Latest Updates
- A full-length, 45-minute, HD video match-up beween the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots from the 360 version of Madden 08.
- Brand new movies from the Wii version of the game. Check out the cool telestrator feature...
- All our various previews of the game reaching back several months.
- Complete sortable team-by-team rosters of every player in the game thanks to the guys over at SportsGamer.
What, you want more? OK, how does complete, sortable playbooks for every team in the game sound? How about a glut of new Madden NFL 08 movies? How about more features, more screens, more strategy? How about complete live coverage of the Madden launch in New York City? It's all coming this week as we gear up for one of the biggest gaming events of the year. We're getting ready. How about you?
- Full game, two minute quarters, varsity difficulty level.
- USC vs. Michigan. You can only play in USC's home stadium.
- 683 MB download, though EA removed the play-by-play commentary features from the demo in order to make it smaller download.
- The game is doing a better job of taking automatic photos than in the preview build I have, which would periodically take photos of unimportant plays, or at awkward angles. This time, when someone scores, or makes a big play, the game will take an appropriate photo of the moment.
So far, the demo seems like a nice holdover until the game finds its way to store shelves soon. Just wish that there were more teams than the Trojans and the Wolverines. Give it a download and let me know what you think.
As a Chicago Bears fan, it's tough to argue with the news (according to ESPN) that Devin Hester will receive a perfect 100 speed rating in the upcoming Madden NFL 08, the first player ever to receive that honor in the series. After all, Hester made a living last season from making opposing teams look silly during his blistering kick returns, notching up six touchdowns in the process, a single-season record.
Still, as the first player to ever receive that attribute rating one has to wonder: Is Hester really the fastest player to ever appear in a Madden game? Is he really faster than someone like Dante Hall (who was Hester before Hester was a gleam in the Bears' eye), Steve Smith, Chad Johnson, or older players like a circa 2003 Randy Moss (who once admitted he'd never run full speed during an NFL game)? I'm not so sure. Hester was rated an incredible 98 in speed last year already so those two ticks of the speed dial mean an awful lot, even after his incredible 2006 season.
Bottom line: I think there's more to Hester's game than raw speed. It's not just his quicks that makes him so deadly on kick-returns, his lightning-quick reflexes and otherworldly agility play a big role too. Perhaps those should be bumped up as well. And, hey, while you're at it EA, why not just make "Mr. 100" the Madden 08 cover boy as well? Give us Bears fans something to celebrate after that abysmal Super Bowl...
What do you think of Hester's new speed rating? Is he the fastest man in the NFL?
Okay folks, by now you've all seen the announcement that 2K Sports is bringing back their football franchise in the form of All-Pro Football 2K8. No details on the game have been made public yet, which gives us the perfect opportunity to endeavor in that most special ingedient of the Internet: idle speculation!
Let's do this in two categories:
1) What do I want to see in the game? Things like customizable teams, stadium, logos, rosters, etc. etc. Best-case, dream-game kinda stuff goes here.
2) What do I think will be in the game? Here's where we come back down to earth and try and predict what features and modes the game is going to include.
You can be sure the folks at 2K are paying attention, so let's hear your best and brightest ideas on just what APF 2K8 might be.
Hi folks, it's been a bit slow in The Huddle lately but, as good ol' JR might say, business is about to pick up. On the heels of our look at the Wii version of Madden NFL 07 comes our latest look at the PlayStation 3 version of the game. Bottom line: if you've played the 360 version of the game, there probably isn't enough that's new in the PS3 game to warrant you shelling out another sixty bucks. If, however, you're one of the select few who haven't played Madden 07 yet and you just happen to get a PS3, well then you practically owe to yourself as a football fan, as a sports gamer, yes as an American, to at least give this version a look.
Or you could, you know, buy the Wii version and try out something that feels really new. It's up to you. Just throwing it out there.
GregK forward a note to me today from a reader claiming to have found a pretty ugly bug in the European release of Madden NFL 07. Basically the bug amounts to quarterbacks in superstar mode taking the snap from under center and then proceeding to chuck the ball backwards into the end zone, resulting in a safety. There's even a video of the purported bug in action. As a sidenote: It's pretty funny that the YouTube video of this phenomenon is titled "Madden 2007 'The Aaron Brooks Glitch.'"
Our intrepid news team dug up a thread on the EA forums describing this glitch in greater detail but I'm curious to see if anyone else has run into this bug in their Madden NFL 07 travels.
Should this turn out to be a widespread problem, it will be interesting to see how EA Sports responds. They've been good about addressing the fatigue bug that cropped up during the week of Madden NFL 07's release--here's hoping that trend continues if this newest report turns into something big.
It's been a tough couple of weeks for EA's two big football franchises. First comes news of a fatigue bug in Madden NFL 07 for Xbox 360, which EA hopes to address with a patch, and now comes word that EA will be replacing NCAA 07 UMDs after the discovery of the "down by contact" bug.
It's too bad that these kind of slip-ups make it past QA but I'm pleased that EA is willing to step up and make amends to folks who spent hard-earned cash on their games. Let's just hope those kind of ugly flaws aren't found in next year's games.
If you're planning on buying Madden NFL 07, but can't wait until its release on Tuesday, August 22, then this one's for you. On Monday, August 21 from 4 p.m. to midnight PDT, we'll broadcast a LIVE gameplay marathon of Madden NFL 07. Myself, Rich, and Alex will be playing the game for eight hours straight, checking out the Xbox 360, PS2, and Xbox version of the game, playing as many multiplayer matches as we can cram in, and answering questions from readers all the while.
For more information on the event, check out our news story. We'll see you there.
Some of you may have read about the reported problems cropping up with Madden NFL 07. Specifically, there's been some reports of a bug that causes fatigue to not work in the game. Last night, I spoke with David Ortiz, one of the producers of the 360 version of Madden NFL 07, and this is what he told me:
1) Fatigue does work in the game but it has been reduced from previous years. Much of the confusion on the fatigue issue seems to be stemming from a secondary problem--the fatigue bar for each player are currently not working in the game, so no matter how fatigued a player is, it's apparently showing as if he's not tired at all.
2) EA is planning on releasing a patch that will address both the reduced fatigue level, and the user interface problem at the same time. Specifically, fatigue meters will work in the game with the patch, and the team is currently evaluating the level of fatigue to find the correct balance. I asked David if he could put a number to the proposed increase--are they bumping it up 15 percent? 30 percent?--but he said the team is still working on the details.
3) According to EA, the patch is going to be out "around the release of the game." I asked if that meant the week of release, and they sounded pretty positive that would be the case. So, for everyone getting Madden 07 this week, be on the lookout for the patch. And let me know how you think it plays both before and after the patch is applied. I'm curious to see if they're going to bump up fatigue in a big way or not...
And speaking of Madden, be sure and check out our live video review of Madden NFL 07, which will be airing on the site next week. I'll get more details about the event to you guys as soon as I get them.
It's the story of every football player, hell, every athlete for that matter. Over time, a player finds his groove, slowly improves, reaches his peak, then spends the rest of his career trying to recapture the magic of that small sliver of his or her career. In a very tangible sense, that arc of progress is reflected in videogames; as player's perform well and have breakout years, their overall ratings go up. On the other hand, one bad season or, worse, two or more, and you can be sure those ratings will be dropping quicker than Brett Favre's completion percentage.
Today, we posted our look at the overall ratings for some of the biggest names on each team in the NFL, to give you an idea of who's on the upswing (such as San Diego's Jamal Williams, Kansas City's Larry Johnson, and Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald) and the players' whose best days are probably behind them (Deuce McAllister, Corey Dillon, and the aforementioned Favre. Some thoughts on standouts in the story:
Biggest improvement: Raiders linebacker Kirk Morrison jumped up an amazing 14 points overall, on the strength of a 112-tackle rookie season. Of course, with that big a jump in rating, it makes you wonder if the Madden team just rated him way, way too low to begin with.
Biggest loss: No huge losses that parallel Morrison's rise, but Corey Dillon's four-point decline is notable. And, as someone who had Dillon in my fantasy team last year, I can say that, yeah, Corey's performance last year didn't mean expectations. Daunte Culpepper has some rep-buildling to do--it wasn't that long ago that the former Viking QB was a Madden cover-boy himself. Now that he's in Miami, he's got some work to do.
Most misleading: Honestly, practically any rating here in the list is subject to interpretation. Did Larry Johnson deserve a 10-point increase from last year? Will he be able to live up to the 96 rating he's been saddled with, or was he just the lucky beneficiary of a great offensive line. Let's not forget that Willie Roaf (whose middle name is "Layout", which I always found appropriate for a lineman), one of the lynchpins of that O-line recently announced his retirement; all eyes will be on LJ this season, that's for sure.
Question marks: Is Carson Palmer, with his gimpy leg and a team that is being taken to the county slammer by the truckload, worth a 95? Is Alex Smith really just slightly worse than David Carr, and just slightly better than Kelly Holcomb? I mean I know the guy was a rookie last year, but he looked atrocious to me. I expect nothing from Alex this year, and fully expect him to meet my expectations easily. Michael Vick loses one point from last season. Are we already seeing the downfall of the once-supposed savior of the NFL?
... meaning I've got it here, at my desk and I've been playing it most of the day. I'll be putting together some new impressions soon, but wanted to open this up to you guys here. I'm here to answer your questions on the game--I can talk about practically everything in the game except for a few exceptions--so fire away...
One thing I've noticed--I've been playing superstar mode as a defensive back, and it's awfully tough to cover a guy tight. I guess I don't have the reflexes I used to. Interestingly, the player will move automatically if you don't touch the controller, and does a pretty good job of keeping tight on the receiver, but obviously letting the game play the position for you isn't that much fun.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's On the Spot, where we'll be showing the game off on the show!
The final top ten in NCAA Football 07 are revealed today in the final installment of our month-long series. Now all that's left is to get the game in our hands and start playing like mad. By the way, if anyone wants to get a game going once it's released, hit me up. I'll be glad to serve you a heaping dish of whoop-ass (or get my butt handed to me, whichever comes first).
I've played way too much NFL Street 2 in my day. For a while there, it was the only PSP game I played, so I'm pleased to see a third game coming in the series (check out our preview of the game here). It's too bad the game isn't coming to next gen--at least, no announcements were made today--but I suspect the PSP version of the game will find its way into my handheld soon.
So, based on what you've read and seen of the game, what are you expecting from NFL Street 3?
Okay, so I know there was more to our Madden NFL 07 feature video than me getting to interview former Auburn running back Cadillac Williams (hell just the opening NYC montage at the beginning is worth a watch), but, for me, that was a big thrill. As I said in the forums, Cadillac was the only interview I wanted to do on-camera, if only so I could get a still of the two of us together and send it to my Dad (which I did). Everyone we talked to, from Shaun Alexander, to Reggie Bush, to Marshall Faulk was very cool and really excited to be there and answer our dumb questions.
If you haven't seen the video yet, check it out here. Big thanks to Wernher Goff for filming this and editing it together in such a great package.
Today we kick off our look at the top 25 teams in NCAA Football 07 with part one of our feature series. In each entry, we talk a little bit about each team, highlight the three impact players on the roster, and feature an HD video clip for every team in the top 25. We start out with the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets and end up with the Hokies from Virginia Tech, and we'll have more updates in the near future.
Agree or disagree with your team's ranking? Think EA missed an impact player or highlighted the wrong guy on the team? Let's hear it, because it's never too early to start talking college football.
Our review for NFL Head Coach is up. I'm in complete agreement with Alex here--I think the game is a good start for the series and an interesting twist on EA Sports' NFL formula. The number one concern I had going into this game was its user interface--the standard spreadsheet style just wouldn't work on a console--and I think they solved the vast majority of those problems here. That said, there's always room for improvement and NFL Head Coach has some problems that need addressing--more flexibility in your day-to-day schedule being one of them.
In all, I hope EA Sports continues the Head Coach series next season and beyond--there's just so much potential here to build a really successful and fun series, one that offers a compellingly different take on the EA Sports/NFL world.
For those of you who are planning to pick this one up, I'm very curious to hear your impressions of it; what you like, what you don't like, and where you think improvements need to be made next time around. Who knows, maybe we can make NFL Head Coach 2 an even better game...
The full list of Xbox Live Achievements for the Xbox 360 version of NCAA Football 07:
Kickoff Return for TD
Complete a 30 Yard Pass
Throw 4 TD Passes in a Game
350 Total Passing Yards
200 Total Rushing Yards
No Fumbles in a Game
No Interceptions in a Game
Win by 21
Pass to 5 Different Receivers
100 Yard Receiver
100 Yard Rusher
Complete a 60 Yard Pass
Break a 30 Yard Run
Break a 60 Yard Run
Allow No Sacks
2 Picks With the Same Player
Recover 2 Fumbles
Return Interception for a TD
Return Fumble for TD
Make 4 Sacks
Held Under 200 Yards
Held Under 100 Yards
2 Sack Player
Score a Safety
Shutout
Punt Return for TD
50 Yard Field Goal
50 Yard Punt
Block a Punt
Block a Field Goal
Score 35 Points
500 Total Yards
#1 Offense
#1 Defense
Undefeated
Conference Champs!
Heisman Memorial Trophy
5 Star Recruiting
Bowl Win
National Champions!
Dynasty Trifecta (win the National Champion in 3 back-to-back seasons in Dynasty Mode)
Mr. February (Have the #1 ranked recruiting class in a dynasty season)
60 Year Dynasty
Perfect Game (Bowl a 300 Game)
High Score - Option Dash
Win Tug-of-War
There's also four secret achievements which we'll have to discover at a later date. Looks like a nice mix of easy, medium, and difficult achievements...
