Madden 12 News Post

OS at E3: Madden NFL 12 Preview

05:56 AM - June 8, 2011 by ChaseB

During the three years I have been on staff here at OS, I have been one of the more vocal critics of the Madden franchise. It's not that I have anything against the series, I just have never been able to understand how a company's flagship yearly title (in the US), one that carries the weight of an NFL exclusive license, could lag so far behind its genre-specific competition since the jump to the current generation of consoles. Believe me when I say that my expectations for Madden 12 coming into E3 today were pretty low -- Madden 11 felt more like a stopgap in the series than a true upgrade from Madden 10, and I was at the point of simply accepting that Madden would never achieve the completeness seen in games such as NBA 2K11 and the MLB: The Show series.

I'll be honest, I think I may have been wrong in a very big way. Based on what I played today, Madden is back, and it's well on its way to being mentioned with the elite sports games of this generation.

(Please Note: These impressions are based solely upon exhibition gameplay. Franchise mode and Superstar mode were not available for play or discussion at this time.)

Read More - OS at E3: Madden NFL 12 Preview

Game: Madden NFL 12Reader Score: 6.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Wii / Xbox 360Votes for game: 44 - View All

Madden NFL 12 Videos

Member Comments

# 1 GrnEyedBanditTN @ 06/08/11 06:11 AM

I'm really liking what I am seeing and reading!

# 2 R9NALD9 @ 06/08/11 06:36 AM

Very good to read this! Can't wait for Madden this year!

# 3 guaps @ 06/08/11 06:59 AM

If you get a chance to play some more or talk to the devs, could you please notice or ask them about:

Player momentum when running the ball. From gameplay videos it seems that 90 degree, 1 yard turns at high speed are still very present in Madden. Players don't need to plant their feet to turn.
Player momentum in interior OL/DL interactions. Looks like defenders aren't really trying to get to the QB. They appear to be more likely to stop their forward momentum and engage with the linemen.
Outside rush caught in blocking animations. So far many gameplay videos show QBs dropping back 15-20 yards, because the outside rushers are being locked into some sort of blocking/pushing animation. The Ravens@Chargers from Pastapadre shows horrible OL/DL play in this area.

# 4 BlueNGold @ 06/08/11 07:00 AM

I told myself I would try and avoid the hype this year after feeling that I got burned on Madden 11, but damn it, it's too hard.

Thanks for the preview, guys. Game is sounding and looking like the Madden I've wanted to play for years. Not the first time I've said that, but hopefully this year it turns out to be true.

# 5 TreyIM2 @ 06/08/11 07:05 AM

I think this is going to be a great Madden, this yr. I'm as excited about this one as I was 10.11, not so much.12 should make up for what 11 didn't do, in spades. I almost feel like 11 was a throw away yr just to get to 12

# 6 mrmass413 @ 06/08/11 08:07 AM

Presentation sounds awesome how was commentary?

# 7 Aggies7 @ 06/08/11 08:28 AM

Is the option still in to slow down gameplay speed. Players seem to be moving way to quick.

# 8 roadman @ 06/08/11 08:38 AM

I know Christian has been hard on Madden in the past, so, this is encouraging to say the least.

# 9 SageInfinite @ 06/08/11 10:20 AM

Damn sounds good. After skipping 11 and getting NCAA, I think I'll be doing the opposite this year.

# 10 jmurphy31 @ 06/08/11 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SageInfinite


	Damn sounds good. After skipping 11 and getting NCAA, I think I'll be doing the opposite this year.

Doesn't it feel like its an every other year for both titles. Meaning one year Madden gets big upgrades while NCAA is very similar to the year before (10) than the following year its vice versa (11) . I still buy both though

# 11 SageInfinite @ 06/08/11 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmurphy31


	Doesn't it feel like its an every other year for both titles. Meaning one year Madden gets big upgrades while NCAA is very similar to the year before (10) than the following year its vice versa (11) . I still buy both though

Yeah. I used to buy both every year until I tested my will power last year and passed. Really enjoyed NCAA 11 and I'm glad I skipped Madden 11. Madden 12 is starting to look like the game it's supposed to be.

Idk for me, NCAA just looks so blah compared to Madden this year. I'm really not looking forward to it at all. I'm sure it plays solid for the most part, but I'm really not impressed with how the game looks.

IMO both of these titles still need work, but Madden has won me over so far. I just hope next gen Tiburon builds engines that are more capable. Seems like both games are just missing the little animations. I don't know if the engine isn't capable, or if EA just doesn't see them as necessary, but it would go so much further to help the "look" and feel of the game. EA is definitely getting closer though, finally.....

# 12 8 @ 06/08/11 10:46 AM

Well it's looking like I'm getting both NCAA and Madden this year. I was originally planning on just getting NCAA, but it sounds like this is going to be a very good year for Madden. Bought Madden last year and played it about 3 times and went back to NCAA which I played from July until MLB the show came out. I'm very excited about this years crop of football games. I'm still keeping my fingers and toes crossed though.

# 13 Brandwin @ 06/08/11 11:55 AM

Quote:


	After each play the camera will swing to different television-like viewpoints, highlighting a player as he celebrates or huddles up with his team -- complete with slick new stat banners. The result is a game that skews the boundaries between a video game and what you would expect to see on a television broadcast better than any football game before it

The presentation sounds like it has made huge strides, from camera angles to stat banners. This adds a lot to making a game great. Although it still seems like commentary is going to be stale.

Quote:


	I was also lucky enough to witness the game's touted Dynamic Player Performance in full effect during my hands-on time. In the same game mentioned above, Ryan Matthews was able to rip off a 55-yard TD scamper minutes into the first quarter. During his next series of carries, he ran like a man possessed, bouncing off of would-be tacklers and breaking free for extra yardage. Matthews DPP classification allowed him to absorb more contact since he started off hot, and it should be incredibly interesting to see how player performance impacts games and seasons.

I have a feeling DPP is probably going to be overdone. I hope it's not, but I am a bit skeptical at the moment, and with brand new features always having faults, that's fine with me feeling that way. If it works like advertised, we are in for a real treat here.

# 14 roadman @ 06/08/11 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiquorLogic


	LOL, I meant 20 yard drop backs. Are they effective at every difficulty setting ?

Liquor, you should link him to a video where you feel it's evident and tell him what second or minute mark it is. Makes his job a lot easier. Maybe he doesn't play that way.

Just my .02

# 15 gbombbay @ 06/08/11 12:28 PM

"Let the NFL cancel the season.. As long as you have Madden"??? Your prob joking when you say that... But still have you LOST YOUR MIND? Don't joke like that. I'm sure they have made tons of improvement to the game but i'm sorry i'm not ready to throw a parade for a game that should have been where you say it is at least 4 years ago. So its good that they are goin in the right direction, but as far as i'm concerned they are still playing catch up to those other games you've mentioned in your article.

# 16 daniverson1973 @ 06/08/11 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King88


	Well it's looking like I'm getting both NCAA and Madden this year. I was originally planning on just getting NCAA, but it sounds like this is going to be a very good year for Madden. Bought Madden last year and played it about 3 times and went back to NCAA which I played from July until MLB the show came out. I'm very excited about this years crop of football games. I'm still keeping my fingers and toes crossed though.

yah, i was only going to get ncaa too because the whole labor dispute just turns me off, but i cant see myself NOT getting it
it looks good, cant wait!

# 17 roadman @ 06/08/11 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbombbay


	"Let the NFL cancel the season.. As long as you have Madden"??? Your prob joking when you say that... But still have you LOST YOUR MIND? Don't joke like that. I'm sure they have made tons of improvement to the game but i'm sorry i'm not ready to throw a parade for a game that should have been where you say it is at least 4 years ago. So its good that they are goin in the right direction, but as far as i'm concerned they are still playing catch up to those other games you've mentioned in your article.

I wouldn't go out and ask people if they lost their mind if they are doing a lot of previewing for us. I already stated in here that he has been very critical of Madden the past few years, so, hearing this is encouraging.

# 18 noonan2112 @ 06/08/11 01:17 PM

I can't believe the improvements I am reading about. It finally sounds like Madden got down to business. I couldn't agree more with the overall feeling that Madden has recently taken forgranted what it means to carry the exclusive rights to the most popular sport in America. They are finally taking that seriously. Can't wait!

# 19 doovid184 @ 06/08/11 01:31 PM

Up in the corner, in the box where it says Madden 12 Info, in the release date box why does it say OUT NOW?

# 20 savoie2006 @ 06/08/11 02:22 PM

So...is the DPP and Trait feature the same thing or two different features? If they are different, I wonder which is gonna have more of an effect on the players on field play? It seems to me like this DPP is a bit to one extreme and then to the other, but rarely in the middle. I don't want to play where my team or a key player plays great for the first half, but after a bad halftime experiece, comes out and sucks it up for the rest of the game. The individual traits sounds like a much better way to determine how a player is gonna play, while the DPP sounds more like mood swings.

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