The Gaming Tailgate - Blogs http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/blog.php en Fri, 18 May 2012 16:38:33 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg The Gaming Tailgate - Blogs http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/blog.php <![CDATA[NCAA Football '12 Triple Option Guide]]> http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?21-NCAA-Football-12-Triple-Option-Guide Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:35:46 GMT Hey guys, this blog is my attempt at helping anyone and everyone get their Option game going. In this blog, I'll cover most of the under-center Option plays (Flexbone, Wishbone, etc.)and I'll share what little I know such as who to read, how to read the defense PRE-SNAP, and I'll share what I consider an excellent Custom Playbook that I've compiled by trial and error. Also, I'll explain what I consider a very good audible set (which is essential to how I play). So if you're having trouble running this offense, drop me a reply and I'll help to the best of my ability. Check back soon for my first play dissection: The Original Triple Option. ]]> TheArchitect http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?21-NCAA-Football-12-Triple-Option-Guide postseason http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?20-postseason Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:10:45 GMT
Quote Originally Posted by DariusLock View Post
Let me know when I'm up, more than likely just wanna stay at USM.
Your best bet would be to log on and see who chooses what team. You can predict your offers, so it'll be easy to accept or decline all at once. Plus, that'll make the entire process speed up since we're not all online at the same time. ]]> Roadhouse http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?20-postseason <![CDATA[GATOR & BUCKEYE ROSTERS VERSION 1.0 RELEASED]]> http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?17-GATOR-amp-BUCKEYE-ROSTERS-VERSION-1.0-RELEASED Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:11:05 GMT Version 1.0 now released.
EA LOCKER: GatorNuts0208

Version 1.1 will likely be released in the next day or two.

Check your team in version 1.0 and send me fixes, corrections, and edits. Version 1.0 was released for this purpose. ]]> GatorBait06NC http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?17-GATOR-amp-BUCKEYE-ROSTERS-VERSION-1.0-RELEASED <![CDATA[EA SPORTS NYC Experience Part 2: Madden NFL 12 Cover Athlete Photo Shoot & 2011 Draft]]> http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?16-EA-SPORTS-NYC-Experience-Part-2-Madden-NFL-12-Cover-Athlete-Photo-Shoot-amp-2011-Draft Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:13:13 GMT This blog is the second of a two-part series of stories I wrote at the beginning of May 2011 about my experience traveling to New York City as EA SPORTS Game Changer of the Month at the end of April. It was originally due to be published on EA SPORTS webspace but it kind of got lost in the shuffle with all of the news and information that has come out for both NCAA Football 12 and Madden NFL 12. With the blessing of EA SPORTS Community Manager Justin Dewiel, I've decided to share these "feature" stories here at The Gaming Tailgate.

The stories are preserved as originally written, so please excuse any inconsistencies with regards to how dates are referenced; this was, after all, written nearly two months ago.

Those of you who joined me for part one of my write-up of my EA SPORTS experience in New York City got a sense of how things went at the NCAA Football 12 Draft Night Premiere. Now it’s time for you to get an inside look at how I—Brian Parker, “Paakaa10” of the EA SPORTS Game Changers—got to experience the results of the first 32-team Madden NFL cover vote.

On Wednesday, April 27th, the sun rose on a big day for EA SPORTS and the Madden NFL franchise; the five-week community vote for who would grace the cover of Madden NFL 12 was finally drawing to a close and the cover athlete would be announced on ESPN’s SportsNation program late in the afternoon. Despite speculation on the web and in various forums, nobody at EA SPORTS had been informed of the decision, so Community Manager Justin Dewiel and the other employees from EA SPORTS in NYC were no more aware of the winner than anybody else as the hours counted down to the reveal. All anybody knew for sure was that both Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and Cleveland Browns halfback Peyton Hillis were set to be in Bristol, Connecticut for the announcement.

With the excitement of the vote on my mind, I spent the afternoon walking the streets of New York, touring Times Square, the Empire State Building, and even swinging by Radio City Music Hall—home of the 2011 NFL Draft—before arriving back at the hotel just in time for the cover athlete to be announced. Even though there had been internet buzz about the vote totals before the announcement, it was still a shock to learn that Hillis was going to be this year’s cover athlete; especially by such a large margin in the final vote. And I surely don’t need to tell you how pleased Justin Dewiel—a Cleveland native—was to know that his hometown team was going to have their guy on the cover of the game when it hits stores in August.

Though the rest of the world didn’t know it quite yet, I’d been made aware of the fact that the cover shoot was going to be done a little bit differently this year; that’s part of why I made it a point to find my way to Times Square on Wednesday, so that I’d know where I was going for the live cover shoot on Thursday, April 28th. With a 7AM departure from the hotel to get to the shoot, everyone turned in early Wednesday night knowing that there was a big day ahead.

After “working” to interview athletes at the NCAA Football 12 Draft Night Premiere, my day with Madden NFL 12 was much more casual. Upon arrival at the cover shoot—right in the middle of Times Square—I got my credential and just soaked in the atmosphere that is the middle of NYC. In that one block it seemed as though so many people were converging; especially once they saw the “Madden NFL 12” banners draped over the barricades around the cover shoot stage. With time to waste before Peyton Hillis arrived, I took the opportunity to enjoy the “VIP” experience of watching the photographers getting their equipment ready while monitoring the weather reports—with a high probability of rain—on any of the large video screens around the shoot.

I also finally got the chance to meet some of the members of the Madden NFL 12 development team, including Executive Producer Phil Frazier, Art Director Mike Young, and Ratings Czar Donny Moore, though there wasn’t much time for talking as soon as Hillis arrived on-site. Phil and Mike quickly got to work photographing Hillis for his Madden NFL 12 player model before getting him suited up and ready to go for the photo shoot itself.

Once Hillis was up on stage, it was great to see the NFL fans—many of them in-town for the NFL Draft—assembled and cheering on one of the most unlikely cover athletes in the history of the franchise. I took a few pictures of the cover athlete myself before heading off-stage and spending some time with Hillis’ parents, Doug and Carrie, as their son was being photographed for one of the bigger honors an NFL athlete can receive. They were as impressive as their son in terms of humility and being down-to-earth, and it was a pleasure to discuss football with the two of them as the cover shoot continued, even through a brief rain shower which sent many people scattering for umbrellas or shelter. Talking to Doug Hillis shone a lot of light on how incredible Peyton’s journey has been in recent years, going from an afterthought traded away by the Denver Broncos to where he is with the Cleveland Browns today.

As the cover shoot continued, I found my way back to the media tent where a couple PlayStation 3 consoles had been set up with early builds of Madden NFL 12 for demo purposes. After watching some members of the gaming media get time with the game, I managed to find a seat and a controller for myself to get about 20 minutes of hands-on play. I’ve been a Madden NFL fan for many years now, but I’ll admit that my brief time with Madden NFL 12 has me more excited for this year’s release than I’ve been for a game in the series in years. The gameplay and presentation blogs available on the Madden NFL 12 website give a great first take on what’s new and improved for this year’s game, and with nearly two months left in development before the final code is locked in for release, I have high hopes for what this year’s game will be able to achieve come August 30th.

Once the cover shoot was wrapped up, there was no rest in sight; instead, we packed up and headed over to the Edison Ballroom on West 47th Street for the 2011 NFL Draft Luncheon, titled “Madden NFL 12: Road to the Cover.” After grabbing food and sitting with members of the development team, we watched the taping of an NFL Network special talking about the fan vote to decide this year’s cover, which aired last Saturday morning. The great part about the program was seeing some of the star athletes tapped to participate: Sterling Sharpe, Marshall Faulk, Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, and—of course—Peyton Hillis. It’s hard to put into words what the atmosphere was like in the presence of so many football legends, and after meeting Hillis and his family earlier in the day it was great to see him in that elite company. That said, I must also admit that I spent at least part of the presentation “talking shop” with Phil and Mike of the development team about Madden’s future; though I obviously can’t go into specifics here, I was left with the belief that the right guys are in place to really help the franchise grow and improve for the future.

With the luncheon complete, our first “down time” of the day arrived and it was back to the hotel. The day was still far from over, however, as Justin and I managed to get VIP Passes to the 2011 NFL Draft and were set to join the full house at Radio City Music Hall later that evening to see the new crop of NFL rookies selected by their future teams. We even got seated with Donny Moore, which proved to be a very educational experience as the “Rating Czar” readily engaged in discussion about the picks as they were being made. I definitely got the feeling that Donny could make a pretty solid draft analyst in the future once his time at EA SPORTS comes to a close.

After interviewing so many athletes at the NCAA Football 12 Draft Night Premiere, it was great to see that all of them ended up being taken as first round draft picks. It was also nice—on a personal note as a Patriots fan—to see New England actually make a pick in the opening round of the draft instead of trading down as they so frequently do. It was a great experience—even as my team was booed by the partisan New York crowd—and by the time the final pick had been announced, it was amazing to look back at all that had transpired in a single day with EA SPORTS.

Even though I was only in New York City for four days, it definitely felt like a lot of things happened during the trip. It was great to meet the next generation of NFL rookies at the NCAA Football 12 Draft Night Premiere event, and especially to see the members of the development team once again to talk about a game that I’ve seen through so much of the process so far in Community Events. I was thrilled to be able to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the Madden NFL 12 cover shoot in Times Square, as well as to finally meet the developers who will be seeing that title along in the future. And finishing off the week with the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft was definitely a fitting conclusion to my time in the Big Apple.

So what are you waiting for? If you’re a member of the EA SPORTS community and you feel as though you have a “game-changing” impact on how you and others experience these games, submit your application to the EA SPORTS Game Changers program here: http://tinyurl.com/24zwubh. Maybe someday soon you’ll be writing up your own EA SPORTS experience! ]]> Paakaa10 http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?16-EA-SPORTS-NYC-Experience-Part-2-Madden-NFL-12-Cover-Athlete-Photo-Shoot-amp-2011-Draft EA SPORTS NYC Experience Part 1: NCAA Football 12 Draft Night Premiere http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?15-EA-SPORTS-NYC-Experience-Part-1-NCAA-Football-12-Draft-Night-Premiere Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:05:36 GMT This blog is the first of a two-part series of stories I wrote at the beginning of May 2011 about my experience traveling to New York City as EA SPORTS Game Changer of the Month at the end of April. It was originally due to be published on EA SPORTS webspace but it kind of got lost in the shuffle with all of the news and information that has come out for both NCAA Football 12 and Madden NFL 12. With the blessing of EA SPORTS Community Manager Justin Dewiel, I've decided to share these "feature" stories here at The Gaming Tailgate.

The stories are preserved as originally written, so please excuse any inconsistencies with regards to how dates are referenced; this was, after all, written nearly two months ago.

After two solid weeks of information coming out regarding EA SPORTS NCAA Football 12 and Madden NFL 12, it’s time to share an inside look at what the EA SPORTS experience can be like. My name is Brian Parker—“Paakaa10” from the EA SPORTS Game Changers—and this is the first installment of a two-part story about my experience in New York City participating in promotional events for EA SPORTS football franchises last week.

I suppose we should start with how I got the opportunity to participate in this experience; in the EA SPORTS Game Changers program—our community initiative which allows exceptional contributors to have an inside line with the company—we have a “Game Changer of the Month” vote amongst our members to decide whose work is most deserving of recognition every 30 days or so. For some reason, my peers were kind enough to vote me to that honor for March 2011, which led to an invite from Community Manager Justin Dewiel to join him in NYC for some big events during the week of the NFL Draft.

On Monday, April 25th, I flew to La Guardia Airport and visited the “Big Apple” for the first time in my life. For those who have been in this city, my impressions will be old hat; for those who have never been, understand that New York City is practically a living, breathing entity. When they say that “the city never sleeps,” it’s not just a clever tagline to lure people out there for vacation; it’s a legit fact. Skyscrapers surround you on all sides, and walking a single block can expose you to people speaking in four or five different languages before you pause at the next crossing signal.

Monday afternoon was a walk-through for the event scheduled for the following day: the annual NCAA Football 12 Draft Night Premiere. This event serves as an opportunity for members of the incoming NFL rookie class to enjoy themselves while also getting a first look at the work done on the college football video game so far. Members of the video game media also get the invite, and have the opportunity to speak with developers and get to test-drive the game for themselves. This year’s event was held at Lavo Nightclub on East 58th Street; a great place just blocks away from Central Park with a restaurant featuring tasty Italian food at street level and an underground club area for drinks and conversation.

Personally, my role was to work with Justin to interview the athletes in attendance through a community initiative on the EA SPORTS NCAA Football Facebook page. Those of you who participated on Tuesday night when we asked for your questions were typing directly to the two of us as we relayed questions on to athletes like Jake Locker, Muhammad Wilkerson, Marcell Dareus, Mark Ingram, Nick Fairley, Von Miller, and Patrick Peterson; all athletes who ended up being selected by teams in Round 1 of the 2011 NFL Draft!

Before the event even began on Tuesday night, however, I was reminded of the dedication that the NCAA Football development team has when it comes to making a great game of college football for their fans. The venue was quiet, as no athletes or media had arrived yet, and I saw NCAA Football Executive Producer Roy Harvey sitting at one of the game stations. Having been to the studio on two occasions this year—logging about 40-50 hours with early builds of NCAA Football 12 through Community Events—I figured I would say hello and then let him get back to preparing for the event. What happened instead was a 20-minute conversation where we discussed where the game was at and where he wants it to go in the future; all while he watched a computer-controlled game in front of him while simultaneously watching Ben Haumiller and Russ Kiniry—who you all should remember from the promotional developer videos released last year for NCAA Football 11—play a head-to-head game at the station next to him. Every single play was scrutinized through instant replay as soon as the play was finished; every player assignment was checked, every block analyzed, and every angle considered. As strong as the game is—even two months out from release—I got the sense from all three developers that every day they are still trying to make things better, and the only thing that can stop them is finally having to send the game out for everyone to get their hands on in July. Of course, with tuner sets and software updates, there’ll surely be improvements for us even after the game is in our consoles.

Once the party started, it was amazing to see the people who came out for the event; I saw Erin Andrews from ESPN—obviously a big fan of the game—as well as Darren Rovell of MSNBC and Jay Glazer from FOX Sports. The athletes were great as well; though there was a swarm of people wanting to talk to them—myself included—they were more than willing to do so and it was really nice to see so many of the guys in attendance picked on Thursday for the NFL Draft. Even better was seeing how many of the athletes were interested in playing NCAA Football 12 while they were there; which was fitting, I suppose, given how much of a self-professed fan of the series cover athlete Mark Ingram is. In fact, some of the guys were so into playing the game that Justin and I didn’t get to interview them before the media time ran out; so much for the stereotypical image of video gamers.

By the end of the night, I lost count of how many people sat in front of the PlayStation 3 consoles and finished games of NCAA Football 12; I even got in a few more games myself once the interview period ended. The buzz was good—which I expected after seeing the game through development early this year—and the event was definitely successful in terms of providing a great setting for the athletes and media to sit back, enjoy themselves, and see what awaits them on July 12th, 2011. Perhaps the most impressive part, however—in an era where we see athletes and celebrities behaving badly on TV all the time—was that Mark Ingram stayed all the way through to the end of what was essentially a party celebrating his selection as the NCAA Football 12 cover athlete. I’ve had the occasion to meet a handful of athletes in my lifetime, but few have been as genuine and gracious as Ingram. It was great to see him selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday, and hopefully we’ll be seeing the start of a promising professional career sooner rather than later.

As great as my Monday and Tuesday were in New York City, however, the week was only halfway done for my EA SPORTS experience. Join me next time as I talk about learning who won the Madden NFL 12 cover vote and then the subsequent experience of attending the cover shoot in Times Square! ]]> Paakaa10 http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?15-EA-SPORTS-NYC-Experience-Part-1-NCAA-Football-12-Draft-Night-Premiere Are You Buying Madden? http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?14-Are-You-Buying-Madden Thu, 02 Jun 2011 23:01:40 GMT

Are you buying Madden?

The last couple of yours we have all been disappointed by Madden. Some more than others, but like myself we have some consistent buyers. This year I feel that this might change. With the NFL Lockout STILL in affect, sales may decrease. With new screen shots coming out in the recent days, and big news coming at E3 I ask you are you purchasing Madden this year?

I am one of the consistent buyers, and even with the lockout I will need my fix of NFL Football. Madden 11 won't cut it for another year. From everything I have read and seen this years version is looking to be a lot better, some saying this is the year it catches up with NCAA. I don't believe so, Ian Cummings left Madden for a reason. He knows there will be more bad than good in the next bit. I think Madden 12 will be an improvement, but one game can not change the opinion of millions of people.

Some people will wait on the demo, but as proved last year the demo can be completely different from the actually game. When I played the demo last year I thought they had improved the game play, but when playing the actual play learned that the game flow was one of the worser additions I have seen. We can only hope Madden gets back on the board, but no matter what they will make their sales.
]]> Cody http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?14-Are-You-Buying-Madden NCAA Football 12: First Impressions http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?13-NCAA-Football-12-First-Impressions Tue, 26 Apr 2011 02:46:23 GMT NCAA Football 12: First Impressions
Disclaimer: All of the below is taken from time with NCAA Football 12 in January and April and is subject to change before release.

Taking the Field
A lot of fans in the 'hardcore' NCAA community are not fans of the presentation aspects of the game – or at least they claim not to be. For years, I would have counted myself among them. NCAA Football 11 made an impression on me with the inclusion of unique team entrances. Michigan's "Go Blue" banner probably made the biggest impression, largely because of my history with the Michigan – Ohio State rivalry. But at the end of the day, while NCAA 11's entrances were a worthy inclusion, it wasn't enough. College football has so many different traditions and visuals that make schools unique, and entrances are just one piece of that.

Enter Ralphie.


Adding Ralphie, Bevo, Uga, and other live mascots is a small (albeit 500 lbs in Ralphie's case) touch, but for me it's a rather significant one. I've always had a soft spot for the live mascots and the character they bring to the sidelines. It also breaks up the monotony of the current team entrances, which will be welcome to those of us who play Dynasty. Throw in Chief Osceola and Renegade, Traveler and the USC Trojan, and there's a lot of new traditions and atmosphere covered with NCAA 12. I also found that the team extended and modified some of the existing entrances that were in NCAA 11, which will also be a nice touch.

Playing Under the Lights
The first NCAA blog this year detailed the HDR lighting system and how the camera within the game will now act like a real camera. I'll admit that I don't have a very good eye when it comes to pictures – I'm not a photographer for a reason. But the difference in NCAA 12's visuals is striking. It adds something to the game that I didn't even know was missing. NCAA 12 at least equals the visuals we see every Saturday on ESPN, and it may surpass them.

Defense Wins Championships
But let's be honest: no matter how much the NCAA team adds to team entrances and other presentation aspects, it's just the appetizer for the gameplay. And this year is going to give us a full meal, and more, of new gameplay.
In NCAA Football 12, you will be able to win a game with defense. No more of every user game turning out to be a shootout. No more of hoping for your opponent to make one mistake that will let you win the game. Instead, you can shut your opponent down. Take his 55 point output from his previous game and yield a measly 7 when he plays against your D. Defense has returned with a vengeance in NCAA 12, and I, for one, welcome our new defensive overlords.


The first weapon in the new defensive arsenal is the enhanced zone coverage. Even in NCAA 11, I still prefer zone coverage to man defense, even with its strategic shortcomings. After sitting down with NCAA 12, I immediately noticed the difference. Defenders now pass receivers from one zone to another, but that's just the final touch on the larger context: defenders are reacting to receivers in their zone. In NCAA Football 12, the defenders will actively engage in pattern reading zone defenses, reacting as players enter and leave their coverage responsibilities, rather than just dropping to a spot and hoping a receiver comes near. In short, it means defenders will be making plays themselves, rather than waiting for the play to come to them. It's a welcome change for anyone who enjoys the defensive side of the ball.


Another big change is the elimination of suction tackles and suction blocks. We've all seen it: an edge rusher that move two steps to the right to be engaged by a blocker, even though they should have had a clear path to the quarterback. A clear hole of daylight for a running back, only to warp into a tackle because he came too close to a lineman. With NCAA Football 12, tacklers and blockers will actually have to engage their opponents. The biggest difference, in my opinion, that this makes is in bringing pressure from the edge. Corner blitzes, safety blitzes, and even OLB blitzes will no longer magically move towards blockers just because someone got in the general area. Your opponent's pass protection is going to need to actually make up the difference, not just go in the right direction. This leads to some very different interactions between pass protection and pressure, versus what we're used to in NCAA 11. I may be wrong, but I don't recall seeing too many attempts at cut blocks by running backs, let alone a cut block that was leapt over by the defender.


The final piece of the defensive puzzle is the Enhanced tackling engine. Part of that is the elimination of suction tackling, as I mentioned before. But the other part is what I have taken to calling "clean up" tackles, also called "double hit" tackles. In NCAA 11, we have gang tackles, but they're mostly canned and when two players happen to arrive at the ball carrier at the same time. In NCAA 12, two (or more) defenders will engage the ball carrier in a much more organic way, with the second player coming in to finish off, or "clean up", the tackle started by the first. This adds a new level of pursuit to the defenses, and will finally give a strategic reason for the video game defenses to cut off an outside run and turn the ball carrier towards the heart of the defense, much like real defenses do. You don't have to worry about other defenders falling away from the pile like bowling pins – instead, those other players will come in to lay their own lumber on a still-upright ball carrier.

The Enhanced tackling engine gives run defense in NCAA 12 a different feel from previous versions. Combined with the changes to zone defense and suction blocking, and defense as a whole feels, reacts, and plays differently for NCAA 12. A very welcome, different, feel. ]]> JeffHCross http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?13-NCAA-Football-12-First-Impressions What is Pattern Reading Zone Defense? http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?12-What-is-Pattern-Reading-Zone-Defense Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:04:19 GMT If you haven’t heard by now, EA stepped up big time and gave us defensive guys a little more bite with the addition of pattern reading coverage’s. ... If you haven’t heard by now, EA stepped up big time and gave us defensive guys a little more bite with the addition of pattern reading coverage’s. I’m sure you’ve heard the term thrown out by numerous commentators but what does this mean?

Unlike the spot dropping zone defenses of old, pattern reading puts a defender on a tight man-to-man coverage on a receiver after the pattern expresses itself thus giving the ability to play aggressively. The central philosophy in pattern reading defense revolves around putting a defender on a hook/curl drop based on where the receiver is located. An initial aiming point is based on the coverage, but the depth and angle of the pass drop are based on the location of the receiver’s route.

How many times have you seen receivers run through the top side of a zone behind a coverage defender only to come open and the defender never knew he was there?


Why does this happen if the coverage defenders are reading the quarterback?

The easy answer is good quarterback’s find the holes in zones and do not stare down receivers early in coverage. Therefore, reading the quarterback early serves little purpose.


The above diagram shows a hook/curl defender dropping to a receiver rather than a predetermined point on the field. At the snap of the ball he will turn his back briefly to get into the throwing lane and locate the receiver, then once he is an arm’s length distance from the receiver he must look back and read the quarterback.

Pattern reading eliminates the one-on-one coverage’s of man coverage schemes as underneath defenders are able to help inside and jump routes. These strategies disrupt the timing of the offense by narrowing the available windows to throw the ball through, forcing the quarterback to hold onto the ball longer.

With this addition you offensive gurus better be aware, we’ve now got you covered. ]]> Oneback http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?12-What-is-Pattern-Reading-Zone-Defense A First Timer’s Trip to EA Tiburon http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?11-A-First-Timer’s-Trip-to-EA-Tiburon Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:45:10 GMT

First off, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Matt Kyler, Kwizzy in the video gaming world, and I am a 26 yr old Mechanical Engineer from Omaha, Nebraska. My biggest interests are music, hunting, fishing, sports, and (obviously) video games. I started my gaming feedback career as a middle school student in the late 90’s with a hand written letter addressed to “President- EA Jane’s Combat Simulations”. Ever since then I have tried to make my thoughts and opinions known to the developers of the games I enjoy. Recently, this habit paid off as I was given the chance to fulfill a dream 15+ years in the making; to go to a world renowned gaming development studio to interact with the makers of one of my favorite games and provide them with feedback to help shape this year’s title: EA Sports NCAA Football ’12.

So far I have participated in two of the four community events that have been held for NCAA ’12. It has been such an amazing experience that I thought I would try to share some of the encounters I have had and perhaps shed some light on how the title has had such success, especially in the past few years. Hopefully, this blog can alleviate some of the misconceptions about how the title is made and provide a template for how to have YOUR feedback incorporated into the game we all enjoy so much.

When you walk into EA Tiburon the first thing that strikes you is the atmosphere. If the video game store, the trophies, and the jersey-clad employees that pass you in the lobby while you are waiting to get your pass through security aren’t enough, the arcade style break room and the decked out cubicles will more than get the point across: This is no traditional office building. You can instantly see that the environment in the NCAA football section of the building is highly conductive to ideas, information exchange, and to immersing the employees in the passion and pageantry that is college football. Every surface is covered in flags, banners, and plaques all oozing with passion for the sport and its video game representation which they are constantly striving to perfect. It all makes you feel very confident that the people who work on the title really do understand why the game is so important to the masses.

Going in to the first event I had no Idea what to expect. How receptive to feedback would the developers be? Would my opinion even matter to people who had spent years turning out highly successful and profitable games or was my presence merely a public relations formality? With EA making so much money and selling so many games, do they even listen to or care what the community thinks? I can now say that the answer to all of these questions without a doubt is: YES they care. YES they are listening. And YES they are very receptive to feedback. Perhaps the biggest thing I’ve learned in my experiences so far is that these people are very intelligent, knowledgeable, and dedicated to giving you the best product possible. They constantly seek out constructive feedback on message boards, in emails, surveys, and data gathered. The truth is if you can constructively, productively, and intelligently formulate your opinions on the game, they are desperate to hear it. They spent hours and hours with us playing the game, taking notes, and picking our brains for anything to help them improve the gaming experience. From the beginning it was made clear to me that they were not seeking the company of a bunch of YES men. That my presence at the event was a direct result of my past feedback, positive AND negative. I was surprised to find that the same things that have driven me nuts about the game in the past are the same things that keep them at their desks well after quitting time night after night. In fact, in the more than a week of combined time we have spent with the devs, I can count on one hand the number of issues and suggestions we have brought up to them that they weren’t aware of, hadn’t thought of, and weren’t already working on. Also, you can most likely throw out any pre-conceived notions you may have about what is causing the game to play a certain way or how easy it may be to fix an issue. In my experiences so far, things are far more complicated and involved than you may be led to believe.

I know the feeling, you just lost a game because the DB made an impossible play, or the QB made an option pitch when he was all but tackled, or the cheezer you played online kept exploiting the same BS play over and over again. Surely it has to be that these things happen in the game because the guys who make the game don’t know football at all right? Think again… 5 minutes with playbook guru Anthony White, or any of the gameplay team for that matter, will leave even the most conversant football fanatic’s head spinning. Every single gameplay issue I presented them with was acknowledged with an explanation of the issues involved and a request for ideas, opinions, and above all enthusiasm for solving the problem. They want things to be as realistic as we do if not more. When you participate in a 15 minute discussion about the blocking scheme for one play, against one specific defensive front, you start to appreciate the complex issues involved in bringing a realistic football experience to your console. You learn that the common denominator in addressing these issues is time and resources. One of the most commonly uttered phrases in these events really stands out to me. Whenever one of the attendees starts a sentence with “Would it be possible to…” the answer is almost always immediate and identical… “Anything is possible! It’s just a matter of getting the time and resources to do it.”

Meeting developers with attitudes like that, you can’t help but realize the importance of an active community providing constructive feedback. When the community can make it clear what their biggest issues, concerns, and wishes are it can, and does, have a direct impact on the game. After having the privilege to see things from the other side of the coin a bit, I am confident in saying that the series is in very capable hands and is heading in a fantastic direction. So make sure to post your thoughts in the wish list & feedback forums at the various community sites and be especially sure to vote in the yearly wish list tournament here at The Gaming Tailgate. All of the feedback is more than helpful and can only help the title grow in the future. ]]> Kwizzy http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?11-A-First-Timer’s-Trip-to-EA-Tiburon NCAA Football 12 Community Event Experience (with Exclusive Screenshots!) http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?10-NCAA-Football-12-Community-Event-Experience-(with-Exclusive-Screenshots!) Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:13:33 GMT The first big news regarding EA SPORTS NCAA Football 12 is finally out there for all of you fans to see, and it’s time for me to reveal a secret I’ve been keeping since just before Christmas last year: I’ve been attending Community Events for this year’s game.

Indeed, the development team has done four Community Events—two of which I attended personally—since the week of the BCS National Championship Game in January 2011. As I understand it, this is the earliest that the NCAA Football team has requested community input, and from what I’ve seen, a strong game is even better as a result.

This past Tuesday, Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram visited the ESPN studios to be recognized as the winner of this year’s cover voting campaign and that great “sizzle” trailer was released; I still get chills every time I watch that video, which is saying something when I’ve been playing the game in various builds for about 40-50 hours so far already. And today, my fellow Community Event attendees and members of the EA SPORTS Game Changers program are weighing in with our thoughts on what we’ve seen so far to coincide with media site impressions.



The great part of the Community Events has definitely been the depth of knowledge that the attendees have had throughout the process. We have some guys who played football at various levels themselves, and they have brought with them entire playbooks to suggest to the development team; some of those plays were even released through the “25 New Plays Coming to NCAA Football 12” series on Facebook. Other invitees come from computer development and programming fields, and they are able to lend their expertise working with technology to help the developers produce an even more accurate representation of video game football. Some of our members are tournament champions with a particular skill-set that helps them excel at their play and also allows the developers an opportunity to address any potential game balance issues before the game hits the stores.

Then there are people like me who are relatively new to the college football experience, and I’ve become a student of the things that make each school’s football program unique. A great deal of my effort so far has concerned making sure that tradition and presentation continue to get attention in the game so that every fan of the 120 schools in NCAA Football 12 can play with their team and recognize those “small” details which separate their school from everybody else in the country. Those of you who frequent community gaming websites like The Gaming Tailgate, Tradition Sports, and Operation Sports have seen developer Ben Haumiller’s requests for details like Band Sections and Cannons, and I’m pleased to be able to say that my research and the research of the community have allowed the team to get these presentation elements in the game already. This is what can happen when the development team involves the community so early in the process.



On another small-yet-important presentation notice in terms of authenticity, fans of the Arizona State Sun Devils and Washington State Cougars will be happy to know that these schools’ new uniforms—released publicly just weeks ago—are already in the game and ready to go on the field for the game’s launch in July. At our most recent Community Event—which happened just last week—those of us playing the game were stunned to see these new uniforms in the game on such short notice. Fans of the special logo used by the TCU Horned Frogs at last year’s Rose Bowl Game will also be quite happy to see the inclusion of that helmet design when they play the game this year.

Throughout the process leading up to this week’s information release, however, both the developers and Community Event invitees have been very aware of the community’s concern that this year would be a “down” year for the game where few things would be touched in the “important” areas—Gameplay and Features—while the team focused all their energy on making the game look good. And even though the fan models in the stadiums have seen improvement and the addition of 3D Grass—going so far as having the grass kicked up on those fields and “pellets” kicked up on artificial surfaces—really helps to ground the players in the game world, rest assured that there are some “game-changing” elements at the core of this year’s title.



One such improvement is the overhaul of zone defense effectiveness. The developers heard your complaints about “Zone D” in NCAA Football 11 and it was the first feature discussed when we met with the team back in the second week of January. After all of the time I’ve spent playing the game so far, I am happy to say that zone defense is no longer an indication of automatic big gains on offense. There are going to be a lot of people facing a complete overhaul of their offensive play style to accommodate a defense which allows linebackers and defensive backs to “pass off” a receiver to the next zone defender—just like you see on the field every Saturday during the season—to ensure that there are no fundamental breakdowns in the coverage.

Another great addition to Gameplay in NCAA Football 12 comes through the general improvement of the tackle system. The game is now designed so that tackles do not happen until players actually make contact in the game world, eliminating the issue of tacklers “warping” to an offensive player to make the play. Even better, the game now allows for consecutive hit tackles, which makes the experience on the field considerably more dynamic. In NCAA Football 12, your halfback can be hit with a glancing blow by a linebacker and then “cleaned up” by a closing cornerback. This year there is even greater “risk/reward” based on how you decide to play on defense as well, as pressing “X” on Xbox 360 or “Square” on PlayStation 3 will make your defender attempt a “wrap-up” tackle which has a higher chance of success than blindly relying on the “Hit Stick” to lay big hits on the offense. Prepare for a big gain against you if you flick the Right Analog Stick and aren’t successful at bringing down the ball-carrier.

On the offensive side of the ball, blocking has seen continued improvement from the big strides made last year, and receivers with the right ratings will be able to take advantage of new diving catch animations to help cover that extra ground to catch a pass and drive into the red zone. There are few things more satisfying than correctly reading the defense and throwing the deep ball where only your stud receiver can catch it for a spectacular diving touchdown.



Yet for all of the things that my fellow Community Event invitees and I are able to share today, there are still a number of surprises in store for you NCAA Football fans over the next few months. Big features await and—while I can’t say anything about them specifically—I can say that anybody who thought that the development team was taking a year off from major additions and improvements will be surprised at how wrong they were. The developers at EA SPORTS have an infectious passion for this game, and that made it even easier as a Community Event invitee to share my thoughts—both positive and negative—in the interest of making a better college football game for everyone.

I hope—as more information is released and the game eventually finds its way into your hands—that the work put into NCAA Football 12 this year impresses you as much as it has impressed me.

Special thanks to Ben Haumiller, Russ Kiniry, Larry Richart, Roy Harvey, Jean Adams, Mike Scantlebury, Anthony White, Alex Howell, Greg Heddlesten, and the rest of the development team for their hospitality and for opening their work to the community and helping us contribute for this year and the future of the game. ]]> Paakaa10 http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?10-NCAA-Football-12-Community-Event-Experience-(with-Exclusive-Screenshots!) James bond blood stone review http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?6-James-bond-blood-stone-review Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:50:18 GMT Blood Stone is a typical 3rd person shooter that features Daniel Craig as the rough and tumble Bond agent. The game puts a heavy emphasis on the... Blood Stone is a typical 3rd person shooter that features Daniel Craig as the rough and tumble Bond agent. The game puts a heavy emphasis on the story which is as good as a typical Bond movie. The graphics are decent with nothing to complain or rave about. Much of the focus is on taking cover and firing but stealth does play a significant role in the game. While you can choose to “crash the party” some areas are nearly impossible to defeat without using stealth. There are also quite a few racing sequences which are done very well.

DIFFICULTY

I’ll start by commenting on difficulty of the game. It’s simply too easy on the lower difficulty levels. I found myself playing on the Normal difficulty level (Field Operative) and I was making my way through each level with minimal resistance. This wasn’t rewarding and any experienced gamer could fly through this game quite quickly. I chose to start over on the Hard (Agent) difficulty and it was much more satisfying. Adding to the ease of the gameplay is the game’s desire to hold your hand. Hints pop up constantly making any actual espionage insignificant in this game. You have a “smart phone” that can be used to scan certain items and get past security cameras. It’s a bit corny but works fine for these things. But the game designers inexplicably decided to let you use it to also uncover enemy locations and weapons which make it unrealistic and even easier. Unfortunately there are no options to change some of these things.

I would advise anyone with gaming experience to only use the smart phone when prompted to scan things and not use it to help spot your enemies. It takes away from the experience. If you want the game to be challenging, fun, rewarding and last at least 10 hours then play on Agent and severely limit the use of the smart phone. Once completing Agent it will unlock the “007” difficulty level (will try that soon). The difficulty level does not apply to the racing levels.

Another complaint is the file management system. There isn’t one. You only have one game save file. If your sibling wanted to fire up a second campaign you will have to copy your save file to a USB stick because you can’t create a second save, copy or delete any files through the game menu. Any new campaign overwrites the old one.

COMBAT SYSTEM

The game features both a shooting and hand to hand take down system. There are no buttons to punch or kick but rather a simple one button system that automatically takes down an opponent when you are near them. This includes direct confrontation but is particularly useful when using stealth takedowns as some areas of the game pretty much require it. Some of the most enjoyable parts of the game for me were when I was just sneaking around, trying not to be seen and taking down as many enemies as I could. For every take down you perform you earn a “focus kill”. You can accumulate a maximum of three focus kills which you can use to automatically take down any opponent with your weapon. These definitely come in handy.

There aren’t that many different weapons in the game and you typically carry two of them. One is your silencer and another is an automatic weapon. Ammo is something readily available but don’t waste it foolishly or you will run out. The cover system works well and you can navigate around corners and from one barrier to the next with only a few hiccups. The crosshairs can disappear on you with some white backgrounds in the game but it is rare and not a big deal.

The enemy AI is generally poor. They don’t use cover that well or force you to change positions much. Sometimes they will just walk right up to your location to allow you to use a takedown to gain a focus kill. It gets better on the higher difficulty levels and is another reason to make sure you play on Agent difficulty. Overall though the shooting and cover system works well.

RACING

The game features quite a few racing levels and these are a lot of fun. Many are by car but there are a couple boat levels. Most of these require you to keep up with the bad guy you are chasing and if you crash too often and/or fall behind you have to restart. I found that I had to do these levels quite a few times to get through. They are fun so it wasn’t overly frustrating and the levels required you to learn the layout so you wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes twice. The driving controls are very sim like so don’t expect an arcade like or easy racing experience.

LEVEL VARIETY AND PACING

The game does take you around to many different places and I really enjoyed the pacing of the game which you normally control. You enter an area, bad guys appear and there is no time limit to get rid of them. You just have to clear the area. You can move around to different positions to gain a tactical advantage for both shooting and stealth. Some areas are large while some are confined but the game does a good job of mixing it up. When you combine that with some racing levels and a handful of segments where you must race on foot or hold off enemies for a certain amount of time the game never got boring to me. I found the game to get better as I went along and I truly did enjoy myself despite some negative comments.

CONCLUSION

If you expected this game to blow you away and redefine the third person shooter you will be disappointed. If you like third person shooters you will find this game to be enjoyable. The game includes very good likenesses of Daniel Craig’s James Bond and M and also includes some good audio provided by Joss Stone who is the Bond girl in the game. You do feel like Bond when you get into the game and I refused to run in public places because Bond is too cool for that lol. The action was varied and enjoyable despite the lack of an intelligent enemy AI and a corny smart phone system. Just don’t take the easy way out by playing on the easier levels and you will find a rewarding game that isn’t too short.

77/100 ]]> Rudy http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?6-James-bond-blood-stone-review A Quick Look at the Multiple Offense in NCAA 11 http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?5-A-Quick-Look-at-the-Multiple-Offense-in-NCAA-11 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 01:07:49 GMT If your like me and are having a hard time finding a Offense to fit your needs try the Multiple Playbook. This PB has a little bit of everything. As... If your like me and are having a hard time finding a Offense to fit your needs try the Multiple Playbook. This PB has a little bit of everything. As you can see you have a mix of Ace, I, Flexbone, Shotgun and with the wishbone mixed in.


Multiple
Ace - Big
Ace - Slot
Ace - Twin TE
Flexbone - Normal
I-Form - Normal
I-Form - Twins
Shotgun - 5WR Trio
Shotgun - Empty Trey
Shotgun - Heavy
Shotgun - Slot F Wing
Shotgun - Split Offset
Shotgun - Spread
Shotgun - Tight Slots
Shotgun - Wildcat
Shotgun - Y-Trips HB Wk
Strong I - Normal
Strong I - Y-Trips
Wishbone - Tight ]]> Coachdenz http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?5-A-Quick-Look-at-the-Multiple-Offense-in-NCAA-11 Camera Angles http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?4-Camera-Angles Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:18:45 GMT I wanted to really illustrate why I hated the NCAA 10 camera angle. That's mainly due to the low angle on plays. I didn't like the "rocking" or panning of the camera while playing but screenshots can't really capture that. But you can certainly see the difference in the vertical angle.

Here are the pre-play camera angles of the games between NCAA 09 through 11. The biggest difference in NCAA 11 is that you can see a wider view of the field than previously. Overall I think the NCAA 11 camera may be the best one yet. I still believe we need more options as gamers. Since the PS3 has a ton of disc space, give us exclusive content and a ton of camera angles if the 360 is too restrictive! ;)


PREPLAY CAMERA ANGLES

NCAA 09



NCAA 10



NCAA 11




Now the crucial "in play" camera angles. I greatly preferred 09 over 10 because I could see downfield better. NCAA 11 looks the best because of the vertical spacing. I used to even play with the blimp camera on Madden for the PS1 so I like the zoomed out look. NCAA 10 is lousy at indicating the vertical spacing imo.


DURING PLAY CAMERA ANGLES (tried to capture the pic as soon as the QB finished his drop back or right after)

NCAA 09




NCAA 10 (2 pics - one is even a screencap from a Gaming Tailgate NCAA 10 video)







NCAA 11

]]> Rudy http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/entry.php?4-Camera-Angles