Madden 08 Hands On

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 3:00 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:Holy sh*t. The PC version is RIDICULOUSLY good. The graphics at 1920x1200 look better than the 360 version. It's the last gen engine, so you know it's got more going for it when it comes to under the hood stuff. Sure, it's still Madden, but it's significantly more fun (and a lot less twitchy) compared to the 360 version.

Anyone want to buy the 360 version?

I can't find the option to change the resolution. Where is it?

Bill_Abner · Post by **Bill_Abner** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 3:09 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:Still only throws it about 30 yards, and the guy is VERY inaccurate...like, won't even throw it close to the receiver usually.

As for tacked on, it's not like they put a focus on these players like they do in Madden. You actually have to highlight the weapons to see who is what, it just doesn't show up under the players at all times like Madden. They also don't seem to be as effective overall.

Ahh I see.

Thanks a lot of testing that for me -- really appreciate it.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 3:24 pm

This has been a truly frustrating week for me since I'm such a huge football game geek and I haven't had much of a chance to play Madden at all. We had the president of our company in for a visit and I've been working non-stop all week preparing the building for his arrival. I've only had a chance to play 1 game (which I lost 17-10 against the Lions) and did some practice play with my daughter. I can't wait to tear into this game this weekend so I can see if some of the issues mentioned bother me. I will say that after playing my 1 game I was very happy with what I experienced. I particularly like the gang tackling and branching animations. IMO it takes the game to a new level.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 3:27 pm

fsquid wrote:I can't find the option to change the resolution. Where is it?

From the main screen, there is a menu at the bottom...just go to system, then at the top there are your video options. It's not a well laid out main screen, that's for sure.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 4:27 pm

Anyone post this yet?

http://www.theonion.com/content/infogra ... _madden_08

1,028 new fumble animations, one of which can be seen on every third play

LOL

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 4:58 pm

"Actually Have Fun While Playing Mode," where all of the bullshit features created in the past five years are switched off so you can actually have fun while playing"

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:42 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote: Anyone want to buy the 360 version?

How much?

My brand new copy from Gamefly should arrive tomorrow, and I was planning on keeping it (they show a price of $44.09, shipped) like I did for NCAA08, but if you want to let your's go for less, name your price.

BTW, I played the Xbox version last night (while waiting for my 360 copy from Gamefly) and was wondering why that version (and I'm assuming the PC version) have Madden/Michaels play by play and the next-gen versions do not? Surely they could take the same audio samples and program them into next-gen versions. The radio announcer is terrible.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 7:27 pm

Already sold it Jon...

As for the main difference between the old gen and the current gen. I think I've figured it out after playing the PC version and the 360 side by side. It's that the fields are too small...resulting it way less room and less time to get the ball to the appropriate receivers. There is a lot more room in the PC version, making the passes when your guys are open...get there when they should. The DB's still react a little to fast, but the ground they have to cover hides it a lot better. I've seen three picks total in 4 full games now. I'm much happier with the spacing in the PC version.

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 7:36 pm

I think I just found JROD's Madden 08 Video review :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBXOZIRF ... %3Fp%3D354

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 7:54 pm

Inuyasha wrote:I think I just found JROD's Madden 08 Video review :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBXOZIRF ... %3Fp%3D354

f*** off. I'll retract everything I said to all you fanboys if you can point out one thing I said about Madden that's untrue.

Bill_Abner · Post by **Bill_Abner** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:38 pm

JRod sheesh lighten up man.

That video is absolutely hilarious.

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:39 pm

JRod wrote:
Inuyasha wrote:I think I just found JROD's Madden 08 Video review :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBXOZIRF ... %3Fp%3D354

f*** off. I'll retract everything I said to all you fanboys if you can point out one thing I said about Madden that's untrue.

wtf, it's a joke, calm down. Don't you have a day job or something to get your mind off gaming ?

Danimal once called me a 2k fanboy and now you call me a madden fanboy. Let me set the record straight : I am a GOOD GAME fanboy.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 10:10 pm

Inuyasha wrote: Danimal once called me a 2k fanboy and now you call me a madden fanboy. Let me set the record straight : I am a GOOD GAME fanboy.

Dude...I feel your pain...

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:01 pm

Leebo33 wrote:Anyone post this yet?

http://www.theonion.com/content/infogra ... _madden_08

1,028 new fumble animations, one of which can be seen on every third play
LOL

Good stuff, the Jim Belushi one rings too close to home.

I played almost two more games tonight. I played three quarters of Rams at Cards (me) on five minute all-pro defaults. Saw zero turnovers and some great, great plays, like Boldin jumping for a ball, getting flipped, and getting knocked out for a few plays. Height actually matters with receivers now.

Then I played a pre-season franchise game as the Titans (waiting for roster updates to do the Bears). I turned down INTs to zero for both teams and played 8-minute quarters. I played the Redskins, and Jason Campbell promptly threw four picks in the first half. (I will never understand EA sliders.) They were all pretty legit -- overthrows into zone coverage where the safety picked it off, throws forced into double coverage under pressure -- so I didn't mind them. Then Brunnell came in and the Skins were turnover-free for the second half. I also had no picks or fumbles, although I had a hard time against the Skins defense. The Titans O-line is pretty bad.

I have to say, after a handful of games, I'm pretty reeled in. I am enjoying this more than any console football game since Madden 05 and NFL 2k5. Maybe the turnovers will get to be too much, but for now I think it is a big step forward for the franchise.

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:06 pm

Brando70 wrote:
I have to say, after a handful of games, I'm pretty reeled in. I am enjoying this more than any console football game since Madden 05 and NFL 2k5. Maybe the turnovers will get to be too much, but for now I think it is a big step forward for the franchise.

That right there says it all. End of Thread.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 1:00 am

Right now the game hinges on the turnovers. I don't think there's enough problems in other parts of the game to say madden is bad. Let's just take turnovers off the table, I don't think there's much wrong with the game. It's not as organic as APF but it lets you play as an NFL team that adequately mirrors the NFL team. That's the reason why we buy a game about the NFL. It's not to play football, it's to play the NFL.

On the flip side, Madden has never been a game to realize its potential. There's so much more they could do with the non-football stuff. NCAA has a lot college character. Madden in its own weird way isn't an NFL game, it's a football game with just NFL teams.

You would think madden would have more NFL fluff. No stat overlays, no updates from other games. Tthe franchise stuff has been taken out like the the SI/NFL cover. Again, taking out the turnover problem, Madden should start to look at ways of turning the franchise into a game from Monday to Sunday not just Sunday. The news and characters about the league is why we read the papers in the week. I understand the ring is something casual gamers would like or EA think they would like. It seems EA could offer a feature to casual gamers and add character and depth to make it a full NFL experience.

kicko · Post by **kicko** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 1:14 am

Not sure if this helps but it makes sense. I was playing as a button masher, and madden has always tried to punish you if you take advantage or hotdog your way through a game.

Well i just played 2 5min. qtr games with only 3 turnovers a game (one fumble each game) When your running do not over do it, only use burst when needed and dont over juke, you will pay( iteven says so in the manual)

I did also turn the interceptions to 0 and pass block to 75, that way if they try and catch it it will drop.

I think this theory holds most when using burst and a juke together.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:23 am

dbdynsty25 wrote:Holy sh*t. The PC version is RIDICULOUSLY good. The graphics at 1920x1200 look better than the 360 version. It's the last gen engine, so you know it's got more going for it when it comes to under the hood stuff. Sure, it's still Madden, but it's significantly more fun (and a lot less twitchy) compared to the 360 version.

Anyone want to buy the 360 version?

Dude isn't kidding. I got my mitts on the PC version tonight, and it looks funkadelically groovy at 1400x1050x32 on my laptop, without a hint of framerate hit with all details turned on high.

Game plays very nice, too. I can't offer any in-depth impressions yet as I played only two games, but no glaring problems emerged.

Very fun on the PC. And GORGEOUS.

Take care,
PK

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 6:29 am

For those with the PC version there are new rosters at footballfreaks.com which are always better and more current than EA's.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:00 pm

What kind of GPU do you have on that laptop PK? Is it integrated like an Intel GMA or does it have an nVidia or ATI with dedicated video RAM?

Circuit City was selling the PC version for $29.99.

Someone said on another forums that turning off the Weapons reduced turnovers.

I haven't tried that but I'm seeing any defender just jumping passes, way more aware and aggressive than most WRs.

The PS3 version, so far, is okay. I was afraid it would be more choppy than last year's version but not really seeing that yet. Camera is more zoomed out, which I don't mind. On the cut scenes, some of the lighting is nice.

Haven't tried online yet and there are some reports of problems in online games.

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:10 pm

I grabbed the PC version as well, and playing in 1680x1050 with all of the details at max, it was obviously MUCH cleaner than the 360 version.

It's just always bugged me that strafe was on a bumper on the PC when using the 360 controller instead of a trigger, and I have a tough time going back to "A for speed burst" instead of a trigger as well. On the PC, unless they've changed something, you can't change individual buttons on offense without them affecting defense as well, so if I move strafe to LT and turbo to RT, then I'll end up with some other command on a screwy button. I only played a handful of snaps in the game, but it was pretty...I don't think the character models are even close to the 360 version, but the lighting is cool and obviously the resolution destroys it.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:19 pm

wco81 wrote:What kind of GPU do you have on that laptop PK? Is it integrated like an Intel GMA or does it have an nVidia or ATI with dedicated video RAM?

I'm no expert, but I think it's an ATI with dedicated RAM.

Here are my rig's specs: Lenovo T60, XP, Centrino Core2Duo, 2.16 gHz, 2 MB RAM, ATI Mobility Radeon X1400.

Not sure of the VRAM. How do I tell?

Take care,
PK

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:35 pm

wco81 wrote:Someone said on another forums that turning off the Weapons reduced turnovers.

edit: posted about having two fun games but then just picked off 3 passes out of the first 5 attempts.

TheTruth · Post by **TheTruth** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:42 pm

Hmm...can you actually turn the weapons system off, or is it just the weapons symbols you are turning off?

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:50 pm

I rented it (360), played about 6 games, and think I'm bailing on this game. The INT's, magical DB's, and lack of presentation (in-game stats anyone?) are bumming me out. Speaking of in-game stats - is it that hard?

Playing against th 49'ers, Gore was pounding me to death. I wondered, "how many yards does this dude have?". Only way to find out-pause, menus, stats look-up. 'b-button'x3 to get back to the game. that's fun! Didn't the very first Madden-game ever have in-game stats??