PDA

View Full Version : Article: Seven Years of Next-Gen NCAA Football - NCAA Football 10



cdj
07-10-2010, 10:42 AM
You can view the page at http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/content.php?239-Five-Years-of-Next-Gen-NCAA-Football-NCAA-Football-10

***

This is the fourth part in a series looking at the NCAA Football franchise as we enter the sixth year of NCAA Football on the next-gen consoles with the release of NCAA Football 12.

NCAA Football 10 hit store shelves in July of 2009. From the initial press release forward, EA SPORTS promoted one of the game’s big new features, Season Showdown. This feature was a meta-competition that spanned the length of the college football season, allowing fans of each FBS program to compete against each other by earning credits based upon game skills, trivia, and more. While it was met with great resistance from some in the core community for - in their opinion - diverting resources from gameplay improvement, the feature did reward credits for Skills, Strategy, and Sportsmanship. With the Season Showdown ID Card displaying credit levels in online lobbies, these helped to create a basis for determining the style of play for a random user – provided they signed up for the optional Season Showdown feature.


http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/images/misc/NCAAFootball10360.jpg

Bringing back a last-gen feature with a next-gen twist saw create-a-school become TeamBuilder. A web-based team creator, TeamBuilder provided the ability for users to create schools online that could be downloaded on either the PlayStation 3 or X-Box 360. By moving the core of TeamBuilder and aspects of Season Showdown to the web, it meant the game was no longer confined to the physical boundaries of the Blu-Ray or DVD discs. opening up new game possibilities for the future of the franchise.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn0ZuriZztk

One year removed from ‘Wide Open Gameplay,’ there was no one main focus or slogan for changes coming to the on-field gameplay in NCAA Football 10. While this may have given the impression to casual fans that nothing changed, the gameplay in NCAA Football 10 would be considered by many to be the most ‘sim’ in the franchise to date.

Among the gameplay improvements were improved pursuit angles, and new Game-Planning and Defensive Keys features. The pursuit angles cut down on the abundance of big plays and twitch running exploits of NCAA 09 while the Game-Planning & Defensive Keys features provided the user more control over all players on the field.

The Game-Planning and Defensive Keys features were not without their faults, as the Run Commit aspect was considered over-powering – if not unrealistic at times - and several aspects of the Game-Planning would result in more negative results (facemask penalties, for example) than deemed realistic. Also added was Adaptive AI, a feature designed to help the defense automatically adjust to frequently selected plays.

NCAA Football 10 also incorporated new technology in a revamped Campus Legend mode, entitled Road to Glory with Erin Andrews. The ESPN sideline reporter was featured in live action video chronicling the player’s four year career with game highlights incorporated into the reports. Andrews was also added as a sideline reporter for in-game commentary, providing injury updates throughout the game.

Cover athletes for the game included: Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree (360), Utah QB Brian Johnson (PS3), Texas DE Brian Orakpo (PS2), and USC QB Mark Sanchez (PSP).


http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/images/misc/NCAAFootball10PS3.jpg

“Back of the Box” Features:

- All-New Season Showdown: Unite with fans from your favorite school to determine who will be #1. Earn credits by competing online or against the CPU in a nationwide school pride competition.

- All-New EA SPORTS TeamBuilder: Customize your favorite FCS, historical, or high school team with a revolutionary online create-a-school feature complete with full roster customization, artwork importing, and uniform editing.

- New Road to Glory Mode: Sideline reporter Erin Andrew chronicles your humble beginnings as a high school superstar and follows your collegiate career through an all-new in-game television program.

- Catch Them Off Balance: Set up opponents by disguising similar plays out of the same formation. As the defenders cheat in anticipation of the same play, fool them for a big gain with play-action, misdirection, and more.

- Adjust Your Game On The Fly: Adjust up to 11 strategic conditions that have a direct impact on the game, such as pressing the coverage with your defensive backs at the risk of giving up the big play.

- The Sights and Sounds of Saturday: Featuring authentic band formations, including “Script Ohio,” more than 3,000 alternate uniforms, new stadium chants, field goal nets, and dynamic stadium flags.

Top Teams:
A+: Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, USC
A-: Alabama, Cal, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State

Top Players:
99 OVR: Florida QB #15, Oklahoma QB #14, Oklahoma TE #18, USC SS #2
98 OVR: Florida MLB #51, LSU LT #70, Tennessee SS #14, Texas QB #12
97 OVR: Nebraska DT #93, Oklahoma DT #93, Oklahoma State LT #76, Oklahoma State WR #1, Penn State MLB #45

The game would go on to sell approximately 890,000 copies for the X-Box 360 and 710,000 on the PlayStation 3 and have metacritic scores of 83 (360) and 80 (PS3).

morsdraconis
07-10-2010, 11:16 AM
By far my favorite of the series, so far.

Rudy
07-10-2010, 01:06 PM
The camera was terrible, the passing speeds annoyingly fast and unrealistic and the crowd sounds were terrible at times. I just did not like this game and it frustrated me. They fixed a lot of things I wanted fixed from 09 - the cpu threw deep, the sliders worked better, the cpu ran the ball better but some of the other stuff just really bugged me. They re-introduced the menu lag from '08 as well. Rented this game initially after the patch fixed the sliders and couldn't get into it. Bought it again a couple months later trying to give it a second chance but just ended up selling it again.

souljahbill
07-10-2010, 01:37 PM
16 seasons of dynasty. My most NCAA game ever. The demo sold me and I loved it ever sense.

steelerfan
07-10-2010, 04:21 PM
Nice writeup, Chris. Enjoyed looking back at the last 4 iterations. Thanks.

cdj
06-26-2011, 07:51 AM
Share your thoughts on 10!

ThaShark316
06-26-2011, 08:30 AM
I skipped this game. I almost bought it (had it reserved). It's funny how things worked....the running animations compared to now all look like hell. NCAA 11 changed how I will forever look how players run. (Unless they go back to the ps2/xbox motion)

People complain (with good reason) about running in the shotgun, but this game was complete trash at that. The CPU stuffed ALL the runs, no matter what.

NatureBoy
06-26-2011, 09:10 AM
Without a doubt, my most hated version of the game. Even more than 08. From the canned chant of "Defense!" borrowed from NCAA Basketball that was in the game to the silly Season Showdown.

I did however, play the living heck out of this game. My Wife and I were moving about a week before the game was released. For some reason, the cable company couldn't come and turn on our internet and cable on for a few weeks. This game helped me pass the time away. I mostly play RTG though. I just couldn't get into the gameplay in 10.

psusnoop
06-26-2011, 09:25 AM
The thing for me was I didn't have a ton of gripes about the game because it ended up showing me just how much fun online dynasties are. I started towards the end of 09 but really got into it for 2010 and haven't looked back since.


*this doesn't mean I was blind to everything just that the OD brought so much upside to me that it outweighed all the negative for this season.

Paakaa10
06-26-2011, 09:36 AM
Call me crazy or whatever, but this was the first next-gen NCAA Football game that I actually purchased. I played demos of the previous titles, but always only as a warm-up for playing Madden NFL. Growing up in Maine, it was hard to get into college football because my alma mater--the University of Maine Black Bears--was a hockey school that had a football team for kicks.

When Madden NFL 09 underwhelmed me, I decided to actually purchase NCAA Football 10, and that's what put me on the path of buying both games every year since. I loved seeing all of the different schools and really loved seeing the ways in which the game distinguished itself from Madden NFL's gameplay. It was my NCAA Football gateway drug, and I was hooked.

Even though NCAA Football 11 improved upon it in nearly every single way, one goofy thing that I do miss from 10 are the mini-games. Even though the "Bowling" mini-game was inherently silly, I thought it as a great way to practice goal line offense and defense from a competitive environment. The "Option Attack" was pretty enjoyable too, and everything I know about the option was first practiced in that stupid little mini-game.

jaymo76
06-26-2011, 10:17 AM
First and LAST time I used team builder. 10 was a fair game but it had a few things that really held it back (broekn injuries system, no fatigue/subbing, etc.). Without formation subs, this game still showed it was still far behind PS2 days. I was ready to give up on the series and actually switch to NCAA BASKETBALL 10 at this point.

xMrHitStickx904
06-26-2011, 11:23 AM
the camera angle... ruined it for me. and it looked bad on the PS3 compared to the 360.

Rudy
06-26-2011, 11:39 AM
the camera angle... ruined it for me.

Amen. And the passing speeds were ridiculous.

beartide06
06-26-2011, 03:37 PM
This was the year that I actually played quite a bit. I put in probably 800+ games on here through OD and many other types of games. Me and a good friend of mine played the OD religiously on 10 and I'll never forget how great my Clemson team was. I had a QB named Michael Redd number 7 who had 94 speed and a CANNON for an arm. I think he won the Heisman if I remember correctly and he just dominated. I do remember my first season as Clemson everyone of my games came down to the last min and they were always so intense. I won probably 7 games on the last play and lost I think 1. Overall I had a great time with this game, but I will say it was probably one with the most glitches i have ever seen.

RussellWilson
06-27-2011, 05:44 AM
the demo comes out tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)):)):)):)):)) :)):)):)):)):))

accfsu34
06-27-2011, 07:29 AM
I played this game all the way up until Madden came out with the game speed option. After playing Madden it was hard to play NCAA 10 cause the game played too freaking fast and unnatural.