EA SPORTS Unveils New Madden

Last fall marked the debut of the EA SPORTS™ venerable Madden franchise on Xbox 360™, the first next-generation football game. While the game looked great, it didn't pack the depth of gameplay that Xbox Madden players had grown accustomed too. David Ortiz, producer of Madden, admitted that the game offered stunning visuals, but was light on features.

The second time's the charm for Xbox 360 owners, as Madden NFL 07 packs a lot of gameplay on top of the breathtaking visuals. Everything from the helmets to the jerseys to the stadiums looks even better now on Xbox 360.

"Take an injured player and rehab him through
these mini-games, but you run the risk of him
aggravating the injury and staying out longer."

This year, just about every feature in the Xbox® Madden game will also be in the Xbox 360 version. Franchise mode, which is a game unto itself, now gets the next-gen treatment. Manage every level of an NFL franchise in this robust mode.

He's a fast one.

The Xbox 360 version has some exclusive features, as well. There are over 150 Hall of Fame players that can be unlocked in the new game. There are also six mini-games for Xbox 360, which blend twitch action with rhythm gameplay to improve. These physical challenges include the 40-yard dash—shades of the button-mashing days of Track and Field. To run in this mini-game, push the analog sticks up and down quickly to replicate the NFL star's leg movement. Achieve fast times in this mini-game to earn bonus speed abilities on the field for Sundays.

Other mini-games include bench pressing, which is a rhythm game that uses the two analog sticks to simulate the repetition of lifting weights. There are also mini-games like running back vs. defense and quarter back vs. defense.

Improve Your Game
For the first time in the Madden franchise, take any NFL player to the practice field and work on his drills during the season. This option was previously only available during the preseason.

"There's now a strategy element involved in these drills," said Ortiz. "You can take an injured player and rehab him through these mini-games to get him back on the field quicker, but you run the risk of him aggravating the injury and staying out longer."

Ortiz said the team asked gamers for feedback on last year's game. Many fans said that vision and precision added a lot of complexity to the game, so that option can now be used or not on any version.

"It mirrors the Xbox 360 Madden from last year," said Ortiz. "You're not penalized if you don't use it, and there's more depth there if you do."

Fight for the extra yard.

The Running Game
While last year's game focused on the quarterback through vision and precision passing, this year's Madden is all about the running game. Pick and control a lead blocker to open up a hole for the running back to sprint to a large gain or a touchdown.

"Using the B button, you can pick your blocker—it can be anyone—and then you can perform a pancake tackle or cut or turn a defender to the right or left to open up a hole for the running back," said Ortiz. "Hit the B button and you assume control of the running back to shoot through the open lane."

There's been more control given to the running back position through the use of the right analog stick (the "truck stick"). Players can now perform jukes, cuts, hurdles, and stops with this stick while running the ball.

"These moves will be catered to the moves of the actual NFL back you're controlling," said Ortiz. "A power back will behave like a power back in this game. All new running feature across all football games."

Hall of Fame
EA Sports has expanded last year's NFL Superstar Challenge mode for Xbox and renamed it Hall of Fame mode. The objective is to get your created NFL player into the NFL Hall of Fame. How a player performs on the field impacts the legacy they leave in the game. To make it into the Hall of Fame, you need to bring his best game.

"On the field in this mode, you're only playing the position you pick, which means that a cornerback will see the game from that perspective," said Ortiz. "We've created new angles for the game to make this feature work."

Xbox Live® gamers will be able to receive challenges in-game, including when they're playing the Franchise mode. That means that a player can step in via Xbox Live and spoil another player's perfect season in their Franchise. EA Sports will also support Xbox Live Marketplace with downloadable content.

Article by John Gaudiosi