It has been nearly ten years since the “Hit Stick” was first introduced to Madden NFL and football video gamers everywhere. How important do you think it is that the introduction of Force Impact to the Infinity Engine this year will bring the “Hit Stick” back to the forefront of defense in Madden NFL 25?

Buckeye: I think it’s the obvious step that they had to take this year with the heavy focus on the running game. However, the Hit Stick has never been right and I don’t feel that it will be this year either. In the Madden NFL series the Hit Stick has exponentially increased the chance of the ball carrier fumbling the football; so much to the point that in online leagues users just look for fast defenders that have high hit power so they can force a ridiculous number of turnovers. If you are a real fan of professional football you will not see big hits causing fumbles consistently by any stretch of the imagination. Fumbles are caused by: poor carry technique, direct defender contact to the ball, and the defender attempting to strip the ball loose during the tackle. If the Madden NFL series is to get this right, the Hit Stick needs to cause an accelerated rate of fatigue and a higher chance of injury to BOTH the offensive and defensive players involved in the hit.