Madden NFL 07 - Players Preview Event

June 27, 2006

Wellington Moreaux
Gaming Age Online

In an effort to explore just how realistic the running game in it's premier football franchise is, EA brought together some of the top running backs and linemen in the NFL together for a panel discussion on the merits of the ground attack. MVP and Madden '07 cover athlete Shaun Alexander, phenom Larry Johnson, and the incomparable Reggie Bush headlined the event, many other current and former stars were also present for a night featuring fan and player interaction as well as a quick sneak peak of the upcoming game.

The night began with several versions of Madden NFL '07 on display across multiple platforms, from Xbox 360 to cell phones. Carnell "Cadillac" Williams non-chalantly played the Xbox 360 game against Thomas Singleton, currently the associate producer on Madden '07 and NCAA '07 on the PSP. Cadillac managed to pull out a win in a close game as he scored a TD with a deep pass to Joey Galloway with a minute left and then proceeded to smother Singleton's Packers with the stifling Bucs' D. At other stations, Warrick Dunn lost a game to a little boy that happened to be a Giants fan, Orlando Pace tooled around with the PSP version of Madden, and Shaun Alexander knocked back a few drinks with Mack Strong and a couple of public relations girls.

The night continued as casually as it began when six of the professional players sat down for discussion and questions about their role on their squads and the accuracy and realism of Madden NFL '07. Shaun Alexander, Steve Hutchinson, Larry Johnson, Reggie Bush, Marshall Faulk, and Eddie George hit conversation points regarding the importance of a halfback's vision on field to set up blocking versus freelancing and trying to make plays from their own physical creativity. The panel did its job, convincing listeners that success can be achieved with either vision or freelancing, as it is in Madden. With the new "Run to Daylight" feature, players can take control of a fullback or lineman and cut down defenders with a bead on the ball carrier. The new element all but forces players who attempt to use it to learn the necessity of following one's blockers and staying true to the form of the designed play. On the other side of the coin, choose someone like LJ and it's possible to schuck and stiff-arm through defenses with appropriate timing. After the running backs panel, the superstars and attendees returned to gaming and interviews.

The Xbox 360 version of Madden NFL 07 was noticeably improved from the preview build that was at the E3 trade show. The frame rate was clearly smoother and animations looked cleaner than they did last month. In game, the offensive line looks to have been improved, but unfortunately the defensive back's AI remains largely unchanged. It was often possible to just wing the ball deep as the quarter back and have the intended receiver just up and pluck the ball from the sky while the corner would wait on the ground to make the tackle. This could have, however, been attributable to the rookie level difficulty at which each game was set. There were still some problems with the momentum based player movement system as some athletes slid out of position while trying to change direction. The game looks like it will come together better than Madden 06 on the 360.

The PS2 and Xbox iterations include a slicker interface, "Run to Daylight", and a few new tricks to keep players coming back. "Run to Daylight" felt tighter and much more fleshed out on current generation consoles than on the 360, due to the fact that the camera angles were more accommodating to setting up the block and watching where the RB is headed. When calling for adjustments at the line of scrimmage, the game will display the possible button combinations to be a bit more accommodating for newer players. The highlight stick and truck stick exclamations on screen are also welcome additions for beginners.

EA continues to demonstrate the synergy that one of its premier products has with its real life counterpart. The quote of the night came from Cadillac Williams when he said to Singleton after securing the win; "You may make the game, but this is what I do every day." When asked if it's exciting to see professional players react the way they do to a game he was so intimately involved in making, Singleton responded, "It's the best part."