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Madden 25 title update to fix Ultimate Team issues and injury woes
The next patch for Madden NFL 25 is on the way, EA revealed in a blog post. The title update promises "improved stability" across all game modes and addresses a number of gameplay concerns had by players, such as the frequency of injuries and the ability to truck through tackles being tuned too high. Additionally, players were previously being awarded wins without completing solo challenges in Madden's Ultimate Team mode – another bug being squashed in the upcoming patch. Among the Connected Franchise mode tweaks the title update is expected to fix is the accelerated clock issues found in head-to-head games, as the play clock would not automatically wind down when being set that way in the game's career mode. The patch also addresses a bug in which some athletes from imported draft classes would not have facemasks on their helmets, which just sounds like a group of rookies that prefer to live dangerously to us. We've contacted EA to find out when the patch is expected to arrive and included the full list of fixes provided by the publisher after the break.
Madden 25 getting play-calling assistance on Xbox One
EA announced a Xbox One-exclusive SmartGlass app for Madden NFL 25 called CoachGlass today. The app will be available to players with a phone or tablet that can support SmartGlass at the system's launch on November 19. CoachGlass pulls data from "tens of thousands" of online matches to offer suggestions for play-calling on defense. It factors in the down and distance at any moment in the game, points of reference for where teams are on the field, to determine an opponent's tendencies on offense. The app presents players on defense with a list of the opponent's preferred targets at a given moment as well as the areas of the field they opt to throw or run to at that point in the game. CoachGlass is available to use in every mode of Madden 25 as well, so it's not just relegated to online matches. When Microsoft revealed its SmartGlass app for Xbox 360 at its 2012 pre-E3 press event, EA's Madden series was one of the featured properties being shown off. EA Tiburon wound up shelving its original app idea for Madden 13, in which players could create athletes and then take them on the field in the game.
Report: EA to pay $40 million in student athlete settlement
Electronic Arts' settlement in the ongoing student athlete lawsuits dating back to 2009, filed yesterday, amounts to a $40 million, The New York Times reports. The settlement was announced after EA Sports GM of American Football Cam Weber revealed that the publisher's 2014 college football game has been canceled. Among the cancellation of next year's game and the re-evaluation of its college football series, Weber said the publisher has "been stuck in the middle of a dispute between the NCAA and student-athletes who seek compensation for playing college football." While there's no word on how the settlement amount will be divided among the class, it will reportedly cost EA $40 million. We've contacted the Lanier Law Firm's attorney on the case and EA for confirmation, and we will update as we learn more.
EA Sports cancels 2014 college football game, is evaluating series' future [Update: EA settles lawsuit]
Electronic Arts has canceled its college football game, originally set to publish in 2014. EA Sports GM of American Football Cam Weber wrote in an EA blog that the publisher is "evaluating our plan for the future of the franchise." The news follows the NCAA's decision to not renew its licensing partnership with EA Sports in July, leading the publisher to move forward in a three-year deal with the Collegiate Licensing Company to create college football games without the NCAA names and marks. EA Sports' last published game in the series was NCAA Football 14. Weber notes that the publisher has "been stuck in the middle of a dispute between the NCAA and student-athletes who seek compensation for playing college football," referencing a string of lawsuits, including that of former Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller that began in May 2009. Weber says that while EA has worked to settle these legal issues, college football conferences such as the SEC, Big Ten and Pac-12 withdrew their support for the upcoming game. "Our decision does not affect our commitment to NCAA Football 14 and the consumers who love playing the game," Weber adds. Update: EA and CLC have settled the aforementioned student athlete likeness lawsuit, according to a press release from The Lanier Law Firm, found after the break. "Based on this settlement and other recent court rulings, EA Sports has agreed to change the way it develops future games featuring NCAA athletes in order to protect the rights to their likenesses," the notice reads. Terms of the settlement will be submitted to the court for approval and does not involve the NCAA, which is still a defendant in the case.
How football players make the grade in Madden
If you watch the NFL and play Madden every year as the season progresses, you might use the game as a barometer for real-life player performance. There are over 1,600 athletes playing in the NFL during the regular season, but due to increased roster limits during the offseason - when coaches are testing players to compile their final roster - there could be over 1,100 more players to account for on the field and in the game. Someone has to create and manage the skill ratings for these players in the series every year, and that someone is EA Tiburon's Donny Moore, known at the developer as the Madden team's "Ratings Czar." Moore knows firsthand that some athletes are simply better than others, and they prove it as the NFL season progresses. Take Victor Cruz, for example. He started Madden NFL 12 with an overall player rating in the 60's out of a possible 99, among the worst players in the game. Like other NFL player hopefuls, the New York Giants receiver was an afterthought, since he wasn't selected among the 255 athletes chosen in the seven-round NFL Draft. The odds of an undrafted free agent, and even the occasional players drafted in a lower round in some cases, making a team's final 53-man roster is fairly low, and the perceived talent level of those players, compared to their drafted peers, are even lower. Cruz made the cut, and eventually wowed fans and fantasy football owners throughout the 2011 season. In his debut season's third week, Cruz caught three passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles. In that week's Madden 12 roster update, his overall rating - the out-of-99 score given to players based on performance - jumped from 64 to 72. By season's end the Giants were Super Bowl champions and Cruz's overall Madden 12 rating leapt to 88, thanks to an astonishing 1,536 yard, nine-touchdown season. As Cruz impressed fans, Moore increased his Madden rating, which meant his virtual counterpart's abilities improved as well. %Gallery-188881%
NBA Live 14 hitting the court November 19
NBA Live 14 will launch November 19, EA Sports announced via Twitter. It will launch simultaneously on Xbox One and PS4, and will feature EA Sports' new Ignite Engine, specifically created to cater to the needs of the publishers' upcoming sports games. This will be the first time a game in the series has launched in four years, as NBA Live 13 was canceled in September 2012, two years after NBA Elite 11 was canceled as well. NBA Live 14 will feature Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving on the cover and the BounceTek physics dribbling system.
Rank NFL players, impact weekly Madden 25 roster updates
NFL.com is hosting a Madden 25 player rankings challenge hub, in which users can sort through a list of players every week to decide who is the best of the best. EA says these lists will be compiled, similar to EA's cover athlete voting process in the past, and used as a resource when the team does its weekly Madden 25 roster updates. The voting challenge also includes a special list of 25 young athletes making their mark on the sport today, such as Cardinals corner Patrick Peterson or Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb. EA says fans are "solely responsible" for determining who the top "Next Generation" player will be this year, as each week in the voting process the top player earns 25 points toward their cumulative season total, second place earns 24 points and so on. Given that Madden 25 will launch on next-gen systems this November, crowning a top Next Generation player through fan voting is appropriate. The fan rankings for the other listed positions won't have a direct "one to one" impact on the in-game roster updates that happen after every week of the NFL season, but they also won't be totally ignored, EA says.
EA: Madden 25 sells through over 1 million units in first week
In its first week on store shelves, Madden NFL 25 has sold through more than 1 million copies, EA announced. The publisher also noted that Madden players have clocked in nearly 6 million hours of play time and opened more than 3.3 million card packs in the game's Ultimate Team mode, all in its introductory week. Madden 25 is one of the current-gen games included in the Xbox One and PS4 upgrade programs, such as Microsoft's deal for players to trade up to Xbox One versions of select games for $10. Those upgrading from current-gen to the Xbox One or PS4 versions of Madden 25 will receive an extra six All-Pro card packs in Ultimate Team and can transfer teams to their next-gen system of choice.
Madden NFL 25 launch trailer is nostalgic
Look at all the Maddens I made. Look at them, Anakin! The commemorative Madden NFL 25, which stoked our hearts to four stars full, punts itself into waiting hands worldwide on Xbox 360 and PS3 today, with PS4 and Xbox One versions on the way too.
Madden NFL 25 review: Silver anniversary
Over the years, the Madden series has seen a number of features debut, disappear, and even return again. These features ranged from Madden 11's fairly useless and Old Spice-sponsored Swagger player rating to Madden 06's much-maligned vision cone. EA Sports is celebrating the series' 25th anniversary with Madden 25, a game that brings some of the better features seen in the series together in one package. Generally, the game's on-field play is much better than that of Madden 13. Last year's overly-effective man coverage has been tuned down, and the ease of leading both streak and wheel routes to the far inside of the field, perpetually out of the reach of defenders is a thing of the past. EA Tiburon also introduced a better read option system in Madden 25 this year, in that the game identifies which defenders to watch out for when calling the tricky plays where both the quarterback and running back are a threat to run with the ball in their hands. Madden 25 also includes the new version of the physics engine first introduced in Madden 13, the Infinity Engine.
Here's the full player ratings list for Madden 25
EA Tiburon's player ratings list for Madden 25, at least as it stands for preseason football before the weekly roster updates start in September, is now available. Sporting News has a full spreadsheet with every NFL player's rating, from Seahawks QB Russell Wilson's 86 speed rating to Jets rookie CB Dee Milliner's 88 man coverage rating. Madden 25's release is just around the corner: The game launches August 27 on Xbox 360 and PS3, and will come to Xbox One and PS4 at a later date. Feel free to check out the above trailer for the game's top defensive players, but who doesn't prefer spreadsheets over videos?
Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson top Madden 25's players on offense
EA kicked off its Madden 25 player ratings reveal this week, issuing a single trailer to cover the top five players in each offensive category. The top-rated QB to start the game is Aaron Rodgers at 98 overall, while the top running back is Adrian Peterson, who is rated 99 overall.
SEC branding will not be included in future EA college football games [Update: Big Ten, Pac-12 too]
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) announced it will no longer license its trademarks for EA's future college football games. Teams from the SEC won the last seven straight BCS National Championship games in college football, so EA's next college football game will be without the branding of the sport's most successful conference. "Each school makes its own individual decision regarding whether or not to license their trademarks for use in the EA Sports game(s)," the SEC said in a statement to ESPN. "The Southeastern Conference has chosen not to do so moving forward. Neither the SEC, its member universities, nor the NCAA have ever licensed the right to use the name or likeness of any student to EA Sports." The news comes nearly a month after NCAA opted to not renew its partnership with EA, pulling all NCAA marks from future games from the publisher. EA will continue to make college football games without the NCAA through the use of a non-exclusive three-year deal with the Collegiate Licensing Company. At the end of July, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied an appeal by EA in its ongoing student athlete likeness lawsuit. We've contacted both EA and the CLC for comment, and will update as we learn more. Update: A CLC representative tells Joystiq that "150 collegiate institutions, including SEC schools, have approved renewal of the EA college football license, to begin with the 2015 edition. As with any licensed product, individual schools continue to make their own decisions." Update #2: The Pac-12 and Big Ten conferences are reportedly joining the SEC, and will no longer license their brands to EA. "The Pac-12 Conference has decided not to renew its current licensing agreement with EA Sports that allows the use of Conference trademarks," Pac-12 spokesman Erik Hardenbergh told CBS Sports. "Our member institutions continue to make decisions on their trademarks on a school-by-school basis."
Facebook app shows every team's playbook for Madden 25
With the first week of the preseason in full swing and regular season NFL games on the way, players that are eager for Madden 25 might want to do a little game-planning in advance. Prima Games put together a nice tool for armchair QBs in the form of a free, simple Facebook app that shows every team's offensive and defensive playbooks in the game. The app breaks down plays by formation, so it's easy to find your favorite gun snugs routes without sifting through strong I-formation plays. I like the look of Seattle's mix of plays in the pistol formation, which will go well with the running game improvements and combo moves in the game. Madden 25 will launch on August 27 for Xbox 360 and PS3, and will head to next-gen systems at a later date. The game's demo, which features a Super Bowl rematch between the Ravens and the 49ers, will be available next Tuesday, August 13.
Madden's All-25 team led by Michael Vick
Madden 25's special team comprised of all-time greats from the series will be led by Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. Vick's inclusion in the All-25 team stems from his digital counterpart in Madden NFL 2004, at which point he was the QB for the Atlanta Falcons and cover athlete for the game. Players using Vick in Madden 2004, thanks to his strong arm and blazing speed for a player at his position, were dominant against their friends to the point that it warranted his inclusion in the list. Vick joins a long list of top-tier athletes from the series' history, including Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers at defensive end, Brian Dawkins and Sean Taylor at safety and Deion Sanders and Champ Bailey as the dream team's cornerbacks. Madden 25 is coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 on August 27, then to Xbox One and PS4 at a later date.
EA and NCAA's appeal rejected in likeness lawsuit
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected an appeal by EA and NCAA that college athletes' likenesses were protected by the First Amendment with regard to the development of EA's college football and basketball games. Just yesterday, EA motioned to dismiss a third amended complaint that added six current NCAA student athletes to certify the class in the lawsuit. The majority opinion held by the court stated that "EA's use of the likenesses of college athletes like Samuel Keller in its video games is not, as a matter of law, protected by the First Amendment." This began with former Nebraska quarterback Samuel Keller filing a class-action lawsuit against EA in May 2009. The suit has since been combined with that of former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon, according to Bloomberg. NCAA opted to not renew its contract with EA for development of the NCAA Football series earlier this month. EA stated that it will move forward in developing college football games with licensing provided by the Collegiate Licensing Company for the next three years on a non-exclusive basis.
Madden 25 features All-25 dream team coached by Madden
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series, Madden 25 will include a special All-25 Team comprised of the best players to step foot on the virtual turf, usable in the Play Now mode of the game. Of course, the team wouldn't be complete without the game's namesake, John Madden, as its head coach, who will bring his own special playbook to the sidelines. EA Sports will lift the curtains on two players on the dream team's depth chart per day, starting today with former Buccaneers fullback Mike Alstott and former Rams running back Marshall Faulk. EA's All-25 team hub offers a few ratings for each player, such as Faulk's 90 catching and Alstott's 98 trucking ratings. Faulk is a respectable, albeit curious choice, given that Barry Sanders is the cover athlete for the game. Madden 25 will launch on Xbox 360 and PS3 on August 27, and will come to Xbox One and PS4 at a later date.
Joe Flacco is the only new clutch player in Madden 25
EA Tiburon introduced its "clutch trait" for in-game athletes in Madden 12 as a means of providing a boost in players' ratings when the right circumstances were in place, namely when the game is on the line in the 4th quarter or overtime. That trait will carry over to Madden 25, and oddly enough, the list of players that will start the game out with the clutch trait is nearly identical to the one announced for Madden 13 last year. One name is new to the list: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco certainly earned the trait, given his stellar playoff performance and Super Bowl win. Only two other names are missing from last year's list, Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher, and that's because those linebackers retired during the offseason. EA Tiburon's Donny Moore, the "Ratings Czar" for the Madden series, tells Joystiq the team "decided when we added these traits that we wanted it to be a special thing, very unique, there wouldn't be a clutch player on every team necessarily, so we sort of stuck to that mantra when we assigned the traits." %Gallery-186852%
Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving is the cover athlete for NBA Live 14
Kyrie Irving has been named NBA Live 14's cover athlete, EA announced. Irving was the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft and proceeded to become the rookie of the year for the 2012 season. Coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this fall, NBA Live 14 will be the first installment in EA's basketball series in four years, as both NBA Live 13 and NBA Elite 11 were canceled in September 2012 and November 2010, respectively. The last game that actually launched in the series was NBA Live 10, back in October 2009. As point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Irving is an interesting choice, given that former Cavaliers and current Miami Heat forward Lebron James was selected by 2K Sports as the cover star for NBA 2K14. James was also drafted by the Cavaliers as the first overall pick in 2003 and played for the team until 2010, when he infamously announced his departure to join the Heat in his TV special, "The Decision."
EA offering Ultimate Team incentives for next-gen Madden 25 upgrades
Those looking to play Madden NFL 25 will likely pick the game up for either Xbox 360 or PS3 when it launches on August 27. Though some may opt to wait a few months for the PS4 and Xbox One versions, those that plan to own both current and next-gen versions are entitled to a few perks in the form of bonuses for Madden Ultimate Team. Players will be able to perform a one-time transfer of up to 1,100 items in Madden Ultimate Team (45 players, 55 items from the active roster and up to 1,000 reserves) from either Xbox 360 or PS3 to either Xbox One or PS4. Ultimate Team fans can still use the items in their current-gen copies of the game, but MUT cards cannot be auctioned or traded after being transferred. Additionally, Anniversary Edition owners will receive an extra six All Pro card packs once they create their team in the mode in a next-gen version of the game, which will be helpful for those looking to create teams with high chemistry in this year's Ultimate Team mode.
