Madden 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]
Live top ten: Agency Ascension
Last week, we had 4 demos on the Xbox Live Activity top ten. This week, we only have one on the list. Gears of War and Rainbow Six: Vegas continue to hold their respective top two spots. Crackdown comes in strong taking third place, pushing Call of Duty 3 down a notch. The Crackdown demo holds its middle of the pack position, even after its retail counterpart has been released. Madden and Lost Planet continue to follow behind, while Oblivion moves up a spot. Pro Evolution Soccer 6 comes in ninth and Saints Row makes a return to the list at tenth. We've got a list ready for you after the break with the title's standings last week in brackets for those statistic hungry types.
Double Agent and Vegas for $39.99
Major Nelson brings word that Best Buy has Rainbow Six: Vegas on sale for $39.99. We checked it out and found out that Splinter Cell: Double Agent is available for $39.99 as well. If you've been waiting to pick up either one of these games, you could do a lot worse than a $20 discount. While you're at it, you may want to pick up a copy of Project 8 or Madden 07, which are on sale for the slightly less attractive price of $49.99. As an added bonus, you can get an additional $10 off of any of these titles if you pre-order Lost Planet. Vegas for $29? Not bad. Anyone else find any good deals today?[Via Major Nelson]
Madden 07 sells 5 million copies
Everyone's favorite (or not) NFL game Madden 07 has sold over an amazing 5 million copies. EA announced that their football gem is the best selling game of 2006 and became available on every major system in 2006. So, does this mean EA is satisfied with the quality of the Madden franchise since they have an exclusive NFL license and consumers bought the game like hotcakes? The answer is probably yes. For some reason it seems like Madden is a half-assed job, the engine needs to be beefed up, the loading screens are jerky and it truly hasn't realized, as EA VP of marketing Todd Sitrin says, "the full power of the new systems like the Wii, PLAYSTATION3 and Xbox 360". Madden, you have so much potential and vigor inside, but when EA whores you out to every system and doesn't polish each version ... well then, you smell of yesterday's socks.
Metareview - Madden NFL 2007 (Wii)
Madden NFL 07 -- is it "one" better than Madden NFL 06? That's our basic complaint with sports games; we like them, but we don't want to keep buying the same thing again. (We're also not compulsive enough to upgrade just for new teams.)The Wii is supposed to change all of that by recreating sports game controls, and the initial reviews cast Madden in this positive light. And while the reviews have their caveats, they leave us looking forward to the next Madden for the first time in a long time; the second-generation Wii games are going to make the system succeed or fail. Gamespot (8.4/10) "But once you get your hands on it, you'll find a highly revamped experience that makes great use of the Wii's unique capabilities. And it's not just a few things here and there, either. Tons of the various moves and actions of football are mapped to the motion-sensing controls, with largely positive results. ... What this means is that by tilting the Nunchuk from side to side, you'll juke in the appropriate direction, and by tilting the remote from side to side, you'll perform a right or left stiff arm." 1Up (6.5/10) "This edition is anything but a pick-up-and-play experience, and while I enjoyed offense after getting the hang of things (especially juking with the Nunchuk and passing with a flick of the Wii-mote), I always felt totally helpless on defense." IGN (8.5/10) "Exclusive to the Wii version only, Madden 07 offers three multiplayer games for up to four players. Each of the games is simple in concept, but still very deep. We're hesitant to even call them "mini-games" as there's a certain stigma that goes with a title like that, and Madden 07's multiplayer is definitely very, very solid." Madden seems to be on the right track, but how are sports games that don't rely on upper-body movements going to play? Will FIFA include a soccer ball with a sleeve for the Wii Remote?
Gettin' down & dirty with Madden 07
I meant to post this earlier, but I was busy or somthing. This video from Mad TV explores what happens when you combine an evening of sweet sweet lovin' with Madden and maybe a little Halo 2 action. Just this once, we'll forgive Mad TV for getting the Konami code wrong. Even though it burns us like white hot fire. See the video after the break.
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]
Madden 07 sells 2 million copies, breaks records
I have to admit I've always been one of those anti-Madden snobs who would make fun of their friends for spending $50 every year to what usually amounts to new rosters. But today, I picked up Madden 07 on the PSP, and I gotta say, the game is incredibly fun. So with that said, I find it great to hear the game has broken all kinds of sales records. EA has said the game has sold more than two million copies in its first week of release, which is the most in its 17-year history. Additionally, sales have increased 12 percent from last year's roster update game."We put a ton of innovation into Madden NFL 07 from new game modes and controls to NFL Superstar Hall of Fame," said Todd Sitrin, EA Vice President of Marketing. "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."Well, laugh it up EA; it looks like you've got yourself another successful year of Madden on your hands. Also, did you know there have been more than 53 million copies of the Madden franchise sold to date? That's beyond ridiculous.(Via PSP Advanced)
Fence sitters take note, Madden 07 demo
If you're still not sure whether you need Madden 07 -- or if you've already bought the game and can't decide whether or not to open it -- the new demo on Marketplace should help you make up your mind. Go give it a shot and figure out if you really need a working fatigue meter anyway.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
Madden has a bug in its shorts
Looks like Madden will be shipping with a few known bugs this year. First, gamers will be able to draft Hall of Fame players in Franchise Mode. EA claims that this is actually a feature, and not a bug at all. The other bug, especially disturbing since it should have been discovered in testing long ago, is that players aren't registering fatigue. That is to say, the players do fatigue, they just don't show it in the user interface. So far, EA has only said that a patch will be available "soon" after release.Admittedly, I'm not a football fan, but it seems like this should have been an easy thing to spot.[Via XboxAddict]
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.
Artist of the Month: Audioslave
The Artist of the Month for August is (drum roll please) Audioslave. Be prepared to game with Audioslave in Madden 07 (that's football, right?) and download their video, "Original Fire." There's even a chance to win an Xbox 360 and Audioslave's next album. It's all part of the hoopla surrounding this "Madden" I keep hearing so much about. If you're interested in playing Madden with the group, click here for details.So, does anybody care about Artists of the Month? Just curious.
Pay to WATCH Madden 07 (if you're stupid)
Hey guess what? If you're an idiot that can't stand to wait for even a shred of Madden 07, you can grab a pay-per-view preview of the game starting August 4th. That's right, a behind the scenes marketing video -- the kind that most companies freely distribute on the Internet -- will be available on your TV for a mere 20 dollars American. EA and ESPN should be reviled for this, and rightfully so. The sad thing is that this will make money for EA. There are people stupid enough to pay EA to advertise a product they were already planning on buying. So, in conclusion, if any of you are even considering this, don't. You'll be feeding the hungriest damned company around and likely starting a very bad trend. Sorry for the rant, but this is absolute BS.[Via Joystiq]
Madden 07 Hall of Fame edition announced
On August 22, PS2 and Xbox 360 owners will be able to throw down $60 and $70 respectively for a Hall of Fame Edition of Madden 07. For $10 more than the standard editions, EA Sports is offering a John Madden career retrospective, the first season of Madden Nation, and production featurettes with ESPN's Trey Wingo and bands featured in the game's soundtrack. No horse armor?Seriously, what extras would you like to see in this special edition that would justify the extra cash? Some Dallas Cowboy cheerleader or Oakland Raiderette videos might be a step in the right direction.
