Weekend Update

Over the past week there have been some interesting tidbits released about Madden 10. Here is a list of some of the things I was able to confirm.

- USAF Thunderbirds will be doing stadium fly-overs.

- 3 player(more?) co-op play, in franchise.

- National Anthem being played at some point in the game.

Not a flood of info, but every little bit counts at this point right?

Team Color Cleats confirmed.

And my, are they beautiful! Lead designer of Madden NFL 10 Ian Cummings just posted this picture of a Chicago Bears player sporting team colored cleats.

Could a Picture of the new camera angles be next?

The Little Things

When a game comes out that is by far and away the best version or best representation of its sport, we are sure to see "The Little Things" threads pop up on discussion boards. When I sat "little things" I mean cool little nuances of the game which aren't back of the box features. Obviously we don't know what these "little things" will be in Madden NFL 10, but here are some things I am hoping for.

-Classic stadiums
-Colored cleats (already confirmed)
-Unique tackles
-Tipped balls being caught
-Botched snaps
-Botched handoffs
-Every classic uniform for every team
-Juggling catches
-Milestones being recognized

These are just a few of the "little things" I would like to see. Let me know what you want to see in the comments section.

Running Animations - Good or bad?

There has been a lot of discussion on running animation for Madden NFL 10. Some say they are good, while other feel they need minor tweaking, still others feel they are terrible. I want to know what you think? Check out the videos below and make the call.



This is a Ball carrier prototype for Madden 10

Update on Pro-Tak by Madden 10 Lead Designer Ian Cummings

I think more and more videos are going to be coming out by our marketing department and from preview events...just wanted to let you guys know what's missing from the feature still that we are working on (this also is a bit of a response to apex and co. and their critiques).

The biggest missing feature is probably carrying through velocity from original animations -> PRO-TAK. You can see that on the Lendale White video...meaning that when players transition from a normal mocap tackle into PRO-TAK stuff their velocities get zeroed out (meaning they stop in place). This will definitely be addressed before we ship...our goal is that you don't even notice the transition from one to the other...it should just look like another guy added on seamlessly. This is causing a lot of the feeling of "it needs more umph"...

Second biggest is the "warping" into the PRO-TAK multi-man stuff. This hasn't been tuned really so guys are just 'suction-ing' like magnets to the ballcarrier. Also when the guys add on the goal is that they drastically effect the pile's velocity and positioning and stuff...right now they just attach and that's about it. Again when the feature is actually done you should feel a lot more 'power' when these guys hit the pile.

The "endless chopping" stuff is often turned on for demo purposes...this will really not happen in the game when it ships...you'll see a guy drive forward and they'll then get pushed to fall forward or backward (or sideways or whatever) way quicker than just standing up chopping their feet.

Lastly, we really don't have barely any animation variety in there yet. We're looking to at least add quadruple the amount of stuff to keep it fresh. We've built some new tech this year that basically swaps the animation banks for each PRO-TAK set of animations after they play (moving them to the end of the list after they do), but up until basically today we haven't had the variety to swap. That will be coming very soon as well.

So anyway, I don't want to act like I don't want feedback from you guys as you see the new stuff...all of it is valuable and please keep posting...but I also wanted to let you know what we're currently working on. We definitely aren't going to be spending our whole cycle on this tech to have it not come out looking perfect. We just have to balance the needs of marketing to show stuff early even when it's not done.

- Ian

Source: OperationSports.com/ Ian Cummings.

The "SIM" Effect.

Madden 10's lead designer Ian Cummings asked me to compile a list of all the small changes in Madden 10 for the "sim" gamer.

-ProTac: Stands for procedural tackling. This enables up to 9 players to be involved in any given tackle.
-Realistic pass speeds
-No more moon shot passes
-Signature quarterback throwing animations
-Fight for the fumble: Pileups on some fumbles
-Referees on the field.
-Chain gang.
-First down measurements
-Improved WR/DB interactions
-Defensive assignments
-Improved OL/DL interactions
-Improved QB dropbacks: Will be slower to let your WR's run better routes.
-Player momentum will be more realistic
-New penalties added: Illegal forward pass, Late hit out of bounds. More to be added.
-New and better pursuit angles
-Adaptive AI: The CPU will adjust to the plays you call. IE no more money plays!
-No rocket catching
-FB dive problem solved
-QB sneak problem solved
-Ratings have been stretched out to allow for more individual player characteristics.
-Greater degree of risk/reward when using the Hit-Stick
-Passes tipped at the line now possible.
-Procedural Awareness: Players will follow the ball

If there is anything I missed, please feel free to leave it in the comment section and I will get it on the list.

Get Your Name in the Credits of Madden NFL 10!!!

Want to get your name in the bright lights of the Madden NFL 10 credits for Xbox 360 and PS3?

Go pre-order your copy of Madden NFL 10 today, and you might have a shot! Here's how it works:

• You must be following @EAnthonyS, @Raczilla, and @EASPORTS on Twitter.

• Twitpic a copy of your pre-order sales receipt for Madden NFL 10 (any platform will qualify) to @EAnthonyS on Twitter before 11:30 PM EST on May 28th, 2009.
o Must be sent via Twitpic.
o Picture must clearly show date (receipts dated prior to 5/8 are still eligible), game title, retailer, and dollar amount put down to reserve game.

• Each time @EAnthonyS receives 21 entries (celebrating Madden NFL's 21st birthday!) he will randomly select 1 entry. That person will be notified via Direct Message on Twitter, and will have their name added to the credits of Madden NFL 10, on PS3 and Xbox 360.

• Once you enter the first time, you are eligible for each round if you have yet to be selected and will automatically be re-entered into the next drawing, SO THE MORE YOU PASS THIS ON TO YOUR FRIENDS, THE MORE CHANCES YOU WILL HAVE TO WIN!

Good luck!

Source: Madden NFL EA Sports Blog.