IGN.com previews NCAA Football 08

[gschwendt]

http://www.ncaastrategies.com/images/ncaafootball08/ign.gif NCAA Football 08 Preview - EA football is finally starting to cut upfield.

April 12, 2007 - You already know that Zabransky is on the cover. You already know that trick plays are back, Campus Legend is in, and the marketing guys are hyping up a new leadership feature for the back of the box.

But the question we all have for NCAA Football 08 is the same question every fan asks of their own team come autumn: How's it look on the field? We had a chance to check it out at EA Tiburon this week and the prognosis is good. NCAA runs at a smooth 60 frames per second, has gang tackles, bruising hits and raucous crowds that don't stop for anything, not even the pause menu.

While we didn't get our hands on NCAA, the new football engine that EA Tiburon is using for both football titles on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 is just plain rad. Gone are the days of running out of bounds because you're stuck in some animation. The focus on the field is dynamic gameplay, and thanks to a new branching animation system, your quarterback can sprint left on the option, get gang-tackled, pitch the ball to a halfback before falling down, who then sprints to the sideline to outrun a defensive end before cutting straight upfield, hurdling into the air before being spun around by a mean-spirited free-safety that doesn't like guys hurdling on his football field. The ball is knocked out, a senior stud cornerback picks it up, spins an O-lineman out of his shoes and takes it to the house.

Our senior CB happens to be an impact player, and his influence extends to the rest of his team. As part of NCAA Football 08's Lead By Example feature, the rest of the team is so enamored with our senior CB's score that they are in the zone, bursting with confidence, ready to run right over their opponents straight to the nearest sorority house. Tri-Delts be afraid -- be very afraid.

Actually, don't be that afraid. There are no girlfriends in the next-gen debut of Campus Legend, the stellar create-a-player mode analogous to Madden's Superstar mode. This season, you create a stud, create a high school and jump right into the state championship playoffs. If you went to IGN High in San Francisco, you'll play on the local field against the likes of Oakland, San Jose and powerhouse Chico. If you reach the finals you'll play on one of the NCAA stadiums for the state championship. Scouts will take notice of your play, and the farther you lead your team the more scholarship offers you are going to get. If you stink it up, you can still walk-on at your favorite school (and clean the seniors' jocks, you scrub.).

Campus Legend makes great use of the new Super Sim feature that allows you to skip single plays or to the next change of possession. You can still watch every play from the sideline through the eyes of your legend, but you can also skip ahead to the next time he takes the field. Super Sim is available in every game, which will come in handy during Dynasty mode when you want to get your second stringers on the field to mop up.

Your legend's day is broken up into mornings, afternoons and evenings. You have to hit the books in the morning and attend class, making sure you stay eligible with a 2.0 GPA. We're not exactly sure how you do that since there are no student exams, as in last year's current-gen title. Maybe you just happen to have all of Maurice Clarett's professors and skate through. In the afternoon, you head to practice and get your 10 reps. The better you do the more points you earn. The more points you earn the better chance you have of overtaking the next teammate on the depth chart -- a real challenge for a freshman trying to supplant, say, USC's John David Booty.

At night you can study the playbook for a little awareness boost or you can play hoops with your friends and get a little jump boost (or roll your ankle and miss the big game). There's no word yet on if EA has included Hummer racing as part of a NCAA Rules Violation minigame.

But if you're sentimental like us, NCAA Football 08 will save all of your big plays in a single game. You can then select from your special memories, choose a few different camera angles and create a video highlight for your own use or to upload online to show your friends. Don't like movies? Fine, take a few photos instead. At the end of the day, your movie clips and photos can be put on the jumbo-tron in your favorite team's shrine (the front end menu). Also in the shrine is a huge trophy case that you fill as you win historic or rival games. ESPN's Chris Fowler jumped on board to give a little bit of history for each of the trophies.

We, of course, saved the best for last. NCAA 08 will include possibly the single greatest sports feature of all time: The Weather Channel. That's right, EA penned a deal with the network so that every game will kick-off with the exact weather conditions at that very moment in wherever the heck you are playing. Hurricane season in South Florida at 3 a.m.? Game on.

It's early, but EA managed to get us excited about NCAA 08 after we were let down from NCAA 07 a year ago. It's not all bowl games and cheerleaders, however. We saw a returner call a fair catch on a kick off and a running back skate through a tackle. But it's early -- pre alpha, in fact. If NCAA 08 continues on the path it's on, probation will finally be over.

Stay tuned for our hands-on impressions later this month. - IGN.com (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/780/780221p1.html)

[adder30]

http://www.ncaastrategies.com/images/ncaafootball08/ign.gif
the new football engine that EA Tiburon is using for both football titles on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 is just plain rad.
IGN.com (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/780/780221p1.html)

:o ........ it's rad!

Cowabunga dude.... I can't wait to see what Master Splinter says about the game engine






But seriously, the "super simulation" sounds like a great feature. The anti-gang tackle (one automatically falls over) of past years had been a pet peeve of mine, so I'm glad to hear they updated that too.

[coogrfan]

NCAA runs at a smooth 60 frames per second, has gang tackles, bruising hits and raucous crowds that don't stop for anything, not even the pause menu.

:D

[kidzer0918]

man i was just about to post this

[kidzer0918]

your quarterback can sprint left on the option, get gang-tackled, pitch the ball to a halfback before falling down, who then sprints to the sideline to outrun a defensive end before cutting straight upfield, hurdling into the air before being spun around by a mean-spirited free-safety that doesn't like guys hurdling on his football field. The ball is knocked out, a senior stud cornerback picks it up, spins an O-lineman out of his shoes and takes it to the house.


i wonder how they know all this if they didnt get thier hands on the game?

[kidzer0918]

i like that you can now skip parts of the game to make those blowouts go faster

[westsidetide]

i wonder how they know all this if they didnt get thier hands on the game?

They were showing Lugnutt highlights[laugh]

[greenbayrocks567]

Well this was almost all about campus legend mode, which is a mode I enjoy a lot to be honest with you all. I always thought it would be kind of cool to start out in High School then go into college that way. I'm making an assumption here but I guess this means that regular create-a-team is also in the game this season. :)

[husker_blitz]

I'm making an assumption here but I guess this means that regular create-a-team is also in the game this season. :)
It does sound that way. I wonder if it will still be the bare-bones treatment or if it will have some different options for CAT.

[greenbayrocks567]

It does sound that way. I wonder if it will still be the bare-bones treatment or if it will have some different options for CAT.

I can only hope they would put all the features from the last gen into the next gen games, plus maybe some extra features? Who knows...its all speculation at this point in time.

[sayo]

Where does it say anything about CAT? I hope you all are right.

[greenbayrocks567]

Where does it say anything about CAT? I hope you all are right.

It didn't say anything directly about it, but it mentioned that you create your own high school in RFTH so I just made an assumption. Nothing directly though.

[gschwendt]

It didn't say anything directly about it, but it mentioned that you create your own high school in RFTH so I just made an assumption. Nothing directly though.

no... you don't create your own high school, you create your player, and then depending on the area you choose your player to be from, it assigns you to a high school.

[greenbayrocks567]

Actually, don't be that afraid. There are no girlfriends in the next-gen debut of Campus Legend, the stellar create-a-player mode analogous to Madden's Superstar mode. This season, you create a stud, create a high school and jump right into the state championship playoffs.

Are you sure?

[husker_blitz]

As for as CAT yeah I misread it. Damn it anyways. [glare]

[CFR-116]

At the risk of sounding like a total dick.....but aren't these the same type of previews we always get each and every year? Where these previews seem more like "sales jobs" than a simple preview. I mean, each year these previews make Ncaa sound like the best freaking thing since peanut butter....remember the previews of the '05' game? Very seldom if at all, even with the 11th hour previews do ya read anything but posivite and glowing things about the new release, and really not a word about problems. This is admitedly a pretty rotten thing to say but....how about a preview that states....."It more or less is the very same game as last year."...."It has afew different colored screens to trick you into thinking it's alittle different."..."But in general it's the same game." "What new features have been thrown in"...."and they seem "thrown in", without much regaurd if they even work correctly....if at all." "And some of the new features that do work"...."you may end up wishing they didn't."

I mean...it's fun to read these previews, and we should know by now that ya have to take them with a grain of salt, but it kinda suxs when ya can't help but want to believe what your reading.....only to get home with the game and you end up wondering if these previewers were playing the same game you are.[glare] Maybe I'm looking at this wrong but....to me, the previewers have at least some responsibilty to give a fair and balanced view of these games. Instead...it sounds like their in bed with EA, vs pointing out the good...the bad and the ugly.

How some of these latest releases have gotten such rave reviews and 9.8's or whatever is just beyond me. Again...what the frick game are they playing?[laugh] It can't be what I looking at....the samething as last year, but with some gimmick tossed in that has ya searching for the off switch. [and there isn't one.] Now to be fair to the previewers, maybe their hands are kinda tied....if they did dare to slam the game, could be their invite to get an early look next year may not be forecoming.

Myself....and I'll bet many of us read every preview thats out there, and re-read everything to find the slightess detail and I admit I enjoy it.[smile] However it would be nice to be fore-warned that the game has alittle nasty habit of locking up on ya....or the disipline ratings of the players are purely random and really mean nothing, or the very popular feature create-a-team has been ignored again, and has been the same for the last five freaking years. Sorry about sounding like such an a$$, but sometimes I can't help but wonder if their really serving us....or their masters?

[nolesandgators]

Awesome. Now if they'll just fix the ridiculous looking player models I'll be sold.

[MtneerManiac]

It all sounds good to me, I like this new engine they're using. Sounds cool.

[pavel_quad]

Features- meh, at least in this early IGN suck-off phase.

Animations- Branching animations and 60fps looks great with MLB07 on the PS2, so I know it has great potential, esp. next-gen. Will it hit that potential, or even get close in this incantation of NCAA? That's the $700 question (plus god knows how much for an HDTV)...

[seandigs]

http://www.ncaastrategies.com/images/ncaafootball08/ign.gif

It's early, but EA managed to get us excited about NCAA 08 after we were let down from NCAA 07 a year ago. It's not all bowl games and cheerleaders, however. We saw a returner call a fair catch on a kick off and a running back skate through a tackle. But it's early -- pre alpha, in fact. If NCAA 08 continues on the path it's on, probation will finally be over.

IGN.com (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/780/780221p1.html)

I forgot that returners weren't allowed to fair catch on kick off [glare]

As already mentioned, branching animations could be huge. I hope they fixed the pass defense.

[jwhite25]

eh, every year I always get too excited. I'm trying to take the laid back approach for this year's game. Being that I switched to PS3, and this is the first installment on PS3. I expect the players to all look like a juiced up WWE wrestler. eh, we'll see.

[rhombic21]

Developer Interview with Jeff Luhr:

http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/890/890431/vids_1.html

Motivation seems like a pretty gay feature to me. Lame.

[sayo]

Developer Interview with Jeff Luhr:

http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/890/890431/vids_1.html

Motivation seems like a pretty gay feature to me. Lame.

Yea it seemed lame before but hearing it come out of his mouth in normal conversation made it even worse. I do admit though, campus legend sounds pretty cool this year. Especially with the new sim options.

[kidzer0918]

that video sounds like where they transcribed the "NCAA FOOTBALL UPDATE" article from...nothing new. I tell you what tho it sounds like they are HYPing up this branching animations stuff up to the point of it will never live up to the hype. my nose is still held up in the air till i see some videos.

[kalgon]

I never play campus legend so it kills me when I hear so much developer excitement and effort over a feature I will never use. And rewarding the user for making defensive plays wouldn't be soooo bad if they made so that when you become the closest player, your animation doesn't hesitate and give up that fatal half step to your opponent.

[keyser soze]

Developer Interview with Jeff Luhr:

http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/890/890431/vids_1.html

Motivation seems like a pretty gay feature to me. Lame.

Oh boy...... not good. Here is what I want EA to at least do for us since they really seem to be jocking the Fiesta bowl (OU vs. Boise State) game last year. Please run your momentum/leadership/whatever its called through the paces of that game in real life. I guess what I am saying is that the WHOLE reason that the game finished like it did was because NEITHER team could get the "momentum" or whatever to push away from the other team. On one play Boise State throws an INT that goes back for a TD (I am guessing that is going to turn OU's defense into a uranium like glowing superstar on the video game which will lead to boise state fumbling the ball) but in real life Boise is able to come back and put a drive together and maintain its composure.

See, this is what has been MISSING from the NCAA game. I don't know about the rest of utopia but after 2 weeks of practicing this game it is almost IMPOSSIBLE for me to get any kind of fun close finishing games. I either completely blow out the computer or I make the sliders so hard that the computer chooses to not let me complete a pass to an open receiver, or applying triple coverage to the CPU becomes meaningless.

I just really, really, really hope that these new gimmicks will lead to more fun CLOSE finishes and not another layer of blowout ville power. The little bit that I played online last year sucked because of 1) cheesing and 2) when stuff started to go against you just holding onto the football seemed impossible. I hope that I am wrong but from what I just heard in that video it sounds like the game is just going to be more lopsided. I guess that is why they will let us simulate the ends of games. Most games will be determined in the first 4 drives.

Last....... the video talks about a QB making a pitch as he is getting crushed, makes a pitch... yada, yada.... please... for the love of Pete, pretty please make the accuracy of the pitch and the passes effected by getting crushed. if you guys really know about football you know that there are 2 ways to play the option. you either "cat and mouse" the qb or you take him out. well if you are taking him out you do so for two reasons. first and most obvious, you don't want the qb to carry the ball but second, you want to punish the qb so he doesn't want to get hit any more and will pitch the ball earlier than desired and tip the play's hand. if a pitch is just as accurate when you are being destroyed as it is when you are not being touched then this is a big step backwards and a move to unrealistic football despite what Jeff says here.

The one big positive that I really liked to hear is the highlight video capturing. this will finally enable guys like me to easily display issues on the game here and talk about them with EA and the forum. Is this video capturing going to be enabled in practice mode? I really, really hope it is for both instructional purposes and testing....

[CFR-116]

The positive....even though I've never used a feature like campus legend, it sounds pretty cool for '08', and may end up being the best feature in Ncaa '08'.

The worry.....I cringed when I heard Jeff say...."In the zone." ie "Boom shocka laka!"..."He's on fire!"[laugh] Sounds to me like the unstopable impact players will make their unwelcome return. The whole deal of this feature which to me includes...and I imagine they all tie together....impact players, lead by example, motavation and momentem....and it's all builting up till....He...and your entire team are, "In the Zone!" Thats seems like quite abit churning within the way this game will play. If all of these things that are meant to effect the gameplay aren't done in a subtle way....all this seems like a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off.

I doubt however that it will be done in a subtle manner. To me...."subtle" means your hardly even aware it's happening, and I'm pretty sure thats not the way all this will play out. The "average" gamer most likely doesn't want to wonder if all this is taking place...or it's happening over the span of a realistic amount of time during the cource of a game. God bless little Johnny...but I believe he's going to want them lights a blinking and flashing ASAP. The "neat-o" factor may be in full effect in short order. [Just a guess.] Not meaning to bitch....but blinking icons flashing lights and...."Being in the zone!"....to me, just doesn't add up to an attempt to make the game realistic in nature. And what I'm getting from Jeff, and all the previews up to this point is....realistic is not EA's focus with Ncaa.

What I wish we'd heard....[being selfish]..."While the fun hasn't been removed from the Ncaa series"...."but Ncaa '08' will be the most realistic playing football game of any kind to date." "Gone are the pinball effects of the past,"..."Our goal with Ncaa '08' is to have the game look and feel like Saturday afternoon!" "The user, nor the computer will be able to count on super-human "Impact players". "After all...college football is a TEAM sport"..."Yes there are outstanding players that stand out from the crowd"...."but their nothing without their teammates." "With Ncaa '08', our main focus is on the programs and their timeless traditions". "Thats what makes college football different from the pros". "So don't expect camara mugging super stars in Ncaa '08'....thats reserved for Sundays."

A guy can dream....can't he?:)

[gesvol]

If "leadership by example" is rewarded for user-controlled plays, how the heck does it work in single-player games? Will the CPU be randomly assigned these boosts as if it is an actual user? I mean, the CPU has to have the opportunity to get boosts too if the game is going to stay balanced, right? Is there any chance that "leadership by example" is just for multi-player and online play?

And CFR, you are not the only one who thought of NBA Jam when hearing about the field lighting up. If they leave that effect in, they may as well bring in that guy to make a cameo appearance announcing. At least it would make it cool in a nostalgic way.

[CFR-116]

If "leadership by example" is rewarded for user-controlled plays, how the heck does it work in single-player games? Will the CPU be randomly assigned these boosts as if it is an actual user? I mean, the CPU has to have the opportunity to get boosts too if the game is going to stay balanced, right? Is there any chance that "leadership by example" is just for multi-player and online play?

And CFR, you are not the only one who thought of NBA Jam when hearing about the field lighting up. If they leave that effect in, they may as well bring in that guy to make a cameo appearance announcing. At least it would make it cool in a nostalgic way.

First off...good question Gesvol. Secondly....ya Boom shocka laka was the first thing that poped into my head with the..."In the zone" thing. If the '08' game turns out the way I fear, I hope the ball at least catches on fire.[laugh]

[keyser soze]

Wow, great question my man... I sure hope that this feature is for human vs. human only as well.... Like I said before, if there ever was a year to wait 2 weeks after the release and see what resident experts think its this year. We have given them our time and threats for the past 2 years and done nothing. In my opinion, its time for EA to put up or you know what. Its not the $60 that bothers me at all, its the massive hours that I put in to the game trying to do their job and make it playable for a season. In 2004 I made it through 6 dynasty seasons, since then its been almost impossible to get through a single season without wanting to reset the season and total re tweak all the sliders in an effort to "fix" the football action.

[westsidetide]

In my opinion, its time for EA to put up or you know what. Its not the $60 that bothers me at all, its the massive hours that I put in to the game trying to do their job and make it playable for a season. In 2004 I made it through 6 dynasty seasons, since then its been almost impossible to get through a single season without wanting to reset the season and total re tweak all the sliders in an effort to "fix" the football action.

Completely agree. I couldn't make it through 1 dynasty last year and just gave up.

I don't want my lack of stick skills to detract from my enjoyment of the strategy aspects of this game. Last years edition just felt rushed and unpolished. There's no excuse this year.....[down]

[keyser soze]

Completely agree. I couldn't make it through 1 dynasty last year and just gave up.

I don't want my lack of stick skills to detract from my enjoyment of the strategy aspects of this game. Last years edition just felt rushed and unpolished. There's no excuse this year.....[down]

Sure there is... I can hear it now.... "This new engine has huge upside and the graphics are amazing. We have to give EA time to build on this in future releases. You can't expect too much with a new engine."

Last year it was first release on 360.... so cut them some slack....

I just want a freaking college football game where the CPU can give me a fun dynasty challenge. If it means my guys are glowing like they had uranium for breakfast fine, but please give me a game where the typical score versus the CPU isn't 98-21 and I have twice the offensive yardage as the second best team in my dynasty.

[CFR-116]

Its not the $60 that bothers me at all, its the massive hours that I put in to the game trying to do their job and make it playable for a season. In 2004 I made it through 6 dynasty seasons, since then its been almost impossible to get through a single season without wanting to reset the season and total re tweak all the sliders in an effort to "fix" the football action.

Wow Soce!....we must be clones or something. The exact thing goes for me as well....it's not so much the money....but the wasted time involved. I haven't gotten past one dynasty season with Ncaa since the '04' game myself. Yes, sliders are a must, I hate using them but it seems like you almost have no choise. I've always refered to slider use as the...."slider merry-go-round", and God help ya if you climb aboard....because the ride never ends. [For me anyway.] With me sliders cheapen the experince, and lead to a guilt complex..."Did I win....or was it the sliders?" Thats not the gaming experince I'm looking for after playing the game for two hours.

As a wise member said quite awhile ago...."Sliders should be used to "season" the game to ones own taste."...."But not used to "fix" the game." That to me hit hard, and decribed exactly what many of us are trying to do...."fix" the game. I tried more times than I care to admit to fix Ncaa '07' [360] with slider work....and failed. And ended up mumbling..."Even the freaking sliders don't work right, for Christ sake!" They have the sliders able to be adjusted in one digit increments, and still they have little to no effect....WTF? Result...the "fix" was off.[laugh]

Like a damm fool, lastnight I deleted my Vikings franshise on Madden, and restarted my Utah St. dynasty. I don't know....I thought it might help me to get caught up in the built up to the Ncaa '08' game. All I can say is....thank God a new game engine is supposed to be on the way. After seeing my do nothing DB's even have the ball pass right through their heads, and into the computer recivers hands....game over, ya...thats next gen. for ya alright. I've already made a promise to myself...at the first sign that I'm forcing myself to play Ncaa '08', I'm moving on to Madden '08'. The biggest drag if that happens is...not only will I be losing the Ncaa game, but also being a active member of Utopia.[down] I mean, what would be the sence of trying to be a active member of a gaming board thats focused on a game I don't play any longer? Complaining about a game your playing is one thing....bitching about a game you don't even play is silly.

Well tonight I'll have to restart my Vikings franchise....I hope I can trade a first round pick to Tenn. for Vince Young again.:)

[keyser soze]

Like I said, i will wait 2 weeks this year. If I hear stuff like, "I have DEF AWR pegged at 100 and still they run around like blind mice" or "This formation and play is totally broken and the CPU can't stop it" or if there is really any big need to define cheese then screw it. How hard is it to remove all cheese from a game if these games really are being tested at great length? When in doubt, pull it out! (of the game that is :p )

[oweb26]

Like I said, i will wait 2 weeks this year. If I hear stuff like, "I have DEF AWR pegged at 100 and still they run around like blind mice" or "This formation and play is totally broken and the CPU can't stop it" or if there is really any big need to define cheese then screw it. How hard is it to remove all cheese from a game if these games really are being tested at great length? When in doubt, pull it out! (of the game that is :p )
if only it was that simply, There is no way every play wil be perfect, but I do agree with the DB being more aware. Cheese needs be to contorlled, but its like glitches there alwasy be something that goes wrong you will not have a cheese free game nor a glitch free game.

[CFR-116]

Like I said, i will wait 2 weeks this year. If I hear stuff like, "I have DEF AWR pegged at 100 and still they run around like blind mice" or "This formation and play is totally broken and the CPU can't stop it" or if there is really any big need to define cheese then screw it. How hard is it to remove all cheese from a game if these games really are being tested at great length? When in doubt, pull it out! (of the game that is :p )

Your advice Soce about waiting two weeks is sound indeed. This is off topic but...ya know one of the main reasons I'd love to see the return of the 1-AA programs and CAT are....to try to distract myself from the $hitty gameplay as much as possible. Although I know it'll be like putting a band-aid on a broken arm....it won't help for long. Man...I sure hope all our pre-release doubts and fears are eased by the end of release day, or there abouts.

[CFR-116]

I can hear it now.... "This new engine has huge upside and the graphics are amazing. We have to give EA time to build on this in future releases. You can't expect too much with a new engine."

Last year it was first release on 360.... so cut them some slack....


Hey Soce you forgot one....that their still making the older gen. game as well.;)

[keyser soze]

Hey Soce you forgot one....that their still making the older gen. game as well.;)

Naaah, that is no excuse at all. EA is a huge company and they make TONS of games on all platforms. If they make the excuse that making the game on different platforms even remotely hinders the performance on any one platform then HIRE MORE PEOPLE. Each platform for each game should have its own team. If they can't sell enough copies of that game on that platform to justify the expense of making it, then simply don't make it. You don't drag a different game down on a different gen system just because it has the same title... man, I hope they would never do this.

[cdj]

The Good:
Ability to use existing player in Campus Legend mode. Granted, I've never touched this game mode, but I might give it a shot now with this added in. I want realism in my game and creating a fictional player who earned the starting job from Day One was the furthest thing from realism.

The Bad:
Glowing fields? 'In the zone' players? The continuation of Impact Players? Why can't I just play the game and expect/try/hope to be smart enough to figure out who is playing well or not on my own?

The Ugly:
"This year we want to reward players for making plays." Then, what was the point of Momentum and dynamic player ratings over the past few years?

[bigcam86]

:o ........ it's rad!

Cowabunga dude.... I can't wait to see what Master Splinter says about the game engine






But seriously, the "super simulation" sounds like a great feature. The anti-gang tackle (one automatically falls over) of past years had been a pet peeve of mine, so I'm glad to hear they updated that too.you had me in tears[laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

[JeffHCross]

The Ugly:
"This year we want to reward players for making plays." Then, what was the point of Momentum and dynamic player ratings over the past few years?I believe that quote is supposed to be "as opposed to letting the computer make the plays for you". Everything I've heard/read about motivation seems to indicate that you don't get credit for the AI grabbing an interception, only you grabbing it.

[rhombic21]

The stupid thing about this is that the AI has been so bad over the past couple years that you ALREADY basically had to do everything manually, especially online. The solution to the problem is to make the AI more competent, not to make the game even MORE reliant on "user skills."

[Makaveli_Reborn]

Let me preface my criticisms by saying that I still get much more than $50 of enjoyment out of this game every year and I'll be buying it again this season.

Sometimes I feel like we have no impact on these people at all. Every year the game gets snowball-ier and every year the first feature out of their mouths is something about "bonus" points or some crap for individual players and stick skills.

Enough. I played football my entire life. Momentum is a temporary thing, HFA is something that only occassionally has an effect (3rd down situations mostly), composure is something that only surfaces in QBs and kickers, motivation doesn't transfer to other players.

I just don't get it man. I wouldn't even complain if you could switch all this crap off but you can't. Once you get +5 momentum or whatever, the game is over unless something freakish happens. If you're going to try and replicate momentum, it should last for a play (+1) or a drive (+2) or an offensive series and the subsequent defensive series (+3), not for an entire half/game. I actually thought that momentum replicated itself fairly well when it wasn't scripted into the engine. As a player you go through periods where you're calling the right plays or making the right moves at the right times, and other periods where everything you do is bad.


Two things in this series keep it's enjoyment scale at about an 8 instead of a 10:

A lack of year-round, multiple season recruiting, and the snowball effect. I can understand the problems with the first one (although College Hoops has had a great system for years now), but there is no good reason that there can't be toggles for all the things that make what should be a 24-3 game a 63-3 game.

[SnaVem]

[IMGA="left"]Actually, don't be that afraid. There are no girlfriends in the next-gen debut of Campus Legend, the stellar create-a-player mode analogous to Madden's Superstar mode. This season, you create a stud, create a high school and jump right into the state championship playoffs. If you went to IGN High in San Francisco, you'll play on the local field against the likes of Oakland, San Jose and powerhouse Chico. If you reach the finals you'll play on one of the NCAA stadiums for the state championship. Scouts will take notice of your play, and the farther you lead your team the more scholarship offers you are going to get. If you stink it up, you can still walk-on at your favorite school (and clean the seniors' jocks, you scrub.).


I had a rediculously tough time using defensive players in madden 07's superstar mode. I played db all my life I wonder if i will suck at NCAA's superstar mode again and be forced to use a skill position.

Sounds very very innovative though.

[Cory]

I just wish EA would try something like NHL 2K7...you have three different game modes. Sim, which is closest to the actual game, arcade which has more gimmick and less realistic elements, and then the default, which is a happy medium between the two. This would be a welcome element for all parties.

[CFR-116]

The solution to the problem is to make the AI more competent, not to make the game even MORE reliant on "user skills."

Exactly. Recruiting is one of the most intersting and enjoyable parts of the Ncaa game, in fact alot of times I can't wait for the season to end....so I can get to recruiting again. However, with the AI being in many cases so bad it kinda ruins the fun of recruiting. If I'm lucky enough to land a 4 or 5 star defensive player...I'd kinda like to see him play like a highly rated player. But with such poor AI the difference between a 2 star player and a 5 star really isn't that much. With that being the case IMO, that kind of makes recruiting not that much beyond mere eye-candy.

If I bother to take the time to land as good a recruiting class as possible, searching throughout the country for players that best fit my offensive and defensive style, and my efforts are rewarded by signing afew highly rated players I want THEM to play well FOR me....thats why I recruited them. If I have to control them myself to get them to do ahhh...something, why the heck bother to recruit them at all? To me, the poor game AI has a snowball effect, it not only makes the game play poorly....but also demeans the recruiting aspect of the game as well. Myself....I'm quite wary of this rewarding YOU for making the play yourself vs depending on the computer AI. In my darkess thoughts, that sounds like it could be the perfect cover for on going crappy game AI.

The idea of getting the user more involved in the making of plays, at it's core sounds alright....but if it comes at the expense of the user players not responding very well to whats happening around them [poor AI] this feature I pray can be turned off, and desent game AI will prevail. Again...the "lead by example" feature does have me worried, for how long now have we seen user defensive players at really all positions play like they have no brains what so ever....now with the '08' game, are we supposed to feel rewarded for it?

Now I'm not saying I'm convinced that the game AI will be $hitty, and that this feature makes it more likely, but in theory it could be used as one heck of an excuse...."After all, YOUR supposed to be making more plays." My hopes for Ncaa '08' are still pretty high, but good Lord the simple game AI must improve for '08' or that one will be collecting dust as well.

[jwhite25]

I'm all about doing alot of things in this game myself, usually because the AI and cpu guys would be out of position, ect, but this sounds like it's going to get a bit out of control with motivation, and in the zone. :(

[CFR-116]

I'm all about doing alot of things in this game myself, usually because the AI and cpu guys would be out of position, ect, but this sounds like it's going to get a bit out of control with motivation, and in the zone. :(

Ya Jwhite, seems like most times I feel like I'm playing defense all alone out there.[laugh]

As far as the "In the zone" thing we've been hearing about....that has the very strong smell of arcade to it. Hopefully the "In the zone" will turn out to be more of a sales pitch, than it really effects the game.

[Wahoo35]

Well this was almost all about campus legend mode, which is a mode I enjoy a lot to be honest with you all. I always thought it would be kind of cool to start out in High School then go into college that way. I'm making an assumption here but I guess this means that regular create-a-team is also in the game this season. :)

I wouldn't mind playing through an actual full season. I'd edit the teams, players, etc. Just give me that option. State playoffs sound great, but I want the whole season.

[JeffHCross]

Sometimes I feel like we have no impact on these people at all. Every year the game gets snowball-ier and every year the first feature out of their mouths is something about "bonus" points or some crap for individual players and stick skills.Reality:
We, the users of sites like OS, Utopia, and MaddenPlanet are in the minority.
The thumb jockeys that buy Halo 2 just so they can smack someone with a sword and then so "OMG WTF PWNED!" are the majority.

( Not exactly, but there's still a large difference between those that visit these sites and "the mainstream user" )

There are lot of users out there that like individual accomplishment, and showing up your buddy. These are the users that use the Pennants that many of us turn off immediately. These are the ones that use Create-A-Player to make 99 OVR QBs for their team. Momentum, motivation, HFA, Impact Players, and CERTAINLY Jump The Snap are primarily for these users (though I will contend that HFA is something I welcomed to the series, because as a member of a student section I feel HFA is a very integral to real football, though maybe not as pronounced as in the game).

Do we still have an impact? Yeah, a little bit of one. But look around Utopia and then go look at the official EA forums for NCAA 08. They're more likely to listen to the NCAA 08 forums because of a) the number of users, b) accessibility, c) demographics.

It's unfortunate, but it's (largely) true.

The only hope we have is getting some more Community Leaders and other such positions on the EA staff that actually have the jobs to go look at the forums. They're slowly getting there.

[heisman6183]

Has anyone read/heard anything yet about increased roster sizes? I'm trying to determine how big to make my UNI roster, 70 or 75. This is for the PS2.

[sayo]

Has anyone read/heard anything yet about increased roster sizes? I'm trying to determine how big to make my UNI roster, 70 or 75. This is for the PS2.

Why increase roster sizes when your players are so motivated to play the full 60 mins?[rock]

[keyser soze]

"OMG WTF PWNED!"

HAHAHAHAHA, I actually busted out laughing in my office when I read this. I have to admit that at the ripe old age of 32 hearing a kid say this through my speakers on Halo 2 really, I mean REALLY pisses me off and makes me want to go through the TV after him. When I first heard the term PWNED I didn't even understand it. Then when my buddy told me what it meant and how it is used, I think it gets a larger reaction from me when playing video games then being told to F-off or anything of that nature.

I have carried the term to video poker to try to get players on TILT but I am pretty sure most have no idea what I am saying there. It still feels GREAT to beat a guy and say PWNED immediately after the river card flips!

Thanks for the laugh.

[CFR-116]

This morning I was checking out Sports Gamer [Madden Nation]....and I ran across a small question and answer interview with the Director of Marketing of EA Sports Chris Erb. With one of his answers, it was exactly what I'd hoped to hear about Ncaa '08'....but of course we didn't. He mentions about how EA's main focus this year for Madden is on the gameplay experince, and how their consintrading on the core of the gameplay. He said that as the release day grows closer they'd get into the features....but he seemed to be really stressing the importance of the basic gameplay and how EA is zoned in on that. Take it for what it's worth but....Mr. Erb also said that EA had listened to the "Users" and this year they took it to heart.[wow]

Now with Ncaa....whats really the first thing we've heard about, the newly added gimmick features....and not a word about if the basic gameplay is being improved. My point is, it seems anyway that with Madden EA is on top of what SHOULD matter most....how the game plays, vs with Ncaa, gimmick features are the main focus at this point. Now I realize this is just from one person [Mr. Erb] but the Director of Marketing sounds like pretty much of a heavyweight thats doing the talking. Now this...."We are really focused on the core of the gameplay."...won't end up on the back of the box on Madden '08', but it's still kinda intersting that the sales pitch that we thought EA would never use....and there it kind of is.....improved gameplay.

It just kind of struck me how differently the approch seems toward the two games, were with Madden....EA seems to be trying to take care of the basic gameplay and fix what "Users" thought was in need of improvement. Where as with Ncaa, it's seems like damm the torpedos, start pileing on the features. It just would have been so encourging if in the video interview with Jeff Luhr, something along the same lines would have been mentioned....that the gameplay was front and center.

[rhombic21]

I'm guessing that the gameplay in NCAA will be pretty similar to Madden's, since they're using the same gameplay engine.

One possibility is that the Madden team feels as though they are marketing to a different base, and thus they emphasize different things.

[wsumichigan]

i hope your right, because i'm still waiting to move up to the next gen console. Hopefully after you guys give it at least one thumbs up i'll go ahead and move on up. Gameplay must be fixed though or at least on its way. Only good thing is it could not have gotten worse.

[ThirtyThree]

I had a ton of fun in Madden with Superstar mode on 360, so the Campus Legend sounds pretty bad ass.

We shall see.

[CFR-116]

I'm guessing that the gameplay in NCAA will be pretty similar to Madden's, since they're using the same gameplay engine.

One possibility is that the Madden team feels as though they are marketing to a different base, and thus they emphasize different things.

I do agree that it makes sence that with the same engine the two games should play much alike. However....take the Madden engine, add in mometum, lead by example, being "In the zone!" and impact players, and I would imagine with all that IMO crap in there....Ncaa may play very differently than Madden will. A well placed on/off switch could save Ncaa '08' from the scrap heap.

As to who EA is maketing the games to, I think your more than right Rhombic. I do believe that the target with the marketing of Ncaa is the younger gamers. IMO, only the younger gamers say....10 to maybe 14 would really be pleased to hear about glowing fields and impact players....ie, Superman players that can do the next to impossible.

I sure hope I'm wrong but...with the gimmick features making their return to the Ncaa series in the newer gen. games, it seems pretty clear that gamers that prefer a more realistic playing experince just won't find it with the Ncaa game....and their maybe not meant to. And the complaints about arcade-like gameplay will continue well into the future. I really believe that EA would be better served, and cover more bases if a on/off switch was added along with these types of features....or sim/arcade which ever you prefer.

[JeffHCross]

It just would have been so encourging if in the video interview with Jeff Luhr, something along the same lines would have been mentioned....that the gameplay was front and center.Keep in mind that, as you said, focusing on gameplay isn't going to be on the box. Unfortunately, that also means it's not going to be on the video interview, at least not usually. If Utopia could get an interview with someone at EA, we might be able to get such an answer, but IGN is going to get the hype answers instead.

[westsidetide]

Keep in mind that, as you said, focusing on gameplay isn't going to be on the box. Unfortunately, that also means it's not going to be on the video interview, at least not usually. If Utopia could get an interview with someone at EA, we might be able to get such an answer, but IGN is going to get the hype answers instead.

Exactly. IGN, just like EA, caters to the 10 - 14 year old demographic. Bells, whistles, secret cheat codes, and "PWNED, Dude. U R teh suck!"
[down]

[CFR-116]

Exactly. IGN, just like EA, caters to the 10 - 14 year old demographic. Bells, whistles, secret cheat codes, and "PWNED, Dude. U R teh suck!"
[down]

Ya Westside, I myself consider IGN [and other sites] to really be nothing more than mouth pieces for EA. I now look at their interviews and such as just entertainment only....maybe a few tidbits of news on features, but their opinions on how great the game will be isn't really worth paying much attention to. With me anyway, their credibilty[sp] is pretty much gone, their glowing reviews of the '05' and '06' Ncaa games proved to me they weren't worth listening to any longer.