Madden-NFL-07
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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]
XXX-Madden gag spoils kid's Xmas
On Christmas morning, little Kolton Mahoney tore away the wrapping paper on Uncle Dan's gift, ecstatic to find a copy of Madden 07. But it wasn't the familiar "It's in the game" mantra that greeted Kolton upon loading the game into the tray of his Xbox 360. Instead, an explicit image danced before his naked eyes.Confused, distraught, and perhaps overwhelmingly excited, Kolton ran to mommy and daddy, who quickly passed the concern over to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. "It wasn't a pretty scene," recounted Kolton's father.So far, the task force has been unable to track down the culprit of this cruel gag. The soiled Madden was apparently purchased by Uncle Dan on Dec. 2 from Circuit City. The disc is embossed with an official label and came factory-sealed in a standard game case.[Thanks, Chronos_777]
Madden keeping EA rich in '06
EA's Madden NFL 07 is the year's top money-maker, accounting for more than five millions units sold across ten platforms since its release in August. The cult of Madden would not let poor Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 showings disgrace its beloved franchise, blindly shelling out for the lackluster efforts, which failed to best the deeper (and cheaper) PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions.But Madden's success does not depend on rapidly evolving gameplay. Seventeen years in the football sim business has taught EA that to follow success's formula one must simply eliminate competition (i.e., own exclusive NFL gaming rights) and update rosters.
Alexander sidelined, Madden curse to blame?
With word that Madden 07 cover athlete Shaun Alexander has sustained a left foot fracture, sidelining the Seahawk star for at least two weeks, comes renewed speculation about the existence of a 'Madden curse.' Indeed, since 2000, when EA began featuring athletes on the Madden cover, a series of unfortunate events, in varying degrees, has befallen the stars who allegedly risk their careers for EA's "dirty" money. Here's a brief history of the curse: 2000 - Barry Sanders abruptly retires before training camp (was he warned of the impending curse?) 2000 - Dorsey Levens is cut by Green Bay the following season 2001 - Eddie George enjoys career year, until costly turnover leads to Titan's playoff exit 2002 - Daunte Culpepper leads team to dismal 4–7 record before season-ending knee injury 2003 - Marshall Faulk suffers ankle injury; career diminishes thereafter 2004 - Michael Vick fractures right fibula in preseason game, just one day after Madden is released; sidelined for season 2005 - Ray Lewis fails to post a single interception (after grabbing 6 the previous year), and injury forces him to miss the final game of the season; the Ravens also fail to make the playoffs after winning the division in the 2003–2004 season 2006 - Donovan McNabb suffers sports hernia in first game and undergoes season-ending surgery in November; T.O. feud escalates; Eagles finish 6–10 after reaching the Super Bowl the previous year 2007 - Shaun Alexander fractures left foot in Week 3 ... [Thanks, Shadyrudy]
Like it or not, Madden continues to be a cash cow
Electronic Arts has released estimates that show its yearly updated franchise, Madden, has just reached a new high: two million copies sold in the first week. EA says this is a record for a franchise that has been chugging along for 17 years now. A PR mouthpiece had this to say about the results:"Consumers are the most meaningful judge of game quality and based on sales and the record-setting online activity, our toughest critics think Madden NFL has delivered another great game experience."We guess it pays to be the only NFL game in town. For those of you that bought it, is Madden NFL 07 the best Madden ever?
Video walkthrough of Madden Wii
For those curious about Madden NFL 07 on the Wii and how the controls (and graphics) will look, there's a new and fairly lengthy video up on YouTube that gives a good walkthrough of the basics.If you weren't lucky enough to get your hands on a version at E3, handling the game was actually quite intuitive and fun. It even went so far as to make us want to actually buy and play Madden again.[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Madden 07 demo on Xbox Marketplace
Weighing in at 750.71MB, the Madden NFL 07 demo is now up and ready to be downloaded by those who may have held some reservations toward purchasing yet another Madden title. Reviews have been decent with Game Rankings listing 83% as the average score.Available only in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand, the demo limits you to playing as either the Steelers or Seahawks. Enjoy your short stay, because quarters are only a minute in length. Is there enough gameplay there to sell you on it?
Metareview - Madden NFL 07 (Xbox 360)
What can you expect from the first "next-gen" Madden to hit the virtual gridiron this year? Well, it's certainly gotta top the wackness that was last year's rushed 360 attempt. RIght?The current verdict seems to indicate that EA Tiburon has yet to discover where snazzy new hardware can take this franchise. Not only that, but Tiburon still can't seem to figure out how to include all the features of the Xbox version in the 360 version. What up with that? Perhaps, with a guaranteed $60 contribution from each blindly fanatical loyalist, EA's in no rush to sort out this mess. And why should they be? It's not like there are other gaming options out there for football enthusiasts... Yahoo! Games (80/100) offers the key to improvement: "EA's challenge is not to simplify their simulation or stop adding detail, but to integrate those features so well that players can simply marvel at how advanced the game has become." Gamespot (79/100) concludes rather bluntly: "There's no denying that Madden NFL 07 comes up short on delivering all the improvements one would hope for after last year's disappointing debut on the 360." 1UP (70/100) suggests that maybe the Xbox version is a better buy: "...those who plan on spending most of their time offline in solo play will want to take a long look at the arguably more polished and superior current-gen versions before committing to one or the other."
EA responds to Madden NFL 07 concerns
There have been a couple issues pop up on the Internet recently regarding the 360 version of Madden NFL 07 (Aug. 22). Two different Madden fan sites have gotten copies of the final product and each voiced specific worries with what they were given. 1Up contacted EA and got their response to the problems addressed. The first problem: Operation Sports claimed that Hall of Fame players started appearing on the rosters of other teams. While hardcore Madden fans don't seem to like this, that's how their inclusions is actually supposed to work. "It's working the way we intended it to," said Mr. Ortiz. "Whatever players you unlock, they are the players that will actually be available when you start the franchise mode. If you've already unlocked 10 Hall of Famers, they'll be available for players to sign... It's there for users to take advantage of." Mr. Ortiz recognized that this troubled some players, and mentioned that there is a in-game fix available, where players can save off the roster when they're booting up, and then proceeding to load it once they're in-game -- effectively eliminating the old-timers from the rosters. Now the second: Madden Nation says that players weren't fatiguing at all. The initial posting stated they "broke like 3 tackles and laid on the turbo... he's not even in the yellow." (Players fatigue from green to yellow to red.) We asked Mr. Ortiz about this as well. "That's actually not the case. The UI isn't registering it... You fatigue at a lower pace than in the past, but it isn't reflected in the UI. [It's] Something we're addressing and fixing right now." He explained that this fix would be delivered in the way of a patch to the game for 360 users, but didn't have a specific date as to when it would be available. "Very soon. Around the release date," he said, adding "We don't just shove the fix out there. We don't want to slide [the balance] it too far in one direction." So, EA is aware of these issues yet they feel it is OK to just wait to release a patch? While we're glad the 360 affords publishers the luxury to update or patch their product, they shouldn't be using it as a crutch to mend broken games that appear to be nothing but rushed products. For gamers spending $60 a pop on these things, it's not exactly fair to the loyal customer base to take advantage of them like this -- especially those not lucky enough to have broadband to fix the problems.
Download and print your own Madden cover
As we all wait for the latest Madden episodic content from EA to hit store shelves, Gamestop has jumped the gun and is offering up free downloads of cover mock ups for your favorite team. Not sure what the point of it all is, but if you're one to show off your game box to others, this could be right up your alley. All our cases usually end up stuffed away out of view -- especially if you have a girlfriend or wife who despises any presence of a video game anywhere in plain sight. Either way, hooray for free stuff! [Thanks, murph]
A complete Madden 07 roster and ratings breakdown
If you're a self-described Madden-aholic, then check out this section in IGN that lists all the rosters and ratings for every player in the upcoming yearly installment of Madden NFL. Every single name, position, number, and stat is dished out for your pigskin pleasure. Now may be the time to plot your trades and strats before the game is due out on Aug. 22, just a couple weeks away. Anyone notice anything out of the ordinary with your favorite team? Like maybe a player got a little more or less of an upgrade from EA?
Phony Madden 07 voucher aims to break street date
We were recently (and anonymously) sent this peculiar voucher, claiming to have the power to break Madden 07's street date. Is this a magical gift from EA to its preferred customers ... or simply a desperate attempt to hit the virtual gridiron a few days earlier than the rest of us? Dear amateur forger guy, Props for the concept, but dude, you really shoulda run the fine print through spell-checker: "Participating stores incluse..." Who are you trying to fool here? Sincerely, Joystiq.com So if you should happen upon this coupon, know that it's a waste of your time -- but also know that some retail chains (read: Target and Wal-Mart) have a history of (unknowingly) breaking street dates, with or without a voucher. Good luck.
EA & ESPN get greedier, offering Madden pay-per-view preview
EA and ESPN are inviting you to plunk down $20 and watch a pay-per-view preview of Madden NFL 07 beginning on August 4, 18 days before the game's official release. Anyone who's actually planning to pay the price of admission please do us a favor ... smack yourself! 'Nuff said.
