Friday, June 08, 2007

Gang Tackling Video For Madden NFL 08


EA Madden Procucer Ian Cummings is at again on his blog site by giving us hard core ballers what we are looking for. This week he shows how gang tackling works on next gen systems.

He also asked this question:

"If you were hired as the lead gameplay designer for EA Sports starting tomorrow, and had to make the call, would you"...

A.) Have gang tackles trigger less often, but guarantee that they look "captured" and realistic, including getup animations

B.) Rely solely on physics based animations, which ensures much more playback and animation coverage, but more physics/ragdoll-ish looking animations

C.) Do a mix of both (which is what we do now) Choose your own adventure!

He wants your feedback

Here is the direct link to blog and video:

Click Here

VG Staff

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

EA Sports Fathers Day Give Away


EA Sports is running a special Father's Day Contest and is giving away a really sweet prize pack including:

* An Xbox 360 Elite video game and entertainment system
* An advance copy of Madden 08 for Xbox 360
* An Autographed NFL fotoball and helmet
* A special Father of the Year NFL Team jersey

To enter, here's all you have to do:

Send a video, audio or written story proving why you think you or your Dad should be named the Madden NFL 08 Father of the Year. The winner will be announced on or about June 18, 2007, so email your submission to maddenfathersday@ea.com today for a chance at the ultimate Madden NFL 08 Father of the year package.

EA is also running a contest for us community leaders. Basically the leader that refers the most people to the contest will lock down a spot at an early hands on with the game.

I want to make sure we have a team member there so we can give you the most detailed look possible at the game. We know what you guys want to know about the game.

So here's what I need you to do. When you send in your entry, please put:

"Madden NFL 08 Father of the Year Contest - referred by Bert Ingley" as the Subject line when you send in your email entry.

Not only will you be entered into the contest, but you will help insure that VG Sports has a team member to represent you at the next Madden Community Day.

Thanks,

Bert

Four New Madden 08 Screen Shots Released


EA has added four new screen shots for Madden 08. For the high resolution screen shots, click on the link below.

Click Here

VG Staff

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

10 Reasons Why Madden Gamers Will Want to Make the Switch Over to Madden 08 on the NG

Defensive Individual Hot Routes: Making their way on to the next gen are defensive hot routes.

Our Thoughts: Anyone remember the first time you were able use them in Madden 05 and how much they improved your defensive play calling. Well on the next gen you will get that same feeling once again. The only downside of them is we hope that EA doesn’t allow players to drop 11 men in pass coverage. It really watered down Madden 07 on the current gen.

Responsive Controls: Better control over players on both sides of the ball.

Our Thoughts: One of the biggest gripes about next gen Madden is lack of control. With responsive control you should be able to perform manual jukes, catches, and all the other manual stick control maneuvers we have grown use to on the current gen.

Madden Challenge on the 360: It looks like the Madden Challenge makes it debut on the 360.

Our Thoughts: If you plan on playing in the Madden Challenge this year, then you better be picking up a 360 soon. From all indications, it looks like that’s what the challenge is going to be played on. On a side note: personally (Kobra) I am a big fan of the 360 controller Vs the lite PS3 controller. I know a lot of you have played the PS2 version of Madden Vs Xbox version because mainly of the controller. If you give the 360 controller a chance, I am sure you will agrees it’s a real mans controller Vs the PS3 lite. The reason I call the PS3 controller lite is because it feels half of the weight of the PS2 controller. I just don’t care for it. It feels cheaply made.

Pure Dynamic Gameplay: You control the animations, the animations don't control you.

Our Thoughts: From what we read it looks like you will have complete control of over player animations. For those of you who felt like you didn’t have the same type of stick control over players on the next gen, we believe Pure Dynamic Gameplay is right up your alley.


60 Frame Rates per A Second: Madden 08 next gen goes from 30 fps to 60 fps.

Our Thoughts: Faster frame rates mean better overall game play. Madden 06 and 07 on the next gen felt slow and choppy. Sure the game looked great, but played sluggish. From what we hear, it looks like EA had to tone down the graphics to some degree to achieve faster frame rates. We have always said no matter how beautiful a game may look , the game play untimely determines the lasting appeal. By EA toning the graphics some to improve the frame rates; that alone will make this year’s game better and worth getting.

New Player Ratings and Weapons: More individual player ratings make cyber players on the field play more life like.

Our Thoughts: Lets face it over the years, have players ratings really meant that much. What we mean is for instance say you have a defensive end with an overall rating of an 93 matched up with offensive tackle with an overall rating of 79. Did you ever see the defensive end dominant the offensive tackle like you would expect based off the overall ratings? The answer is not really. Outside of speed, jump, height, throwing power, and handful of other players ratings, most of the rest of the ratings really didn’t mean that much at all. In Madden 08 based on what we are reading, player ratings will really mean something. If you got a lock down cornerback such as Champ Bailey and he is matched up with a weaker receiver, he is going shut that receiver down during the game. If this is really the case, players ratings are going to going have a huge impact on how games play out and what team’s we choose to play.

If the Weapons System is balanced right, this will be one of the better game play additions to the game. It will change how we use and attack with certain players.

Gang Tackling: Last year gang tackling made its debut on the PS3. Now all the 360 also gets it, plus it’s been improved.

Our Thoughts: Where was gang tackling at when I (Kobra) was getting my butt handed to me by Fred Taylor in the VG 360 League AFC Wild Card Game. I kept thinking if the 360 version of the game had gang tacking, would Taylor be running all over my Charger defense. One of the biggest game play requests of all time is now being added to the next gen platforms. For those of you like me, who got tired of being ran all over on the 360, Gang Tackling is a much needed game play addition that will help the run defense out as long as the right plays are called and the right defenders are on the field. From what we hear, you will see 2, 3, or 4 defenders making a tackles on the field at the same time. We can wait to see this in actual action.

Hit Stick 2.0.: Now you can tackle high or low by flicking up or down on the right stick. This takes manually tackling a ball carrier to another level.

Our Thoughts: Being able to lay the wood on a ball carrier or a receiver with the Hit Stick over the last few years has been cool, but it always felt like there was something missing. Sure you could hit the ball carrier high and deliver a crushing blow, but you could never take feet out from under him. With Hit Stick 2.0, now you can. This will help will trying to bring down bigger ball carriers.

Line of Scrimmage Improvements: Zone blocking, double team blocking, pull/lead, stretch and read blocks are now all part of the game.

Our Thoughts: Madden 07 on the next gen made major strides in how the run game works. Some may say running the ball was almost to effective, especially from the goal line formation. Hopefully with the new line of scrimmage improvements, the run game will be more realistic. If you your team has an excellent offensive line, then you will reap the benefits of the new improvements. However if your offensive line is weak, then you should not reap the benefits of the new improvements as much.

Pre-Play Cut Scenes Are Gone: You won't see the same canned animations of 11 players jogging back to a huddle in unison.

Our Thoughts: Outside of the game play commentator, pre-play cut scenes were about most annoying part of the game, especially on the defensive side of the ball. How many times while playing defense online did you have to wait for your opponent on offense to skip past the player cut screens. It looks like based off the articles and videos we have read and seen, you can now by-pass that and get right into setting up your defense. Being able to do that will drastically improve playing defense on the next gen.

Well there you have it, 10 reasons why you should make the switch from the current gen to the next gen in 08. Feel free to post any of your comments in this thread about what was written or anything else you have heard or concerns about Madden 08.

VG Staff

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Madden 08 Current Gen Info & More

Just got this from Rac over at EA,

Here are two new pieces of content on the Madden site. One is a special series that Packwolf is working on with Rac, where he will mark his progress as he attempts to win the Madden Challenge. The second is the first producer blog detailing current gen features. Enjoy!

Click here for info about Pack Wolfs quest to win the Madden Challenge.

Click here for info on current gen info for Madden 08.

Online challenges anyone?

VG Staff

Monday, May 21, 2007

Madden Filmroom Updated This Week (May 21)

Here is what's in the Madden Filmroom this week:

May 21, 2007

I Form Twin WR Off Tackle (NG) - This week I am going to continue my multi part series on one of the most popular formations on Madden NFL ’07 for the XBOX 360 and PS3. I Form Twin WR. Having said that, this will help validate why this is “America’s Offense” now.Here’s how.

I Form 3WR WR1 Option (NG) - This week I continue to break down the West Coast playbook. I look at the I Form 3WR WR1 Option. This play however can be found in multiple playbooks. Below I show some things I like to do with this play.

Singleback Big Wing HB Draw (NG) - Lets continue on our run through these great run plays that will keep our offense moving and keep the defense a step behind and always concerned about how effective our run game is. The HB Draw is a play that I use to show some swagger. This play can be very effective versus some of the best defenses in the game.

Outside WR Bump (CG) - Last week I looked at how I like to put a defender in a hook zone while in bump-n-run coverage to counter un-bumpable routes. This week I want to use that same technique, but this time to jam outside receivers.

Replay: Marrying Pass Routes (CG) - Replay is a member of VG Sports Inc. He has been working on the boards for some time now. He reads our articles, replies on the baords, plays in leagues, and also go to tourneys. The thing about Replay is that he made the final 4 in the Philly PS2 tourney, and made it to the elite 8 in the East Coast Mega Bowl Regional. He lost to Jarvis who is the former EA Champ. He wanted to show you plays that he ran in Philly and in the DC tourney. If you remember that I talked about hitting the lab and coming up with your own. This is what this man did and he did a great job.

Singleback Base Flex Sneek Outs (CG) - I have already shown a play from Chargers playbook out of the Singleback Base Flex that I called Quick Hit. What this play did was allow me to get the FB or HB2 open in the flat for quick hit against bump-n-run man coverage. This week I want to show another Singleback Base Flex that beats bump-n-run man coverage, but this time from the Broncos playbook.

Click here to login to the filmroom.

VG Staff

Game Spots Madden 08 Hands On Preview

Weapons are engaged. Madden 08 is putting the focus on the NFL's best players, and Game Spots got theirs hands-on look at the game.

Click here to read the article.

VG Staff

1UP Has Added Its Madden 08 Preview

1 UP has added its hands on preview for Madden 08. The article mainly talks about the new "Weapons" feature that is being added to the game.

Click here to read the article.

VG Staff

Five Things You Need to Know About Madden 08

IGN has posted a Madden NFL 08 Hands-on pre-view. They list five things you need to know about Madden 08.

Click here to read the article.

VG Staff

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Tons of Madden 08 Screenshots

Team Xbox has posted a ton of new Madden 08 screen shots.

Click here for the pics

Madden NFL 08 Randy Moss Patriots Screens Coming 5 p.m. Eastern!

This is from the officail EA Sports Madden 08 Web Site:

"For those who watched this past weekend's 2007 NFL Draft, the biggest news of the day was a blockbuster trade which sent wide receiver Randy Moss to the New England Patriots. This will likely have a tremendous impact on the Patriots this year, not only on the real life field of play, but in Madden NFL 08 as well. To celebrate this news we will post two screens of Randy Moss in his new Patriots uniform at 5 p.m. Eastern today (Wed., May 2nd). Check back to see how Randy looks in his new uniform".

Here is the actual link.

Moss Screen Shot Link

VG Staff

IGN Madden 08 Preview

IGN has a PS3 preview of Madden 08. A lot of nice game additions being added this year.

"Let's get it out of the way now. Madden NFL 07 was a disappointment, pure and simple. With an exclusive NFL license as well as the power of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, there's no reason why this "next-gen" Madden shouldn't have blown football fans away as one of the greatest sports gaming experiences of all time. That's what we expect when we fork over the dough for high-priced consoles and a $59.99 game. As the only NFL sim on the market, that's what we deserve.

With Madden NFL 08, that's what we're going to get. Or at least that's the lofty goal that developer EA Tiburon has set for its flagship franchise, set to release this summer. With a difficult console transition finally out of the way, Tiburon head man Steve Chiang said there are no more excuses with Madden. There will only be results. After visiting Tiburon to take an early peek at Madden 08, we're starting to believe him."

Here is the link.

IGN PS3 Madden 08 Preview

VG Staff

GameSpot Madden 08 Preview

GameSpot has posted a preview of Madden 08 on the 360. Some good info to read.

"There's no better time to take a first look at Madden NFL 08 than the weekend when the NFL welcomes an entirely new group of stars into its ranks--the 2007 NFL Draft. Last year's draft was notable for a number of reasons--the snub of Reggie Bush as the number one overall pick for Mario Williams, as well as the draft of the player who would eventually be Madden NFL 08 cover athlete, the Tennessee Titans' Vince Young.

Nearly everyone, of course, expected LaDanian Tomlinson to make the cover. With 31 touchdowns and a league MVP award, it seemed only natural that the San Diego Chargers running back was a shoo-in for the cover of EA Sports' latest football game. Yet, when the time came for the announcement, it was Vince who took the honor, and only after LT turned it down. So what can we take away from the announcement of VY as the cover athlete Madden NFL 08? Well, for one, the publisher is hoping to avoid the so-called "Madden curse" with Vince: He's young (heading into his sophomore season in the NFL), big and strong, and seemingly impervious to harm from would-be tacklers."

Here is the link:

GameSpot 360 Madden 08 Preview

VG Staff

Madden 08 Updates On EA Sports Official Site

Here is the main link to the EA Sports Madden 08 Site.

EA Sports Madden 08 Site

Here is list of articles you will find on the site.

Blogs:

The perks of working at EA:

Devin Hester Speed Rating Debate: Part1

News:

Playaction simulator story

NFL Pre-draft luncheon

Rookies talk about their Madden ratings

Friday, April 13, 2007

Madden Blitz Guide - Frequently Asked Questions

With the A/B Gap Blitz Guide only out for a few days, we've
received a number of questions about the book. I've compiled list
of 10 Frequently Asked Questions below to help you out.

You can find out more information about the guide also at:

http://www.maddentips.com/blitzguide

1. Why did VG Sports create an A and B Gap blitz book only?

Most of our readers already know how to create outside heat, plus
it's really not that hard to find. Most players want inside heat
since it's the quickest way to get to the QB. So with that in mind,
we focused primarily on a A and B Gap heat. However, there are some
defenses in the book, where not only will find inside heat, but
also outside heat. The book was originally written for the 46
playbook, but we decided to include the 4-3, Multiple, and Cover 2
playbooks as well.

2. Are there any actual defensive schemes in the book?

No, we elected not go that route when writing the book. We wanted
to give you the keys to putting A and B Gap pressure on the QB, but
let you come with your own schemes based on your style and team
personnel.

3. How many A and B Gap blitz set ups did you come up with for the
book?

There are over 90 plays in the book. Some of those plays have 2,3,
or even 4 set ups. There is at least 130 actual set ups in the book.

4. Can any team run these blitz set ups?

This a tough question to answer. We would like to say yes, but to
be honest some teams just don't have the horses to get it done. If
you are using a team with slow linebackers, then chances are the
blitz set ups won't work as well than if you are playing a team
with fast linebackers. If you only have one fast linebacker on your
team, then you are going to want make sure he is the defender
blitzing the QB. You can always audible down from the Nickel, Dime,
or Quarter defenses if needed to get extra speed on the field.

5. Of the four playbooks, which ones does the VG Team like the most?

Each of the VG team has their own style and blitz set ups they
like. For instance Reality likes the 46 playbook the best. He likes
most of the 46 Normal and Bear blitz set ups, plus he also likes
the Nickel Strong FS Snake Blitz 3. LBZrules also likes the 46
playbook. He likes the book because it has a little bit of
everything such as 3-4, 46, 4-3, Nickel, Dime, and Dollar
formations. One of the blitz set ups he likes is the 46 Bear Buzz
Weak. PhillyRon doesn't blitz as much as the rest of the team, but
when he does blitz, he makes sure his defenders get home. His
favorite playbook is the 4-3. Kobra likes the 46 and Multiple
Playbooks. The 46 has more blitz set ups than the Multiple, but
there are some really killer defenses that are in the Multiple that
are hard to be ignored such as the Nickel Normal Velcro 9.

6. What else will I find in the book besides blitz set ups?

Besides the blitz set ups, we also show the Jump Snap Glitch, Flex
Defenders, Flex Defenisve Linemen, DE Containment, Delayed Blitz,
Blitz Playbook Quick Set Up Sheets, Blitz Set Up Info, Blitz
Playbook Finder, etc... We tried to get as much info in the book as
we could to help ease the learning curve for new players, plus we
wanted to give advanced players something they could use as well.

7. Should I blitz on every down?

The best answer to this is wait until you are actually in the game.
If your opponent can't handle the pressure, then by all means blitz
every play until he shows he counter it. Once he does, then you
must adjust to him. Mask your blitz set ups to keep him off balance.

8. The blitz set ups work against a player who drops straight back
in the pocket, but what about a player who uses play action or
rolls out?

If your opponent likes to call play action, use the pass commit
feature. When used, most of the time the QB won't have time to
throw the ball. Against players who like to roll out, A and B Gap
heat may not always be best. If you call A and B Gap heat, you must
keep him from rolling out. The best way to do that is take control
of a flex defender and manually blitz him from the side where he
likes to roll to. For instance say you call an A Gap blitz that
has the MLB shooting between the C and LG. The ball is lined up on
the left hash mark. More than likely your opponent is not going to
roll to the left side, since he doesn't have much room to run. Most
likely he is going to roll to the right side. Take control of the
flex defender and manually blitz from the right side of the field.
That way he can't roll to that side to avoid the blitz. If your
opponent decides to stay in the pocket, then you can always release
the defender or drop him back in pass coverage.

9. How do I find my own A and B Gap set ups?

The best way to find them if you are trying to find them yourself
is to first go into practice mode. Put one controller on offense
and the other on defense. Call plays on the offensive side of the
ball that have all the receivers going out on pass routes. That way
you can see if the blitz actually works without having to worry
about a running back or tight end blocking the primary blitzer.
On the defensive side of ball, call different defenses, look at
how the defensive linemen pass rush, what gaps the linebackers and
defensive backs attacking before any shifts are made. Run the
defenses by default design of the play. The best blitz set ups are
the ones where you don't have to do anything at all. If the blitz
doesn't work, then start shifting defensive linemen, linebackers,
and fake blitz. If the blitz still doesn't work, try moving a
defender or two. If that doesn't help, try manually rushing a
defender who is supposed to drop back in pass coverage and see if
that helps. Once you go through all of that, flip the defense and
go through the same procedure. If you are still unable to get the
blitz to work, move on to the next one. If you do find a blitz that works,
write it down on a piece of paper. Once you find some
blitz set ups that do work, go into actual game. Put one controller
one team and the other on the other team. Use the same defensive
playbooks you want to try your blitz set ups on. Set up the
defenses the same way as you did in practice mode to see if they
work. If they do work, get a hold of a buddy and go online.
Test the blitz sets online to see if they work or not. If they do work
online, then you know they are good to go. Also be sure to run them
against different formations and different pass blocking tactics,
that way you know what will work or not.

10. I can't get the blitz set ups to work everytime, what do I do?

Not every blitz is going to work every single time. There are a lot
variables to come into play for the blitz to work. The best thing
we can tell you is go through all the blitz set ups with the
playbook you plan to run. Test each one out to see how they work
with the team you are playing. If they work, then keep them and add
them to your blitz package arsenal. With over 90 plays shown in the
book, surely you can find a handful that you like that you can use
during the course of the game.

Again, to find out more about the A/B Blitz Guide, go to:

http://www.maddentips.com/blitzguide

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Roster and Ratings Interview

Madden Planet has an interview with EA dev team member who works on rosters and ratings. This is the first sort of interview where we've given insight into this process, so it's something the community should be able to appreciate. Enjoy.

http://www.madden04.com/forums/blog/damon/

Thanks,
VG Staff
_________

ESPN Madden 08 Cover Countdown Content

ESPN.com has some great content in their video games section to count down to EAs Madden NFL 08 cover announcement which will happen later this month (more details on that as we get closer). Check out the ESPN.com video games page and an article about Devin Hester's speed in 08.

http://sports.espn.go.com/videogames/index

http://sports.espn.go.com/videogames...ory?id=2826180

Thanks,
VG Staff

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Official EA Sports Madden 08 Site Is Now Live

The new Madden 08 site is now live. Here is the direct link.

http://www.easports.com/madden08/

For the next 32 days, EA will feature team specific themes on the site. A new team will open up each day along the bar at the bottom of the page. You'll then be able to download a wallpaper for that team on the right hand side of the screen. There is a lot more in store for our site this year, but this is a really exciting starting point where we're featuring team a team specific look for the first time.

Thanks,
VG Staff

Monday, March 05, 2007

Big B's Guide to the Spread Offense Released!

You can go to http://www.maddentips.com/spread for info and ordering.

One of the best sections in the guide is the Commish's corner.

We've been eager to put out this section for a long time. After reading this section, you'll be able to seriously step up your game. These guys that win tourneys and are quite successful have schemes.

They make a system and that contains checks and balances. They know what stops them and they make adjustments within their scheme to account for that.

Being a great Madden player isn't so much about having a couple of good plays. It's about having a solid scheme that you can adjust to deal with any situations.

Big B and Mr. Squeeze take you through a virtual Lab session where they break down the nuts and bolts of their offensive schemes. The same ones that their club has used to win multiple EA Madden Challenge Region titles.

They also dive into the Tampa Bay, Detroit & Atlanta playbooks to pull out some gems that will put your offense over the top!

As usual Big B did a nice job on the guide with the assistance of his right hand man Mr. Squeeze so...Enjoy!

Monday, February 12, 2007

LBzrule Guide to the 3-4 Defense

One of the advantages we have at VG Sports is the number of fanatical Madden players that we come into contact with on a daily basis. Between our discussion forums, private messages, league participation and tournament crew connections, we have a really strong feel for the pulse of the community.

As players have begun to make the transition to Next-Gen, they are having to relearn how to play defense. The games are very different and many of the tactics used in Current Gen D just don't translate over. Without individual defensive playmaker, many players are feeling limited by the game.

Well, I put my defensive specialist to work here at VG to put together a scheme that we could teach people to give them the lockdown type of defense that they are looking for.

Charles Bowie, aka LBzrule has spent months in the lab and in online and head-to-head play to develop a bullet proof system that is guaranteed to punch your opponent right in the mouth and keep him on his heels all game long.

Charles is a former linebacker and for years has been our go-to guy when if comes to plugging gaps and attacking offenses. I told him that I wanted a scheme that would solve two major headaches that defenders encounter in Madden 07 - getting mad up the gut pressure on the QB, and shutting down the pound (run game).

To see how he did it, go to www.maddentips.com/34defense