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Friday was a big news release day for EA's football products. Previews and interviews hit both Gamespot and IGN, and myself and Bangpow also received some pre-release material from EA in the form of marketing logos, new desktop wallpapers, etc.
Since NCAA 08 will be shipping first in July, lets start there.
Brand new IGN sizzle video from EA showing many goodies about the new animation system for NCAA (which Madden will also have.)
Check that out HERE at IGN. Then, be sure to check out IGN's hands-on preview of NCAA 08...an nice two-pager, found HERE. Then, we have Gamespot's NCAA 07 Next Gen hands-on impressions from a pre-NFL draft event in New York. You can check Gamespot's impressions out HERE.
Then we come to Madden NFL 08 for next gen... and IGN has some serious goodies for us before today's draft. First, we get the first IGN preview of Madden NFL 08, and its a good multi-pager. Check that out HERE.
And it doesn't end there. Be sure to check out the long video interview with Madden 08 producer Ian Cummings HERE. You wanna talk about a year where EA is saying all the right things- this is it. There seems to be tons of acknowledgement about how the next-gen football games have been extremely flat, and they are really hitting back with "Yes, we heard you, and we WILL impress you this year." I'll tell ya though, this new animation system that Ian Cummings talks about sounds like even more than some of us were asking for, and the good thing is that from what I'm reading everywhere, NCAA and Madden will share identical engine improvements across the board. Yes! There's alot more, and you guys will have to check it out yourselves so I don't spoil it. EA seems to be understanding the old Sopranos season 1 proverb "Show up heavy, or don't show up." EA seems to be promising to show up pretty damn heavy with football this year..and by heavy I mean feature rich.
Also, be sure to check out some of the wallpapers and marketing graphics that EA hit us with this week. You can download them all from my forum post HERE. One thing is for sure, it looks like its going to be a big year for console football games, and it also appears that Draft Day marketing is going to hit in full swing in a few hours. Our source at EA is saying to expect 3 commercials, featuring combinations of Reggie Bush, Devon Hester, and coveboy Vince Young. Also, Producer Ian Cummings has his developer blog HERE at the Madden site, and be sure to check it out. He certainly sounds like one of us... and he has alot to say that I'm sure will hit home with many of us who were not impressed with 07. There should also be periodic updates of the Producter Blog as release nears. Anyway, enjoy the Draft, and I'll see you in the forums. Quietcool72
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