As the previews for NCAA and Madden begin coming in this year there has been four common statements which have been treated as facts.  These statements have been said for years on end as well, with little to no fact-checking done on them. These common statements are usually taken as fact by users but there is no general consensus why they believe they are true.  So in the inaugural edition of the OS Myths, we are going to attempt to bust a few of the myths that surround the NCAA and Madden release this year.

Myth Case #1: NCAA uses a recycled Madden engine each year.

If there is one common statement on the forums which a lot of people tend to believe, this one is it. Upon some deeper digging, you will see how empty this case is.

The fact is, both games are developed in the same studio and last year, even used the same new technology in their games. Sometimes, features tend to migrate from Madden one year to NCAA the next year, but the same has happened on the flip-side as well, with Madden getting features that were in NCAA the year before.

The simple fact is, both games use very similar backbones which are developed independent from each other every year. However, NCAA does not use the same engine as Madden the year before.

The teams do share technology and ideas, but both games feel distinctly different to appeal to different audiences. The problem with this Myth is that it stems from faulty thinking and information from the early part of this decade, when the myth was still not true.

NCAA is not the same game as Madden the year before, and has not been that way any time in recent memory.

Status: A Total Myth

Myth Case #2: The man on the cover of Madden indicates the focus of the game each year.

This is something that a lot of users tend to believe as well, and this case does have some merit to it. The cover athlete has actually indicated a sort of focus a few of the recent years in Madden. Lets take a look at the evidence from the past 4 editions.

Vince Young (Madden 08) - The Weapons were the big addition to Madden in Madden 08. While Vince Young may be a good weapon, the tie in isn't 100%. The 'EA Marketing Machine' definitely spun it this way though. However, there were other additions and many of which tended to slow athletic QBs down. I'd say the direct tie-in wasn't really there for Madden 08.

Shaun Alexander (Madden 07)- Lead Blocker Control, Highlight Stick, Juking and Spinning...all things the quick and nimble Shaun Alexander is known for right? I think we can safely assume while some of the features are completely focused on the running game, you can really correlate 1:1 except in a very general sense and even then you are grasping a bit.

Donovan McNabb (Madden 06)- The QB Vision Cone and Superstar Mode both debuted in this year's title with mixed reactions. The link between McNabb as a QB with a QB specific feature being touted as the big addition makes this undeniable. The link was definitely in place for Madden 06.

Ray Lewis (Madden 2005)-This was the year of the defense in Madden with the hit-stick and all sorts of defensive enhancements. It is undeniable that Ray Lewis was chosen because of the focus of the development cycle for Madden 2005.  EA even said as such in several press releases and interviews for Madden 2005.

With the evidence in mind, there is one conclusion which you can derive from the facts at hand. This myth is grounded in reality, but EA has recently been moving away from this type of marketing practice in recent years. So with that in mind, this myth isn't 100% accurate anymore.

Status: A Half-Truth

Myth Case #3: The EA Tiburon developers do not watch or care about football.

I have seen several users at several different sites around the web say that the people who develop Madden and NCAA do not even like or watch football after they were initially displeased with the first bits of info they got on the new editions of the games this year. While this case's point is an understandable complaint considering we still have nagging issues with the gameplay, it could not be farther from the truth.

Most of the guys who develop both Madden and NCAA are actually avid football fans, and the producers are usually the ones that are some of the most passionate. I can recall doing pieces over the years about how passionate some of these guys really are.

Also, do not forget that EA has on of the largest collections of Game Film around that is used to attempt to make the game as authentic as possible. While it could be easily argued they have not succeeded in that goal over the past couple of years, the fact remains they do have a huge collection of game film.

Now I am sure there are guys that probably don't have a clue about football, but they are also the guys that have the least important work to do.  Just know that the guys making the decisions do know and understand the game. 

So what of this myth? Well, I would refrain from launching personal verbal bombs at the EA Tiburon developers of this type.  Your better choice of ammo should be more along the lines of, "with all of your knowledge and resources, why do stupid bugs like the fumble glitch make it through the system?"

Status: An almost complete myth

Myth Case #4: EA is happy because Madden still sells millions of copies each year.

The problem with this is that consumers aren't voting for Madden anymore with their dollar. In fact, the game is no longer the #1 selling sports video game, as Madden's sales have fallen over the past couple of seasons.

There is no doubting that Madden on the next-gen consoles has been less than stellar, and the consumers have also been saying that is the case with the drop off in sales. EA would no doubt be happy if Madden's sales rose every year, as making more money is the obvious goal of any company.  Some will say that it doesn't Matter, as Madden is still selling a ton of copies each year so the profit is still there.

What people seem to fail to realize, is that for Madden to be extremely profitable, it HAS to sale a TON of units each year.  Not just a ton, but a TON. That's the double edged sword of exclusivity that is often overlooked, as you put more pressure on your projects to foot the bill of the licenses you have gobbled up. If Madden's sales continue to drop, the profit margins will as well, but more drastically than what people initially realize. The pressure is definitely on for the Madden team to produce.

So for EA to be happy, the sales must continue to rise or the exclusivity deal will be worthless. The pressure is also most definitely on internally for the Madden crew to produce this year, mostly because they cannot afford for the recent trend of declining sales to continue.

So for this year, EA definitely can't feel nice and cozy, it's win now..or else.

Status: A Myth, EA shouldn't be happy at this point.