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cdj
06-10-2010, 07:16 PM
This is the first part of our series looking at the NCAA Football franchise as we enter the sixth year of NCAA Football on the next-gen consoles.


http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/images/misc/NCAAFootball07.jpg

NCAA Football 07 kicked-off the next-gen revolution of college football in the summer of 2006 on the X-Box 360. The game is considered the “lost” next-gen game due to only being available on one console and being released at a time when many were just starting to make the switch to the 360.

The move to next-gen gaming saw both gamers and studios alike place a huge emphasis on the improved visuals that were now possible thanks to the new powerful technology at-hand. The majority of early previews of these consoles and upcoming titles focused on their visual capabilities with screenshots and CG movies touting the possibility that laid ahead in the years to come. Continuing with this trend, visuals would be an aspect that NCAA Football 07 focused heavily on.

70 schools & stadiums had their venue visited by EA Sports, getting completely mapped, measured, and photographed. According to IGN, “one Tiburon producer claimed that the 360 version is the closest replica you can see of a stadium without having the blueprints.” On the technical side, on the PlayStation 2 & X-Box stadiums consisted of 2,500 polygons while on next-gen that number rose to 125,000. Lighting reached a new level of detail with the sun moving accurately through the skies throughout the game and temperatures reflecting the average for the current date.

In terms of gameplay, NCAA 07’s main focus was an all-new Momentum Meter. This addition seemed very fitting following the previous season’s national championship game – Texas’ 41-38 upset over Southern Cal, a game filled with big, momentum-changing plays. With this feature, during big plays in the course of the game the Momentum Meter would shift from in favor of one team to another after defensive stops, touchdowns, fumbles, and other pivotal moments.

With the game being rebuilt, the gameplay lacked the polish and depth of its last-gen counterpart. However, the change was a welcome one for those ready to move on from the last-gen gameplay engine. One of the biggest knocks on the gameplay was porous pass defense.

Here is a video of NCAA Football 07 in action, featuring Texas vs. USC:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1zfQti5Y5g

“Back of the Box” Features:

- Build Momentum: The all-new Momentum Meter swings like a pendulum during the biggest moments of the game as big plays, defensive stops, and turnovers dictate who holds the advantage.

- The Living Stadium: Innovative Smart Fans bring stadiums to life as alumni, student, and visitor sections – complete with mascots and marching bands – react dynamically to the action on the field.

- ESPN Instant Classics: Share your greatest highlights anytime with the new Photo Album, or get real-world updates and Dynasty Mode results with the ESPN Sports Ticker.

- Deepest Dynasty Mode Ever: Build a powerhouse with in-season recruiting, coaching contracts, customizable schedules, and the deepest stat-tracking ever.

- All-New Ways to Play: Hone your running skills in Option Dash, maintain momentum in Tug-O-War, or score a perfect game in Bowling mini-games.

Final reviews would leave NCAA Football 07 with a metacritic score of a 79, but the overall theme was that the game exhibited potential (a chance to build a better and more realistic gameplay experience compared to last-gen), sharp visuals, but lacked the features and depth of the last-gen versions. The game would go on to sell approximately 750,000 copies according to VGChartz.com.

Top Teams:
- A: Michigan
- A-: Florida, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC, Virginia Tech
- B+: 24 teams

Top Players:
- 99 OVR: LSU FS #30, Colorado K #16, Clemson RE #93
- 98 OVR: Penn State LOLB #31, Ole Miss LOLB #49, Oklahoma HB #28, Georgia Tech WR #21
- 97 OVR: Notre Dame QB #10
- 96 OVR: Wisconsin LT #72, VT LOLB #11, USC WR #8, Texas RT #63, Oklahoma ROLB #42, Notre Dame WR #83, Miami FS #19, EMU K #40
- 95 OVR: 24 players

***

View front page article here
http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/content.php?197

morsdraconis
06-10-2010, 09:37 PM
Wow. There was just no defense at all was there? I never got to play '07 or '08 on next gen but played them both on last gen and I don't remember the defense being so poor in '07 for the PS2.

Also, great writeup CDJ. Looking forward to '08 as well.

JHeb
06-10-2010, 10:48 PM
I like this feature the TGT is doing...The only thing I'd say is missing is some kind of mention of problems with the game, such as it was easy to exploit the Pass D with deep bombs, etc. Things like that. Maybe more detail on what kinds of obvious things the game was missing in dynasty mode, etc.

I look forward to NCAA 2008

pbplayer178
06-10-2010, 11:13 PM
- The Living Stadium: Innovative Smart Fans bring stadiums to life as alumni, student, and visitor sections – complete with mascots and marching bands – react dynamically to the action on the field.


I never played 07 on 360, but has this been in the game yet?

JeffHCross
06-10-2010, 11:15 PM
Great look back Chris.

I can't fathom that they jumped to 125,000 polys for NCAA 07. That may explain a lot of the concerns they've had about the engine since. That's a huge load on the system.

coogrfan
06-11-2010, 07:49 AM
"With the game being rebuilt, the gameplay lacked the polish and depth of its last-gen counterpart."

Now there's an understatement. :cool:

Collision detection was so poor that it rendered the game unplayable, imo (for a good example, see the "sack" and fumble approx. 6:00 into the video clip above). The player models were beyond awful (even kickers had LB physiques), the playbooks were vanilla, and the UI was extremely un-user friendly .

Imo this was by far the worst effort in the history of the franchise on any console.

JBHuskers
06-11-2010, 08:25 AM
Nice write up Chris....those helmets crashing during the quarter ending presentation is scary....screams mid-90's :D

ebin
06-11-2010, 10:56 AM
What a great feature. I didn't make it to next-gen until NCAA 08, but it looks like I didn't miss much. I wonder if the NCAA team had to do it over again, how different the game would look, both that first year, and now.

Solidice
06-11-2010, 11:01 AM
there were a few good thing I can remember from '07. I didn't play it that long though(went back to '06 on the xbox eventually). I did like the pre-snap cutscenes that show the QB, HB, or WR walk up to the line. the CPU didn't quick snap every play. some of the visuals were amazing. the savable screenshots were of a higher resolution than '08-10's. I still have a few screenshot from 07' in my Photobucket account (http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s82/Solidice0/NCAA%202007/)

JBHuskers
06-11-2010, 11:03 AM
What a great feature. I didn't make it to next-gen until NCAA 08, but it looks like I didn't miss much. I wonder if the NCAA team had to do it over again, how different the game would look, both that first year, and now.

Yeah same here, I didn't get a 360 until late 2008, so my first Gen3 NCAA game was 08.

cdj
06-11-2010, 11:05 AM
Thanks for the feedback. The tough part is figuring how detailed to get in listing game issues. No point in bringing up a lot of game issues from a game four years old and crucifying the dev team again, but I am not trying to forget they existed either.

JHeb
06-14-2010, 01:35 AM
Thanks for the feedback. The tough part is figuring how detailed to get in listing game issues. No point in bringing up a lot of game issues from a game four years old and crucifying the dev team again, but I am not trying to forget they existed either.

I hear ya, but I think it'd bring the point home better when comparing this version to what we have now...I'll barely remember anything about past games so more detail will help IMO. No biggie though, just an idea. Also, what about talking about who the powerhouse teams were in each version of the game, the unstoppable players, the most popular to use (or exploit), etc.

cdj
06-14-2010, 01:38 AM
Also, what about talking about who the powerhouse teams were in each version of the game, the unstoppable players, the most popular to use (or exploit), etc.

I really like that. I'll start that with this week's look at NCAA 08. Thanks for the feedback!

To be honest, I forget some of the game issues as well so hopefully those who remember will share it on each title. Sometimes one man's issue is unnoticed by another.

Adam Thompson - EA
06-18-2010, 10:43 AM
Wow. The commentary really jumped out at me. I know people say our commentary is old and stale, and some of it is, but it is sooo much better now.

morsdraconis
06-18-2010, 11:09 AM
Wow. The commentary really jumped out at me. I know people say our commentary is old and stale, and some of it is, but it is sooo much better now.

Hey! Welcome to TGT! Hope to see you guys around here more often.

The commentary definitely needs a big redo. They still have sayings now that they used in '07 and '08.

CLW
06-18-2010, 11:23 AM
We PS3ers didn't have the pleasure of this title as we were still stuck in the PS2 days in 07. I can't really comment on this game other than to notice how much the graphics and pre-game entrances of NCAA 11 are serious improvements to the series.

xRomo9
06-18-2010, 01:07 PM
Wow! Great look back at where NCAA was at that point in time..

Makes me fill really glad to know where we are now compared to what it was :)

JeffHCross
06-23-2010, 11:31 PM
Wow. The commentary really jumped out at me. I know people say our commentary is old and stale, and some of it is, but it is sooo much better now.I can't remember which year it was ... maybe NCAA 08? I had been playing a lot of NCAA going up until the first day of the college football season. One of the first games I watched had Brad Nessler doing commentary. And he said the exact same things during the kickoff that he says in the game. I had to pinch myself and make sure I wasn't playing a game!

Some of the commentary has been in the game for a long time ... but that was a reminder that some of the announcers use the same lines for years and years too.

Rudy
06-24-2010, 04:44 AM
Wow. The commentary really jumped out at me. I know people say our commentary is old and stale, and some of it is, but it is sooo much better now.

Talk about patting yourself on the back lol. Adam was responsible for the commentary in the recent titles if I believe.

Nice to see you here Adam.

Adam Thompson - EA
06-24-2010, 12:11 PM
Talk about patting yourself on the back lol. Adam was responsible for the commentary in the recent titles if I believe.

Nice to see you here Adam.

Since 09.

cdj
06-23-2011, 07:16 AM
Leave your thoughts on 07!

skipwondah33
06-23-2011, 07:54 AM
Outside of the play at the 6:00 mark the tackle animations/collisions weren't that bad. Actually look better than those I have seen the last few years in the series IMO.

JBHuskers
06-23-2011, 08:28 AM
Found this in a box as I was moving LOL .... just too bad my PS3 isn't backwards compatible.

Iron Dragon
06-23-2011, 08:50 AM
A great last-gen game, never touched the next-gen version.

hawkeyeguy
06-23-2011, 08:54 AM
Great series cdj and since I just stepped into the Next Generation console (have had my Xbox for about 3 months now) I'll look forward to reading these.

xMrHitStickx904
06-23-2011, 09:11 AM
man, i forgot just how horrible 07 was.

psusnoop
06-23-2011, 09:30 AM
I enjoy looking back at the older games not only NCAA but all of them and just seeing how far they have come with the graphics. Just crazy....

NatureBoy
06-23-2011, 12:12 PM
I remember I bought the 360, PS2 and PSP version of this game. Sidney Rice was a JR WR at South Carolina at the time. I swear any ball thrown in his direction was an automatic catch. Needless to say, he was my go to guy. I was so hoping he would stay for his SR season but left for the NFL the following year.

JBHuskers
06-23-2011, 12:31 PM
I remember I bought the 360, PS2 and PSP version of this game. Sidney Rice was a JR WR at South Carolina at the time. I swear any ball thrown in his direction was an automatic catch. Needless to say, he was my go to guy. I was so hoping he would stay for his SR season but left for the NFL the following year.

That's going to be revisited this year with SC's stud WR.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/783/432/106812341_crop_650x440.jpg?1305717179

I OU a Beatn
06-23-2011, 12:34 PM
'07 was the worst of the series on 360. It was just...bad. It was one of the first games I played on next gen, and after about 2 weeks with it, I actually ended up playing on my PS2 for the next year until '08 came out. :D

th3 last tiger
06-23-2011, 01:06 PM
The thing i remember most about the early next gen games like 07 was that the defense was awful and the blocking assignments were terrible

C00KH4X
06-23-2011, 03:33 PM
Ah... 07 and 08 by far the most fun games in the series IMO.

ram29jackson
06-23-2011, 03:37 PM
Wow. The commentary really jumped out at me. I know people say our commentary is old and stale, and some of it is, but it is sooo much better now.

wow,..talk about being suprised by a post :D I just saw this and..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw

beartide06
06-23-2011, 05:57 PM
Yeah I remember playing this game when I first got the 360. I must say NCAA has come a long way. I remember the first time me and my friend played I thought the visuals were amazing, but the players all looked like the hulk minus the green lol. Also, I remember going nuts the first time I saw a guy jump over a player. That was the only game we played together though, because it was so dull and lacked so much. It was by far the worst NCAA that has been made in my opinion.

coogrfan
06-24-2011, 10:36 AM
Outside of the play at the 6:00 mark the tackle animations/collisions weren't that bad. Actually look better than those I have seen the last few years in the series IMO.

No...just no.

The collision detection wasn't just bad, it was abysmal (jukes and spins would, more often than not, allow ballcarriers to morph thru defenders like they weren't there). If ever a game could be said to be "broken", it was NCAA 07 (360). Imho it should never have been released.

OSUCowboyofMD
06-24-2011, 01:10 PM
06:13 Phantom Sack :D and I just realized bands used to be in the game! But what ever happened to the student sections, alumni sections, and the fans reacting dynamically to what's happening on the field?!

cdj
06-24-2011, 01:13 PM
06:13 Phantom Sack :D and I just realized bands used to be in the game! But what ever happened to the student sections, alumni sections, and the fans reacting dynamically to what's happening on the field?!

Fans will react dynamically this year. I don't think EA has really given us a video to show that off though.

The designated sections definitely need to return as well. Personally, I think they add a lot to the atmosphere and making each stadium unique and true to life.

NatureBoy
06-24-2011, 05:36 PM
That's going to be revisited this year with SC's stud WR.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/783/432/106812341_crop_650x440.jpg?1305717179Oh yeah! Alshon Jeffery will be a huge part of my offense this year.