Madden 09 debut video
by 
Gametrailers has posted the first truly representative footage from Madden 09. Unlike the usual first trailers for games this one focuses on displaying gameplay and some of the new elements that surround it. Just recently it was IGN that put out a short clip showing off Madden 09 which came from an especially early build of the game (didn’t include commentators and or even show off the play call screen or any presentation enhancements). About the only thing to get out of it was the snow visuals and new score/info bar. Obviously that was not the first look that EA had expected everyone would get to see of the game. So they’ve answered with a new video that, per producer Phil Frazier, spotlights:
- New Game Intro with Stadium Fly-In
- Major Graphical upgrades- from grass to players to lighting
- New Play Call with On-Demand Options including Stats and Instant Replay
- New Banners including Starting Line-Ups
- Smoother looking tackles and animations
- New QB movements
- Break-away camera
- User Controlled Celebrations
Overall the video looks fantastic with the atmosphere and presentation having received huge lifts. Everything noted above appear as though they’ll be very positive additions.
I would like to see the camera flashes toned down or removed during regular gameplay. I have never noticed flashes during the course of a game let alone constantly throughout (although I can understand having them at kickoff or on the final snap of a victory at home). They’re more distracting than anything during standard play. The user controlled celebration squares of light in the end zone detract from the realistic feel as well and they’d be better off without them. I’m not a big fan of the kickoff cinematic either considering in 08 it meant you could avoid kicking to a dangerous returner such as Devin Hester. If it would just cut off immediately after the kick, or if they had the option to have one returner handle it instead of two back deep, that wouldn’t be the case.
Continue on to view the video.
May 3, 2008 at 7:11 am
This isn’t really an early build as the game is done they are just testing out gameplay, sliderrs, glitches. The game is done in about a month.
May 3, 2008 at 9:12 am
[quote comment="20034"][quote comment="20031"]well obviously the AI for the defense hasn’t been changed since randy moss is just chillin wide open on a screen and then follows the yellow brick road right to a TD. this is gonna be the 09 edition of the double wr play from madden 08.[/quote]
Since it was Randy Moss and the Pats, that is a very accurate play… Don’t you remember; 16-0, Like 50 TDs for Brady? Those are like videogame stats! But guess what, it was real life….
May 3, 2008 at 9:34 am
Pasta when are you going to have the info about NCAA 09 about the 99 players top players for each position top 25 teams and that when will you have that info????
May 3, 2008 at 10:14 am
[quote comment="20041"]NO more inhuman defenders that know were the ball is without even looking.[/quote]
Huge issue.
May 3, 2008 at 10:14 am
what about the details red gloves on the giants attaire orange gloves For the bengals instead of all black orange gloves for the dolphin uniforms…….nike cleats,new nfl gloves not the ones from madden 05 have did EA change
May 3, 2008 at 11:52 am
espn intergration? if they have the license why not use it to the max? i really hope they take advantage of it this year. i have said this b4,out of the 85 new features how many will be old features from pass editions of madden?offensive line slide protection is not new and does not count in my book. it my be new to NEXT GEN but not madden,and im sure thats all 09 will be, a whole lot of bells and whistles from previous maddens that they will claim to new . madden himself is supposed to be in this game.the artcle i read didnt state what he’ll be doing. to bad he wont be doing monday night football. i really hope EA reads these boards and make some changes
May 3, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Regarding the ESPN license, EA clearly has no intention of reproducing an ESPN broadcast.
We all know NFL 2K5 did an amazing (some would say legendary) job, but EA is not trying to copy 2K. That much is clear. I don’t think we’ll ever get the feel of an ESPN broadcast again. EA would rather design its own unique presentation, even if it takes them YEARS to figure it out.
But no matter what EA does, it’s almost impossible to replicate the excitement created by Chris Berman in NFL 2K5 when he would introduce the match-up.
May 3, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Pasta:
Do you have any idea if in this madden u are going to be able to edit a players position like in th xbox version (example: make Trevor Pryce a DT instead of a LE or Paul Posluszny an OLB instead of a MLB)? And I mean changing their position, not just align ‘em like that in the depth chart.
Thanks.
May 3, 2008 at 1:33 pm
That was sweet moss doing the soulja boy
May 3, 2008 at 6:25 pm
[quote comment="20068"]Regarding the ESPN license, EA clearly has no intention of reproducing an ESPN broadcast.
We all know NFL 2K5 did an amazing (some would say legendary) job, but EA is not trying to copy 2K. That much is clear. I don’t think we’ll ever get the feel of an ESPN broadcast again. EA would rather design its own unique presentation, even if it takes them YEARS to figure it out.
But no matter what EA does, it’s almost impossible to replicate the excitement created by Chris Berman in NFL 2K5 when he would introduce the match-up.[/quote]
yo u hit the nail right on the head there ea has not tried and will not try to copy 2k all though 2k’s presentation was better ea is a pretty decent one
May 3, 2008 at 10:17 pm
[quote comment="20041"]Heres what im hoping they fixed for 09.
Better “loft” on the ball. So you can actual throw a fade to the corner of the endzone.
Remove or fix spectacular catch, its completly unrealistic.
Get a actual pocket so the QB doesnt have to dropback 15 yards every play.
More cutscenes, fans, vendors, sidelines, huddle etc…stat overlays should have already been in a football game. Its a joke they call it a feature.
Less “HIGHLIGHT” tackles and more basic wrap up tackles.
Being able to double block defenders.
NO more inhuman defenders that know were the ball is without even looking.
Less lag online
Refs on the field
Ability to choose what you want to challenge
Real time injuries, guess grab there hamstrings mid play etc
Late hits, face maske, real time penalties. I wanna be able to replay and SEE the penalty.[/quote]
That’s a great list! I whole heartedly agree! You would think those would’ve been the 1st things they worked on but they spent the majority of the time working on online leagues. I don’t have a problem with them adding online leagues but it kills me how people make it seem like online leagues is the most important improvement that needs to be made. EA needs to get all of the basic aspects of NFL football mastered before they add any more “features” because they still haven’t done that.
May 4, 2008 at 1:41 am
[quote comment="20106
That's a great list! I whole heartedly agree! You would think those would've been the 1st things they worked on but they spent the majority of the time working on online leagues. I don't have a problem with them adding online leagues but it kills me how people make it seem like online leagues is the most important improvement that needs to be made. EA needs to get all of the basic aspects of NFL football mastered before they add any more "features" because they still haven't done that.[/quote]
Exactly, why add things like custimizable celebrations when you cant even double block people!!
Its just like EA to release features 5 years late and claim there new. Anything EA does Visual Concepts (2k) thought of first and did it better.
Online leagues, gang tackles, user celebrations, a decent prensention 2k was doing this stuff 5 years ago, just imagine if they could have built onto this year after year.
EA cant even get the basics of football down.
May 4, 2008 at 6:45 am
[quote comment="19876"]some people are just never happy, compare to madden 08 this is like night and day…all i really want for this game is tv like presentation like nfl 2k5 and i will be super happy.[/quote]
-you have just contradicted exactly what your point was. the question is why should we(the consumer) be happy? should we have a reason? nfl 2k5 came out 4 years ago..and the technology still passes what is done today. I am however, impressed with this new footage.
but why does it take so long to actually just do what is right? customers should not settle for less just because the sheep masses will go out and buy a turd with madden 09 on it…i dont control that nor would i but the fact of the matter is some consumers want their $90 worth of a game. and not settle for less..some love to others (like me) don’t. its not that I hate madden, I hate medocrity…and for the past years EA has been giving just that
May 4, 2008 at 10:25 am
amen brother!
May 4, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Anyone that says “people are never happy” are idiot sheeeeeple. And actually I was happy with ESPN NFL FOOTBALL 2k5. And also enjoy All Pro just fine.
May 4, 2008 at 10:49 pm
What’s good family? I’m a new member to this site and I must say that after reading some of the blogs in regards to Madden ‘09, I feel right at home! I can’t tell you how glad I am to find a site that tells it like it is when it comes to Madden. I too have been playing it a long, long, time, (since the days of Sega Genesis 16 Bit to be exact), and I can’t tell you how disapointed I am year after year with the quality of this game. I even went so far as to write a letter directly to the gamers responsible for this shell of a game before the ‘08 version of Madden came out. In this letter I voiced alot of the same concerns and frustrations that I am reading here this morning. I tell you what I think EA can do to solve alot of the obvious complaints that we all seem to have, JUST USE THE 2K5 as a FORMAT FOR THE GAME!!!!!!!!!!! It was GREAT!!!!!!!!
After reading some of the comments, I know I’m not alone in thinking that 2K5 got the presentation portion of the game right! I was and still am so p/o that EA bought out the rights to the NFLPA so 2K couldn’t develop an even better version for the next gen consoles. Isn’t it funny that the 2k8 NBA is simply awsome and the NBA live sucks? Lets just all hope EA doesn’t get any bright ideas and buys out the rights to the NBA, (please don’t do that to us David Stern)!!!!!
In closing, is there anyone who can tell me the best way to attempt to get these complaints to the folks at EA? I’m so tired of being disapointed year after year. Holla. (Vonjingo)
May 5, 2008 at 6:59 am
[quote comment="19866"]I am still waiting for the videos to come out that show the Chris Berman half time show & draft coverage by Mel Kiper (actually been waiting for this for a few years now). NFL2K5 had this and its inexcusable that Madden hasnt incorporated this yet. Fixes to lighting and prettier stat overlays wont convince me to buy this game anymore, they better start stepping up.[/quote]
I feel like all the things you just stated could be entirely another game—Oh Head Coach!!!! The purpose of Madden is to get the actual football gameplay, if you want all the bells and whistles for draft day then once again go buy Head Coach!
May 5, 2008 at 7:18 am
What makes NBA 2k8 so awesome? Sure it has decent gameplay compared to Live, but the graphics and the animations look mediocre at best. NBA Live on the other lacks gameplay, but is superior to NBA 2k8 when it comes to graphics and online gaming for example. In my opinion both of these games were mediocre. I hope EA continue to show progress this year with they NBA franchise.
May 5, 2008 at 8:11 am
wack should be called madden 08.5 no new tackles, no new catches,basically the animations was the same from last year…details where awful vince wilfork look like a linebacker…. they never change the nfl equipment to make look presentable for example why is randy moss wearing dark blue gloves the should be wearing red nike nfl offical gloves…everybody still wears reebook cleats but half of the players wear nike,under armor cleats,and addias. Madden EA staff is just lazy…i rather play ncaa 09 then this piece of garbage…i know what they can do buy out take two and fire the ea staff and hire nfl 2k family cuase um this outright lazy work…oh the only thing new is flashing lights and the grass wooooooooooooooooooow oh thats what i been waiting for all these years…NOT.. i can careless.. its other more important features to worry about in a game then that …. what joke u are EA madden staff…
May 5, 2008 at 1:27 pm
I wish all the Madden Sheep would wise up out of their commercially induced comas a realize that EA and Madden is just the same recycled trash year in and year out. Madden is just a kiddie Arcade football game marketed as a football sim, which is a total crap. Graphics seem to be the most important factor when it comes to the EA Sports Sheep Consumer which is pathetic, GAMEPLAY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND 2K DELIVERS A REALISTIC FOOTBALL EXPERIENCE but because of the NFL license deal and the commercially induced generation of gamer it suffered in the sales dept.
Untill the Madden Sheep stops buying the crap EA will never make a decent game, so its in your hands. DON’T BUY EA PORTS PRODUCTS!!!!.
APF 2K8 is the greatest football sim to date, so if you are a real football fan that is what you should be playing, not the arcade, label induced garbage called Madden.
May 5, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Its about time! Thanks to the new producer it seems like the Madden team finally got some good presentation in this game. Looks better thatn 2K did and thats saying alot. I like the cut screens, the camera flashes in the stands, etc. Looks excellent and we finally get a commentary team! Was I the only one noticing passes being completed that you would never try on 08, like over a linebackers head? Looks like the LB’s have a more realistic reaction time. And the screen pass to Moss would have been a tackle for a loss in previous Maddens but he had a BURST of SPEED that I have never seen in a Madden Maybe the acceleration rating will come into play better this year?
May 5, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Ive returned Madden after a week every year and kept my NCAA. We will see this year. I think I wont buy NCAA and only get Madden and keep NCAA 08 for my college fever. If Madden blows I can allways sell it for the new NCAA but I have a feeling this year is going to be different.
May 5, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Game looks amazing. I wish I had a mos-def TV to view it in all its glory. Still bugs me that EA puts in those arcady-looking “weapons” icons. They put so much effort into the graphical looks of the game, but now you have to look at that crap on the field. They’re trying to make it look like a real football game and they screw it up with those things. I also hope we don’t see “hike” under center every time, like maybe those are “tips” you can turn off.
May 5, 2008 at 2:36 pm
And whoever said the camera flashes are overdone is retarded. When you go to a game sometimes the flashes are very distracting and bright. Thought the flashes added to the atmosphere very well. Im not saying I like everything I see but it looks like I might actually KEEP Madden for more than a week this year.
May 5, 2008 at 3:22 pm
If you are really blind and actually like Madden please rent it first that way you can keep it a week find out its the same recycled trash and then you won’t be contributing to the destruction of Sports Gaming by giving EA money.
EA=Worst sports publisher in the history of gaming
Madden = Worst Football Franchise ever created.
EA Sports=Dumbed Down Sports.
EA’s Madden Hype Machine= The most successful marketing strategy ever. It reels in the commercially induced gamers in droves who care not how the game plays but WHO they are playing with. You have to hand it to EA.
May 5, 2008 at 5:25 pm
EA = 5 years late on all features.
The ability to return FGs was in 2k8 and they didnt call it a “feature”.
WHY are all the madden sheep getting excited when EA puts out features 2k had years ago.
May 5, 2008 at 11:56 pm
[quote comment="20267"]Its about time! Thanks to the new producer it seems like the Madden team finally got some good presentation in this game. Looks better thatn 2K did and thats saying alot. I like the cut screens, the camera flashes in the stands, etc. Looks excellent and we finally get a commentary team! Was I the only one noticing passes being completed that you would never try on 08, like over a linebackers head? Looks like the LB’s have a more realistic reaction time. And the screen pass to Moss would have been a tackle for a loss in previous Maddens but he had a BURST of SPEED that I have never seen in a Madden Maybe the acceleration rating will come into play better this year?[/quote]
Are you high or just incredibly stupid??
I only saw blinking camera, a shaky camera and some stat overlays. 2k had cutscenes of fans, vendors, coaches, players talking on sidelines, pregame with berman, halftime with bermen, HIGHLIGHTS at half and end of game, sideline reports with suzy kolber.
May 7, 2008 at 3:54 pm
I really want to like Madden 09 but EA games have no soul to them. They are lifeless!! After a few times playing them I’m left with the feeling of pretty graphics but little else. Its the little things that count with me and after 4 years on the next Gen system they still have the side lines looking like that, no refs, no chain gang, no nets behind the goalposts…it is just shameful. It just makes me upset and madd…
I like everyone else want the game play to be tight but I also want it to represent the NFL the way its suppose to…. EA Sports have become so lazzy in resent years its truly, truly shameful and this is coming from a fomer diehard EA fan. If the game shows no more promise then this they wont get my money this year.
May 8, 2008 at 6:03 am
[quote comment="20315"][quote comment="20267"]Its about time! Thanks to the new producer it seems like the Madden team finally got some good presentation in this game. Looks better thatn 2K did and thats saying alot. I like the cut screens, the camera flashes in the stands, etc. Looks excellent and we finally get a commentary team! Was I the only one noticing passes being completed that you would never try on 08, like over a linebackers head? Looks like the LB’s have a more realistic reaction time. And the screen pass to Moss would have been a tackle for a loss in previous Maddens but he had a BURST of SPEED that I have never seen in a Madden Maybe the acceleration rating will come into play better this year?[/quote]
Are you high or just incredibly stupid??
I only saw blinking camera, a shaky camera and some stat overlays. 2k had cutscenes of fans, vendors, coaches, players talking on sidelines, pregame with berman, halftime with bermen, HIGHLIGHTS at half and end of game, sideline reports with suzy kolber.[/quote]
In all honesty yeah that was cool and I still play 2k5 on my 360. But I never watch Burman or Kolber or the halftime anymore. I just hit the A button and play some ball. 2K is a grat game but play NCAA 08 and then 2k5 and its very apparent how old school 2K5 has become. I just wish Madden would catch up to NCAA one day.
May 8, 2008 at 6:12 am
2k8 had alot of cool stuff too. All the players on the sideline had individual AI and would catch players running out of bounds or fall down or whatever, it was very lifelike. Also I knew if my player had a hamstring injury before the announcers said anything because he would grab his leg DURING the play and limp…VERY COOL! The animations seemed more realistic but the game was not very responsive and eventually got boring to play. There was not a franchise mode, no draft at the end of the year, and it just got boring. I think if 2k could make an NFL game then I would most definately buy it over Madden but that aint going to happen.
SOO if you want to miss out on the new NFL experience by not buying Madden, the only NFL game out there because your stuck in the good ol 2K5 days then so be it. I mean I really played the crap out of Super Tecmo Bowl but man times change!
May 8, 2008 at 6:22 pm
The thing is guys all EA cares about is money! They’re are not stupid guys who just sit around & don’t know how to make a true football sim, they just choose not to on purpose. There’s a method behind their maddness. They leave important aspects of the game out on purpose so they can have something to add “next year”. Think about it, they could of easily added refs & chaingangs on the field this year but the are to busy catoring to the “casual fan”. They know that they’ve already built such a solid fanbase over the years & that combined with them owning the NFL liscence, they know that the only way to get your fix is to buy Madden. So just keep that in mind before you spend so energy knocking EA. They’re probably sitting back laughing at all of us. If they wanted to they could make the best game ever but if they did what would we have to look forward to next year? I know that’s BS but it’s true.
May 8, 2008 at 6:23 pm
[quote comment="20604"]The thing is guys is that all EA cares about is money! They’re not stupid guys who just sit around & don’t know how to make a true football sim, they just choose not to on purpose. There’s a method behind their maddness. They leave important aspects of the game out on purpose so they can have something to add “next year”. Think about it, they could of easily added refs & chaingangs on the field this year but the are to busy catoring to the “casual fan”. They know that they’ve already built such a solid fanbase over the years & that combined with them owning the NFL liscence, they know that the only way to get your fix is to buy Madden. So just keep that in mind before you spend so energy knocking EA. They’re probably sitting back laughing at all of us. If they wanted to they could make the best game ever but if they did what would we have to look forward to next year? I know that’s BS but it’s true.[/quote]