|
|
May 2007 - Posts
-
Dan Bertholomey, aka Packwolf has dedicated himself to winning a Madden Challenge event at the age of 42. We’ll follow him each week as he prepares himself for the rigors of competing against some of the best Madden players in the world. This week, we’ll hear his early thoughts on where his strategic focus needs to be in order to win it all.
This is a very exciting time of year. Madden 08 is a few months from dropping and info and media is beginning to surface. It’s also a great time for me to plan my strategy for going into the Madden Challenge.I am mainly trying to improve what might be my biggest hurdle in winning it all, stick!! My stick skills have to improve if I want a chance at winning against the best of the best. Sherm Sticky once told me during Madden Nation: Season 1 that he will not lose to the computer and that is essentially what will happen to me in the Madden Challenge unless I improve my stick skills. I feel that I can coach and call plays against the best in the country, but I don't yet have the stick skills needed to compete against the cream of the crop. I believe that strong stick skills can overcome even the best play calling, so I have to be able to match my opponents stick ability.
There are several ways to improve in this area. Just playing games is certainly one way, but I like to go into the drills and practice receiving drills, rushing drills and individual moves. Getting my stick skills up to par with the best will be my biggest challenge and in my opinion will be the key to my success.
I find myself trying to decide on a coaching style. At this point I am thinking that I should play the game that I normally do. My tried and true black and blue smash mouth offense and stellar defense, that helps control the clock and flow of the game. I think this style might be my best chance at success but I’ll also have to wait until I can play Madden NFL 08 to see if any improvements in the game will change my plans.
Until next time, I'll look for you online. Packwolf
If you have tips on how Packwolf can improve his stick skills, send an email to footballcommunity@ea.com. If he receives a tip that he finds extremely helpful, he may even share it here on the Madden NFL 08 site.
|
-
-
Welcome to the first edition of Fan Voice, where we'll highlight what fans are talking about in the Madden community. This week the topic is favorite teams in Madden NFL 08. Every Madden fan has an opinion about the abilities of their favorite NFL team in the game. In a discussion on the EA Madden NFL 08 forums, several fans have voiced their opinions on where their team will stack up this year. Here are some thoughts from two rabid Madden NFL fans.
“The Denver Broncos will be great because they have two shutdown corners. That alone is great but to add the hard hitter John Lynch, a solid linebacker set up, and new blood to step up our pass rush on the d-line, and you have a defense that will work brilliantly for a new defensive coordinator.
The addition of Travis Henry will bring more reliability and talent at the running game (doesn't really matter who is running back in Denver though, so the better the back, the easier the win is ). Jay Cutler has rollout speed and will only get better throughout the season so players should be able to take advantage of the future Elway with the help of Walker at receiver. Also with the addition of Daniel Graham at TE, you will have a reliable player that can haul the ball in and will be able to make the big block on the outside runs to give you that big gain.
Fans will be using my Broncos lots online this season. Orange Crush!” -joborule2
“How about the New Orleans Saints? Drew Brees is one of the best QBs in the game. He’s very accurate with good arm strength and mobility. If you don't know which running style you like, the Saints have it all. HB Deuce McAllister has the power to truck through defenders and the speed to pull away once he's clear. HB Reggie Bush is one of the most elusive backs in the game with great hands and has the potential for 1,000+ rushing yards as well as 1,000+ receiving yards.
Second year WR Marques Colston has great hands and strength and great blocking ability on running plays. WR Devery Henderson is the burner that every team could use and WR Robert Meachem should give you first round talent at that position. With all the young talent you will be set at the "skill" positions for years The defense will be in the top half of the league and that comes from overall good play by everyone on the squad. DEs Will Smith and Charles Grant give you one of the best tandems in the game. Speed from one and end power from the other. Second year SS Roman Harper is very smart and will be a force, if not this year then next. You also have one of the best young coaches in the league, a great offensive mind, and The 2007 Coach of the Year, Sean Payton. They should be one of the top rated teams in the game this year.”
-pierceempires
Visit the official discussion thread on the EA Madden NFL 08 forums to share your thoughts on how your favorite team is shaping up.
|
-
-
Welcome to the brand new Madden Community Spotlight Friday. Every week on Friday, we’ll bring you a special interview with someone from the Madden playing community. This week we spoke with DJ Rhude, whose love for Madden is equaled only by his love of Hiphop music.
EA SPORTS: A lot of Madden fans recognize you from your appearance on season two of Madden Nation, but what they might not know is that you’ve been involved with Madden fan sites for years. When did you become involved in the Madden community?
DJ Rhude: I’d say I got involved around the year 2002. I started out posting in the Madden section on the EA website forums before I found my way over to Maddenmania.com and Maddennation.com. It was there I started to establish my presence and connected with other diehard Madden fans who shared the same passion for the game that I did. After years of posting on these sites, you begin to build friendships with people that lead to opportunities that you may have never thought would ever be available to you. As a longtime player of Madden, it just blew my mind that I could get on TV, ESPN no less, and be seen by millions playing a game I grew up on. It was because of the love for the game and video games in general that myself and a partner started our own site called Vetzballin.com.
EA SPORTS: You’re an avid online player, but you also do a Madden franchise report each year. Would you say you spend more time working on your franchise or playing online?
DJ Rhude: Lately I’d say I spend more time playing offline in franchise mode. Time restrictions prevent me from playing online as much as I used to in the beginning so I have to choose, but boy, when Madden first went online I spent a chunk of my night hours online playing different people. I can safely say that my first experience online, I quickly found out that I was not the best Madden player on earth (laughs). EA SPORTS: What makes for a good franchise report?
DJ Rhude: You like the reports to be informative, but at the same time not too cluttered. I prefer the quick, clean reports that provide me with enough information about a team I may not have known much about before. The pictures you see in some franchise are a really nice touch as well. But I’ve seen some franchises with just text that were hot as well. The most important thing is to be unique and get your style across.
What’s your most memorable moment from one of your franchises?
DJ Rhude: I’d have to say just about any game I played with my Castoffs franchise. That was a team I put together of low rated, unwanted players and rookies and tried to take to a championship. If I had to pick a moment, I’d have to say the time I finally won the championship after 6 tough years with Jesse “the bachelor” Palmer as my QB. That is the only time you’ll ever see Palmer win anything except for maybe a date.
EA SPORTS: Do you always like to do a report with your favorite team, or do you sometimes switch it up?
DJ Rhude: The only time I ever switch it up was to run with the Castoffs. Other than that, it’s the NY Football Giants all day, every year.
EA SPORTS: There have been some changes to the Giants roster in the off-season, namely the retirement of Tiki Barber. What’s your strategy for addressing those changes in Madden this year?
DJ Rhude: Nothing will change much for me strategy wise on the field. I’m a run first guy to set up the pass, so I will be smashing people in the mouth with the big guy Brandon Jacobs. Don’t get me wrong, a back as versatile as Tiki Barber will be sorely missed as I won’t be able to throw the ball to the halfback as much as I was accustomed to with him, but my philosophy on offense will basically remain unchanged.
EA SPORTS: Music is obviously a big part of your life. If you could only listen to one song while playing Madden, what would it be?
DJ Rhude: M.O.P. “Ante Up” If that song doesn’t get you hyped up to play some football, nothing will.
EA SPORTS: Who is your biggest online rival in the Madden community?
DJ Rhude: That would have to go to my boy Moz. I’ve played a ton of guys, but some of my battles with him have been intense. Him being a Cowboy fan just ratchets up the intensity even more. Man, I hate losing to that guy because I will hear about it for days. The same thing goes for me when I win, I torture him.
EA SPORTS: What are some of the classic battles you’ve had while playing online?
DJ Rhude: Most of my great battles come against guys who are fans of rival teams in the NFC East or guys who use their favorite teams. It always adds something extra when you play a guy who knows his team’s personnel so well.
EA SPORTS: What are you looking forward to most in Madden NFL 08?
DJ Rhude: I’m looking forward to the franchise mode as I am every year. I’m anxious to see what improvements EA has made to the mode. And I’m just looking forward to the game in general, especially since from what I’ve been reading everywhere it seems EA has given us tighter player control back. It’s crazy to see how grown men get excited over this game each and every year.
Come back next Friday to see who is in the Madden Community hot seat for our Thursday Spotlight!
|
-
-
 Los Angeles, Calif., May 22, 2007 – Pop culture icons unite as Ozzy Osbourne’s newly released I Don’t Wanna Stop single today was revealed to be the first song in the EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 08 in-game soundtrack. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) punctuates the pop culture scene every year with the Madden NFL videogame soundtrack and has demonstrated a proven track record in breaking new bands and partnering with music legends innovating with their music. The full Madden NFL 08 soundtrack list will be revealed in the coming weeks.
EA will work with Epic Records on coordinated marketing activities through the release of Ozzy’s new album BLACK RAIN, now available, and the release of Madden NFL 08, available on August 14. BLACK RAIN is the highly-anticipated first album released by Ozzy Osbourne in six years. Last year’s Madden NFL 07 sold over 7 million copies at retail and was the number one selling game in North America in 2006.1
“The anticipation for both Ozzy’s album and this year’s Madden NFL creates a perfect storm of excitement which made I Don’t Want to Stop an ideal lead song for the Madden NFL 08 soundtrack,” said Steve Schnur, EA’s Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing. “Now, The Prince Of Darkness meets The King Of Videogames and we're enormously proud to have a killer new song from a legendary artist as our first announced track. This is going to be the biggest, wildest and best Madden NFL soundtrack yet."
“I Don’t Want to Stop”, along with the rest of Ozzy’s new album BLACK RAIN is available on EA’s music website at www.ea.com/eatrax. Internal EA research has shown that songs featured in past Madden NFL Football iterations have received more than 1 billion ‘spins’ each, through typical gameplay of Madden NFL Football.
"Ozzy Osbourne has continued to draw fans both young and old across five decades with his legendary rock voice, so to be able to include "I Don’t Wanna Stop", the first single off Black Rain which is currently Ozzy’s biggest rock radio single ever, within Madden NFL 08 - the biggest selling sports video game in America - is another fantastic addition to the campaign," said Scott Greer, Vice President Marketing of Epic Records.
Coming into its 18th year and with more than 60 million2 copies sold and having generated over $2 billion in retail sales, Madden NFL Football continues to stand out as one of the most popular videogame franchises of all time. Developed in Orlando, FL by EA Tiburon, Madden NFL 08 will be available in August on the Xbox 360™ and Xbox® videogame and entertainment systems from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, Nintendo GameCube™, Nintendo DS™, Wii™, PC, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system.
|
-
-
One of the greatest things about the Madden playing community is the diversity of its members. People from all walks of life play the game for fun, to relax, and because of their love for the sport of football. Then there are those who play Madden for the competitive nature of the game. Over the course of the year, we’re going to follow the story of one specific Madden competitor who has set his sights on the Madden Challenge championship.
Dan Bertholomey aka Packwolf, has dedicated himself to winning a Madden Challenge event at the age of 42. We’ll follow him each week as he prepares himself for the rigors of competing against some of the best Madden players in the world. This week, we’ll learn a little about Packwolf and why he has set this tremendous goal for himself.
My name is Dan Bertholomey, Gamertag: Packwolf I am in my 40’s and I have been playing sports videogames since the late 70’s, Madden since 1992. I have always loved sports and Madden football brings me as close to the game as possible without being on the field. I love it.
You may have seen me on season one of the hit TV show “Madden Nation” on ESPN. Basically, I was on a tour bus with some of the best Madden players in the world and although I feel I did well by winning some big games and making it to the final 8, I think I could have done better and the experience of competing on the show has lit a fire under me to make one more run at ultimate glory and become the best Madden player in the world. I know it will be extremely tough at my age and with responsibilities of caring for my family, home, and job while getting the practice time in that will be needed to have a chance at history. I will be labbing with some of the best names in the Madden and sports world in the coming weeks to get ready to see if at 42 I have one more run left in me. I know the game has changed a lot since I was in my prime, but I want to prove that if you want to be the best and you have the desire to be the best at Madden as I do, then you can make it happen regardless of your age or circumstances. Sure it will be a monumental challenge, but I have to give it my all. History is at stake. I want to show that us so called old guys can still play and compete with anyone. The road to the Madden Challenge Championship begins..
Packwolf
Please send any feedback or questions for Packwolf to footballcommunity@ea.com .
|
-
-
-
-
Download four new wallpapers of Reggie Bush and Devin Hester from behind the scenes of our pre-Draft Madden NFL 08 commercial shoot.
Click here for a new Vince Young wallpaper.
Click here and here for two new Devin Hester wallpapers.
Click here for a new Reggie Bush wallpaper.
|
-
-
 ESPN's popular hit MADDEN NATION is coming back for Season 3!
Once again, the country's top Madden NFL gamers will compete for
bragging rights and $100 grand as Madden Nation returns to ESPN for a
third season this fall.
In this popular sports reality
television competition, eight players will compete in a traveling
Madden NFL 08 tournament that ends with a final game played in front
of the public for the chance to win $100,000.
Playing in
various locations, and traveling on the Madden Nation bus, they face
elimination at each stop along the way. As they travel the country,
they will practice games, meet up with NFL players, participate in
mini-competitions, and deal with the stress of being cramped together,
far from home, all under the watchful eye of the television cameras.
Each gamer will play as a representative of a top NFL player, with the
chance to meet their designated athletes along the way. It's the chance
of a lifetime for Madden video gamers to play with, and be, the best.
Do you have what it takes to compete with the best? Could you be the next ruler of Madden Nation? If so, download the contestant application today and tell us why you should compete to be the Madden Nation champ. All applications must be sent by May 22, 2007.
|
-
-
 It's been a big year for Vince Young. First the Titans Quarterback was named Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year, then he was selected to be the cover athlete for Madden NFL 08. Now the second year star towers over Times Square in a Madden NFL 08 billboard featuring the cover of the upcoming game.
|
-
-
I recently lived a football fan's dream when I had the opportunity to take a tour of the NFL offices in New York City. As you'd expect, there is a ton of sports memorabilia throughout the facility. Below is a look at some of what I saw. Please excuse my Washington Redskins bias, which is apparent in my selection of pictures.
-Will "raczilla" Kinsler
Naturally, there is a Lombardi trophy encased in the NFL offices. I was told that this was a replica, but the Super Bowl rings are the real deal.
Here are three Super Bowl rings. This picture doesn't do the size of them justice. They are huge!
This was easily the most interesting part of our tour. It's the control room the NFL uses each Sunday to monitor officiating. Each officiating crew is rated weekly on their performance in their most recent games.
The NFL has an impressive collection of Sports Illustrated magazine covers.
This Super Bowl XXVI program brought back some happy memories for me.
Old school pennants lined the wall of one of the NFL's hallways.
Since I flaunted my Redskins bias, it's only fair that I include an image featuring the Dallas Cowboys Check out the Roger Staubach headline. This newspaper also features an article about the "immaculate reception" made by Franco Harris.
Tim Langley from the NFL talks about how the NFL works with EA. This discussion took place in a conference room named after Vince Lombardi. A number of the conference rooms inside the NFL offices are named after legendary coaches.
One more look at the NFL's collection of Sports Illustrated covers.
|
-
-
Share your best Madden comeback story for a chance to win a MiniHelmet autographed by Madden 2003 cover athlete Marshall Faulk. To participate, email us at footballcommunity@ea.com with your story about a Madden game you won after being down by a ton of points. Please title the email "Marshall Faulk Contest." We will choose the best and most well written comeback story and post it on the front page of Madden08.com. The winner will also receive the autographed Marshall Faulk MiniHelment pictured on the left. This contest will run until May 10th, so send your entries in now! Feel free to send as many stories as you like. Good luck!
|
-
-
No longer an Oakland Raider, Randy Moss dons his New England Patriots uniform in Madden NFL 08. Click here to see image 1, and here to see image 2.
|
-
-
For those who watched this past weekend's 2007 NFL Draft, the biggest news of the day was a blockbuster trade which sent wide receiver Randy Moss to the New England Patriots. This will likely have a tremendous impact on the Patriots this year, not only on the real life field of play, but in Madden NFL 08 as well. To celebrate this news we will post two screens of Randy Moss in his new Patriots uniform at 5 p.m. Eastern today (Wed., May 2nd). Check back to see how Randy looks in his new uniform.
|
-
-
 ORLANDO, Fla. – April 30, 2007 –– XOS Technologies (XOS), a leader in sports digital media and technology, today announced it has licensed Electronic Arts’ core technology of its popular EA SPORTS™ football video game franchises to develop a training simulator for collegiate and professional football teams. Terms of the license agreement were not disclosed.
The XOS PlayAction Simulator Powered by EA SPORTS is a series of new products that builds upon EA’s TDT Engine used to drive EA’s top-selling Madden NFL 07 and NCAA® Football 07 video games by adding functionality (including customizable playbooks, diagrams and testing sequences) to better prepare athletes for specific opponents. Additionally, the software includes built-in teaching and reporting tools so coaches can analyze and track the tactical-skill development of their athletes. Instead of simply playing a video game for enjoyment, an athlete can play a game to test and train for upcoming on-field action. For example, a quarterback using the new tool can practice reading a defense, picking up blitzes and making quick decisions on where to throw the ball; all based on the tendencies of the team he is going to play the upcoming weekend. “The simulator is built on our TDT Engine, which utilizes the same technologies and game play found in our popular Madden NFL game franchise,” said Steven Chiang, General Manager, EA Tiburon. “Today’s athletes will be able to sit down and start benefiting immediately, by learning interactively in a familiar interactive environment. At EA, we’re excited to work with coaches and athletes to find new ways to leverage our technology while incorporating even more realism into our titles.” The new XOS series of products, all powered by EA SPORTS TDT Engine includes:
The most advanced product of the series, The XOS PlayAction Simulator VR Powered by EA SPORTS, uses motion tracking capabilities and the latest head-mounted display (HMD) technology to empower athletes to literally look around, run and throw in a virtual environment. More specifically, athletes can now practice using their teams’ customized plays against realistic scout defenses in a three-dimensional, video-game-simulated environment.
“The PlayAction family of products addresses team demands to uniquely and effectively teach new plays and game plans,” said Bob Simmons, XOS Coaching Solutions President. “As the current provider of coaching-analysis and game-planning solutions to more than 200 NFL and NCAA football teams, XOS thoroughly understands how teams prepare weekly for an upcoming opponent.” Simmons also said that XOS teamed up with EA because of EA’s position as the global leader in sports video games animation technology.
|
-
More Posts
|
|
|