EA and NCAA Football Announce Videogame Development Fellowship

[MMChrisS]

While we're not sure what this means other than the fact that a couple of computer nerds/college football players will be bringing coffee to developers -- we'd like to congratulate Richard Mancuso and Clint Oldenburg for getting the chance of a lifetime! Press release follows:


REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jan. 17, 2012 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and NCAA Football today announced that Richard Mancuso and Clint Oldenburg will join the EA SPORTS™ NCAA® Football development team as a part of the inaugural EA SPORTS NCAA Football fellowship, a sixteen-week full-time, paid opportunity for former football student-athletes to apply their skills and knowledge of the sport to the development of the NCAA Football videogame.

Mancuso, a computer science and engineering graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was a three-year starting quarterback, New England Football Conference Rookie of the Year, and was awarded the Boston Globe Golden Helmet Award. Oldenburg, a technical journalism graduate of Colorado State University, was a starting offensive lineman for three years and a fifth round NFL draft pick in 2007.

“We put a premium on identifying individuals that combine real-world experience and knowledge of football with talent and passion for video game development,” said Cam Weber, GM of Football, EA SPORTS. “This first-ever fellowship program provides the fantastic opportunity to help us find experienced football student-athletes, such as Richard and Clint, to add to our development teams and help take our game to the next level.”

For the past 18 years, the NCAA Football videogame franchise has delivered the pride and pageantry of game day by connecting players to the emotion of the college football experience. From fight songs to school specific traditions, all 120 Division I FBS college programs are recreated with unparalleled authenticity. The fellows will both contribute to engineering and design development to further enhance the NCAA Football gameplay experience.

“The inaugural fellows program continues to strengthen our relationship with EA, and it gives former football student-athletes an opportunity to turn their passion and skills for the game into a meaningful professional experience,” added David Bertram, Executive Director of NCAA Football, the coalition established to promote college football, which is managed by IMG College, a division of IMG Worldwide.

The fellowship term will run from January 17 to May 4, 2012. Both positions will be based out of the EA Tiburon studio in Orlando, Fla.

NCAA Football is developed in Orlando, Fla. by EA Tiburon. EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, global videogame competitions, and breakthrough digital experiences. EA SPORTS delivers personal access to the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports simulation videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA JAM, NCAA® Football, Fight Night boxing, EA SPORTS MMA, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, and EA SPORTS Active. For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

[Herky]

This is a fantastic move in EA's part. I firmly think what has been holding NCAA back is realism and bringing in ex-players to assist in development is a very good thing.

[Gotmadskillzson]

I didn't even know MIT even had sports teams, let alone a football team.

[scottyo60]

So starting O-lineman now on the team. Please help us in line interaction

[Pokes404]

EA always talks a good game pre-release. Let's see if they're actually going to walk the walk this year.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Quote: Originally Posted by scottyo60

So starting O-lineman now on the team. Please help us in line interaction

Don't jump the gun now.......they had ex QBs and ex RBs on the team for years now. And we just now got scrambling QBs for this generation this year in NCAA 12, but yet the throwing arc and throwing styles are generic and plain. You have RBs who run stiff and don't use their special moves like they suppose to.

So I really don't put too much stock in former football players on the team. I mean hell Ben H is a former lineman himself.......

[BadAssHskr]

progress is progress.

probably better to embrace this, than com out jabbing from the get go.

sounds like a move in the right direction to me.

[BaylorBearBryant]

Why don't... they hire people who play the game and strive to make it better? Similar to Gotmadskillzson and Playmaker.

I don't get it...

[Isura]

Quote: Originally Posted by Herky

This is a fantastic move in EA's part. I firmly think what has been holding NCAA back is realism and bringing in ex-players to assist in development is a very good thing.

There is already a former Auburn player on the NCAA team. He was shown in the "making of ncaa 12" espn special. He was responsible for RTG though, so hopefully they get more ex-players involved in dynasty testing.

[blkrptnt819]

Quote: Originally Posted by Isura

There is already a former Auburn player on the NCAA team. He was shown in the "making of ncaa 12" espn special. He was responsible for RTG though, so hopefully they get more ex-players involved in dynasty testing.

If they do I can see there being mark improvement in that mode.