ESPN NFL Football

[John Galt]

I know there are several threads on this. Hell, I even started one, but I wanted to put my review in a thread all its own.

I just got the game the other night for the XBOX and it is amazing. I don't have XBOX Live so my comments are limited to the single person game, but I'm sure playing it online would make it even better.

The football game itself is incredible. It looks and feels like none I've ever played. I prefer to play coach mode, but I tested my button-mashing skills as well. The game just flows so much better than Madden and has a natural feel to it. Tackles make sense and running backs don't just run into their own blockers for 4 or 5 seconds. Real running holes are created, gaps in the zone allow for underneath passing. In short, the game feels right. The outcomes never feel "rigged" to generate "proper" outcomes (liked dropped passes in Madden). The stats still turn out right, but unlike Madden, for the right reasons.

And the coach mode (paging Grantdawg) is awesome. Putting the game in All-Pro mode (with penalties kicked up and a slight increase in running and tackling) creates a game that is balanced and realistic. There is also a non advertised way to switch the camera to "demo mode" which makes the coach mode experience even better (see operationsports.com forums for details). It makes coaching the game just like watching TV with control over playcalling. It is much better than even NCAA 2004 in regards to coach mode balance.

Even outside the game, the presentation is astounding. The weekly NFL Primetime shows are great (they must have taped Berman for days). The draft is also incredibily well done and it combines the fog-of-war with a feeling of confusion that makes it a load of fun.

There are a few drawbacks to the game, but they are relatively small. The franchise AI isn't perfect - trades for picks are a little too easy with teams under the cap (a few house rules are of course in order). The franchise interface is awkward in places (mostly due to menus that always reset). Still, it is tolerable. The stats are good, but there are too many tackles from some players.

I haven't gotten into the first person mode and the Crib is largely useless because my game settings don't allow me to get as much stuff. Either way, the game is so incredible without those extras, that I don't even notice.

I think this game is close to perfect for a coach mode, franchise type player, a little less so for a franchise only type person (who just plays a few key games), and really good for a button masher (admittedly this is judged by someone with little button mashing skill.

I highly recommend this game compared to Madden. Admittedly, my experience with both games is only a couple days, but given other people on this board who have become bored with Madden, I think ESPN is the way to go.

[TroyF]

John,

Great review. I've stopped posting a lot about it because I have the reverse Kodo syndrome here. People know I'm not a fan of EA and know my opinion of this game.

A couple of quick hints: The practice mode has some drills to do. All are fairly easy. (I completed them in about 10 minutes) When you get by that it opens up the NFL trivia game in the Crib. The game has a lot of questions and is a pretty fun time killer.

If you have the chance to view the game in 480P, do it sometime.

TroyF

[Kodos]

Do they have the online franchise thing working yet (that's PS2 only, right)? I still am not sure whether to get this game for Xbox or PS2 yet (if I get it, which I am leaning towards doing - you can never have too many football games, eh?). Any opinions?

[John Galt]

Originally posted by Kodos
Do they have the online franchise thing working yet (that's PS2 only, right)? I still am not sure whether to get this game for Xbox or PS2 yet (if I get it, which I am leaning towards doing - you can never have too many football games, eh?). Any opinions?

No EA whores allowed in this thread. ;)

I have no idea what the answer is to your question, though.

[GrantDawg]

I don't own an Xbox anymore, so unless they decide to come out with a PC version...

[Balldog]

ESPN Football does seem to feel like I am almost playing a human, were as Madden I can tell I am playing the CPU.

[Cringer]

I think this is the same as it has been for the last few years IMO, as far as both games being great in thier own ways, and it all depends on what each person likes the most. I got Madden and NCAA a few weeks ago and love them both....although not perfect, NO GAME ever will be. My co-driver just got ESPN this week and i played it a couple times and liked it also, and if i had bought that would probably be just as happy i think.

Playing each game only makes me pick out what is wrong/missing with each though, so i will be sticking to Madden pretty much from here on. I did enjoy 1st person play for about 2 quarters then it started getting old. The grafics are a touch better but also has a wierd feeling to it in my opinion.........can't explain it. I love all the old uni's ESPN put in and that blows away Madden's idea of alternate uni's. But i had a big problem with how Lambeau Field looked in ESPN, it wasn't sized right or something. In Madden the stadiums are great. Also i love playmaker and the "speed clock" in Madden and it drives me nuts they aren't in NCAA. Anyways, i could go on so will shut up.

[VPI97]

Do I have the same game as you?

I went out and rented this for the PS2 tonight and I could only manage to play 5 plays before turning it off. The gameplay graphics are horrible...when players are running they look like they have something stuck up their rear and changing directions is done on a dime...my guy is moving foward and 0.0003564 second later he's running left, ever heard of curves?

I know that graphics on the PC are ahead of graphics on consoles, but compared to my Madden 2004 for the PC, this game looks like it was made in 1992. The only other sports game I play on the PS2 is NCAA '04 and from a console to console comparison, it puts ESPN FB to shame.

Thank god I decided to rent this disgrace before buying it.

[Godzilla Blitz]

I was in Toys 'R Us buying diapers (for my son, not me), and I messed around with the X-box version tonight for five minutes. If I hadn't had to carry two huge bags of diapers out of the store, I might have bought an X-box and the game right then and there. I was really impressed. The camera movement is really slick. The presentation is simply amazing. I couldn't figure out how to try the first person mode (couldn't get into it from the middle of the game that was already running), but the game screams "PLAY ME!"

Based on the what I saw tonight and the reports of others, I'm really leaning towards getting an X-box and picking up the game.

[John Galt]

Originally posted by VPI97
Do I have the same game as you?

I went out and rented this for the PS2 tonight and I could only manage to play 5 plays before turning it off. The gameplay graphics are horrible...when players are running they look like they have something stuck up their rear and changing directions is done on a dime...my guy is moving foward and 0.0003564 second later he's running left, ever heard of curves?

I know that graphics on the PC are ahead of graphics on consoles, but compared to my Madden 2004 for the PC, this game looks like it was made in 1992. The only other sports game I play on the PS2 is NCAA '04 and from a console to console comparison, it puts ESPN FB to shame.

Thank god I decided to rent this disgrace before buying it.

I'm all for the idea that there are different strokes for different folks, but when you exaggerate to such an extreme, it really undermines what you are saying. I mean, come on. 1992 graphics?!?!? And I love NCAA 2004, but its graphics and animations just aren't as sophisticated.

[SackAttack]

VPI, so you're saying this game is played from a top-down view on 2d backgrounds with repetitive sprites and textures, and only a single season available to play with no computer-generated rookies for subsequent seasons?

Because, y'know, THAT'S 1992 graphics and gameplay.

Go play the original Madden football on Genesis sometime. Decent game, perhaps, but it doesn't remotely compare to ESPN today, and you know it.

[VPI97]

Originally posted by John Galt
And I love NCAA 2004, but its graphics and animations just aren't as sophisticated. Maybe I exaggerated on the level of the graphics, but to say that ESPN's animation is better than NCAA's is just as big of an exaggeration. I tried it out again and while the pre-game presentation is smooth and the in-game closeups are alright (coin flip), the animation during gameplay is dreadful. It looks like they have the pre-determined sequences (falling after getting hit, etc) worked out, but the actual running, throwing, and blocking during the course of the play is very unnatural. It's so distracting that I didn't wait to complete a quarter before turning it off again. It looks like they spent 90% of their time working on getting faces and haircuts to match while forgetting to make movement look halfway decent.

I didn't intentionally go out to rent this tonight, but the fact that I had read your review before leaving work, combined with the fact that Hollywood Video didn't have Simpsons Hit & Run, led me to try this out. Bad call on my part.

[VPI97]

Originally posted by SackAttack
VPI, so you're saying this game is played from a top-down view on 2d backgrounds with repetitive sprites and textures, and only a single season available to play with no computer-generated rookies for subsequent seasons?

Because, y'know, THAT'S 1992 graphics and gameplay. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

:rolleyes:

[kingnebwsu]

I think Tecmo Super Bowl stood as the best football game for an entire decade. No game came close to dethroning it until NFL 2k1 for the Dreamcast. I think that game is the only recent football game to get many things right while doing very few things wrong. But I haven't played this year's ESPN game.

I'm gonna rent ESPN next weekend...but I'm done with NCAA and Madden this generation.

[ice4277]

Originally posted by kingnebwsu
I think Tecmo Super Bowl stood as the best football game for an entire decade. No game came close to dethroning it until NFL 2k1 for the Dreamcast.

Spot on. 2k1 for the Dreamcast was so good; the only problem I had with it was the stupid playcalling mechanism for head-to-head. But I had more fun playing that game then I've had playing Madden in a long time. Damn I miss the Dreamcast, I wish I hadn't sold mine.

[SackAttack]

You can get a used one for $29.99 at EB. That's not too bad, if you still have your games.

[cheese]

hey, for everyone using coach mode, would you mind sharing your game settings? i just rented it, and im trying to figure out how many minutes, etc. thanks

[SFL Cat]

I really enjoyed NFL2K1 for the Dreamcast. I'd love to try ESPN if I had a X-Box or PS2.

That brings me to this slightly off-topic aside -- which is better...X-Box or PS2?

[GrantDawg]

Originally posted by SFL Cat
I really enjoyed NFL2K1 for the Dreamcast. I'd love to try ESPN if I had a X-Box or PS2.

That brings me to this slightly off-topic aside -- which is better...X-Box or PS2?

Don't do it, man! Don't take this thread down that path! It will only bring doom. Doom, I tells ya!

[SackAttack]

Originally posted by SFL Cat
I really enjoyed NFL2K1 for the Dreamcast. I'd love to try ESPN if I had a X-Box or PS2.

That brings me to this slightly off-topic aside -- which is better...X-Box or PS2?

Depends on a variety of things. Purely from a hardware standpoint, the Xbox is superior.

Whether or not the Xbox is best suited for you depends on a number of other factors, though.

Is online play your thing? If it is, do you give a shit about Madden? If so, go with a PS2. It's also got a larger library of games to select from - much larger when you include the PSX library.

If you don't give a shit about Madden, but still want to play ESPN online, then it depends on whether or not you want league play - I understand the PS2 version supports online leagues, while the Xbox version doesn't.

If you intend to play games other than sports games, then it really depends upon the genre. The PS2 has a superior selection of platformers and RPGs, while the Xbox tends to have better first person shooters and racing games*, and, IMO, the better overall online experience, regardless of genre.

That said, Xbox Live does cost $50/year to use, while the PS2 experience is largely free. Two things to consider, however - the network adapter to play online with a PS2 will, at minimum, cost you an extra 20 bucks. If you get the bundle that includes it, you're paying $199 for the PS2 and its online adapter, whereas the Xbox has it built in for $179. If you buy the PS2 without the adapter, and then buy the adapter separately, tack $40 on to that. Additionally, if you want to engage in voice chat online, you'll need a USB headset of some kind with the PS2, which will run you anywhere from $20 on up to $40. Your Xbox Live subscription, on the other hand, includes a headset, which is compatible with *all* online Xbox games (not every PS2 game supports voice chat).

So in the long run, your costs for a PS2 w/ online paraphernalia is at best equal to the Xbox, and quite possibly $10-$30 more. That is a one-time cost, as opposed to yearly resubscription, but the nature of Sony's open network means that any publisher is free to attempt a subscription model at any time - and I strongly suspect that the EA Sports games will do so within two years.

It's a complex issue. The best advice I can give you is to take a look at the games available for each, and see which one has more games that you're personally interested in. If you're still undecided, rent them both with a few of the games you're interested in, and see which one engages you for longer periods of time. It'll cost a little more to do that, but you'll be absolutely certain that you've made the best console decision for your situation.

Josh

*Gran Turismo 3 on the PS2 is probably still the best racing game in general, but the Xbox seems to more consistently have good racing games. Matter of opinion, as always, but I can rattle off a half dozen quality Xbox racers off the top of my head, compared with maybe two or three PS2-specific racers (and one of those isn't even out yet). YMMV, as always.

[gardiner11]

Originally posted by VPI97
Do I have the same game as you?

I went out and rented this for the PS2 tonight and I could only manage to play 5 plays before turning it off. The gameplay graphics are horrible...when players are running they look like they have something stuck up their rear and changing directions is done on a dime...my guy is moving foward and 0.0003564 second later he's running left, ever heard of curves?

I know that graphics on the PC are ahead of graphics on consoles, but compared to my Madden 2004 for the PC, this game looks like it was made in 1992. The only other sports game I play on the PS2 is NCAA '04 and from a console to console comparison, it puts ESPN FB to shame.

Thank god I decided to rent this disgrace before buying it.

Anyone who trashes a game this thoroughly after 5 PLAYS doesn't deserve to have his opinion taken seriously. That's like saying...well hell, the opening scene of that movie SUCKED...i'm leaving.

[Cringer]

Originally posted by ice4277
Spot on. 2k1 for the Dreamcast was so good; the only problem I had with it was the stupid playcalling mechanism for head-to-head. But I had more fun playing that game then I've had playing Madden in a long time. Damn I miss the Dreamcast, I wish I hadn't sold mine.

Well if you ever want another let me know. I have one sitting around that hasn't been out of its carry case for a while ( that carry case was one of my favorite things about that for taking it on my truck) and i have 2k1 and another game i can't even remember what it is.....you can have it or the low price of $500 :p or something a little lower i guess....

Back to present day....as i said before, these two games are close to me and comes down to details for me....also came down to the fact that i bought Madden first but also because i got it to go with NCAA.

BTW....why isn't Sega doing college football any more? Or have i just missed it? I really like thier college game last year, even though i never pulled the trigger to buy it.

[VPI97]

Originally posted by gardiner11
Anyone who trashes a game this thoroughly after 5 PLAYS doesn't deserve to have his opinion taken seriously. That's like saying...well hell, the opening scene of that movie SUCKED...i'm leaving. That's illogical....a movie can change, while a game's animation sequences are going to remain the same. Are you saying that after a game or two has been played, the game is programmed to suddenly not look like shit?

[SirFozzie]

They wanted to get the details right on NFL Football.. they will be doing the College Basketball game this year as well, and I expect a NCAA game next year for all the systems.

[Cringer]

Originally posted by SirFozzie
They wanted to get the details right on NFL Football.. they will be doing the College Basketball game this year as well, and I expect a NCAA game next year for all the systems.

Thanks for the answer, i never buy football games 2 years in a row, but may change that rule next year if they bring back college football......I love the NFL by a million miles in real life but when it comes to games i prefer college games.

[kingnebwsu]

Sega's college football games were very sub-par in features when compared to EA's.

Their college hoops game last year was pretty solid, but some terrible late-game AI ruined it (they wouldn't foul/call TO's late in games!).

Online play for College hoops was pretty solid tho.

[MizzouRah]

I rented it tonight for the heck of it and for some reason I can't get into the gameplay. The presentation is the best of any sports game, but that's about it.

I love the halftime show (report), the crowd, the announcers, and how you can tell good players from average players, but beyond that, Madden does it for me.

Ah.. for some reason I loved Sega football on my Dreamcast, but I can't get into Sega games anymore.... hockey is the same way.


Todd

[John Galt]

Well, it has been another couple days and I'm still enjoying the game, but I have noticed a few shortcomings that I thought I'd make people aware of. First, I haven't figured out how to send a man in motion in coach mode. I think others are having this problem as well. There may be an answer, but I don't know what it is. Second, the punting stats are screwy in franchise mode. Some punters average in the high 50's, while others average in the low 30's. I'm not sure why. It doesn't seem to affect the rest of the stats or outcomes, but the results do seem a little bizarre. It could be that there is a problem in the stats recording, but I don't know. I'm going to see if this trend continues with newly created players. Fourth, KO and Punt return stats for simmed games don't have enough TD's. In coach mode, I've had a KO returned for a TD (something I've never seen in coach mode in any game), but simmed games don't seem to have enough TD's on special teams. Fourth, QB ratings are a tad too high. It seems that there are a few to few INT's. There are still some bad QB ratings, but usually 10 or so QB's are above 90. I think part of the problem is that there aren't enough QB injuries, so starters can put up good to great stats. This trend seems to correct itself with newly created players.

The warts haven't annoyed me too much (I'm much grumpier about the lack of sticky sorts) and I'm still having more fun gaming than I have for a long time.

[Philliesfan980]

Galt;

Search back a week or two (I think its close to two) and you'll see a full year simulation that I did with NFL2k4. Overall I have a few complants about the stats, but for the most part no console game produces great stats. For the most part, they always got the players right (no kitna's leading the league in TD passes), but the stats were sometimes a little off.

[gardiner11]

Originally posted by VPI97
That's illogical....a movie can change, while a game's animation sequences are going to remain the same. Are you saying that after a game or two has been played, the game is programmed to suddenly not look like shit?

But you painted the whole game with a very broad brush. If you had allowed a bit more time you may have found the game to be incredibly fun and worth the rental. Maybe not, but I think 5 plays is just not enough time to truly decide.

[Kodos]

Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz
I was in Toys 'R Us buying diapers (for my son, not me), and I messed around with the X-box version tonight for five minutes. If I hadn't had to carry two huge bags of diapers out of the store, I might have bought an X-box and the game right then and there. I was really impressed. The camera movement is really slick. The presentation is simply amazing. I couldn't figure out how to try the first person mode (couldn't get into it from the middle of the game that was already running), but the game screams "PLAY ME!"

Based on the what I saw tonight and the reports of others, I'm really leaning towards getting an X-box and picking up the game.

Well, I went ahead and got an Xbox and ESPN Football after testing the game out for a while at Best Buy. While I have tried (and disliked) every version of the NFL 2k series since it came out, I have to say that this years version is REALLY good. The presentation is great, and it seems to play well, even though I am somewhat struggling to get used to the controller S, being so acclimated to the dual shock. Right now, I have very little in the way of complaints about this game. If we could just combine the best aspects of this game with Madden, you would truly have something special. The create a player seems a bit limited, and the franchise mode doesn't look as good as Madden's, but overall, I am really impressed. Godzilla, you shouldn't hesitate to go out and pick this up.

Marmel's world will probably come crashing down when he reads this... :p

[John Galt]

Originally posted by Kodos
Well, I went ahead and got an Xbox and ESPN Football after testing the game out for a while at Best Buy. While I have tried (and disliked) every version of the NFL 2k series since it came out, I have to say that this years version is REALLY good. The presentation is great, and it seems to play well, even though I am somewhat struggling to get used to the controller S, being so acclimated to the dual shock. Right now, I have very little in the way of complaints about this game. If we could just combine the best aspects of this game with Madden, you would truly have something special. The create a player seems a bit limited, and the franchise mode doesn't look as good as Madden's, but overall, I am really impressed. Godzilla, you shouldn't hesitate to go out and pick this up.

Marmel's world will probably come crashing down when he reads this... :p

Sega Whore. ;)

[bamcgee]

I was planning on exchanging Madden for ESPN today, but just to allay my doubts, can anyone talk about the Sega franchise mode? How is the draft handled? How does it compare? Thanks.

[Balldog]

Originally posted by bamcgee
I was planning on exchanging Madden for ESPN today, but just to allay my doubts, can anyone talk about the Sega franchise mode? How is the draft handled? How does it compare? Thanks.

Sega's franchise mode is pretty cut and dry. There is really nothing to it other than signing FAs and drafting players. The draft is handled the same as Madden's. They tell you that you can edit the rookies to be real players, ie - Clarett. But you really can only edit about 20 players.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Originally posted by Kodos
Well, I went ahead and got an Xbox and ESPN Football after testing the game out for a while at Best Buy. While I have tried (and disliked) every version of the NFL 2k series since it came out, I have to say that this years version is REALLY good. The presentation is great, and it seems to play well, even though I am somewhat struggling to get used to the controller S, being so acclimated to the dual shock. Right now, I have very little in the way of complaints about this game. If we could just combine the best aspects of this game with Madden, you would truly have something special. The create a player seems a bit limited, and the franchise mode doesn't look as good as Madden's, but overall, I am really impressed. Godzilla, you shouldn't hesitate to go out and pick this up.

Marmel's world will probably come crashing down when he reads this... :p

Thanks, Kodos! I've decided to buy, but to wait for the X-box to drop to $149.00. Another kiddie on the way means that I won't really play much in the next few weeks anyway. I'm hoping the Gamecube drop to $99 will lead the way for the long-rumored $149 X-box and PS2.

[MizzouRah]

Ok, after spending some (actually alot) of time this week with ESPN NFL 2k4 as a rental, I'm almost ready to purchase it. It's funny, the presentation of ESPN is that good that when Madden is in the ps2, I can't get into it as much. Definitly a first for me with Sega's football game. The gameplay is also feeling better than Madden after many games this weekend. I still like Madden just as well, but the owner mode is too 'fuzzy' for me - hence doesn't matter as I turn it off in franchise mode. So, a few questions for those of you who have ESPN NFL 2k4.

1. To me 10 min quarters feels just about perfect as far as the # of plays I run, do most use the same?

2. What is this about having to turn the mins down, then sim the rest of the weeks games? If that is true, what do you turn it down to for realistic stats? This would really bug the crap out of me?!?!

3. Is coach mode that good?

4. I like how the game is slower, allows me to look at my recievers a little better - what level do most of you play on? Pro seems good, all-pro a little hard to bring down RB's.

5. Anyone a few seasons into their dynasty who can shed some light on the draft and any other extras about the game?


Thanks,

Todd

[MizzouRah]

dola,

Damn...not one post with some insight on ESPN Football?

Don't make me go to the kiddie forums, please!!!

:(


Todd

[illinifan999]

Madden rulez!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111 ;)

I played it at Best Buy, then at a friend's house. I had one thought. Where's my Madden? Seriously, we had a tournament and I lucked out and drew the Bucs. My first opponent, the Bengals. Final score: 42-17 Bengals. Of course it helped that Dillon rushed for 320 yards with about 42 broken tackles. :rolleyes: I played about 10 games and most were like that with the stats not quite as exagerrated, but damn. The first-person mode was pretty damn good though. Also, I do like some of the animations a little better than Madden, but still all those broken tackles.....

[bamcgee]

I got it recently and love it over Madden, which I traded in. In response to your questions,

1) I play 9 min. quarters and have done fine stats-wise, but 10 is a nice round number
2) I'm not quite sure I'm following you, but the sim engine seems to work best at the default minutes (I think it's five). If you switch the sim engine to 9 minutes per quarter, stats will get way too high.
3) for me, the nicest thing about ESPN is that I actually want to play it. With Madden, I'll be damned if I ever touched the controller while on defense. So I don't really know if the coach mode is good or not.
4) I'm a veteran of several years of NFL2k on Sega, so I bumped it up to All star. Last game with a good team went down to the wire, so I feel like it's a good match. At Pro, my WRs caught almost everything.
5) The career stuff is definitely a generation behind Madden in my opinion. I don't sense the detail behind it to the same level. Draft is ok, revealing attributes with more scouting - but I enjoyed Madden's more. For one thing, it's a little difficult to uncover who's a player even after two hours of scouting. It's also too easy to trade for draft picks. The fantasy draft isn't as refined - AI doesn't value youth enough.

Nevertheless, career mode is not bad. And the gameplay and presentation is head and shoulders better.

[MizzouRah]

2) I'm not quite sure I'm following you, but the sim engine seems to work best at the default minutes (I think it's five). If you switch the sim engine to 9 minutes per quarter, stats will get way too high


Thanks for the answers!

So, you play your game at say, 9 minutes, then after you're done you have to change them back to 5 minutes, sim the rest of the week and back to 9 again?

Meaning: If you kept the minutes set to 9, the rest of the league's stats would be out of whack?


Thanks again,

Todd

[NevStar]

In leagues, you can change 2 different game time settings: One for played game times and one for simmed games. So set the gameplay setting to 9 minutes & the league sim time to 5 minutes.

Seems like a half-assed last second addition they threw in because their sim engine wasn't realistic, but, hey, it works.

[kingnebwsu]

A copy is due back on Wednesday at my local video store, I'll post some impressions then. Glad they put the 2 different time thing in there to avoid switching. Hope they fix that totally in next year's version though.

[MizzouRah]

Originally posted by NevStar
In leagues, you can change 2 different game time settings: One for played game times and one for simmed games. So set the gameplay setting to 9 minutes & the league sim time to 5 minutes.

Seems like a half-assed last second addition they threw in because their sim engine wasn't realistic, but, hey, it works.


That's good to hear. I've read some people use 5 mins sim for the first 8 weeks and 4 mins for the last 8 weeks? Does 5 seems pretty close to decent stats for the rest of the league?


Thanks,

Todd

[MizzouRah]

Well, I purchased it tonight. Many games later and I'm ready to start my franchise with the Rams.

I had a friend over tonight and he was amazed at how much the game resembled football. The presentation is unreal.


Todd

[SackAttack]

My biggest gripe with ESPN right now is that I'm having a problem with getting a dirty disc error when I try to click 'Exit' after each game.

It tries to load, hangs, and then says that the disc may be dirty or damaged.

Sometimes it fixes itself after a minute or so, sometimes it doesn't and I lose the game I just played. Anybody else have that happen?

[ice4277]

Originally posted by MizzouRah
Well, I purchased it tonight. Many games later and I'm ready to start my franchise with the Rams.

I had a friend over tonight and he was amazed at how much the game resembled football. The presentation is unreal.


Todd

I just picked it up today as well, and I agree, the presentation is simply amazing. It definitely sets new standards for sports games. I didn't get a chance to play too much, the gameplay feels similar to the 2k series on the Dreamcast, hopefully I will get the chance to start a franchise today.