Hands on with Madden NFL 12 at E3!

What’s up Madden-a-holics! MadScientist06, EA SPORTS Game Changer, here to give you what you are CRAVING for…any…little…tasty…tidbit…of Madden NFL 12 information you can get your greedy little hands on!!! LOL! I feel your pain–the pain of waiting for a great game to come out! So CLOSE you can taste it! I feel it too! It’s even worse for me now that I have played Madden NFL 12. I can’t go back to playing Madden NFL 11. I can’t. It’s like going back to driving a Honda after borrowing a Lamborgini for three days! Trust me, I rode that Lambo until Ryan Ferwerda turned off the console at the end of day three and pryed the controller out of my dead, cold, hands!!!

I was lucky enough to attend this year’s E3 event in LA. It’s the fourth time I have been to E3 and it’s always a hellova fun time on the sticks and a great time interacting with all the EA SPORTS development team, community mangers, and various staff! I put a lot of time in with Madden NFL 12 over the three days of E3 and wanted to give you my impressions. DISCLAIMER: The game is not complete; It’s still in development and is referred to as a Work in Progress (WIP) as they say in the industry. Having said that, the game plays like it’s Gold (finalized and ready for release)! It’s very polished as you can see in the videos.

I know you’re just as hardcore as I am, so you’ve already read the many blogs from the Madden Team and from fellow EA SPORTS Game Changer, Jake Stein, and not to mention Aaron Boulding, who was stolen away from ESPN to write for EA! So you know about all the new features–so I won’t go into great detail about them. You’ve been to EA’s New and Improved Madden NFL 12 Website and you’ve been to The Gaming Tailgate, Operation Sports, Compete4Ever, MyMaddenPad, of course MaddenMatrix.com (cough-cough), and all of the many great sites out there holding the community down with quality content and footage. So, you know about DPP and the new Player Traits – two new HUGE features what will change how the Madden NFL is played!

But, let me do it like this… From the three days on the sticks with Madden NFL 12, let me tell you what people that played the game liked the most–I call it my…

Top Five Madden NFL 12 Oooh Aahh Moments of E3!

Let’s start at the bottom and work to the #1 spot, like my man David Letterman…

	In at Number Five…the envelope please!…. Zone Defense! The fifth rated Oooh Aahhs were for the improvements in Zone Defense. There were a number of positive comments about the improvements in defensive AI by passers-by and especially those who stopped by to play a game or two. I enjoyed watching some of the gamers that stopped by try to run routes that worked in Madden NFL 11, only to have them foiled by an interception–classic!
	Next, in the Number Four spot, we have… The New Tackling Engine! The fourth rated Oooh Aahhs received were for the new tackling engine and colision detection! I also heard a lot of Oooh Aahhs about tackling animations. The fact that a tackle does not occur until contact is made is, well, like it is in real life. With suction gone, players are not warped into animation position before a tackle starts. One of the things people who played Madden at E3 this year liked were the multi-player tackles. You’ll see it in every Madden NFL 12 video — A player is hit on the right side and the momentum takes them both to the right. Then, another player piles on from the left, and momentum and direction changes due to the tackling force and direction of the second tackler. There were a number of Oooh Aahhs related to several big hits, a direct result of the improvements in collision detection.
	In at Numero Tres is … The Running Game! The third rated Oooh Aaahs were for the Running Game! On offense, the lack of suction allows for a totally revamped running attack. No longer do defenders suck runners into tackle animations like a magnet. The defender actually has to be in a position to tackle you in order to make a tackle. An example of this would be bumping into the back of a defender or squeezing through a small hole in the line. Making contact with a defender does not always result in a tackle. In addition to the lack of suction, the blocking AI has been greatly revamped. Players are smart about their blocking assignments and you break through the line of scrimmage, you’ll get plenty support running down field. The most skilled runners will utilize patience, stay off the speed burst until the time is right, and let your blockers clear a running lane for you. Big Running Backs played big. You gotta love that.
	The second-most praised feature was … Lack of Suction! The rated Oooh Aahhs were from the Lack of Suction! The removal of suction on both offense and defense is truly revolutionary. This is what I’ve been telling people. But it’s something that doesn’t JUMP OUT AT YOU and smack you in the face; It’s subtle. From your first run up the middle, you’ll feel it. You may not know what it is or what was retooled, but you feel it and you know it’s different and it’s better–way better! On defense, the lack of suction allows for a very potent pass rush. If your defender breaches the line, you have a clear path to the Quarterback and don’t have to worry about being sucked back into an offensive lineman. Never fear, Halfbacks and Fullbacks do a great job of picking up blitzers, so neither offense or defense has an advantage, as it should be.
	And the NUMBER ONE, NUMERO UNO, SPECTACULARRR feature that received Hella-Crazy Ooohh Aaaahhs and OH EM GEEs was…. Team Entrances & Pre-Game Cut Scenes!!! The Top Rated Oooh Aahhs received were from the New Team Entrances! Team entrances received a lot of attention this year and the results are stunning! Just wait till you see Ray Lewis do his pre-game stadium entrance. Even if you are not a fan of the Baltimore Raven’s, it will get you FIRED UP! Look how Ray Lewis’ entrance has improved since Madden NFL 10 in the video compilation below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the blimp view of the stadiums to the cheerleaders — team entrances have never been more realistic and polished. The player entrances on the field populated with smoke, cheerleaders, and mascots, and whatever traditions true to each team, were quite impressive. This year, EA did some work with real NFL cameramen to capture and mimic the camera positions used in a real NFL game. The end result is a very authentic, realistic, TV style presentation feel for the game.

Last, but not least, a very heart-filled thanks for the great hospitality from the fine folks at EA SPORTS. I was impressed that the majority of the team was on the showroom floor interacting with people who visited the booth, all three days, from start to finish!

Madden NFL 12 drops August 30th! I’m counting the days! Parting was such sweet sorrow Madden NFL 12, but I will see you soon!

Hit me up on Twitter at MadScientist06 with any questions or comments!

-MadScientist06

17. June 2011 by admin
Categories: E3 Expo, Madden NFL | Comments Off