Early NCAA Football 09 Online Impressions
July 15, 2008 by pastapadre
While many of the EA Sports titles over the years have struggled in the area of online play (both in performance and lack of options) this has never been more evident than with NCAA Football 08. So naturally this was a major concern heading into the release of NCAA Football 09. EA assured the community that they were putting a great deal of effort into getting the game to run well. Have they achieved that goal? Here are some details and my current thoughts regarding 09’s online play.
Performance
So far through a handful of games all have been smooth and consistent. There is a slight sluggishness to it that for me affected the running game the most making it difficult to execute quick moves. Outside of that though it is very easy to adapt to and didn’t really diminish the experience. I was even able to play someone clear across the country who I have been unable to play in an EA Sports game the past several years due to crippling lag. Every game I have played so far is better than the best game I played with 08 online.
It might not be quite as good as the recent titles out of EA Canada (Live, NHL, FIFA) but very close. Of course results may vary but this is very encouraging. Online performance will need to be monitored over the next few days and beyond before final determinations can be made. Right now though I am extremely excited with the situation as it stands.
Menu Navigation/Time to Select Plays on Defense
Last year lag in menu screens during online play was horrendous. This has been fixed. The defense still has only seven seconds to select a play after the offense does, however this seems sufficient compared to last year when the button lag compounded the issue.
Gameplay
I wouldn’t have expected to discuss gameplay in the online impressions but after playing I feel as though it is different enough from playing offline that it should be noted. There has been no lack of pass rush. Both myself and my opponents have been able to pressure the QB well. I’ve seen occasional inaccuracy from QBs and more realistic stats out of them, which could possibly be attributed to the more consistent threat of pressure. The main issue I’ve had is the field goal kicking distance which continues to not have been addressed. Overall it seems to have a more balanced feel than the offline head-to-head games I played previously for whatever reason.
Difficulty
Played all the games on All-American. That presented realistic scores and statistics. Personally I don’t think bumping up to Heisman would be very beneficial.
Alternate Uniforms
Alternate uniforms are selectable for the home team. However there appears to be a glitch associated with that. In one game my opponent selected their alternate, they played with it, but on my end I saw their usual home jersey. From what I’ve heard this may be the case every time an alternate is chosen with the road team seeing the standard home jersey instead.
Day/Night
I played a few night games and one afternoon game. I believe the game makes the determination on this based on the time of day at the home stadium when the game is being played. I am not aware of a specific cutoff time when those kick in. It could also be based on the system time of the user playing at home. I’ll see if I can find out for certain.
EA Sports World
Something that blew me away was finding out that not only can you take highlight clips from online games, but you can also take screenshots from them. This apparently was possible last year too. Instead of clicking “A” on the replay you’ve selected click “X” and you’ll go into that replay in photo mode. They really need to add the icon so that people know it’s possible. Hopefully they take EASW to the next level next year with the replays like NBA Live 09 is doing (allowing free roaming cameras, cutting to different angles, changing speeds, sounds, and hopefully adding in music).
Game results and some stats can be found on your profile page in the “my performance” section by clicking more. You can also break them down by online only or solo only. Unfortunately stats are not kept for unranked games although the results are displayed.
Highlights
Here are a few highlights from my online games of which I have yet to pull out a win. At least I have these to remember them by.
NCAA Football 09 Online UW TD Pass from Pasta Padre on Vimeo.
first! why were u san diego state
Sounds good so far. None of the problems seem like seroius stuff that wouldn’t be able to be fixed in a patch if it was necessary.
yo pasta i tried to download your rosters but it would not let me, something about download canceled..know any solutions…
San Diego State? Wow! I cant wait to get mine tomorrow.
looks good
Any news on PS3 rosters being in EA Locker yet?
have u heard if all the bugs are out of the game yet?
Awesome videos. Thanks for the insight, it fills a void while I am sitting here in my office with my unwrapped NCAA 09 staring at me teasingly.
San Diego State why?
yeah pasta its not letting me download your rosters it says you dont have them
Pasta, can you please clarify this issue with your roster download. I’ve been hearing all kinds of conflicting stories about this. I understand you’ve since removed the rosters from your locker but I would like an update on the status please. I’m leaving work early today to go get the game and I planned on downloading the roster as soon as I got it.
Pasta took down his rosters. Another guy has rosters which everyone is dl without any problems. Go to EAroster com (spelled just like that with a space) gamertag and get them their.
Madden Nation 1 wrote:
i jus tried that and it doesn’t work either…
anyone know where to get ps3 rosters?
Shane wrote:
funny, i was gonna say the same thing LOL.
I went to gamestop on my lunch LMAO
does any one kno if the bugs are out b/c i dont want to get it today with bugs in it
Yah, I tried downloading them from joshuahuskers and EArosters com but when they download I check the rosters and there is no change and then I upload them and still not change. So if it does work how do I get the names to change when they are downloaded?
PS3 Rosters?
if u need the rosters put in my gamertag kc10785. Ihad the lobby going crazy last night around 1:00 20 friend request an 30 messages within 10 mins.
I have 2 problems with online play
1. Lead blocking feature doesn’t work when u pick a o-linemen and the ball is snap he walks off the line slow as he’ll
2. There’s a small lag so u can’t get the full effect sometimes with the juke moves
xbox 360^^^^^^
are the bugs out?
had the game since Saturday and had no freezing what so ever and I started a dynasty Saturday to havnt seen any problems
i got the roster from joshuahuskers when u do download them go back to the main menu and load up the rosters and u will have evry one
pat wrote:
Any problems?
bux wrote:
no not at all it was easy if u have problems then tell me my gamertag is pwiebz93 ill get you through the process
thanks
Do rosters show up in CL? and any word on PS3 rosters?
the east coast ain’t got no love 4 the PS3 ?
borrowed from SNOOP
but seriously where can we get the rosters
NCAA Football 09 is officially released on Tuesday, the 15th, but quite a few users with the game already are experiencing a variety of problems and glitches within the game. Thanks to Ian Cummings, we now know that the problems are being looked into, and hopefully patched within the near future:
“Just wanted to let you know there definitely are folks looking into the following gameplay issues - we will be able to let you know very soon if they are patch-able (and hopefully when):
- DL pass rush
- CPU QB percentages
- DB “stand straight up” issue
- Kick / Punt Returns are too easy
As for the crashes and stats disappearing and roster editing stuff and the like…keep in contact with Adam (OMT) on their status.”
We’ll be sure to bring you more information as it’s revealed by Ian and the rest of the community, hopefully bringing a resolution to the bugs to a highly anticipated game.
There will not be any PS3 rosters until a patch is released…… I know it sucks.!!!!!!!!
just played my first online game, went really well, much better than last year, won 49 38, agaisnt the cpu the punt returns are really easy but online i didnt notice anything too bad
well if ur RIGHT BUCKEYES thanx 4 at least taking time 2 answer my ? regardless if it is NOT what I wanted 2 hear
Been playing all day…marked improvement from last years ps3 game, havent noticed too many things that i didnt like so far..except Wisconsins roster was completely butchered wow..gameplay is smooth..seems easy to complete passes so may have to tweak some things in the AI part…cool game so far..
Anyone else thoughts on it?
Honestly I just put the game in and was blown away by the jump that EA made from 08. You can tell right away, just from the pre-game, how much better the graphics are and the gameplay is terrific too. I said outloud to myself while playing this game “Wow, EA Sports got it right.” There is really nothing else to say. In my opinion as long as there aren’t any glitches in gameplay that I encounter along the way this is the best football game I have played to date. I’m a defensive guy, I take pride in my defense, and in my first game I got a shutout and I owe it all to EA making the controls feel fantastic. Way to go EA Sports, this customer is very very very pleased with NCAA Football 09. I give this game an A.
Hey Pasta, what game do you like better NCAA 09 or Madden 09
getting it for the 360 today!
I also just want to say how terrific this site is. It’s run so well and people on here for the most part are very helpful, especially on this page right here. That Joshuahuskers roster works perfectly, it’s awesome! Thanks to everyone who pitches in here and THANK YOU PASTA for running a great site!!!
the custom stadium sounds are awesome since notre dam is my favorite team i put welcome to the jungle for the kickoff and it sounds so dope especially on the opening kickoff
Ryan, were u playing on the 360 or ps3
Just got finished playing a few games and love it. It runs really smooth. I downloaded the rosters from joshuahuskers & I haven’t had any problems with losing teams or freezing. I’ve noticed a few glitches in the game but I guess that’s to be expected. For example..The same glitch from Madden 08 has made it’s way to NCAA09 where after an offsides penalty was called there where 3 guys bunched all together. WTF? The gameplay is awesome. Playing with real rosters really makes a difference. However I can’t help but notice that the sidelines are really hurting the overall realism. There are no coaches & the players still look like Nintendo 64 graphics. This along with no referees or chaingangs really holds the game back from being that true ‘Next Gen’ experience. Also, I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to playing weather games in NCAA after Madden comes out. Weather seems to have no affect on gameplay. Not to mention Madden has footprints & water splashing. IGN gave it a 8.4 rating & I agree with that for the most part. If EA corrects the things that I mentioned next year, which I think they will, then I think we could have a truely flawless game.
This will definately tie me over until Madden comes out.
Guys I got the official rosters type in JETBLACK03 they work its like a 5 second download…..enjoy…..NCAA 09 best football game put out..
can someone please tell me where is the ea locker cause i searched thru all the menus and dont see it
2 mike what system are they 4?
Does anybody know why Iowa’s numbers on there home jerseys are yellow? I’m a huge Iowa fan and haven’t heard anything about changes our jerseys. So i was curious if it was an error? let me know.
yea mike wat system?
I’m loving this game. I downloaded ExtremeGamer’s roster, and it has worked fine. I haven’t noticed the pass rush and CPU QB % glitches. The returning is easy online and offline, but that has to do with how it is near impossible to kick it in the endzone. Great game this year. Looking forward to Head Coach and Madden now.
do you control the celebrations ?
I’m having trouble uploading my stadium sounds to the game. When I goto add sounds, it says there are no sound files available…. HELP!!! lol
…BTW I’m using sounds that I downloaded to a CD, then ripped them to my 360. Anyone have any tips on how to put them to specific events in the game?
You have to make a playlist for each song, on PS3 you can choose the songs without making playlists
does any1 know when they will have the ROSTERS up 4 PS3 some1 said they are NOT out yet earlier in this post
ps3 you just rip the cd to your ps3 and on the game you can choose any of them…not that that helps xbox people but…
Heisman difficulty is too easy.
how do i download the rosters
BigOrange64 I’m on the 360, and as for the Iowa statement I’m not sure but if that’s an error that would be a big bummer.
how do you down load roster
Can someone explain step by step how to upload Stadium Sounds to the xbox 360? I know I seem like a nooby here, but I guess I need some help on how to do this. Thanks a lot for your help!!!
Okay I’ve been checking around and it looks like EA screwed the Iowa uniforms up so it is a mistake not a new uniform…something to do with having new player models or something. That really sucks. I hope there aren’t any others like that. Damn, sorry Jeffries.
Does anyone know where i can download the rosters from?
I’ve tried every name on here and it keeps saying “the user specified does not have a valid EA Locker in NCAA 09″. Am I missing something?
sportsslee wrote:
i need the download for ps3
dmannavy wrote:
if u have 360 tell me cause i got them i can help u
sorry no, PS3………….help anyone?
P.S. Good looking out by everyone here with all the helpfull info.
Im sorry Patsa, in my mind you lose credibility for this. How can you write an article about NCAA online without mentioning the strafe catch?
Played one online game. I got disconnected early 2nd quarter. I really hope this is the exception and not the rule.
I know I’ve already posted this, but I haven’t gotten an answer yet…. What’s the easiest way to get Stadium Sounds onto the Xbox 360? I have a few songs that I’ve already put on a CD. How would I go about getting those onto the game? Any help would be awesome! Thanks!!
twistanutz22 wrote:
ok if u have 360 and a headset ill help u i cant describe it over the computer so if u got 360 tell me
whats your gamer tag? I’ll add you
Pat…. My gamer tag is “Twistanutz22″ Send me a chat request, and you can tell me how to do this!! thanks man!
twistanutz22 wrote:
twistanutz22 wrote:
ok dude i just sent u 1
If you want a working roster i have it Headshotkills I have also done a couple fixes in the roster. I noticed some problems with people haveing the wrong numbers or of people that are no longer with teams were on the team. So i have corrected many of these which i found so go ahead and download it no crashing or freeze issues with my roster.
Pat….. thanks for your help man! Sorry I had to take that call, but I think I got it figured out now! I’ll hit you up if I have anymore questions
twistanutz22 wrote:
no problem glad to help once you get the hang of it you wil be uploading everything it really is a great feature
who has the best rosters? i don’t have the game but I am going to rent it and i want to know where to get the best rosters from
i just got to play my first online game on 09 on PS Network. it blows 08 out of the water. i was uk and beat kansas 42-41 on a field goal with 6 seconds left. love it
For those of you having trouble finding ea locker, here’s a video I made for it. Also on my page is a tutorial I made last year for ppl who will be uploading their rosters using the USB. Hope this helps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PrxLbfdQkQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yi9B2ubO44
Neither are very useful at the moment since there are no rosters available yet, but when they’re out, you can refer to these for help.
This is the most helpful page of posts I have ever seen, great job guys!!!
I love the Stadium Sounds feature!!! (Now that Pat helped me figure it out!) It’s so satisfying to hear a song that I dug up of the net play after I stop a team on 3rd and short…. or when the visiting team calls a TO, and my band starts playing the theme to Star Wars…. it’s just plain SICKY!!! The only thing I don’t like about the feature (on 360 anyway) is that you have to create a different playlist for each individual custom sound…. Oh well, it was well worth the work! GREAT JOB EA!!!!!
SDSU! I’m surprised somebodys using them this year, a lot of people did last year actually because of Kevin O Connell. How does SDSU feel/play in 09?
Ok, so I spent some time today naming about 150 players or so. It’s a little offensive heavy, and I am from Michigan so there are a few extra MI players named. I did the top 50 as shown on http://stickskills.com/article.....ayers.html
I also used more players from http://www.sportsgamer.com/con.....er-ratings
This is for PS3 and my tag is: dmannavy. Let me know if you are able to upload. Dont complain about errors or players left off……it’s just a start, I tried my best.
I have one spot left in my online dynasty,and we have only played 3 games. Im looking for somebody who will be dedicated to fill the last spot, You have to stay updated and communicate with ur upcoming opponents. These are the teams taken . USC, miami, Florida, georgia , clemson , ohio state , fla st, missouri, tennessee , oklahoma.
Pm at Gamertag-fiverings49 if you want in
i just got rosters for PS3 and so far its ok, i got it from a psn tag kennylou
thank you for the GOOD NEWS any 1 know around how many players you can EDIT B4 ur game will start 2 GLITCH
I don’t NEED an EXACT # an estimate will suffice is it between 5 & 10 or more?
this is the full roster and it hasn’t glitched yet, i uploaded it and my psn is rophynol
the rosters i said above arent accurate
I’m not sure if this is 100% solid info, but I downloaded some rosters (EArosters com (with space)) and then unplugged ethernet cord from the xbox to do the editing of my Ducks. After I was finished editing most of the players, I saved it and then plugged the xbox back online. I have had ZERO problems so far. So you all might want to try that out.
GO DUCKS!!!!
RIP Todd Doxey
I’m surprised that you guys feel as if AA is difficult. I’m really beginning to see that the game is really easy.
I play all my games on Heisman difficulty and compared to Madden, it’s not hard.
Anybody else seeing this?
yes
What is up with getting kicked off in the second quarter. I have played 4 online games and everytime around the mid 2nd quarter I get disconnected from the server and receive a loss and a DNF. Has anyone else had this problem or heard anything about it.
Anybody know what the deal with the Oregon mascot is. I am doing a dynasty with the Ducks just cause I like the uniforms and the mascot. But I get no mascot on the field to celebrate with….WTF?