS3 owners when they pop in the game only to experience choppy frame rate that pales in comparison to the 360 version. Is this fair? No, but neither was the addition of exclusive gang tackling last year on the PS3. We live in the age of exclusive content and features — sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you.

Solid in the trench or destined to ride the bench?
EA made it clear early on in a video interview conducted with IGN that they employed a programmer this year who also played a little O-line in his early days. They went on to say that they felt this year’s release would feature much improved play in the trenches.

Well, the overall line play is slightly better this year, however there are still way too many breakdowns. For example, we tried to run a simple toss play to the right and watched as the right guard, tackle, and tight end all ran down field to block one cornerback. We applaud their aggressive nature, however none of them thought to block the defensive end standing in front of them and instead allowed him to breeze right through and blow up the play.

The biggest improvement we noticed in the trenches had little to do with the line, instead it was the ability to bounce off the gentle giants on running plays. You now have the ability as a running back to firmly plant your hand on their backs, regain your balance, and change direction.

Look here! So I can throw over here…
Defensive AI has been improved this year as well. The interception mentioned above was the third that the defense made in the first half alone. Is the AI too difficult? No, it just requires that you actually learn how to read coverage better unlike previous versions of the game that allowed you to beat the secondary deep pretty much at will.

The defensive AI was one area really shined in this years All-Pro Football, and we are very happy to see that EA Tiburon took the time needed to improve this aspect of the Madden gameplay.

Real time weather, for worst or for better?
By now most fans have heard about the real time weather integration being added into Madden 08, and while we give them kudos for the concept, what we found even more interesting were the animations that now occur based a combination of player movement and on field conditions. Run into a patch of snow or a puddle of rain and you can potentially lose your footing — get hit while falling, and you’ll likely lose your lunch too.

Online League Play you say? The answer, no way.
While the consensus regarding online play seems to be that it is noticeably smoother with less lag, the addition of a revamped news ticker won’t offer much consolation for the online league lurkers. If you are looking for the complete online experience — the meat and potatoes of online gaming — then you will be disappointed to find out this dish is mostly starch.

Franchise, hold the fries.
The franchise feature is finally back in the game this year, but if you are looking for the same satisfaction you experienced in the previous gen versions of the game you would be better off trying to buy your way onto the board of directors for your local AFL team.

The fact the game finally has a franchise mode may be enough to make most gamers happy. However, in our experience franchise mode becomes less competitive as you work your way in year after year, therefore we were more upset with the lack of online leagues.

EA gave him the gig, now how much longer will they let him dig?
The decision to phase Madden out of the game for whatever reason was not only a bad one, the alternative solution that EA came up with is intolerable. We figured out why this guy is a one man show — it’s because no one on earth wants to call a game with him.

Yes, this means the bland in game commentary is back. Had this game not been named after a coach turned broadcaster, it probably wouldn’t have bothered us as much to see a change, but the Madden commentary in the game became larger than life, and it pains us to know that it may be gone for good. If it is, hopefully EA will find a better replacement soon.

The last word.
When a car manufacturer redesigns their top of the line vehicle, they don’t leave out options that their current customer base has grown accustomed to over the years. If new bells and whistles require an increased staff to build the car properly, they get the additional resources, because the car market is way too competitive for excuses. If a Lexus doesn’t have all of the features you seek, you can always look at a Mercedes, or a BMW — the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, as it currently stands, NFL Football in the world of pixels and control pads is a one trick pony.

That said, there is no doubt that this iteration of the game is an improvement over the past two next-gen releases, however once you get past the hype of the highlight-laden, rap music-filled, and well marketed commercials, it will be obvious that the game still lacks many features that Madden gamers have grown to love over the years.

So how does Madden 08 stack up next to All-Pro 2K8? While we believe All-Pro has the better overall gameplay experience and superior in game commentary, the roster handcuffs put on the game combined with its lack of depth in comparison to this years Madden, give EA Sports and Madden 08 a slightly higher score than 2K’s non licensed alternative which we scored an 8.5. Both versions scored lower on the PS3 due to frame rate issues.

If you need the NFL aspect, then the choice is simple, but maybe next year EA will be nice enough to release the exclusive NFL license and let us do this review thing over again in 09 — wouldn’t that be fun?

Real World Weather Affects NCAA 08

Andrew Podolsky — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 23:18:10 +0000

Videogame football doesn’t reschedule for no stinkin’ tornado…

It’s been a feature long imagined since consoles first connected to the Internet, but now the latest version of NCAA football from EA Sports will actually change the virtual field conditions according to the real-world weather outside.

The Weather Channel Interactive is making NCAA 08 the first sports game to use real-life weather data at each stadium to affect conditions in the game, from snowfall to heavy winds. The game is available on PS2, PS3, Xbox, and Xbox 360, and we imagine that this feature will work on every console except the offline PS2.

It’s a nicely added touch, and real-world data like this may become more common in future games, but you can still turn this feature off if you choose to stick with a simulation.

As cool as this is idea is, it’s still been reported elsewhere that the 360 version of NCAA 08 runs at a silky smooth 60 frames per second, and the PS3 version is left behind at 30 frames per second. Unless there’s a blizzard or hurricane going on, that’s the kind of thing that will keep players from really getting “in the game”, as EA likes to say. NCAA 08 is in stores now.

EA Representative Slips At E3 – Reveals 2nd NFL Head Coach Game In Development

Chad Lakkis — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:58:12 +0000

In the process of interviewing a representative from EA Tiburon at this years E3 regarding Madden 08, one of our writers (who is a big Patriot’s fan) jokingly asked if Bill Belichick would again be absent on the sidelines this year.

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.

I immediately said “going through?” He smiled and quickly tried to change the subject. I of course was having none of that and asked whether or not there was another Head Coach game in progress, at which point he politely said that he could not comment. We of course exchanged business cards and followed up with him again shortly after E3 concluded, but his response hadn’t changed. The game may never see daylight, however we know what we heard and stand behind this report.

While the first iteration of Head Coach was greeted with mixed reviews, we feel that the overall concept behind the game is still promising, and if handled properly a second time around, it just might stick. Apparently EA feels the same way, although they just can’t seem to remember mentioning it.

Post E3 Interview: EA Sports Madden 08 – “It’s Kinda’ Sorta’ In The Game”

Chad Lakkis — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 23:36:41 +0000

In our recent phone conversation with EA Senior Product Manager, Jerrold Smith, regarding the upcoming Madden 08, we asked how a company who built its reputation on being detail oriented, so much so that their slogan “If it’s in the game, it’s in the game” became their claim to fame, now overlooks such things as nets behind goal posts and on field referees.

While we were disappointed to find that after three years of development time, these details would once again be left out of the next gen version, learning that the game will ship with Mike Vick and Pac Man Jones on their respective rosters concerned us even more.

The last thing we looked to address was the frame rate discrepancies between the two systems. For those who are not familiar with this, the 360 version of Madden will run at 60 fps, while the PS3 version will run at 30.

Is this payback for last years 360 version being left in the cold when it came to gang tackling? One hast to wonder these days with companies dishing out big bucks for exclusive features. We are not saying that Microsoft paid for 60 frames per second, we are just curious how long it will take EA to level the playing field for both consoles.

The interview below will require you to read between the lines as there is no amount of prodding that will cause a man to open his mouth and lose his job. That said, we asked the questions we knew our readers would want the answers to just the same and did our best to gain clarification when possible.

Mad: Hi Jerrold, first off thank you for taking time out to chat with us.

Jerrold: Not a problem.

Mad: When we chatted with you at this years E3 you confirmed to us that this years Madden will again be absent of on field referees and nets behind the goal posts. Can you address the gamers out there who are trying to understand why we are in the third year of next gen Madden gaming and yet those things are still missing in the game?

Jerrold: We are really focusing on having a great gameplay experience for consumers, so when you actually play the game this year, we really took a lot of time to make sure that the gameplay was really fun. We did a lot of things to improve the animation system and give players more control. So those are the types of things that we focused on that are part of the experience that you have as you play the game.

So that’s what we really spent our time and energy on and we feel really confident that when people pick up and play the game they’ll see, they’ll feel, they’ll notice the difference and they will be more excited about playing the game.

Mad: Sure. Ok, we can understand the time constraints and that it may take more time than available to you to add and animate referees at a level that meets the standards set by EA. However, with something like the nets behind the goal posts, is that a case where the feature was so low on the to do list that it wasn’t a priority for this release?

Jerrold: Yea, our focus was to make sure the gameplay was great so that people will have a wonderful experience from a gameplay standpoint.

Mad: Ok …

Jerrold: That is where we focused a lot of our time and energy this year. We listened to what our fans were saying and those are the things we really focused on this year as we built the game.

Mad: Alright. Another thing that we hear a lot about is the fact that the PS3 version of the game only runs at 30 frames per second while the Xbox 360 version runs at 60. Is there a reason for the difference in frame rate between the two systems? Can you comment on that?

Jerrold: What we do is we make great games for all of our systems and all of our partners, and so we try and give people the best experiences that they can have. So what we focused on was gameplay this year, so as you see that you’ll see how good the animations are, you’ll see all the gameplay improvements on the PS3 and the Xbox 360. We think a lot of people will really enjoy both of them as they get the opportunity to play.

Mad: With everything surrounding Mike Vick and Pac Man Jones in the media. Is there any chance that those players, pending the outcome of their cases, would not be in the game if in-fact, especially with Vick, they do not make the roster and have to sit out the year. With those players, at this point is it too late to remove them? Is that set in stone at this point?

Jerrold: We set up the rosters at the time that we code the game, so once those rosters are shut that is what they will look like, and so whether or not the player is cut or traded or suspended, its based on one where we are at the time we close the game. As you play the game there are roster updates that you can do — downloadable updates that take into account injuries and suspensions, and so those things will be updated as the season progresses.

Mad: So as of right now are Mike Vick and Pac Man Jones are in the game. Has the games roster been closed?

Jerrold: Yes. Right now the games roster has been closed.

Mad: So if something like that were to happen it would be done in the form of an update.

Jerrold: Correct.

Mad: Alright, thank you very much Jerrold.

Jerrold: No problem.