NCAA Football 12 News Post

First NCAA Football 12 Screenshot, Dreads Are Back - What Else Can You Spot?

12:22 PM - March 14, 2011 by illwill10

Jon Robinson, over at ESPN The Gamer, has just posted the first NCAA Football 12 screenshot, along with some additional information on what's to come tomorrow.

Besides the obvious dreads, what else can you spot?

Game: NCAA Football 12Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 104 - View All

NCAA Football 12 Videos

Member Comments

# 241 SynShadowzz @ 03/15/11 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama83


	I can answer this from my perspective - It's historically what EA does. They pepper in a great looking screen shot at a visual depth that is not representative of the in-game product to get people in a lather. People go ga-ga and say "this is the year they really get it going" because it looks amazing. But, the truth is - it's a zoomed in shot of the replay screen which shows depth that is actually not in the actual gameplay. So, they show off visual details that are misleading when you actually compare to gameplay visuals. Further, EAs typical brand strategy is: 1) Upgrade graphics with small tweaks 2) Add/Enhance a poorly implemented gimmick feature 3) Upgrade some offensive aspects (including plays) 4) Make some minor tweak to the engine and call it revolutionary 5) Rinse and repeat for EA yyyy+1 So, I get upset when I see the same pattern emerge and the ongoing issues with the core mechanics are overlooked. I've said it before and I'll say it again - football is a sport based around size, speed and strength. Yet, only one of these factors matter. The core engine needs to be built around a physics model. I don't mean layer in a few physics aspects and call it a day - I mean actually make it the fundamental aspect of the entire game. From there, the entire attribute ratings system needs an overhaul. There should be far more actual attributes and modifiers that there currently are. As it currently stands, players are clones of one another for the most part. There is nothing that makes one player unique compared to another. There's no reason to sub players into certain plays or formations because they are an OVR downgrade. There was no real difference when I played with Tim Tebow or Sam Bradford or Colt McCoy ... but in real life each of these players play the game completely differently and have different skillsets. From a actual gameplay standpoint, football begins at the offensive/defensive line and spreads outward. Get the basic mechanics and assignments correct here. Bring in OL/DL gurus and determine actual blocking schemes and what a lineman would do in certain situations. Give these positions a priority. Build outward from this. Assign as much time to "boring defense" as you do to "exciting offense". Give people the ability to truly bring in complex defenses that mask or confuse the offense. Until they begin to admit it's flawed and outline a strategy to address them - they are not making a better product. I would liken it to building a computer with a crappy graphics card and rather than updating the graphics card to make the system better, you buy a new monitor and hard drive. Sure, it adds value to the system but the same core issue remains.

Right, ok... and where exactly do you see that the gameplay hasn't improved? You're assuming WAY too much from a screenshot.

# 242 ODogg @ 03/15/11 04:03 PM

Honestly game play gurus have NOTHING to bitch about until multiple videos of the game in action are released and they can pick them apart (as they always do). I do find it funny though how so many folks think that you have to choose one or the other. I wonder how you guys select your girlfriends, do you think "hmm...this time my girlfriend either has to be really hot and dumb as a bag of rocks or a genius with a face only a mother could love?" They are not, never have been, and never will be, mutually exclusive. Improving graphics and details does not mandate that game play has not improved. Just as game play tweaks improving does not mean they didn't work on the details.

The bottom line is I'm sure EA has improved some things in game play and made some folks happy while improving some things in graphics & details and made some folks happy. And all the while I'm sure they'll make a good deal of folks mad about their game as well. If ultimately you find the game "abhorrent" then quit buying it and vote with your dollars. To find a game abhorrent and still buy it means you either have too much money or not enough brains.

BTW - Some of you guys are extremely clueless as to how games in general are developed and it's showing in this thread. Maybe visit a game company, read a magazine on game development or simply read more online about the process sometime.

# 243 Hooe @ 03/15/11 04:09 PM

Just now seeing the video and blog. This game is gorgeous.

I'm curious to see how the point-sprite grass looks while the game is in motion, though.

# 244 Hooe @ 03/15/11 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The GIGGAS


	Let's not say that Backbreaker didn't look good. It didn't look real, but it was no graphical slouch.

Not to go too far off-topic, but aside from the player models, which was an interesting design choice by NaturalMotion and 505, Backbreaker looked great. I'd put the character animation of that game against any other video game that has ever come out and I think it'd compare favorably, let alone any other football game.

# 245 BamBam_db @ 03/15/11 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrMagic91


	Odogg, Im glad you back homie. You couldnt have said this any better

Couldn't have said it better myself.

# 246 jeremym480 @ 03/15/11 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ODogg


	Honestly game play gurus have NOTHING to bitch about until multiple videos of the game in action are released and they can pick them apart (as they always do). I do find it funny though how so many folks think that you have to choose one or the other. I wonder how you guys select your girlfriends, do you think "hmm...this time my girlfriend either has to be really hot and dumb as a bag of rocks or a genius with a face only a mother could love?" They are not, never have been, and never will be, mutually exclusive. Improving graphics and details does not mandate that game play has not improved. Just as game play tweaks improving does not mean they didn't work on the details. The bottom line is I'm sure EA has improved some things in game play and made some folks happy while improving some things in graphics & details and made some folks happy. And all the while I'm sure they'll make a good deal of folks mad about their game as well. If ultimately you find the game "abhorrent" then quit buying it and vote with your dollars. To find a game abhorrent and still buy it means you either have too much money or not enough brains. BTW - Some of you guys are extremely clueless as to how games in general are developed and it's showing in this thread. Maybe visit a game company, read a magazine on game development or simply read more online about the process sometime.

Now this is a time when I wish OS had a "Like" or "Thanks" button. Odogg, You have no idea how much I've missed you up here in these football forums. Hope your doing well and congrats on your mission to get dreads in!!

# 247 44drob @ 03/15/11 04:56 PM

the grass looks pretty good thats nice

# 248 Solidice @ 03/15/11 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama83


	I'm not condemning it. I'm stating my personal preferences and stating that I find it pointless to add dreadlocks when they haven't even gotten OL/DL play correct.

so you want the art/feature team to sit on their hands until the gameplay team, in your opinion, catches up to the art/feature team?

that doesn't sound productive.

# 249 da ThRONe @ 03/15/11 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama83


	Well, not to be overly argumentative, but I haven't made an assumption. I have made an inference based on prior historical evidence. With my language lesson out of the way -- Would you truly wager that there will be a significant alteration to the gameplay engine?

You already deemed this game trash and all we have is a handful of still pics. If that isn't assuming I don�t know what is.

Trust if 6weeks from now 3D grass is the best improvement I will be leading the charge.

# 250 AuburnAlumni @ 03/15/11 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama83


	I'm not condemning it. I'm stating my personal preferences and stating that I find it pointless to add dreadlocks when they haven't even gotten OL/DL play correct.

No one cares about your preferences. Even more so after you've spent so much time whining after one freaking photograph.

Quote:


	Possibly true, but at least we don't lead the world in most NCAA infractions ... don't worry though, you'll always be the people's champion to me! All in, baby.

Nope. You guys just set the record for biggest illegal action for one overweight lineman and being on probation 3 times since 1993.

Wrong forum for this by the way but as clueless as you are about NCAA 12... Starting a Flame war would be par for the course.

Oh. And we're your current CFB National Champion as well as your people's champ. Enjoy your day.

# 251 SynShadowzz @ 03/15/11 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama83


	The gameplay will certainly have some minor tweaks that they'll trumpet as game altering changes. But there haven't been any major, realistic additions to this series in a long time. Even the heralded "pro-tak" was a way of faking gang tackles.

See, the problem here is you're trying to state this as a fact, when it's not.. yet. This could very well be the case, but YOU DON'T KNOW and you won't know until you play the game.

Your opinion is as valid as everyone else's, but you're trying to play the "I'm right and you're wrong" game here without any facts to back you up. Keep your mind open man, or just don't buy the game if you're going to whine about it after 1 (I repeat, ONE) screenshot.

# 252 coogrfan @ 03/15/11 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama83


	So unless you want to tell me that EA has given zero fiscal oversight to their football department, do not have a shelf date for each of their projects and willy-nilly decide what to implement ... then I think I have a pretty good guesstimation on the life-cycle of game development.

And yet...you seem to think that there is a chance that the suits at EA would sign off on trashing an NCAA game engine that has moved 3 million + units every year in order to start over from scratch and "do it right".

NCAA dev: Boss, we want to scrap our current engine in favor of a physics based system.

Suit: Why?

NCAA dev: It will make the game better.

Suit: Will it cost more than continuing to develop our current engine?

NCAA dev: Oh, yeah.

Suit: Will it result in more sales?

NCAA dev: Umm...probably not, in fact we would need to take a year off from releasing a game in order to do it right.

Suit: Get out of my office.

# 253 coogrfan @ 03/15/11 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama83


	Actually, I believe I stated the exact opposite. I said from a business standpoint I DON'T believe they would make any massive changes. But that's okay, there has been a lot of back and forth. Sometimes jumping in the middle of a debate leaves you without all the facts at your disposal. In fact, the point that you were making a contention about was in reference to (potentially) being told that I didn't understand the gaming industry. Which in turn came about from my point on the misguided notion that the artistic team and the development team are not interrelated.

If that's so, then I have to wonder why the heck you care at all?

You've made it fairly clear that you can't find any enjoyment in the game as it is, and you seem to understand that the core engine isn't going to be changing to something more to your liking any time soon. Call me crazy, but if I were you I would be looking for another hobby.

# 254 AuburnAlumni @ 03/15/11 06:19 PM

My head already hurts and it's only one photograph. This cat has already whined for about 10 pages. Some of you need to find a new hobby. Video games aren't for you anymore.

One picture. One. Ugh.

# 255 uscbeast909 @ 03/15/11 09:10 PM

one of the of the lineman has on white tights

# 256 C-Roshad1431 @ 03/16/11 12:19 AM

dreads!!!!! this game been missing them for along time now i can really make the players look like how the look in real games

# 257 stoncold32 @ 03/16/11 01:45 AM

From about 07-10, I was a champion of complaining about this game and all of it's flaws and shortcomings.

This past year for NCAA '11, you might not find 5 posts of me complaining b/c they game improved that much. I saw effort, and that effort resulted in a good game.

IF they improve upon last years game, I will be satisfied again.

Although I would still like for mouthpieces to return, ala NCAA 04.

I'm highly confident that Cam Newton and Denard Robinson made EA look harder at their game about fixing the QB running tendencies.

# 258 44drob @ 03/16/11 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uscbeast909


	one of the of the lineman has on white tights

what pic ???

# 259 Ziza9Noles94 @ 03/17/11 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuburnAlumni


	My head already hurts and it's only one photograph. This cat has already whined for about 10 pages. Some of you need to find a new hobby. Video games aren't for you anymore. One picture. One. Ugh.

I pressed Like so hard on this the Like button disappeared.

# 260 Special27K @ 03/17/11 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama83


	Like I said, welcome to the life of a tormented NCAA fan. I'm like an abused woman coming back for more. Or maybe a horse rushing to the burning barn. Despite the fact that I don't think EA will halt production to create the perfect engine (or even a really good one) for fiscal reasons, I do believe (based on NHL and NBA) they have plans to slowly introduce physics to their engines. It's not the perfect solution, but it's something, right? It's just I think that's one hole. I guess I just wish that the execs would let them come forward and say: "Okay, we screwed up. We know there are some massive holes in the gameplay and we here's the roadmap to how we are going to address them. If you see any others, please bring them to us as we want to make the best product." Right now, it feels like an "us/them" situation at times and they don't really acknowledge that there are significant issues.

I just read all 30 some odd pages and this post right here is probably the most interesting, concerning, light-shedding of why things are the way they are and how I feel exactly and I'm sure there are ten's of thousands who feel exactly the same.

I'm just as frustrated and just as unsurprised how this all goes every year. Nothing will probably ever stop me from buying the game, it can be the same engine to a "T" with these aesthetics added and without a doubt I'd happily buy my new copy of '12 at midnight.

EA will fix issues, probably never admit some things, yet they make some progress year to year. Every now and then some big leaps, great ideas/concepts which will always need tweaking. But, to think they'd ever possibly double their production costs to develop a brand new game engine that could not be ready until two releases later is seemingly far-fetched and an ideal.

Still excited for the dreads and accessory updates.

Wish though we didn't always just get these "zoomed" replay screenshots rather than actual gameplay screenshots first, they seem misleading to me. The detail in the grass and things seem like the rate to render it in action might be a bit much.

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First NCAA Football 12 Screenshot, Dreads Are Back - What Else Can You Spot?