Live Blog: NFL Head Coach 09
May 29, 2008 by pastapadre
428: It is tough to go over everything about Head Coach or experience it in a short amount of time so I’ll do my best recapping it late tonight. We had a producer presentation and have since been playing. This one is more difficult because it is only single player and we only have 360 builds so there isn’t as much chance to do some digging. Any specific questions on it feel free to drop in the comments. I have some videos for play creating and one of me running through a draft. There is so much though packed into this game its crazy.
431: It was funny when I first pulled up the player ratings, I thought people were going to freak out. Apparently it is a bug in the front end where I was viewing them. Tony Romo has a 78, Peyton Manning an 88, Tom Brady 86, ect. All the player ratings were really low. Don’t go crazy though I was told those weren’t correct and would be fixed. I warned them though that Cowboys fans would riot if those were real. Ratings ultimately will also be somewhat dependent on the system that each is playing in and how well they fit into it.
434: From my time playing so far it seems likely that I’ll spend more time doing tasks outside of the actual managing during games. I’ll probably supersim through the games as I’m not patient enough to go through them and call every single play making adjustments and all that. Games are defaulted to 15 minute quarters with accelerated clocks which turns out realistic results.
438: The draft is really fun to go through as it is very interactive in that you can work on trades, adjust your draft board, guess who each team is going to pick, instant reaction on the choice with a fan poll, ect. All of this with updates from Adam Schefter and Todd McShay throughout.
439: Answering some questions from the comments. The only interaction with Madden is the play creator, and there is no ability to call plays using a headset.
440: The build has some bugs that have been pointed out to the producers, most dealing with display problems in the playbooks.
446: Online play will offer head-to-head only in the form of supersim. This should get the games to go by quickly as you’ll be picking plays but not seeing them materialize on the field. They also consider the created play sharing to be an online feature. The game will have roster updates as well.
448: You can set depth chart, route progression, on specific plays if you’d like. They also give the ability to make any changes you want to the depth chart, so you can put in a WR at QB if you want to.
451: Just asked regarding a possible PAL release. Currently no plans for one, though the PS3 is region free so that would be the only option there.
458: I really like how every area is accessed through the coach clipboard. There is very little having to do with navigation.
502: You can choose to take on a current coach or create your own. The create-a-coach isn’t nearly as detailed as you’ll find in a game like Tiger Woods though.
504: Trying to get up the draft video before I head off to play more, its almost 8 minutes long though (even though I rushed through much of it) so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get it up now or just late tonight.
508: It is actually somewhat overwhelming the number of things you can do and all that you can have control over. For anyone who loves to analyze every detail of running a team they’re going to love that. Personally I think in a more comfortable setting without the time crunch it’ll be a lot of fun. This really isn’t the ideal situation for getting into this game.
511: I know I’ve had a bunch of questions asked previously for Head Coach, I’ll try to respond to some of them in my full impressions late tonight.
516: Did a few trades and free agent negotiations. The trades during the draft were really cool. You’d select to try and trade up or down, and you’d already have a few teams there who were showing interest. Click on them and you’d see like 15 different possible packages, ranging from really good for you to really good for them. Usually they wanted more than I was willing to give up, but you could make a deal by compromising. The free agents are like a bidding process with the clock running low, some teams will lose interest at certain points and drop out of the negotiation. I also signed my rookies, which was again a list of possible contract options (including incentives in some cases) and you’d offer one and see if the player would accept or counter. Or you can put off negotiations until later.
521: During the draft your gm will make suggestions for the player they want. You can choose to draft that player or choose someone else. This will play into your approval rating though which is based off five different areas. Everything you do in the game will have an effect on that rating. Something the fans may like may not please management.
525: Alright I’m going to head off and play more. I’ll have the video clips up tonight with the full write-up. Also check in tomorrow for the Madden live blog!
Great stuff Bryan…I’ll not go to bed so early! UK time is 5 hours ahead of you.
Hey Bryan,
I’m very interested in how it’ll interface with Madden. I play a local 3 guy franchise/dynasty and am wondering if we can continue to do that and add in the Head Coaching stuff to it or if we’ll have to choose between a Madden Dynasty or a Head Coach dynasty. After some time with the game, I’d really like to hear your thoughts on how all of that fits together.
i cant wait pasta this is the game i am waiting for because MADDEN AND NCAA already have high buzz but this game need some selling points
I AM GETTING ANGRY BECAUSE ON EVRY VIDEO THEY SHOW WHAT COACHES ARE RATED, BUT THEY NEVER SHOW WHAT
BRAD “FRICKEN” CHILDRESS IS RATED!!!!!!! so if you could answer this question that would be cool. And if the Vikings have a rating, what are they rated? I am guessing at least a 90.
I was skeptical of Headcoach this year…I have a feeling after reading the live blogged i’m gonna be pumped.
Yeah, what are the vikings rated this year? Along with Brad Childress?
Yeah good question, what am i rated this year?
And one more question. What will my team be rated this year? We have been working really hard out there in the OTAs.
Up in that picture of Mike Nolan it say,”Willis, Frank Gore and Nate Clements”. They forgot a comma after Frank Gore. Im not trying to be a butthole or anything but it should be fixed for i stick a fork up my anus and start eating my intestines.
TELL SOMEONE TO FIX IT
A game editor wrote:
Sorry, I’m not nit-picking either so don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s actually grammatically correct. There shouldn’t be a comma before the ‘and’.
I would like to know if i am going to be in this game? This is a very serious question. In the recent years I have’nt been appreciated by Electronic Arts. But I am asking because I rightfully deserve to be in this XBOX 360 video game.
I am George W. Bush and I approve this message.
And God Bless America
Yeah he is right. There doesn’t need to be a comma. Anyway is Pacman in the game?????
Bryan - appreciate it will be tough as the game looks so deep….if you can answer any of the questions I e-mailed you and posted in the previous thread then that’d be great.
As the game is so deep any info that you can ascertain would be very valuable.
Thanks
Mark
Will there be more interaction with Madden than just created plays??
Will you be able to call plays with your headset like last gen??
Those ratings probably are right. In the last game it showed everyones ratings low before they do training camp. but right after training camp everyones ratings went up a lot.
Ninj wrote:
actually their should be
can you find out if the graphics the same as madden cause in some of the videos it looked as if they were using the same graphics from madden 08
Bryan - are you able to view other teams games as cpu v cpu or are you just restricted to your own teams? Also if you manage to sim through a season can you view any playoff games if you don’t qualify or are you just told who has won the Superbowl? I appreciate you might not get that far though!!
Thanks
Adam Schefter is a bitch.
Come on Bryan… ask about the PAL release!
Rich Eisen wrote:
^^^Jealous
Bryan - just to clarify - you say it’s single player - so I’m guessing that you can only have one player per career, no multiple coaches within the same game…ie myself and son can’t participate in the same season with different teams?
Actually, i just checked and you do need a comma before “and”. I know that this is not the time to be correcting your guys f’ing mistakes, but i just need to let you all know that im a right.
Any explanation why they don’t have a PS3 build?
A game editor wrote:
We’re both right…it can be used if desired..so I stand corrected…either way is correct it’s down to personal preference…..so there we go, you learn a little every day…
Hey, can you show a screenshot of Brad Childress and his amazing mustache? Would that be possible?
Altimus GTR wrote:
No reason other than not having any builds prepared.
Pete wrote:
Tell you what. Yes I’ll get a picture of him since I didn’t know he had such a fan club.
Bad news about the PAL release then for the 360 owners…one of the reasons I got a PS3 was so that I could import US titles that didn’t get a PAL release (NCAA etc..and now HC 09..)
Shame as I’m sure it would have sold reasonably well in Europe/Australia etc
Well actually, since the year 2005 all schools are required to teaching it the way with a comma before ‘and’.
A Vikings Fan wrote:
r u serious a 90 yeah right they will probaly be like a 79-83 i cant belive u think a 90
BRAD CHILDRESS IS A MONSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bryan,
Thanks for asking. Very, VERY, disappointing news. Tell EA to look at their own HC forum and they’ll see a big thread with people posting about wanting a PAL release on both 360 and PS3.
Or tell them to make the disc region free on both consoles. A tragedy if this doesn’t get a 360 PAL release.
I don’t see why Europe won’t get 20th Century edition. Is it really that hard to make a PAL version. Doubt it. Shame on EA.
A game editor wrote:
Ah you see I’m old school!! ha ha…left in 86! Different methods of teaching…
Im sorry to say but the vikings dont have a weak spot. they only have one position with an average rating, and that is QB.
Dan - you’re right about the 20th Anniv edition then - no PAL release for it either…I’m UK and have the PS3 Anniv edition on order, but like you say either EA need to make it region free or I’m afraid it’ll be an investment in a PS3 if people want it that badly.
what is a PAL release
I am a die-hard Niner fan, EA has to fix this, on the screenshot it shows our O Coordinator skill at 97 wtf!!! and the D Coordinator skill at 19 wtf!!! As we all know the offense was terrible last year, maybe their accounting this year with the Mike Martz hiring, but still 97 on O and 19 on D cmon now, Pasta please ask if these ratings are accurate?
When life gives you lemons, squirt the juice in Brett Favre’s eyeballs. -Brad Childress
pastapadre wrote:
Makes sense. Hopefully they’re equal come release. Thanks PP.
Travis wrote:
It’s the version of release that will play in Europe/Australia…in the US it’s NTSC, in Europe it’s PAL - it’s to do with TV signals etc…basically a game released in the US won’t play on a European 360 unless it’s region free..
Pasta, have you done any free agency or trading thus far? I’d like to know how realistic that is. Also, a huge question, can we actually change the player’s position? Like they had on the PS2 Madden, where you could change a guy’s position from OLB to DE and it would be permanent.
And sorry for the double, I can see Martz being a 97, but Manusky a 19? Really? lol, hope this is messed up like the player ratings.
hey i was wondering could i get any information about the redskins team.
Brad childress would probably kick any coaches ass in a thumb war. You heard it first from me.
Thanks Bryan - look forward to your full review later…having been a tester for Sports Interactive for their Football Manager and Eastside Hockey Manager products I appreciate that a couple of hours won’t cover the amount of depth within the game…and like you say you need more time to appreciate the nuances within the game…Thanks so far and enjoy the remainder of your time with the game today.
Mark
How about NO because redskins dont have a shot at making playoffs. you heard it first from me. tell your friends about me. vikings all the way.
you are funny. i just want to see the skins. how they look like?
Cheers Bryan..I’ll read it all in the morning..enjoy…off to bed now..zzzzzz
I second a pic of Brad Childress’s amazing mustache…
How come Headcoach has accelerated clock but Madden doesn’t? They could’ve easily added it for Madden. Accelerated clock is a necessity. They should’ve added it way before adding all these other things.
Hey Pasta, When the computer is on the clock, does it select like the real NFL teams drafted from last April?
No PAL release is complete bullshit. They’re playing games over here now, there’s clearly a great interest in the sport, and Madden is regularly a top seller. No excuse. At the very least they should make the 36o disc region free, it’s not like they’ll be losing out.
Who is Brad Childress?
A Vikings Fan wrote:
ok they definetely dont have a spot where they need a lot of help but almost all of their other positions are decent especially that overrated rb peterson
Are you kidding!!!! Brad Childress
AKA-THE NEXT PRESIDENT
AKA-THE MUSTACHE
AKA-THE BIG ENCHILADA
AKA-THE VIKINGS HEAD COACH
AKA-THE ONE AND ONLY
AKA-THE BIG TUNA
AKA-THE AMAZING
That is Brad Childress.
i just said many reasons why AD is not overated but it said that i said inaprperiate language so it deleted the whole thing.
I’m curious about the experience of coaching an actual game. Do you watch the action from a sideline camera view? Do you get to roam the sideline? Any opportunity for a halftime or post game speech?
It’s the Madden 09 engine, right? So you must be getting a decent preview of what Madden 09 looks like.
Hey pasta 2 Questions..1) As far as there being no headset from HC09 is that a definit or just cus its a pre build?…
2) In HC09 will u be able to hire or fire your own staff IE.Off Cooridnater so on and so forth or are all the assitant coaches already in there?…Thanks Padre good work as always
And why should I care?
Adrian Peterson is definitely not over-rated. He runs like my favorite RB of all time, Eric Dickerson. I noticed that the first time I watched him play (I lived in OK for a while). His IS a risk for injury though (that’s why I’m glad he’s not on the Madden cover!)
But why is he called AD… and not AP?
Ooo! I got a great new nickname for him! “Atlantic to Pacific”.. like that grocery store years ago called the A&P. Do they still exist anywhere?
ok some of use say hes gonna be the best of all time ok good luck with that he’s soooooooooooooo overrated i guarentee he wont run for 1500 yards next season
Darkheath wrote:
AD = All Day (that’s his nickname).
i agree he is amazing. but the critics are putting pressure on Adrian Peterson to run for more yards. i personally think he can do it, but he is young, and young players make mistakes. i just hope he doesn’t.
When you do madden, can you show the bills on there. I know it will be a while till they show any buffalo. Please at least play against them. Please please show buffalo.
A Vikings Fan wrote:
Dude, 90. Are you crazy. They deserve to be no more than 80. When you have a horrible QB, sub par WRs, LBs are sub par, and secondary drops after winfield, what makes you think that deserves a 90.
Got some good ratings stuff to reveal later. Top players with correct ratings. For example Tony Romo is a 94 (not 78 as it was showing incorrectly earlier). These are just the ratings within their current teams. They would change if playing for different coaches/philosophies.
Antonio wrote:
thank u someone finally agrees the vikins are either and 80 0r 79
lol @ the Bryan Childress fan club
auburntigersfan wrote:
There*
IAJIJDI wrote:
Clearly all Vikings fans are retarded
Great Stuff Pasta,
I hope the draft is as in depth in Madden as it is in Head Coach, now that I think about it there’s no reason it shouldn’t be… and hopefully this year scouting will matter… I look foward to your full impressions of these three games
Every team except for the Vikings suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
446: Online play will offer head-to-head only in the form of supersim. This should get the games to go by quickly as you’ll be picking plays but not seeing them materialize on the field. They also consider the created play sharing to be an online feature. The game will have roster updates as well.
I don’t know if I’m reading this right, probably not but when you said “They also consider the created play sharing to be an online feature.”
That doesn’t mean you can take your plays for Head Coach and use them online in Madden does it? Just Head Coach correct?
AJayJay wrote:
Cant use created plays online in either game. They were worried about exploits. I still think they should have offered them for unranked then but unfortunately they didnt.
pastapadre wrote:
Yeah deff agree with you there. Unranked games would have been perfect to see how well the created plays would have played out this season of Madden. I really wished that they would have done that. It would be a nice new feature especially for a lot of guys in leagues.
Once again EA p*ss off the fans. I’m sure all those American game developers just hate Europe that much they just don’t want to bother releasing games region free or a PAL release. I’m pretty sure it’s not hard to do and would it not boost sales? Correct me if i’m wrong but making it only available in NTSC for xbox 360 is going to halt the progress. What i found funny was the designer/producer of the game stated that they were going to give the fans a great experience at being a coach etc.. Yeah you really have for us Europeans. Fifa 08 was released in both and that is a “European” game.
I have some questions: How does the presentation carry out and is it like a actual game on tv? Is there pregame, halftime or postgame show? What about player stats throughout the game, will they show up during a game or franchise? How is the atmosphere during wildcard and playoff games, is there a difference during regular season? Superbowl presentation is it there like in nfl2k5? Can we watch a game with the cpu-vs-cpu? Would like to manage a team and just watch sometimes? Hope u can answer these questions.
Mike Nolans profile says ratings Offense 97, defense 19, this should be backward.
He was a D coord and he is nothing of an offensive mind, that why Martz was brought in. Please I hope they fix this.
Those of you who want/need a PAL release I would suggest looking in the NFLHC09 general forum at the EA site and post on those PAL threads. Originally the game wasn’t going to be a standalone release until EA was surprised by the amount of feedback they received, then decided to release it as standalone. Convince them that there is money to be made and you will get your PAL, though it would likely take some more time.