Medieval954
04-27-2007, 10:33 PM
IGN article highlights...
Midair Collisions
WR's and CB's will meet midair on some plays.
"If you're going to expose yourself in traffic, expect to get hit. We can see the alligator arms growing now."
Big Time Catches
Big time WR's will play like big time WR's.
To balance these big hits in the secondary, EA has made star receivers play like, you know, stars...That's not to say a good corner isn't going to shut down some of these plays. But a scrub DB? "He's toast," Cummings said. Along with highlight catches, you can also trigger possession catches that ensure you catch the ball, get the feet down and tuck it away safely at the expense of some speed running after the catch.
Hurdles
Hurdles are back but beware, RB's are susceptible to midair collisions too. (see above)
A few years ago, players were able to cheat with the hurdle button to escape tackles. The easy solution was simply to remove hurdles. They're back in 08, and a great tool for ball carriers looking to evade tacklers going for the knees. On the flip side of that coin, you are exposed in the air..."If a guy is running at you and you jump at him, you're dead," said Cummings. "We emulated that."
Hitstick 2.0
Advanced hitstick lets you aim your tackles.
If LT is going to hurdle to avoid a tackle, you have to be able to answer on the defensive side of the ball. Enter Hitstick 2.0. This will allow you to tackle high or low by flicking up or down on the right stick, respectively.
Gang Tackles
More advanced gang tackles.
Cummings said with confidence that it's "the best gang-tackling engine ever created," a bold statement considering the old 2K franchise.
The Line of Scrimmage
Offensive line play improvements.
EA enlisted an engineer that played offensive line in college and the Canadian Football League to design a new blocking scheme. This season you'll see double teams, stretch blocking and linemen extending to the second level.
Fatigue
No huddle offense and weather conditions will play a bigger role to player fatigue.
Guess what? Temperature and location play a factor in a football game...Consider this: If Reggie Bush scampers left, then right, then backward, then left and right again and finally into the end zone as only Reggie Bush can, he's going to be tired at the end of the run. In Madden, you'll notice him slowing and, with a different set of running animations, you will see that Bush is gassed...For those of you that enjoy sprinting from sideline to sideline with Michael Vick, it's time to get a new strategy. Then again, the defense will tire too...After a play, you won't see the same canned animations of 11 players jogging back to a huddle in unison. Players will huff and puff with their hands on their hips, longing for the oxygen tank on the sidelines. This will add a new dimension to clock management as you can't simply run Hail Mary after Hail Mary with a no-huddle offense. Those long patterns (and the jog back to the line) take a heavy toll. Instead, you'll need to complete a pass and -- dare I say it -- spike the ball to stop the clock. Just waiting a few extra seconds to snap the ball will have an effect.
Celebrate Good Times, C'mon!
Player celebrations much improved.
If you blow up a play on defense, a teammate will run over, pick you up off the ground, give you a slap on the helmet and a quick, "Hell yeah!" and jog back to the huddle...After scores, keep your eyes peeled for signature celebrations like Chad Johnson's river dance, Donte Hall's X and Rex Grossman's gator chomp. EA already has at least 60 celebrations in the game, although we don't know yet if you'll be able to choose one for yourself after a score.
Game A.I.
The in-game A.I. will resemble real life player tedencies.
As for AI, EA wants star players to play like star players. Peyton Manning is going to pick a part a defense, call audibles and shift his team at the line. On the flip side, a QB like Rex Grossman is going to be inconsistent. Cornerbacks like Champ Bailey are going to shut down an entire side of the football field. You've never feared a cornerback before in Madden, but that's about to change. EA is also rewriting the defensive zone AI to eliminate money plays, especially deep balls and corner routes.
Full-featured game
Madden 08 to finally include play modes from last generation.
And finally, EA is bringing back the features that never made the jump from current-gen Madden like owner mode, defensive hot routes and classic rosters. The stellar Superstar mode returns, as well as the Hall of Fame, although EA is missing a few notable players like Montana, Marino and Rice that make appearances in All Pro Football 2K8. Is it a coincidence that Madden 08 will be so feature-rich now that 2K is back in the game? Probably not, and that's a good thing as EA has yet another incentive to make the best football game on the market.
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Midair Collisions
WR's and CB's will meet midair on some plays.
"If you're going to expose yourself in traffic, expect to get hit. We can see the alligator arms growing now."
Big Time Catches
Big time WR's will play like big time WR's.
To balance these big hits in the secondary, EA has made star receivers play like, you know, stars...That's not to say a good corner isn't going to shut down some of these plays. But a scrub DB? "He's toast," Cummings said. Along with highlight catches, you can also trigger possession catches that ensure you catch the ball, get the feet down and tuck it away safely at the expense of some speed running after the catch.
Hurdles
Hurdles are back but beware, RB's are susceptible to midair collisions too. (see above)
A few years ago, players were able to cheat with the hurdle button to escape tackles. The easy solution was simply to remove hurdles. They're back in 08, and a great tool for ball carriers looking to evade tacklers going for the knees. On the flip side of that coin, you are exposed in the air..."If a guy is running at you and you jump at him, you're dead," said Cummings. "We emulated that."
Hitstick 2.0
Advanced hitstick lets you aim your tackles.
If LT is going to hurdle to avoid a tackle, you have to be able to answer on the defensive side of the ball. Enter Hitstick 2.0. This will allow you to tackle high or low by flicking up or down on the right stick, respectively.
Gang Tackles
More advanced gang tackles.
Cummings said with confidence that it's "the best gang-tackling engine ever created," a bold statement considering the old 2K franchise.
The Line of Scrimmage
Offensive line play improvements.
EA enlisted an engineer that played offensive line in college and the Canadian Football League to design a new blocking scheme. This season you'll see double teams, stretch blocking and linemen extending to the second level.
Fatigue
No huddle offense and weather conditions will play a bigger role to player fatigue.
Guess what? Temperature and location play a factor in a football game...Consider this: If Reggie Bush scampers left, then right, then backward, then left and right again and finally into the end zone as only Reggie Bush can, he's going to be tired at the end of the run. In Madden, you'll notice him slowing and, with a different set of running animations, you will see that Bush is gassed...For those of you that enjoy sprinting from sideline to sideline with Michael Vick, it's time to get a new strategy. Then again, the defense will tire too...After a play, you won't see the same canned animations of 11 players jogging back to a huddle in unison. Players will huff and puff with their hands on their hips, longing for the oxygen tank on the sidelines. This will add a new dimension to clock management as you can't simply run Hail Mary after Hail Mary with a no-huddle offense. Those long patterns (and the jog back to the line) take a heavy toll. Instead, you'll need to complete a pass and -- dare I say it -- spike the ball to stop the clock. Just waiting a few extra seconds to snap the ball will have an effect.
Celebrate Good Times, C'mon!
Player celebrations much improved.
If you blow up a play on defense, a teammate will run over, pick you up off the ground, give you a slap on the helmet and a quick, "Hell yeah!" and jog back to the huddle...After scores, keep your eyes peeled for signature celebrations like Chad Johnson's river dance, Donte Hall's X and Rex Grossman's gator chomp. EA already has at least 60 celebrations in the game, although we don't know yet if you'll be able to choose one for yourself after a score.
Game A.I.
The in-game A.I. will resemble real life player tedencies.
As for AI, EA wants star players to play like star players. Peyton Manning is going to pick a part a defense, call audibles and shift his team at the line. On the flip side, a QB like Rex Grossman is going to be inconsistent. Cornerbacks like Champ Bailey are going to shut down an entire side of the football field. You've never feared a cornerback before in Madden, but that's about to change. EA is also rewriting the defensive zone AI to eliminate money plays, especially deep balls and corner routes.
Full-featured game
Madden 08 to finally include play modes from last generation.
And finally, EA is bringing back the features that never made the jump from current-gen Madden like owner mode, defensive hot routes and classic rosters. The stellar Superstar mode returns, as well as the Hall of Fame, although EA is missing a few notable players like Montana, Marino and Rice that make appearances in All Pro Football 2K8. Is it a coincidence that Madden 08 will be so feature-rich now that 2K is back in the game? Probably not, and that's a good thing as EA has yet another incentive to make the best football game on the market.
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.