It's been over ten years since the release of EA Sports' NCAA Football 14. The college football fanbase has been rabid for its reintroduction for years. They'll get thei?r first look at the series' evolution soon.

The official EA Sports College Football X account updated its profile today to reveal the franchise's new logo. Alongside that, we also got a College Football 25 te??aser trailer that announced the game would be fully revealed in M??ay.

We've known since November that EA was targeting this summer for College Football 25's release. However, after previous delays, fans may have been speculative as to whether the college football sim could actually meet its target. Those same fans were playfully called out in today's College Football 25 teaser. "Yeah, it's really happening."

EA's NCAA series was beloved during its run. Many football fans considered the franchise to be superior to its sister series, Madden. Unfortunately, due to complications in college sports around name, image, and likeness, EA shelved it following the release of NCAA Football 14.

The NCAA series was renowned for nailing the authentic atmosphere of college football. The fans, the mascots, the rivalries, the stadiums, all of it faithfully recreated in video game form. The Collge Football 25 teaser trailer seems to hit on all those nostalgic notes, assuring ??returning fans that this reincarnation will be worth the patience.

With a reveal in May and release in the su??mmer, we won't have to wait much longer to?? find out.

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The return of virtual college football is still a ways away

Electronic Arts' return to college football is still a ways off. EA Sports confirms it's aiming for a summer 2024 revival of it?s college football series.

Speaking to ESPN, EA Sports VP an??d general manager Daryl Holt said t??he timing is due to how much of an undertaking this will be.

"That's the best date for us to bring the game that we think is going to meet or exceed our player expectations," Holt told ESPN. "And cover the breadth and scale of what we want in the game. We're trying to build a very immersive college football experience??."

Part of this involves use real college footb?all players in the game. Before, using players' likeness in a new EA Sports college football seemed like a non-starter. But as Holt describes it, "the road's open now, but it's still under construction."

This echoes some comments from July 2021 about the possibility of using real players in the virtual experience. An EA source told ESPN that players will b?e compensated if they appear in-game.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTklaI3EAm0

Back to school

EA first announced back in ??February of 2021 that college football would be returning to the EA Sports fold. Alongside today's window, EA also confirms that both Road to Glory and Dynasty modes will be in store for the new series.

Since we've been without virtual college football since 2013, this news probably sparks some hope for fans of the sport. That being said, player likenesses and compensation still seem to be a lingering question?? mark. At the very least, a summer 2024 ??window gives Electronic Arts some time to figure it all out.

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Pro sports are not as fun or interesting

We all know what happened. EA Sports was churning out NCAA Football games until 2013 when after the final entry, NCAA Football '14, lawsuits regarding amateur players getting paid put the series on hiatus. The NCAA as well as several individual conferences and schools were going to stop licensing their trademarks due to the same issue. Despite the difficulties, Peter Moore told IGN last year "One day, I know we'll be back."

Afraid of?? legal trouble themselves, individual conferences and even schools began backing out one by one in 2013. Considering their reason behind that action was to avoid lawsuits regarding using the amateurs' like?ness, it stands to reason they would be back on board if the player issue was resolved.

How do you get around player likeness then? Just don't put them in! To my knowledge there are no other obstacles regarding aspects like bowl games, trophies (Heisman, etc), or playbooks. So just have all the teams and pl?ayers set to a flat skill level with randomized jersey numbers, hometowns, physical features, and names. Just leave in that good ole custom roster feature.

In the games that were released, people did (and still do) update the rosters and share them online??. Gaming communities will come up with accurate rosters including names, fair skill assessment, and physical appearance within a few days of the games release. Complaints regarding player likeness have been about their physique, number, hometown, stats, and all information except their name that was ?put in by EA Sports. EA can't be held accountable for custom rosters made by fans/communities.

Worst case scenario don't have the custom roster either. People will still mod in the correct rosters and share the hacks. Plenty will enjoy just playing as the teams with randomized names, just as they d??id in the old titles when they got six seasons into their dynasty and all the real players graduated, leaving only randomly generated players.

I know the NCAA Basketball and MVP Baseball games didn't sell great, but maybe with all that new tech used in the NBA titles and college baseball's growing popularity they could make a co??meback too. Or just make them especially for me so I can beat down my rivals by 300 points.

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Someone's being a dick

Facebook fans of the EA NCAA Football franchise were treated to a seemingly ominous message this morning. The page, which has been inactive for 18 months, posted a three-second clip of a heart monitor beeping. Many took this as a clear signal that NCAA Football mig?ht be returning, that this presumed-dead s?eries still had life in it.

Nah. Not at all.

EA Sports first talked to Polygon about the Facebook post. As reported by Polygon, "Th?e label has nothing to announce and that the video was posted because college football's national championship game is tonight." A follow-up communication simply said "No news, sorry to get your hopes up."

Since posting, EA has provided a third, more detailed statement saying "We have no new plans or announcements to make regarding the EA Sports NCAA Football series. Today's National Championship game reminds us more than ever that the hearts in our community still beat? for college football."

EA's tone-deafness again strikes a terribly sour note. 

EA Sports NCAA Football [Facebook via Polygon]

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Chuck the pigskin

As the resident Destructoid staff North Dakotan, I feel oddly obligated to report whenever there's videogame news that can be tenuously tied to my home state. As such, the University of North Dakota had a recent applicant for its vacant football coach position who alluded to his extensive experience with the NCAA and Madden games as his creden??tials to be considered as a serious candidate.

In his cover letter (that was, frankly, pretty great) Christopher McComas boasted that he u?sed to dominate with the Buffalo Bills on Sega Genesis. Once he moved onto the PlayStation, he transformed Marshall University from a middling program to a perennial national powerhouse. That's football savvy at its finest.

However, the best part about his letter of interest was his proposed plan of attack. Under his "Air Raid" offense, his team would see how often they could pass the football. "We're going five-wide. Chucking the pigskin all over the place. Never punt," McComas said. He even included a PowerPoint presentation that included a big pictu?re strategy for winning -- "Recruit great players, win a lot of games, recruit more great players, win more games."

Well, I'?m sold. Go ahead and sign this guy up, UND. He has the sort of vision that will (probably) be wildly successful and lead to untold championships. And when that happens, it can all be traced back to videogames.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: UND applicant wants to 'ch??uck the pigskin??' [Grand Forks Herald]

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Plaintiffs' attorneys call it a 'historic settlement'

Electronic Arts has bought its way out of a potentially nasty class action lawsuit, fo??r use of the names, images, and likenesses of for?mer and current NCAA student athletes. All it cost was an undisclosed amount, vaguely referred to as "tens of millions of dollars."

The lawsuit was brought on behalf of past and present athletes who have appeared in an EA Sports videogame, but have gone uncompensated. The named defendants were E?A and the NCAA, meaning that the NCAA now stands alone in its own defense.

Although the class is still pending certification, it seems likely to be granted as all plaintiffs are similarly situated and incurred uniform damages. It sounds as if EA was wise to get out relatively cheaply, especially considering that it's made billions on its NCAA videogame??s. Given that EA has now folded, it wouldn't be surprising if the NCAA was close behind.

The post EA to pay tens of millions to NCAA student athl??etes appeared first on Destructoid.

Future plans for the franchise are under evaluation

After stating that it would move forward to create college football games without the NCAA names and marks, Electronic Arts has confirmed today that there won't be a ne??w game in 2014.

"We have been stuck in the middle of a dispute between the NCAA and student-athletes who seek compensation for playing college football," wrote EA Sports general manager of American football Cam Weber. "Just like companies that broadcast college games and those that provide equipment and appar??el, we follow rules that are set by the NCAA -- but those rules are being challenged by some student-athletes.

"For our part, we are working to settle the lawsuits with the student-athlet?es. Meanwhile, the NCAA and a number of conferences have withdrawn their support of our game. The ongoing legal issues combined with increased questions surrounding schools and conferences have left us in a difficult position -- one that challenges our ability to deliver an authentic sports experience, which is the very foundation of EA Sports games."

Weber assures ongoing support of NCAA Football 14 won't be impacted by this decision and that the te??am responsi?ble for the franchise will be retained at EA Sports where possible.

Update on College Football [EA]

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Overall, industry is down 19% from 2012

Thursday was NPD day, a day of celebration and / or commiseration throughout the US gaming industry. The big winners in terms of hardware and software were 3DS and NCAA Football 14. This marks the third straight month that 3DS has been in the top position, and as for NCAA... well... it's an American football game selling to an Am??erican audience. It's spot was secured.

For the industry overall, total sales were $443 million, a drop of 19% from last July. 3DS hardware shrugged off this slump by increasing 14%, hitting roughly 141K units. 3DS software climbed 45% from last July, thanks chiefly to Animal Crossing: New Leaf, which sold another 150K across digital and retail to hit 660K total in the US. Other US lifetime numbers include Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (820K) and New Super Mario Bros. U (830K).

The best selling home console was Xbox 360 at 107K units. It's big exclusive was the retail edition of Minecraft, which continues to hang around near the top like it lives there. Just below Minecraft is PS3's golden child, The Last of Us. Along with Animal Crossing, they represent the only ???????????????????????????platform-exclusive software in the top 10.

The list below combines SKUs, but if you were to break it down by single platforms, three other games would find their way into the top 10: Shin Megami Tensei IV, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, and the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition.

Top 10 software chart (SKUs combined)

1. NCAA Football 14 (360, PS3)
2. Minecraft (360)
3. The Last of Us (PS3)
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (360, PS3, Wii U, PC)
5. Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)
6. Far Cry 3 (360, PS3, PC)
7. Battlefield 3 (360, PS3, PC)
8. Injustice: Gods Among Us (360, PS3, Wii U)
9. NBA 2K13 (360, PS3 ,Wii, Wii U, PSP, PC)
10. LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (360, Wii, DS, PS3, 3DS, Wii U, Vita, PC)

July 2013 NPD: Animal Crossing is officially a system sel??ler [GamesBeat via NeoGAF]

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No more college football?

[Update: Electronic Arts' official response has come from EA Sports executive vice president Andrew Wilson, who writes that the company "will contin?ue to develop and publish college ??football games, but we will no longer include the NCAA names and marks. Our relationship with the Collegiate Licensing Company is strong and we are already working on a new game for next generation consoles which will launch next year and feature the college teams, leagues and all the innovation fans expect from EA Sports."]

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has announced today that they will not be entering into a new contract for the license of the NCAA name and logo in future EA Sports NCAA Football titles. The current contract expires in June 2014, and the timing of this announcement was made to "provide EA notice for future planning." This means that this year's NCAA will be the last to include the NCAA name ?and log?o.

The NCAA has stated that "we are confident in our leg??al position regarding the use of our trademarks in video games. But given the current business climate and costs of litigation, we determined participating in this game is not in the best interests of the NCAA."

So what's this mean? Well Electronic Arts can still do a college football game, they just won't have the official backing of the NCAA. The announcement did mention that the NCAA has no involvement in the licenses with the teams and school featured in the games, as that's always been a process with EA and the teams. The question is, would the schools want to make those arrangements in the future without the NCAA backing? And would it be worth it for EA to do another one given the constant legal issues that keep popping up?

We've reached out to Electronic Arts to see what they have to say on the matter and w?ill update you with an??y more news as soon as it comes in.

NCAA will not renew EA Sports contract [NCAA]

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Giving it the old college try

I wonder if active NCAA players prefer playing Madden. Do they want to play as themselves, or their friends? Or do they want to play as the players they grew up watching, the players that made it to the big time? For many, college ball is a necessary stepping stone on a ?path towards imagined, sought greatness; recognition, immortalization, and conspicuous wealth. Though the latter is impeded by the long overdue rookie salary cap.

NCAA Football 14 is operating in a weird space. The college football series is finally getting a physics engine, a year behind Madden, and it’s the current generation’s Infinity Engine 2. Meanwhile, EA spent much of E3 touting its next generation physics engine, Ignite: “EA Sports Ignite is designed to harness the potential of next-generation consoles and will power FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, EA Sports UFC and NBA Live 14 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.”

Notice the odd man out? Yes, NCAA Football 14 is a marked improvement over last year’s phoned in effort. It’s also very much a Matt Leinart, the college stud ready to be outmoded and forgotten at the ne?xt level of play, when people swap out their Xbox 360s and PlayStation 3s for backwards compatibility lacking PS4s and Xbox Ones while EA issues press conferences about how the engine succeeding it is infinitely better.

And hey, Kurt Warner managed to take the Cardinals to the Super Bowl.

NCAA Football 14 (PlayStation 3 [reviewed], Xbox 360)
Developer: EA Tiburon
Publisher: EA Sports
Release: July 9, 2013
MSRP: $59.99

The most important part of a sports game is how the sport plays out on its field of choice. Other modes and additions could be fun or add complexity, but it’s always all about the game. In this case the physics are a welcome, marked improvement over the same old, tired, frustrating animations. If you have consistently enjoyed the NCAA series, this game plays better than all of them, so that should be enough for you to pick it up. Cuts feel better; your blocking is less of a nightmare because even if the lineman doesn’t want to throw a block at least his body will be in the defensive player’s way, and ??so on. The core game plays muc??h better than last year’s.

I do have some issue with the implementation of physics that I find a bit hard to place though, and I’m not sure if it came from this being the first time the series has worked with the engine, or if it’s some uncanny valley-related thing. Sometimes, plays and player contact will feel a bit reminiscent of the vibrating, table-top electronic football game. I’ve scoured replays and for all intents and purposes things (mostly) seem to be reacting in the proper way, but every once in a while weird things will occur that make the players feel a little less grounded than, ironically, NHL’s skaters (or FIFA’s footballers).

One of my favorite additions to NCAA Football 14 is the Skills Trainer. It’s a Nike-branded Skills Trainer, gaudily emblazoned with swooshes, but I was able to get past that and appreciate a complex sports game deciding to offer a decent tutorial. It’s a nice cheat sheet for experienced players to bone up on what’s new in this year’s iteration and a simple, well-designed explanation of some of th??e more nuanced elements of the sport for the uninitiated (whether they be unfamiliar with the sport or with gaming).

A good training mode of sorts should be practically mandatory as far as I’m concerned. I also appreciate the revamped "option" game, which includes indicators on which defensive players you should be watching for as you run the option. I’ve played football, but I’ve never run an option offense. It’s helpful, especially when you start running things like triple options, to know which defensive players to key in on and how you should react. Performing well in the Skill Trainer nets you coins which can be used for NCAA Ultimate Team. Or NU??T, as I like to affectionately call?? it.

I still don’t get the appeal of Ultimate Team, even as it makes its NCAA debut, since I just find it redundant. It just plays on Skinner box mentality in the “gotta collect ‘em all” way cards are known to encourage (just ask Steam players). If you want a team full of overly exceptional players, you can play the amazing Mascot Mode and have all the players sit at 99 overall, while also being dressed up as trees and bears??. If you want to build a crappy team into a better team, pick a crappy team in Dynasty and build it into a better team. Ultimate Team just always feels like a huge chore; a grind, more appropriately, to use the term typically associated with MMOs and RPGs. Still, it’s there if you want it, and I’m sure EA would be beside itself if you wanted to spend real life money on a pack of virtual trading cards (not that you have to, but you can).

Dynasty Mode has seen some mild changes. You’re granted points for good “coaching,” mostly a combination of in-game performance and rec??ruit signings, which can then be allocated into “game management” and “recruiting” skill trees to help your team perform better or ??to try and woo unsuspecting, bright-eyed men still too young to legally drink.

For people bored to tears by Dynasty mode’s minutia and verisimilitude -- I count myself among those ranks -- there is a new Play a Season mode, in which you can jump into any of the teams’ actual 2013 season schedule and aim for a bowl victory. It’s like playing a random exhibition game, but with slightly more structure, kind of like an arranged and itinerated play date. But, really, it’s my preference, creatively bankrupt as it is. My opponents get chosen for me and I have some semblance of a narrat?ive and structure to work with (along with constant laments over the lack of a playoff system).

The game also boasts an impressive menu aesthetic and interface. It’s smart and simple, focusing on big squares and rectangles reminiscent of Windows’ phone UI. It sounds silly, but a lot of sports games have terrible menus. It’s also much quicker than last year’s thanks to the toned down, minimalistic aesthetic that looks a lot b?etter than the crowded ESPN College Gameday presentation. A lot of the in-game presentation elements have been reduced or shortened, too, yielding less fodder to but??ton through in order to get back to the action.

NCAA Football 14 is in a weird position and it shows. There are some mild performance issues -- start menus that take an extra few seconds to pop up, slowdown after a turnover, a crash or two -- that feel like the result of the waning console generation. Meanwhile, the series fin?ally has physics, but in its PS3 and 360 swansong, a mere few months before, for many, EA’s Ignite and the next gen come in to wreck up the place. Still, for the time being, college football fans can revel in having a much improved, solid football game, sans any dramatic changes.

The post Review: NCAA Football 14 appeared first on Destructoid.

Let's get physical

When I previewed NCAA Football 14 earlier this year, I noted that the best news about the game is that it uses the Infinity Engine 2, the original iteration of which made Madden 13 the best entry in the series in many years.

Things are more or less the same from what I played of NCAA Football 14 on the show floor. It feels better than the game ever has and is a little better than Madden 13, given it runs on ??the second iteration of ??the engine.

Blocking is notably improved, with blockers whiffing less fr??equently on blocks thanks to the physics at least setting them in defenders' paths. The stiff arm move in previous games, for example, has basically been a dice roll, tied to a set of prescribed animations. With physics, your timing matters. You can ?deliver a strong hit, use it to try and jostle off an incoming defender, and so on.

It's still not perfect, however. I dove at a running back's feet at one point and he trotted over me as if I wasn't there. Still, I noticed less of the creepy, Asian-horror-style contortions. Players in general are less stupid an??d don't trip all over each other pre-play, which is nice. Though I kind of miss it because it's hilarious. 

The dive button is now less a defeated, sad looking belly flop, and more a viable means of tackling runners. It’s useful for making sure to go low against big, bruising tailbacks and the like. The hit stick has been dialed ?up on defense, but without the “suction” effect of canned anim??ation.

The wide receiver evaluations pre-snap are neat, letting you get details on either your or your opponents receiving corps. It's nicely digestible, displaying height, catch ability, and so on. One? issue I did have was that the menus -- dram??atically improved from last year's as they are -- felt a bit sluggish. I feel like sports games, with their quick turnaround, are feeling the fatigue of this console generation more than most.

The post NCAA 14: Better with physics appeared first on Destructoid.

College gets physical. Finally.

NCAA Football 14 is going to be a much better game than NCAA 13. I can assure you that much because it has implemented a physics engine, the Infinity Engine 2. If the name rings familiar, the first iteration of the Infinity Engine was implemented in last year’s Madden 13, prompting me ??to give it high marks. Football i?s physical. Physics are good for football.

The six week lead time on NCAA 13 (ahead of Madden) prevented the team from having enough time to employ the physics engine last year, but now the series is getting its new iteration, one designed to remedy some of the growing pains of the first version of the engine. The post play hijinks, like players generally falling over themselves like ??drunkards or occasionally looking like some monstrous contortion straight out of an Asian horror film, are just one of ??the issues that have been addressed.

NCAA Football 14 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [previewed])
Developer: EA Tiburon
Publisher: EA Sports
Release: July 9, 2013

The implementation of the Infinity Engine 2 addresses a lot of the problems with the series. The stiff arm move in previous games, for example, has basically been a dice roll, tied to a set of prescribed animations. With physics, your timing matt?ers. You can deliver a strong ?hit, use it to try and jostle off an incoming defender, and so on.

The dive butto??n is now less a defeated, sad looking belly flop, and more a viable means of tackling runners. It’s useful for making sure to go low against big, bruising tailbacks and the like. The hit stick has been dialed up on defense, but without the “suction” effect of canned animation, the bit I played felt fairly balanced. It’s not over the top, but when a big hit connects, you feel it. We had one nasty hit elicit some "ooohs" and cringes. Similarly, you can miss with a hit stick and impotently glance off an opponent. It is as it should be; hopefully it all holds up over protracted play. As most people who play sports games know, it’s hard to spot strange flaws or inconsistencies until you’ve played repeatedly.

In an effort to bring more analog controls to the series, there is a stumble recovery mechanic tied to the right stick. I didn’t encounter it during my hands-on, but supposedly it can be used to manually regain balance, which could be a neat idea. Most importantly, on offense your ball carrier is more apt at not running haphazardly into his own teammates, which was a frustrating occurrence in Madden 13. Ball carriers will now perform an Assassin’s Creed style move, extending arms towards linemen and other blockers, and run around them when appropriate instead of the ball carrier mashing his front into his teammate’s back as erect as p??ossible. This might prevent those silly, awkward fumbles.

When you’re actually running about with ball in hand, NCAA 14 will be less kind to players scampering about like headless chickens. Proper cutting will hopefully preclude players from jetting around in unrealistic swerves while maintaining top speed -- I did a lot of that when screwing around in NCAA 13, often with Barry Sanders, which was hilariously unfair. The sprint?? button is also making a return and players have a visible stamina meter tied to their stamina statistic. Sprinting will obviously burn it up and so will special m??oves, discouraging you from getting too spin happy. As games wear on, the stamina meter will also shrink a bit, giving you a little less in the tank to work with.

The skills trainer for core mechanics is also a welcomed addition. “Call of Duty still teaches you ho??w to run and sight and shoot. Everyone who plays a shooter knows how, but they still teach you. We’ve been guilty of adding new features and not explaining how to use them.” The ?game will now teach you how to run the option, for example, highlighting the defensive player you’re meant to be reading as you choose whether to keep the ball as the quarterback or to pitch it to the appropriate player.

A few other touches outside of the usual iterative updates are equally welcomed. A slight delay in player switching is meant to keep you from accidentally running players out of position. Hot routes are contextually sensible -- your outside, deep receiving threat is less likely to wind up pass blocking. There’s also “by personnel” play calling, meant to aid in the no huddle. Pre?viously, running a no huddle offense and changing the play could lead to players out of position. Blocking is alleged to be improved as well. Someone (or someones) supposedly went through every permutation of offensive and defensive play selection to ensure the blocking matchups would be correct. We’ll see how long it takes fans to find out whether or not that’s true (mind, the matchups could be accurate, but player skill comes into play as well).

So, yes, NCAA 14 is probably going to be the best game in the series, or at least the best iteration we’ve seen in many years, albeit by virtue of finally including a bunch of things that should’ve made it into the series much sooner. The core of the game plays much better, anyway, and that’s the important thing. Maybe we’re closing in on a modern football game that can compare to other great contemporary sports franchises, though I’ll be cynical and say it probably won’t come until next generation. And even then, will it be more fun than NFL Blitz?

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Last year, EA Sports decided to take a some risks, change up a few things and make a pretty darn good college football gam??e. Well, apparently, we liked the experimental title enough that they decided to do something unprecedented: make a sequel!

... Wait, this is a yearly series? And I reviewed ?it last year, too? Oh.

In any case, yes, EA is putting that NCAA license to use once again wi?th a new version of the popular sports game series. Maybe I should have written that as "new," though, because ... well ... you guys know what de??ja vu feels like, right?

NCAA Football 12 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [reviewed])
Developer: EA Tiburon/EA Canada
Publisher: EA Sports
Release Date: July 12, 2010
MSRP: $59.99

So here we are; another year, another new title in an EA Sports franchise. The good news is since I don't have to sit here and discuss a storyline with you (spoiler: IT'S FOOTBALL), we can jump right into the what's new.

So what is new? Well, not the presentation, for the most part. Sure, they've upgraded the ESPN branding a bit to reflect how it looks in the real world better and the entire menu system incorporates?? some bits and pieces of ESPN College Football's design, but basically, everything's as it was last year. ?;I guess the old saying is true: if it's not broke, don't fix it.

Of course, that presentation also matters on the field, especially with an addition made for NCAA Football 11 -- school-specific team introductions. Last year, I bemoaned that some of the classic team introductions like Oklahoma's Sooner Schooner or Colorado's Ralphie the Buffalo charging out onto the field were excluded. Apparently EA Tiburon heard my complaints, ?because they and a host of other entrances using animal mascots are here. Auburn's War Eagle, Georgia's famous bulldog Uga, Florida State's Chief Osceola and Renegade; they're in the game, as are schools like Oregon and USC. Even some of the smaller schools with traditions, like Wake Forest and Wyoming, are included in the latest batch. Like last year, they're a great touch and really add to the overall feel of the game as being representative of the college game experience.

They've also stepped up the actual in-game graphics a bit, changing the lighting to be more dynamic and better reflect the sun's position and time of day. Even the grass has ditched flat texture?s for fuller 3D animation, allowing for little touches such as greenery poking out of the snow during winter games. The good news is, it works and the game is absolutely gorgeous. The better news is that the fans aren't lost in giant heaps of bloom effects like they were last year either. They are now individual??ly modeled, with deeper stadium effects for a fuller sound, as opposed to using 50,000 fans and doubling the volume, as has been done in the past.

The problem of players clipping through one another is still noticeable, though not as bad a??s in previous games, and there graphical g?litches in replay mode remain troubling. I had the sky disappear on me after one game, leaving me with the eternal blackness of what I assume is the vacuum of space. Sadly, we lost the Kent State Golden Flashes to it, but I don't think anyone will miss them.

The biggest (and in my opinion, most beneficial) change comes in the form of a much improved tackling system. EA promised that this new system, which uses new animations that begin only when the player makes contact with the ball carrier, would put an end to the dreaded warping, sliding and other graphical glitches that have become the stuff of YouTube legend. The good news, though, is that this isn't just talk; the system and its new animations deliver on EA's promise. Everything looks crisp, natural and fluid in animation for the first time ... well, ever. Defensive players look like they're actually making tackles, and as a side-e??ffect, it looks more natural when the ball carrier breaks a tackle on a defensive player.

Also changed this year was the defensive AI, making players in zone defensive schemes able to trade off players and not just stand around in their zone all the time. Again, EA promised this would be improved and make it harder to run short passing routes against the zone, and they delivered. It used to be pretty easy to run crossing routes of 5-10 yards and just keep ?chaining passes together. This year, my computer opponents were having none of it, even if I had them line up against a bottom-of-the-barrel team like Eastern Michigan or Memphis. 

But the more some things change, the more others stay the same. Gamepla??y-wise, it's fundamentally the exact same?? game you've seen last year, and the year before, and the year before and so on. The controls remain all but similar to NCAA Football 11, albeit with the tackle button now permanently moved by default to X (Xbox 360)/Square (PS3). Those of you who've played an NCAA Football game in the last 2-3 years should have no problem picking this game up and being able to jump right into it.

Dynasty mode is polished up a bit for this year, with some brand new features that, honestly, should have been in the game a few years ago. Chief among those is the ability to create custom conferences, allowing you to freely move schools around and make confere?nces as big as 16 teams. You can adjust schedules, BCS bowl tie-ins, even division names if you so choose to. It's nice to finally be able to put my created school in a conference without having to kick someone else out.

Secondly, EA's changes allow you to start off your coaching career as a coordinator, focusing on one side of the ball, and work your way up to other jobs ... or try to stay off the hot seat. It's a fun addition that adds another level of realism to the game, as most coaches start out as coordinators at one point or another. Outside of these changes, Dynasty mode is almost identical to NCAA Football 11 in terms of recruiting, management and so on.

The other main mode from last year, Road to Glory, is back as well, having undergone some rather large changes. The game mode adds a new feature in that it lets you not only start out your career in high school, but play through your entire senior year as well. It's a nice touch, as playing well in games all year builds up your recruiting potential in a much more reasonable manner than just playing through the state playoffs. Along the way, you'll be able to add schools to your interest list, and for the first time, you can play on both sides of the ball, allowing you to be recruited at two different positions. This also might mean more offers; Florida, for example, might be looking for a halfback, bu??t Georgia could be looking for a linebacker, and if you play well enough at both positions, you'll have offers from multiple schools to play on either side of the ball. You can also choose to skip this part if you want and get to the meat of Road to Glory if you want: your collegiate career.

This are??a, too, has undergone quite a bit of change: you still have to compete for your spot and can move up and down the roster, as well as be challenged?? by your teammates if you're a starter. Additionally, doing well in practice will garner trust from your coach and allow you perks during the game, like the ability to call more audibles as the coach becomes comfortable with you at quarterback, for example. You also gain experience points that you can spend on temporary stats boosts.

However, what gets lost in the changes is the need to balance a schedule between your social life, working out and your studies. Everything's simply been condensed into one lone practice per week and whatever game?? you have on the schedule. I assume this was done to make the game move a little quicker, but it's sad to see it get so simplified that part of the college experience has been taken out. Maybe t?hey just assume that you get "help" to pass all your classes, but I would have liked to see it remain. And heck, while you're at it, if we're gonna get some special help for keeping our GPA up to the necessary minimums, can't we have a special mini-game where we get to drive around in fancy cars on campus while avoiding NCAA investigators?

As far as making the game your own goes, the usual creation and roster management modes are here. TeamBuilder — EA's online create-a-team page — is once again the only option for making custom teams, so if you don't have an Internet connection, too bad. New this year is the inclusion of custom playbooks, allowing you to build a selection of plays that best fits your style. It's a nice addition but one that really should have been a standard for the past few years, especially since I distinctly remember the older Madden games having something like this.

And yes, before you ask,&nbs?p;the codes to unlock online multiplayer from last year are back ?as EA continues to discourage buying games used. Did you really expect anything different?

But there's one thing kept popping up in my head as I played through NCAA Football 12: "It's more of the same." Or, maybe to put it more precisely, they could have called this game Super NCAA Football 11 Arcade Edition and it would have fit just as well. There's plenty that's been added to enhance the experience of this being a college football ga?me and some (but not all) of the graphical issues from last year's game have been fixed. Dynasty Mode has gotten long-overdue improvements as well, while Road to Glory has been streamlined (a move I'm not completely a fan of).

It's basically a slightly better version of last year's game, which isn't a terrible thing at all since I loved it, but those of you hoping for anything groundbreaking are probably going to be disappointed. I'll still highly recommend buying it if you're a college football fan or if you haven't played a game from this series in a while, but if you're content with NCAA Football 11 — and you don't mind seeing your players slide across the field to make a tackle — then NCAA Football 12 might not do much to change your mind.

The post Review: NCAA Football 12 appeared first on Destructoid.

Next week is when EA Sports will drop the demo for NCAA Football 12 on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. Ahead of the demo's June 28 launch, the company has plans to interact with fans via live stream.

This is going down tomorrow at 10:00 AM PDT??, if you're looking to participate. The online event is said to have a preview of the upcoming demo and a Q&A?? session with the development team that'll also go into the Road to Glory mode.

NCAA Football 12 hits PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on July 12.

The post NCAA Football 12 live stream happening tomorrow appeared first on Destructoid.

The NCAA Football series has long been considered the little brother of EA Sports’ Madden franchise, not just because it’s often received Madden features the following year. There have always been questions about how much effort Electronic Arts has put into making the NCAA Football separate from Madden, and with this year’s edition, NCAA Football 11, it appears that E??A? is finally trying to answer those concerns.

And just how have they planned to do that? With a focus on recreating as much of the each college team’s identity as they can, from traditions to coaching tendencies to offensive styles. Of course, it’s one thing to include the elements of the college football experience, and another thing to actually make it feel like the real deal. The latter part is where EA has struggled at times, but could thi?s year be when it all comes together?

Read on to see if EA has pushed the series forward, or just rolled out what amounts to another yearly roster update and "Madden clone." I’ll try my best to avoid ??any dumb football-related puns, too.

NCAA Football 11 (Xbox 360 [reviewed], PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2)
Developer: EA Tiburon/EA Canada
Publisher: EA Sports
Release Date: July 13, 2010
MSRP: $59.99, $39.99 (PlayStation 2)

To achieve its goal of creating the most realistic college football experience to date, EA has made a few changes to the old NCAA Football formula. One of the most notable changes this year comes through the improved running mechanics. Rather than having players stutter or quickly cut to what appears to be a canned animation, spins and jukes are seamlessly incorporated into a player’s run. Part of this is because of the improved dual analog stick controls fo?r running, which now senses how far the analog stick is being leaned, rather than if it is simply being pushed in one direction or another.

This sensitivity does take some getting used to, but after a short time, it becomes easy to use and helps make runs more precise. Only five of the actual controls -- high stepping, jukes, spins, trucks and shielding the ball from contact – are mapped to the right analog stick, and that’s probably a good thing. Otherwise, you might go to do a stiff arm and end up juking right into the arms of an oppos??ing linebacker.

The run game also gets a little buff with improved blocking from the offensive line. Offensive linemen react a bit better to picking up their targets, and while there’s still a few blown blocks or bad choices during the game, it’s noticeably easier to get the running game going in NCAA Football 11 … or noticeably more difficult to effectively stop the run when teams are balanced, even on lower? difficulty settings.

But enough about the running game and how it’s a bit better this year. What’s really going to get college football fans excited is the fact that EA have tried to give each of the 120 ??Football Bowl Subdivision schools a unique feel that accurately reflects them. This year, that’s not just adding in new mascots (one of which is from my alma mater, Bowling Green State University) and keeping up with new stadiums for some teams: it’s giving 30 of the most well known teams their own unique pre-game run-outs.

In this area, the crew at EA Tiburon and EA Canada have done very well, both in picking the teams to use for this, and in recreating their run-outs. Notre Dame’s players slap the “Play Like A Champion Today” sign in the locker room before heading out onto the field. Michigan’s virtual team runs under the same “Go Blue” banner the real team does. Miami emerges from its giant helmet in a cloud of smoke. A Texas player leads the charge out of the tunnel with the American flag flying high, just like in real life. Some of t?he more complex ones aren’t in this year’s version (Colorado and its buffalo are absent, for example), but these all add immensely to the feel that you’re actually playing for one of these schools, rather than just having a generic run-out like in previous games.

Likewise, EA has decided to put its ESPN license to good use, incorporating “ES??PN College Gameday” and other elements into the series. The full ESPN broa?dcast presentation package is in NCAA Football 11 for the first time, including the ESPN transition wipe, and while Lee Corso’s antics are missing from this year’s game, I think I’ll survive without hearing his canned lines every fourth or fifth play from scrimmage. Besides, ESPN reporter Erin Andrews has apparently taken his place in that regard with heir sideline reports, as she seems to say the same couple of things every time one of your players gets injured. Yes, Erin, we know he might not be coming back to the game after he broke his leg; you just told us that about the guy with the concussion.

In this year’s game, each team has a playbook tailored more to its actual style, rather ?than just a generic one with a few unique plays thrown in. Sure, there is some overlapping (as there is in real college football), but seeing these little tweaks and different formations goes a long way in making you feel like you're actually in control of the team you've picked, be it Nebraska’s traditional option running attack or any one of the m?any variations on the spread offense. Of course, this is on the offensive side of the ball; on defense, you don’t quite have the same variation in play choices.

On top of the ESPN license, the playbooks, and the run-outs, NCAA Football 11 looks a bit better than last year’s game, in that the player’s skin textures have lost a bit of their "sparkle." That’s quite a good thing, because instead of looking like plastic dolls or vampires from Twilight standing in the sunshine, they actually look like human beings … even if the mouth animations still look as awful as they did back when I played NCAA Football 2003.

On the other hand, if one of the game’s improvements was better lighting, EA has both succeeded and failed. It's succeeded in that the lighti?ng on the field and on the players looks better, of course. But it's failed in that the fans in the stands look like they’re radioactive whenever the sun is shining at a game. Note to the guys at EA Tiburon: chill it on the bloom effects, okay?

While there aren’t any new game modes in NCAA Football 11, Dynasty mode has undergone a major expansion, most of which is geared toward the Web. A new Dynasty website allows you to manage your NCAA Football 11 dynasties online and even recruit players. Yeah, you read that right: you can go through the recruiting process both in-game and online, which seems both interesting and a bit unnecessary for anyone but the most hardcore NCAA Football 11 players.

Dynasties are searchable and can be made either public, allowing anyone to join, or private and password-protected. And if all of that wasn’t enough, there’s a new f??eature called DynastyWire for hardcore fans and wanna-be journalists. This features allows you to create stories for game recaps in a blog for your dynasty, then share them on social networking sites. While the inner writing geek in me loves this (as I’ve been doing this kind of stuff for years offline) the?? social networking part of it seems a little much. Do I really need to know how friends are doing in their Duke or North Texas dynasties? Probably not.

As for the actual Dynasty mode mechanics, they remain largely the same except for changes to the recruiting process. Coaches can talk directly with recruits on a number of topics, from fan base and athletic facilities to whether they’re a championship contender and how much playing time they’ll get. Recruits will also ask about your school’s weaknesses and after each talk, and you’ll get a grade on each topic to see how you scored compared to other schools. That really turns up the pressure to sell your school in the best way possible, something every athletic program has to go through on a yearly basis, and players can and will pass on you for other schools that will better match their desires. Of course, if all that is too easy for you or you’re something of a videogame masochist, a difficulty slider has been added, as well. The changes tie in very well with the whole “recreating the college experience” theme for this year’s title, as it puts more emphasis on the skill of being ab??le to make a good pitch rather than simply going undefeated and raking in the recruits.

But the more things change, the more they stay the same. This year’s control set-up is essentially the same as last year’s, with the exception of the dual analog stick controls for running. TeamBuilder is once again online only, with the only new additions being the ability to play online against other created teams and add custom text on the front of team jerseys, something that should have been doable last year. Road to Glory mode returns, and even with the new name, it’s essentially the same as the Campus Legend mode from NCAA Football 06 to 09, down to the choices you have to make for evening activities. Oh, except this time, Erin Andrews is the “host” and the game will follow your college career with in-game highlights an?d discussions about your performance. Thankfully, if it sounds as annoying to you as I actually found it to be, you have the option to disable it when you start a Road to Glory save. I’d advise you do so.

There’s a handful of other glitches, too, from players continuing ?their timeout motions and not getting set for the play, to the camera being totally off-center on referees when they make calls or going through players during instant replays, to a noticeable bit of lag toward the end of some games each time after the ball is snapped. Even th??e ESPN graphics in the game will lag out or be choppy at times, and it’s somewhat distracting. 

NCAA Football 11 is also a sign of what’s to come in regards to EA’s plans to make you buy games new instead of used. Each copy of NCAA Football 11 comes with a code that unlocks online multiplayer and the ability to actually use your TeamBuilder teams for free, as well as recruiting reports for Dynasty mode. If you buy it used later, you’ll have to pony up for these features, and in either case, you’ll also have to register an account with EA if you haven’t already done so. It seems like such a hassle, a?nd having to pay just to make good use of TeamBuilder would upset me if I had bought it used, but with no competitors on the market, there’s not a whole lot that can be done about it.

When it comes down to it, though, all of these small things don’t take away from what the teams at EA Tiburon and EA Canada have put together: the most realistic college football experience on videogame consoles to date. Sure, the “glowing” fans and the occasional hiccup might remind you that you’re playing a game, but with the new team introductions, the improved and individualized team playbooks, and heck, even the familiar “ESPN College Gameday” logos and theme that plays during the loading screen, NCAA Football 11 feels much less ??sterile and fake than some of its predecessors.

EA Sports’ slogan has always been “It’s in the game,” and while for many years that was a half-truth for the NCAA Football franchise, this year, it’s more of a “four-fifths-truth,” if I may say. There’s still room for improvement, but for the first time in I can recall, I actually feel like I’m playing a college football game and not just Madden: NCAA Edition. If you like college football, definitely pick thi?s one?? up, because EA’s scored a touchdown with this year’s installment.

Crap, that was a pun, wasn’t it?

Score: 8.0 -- Great (8s are impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.)

The post Review: NCAA Football 11 appeared first on Destructoid.

EA Sports is really excited about NCAA Football 11 -- so much so that they want you to try it out a month before the game's release. The demo features four different college football matchups:? Oklahoma ??at Texas, Florida at Florida State, Miami at Ohio State, and Missouri at Clemson.

I'm not sure if this is the first time this has ever been done, but playing the demo will unlock content in the full game. Playing each matchup will unlock the respective teams' Nike Pro Combat unifo?rms and helmets, and if you recommend t??he game to a friend (just use the in-game menu to send an automated "hey you should check this out" message), you'll unlock the gear for Virginia Tech, TCU, and LSU as well.

Pretty cool, eh? The demo is available now on Xbox Live -- click here to add it to your console's download queue -- and it will be up on the PlayStation Network later today. NCAA Football 11 will be out on July 13 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 2. Be sure to check out my full hands-on preview.

The post NCAA Football 11 demo out today on PS3 and 360 appeared first on Destructoid.

EA Sports’ NCAA Football franchise has tended to lag behind its elder brother, Madden NFL, in terms of the implementation of new features and improvements. That is, you usually see the new stuff hit Madden first, and come to NCAA Football the following year (or sometimes later).

This year, EA Tiburon -- the developer of both titles -- seems to be making a concerted effort to equalize the franchises in that sense. But Madden and NCAAF are still distinct games, as they should be. I got my hands on both of them at a press event in New York City on Wednesday; you’ll have to wait until Monday for my impressions of Madden NFL 11, but you can hit the jump for my thoughts on NCAA Football 11.

NCAA Football 11 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [previewed], PlayStation 2)
Developer: EA Tiburon
Publisher: EA Sports
To be released: July 13, 2010

As far as I could tell in about thirty to forty minutes spent watching and playing NCAA Football 11, the game looks and plays nothing like its predecessors. Immediately noticeable is the stark difference in the visuals: it’s not that the graphics have been “tightened up” a whole bunch, but that the new lighting system goes a long way toward creating a more authentic look that’s still somewhat stylized -- you might call it “hyper-realistic.” To be sure, player models do look better this year, which is mostly thanks to much better-looking (that is, less plastic-looking) skin. But the focus in NCAAF 11 is on the presentation.

NCAAF 11 steps onto the field with a fully realized ESPN presentation. Tiburon went to the sports giant and obtained their latest broadcast graphics, so what you will see in the game will be the same as what you’ll see on TV during Saturdays this fall. It’s not just about in-game statistical overlays, though; NCAAF 11 even includes 3D an?imated screen transitions. The final piece of the puzzle is the &l?dquo;Monolith,” the pre-game matchup graphic with the College Football shield logo -- a setup that’s replete with ESPN’s college football theme music.

The game also looks better because Tiburon has made significant changes to its gameplay -- changes that manifest themselves in the visuals. Thankfully, the Pro-Tak animation system that was the foundation of Madden NFL 10 is present in this game, so you’ll reap the full benefits -- procedurally generated gang tackles and collision animations, lineman movement, and more. Tiburon also reduced the default game speed like they did in Madden 10, a change that leads to a marked difference in the on-the-field action. But the most important improvement this year is a revamped locomotion system, along with dual-stick controls for ball carrier movement -- two major enhancements that are coming to Madden 11 as well as NCAAF 11.

Longtime football videogame players ar??e accust??omed to picking stars who have the rare and coveted 99 speed rating, because in years past, they could simply blow by everyone else. But acceleration plays a much larger role this year: if you have a receiver who isn’t all that fleet of foot, he can still be useful if his acceleration attribute is high, since he’ll be able to reach his top speed quickly and avoid tackles. And momentum matters now -- players will lean realistically, and they won’t be able to turn on a dime (their turning radius is determined by their agility rating).

This ties in with the game’s new dual-stick controls. As ever, the left stick moves your player, but in NCAAF 11, the right an?alog stick offers much more delicate control over how he moves. You won’t be hitting the B button for a spin move anymore. If you push up, your player leans forward; a quarter-circle motion (up, then right or left) will have him lean in a particular direction so he can shy away from the brunt of a would-be big hit. Left or right will juke, but you can alternate between the directions to “bounce” from left foot to right foot in an effort to fake defenders out. Pulling back on the stick performs a hesitation move, and quarter-circles (down, then left or right) will do spins in?? those respective directions.

The system is simply more intuitive than it ever has been before, and the motions make sense in the context of what the ball carrier is doing. What he’s doing on a particular play depends on the offense that his team is running, and that’s where NCAAF 11’s emphasis on differentiating schools comes in. College football is a very different game from the NFL -- the sport is much more wide open at the college level because of the wide variety in offensive styles. Each team is unique, and Tiburon aims to represent that in NCAAF 11. So whether you’re running the spread (like coverboy Tim Tebow’s Florida Gators), or the triple option, or somet??hing else entirely, your team&??rsquo;s playbook and play style will reflect it.

I played a half of football and didn’t get an immediate sense of that, but then, it’s something that can’t easily be conveyed in a short amount of time. But the feel of the game -- the way in which the players move around the field -- is vastly improved, and that was apparent from the moment I picked up the controller. It’s great to see that Madden and NCAAF are heading toward feature parity, especially when the functions in question are as vital as locomotion. NCAAF even has a leg up on Madden this year, with things like the ESPN presentation and an awesome new onsid?e kick meter and camera angl??e.

Because its gameplay is getting closer to Madden’s quickly improving offering, NCAA Football 11 is shaping up to be one of the most impressive entries in the college football franchise. It will be out a month ahead of Madden, so gamers will be able to get a fee?l for the enhanced gameplay systems before the pro football experience launches in mid-August. Who’s?? excited for it?

The post NCAA Football?? 11: Approaching Madden, but retaining its own identity appeared first on Destructoid.

For those looking forward to college football on their PSP this year, you are going to be disappointed. IGN has confirmed that NCAA Football 11 will not be landing on Sony's portable gaming machine. EA doesn't really cite any reasons for this, but why don't we just guess that it has something to do with poor sales of NCAA Football 10 on the system.

If you want to jump into the helmet of your favorite college football player while riding the bus any time soon then you've only got one option now. The iPhone and iPod Touch are having the game released on them as Madden was last year.

It's just sad that Tim Tebow has one less box case to show up on now. Unlucky in box art, lucky in finding an? NFL team th??at really wants to draft you?

NCAA Football 11 not coming to PSP [IGN, via Kotaku]

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Reports that New England is cooling on Tim Tebow have reduced NFL draft experts to tossing out basic guesses as to where the Heisman-winning QB will end up. But while his eventual team and place in the draft is on shaky ground, we do know that the man will show up on the cover of NCAA Football 11.

ESPN was on-site with the boy wonder during his photo shoot for the cover of the annual EA Sports college football title. Tebow told the worldwide sports leader(TM) that he was more excited to learn about the game's dirty little secrets -- all the new stuff, like the "locomotion" trucking engine -- than being on the front of the box. To be honest, we'd be really excited about the money first, and then maybe the game second.

Unlike last year's game, which had different cover athletes for each version, NCAA Football 11 will feature Tebow on the ??box across all platforms.

Tebow talks 'NCAA Football 11' [ESPN]

The post Tim Tebow to grace the cover of NCAA Football 11 appeared first on Destructoid.

You had to look real hard to not see it, but EA omitted NCAA Basketball from its fiscal 2011 lineup of games, which also featured cooler, hipper stuff like "Monopoly Title TBA" and "Hasbro Littlest Pet Shop Title TBA." Digging a bit deeper with EA Sports' David Tinson, Game Informer has confirmed that an NCAA Basketball title is not being developed -- at least,?? not right now.

"We do not have an NCAA Basketball game in development at this time, and we're currently reviewing the future of our NC?AA Basketball business," the heartbreaker Tinson said. "This was a difficult dec??ision, but we remain a committed partner to the NCAA and its member institutions.”

EA Sports Confirms NCAA Basketball Benching [Game Informer]

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Over 1,300 GameStop stores across the country are going to be hosting midnight launch events for NCAA Football 10 on July 13. There will be a tournaments where you’ll be able to win a NCAA Football 10 t-shirt and a NCAA Football 10 Xbox 360 faceplate. You’ll also be able ??to do these thing?s:

• “Ultimate Football Fan” Contests
• Tailgate Party Challenges
• “End Zone Dance” Contests

No word on what ki??nd of prizes y?ou’ll win in the other contests or challenges. If none of that sounds interesting, you can always go for the grand prize of winning a copy of the game. All you’ll have to do to win one is pay the GameStop employee $60 plus tax. Easiest contest ever.

GameStop Hosts Midnight Launch Events for NCAA Football 10

Compete in a One-day Tournament to Win a T-shirt and Xbox 360 Faceplate

GRAPEVINE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME), the world’s largest video game and entertainment software retailer, today announced that it will host midnight launch events for Electronic Arts’ NCAA Football 10 at  more than 1,300 of its? U.S.? locations on Monday, July 13, 2009.

Football fans from any confere??nce will have their chance to represent their team by participating in several activities including:

• “Ultimate Football Fan” Contests
• Tailgate Party Challenges
• “End Zone Dance” Contests
• In-store tournaments

The tournament will test players’ skills on the field against other contestants on NCAA Football 10 on the Xbox 360. Starting at 10 p.m., players will be randomly paired off for the opening match and continue until the last two players remain to compete. The winner of the final match goes home with an NCAA Football 10 T-shirt and Xbox 360 faceplate.

Whether you’re a first time player or a repeated fan, NCAA Football 10 has new features to offer including the all-new Season Showdown which ? ensures everything you do counts toward your goal of helping your school become the best in the nation. With the game’s innovative features, you will have every advantage you need? to get your team to the national championship in 2010.

For additional details and to obtain a list of participating tournament locations, visit a local GameStop retail location or //www.gamestop.com/ncaafootball.

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EA is aware that NCAA Football 2009 has some unfortunate and glaring issues. The first patch to the game is expected around next week. It is set to resolve both the nasty roster glitch and reordering depth chart issue. According to Pasta Padre, an??other patch for the game has already been sent to the authorities at both Sony and Microso??ft.

This second patch will fix a pretty big list of stuff that I never even encountered while I played the game. Some of the things mentioned are a fix for recruiting exploits, improved coverage on kicks, and “Slider” correction. The second patch is expected to get through the ve?rification process by early September. This should be just in time for the third patch, which will address the “accessibility to people that don’t normally play sports games” and NCAA football exclusi?vity issues.

Hit the break for the full list on the second patch, and hope that the first one actually fixes the roster busine??ss.

Bug Fixes

Online

• Ability to view your Online Dynasty HQ through EA Sports World

• Improved online performance

Dynasty

• Fixed a couple recruiting exploits

• Faster simming between weeks

Custom Stadium Sounds

• The “All” option will now only work when the user is the home team

Gameplay

• Improved coverage on kicks

• Hook Zones depth keeps defenders in their zones

• Fixed an issue with the Strafe Catch

• Allow fumbles to occur when diving

• WR screen routes improved

Bug Fixes

• Sliders will now work correctly

• An issue with missing stats after simming has been fixed

• Ball carrier will no longer run out of bounds when changing hands and heading towards the sidelines

• Fixed an exploit that allowed the slot receiver to burn the safeties in a prevent defense

• Fixed a bug where the the ball would hit the cross bar, drop through, and not be counted

• Fixed a bug that would prevent Hot Routes from working

The post NCAA 09 patch details appeared first on Destructoid.

The casual gamer is a popular fellow nowadays. Nearly every publishing giant is seeking him out, culling to his desire, whim?, and limited amount of playing time. Thus far this generation, no other console has sated the casual taste more than the Wii, and EA wants a big piece of that.  

Yesterday, EA announced a new casual sports umbrella called EA SPORTS All-Play, exclusively for the Wii. All-Play is a conglomeration of every EA sports titles, specifically retrofitted for the wiggle and waggle of the Wii remote. The lineup of Madden, NBA LIVE, FIFA, Tiger Woods Golf, and NCAA Football is set to start hitting the aisles of videogame vendors in July, starting with NCAA Football 2009.

The title promises all the splendors of &ld??quo;novice” gaming, including intuitive controls and lame menus. The rest of the lineup will ??hit throughout the late summer into the fall. My personal favorite tattooed president Peter Moore has this to say about All-Play:

"We're excited to take five of our most popular franchises and develop them from the ground up exclusively for the Wii, with unique controls, unique presentation, unique modes and even unique packaging. Whether you're an EA SPORTS veteran or a rookie gamer, EA SPORTS All?-Play levels the playing field and delivers a fresh new gaming experience."

I think he forgo?t to mention “or I’ll ink this press release on my buttocks.” Hit the break for the full press release of the affair, complete with rosy descriptions of every title in the lineup.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.  – June 2??6, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq: ERTS) has unveiled new game details and the unique line-look for its "EA SPORTS™ All-Play" pro??????????????????????????ducts shipping this summer and fall for the Wii™.  Designed for social play and featuring unique controls, distinct presentation and a style of play that is inviting to players of all skill levels, EA SPORTS will ship five "All-Play" games in 2008, including next month's NCAA® Football 09 All-Play.

"The Wii platform and the Wii consumer are looking for a very unique sports experience," said Peter Moore, president of EA SPORTS.  "We're excited to take five of our most popular franchises and develop them from the ground up exclusively for the Wii, with unique controls, unique presentation, unique modes and even unique pa?ckaging. Whether you're an EA SPORTS veteran or a rookie gamer, EA SPORTS All-Play levels the playing field and delivers a fresh new gaming experience."

EA SPORTS?? will ship the following games,?? all with an MSRP of $49.99, this fall under the "All-Play" descriptor:

NCAA Football 09 All-Play

Release Date: July 15, 2008

NCAA Football 09 All-Play debuts on the Wii in July with stylized gameplay that is quick and easy for fans to jump in and out of great head-to-head action.  The game features All-Play controls, a multiplayer social experience that allows novice users to compete against advanced players and still enjoy success.  All-Play controls are designed for the more novice fans, but also feature a traditional default setting for? the more seasoned veterans.  NCAA Football 09 All-Play features nearly 200 schools, making it the most authentic college sports gaming experience available for the Wii.

Madden NFL 09 All-Play

Release Date: August 12, 2008

Madden NFL 09 All-Play features fun, approachable and innovative gameplay by unleashing the power of the Wii Remote through the all-new EA SPORTS Call Your Shots feature.  Call Your Shots allows the player to create his or her own plays on the fly and direct receivers where they should run.  Gamers of all skill levels can also enjoy an all-new fast paced 5-on-5 mode which has a reduced field length and big head NFL players.  Experienced Madden players or rookies to the game can utilize the all-new play calling system.  No matter the skill level, players can be competitive with three playbooks to choose from, ranging from Easy to ??Advanced.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 All-Play

Release Date: August 26, 2008

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 09 All-Play features personalized coaching from Tiger Woods' personal coach, Hank Haney and all types of gamers can pick up this game and have a fun and challenging experience.  Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 All-Play features new graphics and user interface while also incorporating interactive and social mini-games.  The standing swing control, the most "true to life" golf mechanic you can find in any videogame, truly takes advantage of the Wii console's unique control scheme.  The game will also feature online play for the first time with Simultaneous Online Play that allows up to four players the ability to play each hole at the same? time.

NBA LIVE 09 All-Play

Release Date: October 7, 2008 (??North America); October 14, 2008 (Worldwide)

Step onto the court and into the fun with a unique basketball experience designed exclusively for the Wii. NBA LIVE 09 All-Play offers more action, more often, with an over-the-top basketball experience designed with everyone in mind. Improved responsiveness and mor??e control options make this game easier and more fun to play than ever before.

FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play

Release Date: October 14, 2008

Step onto the pitch and play a unique soccer experience exclusively for the Wii. Enjoy FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play one of two ways—a Wii-specific take on the classic '11 vs. 11' simulation or over-the-top '8 vs. 8' arcade action. Play with your Mii™ alongs??ide your heroes Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney and other soccer stars created as customized characters in an arcade version of the beautiful game. Steal the ball and make outrageous shots by simply waving your Wii Remote. You've never played soccer like this before! Plus, play Footii Party Games called Table Soccer and Boot It for more great fun wit??h family and friends.

EA SPORTS is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, ?with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL Football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

For more information on EA SPORTS All-Play, the full line-up of All-Play titles, game features, overview vi??deos and more, please visit the all-new All-Play website at www.easports.com/eaallplay.

The post EA announces All-Play umbrella for the Wii appeared first on Destructoid.

Remember all those posts I did on EA’s staggered reveals of the coverboys for the different console versions of NCAA Football 09? Well, if you’re planning on picking up the game at Sam’s Club, none of that is going to matter. Check Out, a blog from a group of techie Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club employees, announced a very special exclusive artwork program today.

For no additional charge, you can choose from a selection of college mascot images to use as your own personal cover for NCAA Football 09. If you check out the gallery belo??w, for example, you??’ll see that one of the options is the Notre Dame leprechaun; while Sam’s Club says that they “cannot have every mascot option available,” there will still be a wide array of images.

As long as your local Sam’s Club has a Photo Center, you’ll be able to take advantage of this exclusive offer; Sam’s Club will be the only retailer with official EA alternative cover images. Head on over to your area’s store on July 15th to pick up your personalized copy of NCAA Football 09.

[Via Check Out -- thanks, Dale!]

The post Create your own NCAA Football 09 cover at Sam’s Club appeared first on Destructoid.

College football fans, you can stop biting your nails. After a long wait — the 360 version’s cover was announced way back on March 6th, and the Wii version’s cover was unveiled twelve days later — we finally know the identity of the PS3 version’s coverboy for NCAA Football 09: Matt Ryan, former quarte?rback for the Boston College Eagles.

EA’s press release (hit the jump) mentions that Ryan (who is entering the 2008 NFL Draft) will join Darren McFadden, the 360 version’s coverboy, as a spokesman for the game. I bet Spart?y is feeling left out at the moment... The PR babble also discus??ses numerous features and highlights of the game, including its Dynasty Mode and Home Field Advantage.

In addition to the official press release, EA sent over eight brand spanking new screenshots of the game, three of which feature newly crowned coverboy Ryan. Along with the first trailer, this game is looking pretty good. Curiously, Ryan’s number in the game is 10, though Ryan wore #12 for the Eagles. You can check out the shots below, along with the PS3 box. The PS2 and PSP version??s will share the same artwork; it’ll be revealed in early May.

NCAA Football 09 will be ou?t on J??uly 15th for the PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, PSP, and mobile devices.

EA BRINGS THE ELECTRICITY OF BIG PLAY SATURDAY IN NCAA FOOTBALL 09

Ryan Featured on PLAYSTATION 3 Pack Front of NCAA Football 09

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., – April 23, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that NCAA® Football 09, scheduled for release in North America on July 15, will feature wide open gameplay, college atmosphere and online enhancements. This year's iteration of NCAA Football brings to life the fun and excitement of gameday Saturdays. In addition, former Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan will be the cover athlete for NCAA Football 09 on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. This year, the packaging for each of the NCAA Football 09 console platforms will feature an excl??usi?ve cover athlete.

"NCAA Football 09 showcases everything that ma?kes college football exciting and unique," said Executive Producer Jeremy Strauser. "From enhanced gameplay and presentation to our online Dynasty Mode offering - the only franchise mode online for EA SPORTS, we feel that this will be a standout product accurately reflecting the college football experience and also captures the true emotion of football on Saturdays."

College football has never before felt more wide open than in NCAA Football 09. Gamers will experience the excitement of making big plays on the field, as they will have the ability to directly control and influence the game through the all-new break away animation engine. With huge cut-back lanes, new tackling animations and wider blocking holes, NCAA Football 09 offers a host of offensive opportunities.

NCAA Football 09 also brings the atmosphere, pageantry and tradition of college football to life. Through the redesigned stadiums, which reflect even more detail of each school's individual playing field, to the dynamic sidelines filled with school?? colors, cheerleaders and mascots, players will feel the excitement of college gameday. Players can gain Home Field Advantage as the intensity of the?? home crowd rises and rattles the composure of opposing teams. All 120 Football Bowl Subdivision schools are represented in the game and players can even customize the in-game atmosphere with their own personal music collection.

Off the field, NCAA Football 09 features its most robust Dynasty Mode yet, inviting?? fans to create and manage a perennial powerhouse program from landing blue-chip recruits to winning championships on the field. For the first time ever, Dynasty goes online with up to 12 competitors to r??ecruit head-to-head, customize schedules and play for up to 60 seasons.

Former college football standout Matt Ryan will join former Arkansas All-American Darren McFadden as a spokesman and cover athlete for NCAA Football 09. Ryan will be featured on the ?PLAYSTATION®3 cover and as a fou??r-year player, he finished his career at Boston College as the school's career leader in pass completions and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference's Offensive Player of the Year in 2007. In his senior season, he helped lead the Eagles to an 11-3 record and a victory over Michigan State in the Champs Sports Bowl. Ryan was awarded the 2008 Manning Award, which is given each year to the nation's top senior quarterback.

The remaining?? two exclusive cover athletes for the ?PlayStation®2 and the PSP®(PlayStation®Portable) systems will be unveiled the beginning of May.

Developed in Orlando, Fla., by EA Tiburon, NCAA Football 09 will be available for the PlayStation 2 and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment systems, the PSP system, the Wii™, the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system, and mobile. For more information about NCAA Football 09 please visit www.ncaafootball09.com.

EA SPORTS&tr??ade;? is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL®, NBA LIVE, NCAA® football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

The post Trifecta completed: EA r??eveals NCAA Football 09 PS3 cov?er artwork appeared first on Destructoid.

A good amount of sports fans prefer college football to pro football. Here’s why: college football is, well, less professional than the NFL. This often lends itself to a more exciting game. You’ll see many more trick plays and lead changes, but that’s also due to the lower skill level — d-backs blow coverages, linebackers miss tackles, and overall, things are just more crazy. In the spirit of spicing things up on the college end, EA is featuring four different athletes on the covers of the varying platform versions of their upcoming college football videogame, NCAA Football 09.

The 360 version’s cover was the first to be made public. The lucky college football star is Darren McFadden, former tailback for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. (Aside: Colleges also have one other thing over the NFL...awesome mascots.) A two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up and All-American, McFadden left college after the 2007 season (his j??unior year) and has entered the 2008 NFL Draft. I tell ya, these kids are going to have nothing to fall back on if football doesn’t pan out...

The official press release from EA (después del salto) also mentions the future unveiling of the Break Away Animation Engine, which will make on-field movements much more fluid and responsive by allowing gamers to &?ldquo;break” in and out of animations. As for the rest of the covers, here’s the schedule. Next up will be the Wii version’s artwork, which EA will reveal on March 18th; the PS3 cover won’t be shown until April 24th. The PS2 and PSP versions will share the same cover, which won’t see the light of day until early May. Check out McFadden on the 360 box below. Any guesses for the other three coverboys?

[via The Man Room — thanks, Jonathan!]

EA Selects Darren McFadden as the First of Four Cover Athletes for NCAA FOOTBALL 09

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - March 6, 2008 - Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that former University of Arkansas running back and two time All-American recipient, Darren McFadden, will appear on the front cover of NCAA® Football 09 for the Xbox 360™ video game entertainment system, scheduled for release on July 15, 2008. This year, the packaging for each of the NCAA Football 09 console platforms will feature an exclusive cover athlete. Following McFadden on the Xbox 360 package front will be three other cover athletes from different regions throughout the county to appear on the box art for NCAA Football 09 on the PlayStation® 2 and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems, and t??he PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.

During McFadden's three year career at the University of Arkansas, the two-tim?e Heisman Trophy runner-up earned three First Team All-SEC selections, was named the SEC coaches and Associated Press "Offensive Player of the Year", received the 2007 Walter Camp Award, and was the first Sophomore to receive the Doak Walker Award for the best college Running Back two years in row. McFadden holds multiple University of Arkansas records, the most notable being the Razorback's all-time leading rusher with 4,485 yards in only 37 career games.

NCAA Football 09 will unveil the all-new Break Away Animation Engine which allows gamers to break in and out of moves giving the user more direct control as well as instant influence and responsiveness on the field . At its core, NCAA Football 09 will focus on wide-open collegiate style gameplay featuring unique animations that you will only find on college football Saturdays. This style of gameplay will allow agile backs like McFadden to show off their break out speed and maneuverability in-?game.

"These four athletes represent the best ??and brightest of college football, but our selections aren't just about Heisman candidates and All Americans," says Sr. director of marketing Tom Goedde. "They represent the spirit and passion of the sport in the same way EA SPORTS video games do."

In anticipation for the NFL Draft, EA will announce the exclusive cover athlete for the PLAYSTATION 3 system on April 24, while the exclusive cover athletes for the PlayStation 2 and the PSP systems will be unveiled the beginning of May. The Wii™ cover will feature the winner from the NCAA Football 09 Cover Mascot Challenge, and will be announced on the NCAA Football 09 website on March 18.

Developed in Orlando, Fla., by EA Tiburon, NCAA Football 09 will be available for the PlayStation 2 and PLAYSTATION 3 systems, the PSP system, the Wii and the Xbox 360 system. For more information about NCAA Football 09 please visit www.ncaafootball09.com.

EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the worl??d, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NF?L football, FIFA Soccer, NHL®, NBA LIVE, NCAA® football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

The post NCAA Football 09 cover artwork unveiled…well, one of the covers, anyway appeared first on Destructoid.