After a hands on experience with the upcoming Madden ’10, please rid your body of any pessimism or doubt that may linger. This journalist was lucky enough to give the game a test run and is proud to report that without a doubt this game was a long time coming. To take it a step further, this game should definitely be on the 2009 nominee ballot for Game of the Year. During an interview with Ian Cummings, lead designer for Madden ’10, he was able to expand on the new features and the ever so needed evolution of Madden. This is Ian’s first year on the Madden project and ironically the game has drastically been changed. From the graphics, gameplay, and very impressive new features, EA sports have definitely taken a huge step in the direction of next generation of gaming.


Never in the Madden Franchise has graphics ever been questioned. EA has always kept the look of the game on point when it came to the graphics. Xbox 360 users will be proud to know that Madden ’10 has graduated from a mere 720p to 1080p. As for the PS3, it has upgraded to 1080i. To kill all bragging rights that Xbox fanboys may think they have with a 1080p resolution, Ian also went on to say it wasn’t a true 1080p.

As far as the gameplay, they really refined it to show realistic football. For example, in the past tackling only seemed like a one man sport but in Madden ’10 they have implemented gang tackling, which allows up to about 6-8 players. This is something definitely been needed to certify Madden as true football game. Another change is the gaming control in which there is a slight delay in controlling the players, this gives the players a more realistic way of moving. In prior games, the controlls would be extra sensitive giving an advantage to the offense players like the WR and RB whenever they made cuts to elude the defense.


Lastly, the new features implemented on Madden ’10 without a doubt catapults it to the top of the list of nominees for Game of the Year. EA has implemented the whole fan experience in the game. For example, as the game was beginning there was scene where it showed tailgaters in the parking lot playing games to past the time before the game started. Putting the fan interaction in the game gives it the overall football experience. Another great new feature is the Online Co-op mode which consists of 2 vs. 2 online play. Unfortunately, players are limited on which positions they can chose to control. Regardless, this is truly another plus added to an already A+ game. Lastly they have given the players yet another treat, Online Franchise Mode. This consists of 32 teams, a real NFL schedule, full stat tracking, players transactions and live drafts. To help monitor your franchise, the good people at EA made it possible where you can do everything from offering trades to changing your depth charts via a PC browser or a downloadable iphone application. If you happen to be a Lion’s or Bengal’s fan, the online franchise mode will probably be the only time you see them win a game.