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Next Madden 13 title update lands Thursday, adds Ultimate Team features
The fourth title update for Madden NFL 13 is scheduled to go live November 29, and includes a few new features for Madden Ultimate Team (MUT). The ability to set multiple lineups for your MUT squad highlights the list of changes. Players will now be able to save up to five different lineups.Another change coming in this week's title update is described as "more nuanced roster management," and is also geared towards Ultimate Team. Instead of breaking down roster management by offense, defense and special teams in MUT, the update sorts teams by more specific positions, such as offensive line and defensive secondary. Each roster segment will show your team's starters as well as eligible players on your bench. The Madden team is also adding a boosts screen in this update, which will display every ratings boost equipped to your team.Among the other features being added to MUT are quick collections and the ability to play two minute quarters in the mode. Quick collections reward players that are among the first to finish a card collection in Madden Ultimate Team with special bonuses."What we're really striving for is aiming these title updates not just at bug fixes, but adding brand-new content so people feel like they're constantly getting a new game experience," an EA rep told Joystiq. Past title updates added server-side fantasy drafts and player editing in career mode. We've also been told that another announcement is due later this week. Click past the break to see the list of bug fixes included in the update. %Gallery-172015%
Approaching Wii U's GamePad like a 'toy' in Madden NFL 13
Madden NFL 13 on Wii U may lack the Infinity Engine, which brought stronger collisions and dynamic animations into the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game, but the console's gamepad fills that void with a tablet-drive, play calling system. The only problem, EA tells Joystiq, was getting players to want to use the new control system."A challenging thing at the beginning was getting people to actually want to touch the screen," says Yuri Bialoskursky, lead designer on Madden 13 for Wii U. "They would just stare at it blankly and not interact with it. We had to come up with a way to make it like a toy, essentially – make you want to mess around with it."The Wii U GamePad lets players navigate their playbook through the gamepad's touch screen, allowing them to tap and drag to the right play. More importantly, players can draw offensive and defensive hot routes right on the screen. Offensive and defensive linemen are represented by yellow circles, while the hot routes you draw are represented by a red line. You can also play in "detached mode" and play Madden entirely on the WiiPad, freeing your television for any other piece of entertainment, like watching real life football.%Gallery-168180%
Next Madden 13 update lands October 16, adds career mode features
When the folks at EA Tiburon told us they were "committed to post-launch support" of Madden 13 back in August, we weren't told just how often the game would see that support. As it turns out, the next update is scheduled to release October 16, about a month after the previous update.This update, the third one for Madden 13, fixes some gameplay and presentation issues while focusing on the game's career mode. Connected Careers mode is getting some noteworthy updates this month with the addition of player editing for online leagues, the ability to use custom rosters offline, and the option to change offensive and defensive coaching schemes. Aside from new features, Connected Careers is also receiving a number of fixes for some of its glaring issues, including a fix for the online mode's broken accelerated clock.
Madden 13 gets server-side fantasy drafts
EA Tiburon detailed the inclusion of fantasy drafts for online Connected Careers franchises for Madden 13 in a recent blog. The feature, which now allows players to run a 54-round fantasy draft when starting an online franchise-style league, was not initially included in the game's feature set, much to the dismay of many players.EA Tiburon is "looking into adding similar functionality into offline Connected Careers in the future," so the fantasy draft feature is currently locked to online Connected Careers leagues, which can still be played as a single-player franchise.
Madden 13 getting Ultimate Team 'key packs,' complete player ratings revealed
EA's Madden team detailed new card packs for Madden Ultimate Team this week called "key packs." By completing full sets of solo challenges and card collections in the Madden NFL 13 mode, players earn one random key card, one of 38 rare collectible player cards available at the game's launch. Those addicted to the series' card-collecting mode will be happy to know that these ultra-rare key pack cards can be traded and auctioned away in the game.Also, for the accountant in all of us, EA Sports revealed a spreadsheet that contains every rating of every player in Madden 13 this week. After seeing a gradual reveal of specific ratings for individual positions over the last few weeks, this wealth of information should be beneficial for those starting their own leagues in Connected Careers mode when Madden 13 launches Tuesday.
Metareview: Madden NFL 13
As the latest in EA Sports' ongoing pro football series, Madden NFL 13 introduced the hard-hitting Infinity Engine and Connected Careers mode this year as noteworthy additions among a fair amount of issues. Our review saw the game as "the foundation for eventual excellence." Here's what other critics around the web had to say about this year's Madden: GamesRadar (4.5/5): "It's not often that a stalwart franchise like this reinvents itself so significantly, but Madden NFL 13 has pulled this off with aplomb. Brimming with innovation on the field and off, it's the best Madden of the generation." EGM (8/10): "All in all, it's clear the team at Tiburon took a hard look at ways to bring the franchise back to its former glory. Some annoying bugs persist here and there, but overall, Madden NFL 13 stands as one of my favorite football experiences of this generation." Polygon (8/10): "Madden 13 gives players a ton of options without explaining them in detail, and that's an issue. But Madden NFL 13 represents a giant leap over its predecessors. It's easily the best Madden title of this console cycle, and it's notable for the ways in which it clearly sets the stage for Tiburon to make a graceful transition into the next generation." OXM (7.5/10): "The engine shows a great deal of promise, and Connected Careers features a lot of interesting ideas, but there's no question that this is a rebuilding year. The best news is that EA finally seems to be on the right track. Give it another year, and Madden may at last be a true contender."%Gallery-157686%
Madden 13's top ten defenders, more receivers ratings revealed
With Madden NFL 13 launching in less than a week, EA Sports unleashed its latest category of player ratings for the game. The video above details the top ten overall defenders in the game to start the season.Notably missing from the top ten list are defenders from the Super Bowl champion New York Giants team, such as Jason Pierre-Paul. Even considering his offseason injury, it's a curious decision to leave the 2011 Defensive Player of the Year winner Terrell Suggs out of the top ten list as well, while putting his fellow Baltimore Ravens teammates Haloti Ngata and Ed Reed in the mix.As usual, EA Sports began casting votes for the top-rated defenders in speed, tackling, hit power, and man coverage on their Facebook page this week. Currently, Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson is winning in the speed category, Patrick Willis of the 49ers has a slim lead over Ray Lewis of the Ravens in the hit power category and also is in the lead for the tackling category. Darrelle Revis, New York Jets cornerback and number one defender in the game is leading the vote for the highest man coverage rating.Lastly, EA Sports recently released a complete list of ratings for every receiver in the game. Take a look at a more thorough breakdown of the top ten wide receivers and tight ends in Madden 13 and their overall, speed, acceleration, strength, awareness, and catching ratings after the break.
Madden 13's top ten receivers, more running back ratings revealed
The video above video shows the top ten receivers in Madden NFL 13. Like last week's ratings reveal, EA Sports has hall of fame running back Marshall Faulk gushing over (what EA Tiburon perceives as) the NFL's best receivers.This year's cover athlete Calvin Johnson Jr. of the Detroit Lions makes an obvious claim for the top spot, but is joined by an interesting crew of top talent. While the 15-1 Green Bay Packers have no receivers on the top ten list (no Jordy Nelson or Greg Jennings?), the New England Patriots boast the second and eighth spots with tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Wes Welker, respectively.EA Sports continued its voting process this week on its Facebook page to determine the best receivers in the speed, agility, route running, and spectacular catch categories. As of this writing, Chicago Bears receiver Devin Hester will have the highest speed among receivers in the game, Calvin Johnson Jr. will have the highest spectacular catch rating, and the Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald is winning the vote for the best route-running skills in Madden 13.Additionally, EA Sports recently unveiled a full list of ratings for nearly every running back in the game. Check out a more thorough breakdown of the top ten runners and fullbacks and their overall, speed, acceleration, strength, trucking, and elusiveness ratings after the break.
PSA: Madden 13 demo lands this Tuesday, Sexy Rexy returns
Madden 13's demo will be available August 14, and features match-ups between the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins, the latter being led in a pre-game cheer by backup QB Rex "Sexy Rexy" Grossman in the announcement trailer above. The Redskins have a clear-cut starting quarterback in their second overall draft choice Robert Griffin III, who is rated 83 overall in the game and is also prominently featured in the trailer, but it's good to see Grossman (rated 75 overall) getting digitally fired up from the sidelines these days.The demo also features a rematch between the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants and the NFC runner-ups, the San Francisco 49ers. While doing the salsa dance in the end zone with Giants receiver Victor Cruz sounds like a good time, we'll be opting to solve the Russell Wilson/Matt Flynn/Tarvaris Jackson QB conundrum in Seattle on Tuesday. Madden 13 is set to launch on August 28 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PlayStation Vita.
Madden 13's top ten running backs and quarterbacks revealed
Leading up to the release of Madden NFL 13 on August 28, EA Sports started a campaign to reveal the oh-so-important player ratings last week. The developer at EA Tiburon has released a video featuring hall of fame running back Marshall Faulk, who discusses the game's initial top ten-ranked running backs.Over the course of the week, fans can vote for individual players to receive the highest skill ratings in the speed, acceleration, trucking, and elusiveness categories on EA Sports' Madden NFL Facebook page. As of now, Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans) and Marshawn Lynch (Seattle Seahawks) received the most votes for the speed and trucking categories, respectively.
Madden 13 on Wii U features touch play-calling, hot routes
A Wii U version of Madden NFL 13 was briefly detailed at EA's Summer Showcase event today. Developed by EA Tiburon, the game will include many of the same features to be seen in the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, including Total Control Passing and the game's improved "read and react" defensive AI. The much-touted Connected Careers mode will also find its way to Wii U, along with commentary by Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. The Madden 13 Wii U demo at the event demonstrated new touch-screen play-calling methods, player management, and pre-snap adjustments on the GamePad controller. Additionally, players will be able to draw hot routes for their receivers on the controller's screen, not unlike the series' "call your shots" modes on the Wii. Madden 13 will launch with the Wii U later this year.
Madden 13 aims to be the 'first true sports RPG'
After Electronic Arts held its E3 2012 press conference Monday, the Madden NFL 13 team streamed the latest in its series of "playbook" videos detailing the game's Connected Careers mode. The mode is new to the series, but was described by Senior Designer Josh Looman as a combination of the familiar superstar and franchise modes of the past. "Franchise mode is dead. Online franchise mode is dead. Superstar mode is dead," Looman explained. "It's really the first true sports RPG." In Connected Careers, players will have the option of controlling individual football players or coaches, the latter being more akin to the standard "call all the plays, use all the players" game of Madden. The mode can be played alone or in a league of 32 players, clearing away any distinctions between online and offline franchise modes we've been accustomed to.
