Last week, some EA Sports developers stopped by for a live question-and-answer session and talked about the EA Sports Fantasy Football feature. OS forum members and staff asked questions, and this is the result:

Justin Withers: Hello OS readers. I'm Justin Withers, Project Lead for EA SPORTS Fantasy Football. With me are Ronnie Morales and Jason Ostresh, the designers on the team who are responsible for our console features and website content and design on fantasy.EASPORTS.com. We're looking forward to the chat.

Operation Sports: How long have you guys been at Tiburon?

JW: I've been here at Tiburon for a year and a half. Ronnie's been here 6 years and has worked on Madden. Jason has been here 9 years and has worked on just about everything Tiburon has developed.

OS: We all know there are a ton of fantasy football services out there. What features separate EA Sports Fantasy Football from the rest of the services and why should people choose your service over others?

JW: Great question. The biggest thing we have to offer this year our goal of changing fantasy football. We're trying to innovate and create things that cannot be experienced elsewhere.

OS: Did I read the press release correctly that the Draft Tracker costs roughly 400 space bucks points ($5) on XBL Marketplace, but only 50 cents on the Playstation Network?

JW: That information is correct. We are charging the console minimums which are $.50 on PS3 and 400pts on XBL.

OS: As far as the Madden integration, how exactly does using your fantasy team roster work? Is the offensive line attached to your team defense?

JW: No, the offensive line will be associated with your top ranked quarterback. So when you import your team, all of those individual players will be placed on your fantasy squad.

OS: Can I manage my fantasy team entirely on the Xbox 360, or do I have to use EA's website?

JW: Team management is done through fantasy.easports.com. The console apps are an extension of the web-based game. Host your offline draft with your console on Live Draft Tracker and watch live scoring on your console with Live Score Tracker.

OS: What can you then do with that fantasy team once it has been brought over to Madden?

JW: You can import your teams and then play online in unranked matches. These teams are available anywhere a created team is...franchise and play now.

OS: Can you have more than one team per user name if you pay the fee?

JW: Fantasy football is free on the website. Madden integration does not carry any extra cost, just the purchase of Madden. Once you pay for the console apps, they can be used with as many leagues as you like.

OS: When I looked through the step-by-step process it said only select offline draft, even though there were other possible options. Is it because you can't do live drafts on the 360?

JW: Exactly. The Live Draft Tracker is currently intended for offline drafts only. We know how popular these are and we're trying to make these drafts more run. Each year here at Tiburon, we have 6 different drafts and the paper boards and stickers were getting old. We wanted to make something better and more interactive.

OS: So does that mean inviting all your friends over to do the draft on one console is the only way to really do it live?

JW: There is still the option of a live web draft on fantasy.easports.com. The Draft Tracker is for the leagues who have draft parties each year.

OS: What kind of innovations can we expect?

JW: We're the first company to connect fantasy games with gaming consoles. The possibilities are endless. We feel the Madden import, Live Draft Tracker and Live Score Tracker are a solid first step.

OS: How flexible are the roster requirements?

JW: Roster size is 37 which allows for every conceivable combination.

OS: You touched on fees earlier, so there are no others costs to play outside of the Draft Tracker?

JW: The web game is free. Madden Integration is free. The console apps are .50 and 400pts, those are the only fees you'll encounter.

OS: You said before, "We're trying to innovate and create things that cannot be experienced elsewhere." Care to elaborate a bit more? I realize there's the Draft Tracker now, but what else looking forward do you guys plan to do?

JW: Seeing what we've done this year, the potential to turn the Draft Tracker into something larger is definitely something we are focused on. Same goes for Madden integration. We can't elaborate more than that, but rest assured, we're listening to what people are saying and asking for.

OS: Can you tell us more about the live score tracker?

JW: Live Score Tracker is going to be useful for every one of our users. You can load up your team on your xbox 360 or PS3 and view 3 different looks for your matchups. We have a detailed view with specific player stats, a summary view with player point totals, and if your television supports your console in the Picture in Picture window, you can view your fantasy matchup in that window while watching games on TV.

OS: Hey guys. Good job with the draft tracker. When will the live scoring app be available?

JW: Live Score will be available at the beginning of Sept, just in time for week 1.

OS: Once you finish drafting and upload the rosters to the site, is it pretty much instantly on the site? Or is there a wait period before beginning to trade and all that good stuff?

JW: Once you finish a draft, you can upload the results right away. No need to enter everything by hand. Commissioners will need to go to the site and mark the draft complete in order for everyone to manage their teams.

OS: How are trades handled when bringing the team into Madden? Will that be reflected in real time or differently?

JW: You'd need to export your team again for transactions to take effect.

OS: Can you win prizes or something along those lines by competing in certain leagues?

JW: Grand prize is a trip to Tiburon and you'll get your face in Madden as a player.

OS: Will you be providing a lot of content on the EA Fantasy Football site throughout the year?

JW: Our EA Experts are constantly updating the website with content. We're also doing podcasts this year and they are available both on the site and on itunes.

OS: I guess a final question is, what do you hope people get out of this feature this year?

JW: More than anything, we want people to have fun when playing fantasy. We think we're taking a step in that right direction this year and we're looking forward to doing a lot more in the future. Thanks again for having us and we look forward to doing it again.