FNR4 360 Hard Drive Performance Evaluation

Something I’ve done in that past that has been popular is taking a look at the differences in games on the 360 when played from disc vs the hard drive. Installing to the HDD has shown performance improvements in the games as well as cutting down on the stress to and noise from the console. Here is a look at the difference being seen in Fight Night Round 4.

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NCAA Basketball 10 Top Cover Candidates

The cover athlete for NCAA Basketball 10 is set to be announced on Tuesday June 23rd, just one day before the NBA Draft. Last year EA clearly didn’t put much importance into their cover, likely because there was no need to once 2K dropped out as competition. The selection was Kevin Love making for one of the most boring and uninspired cover choices in recent years.

This year there are a handful of names that could make sense as the potential cover athletes. Continue on to check out the top cover candidates.

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E3: Backbreaker Preview

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.

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Madden 10 Team and Player Ratings

While at E3 I was able to grab the team overall ratings for Madden 10. I also have access to the player ratings. These may not necessarily be final however they will provide at the very least a good idea of what to expect. A while back Donny Moore stated that the Pats, Steelers, and Eagles were the top three teams however in this build the Giants have overtaken the Eagles.

Continue on to check out the team ratings. Leave any requests for specific player ratings in the comments and I’ll reply there. Please limit it to no more than two players per comment. Users with Intense Debate comment accounts or utilizing Facebook Connect will receive priority in response.

Update: EA has requested I take the ratings down.

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The Wrap-Up: UFC 2009 Undisputed

In the months leading up to the release of UFC 2009 Undisputed I viewed the game with a level of skepticism. Given THQ’s history with the WWE games and being the first attempt at UFC I didn’t know what fully to expect nor did I want to get my hopes too high.

Then came the demo which blew apart every preconceived notion I had regarding the game. No it wasn’t too stiff or mechanical. No it wasn’t too difficult. Yes the differing styles would keep things fresh and vary experiences. And yes it was incredibly fun. Immediately it became my most anticipated title at the time. Release has come and gone and that initial enjoyment has not worn off.

Much of this has been touched on through impressions, comments, and posting in the forum but here are my overall thoughts on the game and the future of the UFC franchise.

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E3: Madden NFL 10 Impressions

The improvements to Madden 10 were quickly evident at E3. Many of them are visual which means you’re immediately exposed to them and they are impossible to miss. Others such as the game speed are readily apparent as well. That suited it well to the environment that E3 offers where time with the game can be limited and the crowds can affect the experience. Reaction to Madden has been overwhelmingly positive for the most part and it received multiple “Game of E3″ nominations while there. Continue on for my impressions from the event.

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E3: NCAA Football 10 Impressions

During the first day of E3 I played NCAA Football 10 on the default Varsity difficulty. I made the statement in my brief recap that the game had a very similar feel to 09 and it seems people ran with that as though it meant it wasn’t changed or improved which is not the case. The differences are just not as obvious as the ones Madden received. After bumping it up to All-American the improvements made to the game became more evident.

The adaptive AI has a strong presence and I’ll describe an example of that from the defensive side later in the article. Going up against the CPU offense there were instances of them throwing deep and mixing up the play calling better than seen in recent editions.

As witnessed in the UW-WSU video the CPU RB had a play where he probably would’ve run out of bounds last year but instead caught me off guard by pulling off a sharp cut and going up-field for about 15 more yards. There is more inaccuracy from QBs and a great deal of that is dependent on ratings. There is a pass rush and I actually encountered a CPU Missouri blitzing the crap out of me over a series of plays and I was not prepared for that to happen. Also a factor is if the QB waits too long and gets hit during the throw the potential is there for those waffling passes to be picked off.

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EA Press Conference Live Blog

I’ve arrived at the Orpheum Theater in LA for the EA Press Conference scheduled to begin at 2pt/5et. Peter Moore is expected to appear at some point and talk about the growth and direction of online play while making big announcements for Madden and other EA Sports titles. Continue on for the live blog.

*Please note this is connection permitting. If the wireless connection goes out I’ll still be on Twitter.* Feel free to continue leaving comments.

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What Favre Would Mean to the Vikings

Despite hope that Brett Favre would actually fade out of the spotlight this year it appears the inevitable return has been set in motion. The first step was when he requested (twice) for his release by the Jets. The benefit of the release was that it made him a free agent clearing him to sign with another team. Now though even more evidence that he is strongly leaning towards a return as he is set to meet with Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress later this week to discuss coming back to play.

Last week at the first indications of a possible return I posed a question to Donny Moore on Twitter regarding what Favre would be rated in Madden 10. His response was that he would fall between 75 and 85 depending on how he looked in camp. Favre finished Madden 09 rated an 88 and given the stretched out ratings it seems likely that he would fall close to or just below an 80.

The Vikings would seemingly become one of the most dominant teams in Madden if they were to add Favre. Despite the more reasonable rating this year he would provide an instant upgrade over Sage Rosenfels and Tavaris Jackson. He still has a strong arm which would prove beneficial with speedsters like Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin on the outside. That would in turn open up the running game even more for Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. The offensive line won’t be as dominant as it has been the last few years though. The defense remains solid especially on the line which has Jared Allen along with Pat and Kevin Williams. The Vikings would likely capture that bandwagon crowd online that may have been headed towards the Bears after they added Jay Cutler.

What do you think about Brett Favre potentially playing for the Vikings? How would it affect the competition in the NFC North and how much would it impact Madden 10?

Madden Draft Winners and Losers

With the first day of the NFL Draft complete its time to take a look at the actions each team took and what that will mean for them in Madden 10 and beyond. Having the official player ratings for the rookies provides the opportunity to evaluate the immediate impact and future prospects based on their respective teams and situations.

Continue on to see the eight biggest “winners and losers” of the Madden Draft and leave your thoughts in the comments.

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