With the debut of Madden Arcade next week (Tues for PS3 and Wed for 360) EA Sports is releasing some final details on the game. The latest are the descriptions of all the power-ups which are being called “Game Changers”. Teams have the opportunity of being awarded one before every play and can choose to use it right then or save it for later. There are some new screenshots in the gallery showing off a few of them in action.

As I speculated when the full rosters for the game were released the “entourage” of extra lineman is related to one of the power-ups. Continue on for the full list of game changers and leave your thoughts in the comments.

Entourage – Bring in the reinforcements as Entourage sends the rest of your lineman into the game to help out for a play.

Triple Threat – Disguise which receiver you’re throwing the ball by sending out two other decoys with the Power Ball game changer.

Bonus Play – Give yourself an additional down to help get in the end zone and earn some much deserved points with Bonus Play.

Make it, Take it - If you’re good enough to score when you trigger Make It, Take It, the ball is yours to keep on the next possession.

Turbo – The Turbo game changer will send players in fast forward by giving them an extra speed burst.

Molasses – Game too fast for you? Use Molasses to take down the action on the field to a less frantic pace.

Fumbilitis – Turn your opponent’s into butter fingers as they’ll have a difficult time holding on to the ball with Fumbilitis.

It’s Alive – Make any pass a scramble for the ball as its Alive will turn any incomplete pass into a live ball.

Frostbite – Put the freeze on one opposing player from moving by using the game changer Frostbite.

Fast Pass – Fast Pass gives the power to a QB to throw the ultimate bulleted pass.

Flying Blind – Sabotage your opponent by using Flying Blind to turn off their passing icons.

Flip Flop – Jealous of your opponents score? Flip Flop will nicely borrow the score and never give it back.

Dud – Hey, they can’t all be winners.

As mentioned a while back when the rosters for Madden Arcade were being put together they are limited and consist of just 10 players. Each team has a QB, HB, WR, TE or 2nd WR, and OL on offense and the defense gets one DL, LB, S, and two CBs.

The rosters released by EA also include lists of “Entourages” which are additional offensive and defensive lineman. It is currently unknown what these represent. It could be they are used in a separate game mode or maybe they are involved as one of the power-ups. We should be finding out what they are for next week.

Unfortunately some of the rosters are already outdated and there will be no rosters updates for the game. Continue on for the full list of players included in Madden Arcade.

Bears Nathan Vasher CB
Bears Charles Tillman CB
Bears Tommie Harris DT
Bears Danieal Manning FS
Bears Matt Forte HB
Bears Orlando Pace LT
Bears Brian Urlacher MLB
Bears Jay Cutler QB
Bears Greg Olsen TE
Bears Devin Hester WR

Bengals Kyle Cook C
Bengals Leon Hall CB
Bengals Johnathan Joseph CB
Bengals Domata Peko DT
Bengals Cedric Benson HB
Bengals Dhani Jones MLB
Bengals Carson Palmer QB
Bengals Roy Williams SS
Bengals Laveranues Coles WR
Bengals Chad Ochocinco WR

Bills Geoff Hangartner C
Bills Terrence McGee CB
Bills Leodis McKelvin CB
Bills Marshawn Lynch HB
Bills Paul Posluszny MLB
Bills Trent Edwards QB
Bills Aaron Schobel RE
Bills Donte Whitner SS
Bills Lee Evans WR
Bills Terrell Owens WR

Broncos Casey Wiegmann C
Broncos Champ Bailey CB
Broncos Andre’ Goodman CB
Broncos Knowshon Moreno HB
Broncos Kyle Orton QB
Broncos Kenny Peterson RE
Broncos D.J. Williams ROLB
Broncos Brian Dawkins SS
Broncos Brandon Marshall WR
Broncos Eddie Royal WR

Browns Eric Wright CB
Browns Brandon McDonald CB
Browns Shaun Rogers DT
Browns Jamal Lewis HB
Browns Eric Steinbach LG
Browns D’Qwell Jackson MLB
Browns Brady Quinn QB
Browns Brodney Pool SS
Browns Mohamed Massaquoi WR
Browns Josh Cribbs WR

Buccaneers Aqib Talib CB
Buccaneers Ronde Barber CB
Buccaneers Chris Hovan DT
Buccaneers Carnell Williams HB
Buccaneers Barrett Ruud MLB
Buccaneers Josh Johnson QB
Buccaneers Davin Joseph RG
Buccaneers Sabby Piscitelli SS
Buccaneers Kellen Winslow TE
Buccaneers Antonio Bryant WR

Cardinals Bryant McFadden CB
Cardinals Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB
Cardinals Darnell Dockett DT
Cardinals Tim Hightower HB
Cardinals Karlos Dansby LOLB
Cardinals Mike Gandy LT
Cardinals Kurt Warner QB
Cardinals Adrian Wilson SS
Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald WR
Cardinals Anquan Boldin WR

Chargers Quentin Jammer CB
Chargers Antonio Cromartie CB
Chargers Eric Weddle FS
Chargers LaDainian Tomlinson HB
Chargers Kris Dielman LG
Chargers Philip Rivers QB
Chargers Luis Castillo RE
Chargers Shawne Merriman ROLB
Chargers Antonio Gates TE
Chargers Vincent Jackson WR

Chiefs Brandon Carr CB
Chiefs Brandon Flowers CB
Chiefs Jarrad Page FS
Chiefs Larry Johnson HB
Chiefs Brian Waters LG
Chiefs Matt Cassel QB
Chiefs Glenn Dorsey RE
Chiefs Mike Vrabel ROLB
Chiefs Bobby Wade WR
Chiefs Dwayne Bowe WR

Colts Jeff Saturday C
Colts Marlin Jackson CB
Colts Kelvin Hayden CB
Colts Joseph Addai HB
Colts Gary Brackett MLB
Colts Peyton Manning QB
Colts Dwight Freeney RE
Colts Bob Sanders SS
Colts Dallas Clark TE
Colts Reggie Wayne WR

Cowboys Andre Gurode C
Cowboys Mike Jenkins CB
Cowboys Terence Newman CB
Cowboys Jay Ratliff DT
Cowboys Ken Hamlin FS
Cowboys Marion Barber HB
Cowboys Tony Romo QB
Cowboys DeMarcus Ware ROLB
Cowboys Jason Witten TE
Cowboys Roy Williams WR

Dolphins Vontae Davis CB
Dolphins Sean Smith CB
Dolphins Gibril Wilson FS
Dolphins Ronnie Brown HB
Dolphins Jason Taylor LOLB
Dolphins Jake Long LT
Dolphins Chad Henne QB
Dolphins Joey Porter ROLB
Dolphins Greg Camarillo WR
Dolphins Ted Ginn WR

Eagles Asante Samuel CB
Eagles Sheldon Brown CB
Eagles Brian Westbrook HB
Eagles Jason Peters LT
Eagles Stewart Bradley MLB
Eagles Donovan McNabb QB
Eagles Trent Cole RE
Eagles Quintin Mikell SS
Eagles Jeremy Maclin WR
Eagles DeSean Jackson WR

Falcons Tye Hill CB
Falcons Chris Houston CB
Falcons Erik Coleman FS
Falcons Michael Turner HB
Falcons Curtis Lofton MLB
Falcons Matt Ryan QB
Falcons John Abraham RE
Falcons Harvey Dahl RG
Falcons Tony Gonzalez TE
Falcons Roddy White WR

49ers Nate Clements CB
49ers Dre’ Bly CB
49ers Frank Gore HB
49ers Joe Staley LT
49ers Patrick Willis MLB
49ers Shaun Hill QB
49ers Justin Smith RE
49ers Michael Lewis SS
49ers Vernon Davis TE
49ers Michael Crabtree WR

Giants Corey Webster CB
Giants Aaron Ross CB
Giants Kenny Phillips FS
Giants Brandon Jacobs HB
Giants Antonio Pierce MLB
Giants Eli Manning QB
Giants Osi Umenyiora RE
Giants Chris Snee RG
Giants Mario Manningham WR
Giants Steve Smith WR

Jaguars Rashean Mathis CB
Jaguars Derek Cox CB
Jaguars John Henderson DT
Jaguars Reggie Nelson FS
Jaguars Maurice Jones-Drew HB
Jaguars Tra Thomas LT
Jaguars Daryl Smith MLB
Jaguars David Garrard QB
Jaguars Mike Sims-Walker TE
Jaguars Torry Holt WR

Jets Lito Sheppard CB
Jets Darrelle Revis CB
Jets Kris Jenkins DT
Jets Kerry Rhodes FS
Jets Thomas Jones HB
Jets Alan Faneca LG
Jets Bart Scott MLB
Jets Mark Sanchez QB
Jets Braylon Edwards WR
Jets Jerricho Cotchery WR

Lions Dominic Raiola C
Lions Phillip Buchanon CB
Lions Anthony Henry CB
Lions Kevin Smith HB
Lions Matthew Stafford QB
Lions Dewayne White RE
Lions Ernie Sims ROLB
Lions Daniel Bullocks SS
Lions Brandon Pettigrew TE
Lions Calvin Johnson WR

Packers Al Harris CB
Packers Charles Woodson CB
Packers B.J. Raji DT
Packers Nick Collins FS
Packers Ryan Grant HB
Packers Aaron Kampman LOLB
Packers Chad Clifton LT
Packers Aaron Rodgers QB
Packers Donald Driver WR
Packers Greg Jennings WR

Panthers Richard Marshall CB
Panthers Chris Gamble CB
Panthers DeAngelo Williams HB
Panthers Jordan Gross LT
Panthers Jon Beason MLB
Panthers Jake Delhomme QB
Panthers Julius Peppers RE
Panthers Chris Harris SS
Panthers Muhsin Muhammad WR
Panthers Steve Smith WR

Patriots Shawn Springs CB
Patriots Darius Butler CB
Patriots Vince Wilfork DT
Patriots Fred Taylor HB
Patriots Logan Mankins LG
Patriots Tom Brady QB
Patriots Adalius Thomas ROLB
Patriots Brandon Meriweather SS
Patriots Randy Moss WR
Patriots Wes Welker WR

Raiders Samson Satele C
Raiders Chris Johnson CB
Raiders Nnamdi Asomugha CB
Raiders Darren McFadden HB
Raiders Kirk Morrison MLB
Raiders JaMarcus Russell QB
Raiders Richard Seymour RE
Raiders Michael Huff SS
Raiders Zach Miller TE
Raiders Darrius Heyward-Bey WR

Rams Jason Brown C
Rams Ronald Bartell CB
Rams Jonathan Wade CB
Rams O.J. Atogwe FS
Rams Steven Jackson HB
Rams Will Witherspoon LOLB
Rams Marc Bulger QB
Rams Chris Long RE
Rams Randy McMichael TE
Rams Donnie Avery WR

Ravens Matt Birk C
Ravens Fabian Washington CB
Ravens Domonique Foxworth CB
Ravens Ed Reed FS
Ravens Willis McGahee HB
Ravens Ray Lewis MLB
Ravens Joe Flacco QB
Ravens Haloti Ngata RE
Ravens Todd Heap TE
Ravens Derrick Mason WR

Redskins Carlos Rogers CB
Redskins DeAngelo Hall CB
Redskins Albert Haynesworth DT
Redskins LaRon Landry FS
Redskins Clinton Portis HB
Redskins Chris Samuels LT
Redskins London Fletcher MLB
Redskins Jason Campbell QB
Redskins Chris Cooley TE
Redskins Santana Moss WR

Saints Jabari Greer CB
Saints Malcolm Jenkins CB
Saints Sedrick Ellis DT
Saints Darren Sharper FS
Saints Reggie Bush HB
Saints Jammal Brown LT
Saints Jonathan Vilma MLB
Saints Drew Brees QB
Saints Jeremy Shockey TE
Saints Marques Colston WR

Seahawks Marcus Trufant CB
Seahawks Josh Wilson CB
Seahawks Julius Jones HB
Seahawks Patrick Kerney LE
Seahawks Walter Jones LT
Seahawks Lofa Tatupu MLB
Seahawks Matt Hasselbeck QB
Seahawks Deon Grant SS
Seahawks John Carlson TE
Seahawks T.J. Houshmandzadeh WR

Steelers William Gay CB
Steelers Ike Taylor CB
Steelers Chris Hoke DT
Steelers Willie Parker HB
Steelers Max Starks LT
Steelers Ben Roethlisberger QB
Steelers James Harrison ROLB
Steelers Troy Polamalu SS
Steelers Santonio Holmes WR
Steelers Hines Ward WR

Texans Fred Bennett CB
Texans Dunta Robinson CB
Texans Eugene Wilson FS
Texans Steve Slaton HB
Texans DeMeco Ryans MLB
Texans Matt Schaub QB
Texans Mario Williams RE
Texans Eric Winston RT
Texans Owen Daniels TE
Texans Andre Johnson WR

Titans Nick Harper CB
Titans Cortland Finnegan CB
Titans Chris Johnson HB
Titans Jevon Kearse LE
Titans Michael Roos LT
Titans Kerry Collins QB
Titans Keith Bulluck ROLB
Titans Chris Hope SS
Titans Nate Washington WR
Titans Justin Gage WR

Vikings Cedric Griffin CB
Vikings Antoine Winfield CB
Vikings Adrian Peterson HB
Vikings Steve Hutchinson LG
Vikings Brett Favre QB
Vikings Jared Allen RE
Vikings Chad Greenway ROLB
Vikings Tyrell Johnson SS
Vikings Percy Harvin WR
Vikings Bernard Berrian WR

ENTOURAGES
Bears Olin Kreutz C
Bears Josh Beekman LG
Bears Roberto Garza RG
Bears Kevin Shaffer RT
Bears Dusty Dvoracek DT
Bears Adewale Ogunleye LE
Bears Alex Brown RE

Bengals Andrew Whitworth LT
Bengals Andre Smith RT
Bengals Bobbie Williams RG
Bengals Anthony Collins LT
Bengals Pat Sims DT
Bengals Robert Geathers LE
Bengals Antwan Odom RE

Bills Eric Wood RG
Bills Andy Levitre LG
Bills Brad Butler OT (IR)
Bills Kirk Chambers LT
Bills Marcus Stroud DT
Bills Chris Kelsay LE
Bills Aaron Maybin RE

Broncos Ben Hamilton LG
Broncos Ryan Clady LT
Broncos Chris Kuper RG
Broncos Ryan Harris RT
Broncos Ronald Fields DT
Broncos Marcus Thomas DT
Broncos Darrell Reid LE

Browns Hank Fraley RG
Browns Joe Thomas LT
Browns Floyd Womack RG
Browns John St. Clair RT
Browns Ahtyba Rubin DT
Browns Kenyon Coleman LE
Browns Corey Williams RE

Buccaneers Jeff Faine C
Buccaneers Arron Sears OT
Buccaneers Donald Penn LT
Buccaneers Jeremy Trueblood RT
Buccaneers Ryan Sims DT
Buccaneers Gaines Adams RE
Buccaneers Jimmy Wilkerson RE

Cardinals Lyle Sendlein C
Cardinals Reggie Wells LG
Cardinals Deuce Lutui RG
Cardinals Levi Brown RT
Cardinals Bryan Robinson DT
Cardinals Calais Campbell LE
Cardinals Bertrand Berry RE

Chargers Nick Hardwick C
Chargers Louis Vasquez RG
Chargers Marcus McNeill LT
Chargers Jeromey Clary RT
Chargers Jamal Williams DT
Chargers Travis Johnson DT
Chargers Jacques Cesaire LE

Chiefs Rudy Niswanger C
Chiefs Branden Albert LT
Chiefs Mike Goff RG
Chiefs Ike Ndukwe RT
Chiefs Tank Tyler DT
Chiefs Ron Edwards DT
Chiefs Tyson Jackson LE

Colts Charlie Johnson LT
Colts Tony Ugoh LT
Colts Mike Pollak RG
Colts Ryan Diem RT
Colts Eric Foster DT
Colts Keyunta Dawson DT
Colts Robert Mathis LE

Cowboys Kyle Kosier LG
Cowboys Flozell Adams LT
Cowboys Leonard Davis RG
Cowboys Marc Colombo RT
Cowboys Junior Siavii DT
Cowboys Marcus Spears LE
Cowboys Igor Olshansky RE

Dolphins Jake Grove C
Dolphins Justin Smiley LG
Dolphins Donald Thomas RG
Dolphins Vernon Carey RT
Dolphins Paul Soliai DT
Dolphins Kendall Langford LE
Dolphins Phillip Merling RE

Eagles Jamaal Jackson C
Eagles Todd Herremans LG
Eagles Shawn Andrews OT (IR)
Eagles Stacy Andrews RG
Eagles Brodrick Bunkley DT
Eagles Mike Patterson DT
Eagles Juqua Parker LE

Falcons Todd McClure C
Falcons Justin Blalock LG
Falcons Sam Baker LT
Falcons Tyson Clabo RT
Falcons Jonathan Babineaux DT
Falcons Peria Jerry DT
Falcons Jamaal Anderson LE

49ers Eric Heitmann C
49ers David Baas LG
49ers Chilo Rachal RG
49ers Tony Pashos RT
49ers Isaac Sopoaga DT
49ers Aubrayo Franklin DT
49ers Kentwan Balmer LE

Giants Shaun O’Hara C
Giants Rich Seubert LG
Giants David Diehl LT
Giants Kareem McKenzie RT
Giants Rocky Bernard DT
Giants Chris Canty DT
Giants Justin Tuck LE

Jaguars Brad Meester C
Jaguars Vince Manuwai LG
Jaguars Maurice Williams RG
Jaguars Eben Britton RT
Jaguars Rob Meier DT
Jaguars Quentin Groves LE
Jaguars Reggie Hayward RE

Jets Nick Mangold C
Jets D’Brickashaw Ferguson LT
Jets Brandon Moore RG
Jets Damien Woody RT
Jets Howard Green DT
Jets Shaun Ellis LE
Jets Marques Douglas RE

Lions Damion Cook OT (IR)
Lions Jeff Backus LT
Lions Stephen Peterman RG
Lions Gosder Cherilus RT
Lions Grady Jackson DT
Lions Sammie Lee Hill DT
Lions Jason Hunter RE

Packers Scott Wells C
Packers Daryn Colledge LG
Packers Jason Spitz C
Packers Allen Barbre RT
Packers Ryan Pickett DT
Packers Cullen Jenkins LE
Packers Justin Harrell RE

Panthers Ryan Kalil C
Panthers Travelle Wharton LG
Panthers Keydrick Vincent RG
Panthers Jeff Otah RT
Panthers Damione Lewis DT
Panthers Ma’ake Kemoeatu DT
Panthers Tyler Brayton LE

Patriots Dan Koppen C (IR)
Patriots Matt Light LT (IR)
Patriots Stephen Neal RG
Patriots Nick Kaczur LT
Patriots Mike Wright DT
Patriots Ty Warren LE
Patriots Jarvis Green RE

Raiders Robert Gallery LG (IR)
Raiders Khalif Barnes RT
Raiders Cooper Carlisle RG
Raiders Cornell Green RT (IR)
Raiders Tommy Kelly DT
Raiders Trevor Scott LE
Raiders Greg Ellis LOLB

Rams Jacob Bell LG (IR)
Rams Alex Barron LT
Rams Richie Incognito RG (IR)
Rams Jason Smith RT
Rams Cliff Ryan DT
Rams Adam Carriker DT
Rams Leonard Little LE

Ravens Chris Chester RG
Ravens Ben Grubbs LG
Ravens Jared Gaither LT
Ravens Michael Oher RT
Ravens Kelly Gregg DT
Ravens Brandon McKinney DT
Ravens Trevor Pryce LE

Redskins Casey Rabach C
Redskins Derrick Dockery LG
Redskins Randy Thomas G
Redskins Stephon Heyer LT
Redskins Cornelius Griffin DT
Redskins Phillip Daniels LE
Redskins Andre Carter RE

Saints Jonathan Goodwin C
Saints Carl Nicks LG
Saints Jahri Evans RG
Saints Jon Stinchcomb RT
Saints Kendrick Clancy DT
Saints Charles Grant LE
Saints Will Smith RE

Seahawks Chris Spencer C
Seahawks Mansfield Wrotto LG
Seahawks Rob Sims LG
Seahawks Sean Locklear LT (IR)
Seahawks Cory Redding DT
Seahawks Colin Cole DT
Seahawks Darryl Tapp RE

Steelers Justin Hartwig C
Steelers Chris Kemoeatu LG
Steelers Darnell Stapleton G
Steelers Willie Colon RT
Steelers Casey Hampton DT
Steelers Aaron Smith LE
Steelers Brett Keisel RE

Texans Chris Myers C
Texans Chester Pitts G
Texans Duane Brown LT
Texans Mike Brisiel G
Texans Deljuan Robinson DT
Texans Amobi Okoye DT
Texans Antonio Smith LE

Titans Kevin Mawae C
Titans Eugene Amano LG
Titans Jake Scott RG
Titans David Stewart RT
Titans Tony Brown DT
Titans Jovan Haye DT
Titans Kyle Vanden Bosch RE

Vikings John Sullivan C
Vikings Bryant McKinnie LT
Vikings Anthony Herrera RG
Vikings Phil Loadholt RT
Vikings Kevin Williams DT
Vikings Pat Williams DT
Vikings Ray Edwards LE

The downloadable only title Madden Arcade now has an official release date. It will be out on Tuesday November 24th on PSN and Wednesday November 25th on XBLA. It had been originally planned to make its way out in December. Madden Arcade will go for 1200 MS points for the 360 and the equivalent $15 for the PS3.

EA Sports has shifted their arcade titles to this method of downloadable only delivery, providing compact offerings at much more reasonable prices than would’ve been found at retail. 3 on 3 NHL Arcade was the first attempt at it and by all accounts it was a nice success. Continue on for the official trailer.

EA Sports has released the first details on the upcoming Madden Arcade. The downloadable only game will be available in December for 1200 MS points on XBL and the equivalent $15 on PSN. It will feature five on five arcade-style gameplay with all 32 teams and stadiums included.

Each team is given four downs to march 60 yards to pay dirt – no penalties or field goals allowed here, pal! Get your Madden NFL fix in a completely new way, with fast-paced games where the first team to 30 wins. Want to mix it up? Madden NFL Arcade can be tailored to fit your liking by changing options, such as skill level, points to win, and more; making each game unlike the one before. Take advantage of 13 unique “Game Changers” to break the game wide open on a single play. Add an entourage of lineman to get the sack, freeze an opposing player, turn off your opponent’s passing icons, and much more. No lead is safe in Madden NFL Arcade.

Graphically it looks like they borrowed from the style used in the latest Wii version of Madden though obviously looking much better given the capabilities of the 360 and PS3. You can check out the screenshots in the gallery.

3 on 3 NHL Arcade was a big success though I didn’t find it compelling enough to play more than a few times. Hopefully Madden Arcade will provide more longevity. The downloadable only model is attractive to companies as they don’t have to worry about the production stage or the used game market cutting into their sales.

For $15 there is a lot of value potential with Madden Arcade. The last arcade style football game that EA released was NFL Tour which I had a lot of fun with and that game sold for $40. Given the complaints about Tour (commentary, thin playbook, lack of defense) it seems like Madden Arcade could provide a similar experience but for the significantly reduced price.

In my preview of Backbreaker from E3 I noted overriding sense I got that the game was far from release and would likely not come this calendar year. Following E3 there have been no developments to make me believe otherwise. Now comes even more evidence of the game shifting into 2010.

Gamestop has added Backbreaker into the system with a release date of Tuesday April 6th 2010. This does not necessarily look to be a placeholder as they generally use the 1st of a month in those cases. Of course being this far out it is possible the release date is not finalized and could change. The producers have stated numerous times that the game will release when they feel it is ready and they haven’t been pressured into a release date or even a general time frame. Regardless the possibility of Backbreaker releasing well ahead of that date would be unlikely, so it is looking like the game won’t be out for even longer than I had anticipated.

Also of note is the listing of 505 Games as the publisher. While Backbreaker has apparently had a publisher for some time now for whatever reason that has been kept under wraps. 505 Games has published a handful of titles, none of which have been related to sports.

Over the past couple of months I’ve been following the development of Quick Hit Football. This is a completely free PC game played within the browser. It is a management/coaching sim rather than a game you actively play and through performance can earn points to be spent on improving the players.

Most interestingly of the early news on the game is that the rosters are not completely generic. Due to a loophole in the NFL exclusive license contract, Quick Hit has been able to sign a handful of active NFL players to be included. Ray Lewis, Matt Cassel, Brian Westbrook, Jason Witten, and Osi Umenyiora will find themselves on one of the five teams that make up the single-player experience.

Each team will also have a former NFL coach to help lead them. Bill Cowher, Brian Billick, Jimmy Johnson, Dan Reeves, and Tom Landry are the five that have signed on.

Earlier today Quick Hit announced the signing of “nearly 100″ NFL legends. Included in the list are Steve Largent, Warren Moon, Tony Dorsett, Dan Fouts, Deacon Jones, and Randy White. The players will be separated into three classifications based on when their careers took place. Those classifications are “Pioneers”, “Classics” (70s-80s), and “Contemporary”. No other details on how they will be integrated into the game however.

This is a pretty intriguing concept and delivery method and one that seems more inviting that the overwhelming nature of the NFL Head Coach offerings. Most importantly is the commitment and dedication that is being put into this. Signing all those big names to be a part of the game is clear evidence of that. Interestingly the team working on Quick Hit includes former Madden, All-Pro Football, and NFL 2K5 developers.

Quick Hit Football is expected to launch in early October and you can sign up to receive a beta key on the website now.

Online Franchise was instantly my most anticipated feature as soon as it was announced at E3. Since then there has been some disappointing news on aspects of the mode that would be missing. Despite that it still has potential to be a lot of fun and is certainly much more advanced than an online league. With the servers for Online Franchise having gone live as well as the website having opened up we wanted to test out some of the options and see how it all works.

First lets recap some of the areas of the mode that already were known to be lacking. There is no salary cap so free agency is unregulated and there is no CPU trade logic. There is no preseason and there are no sliders to be adjusted. Unlike regular franchise mode there is no halftime show or Extra Point franchise show. These are all elements that EA was up front about missing, and hopefully because the mode is run server side improvements or additions could end up being made at any time. I don’t expect any of these things to make their way in this year with the exception of maybe the sliders.

So the first thing to do is either create the Online Franchise or join one. Franchises can be set to public but I suspect those will end up being a disaster. Invites can be sent out which makes it easy for people to accept, however it seems that the password for the league is still required to be entered even for those receiving an invite. I’m not sure why that is since now the password will have to be communicated independently when an invite from the Commish should be enough to grant entry.

There are a lot of options that can be set for the games. The biggest let down of the mode for me so far is that there is no option for game speed. Right now online games are defaulted to “normal” speed which is not the same as the default offline “slow” that I have enjoyed so much. The games run faster online which has resulted in sloppier play. More sacks and more turnovers are the trend out of that. Not only am I disappointed that it is defaulted to that speed but really not pleased that they aren’t offering an option to change it up for Online Franchise. This is something that hopefully EA will take care of an soon since I already know it will be affecting the quality of the franchises.

The max users for a franchise is 32 but there are several other options for this. It is probably worth just setting it to 32 unless it is a public league that is trying to contain itself so it can go at a better pace and maybe even make it through a season. You can either start with the current rosters at the time or do a fantasy draft. Difficulty level is adjustable, quarter length can be changed as well as accelerated clock settings. Injuries, fatigue, and weather can all be turned off if so desired.

The other main setting has to do with trades. There are trades “On” where anyone can trade with any team including the CPU. Trades “off” where no trades can be completed. And trades “On-No CPU” where trading is only allowed between users. Since there is no CPU trade logic, the CPU will accept any offer. So that should be the setting only in cases where all league members can trust each other or work out offers that everyone agrees with.

The main franchise menu looks similar to the online menu and navigates in the same manner. You have the list of owners, team and league schedules, rosters and player management, and stats. The Options area is where the Commish can advance the week, send out invites, or make changes to league settings.

At first I thought this would be a major issue but there is a simple way around it. Trades can not be completed before Week 1 games. They can be offered but nothing can be processed until Week 2. For franchises where people are negotiating and completing trades prior to starting, the way around this involves free agency. Simply release the players being traded away and then sign the ones being acquired. They are then eligible to play in the Week 1 games.

There is a one hour timer between advancing weeks. If the games are actually being played this won’t be bothersome, but for people who may have been interested in simming ahead this presents a roadblock to that.

Myself and Jerkfacefave decided to play a week 1 matchup in a Franchise so I went with the Saints and he was the Lions. The game was on 12 minute quarters with 15 second accelerated clock. I like that set up even in the online games though the stats will show the kind of affect that the faster game speed had on our play. I pulled out the win 9-6 but it wasn’t a pretty sight. 7 total INTs and 10 total sacks. Basically that game speed influenced how we had to play. Either pull it down for a sack (and in some cases get sacked before the drop back animation was completed) or throw the ball up for grabs. With the slower game speed there is time to read defenses and go through progressions, and I just don’t get that same opportunity in these online games.

The website to view Online Franchises is now up and you can check it out here. Enter in your EA Sports World login info to access it. If you search for pastapadre by user you can take a look at the two franchises that I currently have active and browse the stats and rosters. One issue I immediately noticed is that the team logos are swapped on the game info pages. So my players and the game stats are listed below my opponents logo and vice-versa.  For members of the franchises the website also allows for changing depth charts and working trades.

There is still a ways to go before a conclusion can be made on the Online Franchise mode. While I’m excited about getting it up and going just a few small changes could go a long way. Adding an option for game speed or changing the “default” to slow and getting sliders added in would be reasonable requests at this point.

The success of the downloadable 3 on 3 NHL Arcade led to speculation that other “arcade” titles would end up going the same route. That being simplified, compact, downloadable only offerings centered on fun factor at a lower price point. NHL Arcade sold for a reasonable $10 through PSN and XBLM and most found that it ultimately provided good value. With the end of the NBA and NFL Street (and NFL Tour) those two sports are primed for arcade offerings.

It appears that the first one to come with be for football. Earlier today Peter Moore announced that “Madden Arcade” is in development and targeted for a holiday release. This could be really successful considering that time of the year (December and January) are generally dry spells for sports gaming. I would anticipate a game carrying the Madden name to maybe come in at $20, but if they were able to stick at the same $10 as NHL that would be fantastic.

Potentially how interested will you be in a downloadable arcade style NFL game? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Originally announced back in August of 2007 Backbreaker wowed with early displays of its tackling engine known as Euphoria. Since then it has pretty much been in hibernation. Now though the game appears to be gearing up and intends to prove that it is still around to make an impact.

While at E3 I had the chance to sit down with Rob Donald and Torstein Reil of Backbreaker for a look at the game and to talk about some of the thinking behind it. The meeting actually went for nearly an hour and a half so the time commitment was appreciated.

Backbreaker originally was planned to be an XBL Arcade/PSN offering. However the technology presented an opportunity to do much more. In the years since announcing it NaturalMotion has attempted to build a full featured game based around the Euphoria tackling engine.

One topic of conversation was whether the game would be “sim” or “arcade”. We were in agreement that it is difficult to define what a “sim” is. They were direct in that they do not view the game as competition to the licensed titles. They need to separate themselves and offer a different experience. While they are looking to respect the rules of football Backbreaker isn’t going to be a representation of the NFL. It may not be completely over-the-top but it will be exaggerated and open to different things. Basically as expected it will fall somewhere in the middle.

What seemed to be the biggest focus for the Backbreaker team was accessibility. This certainly is understandable as many people new to sports gaming find them intimidating at first. So the idea is to offer an inviting pick-up-and-play type experience. At the same time they want to make sure to have deeper layers and options that more skilled players can take advantage of.

That can be a difficult balance and as such they are looking at offering two different game modes. One that falls on the simple side and the other on the skilled side. Unfortunately much of how that could materialize either wasn’t shown or hasn’t been built into the game yet.

We’ve known for a while that passing the ball uses the right analog stick. What happens is at the line of scrimmage you have a WR glowing red and he is your primary option. The primary receiver can be changed pre-snap. While in play by hitting the stick up a pass will be thrown to that receiver. Using the LT and hitting the stick left or right will scan through the other receivers.

Receivers will show up glowing red if they are available to throw to while any in blue are no longer options (out of bounds, on the ground). There was some discussion around whether you should be able to throw to them regardless of the position they’re in so that could change. The ball also glows red to help users locate the ball carrier.

When simply using the left stick to run the player will have the ability to perform agile moves but using the RT when running will put the player into aggressive mode where he will go into a sprint and the moves that can be done are more powerful.

The camera angles are a big sense of offering the immersive nature that Backbreaker is going for. They are down low to the field and in on the action.  From what I saw I thought they worked well. Basically it sits behind the player you are controlling. I was most concerned about the transitions between switching players or dependent on where the ball is. The camera transitioned smoothly based on location of the ball because it locks into where the player is looking. And since you are locked into an individual player during each defensive play there is no camera shifting that would come with switching who was being controlled.

The camera angles vary pre-snap on offense based on whether it is a run or a pass. If it is a pass the angle is slightly behind and above the QB, while if it is a run the camera is positioned lower and behind the RB. Because of the camera angles Backbreaker will be utilizing split-screen for local multiplayer. I did note the concern that someone could easily spot run vs pass based on looking over at their opponent’s pre-snap camera angle so hopefully they come up with a way to fluke that or settle in with a moderate angle that works for both.

After the Tackle Alley and tutorials we went to the full 11 on 11 for a few plays. So yes, no more doubting that is what Backbreaker is going for as the core of its game. There wasn’t nearly enough seen to come to any conclusions and not everything is in or completed yet. Just as a couple examples blocking animations and trajectory on passes were not implemented in the build. Non-tackle interactions will need work.

I got my first hands-on with Tackle Alley and that has some potential for being a quick fun option especially online. The controls/player felt a little on the heavy side but I hesitate to make any judgments based on such a short run through.

Graphically the game looks real clean which is probably due in part to the lack of extras such as sideline activity and refs. The stadiums are nicely done incorporating aspects of the cities they reside in without getting ridiculous. I only saw a few but they each had their own unique presence.

Full customization is still in, unfortunately for NaturalMotion the Teambuilder feature in NCAA Football 10 stole some of the thunder of this. But it looks like it will have enough options to create some really cool teams. Hopefully it is as user-friendly as Teambuilder and includes the same option to share amongst other users.

Obviously I can’t go through a preview for Backbreaker without talking about the tackling. I was actually most impressed with this area of the game. Sure there were situations where the tackles looked awkward but there were just as many times where I thought they looked great. On one instance a RB was turning the corner and attempted a stiff-arm only to be dragged down by his arm which was all the defender could reach. At the same time the players love to dive for tackles even after a guy is down there would be times where five more players just dove by for the hell of it. It made for some laughs anyway.

Online play is going to be a big area of concentration as the developers recognize this is the area they could really build a following. Online co-op was mentioned as a possibility but not confirmed. Various mini-games could also suit it well. This really does feel like a head-to-head game, with the customization making it even more enjoyable. The frantic action and big hits seems to fit with the style and being able to include friends taking advantage of their own camera angles on your team would be great.

I did read the IGN preview that may have implied there is no franchise mode. This was not something we discussed. I did note that there were several options on the menu for different modes but they did not desire to go into them at the time.

While there is no release date to announce they did state that they have different targets they are aiming for. The sense I get is the game will land sometime late this year or early 2010 but that is just speculation on my part. They stressed that they do not feel rushed to push the game out. It is more important that it is complete and reaches the vision they have for it. They are looking at building a franchise out of Backbreaker and quality is an important ingredient in that.

I’ve always been open to different style sports games which is why Backbreaker has continued to intrigue me. From what I saw I still recognize the potential but feel as though they may be concentrating too much on accessibility and basing decisions on focus group testing from people who probably won’t buy the game anyway. As I mentioned earlier they stated that there will be depth to the game to satisfy the more knowledgeable players…I just didn’t see much of it from what was showcased.

There is still a ways to go before the game is all pulled together. I was most encouraged by how well the technology applied itself to tacking. However it remains to be seen whether it will be able to offer a true football experience that will satisfy fans of the sport.

Backbreaker remains somewhat of an enigma. Announced over two years ago the game has been in something akin to a PR lockdown since. While the allure of dynamic tackles remains intriguing there has been little else shown from the game and general details have been scarce. Gamestop had put it up for presale on its website and it looked like a fall release for the game with Atari as the publisher, only to pull the listing a few days later putting those things back in doubt.

Earlier today two new screenshots were released for the game. These are the first that really show off what it will look like during gameplay as they display pre-snap alignment and assignments. Click the thumbnails below to view full size.

E3 looms large for Backbreaker. If the game is on display and fully playable (not just the Tackle Alley demonstration) then there could be justification for anticipating it. If it isn’t then questioning of the legitimacy of the game will continue.

I’ve always been open to and enjoyed arcade style games, and Backbreaker appears to be straddling the line between arcade and sim along with the futuristic feel, glowing football, and glowing user controlled player. There is a place in the market for unique takes on the sports as long as they have the fundamentals down and ultimately are fun. Hopefully there will be a breakthrough coming from Backbreaker now that E3 is on the horizon less than two weeks out.