Yeah, unfortunately from everything I've read, it is the coach that calls the audibles. I agree it would be great if QB's audibled on their own if you gave them permission to do so.

That would be sweet. If the OC can call plays unassisted, why not allow your QB to audible? That would add one more coaching aspect to the game. If you don't spend enough classroom and/or practice time with your QB, allowing him to call plays would backfire.

This has got to be close to "gold" status by now. I hope they worked out the bugs.

Gametrailers.com has a new video up. No new info, just coaches talking about motivation.

About a half dozen new screens up on EA's site:

http://www.easports.com/nflheadcoach...ia=screenshots



I placed my pre-order on Sunday. I asked the clerk and he said they have about 15 pre-orders for the PC version. Not too bad for one little store. Hopefully, this will sell well enough that we will get sequels with further development.

will this be playable on the 360?

any idea on the system reqs? then again i guess if i can play madden 06 on my laptop i can play this most likely hmm?

I've seen these system requirements listed a few places, so they should be close to correct:

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

• CD ROM: 16X
• CPU Speed: 933MHz
• Disk Space: 2.0GB
• Display: AGP Video Card, NVIDIA GeForce 3 +, ATI Radeon 8500 +
• Memory (RAM): 256MB +
• Operating System Compatibility: Win98/ME/2000/XP, Not Mac Compatible

As far as Xbox 360 compatibility, it will not be compatible at release, but might eventually be added.

I'm buying for the PC.

Dola -

New Preview up at IGN. Unfortunately, JRob wrote it, but it has some interesting tidbits of info. The draft results look odd, but it is an earlier version and perhaps there is an "X-factor." The other disappointment is that you can only save 10 created offensive and 10 defensive plays if JRob has his info correct.


http://sports.ign.com/articles/709/709630p1.html

I actually dreamt about this game last night. I woke up, realized what just happened, and shook my head.

I'm a nerd.

no - xbox, pc and ps2.

I have a 360 but would get this particular title for the PC no matter what - but I don't understand why ALL new titles that come out on XBox aren't also on the 360. Seems like MS would be fairly pissed about that.

This particular screen has me very intrigued - although I haven't seen anything on the feature list, this would seem to indicate some sort of game highlights ala NFL 2k5 which I thought was very well done.

This is my top selling thread ever :cool:

dola, and this is my 2000th post as well. Milestones baby !

Im assuming its from when you start the game, they say they do a feature on sportscenter about you and your previous experience, and how your a hot coach now

Just out of curiosity: are you guys all getting this for the PC? I still have to decide, maybe I'll get it for the Xbox. I'm just not used to "football graphics" on the PC anymore. Also, I was thinking about using the headphones thing, although I'm not sure it'll work properly.

Same here, I'm not used to PC graphics anymore as the only games I play on PC these days are text-based sports sims (FOF, TCY).
I use my PSP for the rest and would have loved to see a PSP version of NFL Headcoach.

Yeah, Unfortunately I think you are right. I read that in the IGN preview after my initial post.

That blows that it isnt backwards compatable.

The screen shots from this link are the best yet. They show a lot of the day to day interaction.

Now I don't think this is a game-breaker or anything, but I was stunned to hear this just because of how WRONG this is. Against cover 2 the quick out route is the one route guaranteed to produce a lot of TD's - that is for CB easily picking the ball off and strolling untouched into the opposite end zone.

Of ALL the basic coverages - cover 2 is the ONLY coverage where the flat defender starts in the flat!!!! on 3 and 4 the flat defender is the outside LB or nickle back.

To beat the cover 2 you can run inside (only 7 guys in the box) or better yet send 3 vertical routes, forcing the 2 safeties to choose between covering the WR on the fade or the TE on the seam.

If you want to hit an out against cover 2 - you had better make it a deeper out and combine it with a TE or back in the flat to keep the CB out of the throwing lane.

I was thinking the same thing. I would have gone with the TE option.

The draft presented does not make me hopeful.

As a CB I would jump all over an out with support over the top.

When a TE would run a seam or come out in general he had to be picked up by a LB or I would have to think of peeling off to support a deep TE route too.
The TE is a great option.

But if the WR route was too deep I would let the WR go and move up to support against the run or other guys in routes.

basic cover 2 is the 2 deep zones by the safeties, the 2 flats by the corners and the 3 underneath zones by the backers.

the deep (12-14) out by the WR with a quick arrow (2-4 yards) by TE or RB works because the QB simply reads the flat defender (in this case the CB) he drops off into the lane for the out and you hit the arrow, jumps the arrow you hit the out. In a true cover 2 the LB will not chase the TE or RB because he has the middle zone and if her chases it becomes more of an combo coverage like 2 man, which changes everything.

Yeah, me either. In a game like this, the draft absolutely has to work for me to get "into the game". I guess we'll see.

Oh, and PC all the way. Patches, mods, rosters, etc...

5 new screenshots at Gamespot's site. I really like the one of the coach watching Favre practice. I think the variety of practice drills is probably going to keep practices exciting for me.

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/sports/n...reenindex.html


IGN has an article beginning the countdown of the 25 greatest coaches according to the game (new article to come out each week with 5 more leading up to release.) 25-21 are up now:

http://sports.ign.com/articles/710/710002p1.html

Nice screenshots in that article as well.

Delicious.

I really, really want to see how this game will look.
On paper, it seems really neat !

Have been waiting for a initiative like that from EA Sports for years.

Maybe each answer gives you a strategy boost. Possibly if you picked the answer C, you would get a larger boost in strategy than choosing choices a or b?

Corner route is how you beat Cover 2. Didn't anybody watch Brady at all this season?

RedKing,

The quick out option shouldn't give you a boost at all. It should give you a hit. It's clearly the wrong answer. Either of the other two options could be given a boost, but that answer deserves a hit.

You are right, and I'm not arguing that. But maybe the developers (who are not targeting this game to hardcore people like us) designed it a bit differently, knowing that not everyone knows the difference between a Cover Two vs. 3-4, 4-3, etc.

In other words, you are rewarded more for making a better choice instead of being penalized for making the wrong choice. (Similar to a test where you get 5 points for the right anwser, 3 for the almost right answer, and 1 for the wrong answer).

This always annoys he hell out of me when Madden lumps these 2 concepts together.

cover 2 is a secondary coverage NOT a "defense"

and 3-4, 4-3 are the fronts NOT a "defense"

a "defense" is the front, shifts, blitzes and coverages.

you can run cover 2 out of either a 3-4 or a 4-3, just not a 4-4.

and you can run any of the basic coverages when in a 4-3 or 3-4.

ONLY when you combo it with another route that challenges the safety like a seam or post. a straight corner with no other challenge to a safeties deep half SHOULD be covered every time.

If anyone is interested.

Pre-order $37.90 at Go Gamer

hxxp://www.gogamer.com/cgi-bin/GoGamer.storefront/EN/product/001NFL

Hmmmm

If you go to the EA Sports site for the game and watch the trailer you'll see the same setting as what is in the screenshot and hear the beginnings of a sound clip:

"Last week at Ford Field..."

Sounds like weekly highlights kicking off to me!!

Except for that this past year's Super Bowl was at Ford Field...

Possibly. But the key to a corner against the cover-2 is that the receiver is open for a brief window when the CB lets him go and the safety has not reached it yet. It just takes a QB with Brady's accuracy to hit that route during that brief window.

I think all this debating is kind of pointless until we know for sure how this stuff works.

LOL
So, what is your point?

That it's never easy to figure out the programmers' intentions just by looking at a screenshot?

Maybe so, but without pressure from a TE or another WR running the seam, the S will be all over the corner route no matter how well it's thrown. Brady can fit it into a tight spot, but I'd be willing to bet money that on a majority of those corner routes there was pressure on the safety from another source.

Especially since we don't know whether this actually happened in the game or the reviewer just made a mistake.

We are the FOFC.

Seriously, you've been here since October 2000 and are trying to tell us that debating ANYTHING is pointless? Who would we be if we couldn't nitpick the heck out of some obscure little point? It's what we do!

I'm just shocked this thread has gone this far this long with very little mention of Daivd Winter, Jim adding 3D to FOF, the Iraq conflict, or Hitler.

exactly - safeties who get beat on corner routes that are not challenged by other routes learn the true meaning of N.F.L. - not for long

Haha...I guess that's why I usually stay out of the game preview threads.

Well, Tom Brady's been mentioned, so we're at least partially there. :-)

Another new vid up at gametrailers.com. Mainly todays coaches talking about assistant coaches, but in the back ground you see in game coaches discussing things.

Only 3 more weeks until release! I'm looking forward to this more than NCAA or Madden (which I probably won't get this year.)

I'm counting on you to either sell me, or turn me away. :)

I'm still undecided about preordering this one. I'll probably do it, but I'm running out of time. :)

I'll try not to disappoint :)

Wow, I really can't say that same. Despite past disappointments, I'm still looking forward to the next NCAA the most, especially since it'll run on the PSP.

I'm looking forward to NCAA too (and have pre-ordered that also.) I'm just going to try to hold out against getting Madden, particularly if this game is good.

Oh yeah, can't wait for this.....MLB 06 the show has really impressed me on the PSP hoping NCAA will do this same.

Same here. But I'm hoping its because I'm so in love with Head Coach that I won't have time to play the others, rather than so fed up with EA that I never want to look at another of their titles again :D

I trust your opinion. Did you say you're getting the pc version?

Yeah, I'm getting the PC version.

Excellent!!

I would love for this game to be great. (crosses fingers)

I hope so to, i cant wait for your next 1 and 1/2 year dynasty!!! ;)

I will get to my Rams Super Bowl!! ..and well, you know once college football starts... :p

IGN has the next 5 coaches of all time (#20-16) up on their website. #19 is a big surprise to me. One because I didn't think they would include active coaches. Secondly, because I wouldn't put him in the top 20.

http://sports.ign.com/articles/710/710682p1.html

Madden should be higher than 16. He's a top 10 easily IMHO.

Shouldn't be in the Top 15. He only won 1 Super Bowl, and wasn't coach long enough really to make an impact. Jimmy Johnson was a better coach than Madden.

Highest winning percentage in history and he went out whilst still at the top, who knows what could've happened if he stayed on. The only reason he didn't win more than one ring were the absolutely incredible Steeler teams that they kept meeting in the AFC Championship game. Any other era and his Raiders make at least three Super Bowls.

I think it was asked but I haven't found the answer. Did we now the req of the game to PC?

I haven't seen the reqs, but I imagine that if you can run Madden 2006, you'll have no probs running this.

Re-posted from last page for those asking about computer specifications. I've seen these quoted on several pages, so they appear to be correct.

Dola -

Another Update by Jrob is up on IGN:

http://sports.ign.com/articles/710/710969p1.html


Pros:

- Sounds cool that the Colts' offense looked like their real life counterpart.

- I like the sound of the training camp and having limited opportunities to run plays.

- It sounds like the AI might adjust somewhat realistically to your play calls.


Cons:

- Might be an early build, but the draft sounds odd. Ernie Sims shouldn't be available in the 2nd round unless there is a significant "X-Factor."

- I don't like that the AI automatically puts late round draft picks into FA if your roster is too full. Of course, that can be avoided with some forethought.

- No overtime in preseason games?!? Starters play the whole game in pre-season? Madden had those issues correct, and it seems a big step back to not have them correct in this game.

Oh well, I'm still (perhaps foolishly) very excited to start playing this game in under 3 weeks.

[quote=Eaglesfan27]

- I don't like that the AI automatically puts late round draft picks into FA if your roster is too full. Of course, that can be avoided with some forethought.

[quote]

This is the kind of stupid design decisions that really piss me off in a game. My guess it was fairly difficult to code the logic of expanded rosters, so they just left it out. I guess it can be avoided with some forethought, but I'm not sure how exactly unless you cut the exact postions that you plan to draft. Otherwise you'll have to cut others after the draft and sign some free agents as fill-ins. That could cause some salary cap issues as well. Grrr.

From Bill Abner, that lucky dog:

3 CD's? Sweet! I can't wait for the 20th. :)

Why can't we get games on one single DVD. Jeez, almost every computer has a DVD rom these days. They keep giving us the equivalent of 8 tracks for goodness sakes. I may just directDrive it if it's possible, instead of having to deal with managing CD's.

I just installed my first PC DVD drive today. Hadn't really had a need before. *Shurg*

I agree with SteveW -- a DVD version should at least be an option.

3 CDs for a management game? Wow. I definitely agree with the DVD sentiments. They should just put any game larger than 2 CDs onto DVD by default and make less of the CD versions than the DVD. If you want to buy DVD versions of games now, you have to pay around an extra $10. It's almost worth it sometimes (Call of Duty 2. 6 CDs? Yeah, right.), but $10 more is a little steep when the game is already $50.

I don't have a DVD drive... :(

At least you don't need one for this game ;)

getting closer to release date...
The game probably won't be distributed in France so I'll have to find a way to buy it online on a site where they allow the internation video game shipping (which happens less and less nowadays...)

Obviously, I'm in the same boat as you. Usually, I order Xbox USA games from Tronix. They're based in NY, they offer a great service. For 15 $ you can get your games shipped with FedEx, they arrive in 2 days and you can track them. This will be the third year I order NCAA/Madden from them, never had a problem. Last year, I even got NCAA 2006 on the US release date, because I had pre-ordered.
It's, like, about a month that I check the site every day, searching for the Head Coach pre-order, but they still don't have it. I really hope it will be available soon.
As for other sites, I know EB Games and Gamestop offer international service, but they want 25 $ only for shipping, and I don't know how much will it takes for the games to arrive. Also, check out DVDBoxOffice, Canadian site. I know it's very reliable, but I've never tried it.

Thx a LOT for these infos !!

You're welcome.

Life is tough for Euro guys when it comes to football games...;) We gotta help each other out!

Well, at least FM is still released here first...:D Or not???

gametrailers.com has a new vid up. This time they are showing some gameplay.

NTSC only?
 

Don't know if this has already been answered, but does anyone know if Head Coach will be getting a PAL release or if it'll be NTSC only?

I don't have the exact source right now, but I think I've read somewhere that Head Coach will be a NTSC-only release. I'm not 100% sure, but let's face it: I really don't think EA is gonna sell something like this (a first-generation, American football, strategy type of game) in Europe. Gee, it's hard to find Madden in stores here, even months after release!

Well, I broke down and pre-ordered this one from Gamestop yesterday.

What are the chances of a Best Buy having this title day of release? There is one across the street from one of my jobs. Smaller store but I would think it would be available.

dola:

BB has it on their site. Also says that it will be available for in store pickup. I'm going this route I guess.

Gamestop is slated to have it 6/21.

Since when do games get released on Wednesdays? Thought it was mostly a Thursday thing.

so, it appears that BB is getting the xbox version in july. also, the PS2 version has a release of 6/23. They advertise the pc version as 1 disc but from what you guys are saying, that is incorrect?

HeadCoach site says released 6/20(Tuesday) which is when games like Madden/NCAA, etc have been released in the past few years.

Tuesday Shipping, Wednesday in stores I would imagine.

My local gamestop has said it will ship Tuesday and that I should have it by Weds. morning.

shit. that sucks. the bosses go to their golf league on tuesdays.

games, music - pretty much all ship on Tuesday's. No idea why, but it is pretty standard.

I doubt whether it will get a PAL release, but if you have a PC then it shouldn't make a difference, because it's only consoles that are affected. I hope I'm not wrong on that ...

Ok, those new trailers has gotten me all excited, but I would still like to see some videos of the war room and screens of what you do on the off days. Either way, I can't wait to see what others are going to say about this. As much as I want to preorder it, I still have a small ounce of pessimism that is preventing me from doing so.

I would be willing to bet the impressions thread for this game is going to be huge. There just seems to be alot in this football game.