EA SportsObama and Drew Brees share a photo-op in "Madden NFL 11".Winning the Super Bowl in "Madden" has been one of the most anti-climatic events in all of sports gaming throughout the years. But that's all about to change thanks to a little help from the White House.
Now the game's Super Bowl celebration includes team specific commentary by Gus Johnson, a parade, and even a trip to Washington D.C. where your team's star player will not only shake polygonal hands with the president, but present Barack Obama with his own team jersey.
SonyMauer tries playing "MLB: The Show" in 3D at a recent Sony event.Before Joe Mauer was American League MVP, batting champ, and striking a pose for the cover of "MLB 10: The Show", he used to sit at home and create himself in baseball video games while dreaming of the day he'd see himself in the majors for real.
"I used to make myself in 'Baseball Stars', but honestly, I think Sony did a lot better job creating me in 'The Show'," Mauer tells me over the phone as we talk video games. "I've always played the baseball games, always enjoyed playing, and I never could've imagined that one day I'd be on the cover."
And in a case of life imitating art, Mauer says that this year, fans have been taking lines from his "MLB 10: The Show" commercial and yelling them at him during games. "Some cities are nicer than others in terms of what they say, and some of what is said I can't even repeat, but this year I've been getting a lot of references to going fishing from the commercial. I also get a lot of the line, 'Well played.' That one seems to have stuck with people."
EA SportsBrees shows off his virtual mug thanks to a head scan he took for EA Sports.When it comes to "Madden," one of the first things people like to talk about is the dreaded cover curse. From Michael Vick to Troy Polamalu, every time you start to write off the curse as fiction, another player goes down holding his knee.
"Our time is now and destiny is still pulling on us, so I feel like destiny is stronger than any curse," "Madden 11" cover boy Drew Brees told me after being announced as this year's spokesman/victim.
Then again, when it comes to Brees' character in "Madden", the best word to describe the quarterback might not be destiny, but dominance. That's because Brees is rated a cool 99 overall, including 97 throwing accuracy, 99 throwing accuracy short, 98 throwing accuracy medium and 92 throwing accuracy deep. Throw in weapons like the always video game dominant Reggie Bush (consistently one of the most overrated players in the game) and wide receiver Devery Henderson, who blazes the field with 98 speed and 97 acceleration, and you can see why the Saints aren't just the defending champs, but one of the most anticipated video game teams this season.
Brees isn't the only NFC quarterback looking to put up big numbers in "Madden" this year. Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre are also high on the list of quarterbacks with strong polygonal arms and stud supporting casts, so expect to see plenty of Packers and Vikings fans online this year reppin' their teams.
Don't believe us? Scroll through the list of NFC teams and click on your favorite (or most hated) to dive deep into the numbers that will help determine if your squad will have what it takes to compete in "Madden" this season.
And if you're a Saints fan, cross your fingers that the curse dies with Brees, because now that EA updates the rosters online, if your 99-rated quarterback goes down in real life, he'll be pulled out of "Madden" as well. Sounds more like a double curse to me.
2K SportsGamers will get to relive some of Michael Jordan's greatest moments in "NBA 2K11".Officially confirming the news I broke in May, 2K Sports finally announced that Michael Jordan not only will appear on the cover of "NBA 2K11" but also will be a playable character.
His Airness stars in a new mode called The Jordan Challenge, in which gamers step into the Nikes of the greatest player in NBA history while reliving some of the magic of 10 of his most memorable games. Some of these moments include the time he dropped 69 on the Cavs in March 1990, his flu game against the Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals and Jordan's last game as a Bull on June 14, 1998.
'Madden NFL 11' Player Ratings: Saints and Buccaneers
EA SportsForget the curse; Drew Brees is putting up big numbers this year for the Saints.ESPN's exclusive reveal of the "Madden NFL 11" player ratings wraps up with the final two teams in the countdown, the Saints and Bucs.
Ratings: New Orleans Saints »
Ratings: Tampa Bay Buccaneers »
The question on the minds of Saints fans this year remains: Will Drew Brees be the latest victim of the dreaded "Madden" curse? If his ratings in the game are any indication, don't bet on it. Brees is one of the best passers in the game, scoring a 99 overall rating, including 97 throwing accuracy, 99 throwing accuracy short, 98 throwing accuracy medium and 92 throwing accuracy deep. Combine that with 88 throwing power and weapons that include Devery Henderson (98 speed, 97 acceleration) and Reggie Bush (97 speed, 98 acceleration), and the Saints aren't going to be marching down the field, they're going to be burning it up with that kind of speed.
EA SportsThe brutality of boxing comes alive with EA Sports' "Fight Night Champion."The blood splatter across Manny Pacquiao's chest is an image I can't get out of my mind. EA Sports debuted the picture on Tuesday on a full-sized movie screen during a media briefing, and the graphic horror and the thoughts of what must've just happened in the ring stayed with me the rest of the night.
The Pacquiao photo is from the newly announced "Fight Night Champion", a boxing game in development at EA Canada and scheduled for release in 2011 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. After the disappointing sales of EA's "Fight Night: Round 4," it looks as though the game is boosting the violent imagery in hopes of upping the shock value, saying in the briefing that "Champion" will tap into the darker side of the sport with scenes of added brutality while at the same time "redefining the single player journey for the category."
According to EA, the game will also feature "a refined physics-based animation system that incorporates improved locomotion, punching and stamina mechanics. 'Fight Night Champion' will enable users to move, attack and dodge with the speed and power of the best champions, contenders and pretenders in the world of boxing. In addition, an all-new control scheme, dubbed Full Spectrum Punch Control, will deliver the most realistic punching system ever seen in a simulation fighting game, while still delivering an accessible experience that will make 'Fight Night Champion' the most user-friendly title in the franchise's history."
Now, if only I can see the fight that left this much blood on Pacquiao. And it makes me wonder, if Manny looks like this, how ugly is the other guy?
'Madden NFL 11' Player Ratings: Panthers and Falcons
EA SportsThe Panthers have one of the fastest backfields in "Madden NFL 11."ESPN Video Games continues its exclusive reveal of the "Madden NFL 11" player ratings with a look inside the numbers of the Panthers and Falcons.
Ratings: Carolina Panthers »
Ratings: Atlanta Falcons »
One glance at the Panthers quarterback numbers, and gamers will want to sub in rookie Jimmy Clausen right away. Clausen boasts higher numbers than Matt Moore in throwing power, throwing accuracy, throwing accuracy short, throwing accuracy medium, injury and toughness (not to mention that 85 swagger rating that could make for some fun celebrations).
Aside from Clausen, the Panthers also have one of the quickest backfields in the game, as four of their running backs are rated 90 or higher in either speed or acceleration, highlighted by DeAngelo Williams and his 94 speed, 96 acceleration, 96 elusiveness.
'Madden NFL 11' Player Ratings: Vikings and Lions
EA SportsAdrian Peterson is one of the best "Madden" running backs of all time.ESPN Video Games continues its exclusive look inside the "Madden NFL 11" player ratings by revealing the numbers for the Vikings and Lions.
Ratings: Minnesota Vikings »
Ratings: Detroit Lions »
Ever since Adrian Peterson entered the league, the Vikings have been one of the most played "Madden" teams as the electrifying back can not only outrun most polygonal defenders in the game, he can run right through them (and I'm not talking glitches). Will the trend continue with "Madden 11"? Do you really have any doubt? Peterson rates a 98 overall this year, including 97 speed, 99 acceleration, 99 vision, 99 stiff arm, 97 spin, and 99 juke. In the backup role, rookie Toby Gerhart rates only a 71 overall, but does have a 95 toughness rating (interestingly enough, that's 9 points higher than Peterson). Could be an incredible duo running the ball in Minnesota. I expect Gerhart's numbers to go up throughout the season as he shows off the type of runner he really is.
As for Brett Favre, no matter what happens in real life, he will at least be playing quarterback for the Vikings in "Madden" this year with a not-too-shabby-for-an-old-guy 92 overall rating. And that combination of a hard-throwing Favre and the ever hard-charging Peterson will make the Vikings a favorite again amongst gamers (not to mention the 99 overall of the polygonal sack master, Jared Allen).
'Madden NFL 11' Player Ratings: Bears and Packers
EA SportsThe "Madden 11" player ratings continue with the Packers and Bears.ESPN's exclusive reveal of the "Madden NFL 11" player ratings continues with a look at the Bears and Packers.
Ratings: Chicago Bears »
Ratings: Green Bay Packers »
For the Bears, look to combine Jay Cutler's 97 throwing power with Knox's 97 speed, 98 acceleration and Hester's 98 speed, 98 acceleration for some big-time touchdown potential. The problem is Cutler's 79 throwing accuracy, including 77 for deep throwing accuracy, as that might turn some of those bombs into easy picks for the safety. Combine that with the fact that no wide receiver on the Bears is rated higher than a 78 overall, and gamers who take the Bears through franchise mode might be looking to make some trades to upgrade the unit.
'Madden NFL 11' Player Ratings: Rams and Cardinals
EA SportsThat's the kind of hit that would make the Road Warriors proud.ESPN's exclusive reveal of the "Madden NFL 11" player ratings continues as we close out the NFC West with a look at the Rams and Cardinals.
Ratings: St. Louis Rams »
Ratings: Arizona Cardinals»
The most interesting numbers to me are the stats of first-round pick/franchise savior Sam Bradford. The rookie quarterback is rated an 80 overall, already ranking him higher than quarterbacks like Kevin Kolb (75), David Garrard (79), Matt Cassel (78) and Chad Henne (79). Bradford's ratings include a 90 for throwing accuracy, 95 for short throwing accuracy and 87 throwing power. Unfortunately for Bradford, the highest-rated receiver he has to throw to is rated only a 75.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Jon Robinson
Ever since he first handed the ball to Bo Jackson in "Tecmo Bowl," Jon Robinson has been mesmerized by the world of sports video games. He's been covering the gaming beat professionally for over 15 years, starting his career writing as "Johnny Ballgame" for GamePro magazine before becoming the founding editor of IGN Sports. Robinson co-wrote the book "The Madden Phenomenon," and his latest work, "Rumble Road," will be released by Simon & Schuster in July.
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