One final piece of news out of E3 comes with the soundtrack for Madden NFL 12. After focusing on in-stadium music last year EA Sports returns to a more traditional playlist of songs with Madden 12. Continue on for the full track listing!

6 Foot 7 Foot – Lil Wayne featuring Cory Gunz
All Around The World – Theophilus London
Architects – Rise Against
Award Tour – A Tribe Called Quest
Back For More – Five Finger Death Punch
Boom – Snoop Dogg featuring T-Pain
Bridge Burning – Foo Fighters
Champion - Chipmunk featuring Chris Brown
Colours – Grouplove
Don’t Play Me Close - David Rush
Get Up - KoRn vs. Skrillex
Get The —- Up – Yelawolf
Ghetto Dreams – Common featuring Nas
I Want It All/We Will Rock You – Queen featuring Armageddon
Last Man Standing – Asher Roth featuring Akon
Make Some Noise – Beastie Boys
Mind Your Manners – Chiddy Bang featuring Icona Pop
Money for the Weekend – Alberta Cross
On Ya Mind – Mellowhype
Pass Out – Tinie Tempah
That Ain’t Classy – Classified
They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y) – Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth

This turned out to be a somewhat curious year for sports games at E3 as a whole. While there were a bunch that had a presence they were held in more restricted fashion than in the past. Madden was of course very prominent but outside of that the majority were held for behind-closed-doors showings only. That has resulted in Madden NFL 12 picking up some big momentum and the rest of the games seeing much more limited success out of the event.

The EA press conference was a pretty big dud. The only piece of news to come out of that was the announcement of EA Sports Football Club for FIFA 12. That might best be described as a more compelling “Season Showdown” and could work out well for the worldwide phenomenon that is the FIFA series. Prior to the EA conference it was announced by president Peter Moore at the Microsoft press conference that upcoming titles including Madden, FIFA, and Tiger Woods will be implementing Kinect for Xbox 360 features.

The big surprise at E3 was in pulling NCAA Football 12 off the floor. All that did was create a perception that EA Sports had lost some confidence in it given that the NCAA series has traditionally always been available to the crowd. I did get a chance to play a full game (the final build) of NCAA 12 and was satisfied with what had been done but its improvements do come across in more of a subtle manner than Madden’s and overall it will feel familiar to those who played a decent amount of NCAA 11. The demo for NCAA 12 (due out on the 28th) now holds added significance in regaining buzz as it approaches release.

2K Sports can’t really be faulted in their handling of NBA 2K12 as typically they have not used the event as a springboard for the upcoming game. Response to the PlayStation Move demonstration was largely negative but the feature won’t even be utilized by most consumers so that can be overlooked. Some enhancements to the game were made public but nothing really significant as of yet. Just being there showed how prestigious the franchise has become.

An extended video displaying new features and gameplay from UFC Undisputed 3 was a welcome addition to the show and overall there is reason to be encouraged by the direction the title is being taken. Much of the discussion coming out though related to the poorly received new submission system that has been implemented. Given that UFC 3 doesn’t release until January there is plenty of time for THQ to tweak that system.

By all accounts Forza 4 had a strong showing and WWE 12 got a mildly positive response. Kinect Sports 2 was announced and includes six new sports and online play. Those titles deserve credit for at least being fully exposed on the show floor. SSX has gotten positive coverage for its showing behind-closed-doors, and the usual suspects there with NHL 12 and FIFA 12 also provided compelling showings though in a controlled environment.

Browsing through the awards for E3 it is SSX and FIFA 12 getting the most love. Surprisingly Madden 12 wasn’t even nominated by some outlets which I have trouble comprehending. Games not on the floor should really get less consideration for awards. Think about how ridiculous it was that 1UP and GameSpot nominated NBA Elite 11 for Best Sports Game at E3 last year!

News and Content
EA Sports Titles Adding Kinect Support
EA Sports Announces FIFA Football Club Feature
Majesco Announces New NBA Game and Purchase of QUICKHIT NFL Football
E3 Day One Recap and Brief Impressions
Light News on NBA 2K12
NCAA Football 12 Team and Prestige Ratings
NCAA Football 12 Demo Dated
UFC Undisputed 3 Impressions
Madden NFL 12 Impressions
Madden NFL 12 Player Traits Image Collection

Trailers and Gameplay Videos
Madden NFL 12 E3 Trailer
Forza Motorsport 4 E3 Trailer
NBA 2K12 PlayStation Move Demonstration Video
Madden 12: Jamal Charles TD Run
Madden 12: Tim Tebow Run
Madden 12: Bucs @ Vikings (Part One)
Madden 12: Chargers @ Chiefs
Madden 12: 49ers @ Seahawks
Madden 12: Bucs @ Vikings (Part Two)
Madden 12: Panthers @ Broncos

The Facebook page (appreciate it if you’d “like” it while there or in the sidebar!) now contains all 225 images captured while at E3 displaying the new ‘Player Traits’ in Madden NFL 12 and are sorted by conference and then division and team.

Keep in mind these are just preliminary and may change by the time Madden 12 ships. In particular the number of “clutch” players will likely drop especially from any rookies that have it now. The “confidence” rating starts at three stars for all players and then will be adjusted through roster updates or performance while in franchise mode. Check out the NFC pictures here and the AFC pictures here. Continue on for the full list of players snagged while at E3.

Kansas City Chiefs
Jonathan Baldwin, Dexter McCluster, Dwayne Bowe, Thomas Jones, Glenn Dorsey, Jamaal Charles, Derrick Johnson, Matt Cassel
San Diego Chargers
Antonio Gates, Darren Sproles, Vincent Jackson, Philip Rivers
Oakland Raiders
Darren McFadden, Jason Campbell, Michael Huff, Kamerion Wimbley, Richard Seymour, Robert Gallery, Tommy Kelly, Nnamdi Asomugha, Rolando McClain, Michael Bush, Bruce Gradkowski, Zach Miller
Denver Broncos
Tim Tebow, Eddie Royal, Von Miller, Brandon Lloyd, Knowshon Moreno, Elvis Dumervil, Kyle Orton, Brian Dawkins, Champ Bailey

Seattle Seahawks
Mike Williams, Golden Tate, Aaron Curry, Raheem Brock, Earl Thomas, Marshawn Lynch, Walter Thurmond, Lawyer Milloy, Chris Clemons, Justin Forsett, Matt Hasselbeck
San Francisco 49ers
Patrick Willis, Michael Crabtree, Colin Kaepernick, Alex Smith, Aldon Smith, Vernon Davis, Nate Clements, Frank Gore
Arizona Cardinals
Patrick Peterson, Darnell Dockett, Adrian Wilson, Larry Fitzgerald
St. Louis Rams
Sam Bradford, James Laurinaitis, Robert Quinn, Chris Long, Danny Amendola, Mark Clayton, Josh Brown, Steven Jackson

Cincinnati Bengals
A.J. Green, Chad Ochocinco, Carson Palmer, Cedric Benson
Baltimore Ravens
Haloti Ngata, Anquan Boldin, Willis McGahee, Ray Lewis, Jimmy Smith, Ray Rice, Joe Flacco, Ed Reed
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger, Lamarr Woodley, James Harrison, Ryan Clark, Rashard Mendenhall, James Farrior
Cleveland Browns
T.J. Ward, Colt McCoy, Peyton Hillis, Josh Cribbs, Ben Watson, Joe Haden

Minnesota Vikings
Christian Ponder, Jared Allen, Adrian Peterson, Kevin Williams, Ray Edwards, E.J. Henderson, Sidney Rice, Visanthe Shiancoe, Percy Harvin
Detroit Lions
Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, Isaiah Ekejiuba, Calvin Johnson
Chicago Bears
Jay Cutler, Julius Peppers, Brian Urlacher
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Quarless, Atari Bigby, Chad Clifton, Jermichael Finley, Ryan Grant, Nick Barnett, John Kuhn, James Starks, B.J. Raji, Donald Driver, Charles Woodson, Greg Jennings, James Jones, A.J. Hawk, Jordy Nelson, Tramon Williams

Indianapolis Colts
Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie, Robert Mathis, Dwight Freeney,
Jacksonville Jaguars
Aaron Kampman, Maurice Jones-Drew, Eugene Monroe, David Garrard, Marcedes Lewis, Blaine Gabbert, Mike Thomas
Tennessee Titans
Jake Locker, Chris Johnson, Michael Roos, Jason Babin, Kenny Britt, Randy Moss, Cortland Finnegan
Houston Texans
J.J. Watt, Arian Foster, Mario Williams, Jacoby Jones, Andre Johnson

New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees, Jonathan Vilma, Mark Ingram, Marques Colston
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Josh Freeman, Cadillac Williams, Adrian Clayborn, Da’Quan Bowers, LeGarrette Blount, Mike Williams, Gerald McCoy
Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Roddy White, Michael Turner
Carolina Panthers
Cam Newton, Jon Beason, Chris Gamble, Charles Johnson, Jimmy Clausen, Jeremy Shockey, DeAngelo Williams, Jordan Gross, Steve Smith, Jonathan Stewart

New York Jets
Mark Sanchez, Santonio Holmes, Darrelle Revis, Shonn Greene
Buffalo Bills
Marcell Dareus, C.J. Spiller, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Shawne Merriman, Donte Whitner, Stevie Johnson
New England Patriots
Devin McCourty, Tom Brady, Matt Light, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Brandon Meriweather, Wes Welker
Miami Dolphins
Ricky Williams, Chad Henne, Chris Clemons, Jake Long, Karlos Dansby, Brandon Marshall, Ronnie Brown, Vontae Davis

Philadelphia Eagles
DeSean Jackson, Michael Vick, Kevin Kolb, LeSean McCoy, Asante Samuel
New York Giants
Prince Amukamara, Justin Tuck, Ahmad Bradshaw, Kevin Boss, Da’rel Scott, Jason Pierre-Paul, Hakeem Nicks, Osi Umenyiora, Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, Antrel Rolle, Brandon Jacobs, Eli Manning
Dallas Cowboys
Tony Romo, DeMarcus Ware, Dez Bryant, Miles Austin
Washington Redskins
Ryan Torain, Donovan McNabb, LaRon Landry, DeAngelo Hall, Ryan Kerrigan, Rex Grossman

Wrapping up the Madden 12 gameplay videos from E3 are segments from a game with the Carolina Panthers at Denver Broncos in the snow. A short clip from this game was posted last week as well. Cam Newton leads the Panthers and Tim Tebow starts for the Broncos with both having been placed at the top of their respective team’s depth charts. Continue on to check out the five videos and leave your thoughts in the comments!

Late last week I posted up a set of Madden 12 videos that featured Minnesota hosting Tampa Bay. Here are six videos to continue that series. Tomorrow the E3 off-screen videos will conclude with the Cam Newton led Panthers at the Tim Tebow graced Broncos in the snow.

The latest in ‘Player Trait’ pictures are up and all posted so far can be found in the FB album. Added since the last update: Nnamdi Asomugha, Von Miller, Larry Fitzgerald, Nick Fairley, Kevin Kolb, Jon Beason, Michael Crabtree, Reggie Wayne, Dwayne Bowe, Vincent Jackson, Mario Williams, Donald Driver, Jason Babin, Marques Colston, Robert Quinn, Ahmad Bradshaw, Rolando McClain, Tommy Kelly, Bruce Gradkowski, Andrew Quarless, Chris Clemons (SEA), Eddie Royal, Jordan Gross, Karlos Dansby, Knowshon Moreno, Jordy Nelson, and Justin Tuck.

This set of off-screen Madden 12 videos has the 49ers at Seahawks and includes the team entrance, extended gameplay, and post-game sequence. More videos to come (Bucs at Vikings and Panthers at Broncos) over the next few days.

Continue to check out the ‘Player Traits’ images as well as a handful are still being posted each day on Twitter and Facebook. The entire collection so far can be found in the FB album. There are still 95 to go!

Posted since the last update: Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Hillis, Ray Lewis, Randy Moss, Adrian Peterson, Matt Ryan, Brian Urlacher, Earl Thomas, Calvin Johnson, Rex Grossman, Aaron Kampman, Dexter McCluster, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Rashard Mendenhall, Jason Campbell, Ryan Clark, James Farrior, Alex Smith, E.J. Henderson, Atari Bigby, Austin Collie, C.J. Spiller, Cadillac Williams, Chad Clifton, Colt McCoy, Antrel Rolle, and Asante Samuel.

It’s always difficult to express detailed impressions of games coming out of E3. The environment and time pressure makes it difficult to dig into the games, the noise drowns out the audio, and everything is new so the tendency is to over-value the emotion felt when playing.

Instead I’ve generally tried to get across the vibe towards a game following the event – not just of my own but of the others in attendance – and compare that to expectations and the experience of having seen how from E3 all of that tends to translate to post-release reception. Last year my gut feeling was that NCAA Football 11 would be the premiere product and Madden NFL 11 was falling flat having put the focus primarily on casual-friendly features.

That perception held and may have in turn influenced the direction those respective series went this year. Madden NFL 12 appears to have answered the bell and delivered a well-rounded compelling product that could exceed the expectations of many.

The enhancements to presentation are front and center and have a huge impact on the enjoyment level as a fan of the NFL in particular. The authentic entrances, TV-style camera cuts and angles, more natural celebrations and reaction scenes, and on-screen displays are all great touches. Even the simple camera cut to the crowd after a big play makes a huge difference compared to what was shown in the past.

Graphically the game looks amazing, on several occasions we marveled at how great things such as the helmets and grass (in replays) looked. Player models look much better though several QBs appeared a bit too stocky or ripped with Christian Ponder one prime example.

Gameplay wise the action does feel sped up somewhat and – as a proponent of the slower speed in the past – I thought this new speed felt just right. The slower speed did a better job of covering up some of the issues but now that seems unnecessary. What really stands out is the new tackling which removes most of the sense of ‘suction’ and true player momentum. As seen in some of the videos it is a very dynamic experience and provides that “anything can happen” sense that is so important. Ball carriers stumbling forward and either falling or regaining their footing looks exceptional.

Having been asked about the Dynamic Player Performance feature I can provide little feedback on it. In fact if I didn’t know the feature existed I wouldn’t have sensed anything different. Certainly this will be different when playing it for extended periods of time especially in Franchise mode. However without any sort of visual indicators on screen (can pause and find them) it just didn’t make its presence known. It could still have been driving some of the results however I wouldn’t know how to determine that.

What did appear immediately is the impact of the ‘Player Traits’ on actions within the games. Individuals do play more like themselves displaying certain tendencies. Seeing Philip Rivers sit in the pocket compared to Michael Vick taking off when spotting daylight is just one example of that. Operating with Tim Tebow became difficult as his passes frequently sailed on me and that seemed tied to the “tight spiral” tendency not just simple accuracy. It was refreshing not just to see guys playing to their strengths but to feel that differentiation as well.

Not sure how well it comes across in the videos but controlling the defensive line proved a lot more fun and effective than in the past. In one game I took on Ndamukong Suh and was able to get consistent push. On one play Suh completely flattened the offensive lineman. The expanded move-set for lineman should make the good ones more successful than in past iterations where only one defensive end ever seemed to get in on the action. Pressure from the front four was present and blitzes were able to get home.

GameFlow utilizing packages was a pleasant surprise. In my game with the Seahawks I noted plays where Aaron Curry was lined up at DE or Chris Clemons was standing up. This being just simple default GameFlow, and given the enhancements they’ve made there like choosing pass vs run or aggressive vs conservative, makes that a more appealing play-calling option.

While Madden 12 has made such significant advancement in several areas it still is somewhat rough around the edges at times. On several occasions safeties made boneheaded plays – check out part three of the Chargers-Chiefs video (at 3:20) where Eric Weddle is literally looking the wrong way for some reason allowing for a TD to be completed right by him. Mistakes by safeties tend to stand out.

When quarterbacks get hit and lose the ball it might look like a fumble but be called incomplete without recourse to challenge. On one I had a terrific speed rush around the edge, hit him from the blindside, and jarred the ball loose. Apparently he had begun to throw but it sure didn’t look like it. The result is deflating.

Play action is still very hit or miss. There didn’t seem to be any hesitation on the part of the defense due to PA and the process of the play fake still seems too deliberate. The sample size to judge on this is too small but we weren’t particularly encouraged by the results.

The zone defense does seem to be improved but in turn there are even more dropped interceptions by the defense. Understanding that no one wants a game where teams end up with 5+ INTs on a regular basis it is still frustrating to play good defense and drop a sure pick. Considering there was only a single INT in all of the gameplay I witnessed it goes to show how the defense can be hampered by that to an extent.

The real-time scenes following the end of plays are covered well by the cameras but still display some level of awkwardness particularly with the way players walk around and how frequently they seem to bump into each other.

Audio and commentary is very difficult to distinguish at E3 given all the surrounding noise. What I did catch was Gus Johnson yelling some lines and it accented how timing wise he was off on several occasions. My understanding is that commentary didn’t get much work this year but will advance significantly in Madden 13 instead.

It’s impossible to say how well Madden NFL 12 will be received in the long run simply from playing it at E3 and judging reactions to it. However at the very least there is a lot to be encouraged by and excited about and that is in stark contrast to how Madden fared last year.

This set of off-screen videos for Madden 12 features the Chargers (CPU) at Chiefs (User) and includes Kansas City’s entrance and a few extended segments of gameplay. Still to come will be 49ers @ Seahawks along with more Buccaneers @ Vikings and Panthers @ Broncos in the snow. Continue on for the videos and leave your thoughts in the comments!

Having now cruised out of Los Angeles and to Las Vegas – where apparently the internet is more reliable – expect videos for Madden 12 to flow out over the coming days. In this update the off-screen footage covers a game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings including the entrance, some gameplay, and a challenged play. There will be more to come from this game and others.

Check out the Facebook album for the entire collection of ‘player traits’ posted so far. There are still 125 more to go up and I’ll continue posting several to Twitter and Facebook at random times and doing a larger group each evening for the next few days.

Players added since the last update: Darrelle Revis, Tom Brady, Hakeem Nicks, LeSean McCoy, Josh Cribbs, Brandon Marshall, Greg Jennings, Colin Kaepernick, Richard Seymour, Mark Ingram, Julius Peppers, Donte Whitner, Ryan Kerrigan, Sam Bradford, Jared Allen, Philip Rivers, A.J. Green, Charles Woodson, DeMarcus Ware, Jeremy Shockey, Darren Sproles, Carson Palmer, Charles Johnson, Chris Long, Ricky Williams, Robert Mathis, Jimmy Smith, Nate Clements, Mark Clayton, LaRon Landry, Jimmy Clausen, DaQuan Bowers, Derrick Johnson, Jacoby Jones, James Laurinaitis, John Kuhn, Thomas Jones, and Willis McGahee.

Continue on to check out the videos and continue to leave your thoughts on them and the ‘player traits’ in the comments!

Heading into E3 THQ had already announced a range of features for the upcoming UFC Undisputed 3 that is scheduled to release in January. Considering the timing it would have been asking a bit much to expect hands-on gameplay and even what was presented was more than would have been anticipated a few weeks ago.

A nearly ten minute video was shown which went over many of the features and improvements being introduced in UFC 3 along with actual gameplay footage. We came away from the presentation encouraged overall but with lingering concerns in a few areas.

The UFC series moved off a yearly release schedule after poor consumer response and a sharp drop in sales made it clear that more would have to be done with each iteration than was offered with the move from 09 to 10. In that sense THQ is in strong position to deliver with the new features such as PRIDE and the bantamweight and featherweight divisions,simplified control option, improved visuals, and revamped online play (which trepidation towards will be warranted).

The graphics looked sharp with vastly improved lighting and more realistic player models and faces. The new fighter entrances came across really well and it looks like the announcers will even be modeled into the game. A change from a broadcast style camera angle to a more traditional fighting game style camera would look to be a positive change during gameplay but some will probably prefer the old camera regardless.

At first it was a fair concern that a simplified control option would provide a built-in advantage to less skilled players compared to those who are comfortable with the advanced controls. That doesn’t seem to be the case, and while making the process of transitioning simpler, it takes away options such as the ability to choose direction of transition and faint transitions. Therefore those who put the time in to get accustomed with the advanced controls will be rewarded, but the game will be more accessible in general because of the simplified controls being available.

The gameplay footage looked somewhat rough but part of that could be attributed to how they put it all together. It appeared to be footage where just a single player was allowed to do whatever they wanted – think having two user controlled fighters and they put the second controller down. This way they got highlight quality moments but in turn they were less natural looking than would be typical if an opponent was fighting back or being defensive.

There was a big emphasis made on “finishing the fight” which is somewhat ironic considering very few fights in UFC 2010 actually would make it to the judges. Basically the developers seem to be going for drama though at the same time trying to provide a realistic experience both standing and on the ground…with the exception of the new submission system being implemented.

When locking in a submission a mini-game pops up on screen with a graphic in the shape of an octagon. Each fighter has a colored bar, the size of which is dependent on factors such as ratings and stamina, and then it becomes essentially a game of cat and mouse. The fighter attempting the submission wants to catch and cross over the opponent’s bar while the one trying to escape will have to avoid it.

Not only does it sound somewhat silly in nature but what is most bothersome is how it takes eyes away from the action and on to a mini-game. The actual mechanic of it is sound and similar to what was used when attempting a choke in EA Sports MMA, but the intrusive display of such a mini-game would damage the immersiveness and realism of the experience.

Not a single person we talked to who saw the presentation necessarily liked what was being done with the submission system. Needless to say some action on THQ’s part will be necessary, and the opportunity is there given plenty of time remains in development to make a change.

UFC Undisputed 3 has the opportunity to reestablish the series as a premiere one with sports gamers and fight fans. Many of the features and improvements are compelling but there is a lot of work to be done before the game hits in January.