Madden Social: Adrenaline Junky, Meet Fantasy Football

In an era of fantasy football and exploding statistical obsessiveness, it's surprising to think EA has only just now settled on bringing Madden Social into the world. Though it may have tarried, the interconnected Facebook and iOS app due out this fall offers a pretty smart balance of fantasy player trading and actual Madden gameplay.

Like most Facebook-based games, Madden Social is a simple turn-based game for two players that don't have to be online at the same time to play together. The game is heavily focused on offense, so players will take turns trying to guide a drive into their opponent's endzone.

When you're on defense the stats and arrangement of your players will matter, but everything else is automated. Played over Facebook, the game is shown as a top-down view of the entire playing field. You'll choose what players you want on the field and which plays you want to run, and then the computer does all the math simulating the outcome. You can also keep multiple games running while you wait for player 2 to log back on to Facebook.

When played on iPhone of iPad, you'll be able to control actual plays. There's a virtual analog stick if you want total control of movement, though you can ignore it and focus on simple swipes for jukes or stiff-arms. You can also choose which receiver to throw to by either tapping them on screen or hitting one of five virtual buttons in the bottom right corner of the screen.

It's a simpler version of the action-oriented version of Madden that's been available on iOS for a couple of years as a purchaseable App, but Madden Social is free to download and connects you to those that have a statistical obsession with football but may not be interested in actually playing the second-by-second simulation.

Facebook developers have larded the media with talk of asynchronous gameplay for years, meaning both players don't have to be connected to the game at the same time to play with one another. Madden Social pushes asynchronicity in another direction, allowing players to compete strategically while potentially playing very different games. I may prefer the chessboard presentation of Facebook and you may prefer the adrenal improvisations of the iOS version, and Madden Social translates one style of play to the other. It's not just playing at different times, but actually playing in different ways to best accommodate the platform.

The game economy is driven by buying or unlocking new plays and new packs of player cards to improve your team over time. You'll start with 25 random players, which you'll have to assemble into a team, and by winning games or pulling off big plays you'll earn coins that can be used to buy new player card packs. You'll be able to buy one-star, two-star, or three-star packs, each coming with five player cards of increasing skill, depending on how much you want to splurge. There's also an Auction House where you can sell your player cards you don't use anymore.

The playbook is also fairly limited at the outset, but you'll be able to buy new plays, or just earn enough coins to unlock them over time. There'll be another kind of consumable -- energy units -- that limits just how much you can play without taking a break, though if you become insatiable Facebook will gladly sell you more units. Playing one entire drive will cost you one energy unit, and though the game is still being balanced, at present you're scheduled to get roughly one energy unit every 15 minutes.

Madden Social doesn't connect to the console versions of the game, which might have been another way of entreating long-time fans to noodle with the Ultimate Teams or Online Leagues from the office or on the bus. Yet, what it does do is offer a simple and surprisingly unique experience to bridge people's common interest in football through a medium flexible enough to support different preferences of play.

For years, game fans have said things like "it's just not your type of game" to answer complaints from those interested in a game but thrown off by a particular kind of gameplay. We all like playing games in our own way, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't play together.

Madden Social seems like a small but worthwhile step toward making that approach commonplace. With Smart Glass, Wii U, Vita/PS3 connectivity, and a plethora of Android and iOS devices out in the world I think there could be real advancements made breaking out of the single-platform, singular-gameplay model that has so far dominated our understanding of what a videogame can be.

Madden Social doesn't have a specific launch date yet, but it will be released sometime this fall.

Michael Thomsen is a freelancer writer based in New York City.

Source : ign[dot]com

Madden Social: Adrenaline Junky, Meet Fantasy Football

In an era of fantasy football and exploding statistical obsessiveness, it's surprising to think EA has only just now settled on bringing Madden Social into the world. Though it may have tarried, the interconnected Facebook and iOS app due out this fall offers a pretty smart balance of fantasy player trading and actual Madden gameplay.

Like most Facebook-based games, Madden Social is a simple turn-based game for two players that don't have to be online at the same time to play together. The game is heavily focused on offense, so players will take turns trying to guide a drive into their opponent's endzone.

When you're on defense the stats and arrangement of your players will matter, but everything else is automated. Played over Facebook, the game is shown as a top-down view of the entire playing field. You'll choose what players you want on the field and which plays you want to run, and then the computer does all the math simulating the outcome. You can also keep multiple games running while you wait for player 2 to log back on to Facebook.

When played on iPhone of iPad, you'll be able to control actual plays. There's a virtual analog stick if you want total control of movement, though you can ignore it and focus on simple swipes for jukes or stiff-arms. You can also choose which receiver to throw to by either tapping them on screen or hitting one of five virtual buttons in the bottom right corner of the screen.

It's a simpler version of the action-oriented version of Madden that's been available on iOS for a couple of years as a purchaseable App, but Madden Social is free to download and connects you to those that have a statistical obsession with football but may not be interested in actually playing the second-by-second simulation.

Facebook developers have larded the media with talk of asynchronous gameplay for years, meaning both players don't have to be connected to the game at the same time to play with one another. Madden Social pushes asynchronicity in another direction, allowing players to compete strategically while potentially playing very different games. I may prefer the chessboard presentation of Facebook and you may prefer the adrenal improvisations of the iOS version, and Madden Social translates one style of play to the other. It's not just playing at different times, but actually playing in different ways to best accommodate the platform.

The game economy is driven by buying or unlocking new plays and new packs of player cards to improve your team over time. You'll start with 25 random players, which you'll have to assemble into a team, and by winning games or pulling off big plays you'll earn coins that can be used to buy new player card packs. You'll be able to buy one-star, two-star, or three-star packs, each coming with five player cards of increasing skill, depending on how much you want to splurge. There's also an Auction House where you can sell your player cards you don't use anymore.

The playbook is also fairly limited at the outset, but you'll be able to buy new plays, or just earn enough coins to unlock them over time. There'll be another kind of consumable -- energy units -- that limits just how much you can play without taking a break, though if you become insatiable Facebook will gladly sell you more units. Playing one entire drive will cost you one energy unit, and though the game is still being balanced, at present you're scheduled to get roughly one energy unit every 15 minutes.

Madden Social doesn't connect to the console versions of the game, which might have been another way of entreating long-time fans to noodle with the Ultimate Teams or Online Leagues from the office or on the bus. Yet, what it does do is offer a simple and surprisingly unique experience to bridge people's common interest in football through a medium flexible enough to support different preferences of play.

For years, game fans have said things like "it's just not your type of game" to answer complaints from those interested in a game but thrown off by a particular kind of gameplay. We all like playing games in our own way, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't play together.

Madden Social seems like a small but worthwhile step toward making that approach commonplace. With Smart Glass, Wii U, Vita/PS3 connectivity, and a plethora of Android and iOS devices out in the world I think there could be real advancements made breaking out of the single-platform, singular-gameplay model that has so far dominated our understanding of what a videogame can be.

Madden Social doesn't have a specific launch date yet, but it will be released sometime this fall.

Michael Thomsen is a freelancer writer based in New York City.

Source : ign[dot]com

F1 2012 Review

Yearly sports titles tend to face an uphill battle. While the likes of EA’s FIFA and Madden could easily get by on roster changes alone, most other games really need to prove their mettle to get punters to pony up their hard earned cash again. Yet for its third outing with the Formula One license, that’s just what Codemasters have done with F1 2012, delivering numerous small-but-notable improvements over the last two years’ offerings.

Everything starts with the young drivers test in a meticulously recreated Yas Marina Stadium and racetrack in Abu Dhabi. Taking you through everything from vehicle handling, acceleration, and breaking to the more advanced elements of the sports such as KERS and DRS, a mixture of hands on time and short instructional videos prove invaluable to those either unfamiliar with the sport or new to its digital recreations. Depending on your inherent skill, the young drivers test will take about 40 minutes to 1 hour to complete but this solid foundation in gameplay mechanics will prove time well spent. Even returning F1 players should appreciate this refresher course in basic training, as there are plenty of nuanced differences to pick up on that reflect the changes the FIA has introduced to the motorsport since F1 2011 hit shelves.

It’s just one small aspect of the game’s commitment to authenticity. Obviously, a number of recognisable drivers were practically a given – Raikonnen, Button, Hamilton, et al – but appearances by real-world team members, such as Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner and race commentary from former F1 driver Anthony Davidson, helps craft a truly immersive experience. From the training mode onward, F1 2012 does a fantastic job of placing you in the mindset of an up-and-coming driver. Emails from agents and teammates advise you of race specifics or analyse your performance afterwards, helping put your head in the game. The tension, the weight of expectation of your colleagues, almost feels palpable, all creating a determination on your part to improve.

Improvement is something you’ll have to work hard for though, and rarely does a game make you fight so hard for a fraction of a second’s performance on a lap time. The overall difficulty could be placed somewhere between the brutal F1 2011 and the challenging F1 2010 – not easy then. With even minute deviations from the track resulting in time penalties or outright disqualification, learning to control the cars properly will be your number one priority. Given just how specific the game’s demands are though, there’s temptation to become over-reliant on Codemaster’s trademarked Flashback feature; zooming backwards to take one more pass at an awkward hairpin or avoid a collision. As such, it can become difficult to gauge any sense of genuinely improved performance.

Throughout the game, vehicle handling proves simultaneously precise and punishing. Veering onto the grass causes the green stuff to accumulate on your wheels, adding a perceptible slide and minimises traction, while deploying KERS (strip back the complexity of the rules and it’s a horsepower-boosting equivalent to a speed power-up in lesser titles) affects your braking times and accuracy as a side-effect of its eye-watering forward momentum.

Thankfully, with a range of braking assists, traction control and a racing guideline available, F1 2012 remains accessible for newcomers who want something perhaps closer to a typical racing game but still serving as an entry point to the sport. Ramp the difficulty up though, and every turn of the car, every gear change, and even aspects of pit time are your responsibility. That responsibility is even felt prior to races, with your car’s customisations – best tires, engine optimisations, fuel types – largely determining victory before you’ve even hit the tarmac. It’s more to learn and can feel frustrating if you just want to jump into a game, but the results really pay off once you know what you’re doing.

Moving into the main game content, the Proving Grounds area feels closest to an Arcade mode and is likely to be where more casual players spend a lot of their time. Champions Mode offers a selection of six challenges seeing you outwit and out-race some of the biggest names in the sport, and is immediately more accessible than the career or even the quick play modes. The difficulty curve on these is blistering though, and as you put yourself through races spotlighting Formula One’s finest, you'll find yourself having to put every speck of training you've gathered from elsewhere in the game to its utmost use. Proving Grounds is also where you will find the Time attack and Time Trial modes, the former seeing you attempting to set speed records on some of the world’s top racetracks, the latter testing your racing skills against the demands of international race teams.

While these more casual modes allow you free reign to select racing team and cars, the full Career Mode instead sees you racing up the league tables, beginning with a lower tier team before your successes earn you promotion after promotion. Impress the global press and industry observers and you’ll attract contract offers from more prestigious teams, your choices of which to accept affecting progression. It’s a lengthy outing, though the new Season Challenge mode allows a more relaxed approach, still putting you through the paces of a competitive chain of races but proving less of a time demand than your full career.

In addition to expected online multiplayer, split-screen and LAN options make welcome appearances. With no noticeable decline in frame rates or overall visual quality in split screen, the chance for some deliciously tense competition with your real-world mates is one to be relished.

Visually, the improvements in F1 2012 are harder to spot – 2011 already looked amazing. Most notable is a refined weather system, where rain can, and frequently will, sweep across a track during weekend-long events. Storm clouds are visible from a distance, and the look of the track as it gets soaked is perceptible. Best of all, this forces a gameplay change, as you’ll need to switch out tires to continue at optimum efficiency. Racetracks new and old – the main attraction being the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, hosting this year’s US Grand Prix – are authentically modelled, each delivering a unique atmosphere and, as with last year’s entry, there’s a brilliant soundtrack to accompany you.

Essentially, if you enjoyed F1 2011, there’s more than enough here to keep your attention: everything that was great last year returns, with enough tweaks and improvements to warrant a return. Newcomers will find F1 2012 a shock to the system compared to more conventional racing games, but the ample tools provided to get into the sport provide a gratifying experience with just a little bit of commitment on the player’s part.

Source : ign[dot]com

Madden NFL 13 Review

Madden NFL 13 is an excellent football game. You could point to the gameplay improvements, the new physics engine or even the adlibbing commentators as to why the game works so well, but the truth behind the success comes down to the sum of the parts. Madden NFL 13 looks, feels and sounds like what we all watch on Sunday, and I can't stop playing it.

From the moment you hit start, Madden NFL 13 is a different beast. Rather than get dropped into mountains of disconnected menus, you're put directed to one hub screen that shows you how many players are online at that moment, gives you one-click access to your communities, and leaves your careers at your fingertips. There are different modes to Madden, but they all stem from the same place; Madden's identity crisis is over. The pop music and rappers are gone and in their place is an instrumental score driving home that this is the NFL and it's time to play football.

“

Madden NFL 13 does something the Madden franchise hasn't done in years: it makes me want to keep playing.

Luckily, playing football in Madden NFL is a blast. Every time I put down the controller, I want to pick it back up and head out on the field. Madden NFL 13 is challenging this year with receiver icons that change depending on if the player is looking for the ball and defenses that aren't afraid to call me on my lack of a running game -- but I'm all about the struggle. I'm fighting for each and every yard I gain or keep from an opponent, and I'm relishing actually having to think on the field.

See, EA tweaked a whole bunch of gameplay mechanics in Madden NFL 13. If you want to be the jaded gamer and say "It looks just like last year," go ahead, but know that you're wrong. Yes, the graphics look as good as last year -- actually they're a bit better when you include the new TV graphics and the lush shade of a good Sunday afternoon game -- but there's plenty of under the hood enhancements that evolve the gameplay we all know.

There are 25 new pass trajectories so you can put the ball out in front or just above the receiver. Defensive backs have to see the ball to make a play on it so there are no more psychic swats. You can abort play action after the snap. At a glance, Madden NFL 13 might just look like Madden, but in your hands, it feels polished.

Now, a big part of that feeling is the much-touted Infinity Engine. Basically, this adds physics to Madden for the first time. Whereas a corner and a wideout would bump into each other in the air and then come down in the same spot they leapt from last year, Madden NFL 13 allows for helicopter hits and tumbles out of bounds. Contact matters and changes plays.

It sounds exciting -- and spearing a receiver out of the air so that the trainers come out to check on him definitely is -- but I wasn't impressed at first. In fact, the place I saw the physics the most were when plays were blown dead and linemen stumbled over one another or receivers' legs got tangled with defenders. Expect jankiness to stand out, but don’t let it stop you from playing. The benefit of the Infinity Engine isn't the big plays; it's the fact that the small plays don't all look the same.

In past Maddens, there were only so many tackle animations and ways a player could go down. After a while, it was easy to feel like you had seen it all. The Infinity Engine makes every hit a little bit different. Angles, weight and more matter. Watching a halfback break free of a shoddy tackle or a wideout come down just in bounds before stumbling over really amplifies how the game looks and feels. Sure, there are still wonky tackles and handoff animations, but the good outweighs the bad by a long shot -- especially if EA continues to refine the formula and deliver animations that aren't canned.

Source : ign[dot]com

IGN Live Presents: Madden NFL 13

It's that time of year again -- Madden season. To celebrate, IGN has a bevy of content coming in the next week, and first up on the to-do list is a live stream for you to gawk at.

What: Madden NFL 13 Live Stream

When: Wednesday, August 22, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific (6:30 p.m. Eastern, 11 p.m. BST)

Where: Right here.

Who: Madden NFL 13 Senior Designer Josh Looman, IGN Loudmouth Greg Miller and Your Boy BobbyA1984.

Prizes: Yeah, we'll have something for you, loyal viewers.

Greg is the executive editor of IGN PlayStation, cohost of Podcast Beyond and host of Up at Noon. Follow IGN on Twitter, and keep track of Greg's shenanigans on IGN and Twitter. Beyond!

Source : ign[dot]com

Madden NFL 13 Will Arrive At Wii U Launch

EA has confirmed Madden NFL 13 will be a Wii U launch title. However, the impact of new hardware is evident, as not all key features of Madden 13 will make it to Wii U.

First and foremost, Nintendo's version of Madden 13 will not feature the revamped Infinity Engine, which revamps the franchise's physics in a major way. Our own Greg Miller noted this overhaul changed the feel of the game, making each play feel more like "a fight" than before. In an interview with ESPN, producer Yuri Bialoskursky said "It’s not for a lack of want. We definitely wanted to get the physics into the game. The Infinity Engine is something that is a point of interest for “Madden” fans, it’s just something we weren’t able to achieve for this first year on the new hardware. A lot of times, new hardware comes with new challenges."

EA is bringing many of the key Madden 13 features to Wii U, which is being developed by a dedicated team. Ideas like Total Control Passing, Girdiron Club and the new commentators are on the way. Plus the integration with Wii U's GamePad will allow players to make faster play calls, substitute players and create custom hot routes on the fly, changing the way sports fans will interact with a Madden game. Another key feature being brought to Wii U is Connected Careers, which allows up to 32 players to form a league. Bialoskursky noted that online is a big emphasis for Nintendo this time around, aligning with EA's own interests for its sports titles. On the downside, however, the Madden Ultimate Team feature will not be present this time around.

Speaking with IGN, Bialoskursky said his team's key focus this time around was making sure Wii U owners would have an authentic HD experience. That a game coming at a system's launch doesn't quite execute at the same level as its counterparts on systems that are now six and seven years old is almost par for the course, though it doesn't mean that EA isn't trying to give Nintendo owners as much as possible.

Rich is an Executive Editor at IGN.com and the leader of the IGN Nintendo team. Follow his ridiculous adventures through IGN and Twitter. Keep it cool, Koopalings.

Source : ign[dot]com

Madden 13 Confirmed for Wii U

During its Summer Showcase today, EA announced that Madden NFL 13 is coming to Wii U. Madden will offer GamePad support for play calling and pre-play adjustments. Players can create custom hot routes by drawing paths on the GamePad during offense, or change assignments on the fly during defense.

It isn't a surprise to see EA supporting the platform, as the company said just days ago that it was “keeping a very close eye” on Wii U, hinting that more announcements were on the way. Separately, EA also detailed FIFA 13’s Wii U functionality today.

Nintendo hasn’t announced a release date for Wii U yet, so no release date has been announced for this version of Madden, but the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions are due out on August 28th.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Dead Space 3, Crysis 3, Madden 13 Pre-Orders Surge

EA has announced big pre-order numbers for Dead Space 3, Crysis 3 and Madden NFL 13. According to a first quarter earnings call today, pre-orders of Dead Space 3 “are tracking almost five-times higher than Dead Space 2 in the same timeframe in 2010.” Crysis 3 pre-orders, meanwhile, “are roughly three-times what they were for Crysis 2 at this time in 2010” and Madden NFL 13 pre-orders “are up 25% versus last year.”

Elsewhere in the call, EA reported continued success for Battlefield 3 Premium, which has boosted its financials in the wake of disappointing subscriber numbers for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Looking ahead, the publisher also commented that it’s keeping a close eye on Wii U.

Overall, EA lost $130 million this quarter, with revenue of $491 million that fell just short of its $500 million forecast. EA announced this morning that it will hire former Yahoo! exec Blake Jorgensen as its new executive vice president and chief financial officer. The publisher called the quarter “solid” overall and CEO John Riccitiello referred to the company’s plans as “a strategic balance that none of our peers can duplicate.”

EA also commented on the results of a recent lawsuit over sports exclusivity, noting that it’s “not out of the NCAA football business” but that it won’t hold the exclusive rights moving forward. “We’re very bullish on our NCAA product going forward and we welcome the competition,” Riccitiello said, in addition to discussing Star Wars: The Old Republic's recently-announced transition to free-to-play.

EA’s upcoming release slate includes NHL 13 in September in addition to Madden NFL 13 in August and both Medal of Honor Warfighter and  Need for Speed Most Wanted in October. Crysis 3 and Dead Space 3 will hit stores in early 2013, along with Sim City in February.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com