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Season Update: What's new in Madden 09
The biggest question we hear every single year with the Madden franchise (and in fact, most EA Sports titles) is, "How is this game any different than last year's?" Snarky responses about the roster change aside (and even that gets fumbled sometimes), the gridiron gang at our sister site X3F have assembled the Season Update, calling out the differences (both good and bad) between Madden 09 and its immediate predecessor. For those still on the fence about picking up a copy, click here for the play-by-play.
Video: Madden 08 versus Madden 09 visuals
On a mission to prove that Madden NFL 09 is a ginormous step forward in the Madden franchise, EA released a new visual comparison video that pits the graphics of Madden 08 versus Madden 09. And, as you can see above, Madden 09 does actually look better, especially when it comes to weather effects and lighting. The bigger, more pressing question is whether or not we should praise EA for adding such improvements that are normally commonplace among game sequels. It's a step in the right direction, but we have a feeling Madden fans are demanding a lot more.
EA announces NFL Head Coach 2009
During the dog days of summer in 2006, EA Sports released their first console sports management simulator to great success. That's commercial success, not critical. While NFL Head Coach was initially popular the game and it's many exploits turned many players off. Well, in a move that seems incomprehensible, EA waited a few years to work on a sequel and has just announced NFL Head Coach 2009.With two-time Super Bowl winner Tony Dungy, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, gracing the cover, the EA Tiburon developed title makes the jump to the Xbox 360 and PS3 with an expected summer release. We (Read: Just me, Xav) are actually pretty excited about playing a revamped version of NFL Head Coach. Let's just hope EA was actually working on the title and not investing in more 19-0 hat factories.
Super Bowl Sunday: Predictions, snacks and games
Today, American football takes center stage as Super Bowl XLII clogs the television airwaves pitting the New England Patriots against the New York Giants. And even though the Madden Bowl festivities have all but come and gone (though, Play & Win is still trucking along), you can still celebrate XLII by cruising the Super Bowl Madden simulations (hint: Patriots can't lose) and possibly play some Madden 08 to get into the football mood. And for those who aren't about watching the jock on jock spectacle, then we say celebrate the Super Bowl your own way. Pop in your favorite 360 game of choice, gorge on salty sweet snacks, order a pizza (or six) and gawk at the million dollar commercials that will be aired. Kickoff is at 6:18PM eastern (how very specific), so make tonight an event however you choose. Just be sure to keep positive thoughts of the Patriots scoring every drive in the back of your head ... that's all we ask.
Madden Bowl celebrates the Super Bowl on Live
EA, Madden 08 and Xbox Live are teaming up to make this year's Super Bowl the best it can be with a Live event called Madden Bowl! Kicking off (huzzah!) Thursday, January 31st and running through February 3rd will be all kinds of Xbox Live activities including playtime with the developers of both Madden 08 and NFL Tour, playtime with various community groups and celebrity playtime with, well, celebrities. And no Xbox Live event can be official without a Play & Win (it's an unwritten rule), so Madden Bowl has that too. A Play & Win where you can win autographed goods and a trip to EA Sports' NFL draft event in New York City. Registration is open online or you can download the exclusive Madden Bowl gamer picture off the XBLM. Full details after the jump.Go Madden Bowl, go Super Bowl XLII and go Patriots go! Brady FTW!
December's Sunday deals are plentiful
It's the holidays and that means you must treat yourself to a new video game. That's just the way it works guys. And to help with your game purchasing endeavor, we've wrangled up some of this week's best deals. So, go ahead and take a gander, because there's a lot of clicking to do.The only notable offer Circuit City has running this week is Two Worlds for $40. Not all that exciting, so let's move on over to Best Buy. They have Saints Row for $20, The Orange Box, TimeShift and Madden 08 for $50 and they're also offering a $5 gift card with the purchase of any family friendly or social title including Viva Pinata, Viva Pinata: Party Animals, Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal, PopCap Arcade: Volume 1, Rock Band, Guitar Hero III and Scene It? Hopefully you got all that, because our linking abilities are taxed. Target is giving out free $10 gift cards with the purchase of either Madden NFL, NBA Live or FIFA 08. Finally, Kmart is offering a $25 gift card (mail in offer) with the purchase of an Xbox 360, $10 off all EA Sports games and an offer where if you can buy one game you get another for 50% off. Select games only, CoD4 and Proving Grounds included.Our head hurts now, deal searching is mind numbingly difficult. So, if you spotted a great deal online or in-store this week feel free to share with your fellow fanboys. Just don't hurt your head, today's hunting has put us out of commission for the rest of the day.
Madden '08 Xbox 360 vs. PS3 comparison video
Here we have GameTrailers presenting a side-by-side comparison video of Madden '08 on the PS3 and the Xbox 360. We know what USA Today thinks is better -- they went with the Xbox 360. We also know what "EA tech support" thinks on the issue. They "fully understand and respect" if you go with the Xbox 360 version, because with the PS3 version it was "very difficult to get it right the first time." Now, it's very difficult to get a proper grip on how much of a difference the two console's respective frame rates bring to the presentation in this video, because the video goes at its own frame rate, so whatever that's set at is what you're watching. Essentially, you're just looking at whatever pops out as being different. What do you all think? Update: We added GameVideos comparison video after the break.
EA 'tech. support' explains PS3 Madden frame rate issues
It's been no secret that the Xbox 360 version of Madden '08 was going to be better than the PS3 version, but nobody really expected it to be this big of a difference. Less than 24 hours into Madden's release, the difference between the two versions has become a serious point of contention. Maxconsole has the alleged response from EA technical support about the frame rate issues on the PS3 version of Madden '08. "Rob M." from EA Sports technical support says he understands gamers "frustration," but says that EA has been "developing titles for the Xbox 360 for over 3 1/2 years" and has only been working with the PS3 for over a year. He goes on to say it's "very difficult to get it right the first time." He goes on to say that that 30 frames per second is the same for all PS3 sports games, and they're happy to point out that the same holds true for 2K Sports as well. He finishes by saying that "if you choose not to purchase the [PS3 version], it is a choice [they] fully understand and respect." Definitely expect a little bit more ire about this PS3 Madden thing as people start making lists of all the issues.
Pigskin Metareview: NCAA 08 vs All-Pro 2K8 vs Madden 08
We're about halfway through the summer, and for football fans it's one of the itchiest times of the year. The official season is scant weeks away from starting, and you have to find ways to while away the time until you can play sideline coach once again and scream at the television until the veins in your forehead spell out the initials of your college team.Some people pass the time by going on vacation, others read quietly, some take up a new hobby, like whittling, and still others reflect on the nature of man vs. the infinite. The rest of us simply purchase the latest football games and pick up the yelling and screaming like it never left off. With that in mind, we're rounding up the reviews for this year's crop of gridiron offerings. Choose wisely, and prepare yourself for some thumb blistering goodness.
Madden really wants you to Ring in '08
Want to wear your Madden skillz on the street as bling? EA is giving you the chance this season with a customizable, unlockable "Ring of a Champion" that you can actually order from Jostens -- ring maker of the Super Bowl ring ... and countless graduation rings across the nation. You might even be able to convince some gullible soul that you actually scored a real Super Bowl ring, and possibly get yourself bumped up to first class on occasion. Plus, if you get into a street brawl, you've got some serious hardware on your fingers. The rings are unlocked by progressing to various levels as you play the game. Once you reach level three, you'll get a code in the game that will let you order the ring. The further you progress, the more you can customize your ring. You'll also be able to stick any of the NFL teams on there, and you can get the cheapo version in a "non precious ring" (Gollum will be so upset) for $149, or the flamboyant 14k gold version for $495. The finger bling comes studded with cubic zirconium, but Jostens will let you add real diamonds if you have a bottomless savings account and a real desire to toss your money away. The rings will be available only on the "next gen" (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) systems, sorry Wii-ers. Check out the pix of the bling below, and you can read the press release after the break. %Gallery-4923%
Sunday deals offer free Live and gift cards too
Today is Sunday and that means it's time to talk about this week's Xbox 360 super-Sunday-deals-of-money-savings-greatness! As usual, Circuit City has all the savings this week by offering up a free year of Xbox Live with purchase of any Xbox 360 console. You want video game deals? Well, if you're looking to get your Madden on later this year, plop down a preorder on Madden 08 and Circuit City will give you $25 towards a FansEdge.com order. And if Madden is too long of a wait to play football, this week NCAA Football 08 is available and if purchased at Circuit City they'll give you $10 gift card to boot. There you go, that was the best of the best Xbox 360 deals this week. Pull out your plastic and shop, shop the day away!
1UP: 360 football games to run faster than PS3
Football is a game of split second decisions, and simulating the sport on the Xbox 360 will soon let you split those seconds more finely. 1UP is reporting that this summer's major pigskin simulators -- EA's Madden NFL 08 and NCAA Football 2008 and 2K Sports' All-Pro Football 2K8 -- will run at 60 frames per second on the Xbox 360 and 30 frames per second on the PS3. The move represents a jump from previous Madden games, which ran at 30 frames per second on all platforms, including the Xbox 360 and PS3. While the additional frames mean smoother, more fluid animation in the 360 versions, it's still unclear how the jump will impact graphical fidelity or resolution. A comparison between both versions of last year's Madden 07 conducted by Gamespot showed the 360 version had "sharper textures on the character models in the close-up shots shown between plays." In comparing this year's games, 1UP simply stated that "All-Pro Football 2K8 definitely runs better on Xbox 360." The reasons behind this frame rate difference are hard to pin down. Todd Sitrin, EA Vice President of Marketing Sports Branding, told 1UP that there are trade offs in designing football simulations and that "every company making a football game this year made a decision that the best experience for the Xbox 360 included 60fps whereas the best experience for the PS3 was 30fps." Extra time and familiarity with the Xbox 360 hardware could have influenced the development, as could the purported difficulty in programming for the PS3's multi-processor architecture. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
60 FPS: Football will be better on the 360
1UP is reporting that all the heavy hitting football games coming out this year (Madden 08, NCAA Football 08, and All-Pro Football 2K8) will be running best on the Xbox 360. 30 frames smoother to be exact. 1UP says that they've confirmed with developers that the 360 versions of each football game will run at a buttery smooth 60 frames per second while the PS3 version will have to settle for 30 frames per second. What does that mean? Well, it means animations will be smoother, faster and less jarring than the PS3 version. And that's a good thing.We aren't sure why the PS3 versions of the games are stuck at 30 FPS, but we're thinking the dev teams just didn't find it worth the extra cash to optimize it for the platform. But even if that were the case it should still put a feather in Microsoft's ego cap, because it would just further prove that the 360 is easier to develop for.
Touchdown! EA unloads Madden 08 info
Boy oh boy has there been a bunch of Madden 08 news hitting the internet lately and we figured what better way to get you the dish than recapping all of it in one convenient post. Yeah, that kind of logic could only come from the smartest of bloggers. So, let's get right into all the crunchy Madden 08 news and media.First off, EA released Madden 08's official soundtrack list including tracks from The Hives, Timbaland, Daddy Yankee and Xbox Artist of the Month Ozzy Osbourne. Madden 08 sounds like it's going to be a rocking good time. Also released were screenshots featuring all twenty-four new "weapons" classifications which are used to show players' crazy advanced abilities. It's a brand new way to identify stand out players and a first for the Madden franchise. The third piece of Madden 08 goodness comes in the form of a new trailer that we've embedded above. Give it a watch and you'll agree that stiff arms and side stepping never looked so nice. Finally, the Gamerscore Blog crew posted a few photos and a writeup of EA's little Madden 08 party which was held in LA the other night.Now, if that's not enough Madden 08 news to keep you satisfied then by golly you're a football addict and need to drink some Gatorade. Go hit the showers and review all the new Madden news, because August 14th will be here soon enough.[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Madden 08 pulls out its weaponry
One of the new features of Electronic Arts' Madden 08 is the use of weapons -- special medals associated with certain players to signify their strengths. These aren't real weapons, mind you, but O, how we long for the days of Mutant League Football. These are more like situation-specific special moves. A player with the Big Foot Kicker weapon, for example, can kick the ball "farther than anyone in the game."IGN is outlining the 24 weapons featured in the game, so that enthusiasts can start planning and dreaming up their weapon combinations. Cannon Arm QB with a Quick Receiver? Let's hope one of their defenders doesn't have the Speed weapon.%Gallery-4322%
Madden 08 Wii online without friend codes
The next installment of Electronic Arts' Madden 08 will feature online multiplayer but will not be using Nintendo's friend code system, according to associate producer Damian Zerr in an interview with IGN. "Madden Wii doesn't support the Wii friends system during online play," he said. "This is something we're still working on with Nintendo. For now our online play uses your EA Nation Persona to search and manage your EA Messenger account." IGN does not press further as to why EA made this decision, leaving us to only speculate the reasons why. Perhaps EA is as distraught with the system as many Joystiq readers have conveyed. No voice chat will be available during online play, relying instead on EA Messenger for communication (details on how were also not given), but alongside DS connectivity was not ruled out for Madden 09. [Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]
Madden NFL '08 screens to please
You thought we were done talking about sports? Heck no! We've covered baseball, golf, basketball... how could we pass up the opportunity to bring you some American Football news? We've got the latest screens from the 360 oven that's been cooking up Madden NFL '08 and guess what? It looks like football. It smells like football. It probably tastes like football, but we don't know since it's not done cooking yet.Aside from the brightly colored uniform/outfits the players wear, all we see is nifty grass and football details -- kind of. Will the game still play exactly like its predecessors? Will John Madden ever, ever, ever just give up and marry his bags o' cash? We know that some other titles are re-building what made their franchise great... what's Madden going to do differently? We assume it'll stay the same and it'll be fun. If it isn't, we just have to wait until next year for another one.
Madden 08 gives a perfect 100
Extremely obsessed and knowledgeable Madden fans know that the game has never given out a perfect 100 in any skill for any player, until now. Madden 08 will give Chicago Bears' crazy fast return man Devin Hester a perfect 100 ranking for speed. Hester's perfect 100 beats out previous high ranking players like Deion Sanders, Randy Moss, and Charles Woodson who all received 99s at their peak. So, is anyone pumped about Madden 08 or are you expecting just more of the same?[Thanks, Chris]
For Madden speed, it don't get bester than Hester
Milestones in human speed: May 6, 1954: Roger Bannister runs a mile in under four minutes. June 14, 2005: Asafa Powell runs 100 meters in 9.77 seconds. April 5, 2007: ESPN reveals Devin Hester will have a speed rating of 100 in Madden NFL '08. Not only does EA think Hester is faster than any other football player in history, the noted kick returner is set to become the first player to get a perfect rating in any stat category in the perennial football franchise. Hester said he was honored by the, er, honor, but not exactly surprised -- according to ESPN, "Hester has been known to have been lobbying members of the Madden NFL 08 development team for the top speed rating." NFL players exerting undue influence on developers? We smell a scandal. Maddengate! Our main question now is what will happen if someone faster than Hester comes along? Will EA create a 101 rating? Or will the 100 rating eventually become like a "perfect ten" game review -- good, but not perfect? [Update: Fixed the date above. Thanks Products] [Thanks tevetorbes]
