Madden 2006 and NCAA Football 2006

[Urban Warfare 0]

Madden 2006:

 

I think this will be a landmark year for Madden as well, as EA Tiburon is going to concentrate on the passing game play. Most Madden fans know that each year Tiburon takes a part of the NFL game and concentrates on making it better. This is the first year in about ten years that the passing portion of the game has had a significant change. With the passing numbers that were put up in the NFL, especially everything that Peyton Manning was able to do, it fits well. If you are worried that passing is going to take over Madden with this new feature please read on and you will find that is not the case. We will call the feature that has been added “Vision and Precision” or “QB Vision” as I am not sure yet of the official name just yet. First, I will tell you about how the feature is implemented and then I will get into my thoughts and impressions of using it.

 

What QB Vision does is add a virtual field of vision to represent the real life field of vision an NFL QB has. It does this on screen by adding a lighted cone starting from the QB and getting larger as the distance increases. Everything outside of the lighted cone is shaded darker and the passing icons are dimmer. Each QB’s rating affects how large or small the cone is. Manning, for instance, would have a large field of vision and Vick would have a smaller one. If you decide to scramble, the cone will get smaller as you run and then go back to normal size as you slow down and come to a stop. Your QB is set to look at your primary receiver (orange) upon the snap of the ball but that can be changed pre-snap by simply holding the R2 (PS2) and tapping the receivers assigned button. After the ball is snapped you have two ways you can change the QB’s vision to another area. 1. You can hold down R2 and push the button corresponding to the receiver you want to look at or 2. You can use the right thumb stick to manually move the cone across the field and back. Here is how the QB Vision affects the passing game. .

1. You can only use precision passing if the receiver you are throwing to is in your field of vision. Meaning, if you want to lead a receiver using the thumbstick as your throw that receiver has to be in the lighted cone projecting from your QB. Note: you can still throw to a receiver out of the cone but the pass is less likely to be accurate and you cannot use precision passing. Also note that you may be looking directly at receiver X who is dead center of your cone of vision but other receivers close to him may still be in your cone of vision.

2. The second rule to remember is that the receiver icons are now on a timer (the length of time on the timer was not final yet). What this means is if you decide to take off with your QB and scramble around and then bring back up your passing icons only receivers inside your cone of vision will have a passing icon above their head and the option to switch the cone by using the R2 selection is gone. You now have to use the right thumbstick to move the cone around. What this simulates is if you get flushed out of the pocket in the NFL and take off running you are going to lose site of your receivers and not know exactly where they are when you look downfield again. Note: You can still throw to any receiver without the icon above their head and not in the field of vision but the pass will most likely be a really bad pass. (I tried this and it was a really bad pass)

 

This feature also adds something to the defensive side of the ball. It will now be beneficial to play as a DB and try to read the QB’s eyes like a NFL DB; if he was playing a zone. Of course a good QB will look off a safety or corner to fool them. It will add a new strategy and hopefully get a lot of players off the Dline on defense.

 

The biggest thing to remember about this feature is in the NFL QB cannot throw where he can’t see. QB’s in the NFL do throw quick slants and such by looking one way and quickly turning and throwing another direction to the slant. That was something being decided while I was at Tiburon, so I assure you they have thought of everything when designing this new feature. What this feature adds to the game of Madden is that choosing a good pocket passing QB now has its advantages too. Before, those playing with a scrambling QB had the big advantage at the QB position. This evens the playing field.

 

In the first game or two you will be overwhelmed by the new control of passing, but you will get the hang of it quickly. . My hands on time with the game probably equaled about the time it would take to play two or three games and by the end I was catching on. I did spend some time in the practice mode just to get my fingers used to the new controls. If you are open to change and innovation you won’t have a problem adapting to this new system. It definitely makes the game more realistic.

 

NCAA Football 2006:

 

"Race for the Heisman" is one of the new features for NCAA football. The headline of the feature says it all. You will be a High School Senior football player looking for a University to attend with the ultimate goal of playing through NCAA football and eventually winning the Heisman. You will have to pick a position for your player before you start, and some positions are harder to win the Heisman (just like in real life).How well you do with a mini game that is based on what position you choose will determine what schools you have to choose from to start your career. This then takes you to the dorm room which is an area to view stats and adjust different things with your player getting ready for his Heisman run. My thoughts are this feature will be great for guys that aren’t as interested in the traditional dynasty mode and add something to the dynasty for the guys that are already big fans of it. This is just a preview of this feature and we will be doing an in-depth look around the beginning of July.

 

A few screens:

 

http://home.maine.rr.com/mattyg/vision.jpg

http://home.maine.rr.com/mattyg/ou.jpg

http://www.maddentips.com/preview/fieldvision1.jpg

 

Source: Maddenplanet.com

[tominator89 0]

Interesting, but if only they'd improve the Franchise Mode.

[2GOLD 0]

Nothing important enough for me to need a new college game. The Race for the Heisman sounds alright, but not worth 50 bucks. Last years College Football game is good enough for another season.

 

And Madden just sounds eh. Those screens did not impress me, they made me shrug my shoulders even more.

[Damaramu 0]

Is that Mark Clayton? Ummm....he doesn't play there anymore.

 

But anyways I think it looks a little bit more polished. Of course it never looks like that in game damnit.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Well, seeing as we have no choice this year, and I'm kind of impartial.. I like the fluid player movements in NFL2k5, but the passing game was frustrating at times and my strengths and weaknesses were pretty much the same in both games.. I used to absolutely dominate in Madden and I'm not quite as good at ESPN, so that might be fun coming back to a game I used to rock at, with a shitload of new features (and I missed Playmaker mode badly, too).

 

The cover this year will probably go to Peyton Manning, ensuring another year of frustration for him.

[Cartman 0]

Interesting, but if only they'd improve the Franchise Mode.

Please enlighten me on what was wrong with Franchise mode in 2005?

[lomasmoney 0]

Is that Mark Clayton? Ummm....he doesn't play there anymore.

 

But anyways I think it looks a little bit more polished. Of course it never looks like that in game damnit.

it's just a screenshot, they almost always use old "players" in them for the upcoming season's game... and besides that is just Oklahoma Wr#9 I don't know what you are talking about

[Damaramu 0]

Is that Mark Clayton? Ummm....he doesn't play there anymore.

 

But anyways I think it looks a little bit more polished. Of course it never looks like that in game damnit.

it's just a screenshot, they almost always use old "players" in them for the upcoming season's game... and besides that is just Oklahoma Wr#9 I don't know what you are talking about

In my game it's Mark Clayton!

I painstakinlgy went through the trouble of naming everyone on OU, OSU, Texas, USC, Arkansas(b/c i used them), and Cal. It was a nightmare to do those couple of teams!

[lomasmoney 0]

yeah get a sharkport for like twenty dollars and download the rosters online its much eaiser and saves you tons of time and of course its Mark Clayton I was making fun of the fact that college players arent ever on video games when its entirely obvious that Michigan Wr#1 is Braylon Edwards.....as if all the dropped easy catches doesnt give it away.... Damn Braylon and his Bentley hes been cruising around campus in....and all his groupies

[Damaramu 0]

yeah get a sharkport for like twenty dollars and download the rosters online its much eaiser and saves you tons of time  and of course its Mark Clayton I was making fun of the fact that  college players arent ever on video games when its entirely obvious that Michigan Wr#1 is Braylon Edwards.....as if all the dropped easy catches doesnt give it away.... Damn Braylon and his Bentley hes been cruising around campus in....and all his groupies

I know what you were doing.......haha.......well apparently Tristen Ross is #9 at OU now.

[Damaramu 0]

Oh and how do you download the names into the game? I don't nkow how.

[tominator89 0]

Interesting, but if only they'd improve the Franchise Mode.

Please enlighten me on what was wrong with Franchise mode in 2005?

- Development of rookies. Either they play ASAP or they don't develop.

- Extremely easy to rip off the computer in trades.

- Can't make coaching changes until the end of the seaon.

- Storylines need work. Same newspaper articles, just different names. Lacks variety. Repetitive.

- Players constantly complain even though they get plenty of playing time. For example: RB's like Correll Buckhalter will demand to start, even though I use him on 3rd downs and in the second half when the score is in my favor. He racks up the yardage and the stats. Granted, real life players will do this, but not every one of them. Morale needs fine-tuning. Someone like Marshall Faulk doesn't whine in real life about backing up a younger RB. In the game, they all demand to start or be traded.

- Placing a player on IR is a problem. The player's spot is not vacated. You have to cut someone in order to sign a replacement player. Should this problem be fixed, they'll have to take into account that you could put people on IR just to keep them around.

- Can't start a franchise with a created team.

[Mole 0]

Interesting, but if only they'd improve the Franchise Mode.

What is wrong with the franchise mode?

 

And I think this sounds better on paper.

[Agent_Bond34 0]

What is wrong with the franchise mode?

Read his previous post.

 

He does make some valid points.

[Urban Warfare 0]

According to the Sports Business Journal, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb has signed a deal with Electronic Arts to be the cover athlete for Madden NFL 06

 

McNabb, known for his superior vision of course......

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

- Development of rookies. Either they play ASAP or they don't develop.

When I played my first preseason I had some rookies playing entire games and nobody progressed, even though some had some decent games. And during the regular season my backup O-linemen didn't play a down and would earn 3+ overall points everytime a progression update would happen.

 

And when a player is pissed about a lack of playing time, will they still be hip to re-signing with your team? I got two bitches that I want to keep but are whining because they're backups...

[tominator89 0]

I think it depends on two things, the most important is if you're playing with a winning team. When I had the Eagles win the Superbowl I could sign nearly anyone I wanted. I started a franchise with the 49ers in order to rebuild and I could hardly get anyone even though I offered them more money than anyone else. The other thing is that, seemingly EVERYONE wants to start. I've had free agent QB's, that were not picked up by any team, that I signed during the preseason and even they started to whine about starting. I only signed guys like Bledsoe and Warner to one year deals so I just let them go afterwards. Still, the game needs to take into account that some guys don't mind being backups. I often see Stately complain about Bettis' playing time and vice versa.

 

The best franchise story I had was when Kordell Stewart was my third stringer. McNabb went down for the season and Koy was gone for 10 weeks. So, I ended up making the playoffs anyway and at the end of the year Kordell went on a hold-out and demanded money. Granted, I did sign him for the league minimum, but if it weren't for me giving him a chance he wouldn't have even played at all that year.

 

The other thing that annoys me is people like Antonio Freeman who demand 2.0 million per year. He isn't a bad backup on a team, but his salary demands are insane. It's hard using the Eagles since you have guys like Trotter and Douglas who came back to the team in real life for the league minimum, just to play, and then have to resign them at the end of the season. I have a bitch of a time resigning the Eagles Free Agents.

 

Other interesting things that have happened to me include:

 

- Eli Manning had a career-ending injury during the season year of the franchise.

- When I used the 49ers, TO actually did what he is doing right now. He held up the Eagles for money, it affected McNabb's morale (and others), and he was let go. Interestingly enough, he did sign with my 49ers.

- I drafted a good, young safety to eventually replace Dawkins and he sent me emails right away about how he was offended that I used a high draft pick on a safety.

[tominator89 0]

It also appears as though McNabb will be on the cover.

 

http://www.gamercentric.com/index.php?page=viewnews&id=3589

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Considering that Ray Lewis technically sucumbed to the Curse (broke his wrist late in the season), Id say..McNabb is DOOMED!

 

Eagles=Last Place in 2005

[Red Baron 0]

Considering that Ray Lewis technically sucumbed to the Curse (broke his wrist late in the season), Id say..McNabb is DOOMED!

 

Eagles=Last Place in 2005

Lets be more realistic.

 

McNabb tosses an INT and was returned for a touchdown, eliminating them from the playoffs/super bowl.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Preferably to the Packers.

 

Seriously, we've had a hell of a bad luck streak against Philly that has to be snapped sometime.

[Urban Warfare 0]

EA's NCAA 2006 site is up and they have a video...Wow. It looks like there is a little pregame in the booth with Lee, Kirk, and Brad similar to ESPN.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Considering that Ray Lewis technically sucumbed to the Curse (broke his wrist late in the season), Id say..McNabb is DOOMED!

 

Eagles=Last Place in 2005

Lets be more realistic.

 

McNabb tosses an INT and was returned for a touchdown, eliminating them from the playoffs/super bowl.

The player on the cover gets hurt or has a bad year. Thats the curse. The Eagles wont even be sniffing the playoffs in either scenario unless McNabb gets hurt the last week of the season or something.

[therealworldschampion 0]

I'd honestly be more worried about it if it was another town, Philly is cursed enough, for example:

 

-TO breaks his fibula has a huge Superbowl game but if he's 100% he may take 2 of those passes for TDs, and oh yeah, lose the Superbowl.

-Flyers lose to the Tampa Bay frickin Lightning

-Villanova loses on a BS call

-St Joes loses in a heartbreaker

-Sixers make a huge trade for a bum with no knees, and miss the playoffs the season before.

-Smarty Jones can't win the big one.

-Kyle Korver loses the 3 point shootout by one shot.

-Phillies have an dope as a general manager, and the management won't fire him, and haven't made the playoffs in over a decade.

 

Suffice to say, we've got a big enough curse here already...

[Urban Warfare 0]

Cover boy for NCAA 2006... Desmond Howard.

[Guest Vitamin X]

WTF?!

[Urban Warfare 0]

That is exactly what I thought at first. To me, this makes absolutely no sense, but I guess they really want to plug the Heisman feature. But still, there are much better winners to choose from.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I know, really!

 

Ummm....

[Urban Warfare 0]