Madden 20 Features NCAA Again

For those of you who wondered why we haven’t had NCAA football game for nearly a decade it was because it Colleges claimed it was another revenue stream that college athletes were being denied, so game developers stopped making college games all together. NBA Games found a way around this issue by only including elite eight teams, and that’s the direction Madden is going.

You create your own player and initially attach him to one of ten rosters (full list below) for a College Play-offs campaign watched by scouts who then decide on your placing in the NFL draft. Further details are slim, but the general idea is you play season after season in the hope of securing a Pro Bowl berth and eventually being inducted into the NFL Hall Of Fame.

Here is the list of NCAA teams you can start the mode with:

• Clemson Tigers
• Florida Gators
• Florida State Seminoles
• LSU Tigers
• Miami Hurricanes
• Oklahoma Sooners
• Oregon Ducks
• Texas Longhorns
• Texas Tech Red Raiders
• USC Trojans

The cover player is Patrick Mahomes and the release date is August 2, 2019.  Now a lot of people have criticized madden for giving you the same game with no new features so here what new features you can expect:

As EA's focus shifts more towards Ultimate Team with each year it’s franchise mode that suffers most, but the company has made intriguing noises about realigning that balance. Madden 20 adds a scenario engine said to introduce storylines that take things deeper than simply grinding through match after match, in addition to further expanding upon last year’s neat-yet-inflexible ‘scheme fit' system. Further details are due later this week, and GR will have a standalone look at Madden 20 franchise in the coming days.


A big new feature across the game is something called Superstar X-Factors, which see elite players get a mid-match attributes boost under specific circumstances. How it works is a touch unclear for now, but here’s an EA spokesperson’s attempt to outline it all:

“In total there will be around 50 Superstar X-Factor players and over 30 additional Superstar players. The difference between the two are the Zone abilities and Superstar abilities. Zone abilities are about your style of play and your opponent's style of play. If you want to get Mahomes in the Zone, you need to adjust your style of play to help him meet [a specific] objective list. So, if your play-style is to run the ball you won't have a high chance of meeting that objective list to get him in the Zone.”

TL;DR explanation of Superstar X-Factors: control videogame Tom Brady like real-life Tom Brady – throwing TD passes, protecting the football, telekinetically littering the field in yellow laundry – and he’ll receive in-game boosts to reward you further. Potentially very cool, so long as the devs remember this isn’t NBA Jam.

Madden 18: Longshot

Well it's that time of year you guys, when you invest your hard earned dollars into the annual Madden, NBA Live, or Call of Duty game.  Tbh developers get guaranteed money each year from these franchises.

This year Madden is biting NBA 2K and NBA Live by trying to incorporate a storyline into the mechanics of learning the gameplay.  Longshot mode is what EA is calling its single player mode.  Longshot follows the life of Devin Wade, a college player that quit after his 3rd college game due to his father's death.

Devin entered the NFL combine as a second chance or redemption to go pro.  A Hollywood producer takes advantage of Devin's misfortune, and the producer uses Devin's story for his tv show Longshot.  I know you are wondering how does this affect you?

As the player, you take control of Devin on the tv show Longshot.  Each week the producer gives you a set of challenges that also help you learn the basic control of Madden 18.  The storyline is decent and controversial depending on the choices you make.  Longshot has a moral compass, so the negative or positive choices you make do have an impact on your performance and draft selection.

Here are a few new features that Madden 18 will have regardless if you play the Longshot storyline:

THREE WAYS TO PLAY

OFFENSE, DEFENSE, OR HEAD COACH

Combine rosters with two friends to create your MUT Squad and make an impact on the game by selecting one of three roles: Offensive Captain, Defensive Captain, or Head Coach.

Choose offense and bring in your MUT offensive and special teams players or pick defense to use your defensive MUT lineup. If you play as the Head Coach role, manage the clock and select the stadium and uniforms from your Madden Ultimate Team.

PLAY NOW LIVE

PLAY THE BEST REAL-WORLD NFL MATCH UPS
Take the field with your favorite team, or play the best weekly match-up using live updates containing the latest rosters, custom commentary, and up-to-date stats from NFL.com. Then continue your season all the way to the Super Bowl from Play Now.

COACH ADJUSTMENTS

Customize the AI to fit your game plan and make situational changes to your strategy on the fly, as the game demands

MADDEN MECHANICS: TARGET PASSING



NFL quarterbacks like Tom Brady have an uncanny ability to throw with precision. The Target Passing feature gives users that same ability with an advanced mechanic that simulates that control with a graphical target. Users can finally see their intended passing target while placing it anywhere on the field.

The control scheme is intuitive, providing a straight-forward way for users to place the ball in the most advantageous place. The better players are at utilizing the Target Passing mechanic, the more efficient and tactical they will become at picking apart coverage. The ability to visualize the placement of the ball exactly where you want offers another level of user control.

Target Passing breakdown:

• See exactly where the ball is going to go before the throw
• Lead shallow routes up the field before reaching the sideline
• Place the ball between zones, forcing your receiver to throttle down
• Lead the ball to where only your receiver can get it
• Throw timing routes before the cut or even while your receiver is being pressed

Using the target passing mechanic:

• Select your primary receiver: Pre-play, activate coach cam with RT/R2, and press the button of the desired receiver to make him the Primary Receiver on the play.
• Bring up your target: After the snap, hold LT/L2 and your target will come up as your Primary Receiver.
• Move the target: Use LS to move your target. As your target changes the QB will turn to face the target.
• Switch Targeted Receiver: While holding LT/L2, press the button of a receiver other than the receiver that is currently targeted, and the target will switch to that receiver.
• Throw to Receiver: Press the button of the receiver icon that is displayed. Use the same throw mechanics for lob, touch, and bullet.
• Neutral Target Passing: If you release LT/L2, then it becomes Neutral Target Passing. This allows you to press the button of the desired receiver and throw to him immediately instead of having to switch the target, then throw.
• Turn Off Target Passing: Simply press LT/L2 again and you turn off the Target Passing mechanic.

Note: Now that Target Passing is on LT/L2, low pass controls have changed. You now hold LB/L1 to activate the high low modifier, and push LS up or down to throw high or low.

MADDEN NFL 18 GAME STYLES

There’s a lot that’s new for Madden NFL 18. Longshot brings a new story mode never before seen in Madden, and the franchise is now powered by the Frostbite game engine to up the visuals to new heights. But now it’s time to talk nitty-gritty. Let’s talk game play.

To deliver a more immersive experience to a variety of gamers, Madden 18 features three new game styles; Arcade, Simulation, and Competitive.

Arcade is the high-octane version of Madden. This game style delivers a fast-paced, exciting style of play where high scores and spectacular catches are the norm and penalties are very limited. The user-controlled player is the “boss” and will feel like the most powerful player on the field. This mode is perfect for the gamer trying to get in a quick, casual, and action-filled game.

Simulation is the authentic NFL experience. This is the game style plays true to player and team ratings and NFL rules. This game style includes all supported penalties, injuries, and other random outcomes you see every Sunday. The players on your roster and the schemes you employ will be critical to success when playing Simulation. This is the game mode for players that are fans of football and want to play a game that’s true to that form. Simulation is the default style for connected franchise mode.

Competitive is all about head-to-head competition and tournament play. This is where user stick-skills are king and certain outcomes will be heavily weighted based on game situations and ratings thresholds. Penalties are limited, there are no injuries, and random outcomes are rare. Executing gameplay mechanics and making the right reads dictate success when playing Competitive. EA competitive gaming events and ranked online game modes will be set to this style by default. Be ready for some trash talk, for this is where the Madden hardcore reside.

Game Style Breakdown

ARCADE

• User-controlled pass rushers frequently beat their blocks
• User Hit Sticks and Strip-ball attempts will be highly successful
• Spectacular catches occur frequently, especially by elite players
• Broken tackles and ball carrier fake-outs are commonplace
• Chance of throwing interceptions as a user is lower
• Can kick longer field goals and there’s higher chance to block kicks when on defense.

SIMULATION

• Expect the unexpected – even highly-rated players have a slim chance of failure on occasion
• Injuries and penalties occur at a rate on par with real-world NFL statistics and data
• Players with elite ratings will be successful far more often than those with ratings below the elite level
• New pass inaccuracy system allows more realistic performances from lower-rated quarterbacks
• Fatigue and stamina have bigger impacts on gameplay.

COMPETITIVE
Going for an interception with a wide open defensive player who has a good catch rating leads to a significantly-lower chance of them dropping the ball

• Throwing from a clean pocket with the QB’s feet set reduces the chance of an inaccurate pass, providing they have a good pass accuracy rating based on the throw type and that you’re not using any passing mechanics
• There’s a significantly lower chance of a dropped catch when a receiver is considered wide open and has a good catch rating
• There’s a decreased chance of offensive wins in multiplayer catch outcomes, such as throwing to covered receiver
• Only AI players with the big hitter trait can hit stick.

IPhone 7 Plus Shipping Issue, Is It Worth It?

If you belong to the Apple cult and awaiting its latest iPhone idol to be worship, then you are in for a big surprise.  Guess what? The iPhone 7 Plus does not ship until October 7-14, 2016 if you want the 32 GB version and November 28, 2016 if you want the 256 GB version!

Thankfully the I Phone 7 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB versions are scheduled to be on time, and pre-orders will be honored on September 16, 2016.  If you're wondering if it is worth it to wait at least another month before you purchase the $900+ smartphone, then here are a few options to leverage to test your decision making skills and vindicate your judgement. Source of information below is attributed to Forbes.com.

Cameras – Main Selling Points

There’s no denying Samsung is outshined Apple 720P low quality cameras in recent years, but the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus may steal it back:

• iPhone 7 – Rear: 12 megapixel sensor, f/1.8 aperture, Focus Pixels, Optical Image Stabilisation, quad-LED (dual tone) flash, 4K video recording. Front: 7MP sensor, f/2.2 aperture, 1080p recording
• iPhone 7 Plus – Rear: Dual 12MP sensors (f/1.8, 28mm & f/2.8, 56mm), Focus Pixels, OIS, 2x optical zoom, quad-LED (dual tone) flash, 4K video recording. Front: 7MP sensor, f/2.2 aperture, 1080p recording

iPhone 7 Plus, but first the iPhone 7 as it has made some significant improvements with a much larger f/1.8 aperture to let in more light (better for low light snaps in particular), a new 6-element lens and the long awaited addition of OIS. There’s also wide color capture for more color accurate photos and a new Apple-designed image signal processor which does the hard-work optimizing images after they are captured.

But it is the iPhone 7 Plus which will capture all the headlines as it is the first iPhone to use a dual camera setup. One camera is identical the wide-angle lens in the iPhone 7, but the second is a telephoto lens enabling 2x optical zoom and far greater depth of field (something Apple pointed out is particularly good for portrait shots).

In addition to this both phones get an upgraded four-LED True Tone flash which is 50 percent brighter, but uses warm and cool lights to produce more natural results. Both phones also have an upgraded 7MP front camera with 1080p video recording, though disappointingly this camera has a slower f/2.2 aperture (the same as last year’s models) so it waits to be seen how it performs in low light.

Storage And Price – The 16GB Curse Is Lifted

Far better news comes with storage and value for money, however, as Apple has at long long last ditched its useless 16GB of base level storage. In fact the company has double storage capacities at every tier so 16GB, 64GB and 128GB have been replaced with 32GB, 128GB and 256GB.

Consequently while prices are unchanged from last year this look better value for money:

• iPhone 7 – 32GB ($649), 128GB ($749), 256GB ($849)
• iPhone 7 Plus – 32GB ($769), 128GB ($869), 256GB ($969)

Needless to say that hardcore iPhone fans will grab the 256GB model, but I suspect many buyers of the previous 128GB flagship may now be happy to save $100 and opt for the same storage as a mid tier option.

Battery Life And Charging – Minimal Improvements

Apple failed to disclose the exact capacities of the batteries in either of its new iPhones, but it did say iPhone 7 owners could expect up to two additional hours of usage compared to the iPhone 6S while iPhone 7 Plus owners will get one additional hour compared to the iPhone 6S Plus.

Displays 

The much marketed 3D Touch is carried over from the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, but wasn’t name dropped once during the entire keynote.

Meanwhile on paper the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus look identical with OLED panels missing yet again and native resolutions moored far behind their flagship 2K (2560 x 1440) Android counterparts:

• iPhone 7 – 4.7-inch LED-backlit IPS LCD, 1334 x 750 pixels (326 ppi), 65.6% screen-to-body ratio
• iPhone 7 Plus – 5.5-inch LED-backlit IPS LCD, 1920 x 1080 pixels (401 ppi), 67.7% screen-to-body ratio

Apple is loudly proclaiming improvements to the quality of both displays highlighting a 25% brighter “cinema standard” Retina HD display. There is also a wider (P3) colour gamut and improved color management, though Apple stopped short of labelling them ‘True Tone’ displays like that on the iPad Pro.

Performance – Major Speed Upgrades

According to some metrics, the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus are still the fastest smartphones on the market one year on, but Apple has not stood still:

• iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus – Apple A10 Fusion chipset: Quad Core CPU, 2GB of RAM (3GB rumored for Plus, but unconfirmed)

I Phone 7 will be the first iPhones to be equipped with quad core processors. Apple claims they will deliver 40% faster CPU performance and up to 50% faster graphics performance than the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.

Some will bemoan that the iPhone 7 Plus hasn’t got the 3GB of RAM many had predicted, but new iPhones will still deliver performance that even 2017 Android flagships may struggle to live with. Update: some leaks are claiming the Plus will have 3GB but Apple has not confirmed that yet.

 

Design & Size

Apple has made virtually no changes to the external design. Apple fitted both the new iPhones with just a single Lightning port. Adaptors are bundled in the box, but users will now not be able to charge their iPhones and listen to music with wired headphones at the same time. This decision to going to divide a lot of users.

While the practicality of this decision is questionable, elsewhere the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are the most durable iPhones Apple has ever made. They add IP67 dust and water resistance (good for full submersion in up to 1 metre of water for 30 minutes) for the first time while still retaining the rigid Series 7000 Aluminium introduced last year with the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.

Also aiding durability is the replacement of the physical home button on both models with a touch sensitive surface which provides haptic feedback to mimic the feeling of a click. App developers can also harness the haptic feedback for custom vibrations, which could prove interesting.

Apple has also tidied up the antenna bands, removing them from the back of the phone so they only now appear at the top and bottom edges. Meanwhile the eagled eyed among you will have spotted a small physical change:

• iPhone 7 – 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 in) and 138 g (4.87 oz)
• iPhone 7 Plus – 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 mm (6.23 x 3.07 x 0.29 in) and 188 g (6.63 oz)

The answer? While the dimensions are identical to the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are both fractionally lighter at 5g (0.17 oz) and 4g (0.14 oz) respectively. Then again they are still notably heavier than 2014’s iPhone 6 (129g) and iPhone 6 Plus (172g).

Sound Quality

Both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus gain dual speakers for the first time. Interestingly this is not from what seems like dual speakers at the bottom of the new iPhones (one side is the mic for phone calls), but through upgrading the speaker earpiece so it is loud enough to be an external speaker in its own right. Better external audio is a long awaited iPhone catchup.

As for finishes, you’ll get a wider array of options this year with Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, Black and (for just 128GB and 256GB options) Jet Black but wave goodbye to Space Grey.

Finally It's Football Season - Madden 17 New Features

I must admit, i'm one of those gamers that play madden wearing my Titan's jersey.  It sucks that when the playoffs start me and my local team are doing the same thing: on the couch watching someone else compete for a championship trophy, lol.  Titans suck but this year I feel we have a good chance at at least being 8-8.  

Well in the world of Madden 17, I can change reality and go to the superbowl with my under-rated team.  This time around EA sports have made some improves to make the game more challenging and goal oriented.  Here is what you can expect feature wise. 

Big Decisions

Big Decisions come to you with the right information at the right time. Do you start your star QB with that lingering injury, or go to your unproven back-up with a playoff spot on the line? In Madden NFL 17 on Xbox One and PlayStation®4, Big Decisions begin a new direction in your career mode experience changing the way you approach your gameplay strategy for every match up.

Big Decisions: Season Goal

The first big decision you’ll make as a coach or player in the regular season is to set your season goal.  As a coach, you can decide whether you are going to make the playoffs or shoot low with a 7-win season.  The choice you make has an impact since if you miss your season goal, you have a chance of getting fired, but the harder the goal then the higher the experience point gain will be.

Big Decisions: Injuries

Once doctors have medically cleared a player that was hurt earlier in the season, you can either play him with a lingering injury or sit him to heal to 100%.  If your player plays a game with a lingering injury, then he has a higher chance of becoming reinjured, which could completely wreck the rest of your season.  If you go with your back-up, he will earn extra XP that will help him with long-term development.

While in-game, you’ll see new presentation banners that highlight your injured players.  You will even see a “with and without” comparison banner showing how your team did the last few weeks with your back-up QB compared to your regular starter.

Big Decisions: Acquisitions

Picking up free agents and players on the trade block is easier than ever with the new Acquisitions menu.  You will be able to easily browse the available players by position and compare them to your current depth chart.  Improve your weakest positions quickly by using the position grades that are right at your fingertips.  Expect the commentators during the game to call out recently acquired players when they make big plays.

Big Decisions: Re-Signing

When your players are on the last year of their contract, you can now re-sign them using a more intuitive menu.  All the information you need to decide if you want to retain the player is available.  The more prominent players will be open to negotiations earlier in the season, with the lower rated players available to sign late in the season after they’ve had a chance to prove themselves on the field.  It’s up to you to decide how aggressive you want to be when offering a contract, but giving a contract that is too low carries the risk that they may reject your team and opt to test the free agent market instead.  As you persuade your players to re-sign, the commentary team will take notice and mention it during the game.

Big Decision: Spending XP

Your players progress through the season as they earn experience points (XP) from training and by completing weekly game goals, drive goals, fantasy goals, season goals, and career goals.  You will be able to easily spend this XP to upgrade ratings and traits at the end of each game.  Quickly see who earned the most XP on the defensive and offensive side.  When there are at least three key position specific ratings available to upgrade, the player will show up in the Recommended list where you will be able to easily choose which rating to upgrade.  

When playing as a coach, you will see a breakdown of all the XP you earned that week, too.  You can easily see if you have an upgrade available and quickly take action.

Big Decisions: Cutting Players

During the preseason, you will now be presented with a new menu layout where your coaches will recommend players to cut based on position depth and player skills.  This allows you to make key decisions about player retention quickly so you can progress through the preseason.

Big Decisions: Free Agent Bidding

While bidding for players in the off-season, you will now be able to easily see your depth chart at the various positions so you know who to bid on.  Additionally, you will get feedback on how the player views your contract so you can adjust it to have a better chance of landing him.  Top rated Free Agents will now regularly sign quickly so you can spend the later stages battling over the next tier of players.  This better emulates real-life, where the top free agents move off the board quickly.

Community Requests

On top of everything else we’ve added this year, you’ll see features in the game directly influenced by community wishlists including the addition of the score ticker, full player editing, practice squad and more.

Around The League Score Ticker

Be immersed in Sunday football, with the new Around The League Score Ticker.  While playing your game, you will see score updates occur from games around the league.  For example, if you’re playing a 1pm Sunday game, you will see score updates and stat lines for all the other 1pm games.  If you’re playing a Monday Primetime game, you’ll see final scores tick by for all the other league games.  If you’re playing in a Cloud league with your friends, their played games will be treated like every other game.  The ticker still gives you updates on goal progress when relevant, too.  There is a setting to show everything, just scores, goal updates, or nothing so you can customize it as you see fit.

Full Player Editing

As the commissioner in your league, you now have the ability to customize almost everything about all the players.  You will be able to adjust appearance, ratings, traits, and contract information for the entire league, letting you make tweaks as you see fit to alter players.  Do you want to add one more year to someone’s contract? Do you think Aaron Rodger’s deep passing accuracy needs to be higher? You can do all this and more with full player editing.  It is as simple as pulling up the Player Card for a player and selecting “Edit Player” to begin.  In a Cloud league, other members can keep an eye on the commissioner since each player edited will show up in the Transaction log.

Practice Squad

Each team now has a 10-man Practice Squad that they can control week-to-week.  It all starts in week 4 of the preseason.  Instead of cutting players, you can now easily move eligible players to the Practice Squad where they will develop as you train the various position groups during weekly training.  These Practice Squad players are available in Free Practice so you can test them out down on the field.  At any point during the season, you can pull up a player from the Practice Squad to your active roster or vice versa.  Only players with less than 2 full years of NFL experience are available to move to the Practice Squad so you won’t be able to stash your veterans on it.  The Practice Squad is the place to develop younger players into guys that can have an impact on your team during gameday.  Just like in the real-world, your Practice Squad players are free agents and can be poached by other teams for their active roster.

Dynamic Development Trait

Each player’s development trait is the biggest defining factor in how he develops.  Players with a Superstar trait will stay in the league longer and develop into the top tier talent, while players with the Slow trait will not make it in the league long.  You will now be able to see it quickly on the Player Card with prominent placement and a new icon.  

Since the development trait is such a key part to a player’s success, we want to make sure you can influence it.  In Madden NFL 17, if a late round draft pick has a breakout season and wins Offensive Rookie of the Year, he will most likely go up a development trait level.  Actually, any major season award and weekly award will have a chance of increasing it.  What goes up must come down.  Once a player fails to reach their season goals they have a chance of dropping down a development trait level.  This fluidity makes sure the league is an organic system that reflects player performance.

Regression Feedback

As a coach or owner, you need to have a pulse on your team’s development and you need to know exactly when your team regresses and now you will in Madden NFL 17.  Anytime a player on your team regresses during the season or at the end of the season, you will be prompted with a detailed report so you can calculate your next move.

Player Card Improvements

The Player Card has been bolstered with three key improvements.  The first is a way to quickly see all the attributes for a specific player and how they rank in the league based on overall rating.  The second is a view so you can see the progression history for the player.  This lets you see where all the XP came from and when ratings have been impacted whether through progression or regression.  Last but not least, the player card is now accessible from more areas so you will always be just a step or two from seeing the information you want.

Big Decisions and the Community Requests will keep you coming back for more Franchise.  Play this and more in Madden NFL 17 available August 23rd.