To kick off the Madden NFL 13 Cover Vote bracket debate, a SportsNation“Madden Cover Vote Special” will air tonight on ESPN 2 from 6-7 p.m. ET.  Every Wednesday throughout the campaign, fans can tune in to SportsNationat 5 p.m. ET for an in-depth discussion about the latest voting results and to see which players have advanced to the next round. The tournament will culminate with the reveal of the Madden NFL 13 cover athlete on SportsNationon April 25, the night before the 2012 NFL Draft.

The results of the Madden NFL 13 Cover Vote play-in round are:

*Entered the Madden NFL 13 Cover Vote play-in round representing the St. Louis Rams.

Among the 32 players are past Super Bowl winners including Victor Cruz and Aaron Rodgers; perennial Pro Bowl players Larry Fitzgerald and Drew Brees; and some of the most dominant players in the NFL such as Troy Polamalu and Jared Allen.  During the first ever play-in round, fan voting resulted in upsets like LeSean McCoy surpassing Michael Vick who was a finalist in last year’s award-winning Madden NFL 12 Cover Vote competition.

“Every football fan has an opinion on who should be on the Madden NFL cover, which was highly visible given the overwhelming response and debate that ensued during last year’s campaign. We’re proud to once again put the fate of the game’s cover in our fans’ hands and let them decide who is worthy of becoming the Madden NFL 13 cover athlete,” said director of marketing Anthony Stevenson. “Our collaboration with ESPN and SportsNation helped elevate the campaign to new heights last year and we’re thrilled to team up again on this award-winning program.”

“Sports fans are embracing the new structure of the Madden NFL 13 cover vote and the response has been tremendous for the play-in round, which gives each team’s fans an increased voice in the player selected for the vote,” said Jamie Horowitz, Vice President, Original Programming and Production, ESPN.  “SportsNation has the most engaged social audience across the ESPN network, and enabling them to share their votes across Facebook was an ideal way to tap into some of football’s most passionate fans.”

The Madden NFL 13 cover vote marks the third-consecutive year that EA SPORTS has asked fans to help shape the face of the Madden NFL franchise through a cover athlete voting campaign.  It also marks the second year of its collaboration with ESPN and SportsNation.  Last year, nearly 13 million votes were logged through ESPNSportsNation.com online and via the mobile web, the most ever for an ESPN cross-platform activation, which witnessed 10^thseeded Peyton Hillis (Browns, RB) winning the honor to grace the cover ofMadden NFL 12.

To ensure their favorite player advances to the next round of this year’s competition, fans are encouraged to vote daily and tweet their picks using #MyMaddenCoverVote on Twitter. Beginning March 22 at 9:00 a.m. ET, fans can also visit the Madden NFL Facebook page to fill out their own Madden NFL 13 cover athlete bracket to compete against their friends for the chance to win Super Bowl tickets and copies of Madden NFL 13. Visit www.facebook.com/EASPORTSMaddenNFL for Official Rules.

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Last year, nearly 13 million votes were cast through ESPNSportsNation.com and ESPN mobile in both companies’ most successful cross-platform activation. Tenth-seeded Cleveland Browns running back, Peyton Hillis, trucked through the six week competition all the way to the ultimate end zone – the Madden NFL 12 cover.

This year’s competition will incorporate more athletes and more chances to vote as the field has been expanded to 64 NFL players, putting even more control in the hands of the fans. Beginning today through March 21, fans can visit the SportsNation Facebook page to choose among the 64 candidates in a play-in round (each matchup features two players from the same NFL team) to advance to the official 32-player, seeded tournament.  The winners of the play-in round will be unveiled with the official seeded, 32-player bracket on March 21 on ESPN’s “Madden Cover Vote Special” from 5-6p.m. EST.  To ensure their favorite player advances to the next round, fans are encouraged to vote daily and tweet their picks using #MyMaddenCoverVote on Twitter.  Every Wednesday between March 21 and April 25, fans can tune into SportsNation on ESPN2at 5p.m. EST to check out the latest Madden NFL 13Cover Vote standings.

In addition to the SportsNation Facebook page, fans will be able to vote in the play-in round via the open Web through widgets embedded on blogs, websites and more.  Each widget features an individual match-up for each of the 32 total teams in the league.  For the cover vote from March 21-April 25, all voting must be cast at ESPN.com/MaddenVote.

The star-studded list of candidates participating in the play-in round features past Super Bowl winners, perennial Pro Bowlers and some of the most popular players in the NFL including Drew Brees, Arian Foster and Rob Gronkowski.. The full list of matchups featured in the play-in round are:

The Madden NFL 13 cover vote marks the third-consecutive year that EA SPORTS has asked fans to help shape the face of the Madden NFL franchise through a cover athlete voting campaign.  It also marks the second year of its collaboration with ESPN’s SportsNation.

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Powered by Virgin Gaming and exclusive to the PlayStation 3, participants will compete for over $1-million in cash and prizes – the largest prize money of any console-based sports gaming tournament ever. Available online at www.virgingaming.com, new technology allows gamers to participate in the tournament online at their leisure by pairing up gamers playing on the site at the same time.

“Virgin Gaming is earning a reputation for hosting the biggest gaming tournaments, but our members have been asking for even larger prize pools. That’s what drove the creation of the EA SPORTS Challenge Series; the idea came from them,” said Rob Segal, CEO of Virgin Gaming. “This is also the perfect opportunity to bring our unique tournament format to the masses, giving gamers the freedom to compete whenever they want, instead of according to a set schedule. Those who make it through the online qualifier phase will then earn a seat to play in the live finals for huge cash prizes and true e-sport star status.”

Players that want to compete in the EA SPORTS Challenge Series can register and participate immediately. The three tournaments will begin with online qualifiers through Virgin Gaming for Madden NFL 12, NHL® 12 and FIFA 12. Players will need to outscore the competition by winning through the online qualifiers in order to secure a seat at the final event to be hosted in New York, April 2012.To learn more about EA SPORTS Challenge Series, the individual tournaments and official rules, please visit www.easports.com/challengeseries.

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It’s what allows EA and their EA Sports division to be so successful and although some of us may moan about some of the quality of the content or that a certain area needed addressing from the previous year, we still go out and buy the latest version because we love the sport so.

• Likes

  • Updated franchise mode
  • Enhanced Gameplay mechanics
  • Immersive experience
  • positive A.I. tweaks
  • you can actually tackle properly now!

• Dislikes

  • Superstar mode feels sub par

So this year, Madden 12, is breaking from the usual feature update to an extent and concentrating on improving the areas that we love so much, tightening up every area of gameplay, visual improvements and content to deliver a Madden game that fans have been crying out for rather than the usual feature rich editions we have been used to.  The result?  Probably one of the most influential Madden titles in the last decade and although there are still faults in design terms, the Madden team have concentrated on correcting faults from previous editions and adding some serious realism staying true to it’s adopted Tagline of being “True to the game”.

The presentation in itself is something to behold and rather than the woolly animations of before you can now enjoy proper entrances from all 32 teams in the league, including cheerleaders, flags and that damned horse the bloody Donks have that I would love to see made into a Big Mac! (Sorry guys, I’m a Raider at heart, what can I say).

In the development team’s search for realism no stone has been left unturned as the team has buddied up with ESPN and CBS to re-create the look and feel of a professional presentation, including replicating the broadcasters camera positions in every stadium and even working with NFL Film directors and using EA Sports’ DCAM technology, working action inside the huddle and within the game in a way that only NFL film cameramen normally have access to.  All of this comes together beautifully but you do get a confused feeling of whether you are meant to be participating from a armchair coach’s viewpoint or are meant to be “In the game”, and unfortunately is something that you are more than likely to skip after 2 to 3 viewings of the cut scenes.

On the plus side though, attention to detail in facial textures and animation makes players you know instantly recognisable rather than cartoon generic clones of something that have evolved from post apocalyptic fallout!  Uniform degradation has also been included which adds immersion to the game and along with some other changes, including 3D grass, EA Sports have gone uber geek on the little things that all add depth to the game itself.

Along with presentation quite a few game play features have also been addressed and enhanced that make the game feel very different to its predecessors.  American Football is know for its stat heavy geekiness at times and the inclusion of some of these enhancements and how it is all calculated would make the most engrossed statistician’s head spin.  I received a 27 page documentation of enhancements with this review copy and my eyes were wide.  Although there are tonnes of little things that make small differences under the skin of the game, there are some huge advancements that you feel immediately.

One major change that has been applied is the tackling system and how it interacts with the rest of your game, taking out some of the cheats that were being used online to get the upper hand.  The new collision system is a really big thing which allows you full control of the player up until the point of impact and calculates weight, momentum etc into the equation. This helps to actively remove any suction, warping or sliding that occurred in previous Madden games, giving a lot more control and allowing you to control a player without having the feeling that you’re not fully control.

Another big change is in the defensive A.I. and how zone defences have been enhanced to accurately represent the strengths and weakness of this defense and the schemes involved.  The A.I. has been tweaked so that each of the computer controlled players understands his role within a certain scheme, something that needs to be commended and again adds authenticity to the sport they are trying to replicate.

Gameflow was a great addition last year but was weak in its delivery. This year sees welcome update to the feature allowing for more realistic play calling from your pre designed or customised playbooks in any given down or situation that can be tweaked by yourself at scrummage if you prefer to go run or pass heavy too, allowing for a lot more control.

Tackling, blocking, run and carrying styles as well as other little nuggets of brilliance have also been implemented leaving you feeling that you have so much more control over the game and situations than you ever had in the past.

Although, no more gametypes have been added to, EA Sports have felt the need to enhance the modes that have been a staple part of any Madden diet for a few years now.  Broken down into four parts, Offline franchise, Superstar Mode, Madden Ultimate Team and online, two areas have really had a boot up the bum and for the first time in many, many years the offline Franchise Mode has had the injection of life it has needed for many, many years.  Attention to detail has been paid to pre season, rosters, dynamic player performances etc and is a welcome breath of fresh air to something that felt as though it was dying on its feet has now been revitalised into something you would happily spend a week in just getting your team right, before you even played a game.

Online has also had a makeover and an attempt to stamp out some of the online problems has seen the evolution of communities, a little club for you to create or join that allows you to play with like minded players, in head to head or team formats with the knowledge that you will get the types of games you require with minimal fuss.  I must admit that Communities could have been a little deeper and incorporated the franchise mode into here also but it is a great idea and something that can definitely be built upon.

Although the Online Franchise mode has had a few tweaks the incorporation of a league manager website to help track stats and data from your franchise is a nice little touch that adds a little extra to something that works very well already.

Probably, the biggest disappointment though has to be Superstar mode and although the mode has taken a slight RPG route, it feels as though it has been abandoned and does not have enough depth to sustain my attention.  Perhaps it is a personal thing but when you have something as strong as the franchise mode is now then your attention immediately focusses on that.

Overall, Madden 12 is the game that most fans have wanted for a long, long time.  The gameplay tweaks alone, although you may think a small part of the update totally revolutionises Madden in a way that we thought unimaginable a few years back, are enough to justify trading in Madden 11 for.  Add to that the rich immersion that is now presented along with a feature rich set of modes to play and Madden 12 raises the bar once again, delivering a title that will be sustainable for years to come as well as having a solid foundation which can be built upon without the fear of regression.

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With Madden 12 and each evolution of the Madden franchise you keep coming up with just enough to justify the price tag, can you tell us what extras have been put in this year to expel that feeling?

To come up with enough ideas to justify the price tag of a full game can be difficult. If we focussed on just one area of the game we would probably receive feedback from franchise fans that they didn’t receive anything or if we didn’t do anything with online that those fans would complain that they didn’t get something so we do try to balance our attack.

I think with the tools that are available these days for content creators because of where the technology is on consoles, we’re getting to a place now where we’re better able to spread out the workloads and we can add pretty meaningful content across the entire experience. We’ve got great features in gameplay, we’ve got great features in franchise mode, superstar mode, online etc, etc, etc and I think because we are able to hit everything, I think now more than ever, we are able to provide a product that is easily worth the price tag.

Touching on what you just said, it seems that you have evolved the franchise mode and was a feature that has been complained about over the last few years …

Are you one of them?

Unfortunately, I am yes, there was not enough depth and nothing was done to resolve this ….. Was that because you had introduced Ultimate Team and was working on Ultimate Team a lot more as a feature or something else?

No, I don’t think it was Ultimate Team, with something like franchise I think it takes a specific kind of designer and a specific kind of engineer to provide features that really make a lot of sense. It was less about Ultimate Team and more about our focus on new experiences online so last year I think a lot of our effort went onto online team play, the ability to play on the same team on different consoles was a very major technology undertaking and took a lot of effort. A couple of years ago we also created online franchise mode which also took a lot of effort. After a couple of years of hearing fans saying that we need more in franchise mode we have listened loud and clear and we said “Ok, no more focus on new experiences, our fans, our loyal Madden fans seem to be asking for one thing. They want us to keep the modes that they love and core gameplay but move it into a more solid direction.”

So with this year we are not providing any gimmicks, we are not providing any new gameplay experiences so why not just make everything better and this is what we did. We’ve added a lot of content to Franchise and Superstar modes, we just wanted to hit everything.

Can you expand at all on any of the new dimensions that have been added to franchise mode?

Yes, one of my personal favourite features are the ones that involve pre season which has taken a lot of different improvements to pull it off right, so, as you know, the reason for pre season in the NFL is to evaluate talent and cut your roster down to the final size. In Madden, our roster size has always been 55 so there has been no reason to play pre season games, they don’t count towards your record so what’s the point. So what we did first was expanded the roster size in franchise mode so now you have a roster size of 75 players, which at the start of pre season is ok but by the time you get to end of pre season you will have to have the roster down to 55 or less.

So what you have to do now is after each pre season game cut your roster by 5 people. You actually know nothing about the players unless you play with them in pre season games so the ratings are all zeroed out and you’ll see question marks until you start seeing certain skills being shown off. We’ve also added a legitimate injury system within the game so if you have injury problems, you can actually add a player to IR and then sign up a player to take his roster spot which is something we haven’t had in Madden before. In post season, the drafts have had a lot of work, we have future draft pick trading so if you want to trade up your first round draft pick this year for something next year you can do that. It all feels a lot deeper because you have more tools to work with now and not just your present team. We’ve had the rookie draft classes coming back as well as adding better faces to the players so it is not just some computer generated guy that didn’t look good in our opinion but we’ve used a tool to take a portrait from one real person and morphs them with another one so they look photo realistic but don’t look like any other person in the game. It helps add personality to the fake players that you would draft in future years.

There is a tonne of stuff there, you can practice with your franchise team, there are player roles and dynamic player performance so yeah, I am very happy with where franchise mode is going.

You mentioned injury reserves as part of the game now. Will we have access to practice squads also? Does it go that deep?

Not quite that deep this year but is something that we want in the future. You will obviously be able to practice with you team but the concept of a practice squad which are not technically on your roster but are available to practice against is something we are definitely looking at further down the road.

How different are online and offline franchise modes going to be this year?

They are two very different modes and the challenge you have with online franchise mode is that you are dealing with people that are not in the same location, scheduling becomes a really big factor, co-ordinating teams to get together and play their game by a certain date is a real challenge and we continue to look at ways to try and solve that. I will say that we have opened the doors to online fans that have built some tools themselves. There is a website out there that is completely fan driven and he built a site that added a free agency model and we’ve given him access to more of our data so that he can build more tools and if people enjoy the online franchise experience they typically go to him anyway because he has such a robust toolset, so we’re working with individuals in the community to make the features more robust overall but most of the experience on the disc is the same.

You say that gameflow has evolved this year, for me it was a great concept but felt woolly in places, throwing up some strange play on occasion. Can you tell me how this has been refined?

That was the biggest feedback. We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of use the mode got overall. We did recognise that there were situations where the plays chosen weren’t likely to be the plays that people would call so we’ve addressed what we think are all of those concerns and we’ve added some flexibility in the play calling itself So, before you choose gameflow, if you’re playing in a single player game, it’ll show you what play is actually going to be called before you choose to select it, so you’ll know what you’re stepping into.

We’ve also added, by a very simple press on the dpad left or right the ability to be able to guide Gameflow in a way so if you wanted to call a pass play you just switch over to pass heavy mode and it will most likely call pass plays for you, if you leave it on gameplan mode it will choose plays based on whatever gameplan you are using at the time and switched to run heavy, you will obviously get more run plays. So, we’ve added a lot more control and fixed a lot of the issues with the hope that the people that liked the feature but didn’t like how some of the plays were called, that has been addressed and for those that wanted a little more control also have their wish.

In older versions of Madden we used to have a create a play feature. Why isn’t that in the game anymore?

Basically, it’s a user interface issue. We’ve had it before and it’s never really been the experience that we wanted it to be. Because you’re dealing with a controller that’s got analogue sticks and buttons it makes it difficult to set up plays and assignments that are complicated. If you wanted to assign a wide receiver to a post route with the run being 10 yards and him performing a certain cut route at 10 yards so you can try and juke or fade a defender and head towards the goal post in a game setting and controller makes that difficult. What we would like to do is come up with a web based mechanic on a PC that would allow you to have full control over the playbook, which would include the ability to share playbooks with friends, that could be easily imported into your product.

Although that we don’t have this feature in the game anymore, we are looking to bringing back the custom play features back in some form further down the road but it will definitely be coming. That said, what we do have is custom playbooks in the game this year which allows you to take any number of existing plays within the game and combine them into one. You’re a Raiders guy, so if you like a specific formation out of the Raiders playbook but you really wish that you could have this other formation out of the Chiefs playbook, you can merge them together.

But you wouldn’t really want to if you’re a Raiders fan would you, that would just be silly!

That’s why I picked to try and get a reaction (laughs)

You did and we’ll kick their ass again this year (smiles)

You can take formations and plays out of each of the playbooks and merge them into one so you can have the best of both worlds. If you have a team that doesn’t have the wildcat formation but you would love to have that formation in your playbook then you can just add it. It’s really easy and it works seamlessly with Gameflow.

Chopping back to online features again, one bugbear that there has always been is the lack of penalisation for human players quitting early in a game and lag in a game that does rely on timing. What have you done to combat these things?

We’re not talking online quite yet but we recognise that quitting and cheating is a major problem online and is not an issue specific to Madden, its any online game that you play. There is a feature that we will be announcing called communities, without giving away too much what it is is it’s going to be a toolset that the Madden community can use to help guarantee that the experience that they have is the experience that they want to have. Players will be able to get together with their friends and customise the experience how they want it to be. It’s kind of a cat and mouse game. Everytime that we think we’ve squashed a system for someone to be able to cheat the system so people will find a new way and what we’ve realised is that there’s probably no better way to police the system than the community to police it in certain ways and to give them the tools to do so.

I see the PR guys motioning us now so it looks like we are finished here.

Nah, let’s do one more question!

Ok, We haven’t talked about superstar mode yet. Can you tell me what has been added to make this a more deeper experience?

Superstar mode is really about the RPG element this year. When you did practice mode last year with your player there really was no purpose. You just ran plays with no benefit. Now, each time that you execute plays successfully you will receive points to your player that can be used in certain areas to improve him. Much like an RPG you will be able to level your player up through the seasons. That’s probably the biggest improvement there but we’ve also done a lot with cameras and audio to make the experience a little more immersive by using D Cam tech which you have seen during your hands on time.

Well, thank you for your time.

Thank you and I have been pleasantly surprised by your knowledge and passion for the game.

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Now, the way I have written this may seem worrying but it really isn’t and in no way should he have apologised.  You see, for s big as Fifa is in this country and as much as we admire and respect the game of football here there is also another huge franchise being developed for this year.  Madden is definitely not as big here as in America but that doesn’t take away the sour taste in my mouth when I had to hear an Executive Producer apologise for taking time away from the football Bohemoth that is Fifa.  Well, Mr Frazier.  Your franchise is good with me, anyone that knows me will also know that i will fight the corner of American Football forever and also, your game got more attention by me than what Fifa did.  I am not alone, there are plenty of fans on this side of the pond to so no apology is necessary, no matter how tongue in cheek it may have been!

Madden, like Fifa, is huge.  A lot of eyes are on this title, both over here and in the U.S. and Phil knows it.  Franchises seem to be guilty of providing just enough sometimes to get away with justifying the price tag and in previous versions of Madden where fans wanted certain features already present to be explored further, Madden had extra bits added which although welcome, didn’t tighten up the core features that needed to be addressed.  So, it is with great relief that Phil and his team have answered the call this time around and are prepared to address everything they can to make this the purest and most realistic Madden experience yet and do you know what?  From what I’ve experienced so far they’ve done a bloody fine job.  This year’s monikor for Madden is “True to the game” and EA Sports seem to be true to their word.

So, the big question on everyone’s minds initially has to be about the Lockout that is going on at present and threatens this coming season with a full on strike.  As Madden relies on both the NFL and NFL Players Association for authentic team and player likeness permissions you maybe thinking that Madden this year could be dead in the water, producing instead a videogame version of the film, The Replacements.  Fear not though as EA Sports have all these contracts tied up from both parties for a few years yet and if this lockout continues the only place you may find a fully fledged game of NFL football, complete with real players, may well be Madden 12.  You couldn’t buy that sort of publicity could you!

EA Sports want this experience to be as authentic as possible, so to be authentic means to look authentic in its game presentation.  So what more authentic can you get than broadcast quality gameplay.  Using cameramen from NFL Films, mo capping the steadycams  and putting what they’re filming right into the game.  Add to this cameras that are placed at exactly the same spots in stadiums that the real broadcast cameras are placed in with legitimate team run outs, mascots etc and you have a very real looking game of football.  Although the major camera presentations have had an overhaul, the little graphical nuances have also seen some improvements.  New player equipment, helmet stickers, facial animations of each individual player to give more individuality as well as, and to my surprise, helmet and uniform degradation and staining have been added too.

On field play has been refined and improved to and after playing for a “few” hours felt a lot more controlled as well as weighty.  I have criticised the actual gameplay mechanic before, on occasion, but this year’s version, although incomplete at present, showed a level of control that I had not felt for a while.  The reason for this is simple in our eyes but probably a nightmare to code for EA Sports and that reason is the new collision system that is in place which provides real time detection so that you maintain control of the player throughout the point of impact which provides a more realistic and legitimate experience.

Also, added to this system comes a player performance feature that tracks the morale and individual skills of a certain player as well as the stat heavy figures that Madden has always been famed for.  This allows for a number of things to happen but most importantly, how that particular player plays the game.

Let’s take Heyward Bey, a wide receiver from the Raiders, for example.  We know in real life that he has speed, he isn’t the best at running routes at present, he has a tendency to drop the ball but his height makes up for some of that weakness, he hasn’t had his break out year yet and his morale can’t be the greatest because Campbell as a quarterback doesn’t seem to have faith in any of his receiving corps apart form Miller the Tight End.  The skills and weaknesses of Heyward Bey are shown on his profile and used to make the computer character play like the player himself.  If he has a bad game and his morale is low, he is liable to catch less balls in the next game too (something I have been trying the bribe Phil Frazier to change!) but if he started to catch a few and his morale goes up then he is liable to start a positive streak.  It all seems a little geeky to some but any Gridiron fan will lap this stuff up day in, day out as I do.

This feature also adds depth the the enhancements in franchise mode too.  New draftees and rookies that appear pre season will have some of their skills hidden as you will not know as much about them.  As you whittle down your roster by playing pre season games (see, they actually have a bit of meaning now!) and developing your team you will start to uncover more skills and weaknesses to make a decision as to whether you will keep them or not.

With over 100 new features that have been put in to give the depth that Madden fans have been craving for years, Franchise mode will start to feel like a completely new game, breathing life into a gametype that was fast becoming extinct due to the freshness of Ultimate Team.  Well Franchise is back with a bang encompassing deeper rosters where you will have cut days to bring your squad down over pre season to rookie scouting systems, free agent bidding systems as well as draft day trading for that season and beyond it is hard to know where the hell they have found time to put all of this in.

I could go on about custom play books enhancements, improved defensive A.I., improved and refined gameflow, XP based system for Superstar mode as well as the secretive, for now, online communities feature that Phil teased at but playing the game was enough for me to know that the team are moving ahead in the right direction and Madden 12 looks set to be the most definitive version yet, finally bowing down to its audience and delivering an experience that fans have been crying out for over the past couple of years.

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So realistic is the feature that a player that receives a bad concussion will be removed from the field by medics!!, forbidding his return, and delivering commentary that highlights the seriousness of the injury. The game will not include suspensions for players that illegally hit but his has caused uproar with some people. ESPN were advised by Madden’s Executive Producer, Phil Fraser, that there will be NO way to intentionally dole out a concussion.

Fraser advised “It’s not based on the Hit Stick,” the right-analog control that causes big hits on defense. “It’s based on the area of the collision. So you have to actually hit a guy in the head as part of a tackle for it to even be considered for a concussion, but causing a concussion in the game is rare.”

Fraser advised that as Madden is so realistic to the season and last year in the NFL there were 25,000 plays run, and 200 concussions. “So in Madden, on any play, there is a .59 percent chance of a concussion happening. It’s a very rare injury and it will be rare in the game,”

In the NFL, players whom repeatedly deliver hits that cause concussions have been fined and suspended. Nothing of the sort will be found in Madden, Fraser said. “We don’t have a mechanic in the game that causes a concussion. There’s nothing you can do to increase the likelihood of a concussion. We’re not going there”

EA calls this feature “another oppurtunity to create awareness”

One guy that has really taken the wrong end of the hit-stick is Stephen Colbert of television show the Colbert report. He stated that it is a “horrifying new feature” and that We cannot let real-world consequences invade our mindless video games,” Colbert warned during his most recent Threatdown segment. He underscored that opinion by highlighting the removal of mindless from games like Grand Theft Auto IV.

Unfortunately the episode and show have not yet appeared on open video sites only that of Colbert himself which is locked to us regions only at http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/385535/may-05-2011/threatdown—superman–madden-nfl-12—glee?xrs=share_copy

We are getting the chance to go hands on with Madden 12 and also interview Phil Frazier at the end of this month so we’ll give you more of an update when we see him.

In the meantime, do you think that this is a step too far?  Let us know below.

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2. EA Sports responds to NFL lockout worries for Madden 12
3. New Madden 11 trailers highlight new features

Madden NFL 12 launches Autumn 2011 and transforms on-field action and core gameplay modes, driving innovation in six key areas: Playbooks and Gameplay; Presentation; Franchise and Superstar modes; Dynamic Player Performance; Madden Ultimate Team; and Online Communities.

Playbooks & Gameplay

o   All-New Collision System: Now maintain full control of players up to the point of impact – from tackling to blocking – providing the most authentic collisions in franchise history.  This new system uses a player’s momentum and over 100 new tackle animations, including 40 gang tackles, to provide more impactful hits, stolen tackles, and consecutive hit tackling.

o   Advanced Defensive AI: Over 100 defensive A.I. enhancements resulting in the smartest Madden defense ever. Players in zone and man coverage will properly recognize and react to plays, including the ability to break out of assignments when appropriate, resulting in a defensive team that truly works together.

o   Custom Playbooks: The #1 most requested feature by fans in recent years, allows you to build the ultimate game plan by modifying an existing playbook or creating your own by selecting up to 400 offensive or defensive plays from 75 different playbooks. Integrate your custom playbook into a game plan for use with the improved GameFlow system, which executes an authentic, situational game plan for you.

Presentation

o   Broadcast Redefined: Experience NFL Sundays like never before with completely overhauled presentation, including 32 team-specific run outs featuring mascots and cheerleaders, over 500 dynamic broadcast cameras authentic to every NFL stadium, innovative “real” on-field cameras shot by expert NFL Films cameramen, and a network inspired new broadcast graphics package.

o   Unprecedented On-Field Authenticity: Hundreds of visual improvements across all areas of the game including: new player equipment, helmet stickers, pylon and ball physics, a player degradation system that affects uniforms and helmets based on weather and field surface, 3D grass, and new player specific animations that showcase the personalities of each NFL player.

Franchise and Superstar Modes

o   Franchise mode includes more than 100 new features and enhancements, including expanded rosters, an all-new rookie scouting system, a free-agent bidding system, and more.

o   In Superstar mode, fans can now control the growth of their superstar with an all-new progression system that allows you to earn skill points by participating in practice and games.  More details on Franchise and Superstar modes will be released on May 16.

Dynamic Player Performance

o   Dynamic Player Performance is an all-new feature that creates unprecedented realism as a player’s skills and confidence will rise and fall based on his performance throughout a game or in Franchise mode, just like the real NFL.  No two players will play the same inMadden NFL 12, and more details will be revealed at the E3 Expo on June 6.

Madden NFL Ultimate Team

o   The perfect combination of Madden NFL Football, fantasy football, and trading cards comes to life in Madden NFL Ultimate Team. More information on how to earn, buy, auction, and trade players will be released on June 20.
Online Communities

o   Online Communities will provide an all-new way for Madden NFLgamers to meet and play.  More details will be released on July 25.

Since its debut in 1989, Madden NFL has over 90 million units sold-in to date. Starting today, fans can visit www.maddenNFL.easports.com to learn more about Madden NFL 12 pre-sale opportunities.

Related posts:

1. EA Sports responds to NFL lockout worries for Madden 12
2. Madden 10 Ultimate Team available now
3. Madden NFL 11 – Reviewed (PS3, 360)

Hillis, a No. 10 seed, defeated former Madden NFL 04 cover athlete and No. 3 seed Michael Vick (QB, Eagles) in the finals of an unprecedented campaign with ESPN.com and SportsNation that allowed fans to determine, by an online vote that was open to the public, the player to be featured on the cover ofMadden NFL 12 when the game launches in the UK Autumn 2011 .

More than 12.7 million votes were logged overall in the campaign which ran from March 21 – April 27 through ESPNSportsNation.com online and via the mobile Web, the most ever for an ESPN poll or vote. With deep integrations across multiple ESPN platforms, including TV, radio, online, mobile, social media, ESPN Deportes and more, Hillis defeated Vick by a final margin of 66% to 34%. Fans rallied behind Hillis as he continually ousted higher seeded players in the bracket-style voting campaign, including No. 7 seed Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens), No. 2 seed Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons), No. 6 seed Jamaal Charles (Kansas City Chiefs), and No. 1 seed Super Bowl XLV MVP Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers).

“Our fans have responded in record-setting fashion to honor Peyton Hillis, and we’re extremely pleased to welcome him into an exclusive fraternity of NFL players to appear on the cover of the Madden NFLfranchise,” said Anthony Stevenson, Senior Product Manager of EA SPORTS. “This year’s cover voting campaign with ESPN has sparked incredible debate and conversation amongst fans and NFL players, which is a testament to the interest in and anticipation for Madden NFLeach year.  The amount of support that Hillis generated nationally and within his home market of Cleveland was truly impressive. ”

“This has been a humbling experience and I want to thank all the fans in Cleveland and throughout the country that got behind me and voted each and every week,” said Peyton Hillis, running back for the Cleveland Browns and the fourth running back to appear on the cover of the Madden NFL franchise. “I’ve been playing Madden NFL for ten years, and it’s a dream to know that I’ll be on the cover of this great game.  I’m looking forward to another big season with the Browns to show fans how much we appreciate them.”

In celebration of Hillis’ victory and to officially kick off the Madden NFL 12 season, EA SPORTS hosted an event for fans in the middle of New York City’s Times Square today featuring a photo shoot and a first preview of Madden NFL 12. One image from the photo shoot with Hillis will appear on the cover of this year’s game.

Related posts:

1. Drew Brees makes Madden 11 cover
2. EA Sports responds to NFL lockout worries for Madden 12
3. Madden 10 Ultimate Team available now

As it stands the two parties are at a deadlock and as suck would result in a player lockout for this season which would spell a lot of trouble not only for the NFL but also for the Madden franchise, or so we thought.

Mature-gaming fired some questions to EA Sports regarding the implications of such a lockout and we’ve received a very positive reply.

Q:           Will there be a Madden NFL 12 if there is a lockout?

A.           Fans of Madden NFL will not have their seasons interrupted regardless of when the labor issues are resolved.  EA SPORTS will release Madden NFL 12, complete with exciting new features and product innovation that will allow NFL fans to fill their desire for football.

Q:           Will there be NFL players featured in Madden NFL 12, or due to the lockout, will you be forced to use no-name players?

A.            NFL players will continue to be featured, as always, in Madden NFL 12.

Q:           With the NFLPA planning to decertify, do your rights for using NFL players in Madden NFL 12 still apply in this situation?

A.            NFL players will continue to be featured, as always, in Madden NFL 12.

Q:           How will you handle player ratings and rosters for Madden NFL 12 during a lockout?

A.            Rosters and player ratings will remain authentic to each NFL team.  We will closely monitor any changes and address appropriately both pre and post ship.

Q:           How will you handle rookie players in Madden NFL 12 during a lockout?

A.            Rookie players will be included on the rosters of those teams that draft them during the 2011 NFL Draft.

Q:           Will an NFL player be featured on the cover of Madden NFL 12 in the case of a lockout?

A: We plan to announce details regarding the Madden NFL 12 cover at the end of March.

Q:           Will the release date of Madden NFL 12 be affected as a result of a lockout?

A.            We plan to release Madden NFL 12 in August.

Looks like we have no reason to worry at all and expect to see the new Madden title just before the launch of the NFL’s regular season.  Of course, we will keep you up to date with all things Madden 12 until then.

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