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For Madden speed, it don't get bester than Hester
Milestones in human speed: May 6, 1954: Roger Bannister runs a mile in under four minutes. June 14, 2005: Asafa Powell runs 100 meters in 9.77 seconds. April 5, 2007: ESPN reveals Devin Hester will have a speed rating of 100 in Madden NFL '08. Not only does EA think Hester is faster than any other football player in history, the noted kick returner is set to become the first player to get a perfect rating in any stat category in the perennial football franchise. Hester said he was honored by the, er, honor, but not exactly surprised -- according to ESPN, "Hester has been known to have been lobbying members of the Madden NFL 08 development team for the top speed rating." NFL players exerting undue influence on developers? We smell a scandal. Maddengate! Our main question now is what will happen if someone faster than Hester comes along? Will EA create a 101 rating? Or will the 100 rating eventually become like a "perfect ten" game review -- good, but not perfect? [Update: Fixed the date above. Thanks Products] [Thanks tevetorbes]
NFL considering HD instant replay...again
We're still missing our Sunday dose of NFL action, but as the offseason continues the league is once again looking into using high definition footage for instant replay. League meetings start tomorrow, and one of the changes being considered by the rules committee is a proposal to make instant replay a permanent part of the game, as it is currently a temporary rule, due to expire in two years. The leagues owners will only consider switching the instant replay equipment to HDTV if they are sure its here to stay, otherwise the ref could be stuck with a poor 480i feed for at least another year. Last year, the league looked at how NASCAR handles its HD, and that sport even has high def in-car cameras now. That instant replay should feature the highest quality available goes without saying, now we're looking forward to HD helmet cams.
Super Bowl highlights now in iTunes
If you want to relive that abysmal game for only $1.99US (it's a 22 minute video), just click here to be taken to the iTunes Store.Now that the season is over, I wonder if that's the end of NFL content in iTunes? The Pro Bowl will be played this weekend, and the NFL Network (which has been providing content all along) will continue to broadcast, of course.Oh, who am I kidding? Football is over. Darnit.
AVS Forum coverage of the Super Bowl
Today is the big day, many have ran out and bought their first HDTV in preparation, some are having parties with friends, but not everyone is a big sports fan. Don't let that stop you from enjoying the game, if your a HD geek like us, today is a good day to enjoy 10 hours of HD starting at noon, even the commercials are in HD and then discuss the production quality of all the HD goodness with other HD geeks or you may just want to find a resolve to a technical problem during the big game. While we got the basics covered of how to make sure you are watching the game in HD, some problems may be out of your hand. Either way head over to the AVS Forum threads on the particular show your having problems with to find out if it is a national issue or a problem with your local affiliate. If it is a local issue and only effecting the channel the game is on, don't waste your time calling DirecTV, Dish or even your cable company, your best bet is to call your local affiliate and report your issue -- just look up their number on their website and ask for engineering. In most cases they will be able to help you out.Read: Discuss the Road to the Super Bowl in HDRead: Discuss the Super Bowl commercials in HDRead: Discuss the Super Bowl in HDRead: Discuss the Super Bowl Halftime HD
NFL oks Super Bowl viewing in churches, as long as no one pays
Whilst many may be aware of the strong reputation that churches hold for repeatedly pulling off successful annual gatherings, a recent letter sent by the NFL to the Fall Creek Baptist Church suggests that this particular organization isn't quite so clued in. The letter, which caused the church in question to cancel a planned "Super Bowl Party" sparked a litany of other cancellations by churches scared of attracting the wrath of the league. The NFL has subsequently attempted to rectify the situation it got itself into -- some would argue the sports equivalent of "cancelling Christmas" -- by stating that their original claim was that churches could display the game, as long as they didn't charge for entry, or display the game on anything other than "a television of the type commonly used at home": in the case of the kitted out Fall Creek Baptist Church, they were hoping to broadcast the game on a TV measuring more than a divine 55-inches diagonally. Unfortunately for the groups that arranged and then subsequently cancelled their parties, it's a little too late to re-advertise. Fortunately, God's omnipresence comes in handy for these sort of screw-ups, so the solution for watching the game at home with the ultimate authority is as simple as leaving a space on the couch. Whether or not he digs your set is an entirely different matter, and one that's entirely down to thickness of your wallet.[Via Tom's Hardware]
NFL shuts down church's Super Bowl Bash, ratings to blame
C'mon folks, everyone and their grandmother will likely be watching the Super Bowl this coming Sunday (even across the pond), and even if you have no interest in the Colts, Bears, or large men in awkward suits, someone in your family probably feels otherwise. Nevertheless, the NFL showcased its mighty power (and terrible decision making) by condemning Fall Creek Baptist Church's "Super Bowl Bash," saying that advertising a fee-based party that utilized "license-protected words" was against regulations. Furthermore, ditching the door charge and the taboo language wasn't good enough to solve the problem, as "the law" limits Super Bowl (wait, can we say that now?) party TVs to a quantity of one, and that single set must not be over 55-inches. Needless to say, we don't doubt that good few of you fine, law-abiding, tax-paying citizens will be catching the big game with a couple of your friends on your 60-inch plasma (or 100-inch projection screen), but we'd highly recommend building an underground bunker between now and Sunday to make sure your plans are safe. Of course, bars and other eateries are somehow exempt from this bogus rule, and as expected, all the grumbling stems from Nielsen's obvious inability to estimate just how many folks are watching a single tube on this advertisers' dream night, but ratings drops or not, we wouldn't mess with Touchdown Jesus.
Expect Superbowl highlights in iTunes
Apple has fostered a relationship with the NFL this year, posting game and team highlights, as well as NFL network programming, to the iTunes Store all season long. We're sure that Superbowl Highlights will also be added, but until then you can relive Superbowls past through the eyes of the players and coaches who were on the field in a new series of videos [iTunes link]. I'll be rooting for the Bears this year, only because the Colts eliminated my beloved Patriots. Maybe I'll just relive the Pats' 2004 season.[Via Infinite Loop]
NFL Network to present over 60 hours of pre-superbowl HD programming
As the NFL and football in general prepare for the end of the season and no football for more months than we care to think about, the NFL is betting you will try to get as much as you can get before the big game in a few weeks. To satisfy your football hunger and maybe give your guests something to watch before the big game they are presenting what they call "everything but the bowl" and much of it is in HD. Their coverage will include press conferences, award presentations and of course a pre-game show. We have to admit our expectations are not very high based on their half time shows during their NFL games this year, but we will tune in to check it out.[Via AVSForum]
Motorola Q officially launches on Sprint, gets reviewed
Those of you patiently waiting for Sprint to officially launch (and make available) its rendition of the Motorola Q can finally breathe a sigh of relief, but you'll still have to wait just a bit longer to actually grab one. Slated to hit webstores "around mid-January" and retail outlets the month after, Sprint's Q isn't quite available to the masses just yet, but LAPTOP Mag got their palms around a pre-production release and promptly threw it on the testing block. Mimicking remarks we made earlier, reviewers noticed the lack of upgrades aside from the Sprint splash screen, logos, and unique "dark grey" hue, and they also found the "less rubberized" feel compared to Verizon's black version less enjoyable to handle. Noting the possibility of including a dedicated volume switch (as on the BlackJack), the crew was also let down by the omitted backlight underneath the keyboard, which Verizon's unit is blessed with. Additionally, surfing the web proved quite a bit slower when compared to Verizon's flavor, but Sprint suggested that "finalized units" wouldn't suffer the same fate. Nevertheless, not all was doom and gloom, as they did take note of the exclusive NFL Mobile functionality as well as the bundled Handmark application -- dubbed On Demand -- that loaded up "news, weather, directions, and other information optimized for the Moto Q's screen within seconds." Overall, this Q proved to be a bit of letdown considering what it could have been, and if only Sprint would've taken the time to add support for its Sprint TV and Music services, at least something would've stood out from the competition. As it stands, however, the Q still isn't a bad choice, and it was noted that Sprint's cheap unlimited data could swing contract-less buyers in its direction, but if you were hoping for a revamped, refreshed offering from big yellow, you'll be sorely disappointed.Read - Motorola Q officially launches on SprintRead - LAPTOP Mag reviews Sprint's Motorola Q
Sky to broadcast Super Bowl XLI in HD
We know, this weekend (and next) is all about seeing which professional teams squeeze their way into the playoffs, and moreover, seeing which college teams score bowl victories in their respective contests, but for the Brits over in England seeing less pigskin and more round ball, we've got some news for you. Reportedly, Sky is set to broadcast America's most-watched sporting event to its customers in crisp high definition, which would make it the first major US-centric sporting event to be shown in such clarity by the company. This past September, Sky Sports purportedly nailed down a deal to show live NFL games and "supporting programs," and we see no better way to take advantage of the newfound partnership than giving the blokes across the pond an HD taste of the sport so well loved here in the States. So for you Sky customers with absolutely nothing else to do on February 4th, be sure to take a gander at Super Bowl XLI, if for no other reason than seeing our football in a whole new dimension.[Via DigitalSpy]
Pittsburgh's Heinz Field to get $2.4 million HD scoreboard in 2007
Oh boy, there's yet another contender in the "world's largest" HDTV race, and per usual, it's at a sports-related venue. This time around, Pittsburgh's Heinz Field is getting ready to see a high definition makeover as it seeks to replace the aging SD screen that has stood since the stadium opened in 2001. The new HD display, which will be manufactured by Daktronics, should be fully installed and ready to go for the 2007 Steelers' season, and will reportedly enable an additional 3,600 ticket holders who can't see the current board due to a viewing angle snafu to get a glimpse of those beautiful HD replays. Notably, no details were present about the exact resolution, screen size, or any other specifications of the sure-to-be-mammoth board (as is the case on the forthcoming screen to be built in the Washington Nationals Baseball Stadium), but it won't be too long before we'll get to gaze at this bad boy in person, anyway.
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.
Targeted advertising coming to a commercial break near you
Although Microsoft has patented an advertising "gotcha" to insert fresh plugs into previously recorded shows, Visible World and OpenTV are taking targeted advertising to a whole new level. While the systems have been trialed for some time now, Visible World's variable ad system will hit the mainstream when Wendy's commercials on Fox Sports' NFL broadcasts feature raccoons that seemingly know what just happened on the field. The 'coons will bust out comments about how boring the scoreless match is, how crazy that touchdown pass was, or how miserable that shirtless guy in the front row must be in the below-freezing weather. Eventually, both firms hope to focus ads right down to individual households, claiming that "dog-related advertisements" would show up primarily in dog-owning households, and that Ford commercials could be specifically shown to compete with local / regional competition in a given area. Still, for those programs that we can stand to watch later, we doubt a slightly clever advertisement will keep our fingers off the FF button, but at least this stuff makes those live broadcasts a bit less painstaking.
Time Warner gets fussy with DirecTV over NFL Network coverage
There's nothing like a warm, heartfelt lawsuit to really spread that holiday cheer, and we've got yet another battle in the courtroom about to get cranked up, and this time it's between rivals DirecTV and Time Warner. While TWC still can't claim the ability to offer the fledgling NFL Network on its cable systems, DirecTV felt the need to boast not only about its "superior coverage," but to also rub a little salt in Time Warner's wound by informing folks in NFL towns that games shown on the NFL Network "couldn't be seen" on Time Warner. Although the claims seem somewhat legitimate, Time Warner insists that "all eight games featured on the NFL Network will also be available to local fans over broadcast networks," which apparently wasn't the message being conveyed to pigskin-loving consumers. Regardless, DirecTV dug its hole a tad deeper by hiring Jessica Simpson to state that the firm's HD quality "beats cable," which is quite the laughable statement to anyone familiar with "HD Lite." In the end, however, we're sure the ads will be removed (or at least reworded), and the two firms will continue to bicker in future bouts, but what fun would it be if these two actually decided to get along, right?[Via MultiChannel]
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]
New NFL Street 3 screens released
The only things certain in life are death, taxes and never-ending sequels from companies like Capcom and EA that mainly include little to no worthwhile upgrades other than a few more characters or new rosters. Having said that, I'm happy to tell you EA plans on bringing NFL Street 3 to the PSP Nov. 5, and Gamespot has just posted a cornucopia of new screens for you EA boys to drool over.Hopefully, EA has taken the time to fix the loading issues and the ridiculously over-powered running game that plagued NFL Street 2. (Via Gamespot)
DIRECTV pauses TNT HD in favor of high-def football
DIRECTV has a problem with bandwidth and is taking it out on TNT HD. Sundays over on the high-def version of TNT are usually reserved for low-quality HD movies but not for the rest of football seasons. It seems like DIRECTV is shutting off the station to provide more space for their NFL Sunday Ticket. In fact if you tuned to TNT HD yesterday, there was a large NFL Sunday Ticket logo where movies where suppose to be. After all the football coverage is complete though, TNT HD will return back to its normal programming. TVPredictions.com is reporting that DIRECTV does plan to launch two new satellites to remedy the problem and hopefully provide more HD stations to their starving lineup. The real question is whether or not they will do this once NASCAR starts...[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Hockey showdown brings back the memories
The current hockey demo showdown (NHL 07 vs NHL 2K7) on XBLM is bringing back fond memories of EA vs. 2K rivalries of yore. For many grid iron gamers, that old football favorite, ESPN NFL 2K5 for Xbox, still compares favorably with the latest Madden in several respects, especially presentation (Half-time highlights with Chris Berman!). Would Madden 07 really be a better game if EA didn't have a monopoly over the NFL license? How do you think the NFL 2K series would have developed given the chance?
Widget Watch: Are you ready for some football?
Oh, yes I am. If you like a little NFL mixed in with you OS X, check out 2006 NFL by Kelly Phillips. It's a Dashboard widget that breaks down every game of the 2006 NFL season. Flip it over, and get each team's win/loss record, sorted by conference and division.If you just want to focus on a single team, Kelly has got you covered. There is a Dashboard widget available for every individual NFL team as well. Check them out if football is your thing. Finally, let me add...Go, Pats!
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]
