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asu666
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Monday, February 2, 2009
Madden 10's Big Unveiling
Posted on February 2, 2009 at 05:20 PM.
Like most of you I went to my computer on Sunday evening during the Super Bowl’s no nipples allowed halftime show to check on the new Madden 10 update. I had been expecting to see the guys from Tiburon throw down with tidbits about pre, halftime, and post game shows; refs visible on the field; enhanced game analysis and television overlays; the death of suction tackling; or even just some needed additions to franchise mode.


Well needless to say I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to see some of the little improvements to the technology behind the game develop, but I was just really hoping to see Tiburon set the bar high and commit to clearing it. The whole thing just felt anticlimactic after the big post setting up the halftime announcement. The buildup was good, but the payoff just wasn't there, just like this year's Super Bowl game ending drive and Madden's of the past.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Is the NFL now a hostage?
Posted on January 15, 2009 at 12:10 PM.
We all know that the effort and resources needed to produce a modern sports game is getting pretty substantial and only seems to be becoming more difficult with each passing generation. With at least several years left to run on the newly extended NFL exclusivity deal with Electronic Arts, will the NFL have painted itself into a proverbial corner by the time the next true negotiations for the license occur?

It seems to me that after so many years have passes without any other company working on a similar title that soon there will be no way any company other than EA will be able to put out a high quality game, with reasonable development costs, and without missing a season or more to build it. Will the NFL find itself in a "EA Sports if it’s in the game we are the only ones that can put it out for next season so we'll pay (insert low number here) for the license from now on" situation? If I was running EA I'd be looking for the moment when it's either we do it or it doesn't happen to open up the bidding again.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Why Turbo is Outdated
Posted on January 13, 2009 at 03:58 PM.
Before analog controllers became an industry standard, digital controllers made anything short of all-the-way or nothing controller inputs all but impossible. If you were to play a football game from that era the players either ran full normal speed or stopped dead. There was no jogging without a button input to tell your avatar to kick it in gear and speed up.

 Today's analog control has solved that problem. We all see it in just about any game we pickup where as the thumb-stick is pressed in a direction our avatar begins to walk, then maybe jog, and finally when the thumb-stick is pressed all the way in one direction our avatar runs at its top natural speed. But since everyone got so use to having super speed at their command, the mostly unrealistic turbo button never died the digital death it now deserves.

 Game designs have become so accustom to putting turbo in some sport games that it seems to me they now do it without much thought to the fact that it mostly breaks their game. Games against human players become straight ahead button mashing fests or worse we run across that guy that apparently has taped his right trigger down to give his figure a break.

 Virtual athletes have speed, quickness, and agility ratings for a reason. I say it's time to make them matter again and give Turbo the funeral it should have had years ago.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Stadium Fly-Ins Return to MLB 09: The Show?
Posted on January 12, 2009 at 11:45 AM.
I was looking at some screen shots last week and I noticed one of them was an exterior to the Mets new ballpark Citi Field. That got me thinking about how much I liked watching the stadium run ups before the game in the PS2 version and about how nice it would be to set the tone for the location a game was taking place at before the first pitch. Madden 09 gave it a halfhearted effort this year with the stadium exteriors before the kickoff. Could this be the year Sony shows everyone how it’s done? I hope so.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Bring the house! Football in 2010!
Posted on January 9, 2009 at 05:17 PM.
As much as I love ESPN NFL 2K5 I've played the crap out of it. I need a break. I fill my time with other sport and non-sport games, but I always start jonesing for another football fix.

Recently I played through two full seasons (15 minute quarters) of All Pro Football and while it was a fun experience and even beat out 2K5 in some ways, the lack of a Franchise mode really hurt. I just could keep investing 30 hours of time, only to have to restart again-and-again. I moved on to Madden 09 on my PS3 a couple of weeks ago and am about halfway through my first season (Colts). I have to say that it has grown on me a little since the first time I popped it in on launch day and was so disappointed that I ejected the disc and put it away for several months before deciding to give it another go. Knowing what to expect helped a little and some of it was that I was just too wrapped up still in 2K5 last August.

Anyway, it's looking like Madden 2010 might be my only option again next summer. All Pro Football 2010 is probably a pipe dream and Backbreaker seems to have dropped off the radar completely and its doubtful that it will satisfy a true sim fan like me anyway.

I just hope EA shows the blocking, running, and defensive aspects of the game for 2010 the same love they showed to passing in 09. I like EA. I've purchased their games for a couple of decades now. Thousands of dollars later they are my only hope to finally see a football game that surpasses ESPN NFL 2K5's game play and presentation. All of the licenses are in place. EA has the tools. They can build a Madden that sets the world a blaze, while still making the corporation a mint. Here my plea EA and bring the house!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Tiburon can we get an Assist?
Posted on January 8, 2009 at 03:43 PM.
It's widely know that EA's Tiburon studio is offensive minded even though arguably its most successful year producing its football line was in 2005 when Ray Lewis was on the cover of Madden and the defense finally got its due. The on field defensive aspects of the current generation games are obviously still under construction, but it appears that once again the good folks at Tiburon are going to leave defensive minded fans holding the bucket on tracking assisted tackles. It seems like it would have been possible for Tiburon to link the gang tackle animation to a statistical category that tracks assists, but no such luck. Oh well, I guess there's always next year. Or at least that is what the folks at EA want us to think when sink another $60 or $80 on each game in July and August of 2009.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The best in each sport go head-to-head.
Posted on January 7, 2009 at 07:03 PM.
Through 2009 Labeled Sports Games

1. MLB 09: The Show (PS3)
2. College Hoops 2K8 (PS3)
3. ESPN NFL 2K5 (Xbox)
5. FIFA 09 (PS3)
6. NHL 2K9 (PS3)

Horse Shoe Awards:

-NBA 2K9 loses to College Hoops 2K8's crazy depth
-NHL 09 loses to NHL 2K9s better animations and board play
-All Pro Football loses to ESPN NFL 2K5's license and presentation
-PES 2009 Wii loses to FIFA's crazy number of licenses

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