NCAA Football 13 News Post

NCAA Football 13 Demo Roundtable

11:54 AM - June 11, 2012 by RaychelSnr

Our staff breaks down the NCAA Football 13 demo released last week and gives the low down on what they think about the game. Is it a buy or no buy? Click through the jump to find out.

Read More - NCAA Football 13 Demo Roundtable

Game: NCAA Football 13Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 60 - View All

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# 1 drlw322 @ 06/11/12 12:07 PM

I see a lot of you guys think the updates are annoying and I think part of that is because you guys area tually not immerse into your own dynasty given this a sim week ten experience and you haven't invested time into this mock dynasty.

Another thing is since it has already been simmed you getting the same results everytime which would take the experience away also.

I can imagine them putting in some CPU generated highlights next year, not all updates but maybe just like 2 highlights a game. And updates that you are looking for because it effect your user team ranking. That would help a lot more. But I don't want this feature to go away, just improved upon.

You know how ea is, if everyone say that it is annoying and skip it, they would just trash it next year like all the other features they introduce for one year and is never improved upon or get rid off.

One more question ? Is game track still in the game.

# 2 Jadakiss88 @ 06/11/12 12:34 PM

First they need to go the NBA 2k route and put in a team chemistry meter..that's not saying they need to include a micro-management system for this but Chemistry between players is huge and at times the hot/cold streak meter doesn't mean anything except for when you are on the road and at times doesn't matter then. To prove my point play a game on the road on any of the NCAA games and take out your starting QB and put in your third or fourt string QB...the CPU goes completely dumb and they react completely different than they would with your #1 QB (at sometimes they even play sloppy) the defense in most cases should actually receive a boost.

# 3 GuideMe1 @ 06/11/12 12:36 PM

I agree..in-game updates sound completely scripted. Other than that, demo was pretty sweet! My main concern is when is EA going to get rid of the absolutely arcadish Gameplan feature. I'm playing a sim-style game, supposedly, and then I see the whole defense swarm to one side of the field in a nano second(by way of Run Committ). IMO, that Run/Pass Committing, D-Line jumping the snap every play(another Gameplan feature)...etc, are a total contradiction to what EA says that they are trying to deliver to us.

# 4 Smallzin @ 06/11/12 12:46 PM

I traded NCAA 12 to my cousin 5 months ago. Downloaded this demo and honestly, it feels like same old same old that the game has been for a couple years. Tweaks here and there but the same old game.

# 5 scottyo60 @ 06/11/12 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pmoney327


	I'm banking on the studio updates to present better with a named roster.

That's my initial feeling about studio updates. I think by the end of a dynasty season it will become fun to have the updates and scores at the bottom when games matter.

# 6 Annarborborn @ 06/11/12 12:53 PM

The demo last year was not like the actual game. I think you guys like most reviewers either do not really watch the sport or you do not relate to what actually happens in real football. I thought the passing was spot on. I am sure the settings were not set to a good level for the most challenge, but I saw nothing that I was not impressed with. I was impressed that when I made a play I understood why, not some CPU action that looked or felt superhuman. I am sure in the real game things will be a little different or tweaked as they always are from a demo. Now if you talk about the final game in these terms then I might be concerned. But here is another issue, I do not play or like online play. I tweak settings to fit what I am good or bad at so I can play a realistic game. I also felt that the demo was to illustrate just the new features and not the entire game. The studio updates are not likely to take place in a longer game as often. The updates were clearly time based and only in 3 minute quarters you will have more of them. I play 10 minutes quarters in my dynasty and I am sure they will not happen that often. Even with that said who cares when you are playing a dynasty and before you had no idea what your conference or teams around the country were doing. Now you have some idea with the previous versions.

The game is not perfect and I doubt will be perfect. I just loved the improvements and when I threw an interceptions I felt it was because of my lack of execution, not a computer making a play that does not take place in real football. I also felt I could call coverages that could shut down certain plays or put my players in places to stop those plays. I also loved the QB scrambling as I was torched by a few QBs when the scrambled and I was not in the right place or did not call the right defense or did not have the right tendencies set. Great game so far, but time will tell.

# 7 TreyIM2 @ 06/11/12 01:02 PM

I definitely like the demo, which I didn't think I would do, especially with expectations of Madden's RTP and the fact I really wasn't tryin to get NCAA this yr, anyway. I find myself returning to the demo daily, actually. Lol.

I can definitely agree that the updates are a bit too frequent in the demo but I usually skip them. LOVE the ESPN ticker. It just gives more to the look of the game.

The PS3 visuals don't look as great as they could, as usual, in the demos for this games. It's just a demo, tho, right? Heh...

I dig the passing, mucho, and some of the new catch animations a great! I actually forgot to use the new lob on a pass and an LB trailing my TE a bit in zone coverage LAID OUT so beautifully to pick off my errant pass toward the sidelines and landed on his back. I couldn't help but applaud how it looked, even tho I turned the ball over. Lol.

I likee a lot and hope I don't go back on my word of NOT buying the retail version.

# 8 Jadakiss88 @ 06/11/12 01:22 PM

@Annarborborn I think most complaints come from the fact that it actually looks like NCAA 12 and alot of people are used to more updates in graphics than in just gameplay. Also, I played the HELL out of 12' and I used a Heisman Slider set that I picked up from OS and I promise you it feels exactly the same as if I used that same slider set in 13'. I understand it's a demo but demo's are in a sense the first impression for alot of us since games are expensive now a days and EA drops a Madden and NCAA yearly.

Some people do get a little nit picky because 1) they don't understand what true sim football is because they don't have that experience on the field 2) they feel that it should be picked apart since 12' was hampered with some many issues that went unfixed, but as the consumer (some like me yearly consumers) you have that right to voice your opinion ridiculous or not.

I had already figured that in short routes (especially comeback, hooks, and hitches) would quickly become cheese routes with the new DB-WR interaction the EA implemented. Hopefully, it's tuned down a little. And maybe it's just me knowing my offense and already being comfortable with QB - WR/TE/RB timing but I was throwing passes well before the receiver looked my way and even at times throwing it to the wrong shoulder and the receiver would make the catch. They should have put in a chance to choose difficulty so people could have explored the demo a little deeper.

# 9 huntt26 @ 06/11/12 01:25 PM

Love the studio updates and bottom line - hopefully they can tweak them for next year's game

Having an ability to sort or group bottom line scores like they do in real life - with a 'top stories' section and the games organized by conference. Some stats would be nice in the ticker as well.

# 10 Annarborborn @ 06/11/12 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jadakiss88


	@Annarborborn I think most complaints come from the fact that it actually looks like NCAA 12 and alot of people are used to more updates in graphics than in just gameplay. Also, I played the HELL out of 12' and I used a Heisman Slider set that I picked up from OS and I promise you it feels exactly the same as if I used that same slider set in 13'. I understand it's a demo but demo's are in a sense the first impression for alot of us since games are expensive now a days and EA drops a Madden and NCAA yearly. Some people do get a little nit picky because 1) they don't understand what true sim football is because they don't have that experience on the field 2) they feel that it should be picked apart since 12' was hampered with some many issues that went unfixed, but as the consumer (some like me yearly consumers) you have that right to voice your opinion ridiculous or not. I had already figured that in short routes (especially comeback, hooks, and hitches) would quickly become cheese routes with the new DB-WR interaction the EA implemented. Hopefully, it's tuned down a little. And maybe it's just me knowing my offense and already being comfortable with QB - WR/TE/RB timing but I was throwing passes well before the receiver looked my way and even at times throwing it to the wrong shoulder and the receiver would make the catch. They should have put in a chance to choose difficulty so people could have explored the demo a little deeper.

The game of football does not change that much from one year to another. If that bothers them, then do not buy the damn game. This is a sport based on real actions, not Halo.

You do not have to have experience on the field, just watch a game or break down tape. The game is supposed fun. And if someone is worried about how the game looks or face mask colors but do not recognized how different the passing game has drastically changed, then they will never be satisfied. I am not looking for perfection, I am looking for a replica of the real game. If the game changed that much from one year to another, I would be concerned honestly.

# 11 TuffJuff @ 06/11/12 02:04 PM

I love the studio updates. I found myself actually caring about the texas-texas tech game and was disappointed when texas came back to win.

# 12 SOBAY310 @ 06/11/12 02:31 PM

Does anybody else have the bottom line cut off the bottom of the screen? I can only see half of it. I have a 56'' 1080p DLP that's a few years old, so perhaps my screen isn't centered completely. I hope there is an option within the game to adjust the the display area (move it up, down, left, right) like you see on some games.

# 13 Jadakiss88 @ 06/11/12 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Annarborborn


	The game of football does not change that much from one year to another. If that bothers them, then do not buy the damn game. This is a sport based on real actions, not Halo. You do not have to have experience on the field, just watch a game or break down tape. The game is supposed fun. And if someone is worried about how the game looks or face mask colors but do not recognized how different the passing game has drastically changed, then they will never be satisfied. I am not looking for perfection, I am looking for a replica of the real game. If the game changed that much from one year to another, I would be concerned honestly.

[quote=Annarborborn;2043754999]

You do not have to have experience on the field, just watch a game or break down tape.

And with thinking like that that's where the issue lies. You have to have some kind of field experience to break down tape. And I'm not saying as a player because there are a tons of DC, OC, and HC's that have never played a down of football in their life. With that being said there is no way people that know nothing about football except for what they see face value should be able to beat someone who can BREAK DOWN a defense, someone who actually takes time to sit down and explore the in and outs, strengths and weaknesses of their gameplan, roster, and play calling due to casual users using exploits in the game. If you don't play online and only tailor the game to your strengths and weaknesses you won't understand that much though.

With that being said, updated graphics can make a huge difference in video games. I could careless about pass trajectories and catch animations I know my offense well enough that all I care about is making the right play at the right time and the player making the catch. Trajectories and Catch animations are the ooohhhh's and aaahhhh's I care more about being able to play a SIM game of football where I can actually go head up against players that want to battle out with football minds and not use holes in the gameplay to win the game.

Even though they have corrected somethings EA still has along way to go, seeing that this is the ONLY football sim available to gamers. It will never be perfect but "If it's in the game it's in the game" I rarely if ever see an amateur coach completely dominate a experienced head coach with a winning strategy unless that same team just beats themselves.

# 14 Colonel Reb @ 06/11/12 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOBAY310


	Does anybody else have the bottom line cut off the bottom of the screen? I can only see half of it. I have a 56'' 1080p DLP that's a few years old, so perhaps my screen isn't centered completely. I hope there is an option within the game to adjust the the display area (move it up, down, left, right) like you see on some games.

First time commenting on these pages. I'm trying to quote SOBAY310 above if it doesn't show up.

I've seen a few other people in various places say the ticker gets cut off for them as well on certain TVs. There was at least one fix out there but I'm not sure what it was off the top of my head. Sorry that's not much help, I know...

On that note, you don't have the bottom line at all if you're not in widescreen mode. It's not that it gets cut off, it doesn't even exist. I wish someone--especially someone at EA, but even the media covering it would be nice-- would address this issue. I've never played a game where there were features lost simply for not playing in widescreen. I hate to let something as silly as a ticker make my decision as to whether or not I'm going to buy the game but I also don't like giving up something that is apparently great based on everything I read just because I don't have the right kind of TV EA thinks I should have.

As for the demo itself, I generally enjoyed it. Most of the games have been offense-heavy, but I did have a 14-14 game that went to overtime between Alabama and LSU, which was 7-7 very late in regulation. It's certainly not perfect. The offensive line blocking really needed to be addressed after EA took away the "suction" blocking which made it nearly impossible to get sacks, because last year it went the complete opposite direction, and unfortunately this issue seems to only have been improved moderately, if at all. I am afraid the focus on passing will lead to it being too easy, as EA tends to overdo fixes, but so far it hasn't gotten out of hand for me. When I figure out how to really utilize the new passing changes it might get worse, I don't know. I enjoyed it but I'm still a bit undecided on whether it's worth it keeping my preorder. With the issues EA games have had recently I'm thinking of canceling it and waiting to see what people say and then decide if I want to pick it up a few weeks after release.

# 15 noplace @ 06/11/12 03:25 PM

RT was about right... Nothing great but nothing horrible. Just the same ole NCAA with a few tweeks and fluff. Cant see myself playing one down after Madden comes out so I'm still on the fence about buying it. Might just get it used later in the season once all the rosters & patches are pretty much solidified.

# 16 moneal2001 @ 06/11/12 03:34 PM

@Jadakiss how can you say trajectory on a pass and many of the new catch animations are just oohs and aaahs and still call yourself sim. the way a pass goes in the air changes everything. it turns an int into a td and vice versa. the added catch animations provide realism by allowing catches that you see in real life.

also field experience is not everthing. some people just have a gift of seeing things. manning sees the field like no one else but it isnt all film room and field experience. otherwise every 6'4" qb with a decent arm could be just as good as he is just putting in the time. same for guys like barry sanders and ray lewis.

# 17 rufusone @ 06/11/12 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOBAY310


	Does anybody else have the bottom line cut off the bottom of the screen? I can only see half of it. I have a 56'' 1080p DLP that's a few years old, so perhaps my screen isn't centered completely. I hope there is an option within the game to adjust the the display area (move it up, down, left, right) like you see on some games.

I have a 50 inch Sony rear projection tv and the ticker is cut off a little on the bottom also, the XBOX and TV is set at 1080I, setting XBox and TV to 720P makes no difference, still cut off on the bottom.

# 18 Gotmadskillzson @ 06/11/12 03:45 PM

I wonder how many of those 430 new catch animations are bobbled catches. That is something that is missing. So I hope they have nice amount of bobbled catches in the game. Everything shouldn't be the WR either catches it or drops it completely.

Demo over all is alright. AI running the ball however is still a big sore spot for this series. They need to better tune ball carrier vision. Tired of seeing runners run directly into me.

Also wish they would bring back the back juke. High stepping is pretty useless the way they have it in the game, so they should just scrap it because you end up getting tackled majority of the time when you do use it, since it slows you down way too much.

One of these years I hope they introduce the ability to highlight a guy on defense. Lets say a stud DT or LB that is blowing up the QB like crazy. You highlight him and the offensive line would be more aware of his presence and look to double team him more often if he tries to breach the line.

As it is now, if I user control any defensive lineman, I can sack the cpu QB over and over and over again because they don't ever adjust to it.

# 19 volwalker @ 06/11/12 04:09 PM

With the demo, I am having significant trouble reading the defense (with regards to the passing game). Apparently in NCAA 13 motioning a receiver to tell whether the defense is in Man or Zone does not work anymore. Several times I would motion to see if CB would move with my WR but am getting different results than the norm that we are all used to seeing (CB moves with the WR = Man, etc.). Because of this my passing game has been non-existent even though I like what EA has done with rehauling the passing game. Since this strategy is no longer valid, can anyone help me how to read defenses? I am sure that there are lots of gamers who never used motion in the first place who thrive in the passing game and any help and tips would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

# 20 chi_hawks @ 06/11/12 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noplace


	RT was about right... Nothing great but nothing horrible. Just the same ole NCAA with a few tweeks and fluff. Cant see myself playing one down after Madden comes out so I'm still on the fence about buying it. Might just get it used later in the season once all the rosters & patches are pretty much solidified.

This is my plan. Get it used once the issues are patched. Also, if Madden ends up being amazing, I may just skip til next year. Of if Madden blows, I'll get NCAA earlier.

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