madden-11
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Supreme Court ruling states NFL teams are separate entities
According to USA Today, a recent Supreme Court ruling has denied the National Football League antitrust law protections, stating that its 32 constituent teams must be considered separate entities. The court reversed the dismissal of a suit filed against the league by American Needle, Inc., a company which was locked out of the football-themed hatmaking business after the NFL penned a 10-year exclusivity agreement with Reebok. Gee, that sounds awfully familiar. The case of American Needle v. NFL has returned to the lower courts, where a decision in favor of the former could drastically change the face of the NFL's licensing business. In short, if the district courts find the league in violation of antitrust laws, it could repeal exclusivity agreements like the one with Reebok -- or, likely more pertinent to your interests, the one with EA Sports, which brought a hasty end to the NFL2K series. We'll keep an eye out for further developments in this lawsuit.
EA taps Gus Johnson for Madden 11 commentary
Gus Johnson is no ho-hum, run-of-the-mill announcer. He really gets into it. EA has taken notice and tapped Johnson for play-by-play announcer duties in Madden 11. Johnson will join Cris Collinsworth, who returns this year to provide the color commentary. Johnson replaces Tom Hammond, whose commentary tracks last year were criticized by Madden players as being wooden and lifeless. While it's difficult to program engaging game commentary with pre-recorded audio, EA Tiburon remains committed to improving this facet of its football mega-franchise. With 90,000 lines of dialogue going into Madden 11, players will hear more dynamic play-calling than in past iterations, whether it's when a receiver drops a catch or a running back breaks into the open field. Above, watch a video of some of the developers discussing the new audio approach in Madden 11. For a preview of Johnson doing some lines for the game, hit up ESPN.
Madden 11 videos chant new 'Simpler, Quicker, Deeper' design mantra
"Simpler, Quicker, Deeper." That's the tag line for Madden 11, as EA appears to be angling for the attention of the unsophisticated, no-time-to-waste "casual" demographic without dissuading its hardcore player base. The new Madden will be made both "simpler" and "quicker" through GameFlow, the buzzword for an optional auto–play calling mode, which puts players in the role of a quarterback that receives his plays from an AI coach. "Not everyone has an hour to dedicate," says senior producer Phil Frazier, alluding to the average length of a typical Maddden match. GameFlow is said to shave down match times to 30 minutes. But fear not, bro, Madden also goes "deeper" this year with the option to create custom game plans before each match. Plus, there's another buzzword to memorize: Locomotion. That's the name for the game's "all new" animation system. While still short of the highs achieved by the Euphoria-powered animations of Backbreaker, there is a gameplay component to Madden's Locomotion system: Players can now lean and dodge during runs with the analog sticks. According to the trailer, Madden 11 "will make every football game before it obsolete." (At least, GameStop's trade-in value will certainly reflect this sentiment.) Check out the dev diaries after the break, if you're not yet sufficiently pumped up for game day: August 10. %Gallery-91909%
Madden 11 demo is Jets vs. Colts, will release in 'late July'
Hot on the heels of the Madden NFL 11 announcement revealing Drew Brees for the cover, the votes have been tallied for the teams featured in the requisite pre-release demo: it'll be the Jets vs. Colts. The news comes via the official Madden NFL site, where voting was opened in late March to decide whether the demo would recreate the AFC Championship game, the NFC Championship game or the Super Bowl. There must've been a lot of disgruntled Jets fans voting in that poll. Anxious to know when to expect the demo, Joystiq contacted EA Sports. A spokesperson was kind enough to reveal that the developer was aiming to hit the virtual gridiron sometime in "late July."
Drew Brees singled out for Madden 11 cover
Boy, how quickly it all can change: One moment you're leading America's darling Saints to a Super Bowl victory and the next you're cursed by the very same fans that cheered you on. Such is the fate of New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, who has almost certainly been afflicted with the "Madden Curse" following his selection as Madden NFL 11 cover guy. Perhaps unwittingly, fans hexed Brees through an online poll -- each click like a pin prick in a voodoo doll -- and now the Saints ownership must be scrambling to land a backup QB in the NFL draft tonight. The first shot at Brees' knees will be televised nationally -- always a good betting opportunity -- when the NFL kicks off its regular season with the Saints hosting the Vikings on Thursday, September 9 on NBC. (That is, if Brees even manages to survive the preseason.) Something tells us he's gonna need more than a good luck kiss on the cheek. Madden 11 will be released on August 10 for Xbox 360, PS3 (and PS2), Wii and PSP. Mobile versions, including an iPhone and iPod Touch release, will also be available.
EA shifting ad sales in-house starting with Madden NFL 11
EA's been keen on in-game advertising since 2006, and, two years ago, signed a pretty big deal with in-game ad provider Massive. Apparently, though, EA won't be re-upping that agreement. As Mediaweek reports, the publisher has instead decided to take it upon itself to coordinate in-game ad sales starting with Madden NFL 11. Elizabeth Harz from EA's global media sales division says it's basically a situation in which EA is cutting out the middle man. "Fundamentally, [EA sales execs] are talking about these gaming audiences everyday already," meaning that EA is already discussing who's playing and what products would best target those audiences.On its own, EA can create more diverse and specific advertising packages, with increased ability to personalize packages based on the potential advertisers' targeted demographic. Exciting stuff, we know. [Via Game Politics]
Medal of Honor, APB dated for Summer 2010
According to EA's list of upcoming titles in its latest earnings report, a couple of high-profile games are going to be released this summer between July 1 and September 30: Realtime Worlds' crime-themed MMO APB (which is likely to be the "major MMO" to whose spring release John Riccitiello referred to previously), and ... a "TBA" Medal of Honor title -- possibly the one with the beard. EA did say that game would be out before March 2011! The summer release is listed for consoles, PC and handhelds. Also due out in the quarter: the expected spate of annual sports franchises (Madden, FIFA, FIFA Online, NHL), a Monopoly game for consoles and handhelds, and a new MySims title -- we're guessing MySims Sky Heroes.
You can choose the Madden 11 cover athlete
Another year, another Madden cover announcement. But wait, this year has a twist! EA and Doritos have teamed up with a unique promotion, allowing fans to vote on who they want to grace the cover of this year's annual gridiron update. The three candidates for this year's cover include Vikings' defensive end Jared Allen, Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne. It may be tempting to choose your favorite athlete out of the bunch, but we urge you to play it smart. Instead, think about this as a strategic opportunity to inflict the Madden Curse on your most hated team! Best of all, you can vote every day to inflict as much negative karma as possible. In addition to being able to decide who lands the cover of Madden 11, the Doritos-sponsored promotion also offers entry into a contest. Most notably, the weekly grand prize is a trip for two to see the NFL Draft in New York City this April. Considering you don't have to buy a single bag of Doritos to participate, this promo seems like a must for any NFL fan.
