Madden NFL 12: Major presentation and graphical upgrades

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04-28-2011, 08:58 AM
cdj

Madden NFL 12: Major presentation and graphical upgrades

http://web-vassets.ea.com/Assets/Ric...?cb=1303996469

Hi, I’m Mike Young, Art Director of Madden NFL 12. In this blog I’m going to outline Madden’s major presentation and graphical upgrades. In reading reviews of Madden NFL 11, we weren't satisfied with "Madden looks good as ever”; we wanted to give you those big time “wow” moments. Everything we focused on is true to the NFL and what YOU the fans have been begging for! We believe Madden NFL 12 is our biggest leap forward ever, and I think you will agree once you’ve seen what we have in store.

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Pregame

The first major addition to presentation is a totally revamped pregame package, including authentic player entrances for all 32 NFL teams. All of the run-out details are featured, including tunnels, inflatables, pyro, cheerleaders, mascots, flags, vehicles, and animals. Whether your team has a no frills introduction like the Steelers or an over the top entrance like the Broncos, we have the details covered. The five foot Auger Hawk “Taima” in Seattle, the giant inflatable Bear in Chicago, the Miller Light Club in Dallas, the huge inflatable Viking ship in Minnesota, the chopper with a sidecar in Indy, the Cowboys cheerleaders and the Warpaint in KC…it’s in the game. In addition to having the accurate details for each team’s entrance, the presentation of these run-outs is superb. Every scene has been filmed just like they would on game day by two of the best cinematographers the NFL Films has to offer. (More on this later)

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Lighting

Lighting has also been totally overhauled this year. New to the game is Linear Lighting. This was a big hit in NCAA Football 11 and now Madden NFL 12 is linear. The benefits are obvious in the images below. True NFL colors are now a reality. In the past, colors would shift values and hues in unpredictable ways; now they match what you would see on an HDTV. The second benefit of linear lighting is we can now accurately depict high contrast broadcast lighting while preserving rich details in the bright and dark areas. In comparing Madden NFL 11 and 12 below, you can clearly see the huge difference this makes in the visual quality of the game.

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In addition to linear lighting, we have brought back progressive lighting and it is better than ever. Watch as the sun moves across the sky and shadows creep across the field. There are now accurate sun positions for every stadium. In franchise mode you will see accurate start times, factoring in time zones and the shortening day as winter progresses. Other details like brand new skies, revamped helmet materials, a real time ball lighting solution, lens flares, bloom, and new stadium light flares help make this the best lighting in Madden NFL to date.

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Authenticity

Authenticity is always a big focus for the art team and this year we took things to the next level. Player proportions have been overhauled including a new dynamic head and neck scaling system that makes extreme body sizes like 6’4” 264 lbs Brandon Jacobs and 5’6” 190 lbs Darren Sproles accurate for the first time in Madden NFL. In the past Sproles would have felt like a child because his head would be too small while Jacobs would not feel as big because his head was too large. In addition, we now have the ball scale 100% accurate. Before it was 20% too large and looked like a beach ball. I can't emphasize enough how great a difference these things make in presenting an authentic NFL look.

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For those of you who love equipment, we’ve heard you and we have added tons! Flack Jackets, back plates, the green dot, four new helmets—including new models from Rawlings and Xenith—more than 20 new facemasks and more shoes—including Adidas and Under Armour for the first time. Uniforms have been reworked for a new level of authenticity that includes wrinkle details, material textures, and colors.

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Of course, there is more to getting your favorite player right than what they look like, and that is why we’ve added new player specific animations, such as new running and throwing styles, so Mike Vick runs like Mike Vick, and Tim Tebow throws like Tim Tebow. More authentic player celebrations have been added as well, including Aaron Rodgers’ signature Championship Belt pose.

Thanks to our partners on NCAA Football, we also have 3D grass and it looks fantastic. In addition, the players will now feel like they are actually interacting with the field. We have added a new photorealistic uniform degradation system that includes helmet scratches and grass stains. On top of that, players now kick up grass, divots, pellets, water, or snow depending on the surface. The interaction is not limited to just feet either. Dive head first into the end zone with DeSean Jackson and send snow and the pylon flying.

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For those of you who love stadiums we now have the rights to Soldier Field so expect this to look great. We have also added flags to the tops of stadiums including the legendary 12th Man Flag in Seattle.

True Broadcast

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One of the things I think Madden fans will be most excited about is our broadcast presentation. Our mantra was “Go to the experts.” You don't want a game developer’s version of an NFL broadcast, you want the real deal. We studied with multiple CBS football directors by having the entire presentation team studying inside the truck with unlimited access.We even got input from our own Hall of Fame broadcaster and namesake John Madden. Highlights include real broadcast camera locations for every stadium, all new stadium exteriors (seen more than 10 times per game on SNF), virtual cameras, virtual director logic, and new broadcast graphics designed by the geniuses behind MNF, SNF, and ESPN’s Sports Center.

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The improvement I am most excited about is our virtual cameras. Using EA's proprietary camera capture technology, DCAM, we were able to create scenes as shot by actual NFL Films cinematographers. DCAM is very similar to the technology used by James Cameron to film virtual scenes in Avatar. For Madden NFL 12, we filmed 100 unique scenes in 4 days to produce close to 700 new cameras. You, like everyone else, will notice these right away.

NFL Films have revolutionized the way we watch football over the years. We've consulted with experts in their field in the past, but could never truly put their work in our game. Now with DCAM, we've been able to capture their precise movements and create truly authentic cameras. Now the steadicam work you see in Madden NFL 12 will match precisely what you see in broadcasts and in NFL Films productions.

Overall, this year is going to feel completely fresh with all new cameras, new scriptables, new replays, and new broadcast graphics.

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NFL Films Cinematographer Dave Dart filming the trophy presentation at the Super Bowl in Madden NFL 12.

That’s all for now, I hope it gets you excited for Madden NFL 12. I look forward to going more in-depth on some of these features in the coming months.
04-28-2011, 09:04 AM
CLW

Wow looks/sounds like a BIG upgrade for Madden in the presentation/graphics department this year.
04-28-2011, 09:44 AM
skipwondah33

Yeah huge upgrade. Things are sounding very good on this front.
04-28-2011, 11:09 AM
morsdraconis

Franchise? Nope. Then I don't care.
04-28-2011, 12:22 PM
ram29jackson

Ncaa 2.5
04-28-2011, 12:34 PM
Tarhead10

What I do like is the colors of unis look more rich than NCAA... Like the shots of Oregon and Auburn, they looked washed out...
04-28-2011, 12:37 PM
ram29jackson

really not sure how the visual upgrades will affect me? I still use a standard tv
04-28-2011, 01:24 PM
JBHuskers

ooooh ahhhhhh :nod :up: :))

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04-28-2011, 02:13 PM
WolverineJay

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram29jackson

really not sure how the visual upgrades will affect me? I still use a standard tv

Wow! You are really missing out on the graphics upgrade that the PS3 and XBOX 360 offer when using a high def tv.

Whenever I go back and play my PS2 games on my old tv after playing PS3 games on my 1080p full hd tv, I see what a huge visual upgrade the games have with the new systems on hdtv's compared to last gen on standard def.
04-28-2011, 02:29 PM
CLW

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram29jackson

really not sure how the visual upgrades will affect me? I still use a standard tv

Quote:

Originally Posted by WolverineJay

Wow! You are really missing out on the graphics upgrade that the PS3 and XBOX 360 offer when using a high def tv.

Whenever I go back and play my PS2 games on my old tv after playing PS3 games on my 1080p full hd tv, I see what a huge visual upgrade the games have with the new systems on hdtv's compared to last gen on standard def.

I just made the switch Christmas 2010. The wife and I repeatedly argued about my "need" for a HD set. The compromise/settlement was my 27" 1080P CPU monitor. It has indeed made a world of difference. I'm sure the better the t.v./monitor the more bang you get but I am thrilled with my monitor so... much so that the wife probably regrets getting it for me.

As far as football gaming goes, the visuals are much more impressive. However, the big thing for me was to FINALLY be able to see out in the flats when passing. With my old SD set it was purely guess work and hoping and praying there wasn't a defender sitting in zone coverage for a pick six. Now I can see/read the flats and it made a world of difference in my passing game.
04-28-2011, 03:02 PM
ram29jackson

Quote:

Originally Posted by CLW

I just made the switch Christmas 2010. The wife and I repeatedly argued about my "need" for a HD set. The compromise/settlement was my 27" 1080P CPU monitor. It has indeed made a world of difference. I'm sure the better the t.v./monitor the more bang you get but I am thrilled with my monitor so... much so that the wife probably regrets getting it for me.

As far as football gaming goes, the visuals are much more impressive. However, the big thing for me was to FINALLY be able to see out in the flats when passing. With my old SD set it was purely guess work and hoping and praying there wasn't a defender sitting in zone coverage for a pick six. Now I can see/read the flats and it made a world of difference in my passing game.

does your wife not understand that soon there will be no other choice but to get this type of tv ? How can she argue not getting it ?
04-28-2011, 03:46 PM
CLW

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram29jackson

does your wife not understand that soon there will be no other choice but to get this type of tv ? How can she argue not getting it ?

#1 our current main SD t.v. (that I got for free using points from legal research in lawschool) "works fine"

#2 when/if HD t.v. is required (likely many years from now if ever) the price on those sets will be substantially lower than they are now - i.e. early adopters of new technology always pay a price (both in terms of quality and in total price) than those that wait to see if it pans out.

HD set prices have dropped slowly and steadily each year. This has somewhat changed recently on the high end with 3D now in the picture. However, after the initial techies all snap up the 3D sets or 3D fails miserably (i happen to think it will be the latter) the prices will once again slowly but surely come down.
04-28-2011, 03:53 PM
Jayrah

I will be purchasing madden again this year, after a year hiatus. I sure hope dynasty is improved though.
04-28-2011, 06:30 PM
jaymo76

Sad to see that the EXTRA POINT has been removed. I was 100% sure that the weekly wrap up show would get major attention this year.
04-28-2011, 06:32 PM
CLW

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaymo76

Sad to see that the EXTRA POINT has been removed. I was 100% sure that the weekly wrap up show would get major attention this year.

Did I miss that? I thought the concept was REALLY good but the execution was AWFUL (particularly the commentary).
04-28-2011, 11:14 PM
jaymo76

Quote:

Originally Posted by CLW

Did I miss that? I thought the concept was REALLY good but the execution was AWFUL (particularly the commentary).

Read on another site that they pulled the plug because the team didn't have time to fix it and didn't want to leave a half-finished product in the game.
04-29-2011, 01:29 AM
ram29jackson

they say also that Mr. Madden is still involved ! I'm happy for the man that he still gets to put input in this ad still be involved in the process.
04-29-2011, 12:55 PM
Jayrah

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaymo76

Read on another site that they pulled the plug because the team didn't have time to fix it and didn't want to leave a half-finished product in the game.

The XP was exactly why I don't like weekly wrap up shows. After the first couple weeks I couldn't watch it.
04-30-2011, 11:07 AM
jaymo76

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayrah

The XP was exactly why I don't like weekly wrap up shows. After the first couple weeks I couldn't watch it.

I see what you are saying. I agree it wasn't very good. However, I watched every single week just because it was there. It at least gave me some insight into what was happening around the league.
04-30-2011, 11:28 AM
Jayrah

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaymo76

I see what you are saying. I agree it wasn't very good. However, I watched every single week just because it was there. It at least gave me some insight into what was happening around the league.

I watch every single pregame, but a lot of ppl just don't care and say they skip it after the first couple times, and then they complain that ea spends so much time and resources there instead of gameplay. The difference imo is that the pregame is good.

Here's what I love though! They didn't have time to make it good, so they erased it and made other things better with that time. Good time management. You and I get a better product overall for our money. At least thats how I look at it.
05-01-2011, 04:50 PM
jaymo76

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayrah

I watch every single pregame, but a lot of ppl just don't care and say they skip it after the first couple times, and then they complain that ea spends so much time and resources there instead of gameplay. The difference imo is that the pregame is good.

Here's what I love though! They didn't have time to make it good, so they erased it and made other things better with that time. Good time management. You and I get a better product overall for our money. At least thats how I look at it.

Yeah, I like the philosophy as well, but I can't help but question the priorities. A massive community request since last gen has been a fully developed weekly wrap-up show. Though they look great, team entrances were on nobody's radar for Madden. What was the reasoning behind one versus the other? I would love to hear from the developers on this. The goal is a realistic broadcast feel. A wrap-up show is true to broadcast. Team entrances are cool but you never see them on TV, only live at the games.
05-02-2011, 03:42 PM
Jayrah

More immersion into the game has always been one of my preferences. The last few seasons you actually DO see a lot of entrances right at the beginning of the quick pregame talk by the announcers on FOX and CBS. It's done in kind of a montage of the teams with the intro music by the station. The one that specifically stood out to me was the Sunday Night finale with the Rams @ Seahawks. The whole pregame was actually shown with the Rams coming out to the boos and it was a fun, mood setting moment while the announcers were doing the pregame. It got you ready for football!

Maybe the wrap up show is a thing they'll develop this year and bring it back with some really great commentary and mix. They still have the stuff to be able to work on it. And honestly, maybe it just didn't get the approval or the feedback from the community that was expected after it was such a highly requested feature. Because of the changing teams on a weekly basis, NCAA is much better suited for a wrap up show that is not boring after just one season. The NFL needs a lot more because the teams don't change as often.
05-02-2011, 03:51 PM
souljahbill

From all the YouTube videos I've seen of Madden's wrap up show and 2K5's show is that it's ultra generic and I'm sure prone to repetitiveness. If it includes highlights, if it doesn't show a play that can be verified via box score, then it taints the realism.
05-02-2011, 05:25 PM
Jayrah

Quote:

Originally Posted by souljahbill

From all the YouTube videos I've seen of Madden's wrap up show and 2K5's show is that it's ultra generic and I'm sure prone to repetitiveness. If it includes highlights, if it doesn't show a play that can be verified via box score, then it taints the realism.

Basically. Thats why I'm not the biggest fan of shows outside of the game. I like the idea of a wrap up, but not necessarily in a show format. I loved the radio show a few years back.
05-02-2011, 09:10 PM
steelerfan

This looks good, but it all comes down to improving Franchise Mode for me.

"Restricted Free Agency is not fun" is not an acceptable response.
05-03-2011, 12:28 AM
jaymo76

Quote:

Originally Posted by steelerfan

This looks good, but it all comes down to improving Franchise Mode for me.

"Restricted Free Agency is not fun" is not an acceptable response.

Have we heard whether restricted/unrestricted is in? I only heard that rosters were expanded and there was a new free agency system. Two major priorities for this game: Restricted free agency & a wokring injured reserve system.
05-03-2011, 05:42 AM
steelerfan

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaymo76

Have we heard whether restricted/unrestricted is in?

No, we haven't. I just remember last year, when asked about it, they said, "Restricted Free Agency is not fun". That little statement told me that I'm no longer a Madden guy.
05-03-2011, 12:02 PM
SmoothPancakes

Quote:

Originally Posted by steelerfan

No, we haven't. I just remember last year, when asked about it, they said, "Restricted Free Agency is not fun". That little statement told me that I'm no longer a Madden guy.

:smh:

Idiots. They should go play NHL 11 and see if that changes their opinion.
05-03-2011, 08:11 PM
jaymo76

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes

:smh:

Idiots. They should go play NHL 11 and see if that changes their opinion.

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05-03-2011, 11:08 PM
JBHuskers

Yeah I want my franchise mode JUST like it is in real life. (more or less pointing to Online Franchise) ... Salary Cap, UFA, the whole nine yards.
05-04-2011, 12:14 AM
jaymo76

The off season depth of Madden needs so much improvement. Fingers crossed that RFA/UFA makes it into the game.
05-04-2011, 09:37 AM
Jayrah

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBHuskers

Yeah I want my franchise mode JUST like it is in real life. (more or less pointing to Online Franchise) ... Salary Cap, UFA, the whole nine yards.

That does make it more fun. All that stuff keeps realism within your roster, and therefore helps with that overall immersion. I hate the feeling of "crap, I've done a terrible job putting this team together" but I love the challenge of keeping a realistic and competitive team without cheating the system and stacking players.
05-04-2011, 11:50 PM
jaymo76

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayrah

That does make it more fun. All that stuff keeps realism within your roster, and therefore helps with that overall immersion. I hate the feeling of "crap, I've done a terrible job putting this team together" but I love the challenge of keeping a realistic and competitive team without cheating the system and stacking players.

Don't want to turn this into anything but I have never (even on last gen) felt that way with Madden. However, 2k3, 2k4, and 2k5 were an amazing franchise mode experience. I sure hope Madden 12 can somewhat create that feeling for me again.
05-06-2011, 12:20 AM
Jayrah

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaymo76

Don't want to turn this into anything but I have never (even on last gen) felt that way with Madden. However, 2k3, 2k4, and 2k5 were an amazing franchise mode experience. I sure hope Madden 12 can somewhat create that feeling for me again.

Yeah you're absolutely right. Neither have I. I was thinking more in general. Mostly nhl and nba 2k I feel have had the most realistic feel. I haven't played mlb though.