madden '08

I've never been so geeked-up about the release of a video game. I'm probably expecting a little too much, but I think this year's version will be phenominal.

 

I've seen that promo before and wasn't impressed. Show me more gameplay and less other footage that has no bearing on whether or not the game is worth a shit. I'm a huge Madden supporter and I liked '07, I'm just saying that I haven't heard anything to make me think this year's version will be substantially better. Plus it's going to suck when everyone online is using New England.

 

I must be the only gamer in the world that finds Madden to be boring.

The college game is so much better simply because of recruiting (when its well done). I get to the point where I skip half the games in a season just to get to recruiting. Love building a nowhere school into a D1A powerhouse over the course of several seasons.

 

I'm currently doing that with SMU.

 

I'm excited about some 'minor' changes (new camera angles, more presentation elements) that have been added, and I've also heard the gameplay will be tighter. Those were some of my complaints from last year. If they can add those things to an already awesome game, I'm happy.

no, the promo doesn't mean the game will be great, but I like seeing a little more flash on EA's part.

 

Remember the buzz from a couple years ago when Madden was supposedly going to feature presentation elements by ESPN? Whatever happened to that? The only thing we got is that dumb radio program. Surely they have the ability to create a basic pre-game, post-game, and highlight package.

 

I know they have a pregame thing, and pretty sure about halftime. It's Marshall Faulk. I've heard it sounds generic, though, but it's better than nothing.

 

How would you compare the NCAA recruiting period to the Madden NFL offseason (my favorite part)?

I'd get NCAA in a heartbeat if they offered it in PC format.

 

I like recruiting a lot more than I do the Madden off-season. There's really no strategy for free agents beyond signing to them to the least onerous contract. I think it's a lot of fun, but I wouldn't get both unless you're really a fan of the college game. Personally I love having the option and using different teams, so it works well for me.

One thing you might look into is Football Mogul, which is a text-based simulation game for the NFL. I downloaded the demo and it was ok, but I have yet to try the full product (not sure if this year's is out yet anyway). That has some gratifying play-calling depth and is obviously a lot cheaper than something like Madden. I enjoy testing my coordination and such, but sometimes it's also fun to play pure simulations where your success depends entirely on your mind.

 

I might have to check that out. I'm not much for the player control feature of Madden anyway -- I always play in coach mode. I love the Madden offseason, but more for the draft than free agency.