Certainly, more patches are forthcoming, but online issues and AI quirks still frustrate many Madden gamers. Based on my time with the game, there are a few reasonable changes that I believe could be made that would make the game better and fit within the current development cycle - which is always the real catch.

Madden is still the 800-pound gorilla of gaming, and as such, Electronic Arts isn’t going to fix what isn’t broken, so a complete revamp of the game won’t be happening any time soon. Thankfully, based on what’s been seen in Madden 09, it’s no longer necessary, either. But a tweak here and there would work wonders. Here are some of mine:

• The AI needs to be better aware of down and distance. On third-and-eight, AI-controlled teams shouldn’t be calling five-yard out routes, despite what Broncos coach Mike Shanahan does. Moreover, players need to fight for that first down, taking big hits instead of veering out of bounds. As it stands, AI-controlled players don’t seem to recognize when a failure to reach that yard marker ends their possession - and they should.

• Offensive linemen who let their man blow right by them quickly end up looking for a new team in the real NFL. More than any other part of the game, offensive line play needs the most TLC. Counter plays are almost never effective, and in the running game, you can all but expect one or two of your linemen to completely botch their assignments on every play. Blitzes are a different animal, to be sure, but line play’s still not working the way it should. On the flip side, while it’s been improved, the linemen are far too good at holding blocks for a scrambling quarterback. This means that the best play in Madden is still to scramble outside the pocket and play backyard toss-and-catch. Colts QB Peyton Manning, in the real NFL, might do that only a handful of plays during the entire season - and his coach would probably prefer that it never happened. If EA were to improve the offensive line play, they’d be improving the whole game in equal measure.

• Online, online, online. Disconnects and lag are far too frequent, and Madden’s online leagues are still embarrassingly far behind what 2K Sports put up an entire console generation ago. With the man who launched the Xbox at the helm of EA Sports, Peter Moore, there’s leadership that knows the value of online play. That leadership needs to translate into action.

• It’s a nitpick, but uniforms shouldn’t ever be inaccurate in the only licensed NFL game available. If the NFL isn’t being forthcoming, then EA needs to push for updated data. The NFL makes millions from apparel sales, including licensed jerseys, and it behooves them to help EA get the teams in the game looking like the teams do in stadiums across America. As comedian Jerry Seinfeld once noted, being a pro sports fan essentially means you’re cheering for laundry; so make sure you’ve got the right stuff in your wardrobe.

• While we’re on the subject, the NFL has hard-and-fast rules regarding jersey numbers, and it shouldn’t be hard at all to make sure they’re implemented in Madden. Watching rookies in Franchise Mode mill around the field with illegal jersey numbers gets annoying after one season; after multiples, half the league is wrong. It should relatively easy to assign a jersey number to an NCAA Football player imported into the game that complies with the NFL rules based on position instead of leaving them wearing their old college number. Upon being assigned to a team, the player gets assigned a number that complies with the rules that isn’t taken by an existing player. It’s a simple data check. Since gamers can edit those jerseys if they like, it hampers no one, and to those who just wish to play, it’s easier to suspend their disbelief and immerse themselves in a fictional football world when the players appear to be following the rules.

I’m sure you, the reader, have many of your own suggestions, so please feel free to discuss mine - or add your own - in the Comments section below. I’ll take the best of the bunch and forward them to the Madden team.

• Madden NFL 09 has been out for four days and it has its first patch. The patch is said to fix online and stability issues, but it’s also supposed to improve coverage of kicks and improve defensive backfield play. It’s good that the Madden team is trying to keep abreast of the game’s issues, but it’s a certainty - given the timing of the patch - that the team knew about these issues before shipping the game, which is somewhat unsettling. Nevertheless, I suppose progress is progress, and the fact is that Madden 09 is by far the best version of the next-gen console era. Now, if the team can keep providing timely roster updates, and take care of the bizarre and annoying issue of AI-controlled players inexplicably running out of bounds, we’ll really have something special.

• NBA 09: The Inside doesn’t have the mindshare of NBA 2K9 or NBA Live 09, and in all honesty, it probably shouldn’t. But SCEA San Diego, who makes the single best sports game on the market in MLB 08: The Show, should be ignored at your own risk. The team is making strides, and while they probably won’t match the two bigger titles this year, they’re intent of making a realistic NBA product with an interesting career-based angle. To that end, their recently-unveiled cover focuses on six athletes (Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer, LeBron James, Paul Pierce and Dwyane Wade) instead of one, conveying an overarching sense of a “league” experience. Obviously, very little should be read into cover art, but it this case, the fact that Sony’s gone away from what everyone else is doing may be a sign that their differences might be more than skin deep.

• The Godfather 2 will be released by EA next February, and they’ve released a preview site for the game that looks promising. The game, which seems to be offering the play of the original game coupled with a new overarching strategy mechanic, looks intriguing. The first Godfather, which was fairly maligned for its nickel-and-dime approach to downloadable content, was in actuality a better game than most people gave it credit for. Visitors to the site can sign up for “The Inner Circle”, which will keep you updated on the game and make you eligible for contests - the first of which will involve having an in-game character named after the winner. Whether that character will be sleeping with the fishes is still up in the air.

• I’m trying to figure out exactly who EA’s Celebrity Sports Showdown is created for. The forthcoming mini-game fiesta for the Wii’s main feature is that you can play as one of an extraordinarily odd mix of celebrities. How odd? How about NFL player Reggie Bush, NBA player Paul Pierce, boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, soccer great Mia Hamm, pop singers Avril Lavigne, Nelly Furtado and Fergie, and country crooners Keith Urban and LeAnn Rimes. Yes, I’m serious. Expect the wackiness of playing as Canadian punk princess Lavigne against Keith “Mr. Nicole Kidman” Urban in a game of “Smash Badminton” to ensue. I guess. We’re through the looking glass here, people.

• Idiocracy reigns supreme in America, where a survey from parental gaming website What They Play revealed that parents are more afraid of video games than… anything, it seems. Thank you, Fox News. According to the survey, parents said that a man and a woman having sex in video game was the most offensive thing (37% of respondents), two men kissing was second (27%), followed by a severed head (25%), and multiple uses of the “F-word” (9%). So, let me get this straight: kissing and sex are worse than severed heads? But it gets worse: when children are at friends’ houses, parents are more worried about them playing Grand Theft Auto (19%) than watching pornography (16%) and drinking beer (14%). Fearmongering works wonders, doesn’t it? Video games and the Iraq-Pakistan border, that’s what we should be worried about in America. Sigh.

Subtlety isn’t EA Sports’ style, so when they launch their most important title of the year, they make sure it gets noticed. Taking over the site of five Super Bowls, two Olympics and a World Cup ought to do it…

Monday, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Electronic Arts (with an assist from some other corporate sponsors) took over the historic 92,542-seat venue, complete with a painted logo at the 50-yard line, carnival-styled football tosses, a mini-Wal-Mart for game sales, a main stage for musical performers and a grand tent filled with over 300 large high-definition televisions, all inviting attendees to come out play EA’s latest football opus.

EA Sports President Peter Moore (pictured at right, with author at left) beamed after entering the redressed Rose Bowl, grinning at the 400,000-square foot (and 100 percent recyclable) tarp that encircled the historic stadium and covered nearly every seat in the house. In scope, the event was startlingly impressive, but due to the (relatively) low number of attendees, “Maddenpalooza” felt uncrowded, subdued and surprisingly intimate despite the grandiose setting.

Over 6,000 tickets were distributed for the event, and football fans and gamers seemed to be matched in proportion by the media attendees from the NFL Network, ESPN, Spike TV and many others. Many of the NFL’s greats appeared at the events as well and mingled with the gathered crowd, including luminaries such as Ronnie Lott, Eric Dickerson, Rod Woodson and so many others, including 49ers great Roger Craig, one of the most personable athletes I’ve ever met. While a few of the footballers didn’t seem terribly excited to be there, the four I’ve mentioned were affable and went out of their way to meet and greet smiling fans.

Of course, the Madden development team was in full force, and many of the game’s designers seemed at ease after watching fans sprint across the Rose Bowl’s field to the gaming tent and listening to the hooting and hollering that came out of it.

Within the gaming tent, the diverse array of people was impressive. From young children to adults, from the good sports to the chest-thumping loons, men and women, boys and girls alike seemed to have a grand time taking a sneak peek at this year’s Madden, and many left the gaming tent and strode across the field to the Wal-Mart tent to pick up their own copies before departing.

Sure, the TV cameras loved to focus on the loudest and most boorish among the crowd; the types that seem to think that they somehow made a game-saving tackle instead of what they actually did - pushed a button - and insist on barking in others’ faces about it, but it was refreshing to hear so many gamers laughing and having fun with friends and even strangers instead of acting like their faux-jock fantasies had somehow come to life. There was a real heart to “Maddenpalooza”, a spirit of fun and camaraderie that permeated the event, as refreshingly sweet as the frozen Slurpees that flowed from the 7-Eleven tent on the scorching day.

A wide array of live bands played on the main stage during the event; a blend of rock, punk, hip-hop and rap that provided a thumping soundtrack during the event. As the sun went down, Busta Rhymes and Good Charlotte took to the stage to finish off the evening before sending tired-but-excited fans home into the pleasant, breezy California evening.

Of course, most of those fans were likely headed home to plant themselves on the couch for another game of Madden - or three - and on this night, EA wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

***

UPDATE (8/14/08):  Microsoft’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb has uploaded a Flickr gallery of photos from the “Maddenpalooza” event. He was able to go places that most were not, and as a result, he has some great pictures that better convey the impressive scope of the event. Check them out here.

***

Some of the above photos were taken by and courtesy of Rod Lane of NJMaddenBallers.com.

Anyway, Madden NFL 09 arrived this week, and I’ve been trying to get in as much time with it as possible. The game’s far more refined and playable than NCAA Football 09, and the game looks terrific to boot. There are a few annoying details, like the highly repetitive announcing (though, by default, it’s much improved over the horrible AM radio guy from the last two years), wacky and inaccurate player jersey numbers and some odd uniform issues (The Broncos’ home uniform isn’t in the game and has been replaced by one of the team’s alternate duds, for example), but these can be forgiven if the game plays well.

Fortunately, it does - and what’s more remarkable is that the game’s “Madden IQ” difficulty system actually works very well. Now, the opening tests in the “Tron” arena really don’t, but the adjustments that the “IQ” makes after each game are sensible and akin to methodical manual slider tweaking. I’ve found - to my surprise and delight - that the more I play the game, the more like real-life football the game feels. Certainly, that won’t be enough for the hardcore slider tweakers, but as a recovering tweakaholic myself, the “Madden IQ” system has been a revelation thus far.

Unfortunately, it appears as if the game’s online leagues will be vastly disappointing - again - and if you want a realistic number of NFL plays (roughly 110 a game), you’ll need to play with at least 10-minute quarters, but the game finally gives off a much-needed big-game vibe that’s recognizable as NFL football, with shutterbug fans, an all-new and informative broadcast-like presentation and a vastly improved in-game camera that finally keeps all the receivers in view when passing.

It’s immediately obvious that this is the best Madden in years, and the game might have finally caught up in quality to their greatest competitor; the now four-year old NFL 2K5.

Better late than never.

***

I’ll be traveling this weekend to Pasadena, California to take part in the “Maddenpalooza” (man, that needed a better name) event at the Rose Bowl. I’ll be back on Tuesday, but I don’t expect to be able to post any coverage of the event until Wednesday.

• Madden NFL 09 hasn’t even been released yet, but the EA Sports design team is talking about at least two patches already. Sigh. The first patch, which is due around the time of the game’s release next week, is purported to fix issues with kick returns being too easy (a major problem in EA’s other football title, NCAA Football 09) and safeties reacting to run plays (which is a pretty important part of defense). Possibilities for a second patch include stopping CPU players from juking out of bounds and fixing quarterback accuracy (which is another big-time problem in NCAA 09). Future free downloadable updates may include an accelerated clock option to give games a more realistic flow and adding AI sliders into the game (something that the game’s new “Madden IQ” is supposed to render unnecessary). The “release, then patch” mentality is in full swing here, and EA’s been releasing their patch information very carefully and in an under-the-radar fashion for most gamers. Some of the things in these patches should clearly have been working prior to release, and the fact that they apparently won’t be is disheartening. Obviously, Madden is going to sell tons of copies no matter what, so perhaps they don’t mind making gamers wait for the “completed” product after purchasing it, but it’s poor strategy and whether intentional or not, it gives of an air of disdain regarding their customers. I’m certain this is not EA’s intent, but they’ve been taking a number of missteps regarding their football products of late, and it makes one wonder where EA’s products (and their promotion of them) will be headed in the future.

• As the EA world turns, MTV’s Stephen Totilo has a brief discussion with John Ricitiello, EA’s CEO, about the company’s on-the-fly re-invention; predicated on less licenses (minus the sports division, of course) and more original games. It’s not the most revelaing article, but it’s worth it just to get a hit of Totilo’s snark, including what might be the best video-game quote of the year: “The EA that brought you Catwoman and other unsavory licensed games is no more, the head of EA told me. Original content is king. Goodbye, licensed games about women running across rooftops stealing stuff. Hello, original games about women running across rooftops stealing stuff.”

• Gears of War 2 will have an optional filter that changes profane in-game dialogue into something less offensive, and a violence filter that turns blood into sparks. Of course, the game’s assuredly going to be a hard “M for mature” when its rating comes out. It’s a fine idea, I suppose, but we’ll have to wait an see how it all works… seeing as part of the game’s new feature set includes being able to chainsaw aliens in half.

1. How the game looks and sounds
2. The main features of the game
3. How the game plays

Oddly, the Madden NFL 09 demo barely shows any of these things, instead focusing almost all of its attention on its new “Madden IQ” feature, which is supposed to allow the game’s difficulty to actively adapt to your skill level. However. the arena in which you take your “IQ” tests look like something out of the old Disney movie, “Tron”,  and in certain cases, the lack of depth it provides when looking at it (especially in pass coverage) can make mistakes more likely as a player, skewing the results of the “tests”.

Moreover, “Madden IQ” - at least here - doesn’t really test your skill so much as it does your reflexes. As a runner, you’ll simply break for the sidelines and tap a button at the appropriate moment to evade your pursuer. It’s designed to simulate timing using the game’s special moves, I suppose, but it’s contextually removed from the game-playing experience itself.  In the end, you’ll just see the tests ramp up in difficulty (and in the number of defenders) until you can’t waggle you controller stick fast enough to beat the test. When testing for pass coverage, you’ll see the route the receiver in running; your only challenge is follow along a line and tap a button at the appropriate time.

In short, while the “Madden IQ” concept is a worthwhile one, this “training center” doesn’t really represent the game itself in a direct fashion… and frankly, it’s more than a bit tedious.

Unfortunately, that’s essentially the meat of the demo, because after you’ve completed the battery of tests, you’ll be whisked into one of the game’s “Madden Moments”, a bite-sized chunk of a game situation from last season - in this case, the last drive by the New York Giants in last year’s Super Bowl. Finally, you can play the game itself, but you’ll have only about 90 in-game seconds to try it, and you’ll play only on offense, cutting off at least half of the game’s core experience.

Odder still is the fact that there’s no menu that will show you the game’s controls, which are complex. After playing EA’s other football title for this season, NCAA Football 09, I’m used to throwing away a pass with the right bumper. In Madden NFL 09, that button doesn’t do the same thing - and there’s no place for me to look and see which button would. Seeing as a mistake on the first play of the demo would require a restart of the “Madden Moment”, I wasn’t inclined to experiment, either, and I’ve played every year’s Madden since the series debuted.

In other words, what this demo says is that the casual gamer need not apply - Madden NFL 09 is a game for the Madden veteran only, which seems ill-advised at best.

In the end, perhaps it won’t matter; EA will sell copies like hotcakes, and that fact will give everyone at the studio and warm and fuzzy feeling. But to many other new gamers and football fans, the oddly distant demo is little more than a bouncer at a fancy nightclub - and they just found out that they’re not on the guest list.

• Noted radio talk show host Michael Medved brings the crazy with his screed against Grand Theft Auto IV, clumsily entitled, “War on Middle Class Values, Not on Middle Class”. I have concerns about GTA IV and it’s content at times, too… but then again, I think that Al Pacino’s wildly overrated “Scarface” has probably done more societal damage, and I saw a framed poster for the 25-year old movie on sale at Target, of all places, this very week - it’s not like America just now decided to embrace violent entertainment. Medved attempts - I think; it’s hard to tell - to use the fact that people are purchasing GTA IV and game consoles to prove that they’re either stupid, amoral or perhaps our economy’s recession isn’t as bad as it seems. But since the article also points out how divorces are costing the nation billions of dollars… yeah, I don’t know how that connects to GTA IV either. Like many radio talk show hosts, especially ones with a political bent, you usually just pull the string on their back and see what catchphrase spews out this time. In this case, Medved just threw together a stew of them and plopped a ladleful online.

• I love this article. Love it. I’ve been skipping scores in reviews since 5WG began - in fact, doing so was a large reason why I wanted to create it - and I tried (and failed) on numerous occasions to get my old site, OperationSports.com (where I served for almost six years as Managing Editor) to do the same. Why? For the exact same reasons that Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences president Joseph Olin explains - it’s lazy, and plays into our instant-gratification obsession with gaming. “When I just see a score, whether it’s a Metacritic score or 5 stars or 4 thumbs, that doesn’t tell me anything,” Olin told website Shacknews. “…My pet peeve is that game reviewers are lazy. Not all, but in terms of the reviews, (something like) ‘This game isn’t as good because let’s compare it to that game over there and that game was great.’ Who gives a, you know, bleep?” Olin pointed out that there are “a lot of game critics, but very little critical analysis… a point of view…good coverage as to what the game maker was trying to do, how they were trying to involve you.” He’s absolutely, unquestionably right. A brief respite from the gusts while I’m tacking against the wind here at 5WG.

• The latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine discusses the signing of rock music acts, past and present, to exclusive contracts. It’s indicative of the ever-rising profile of games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and the practice is part of the normal growth of this exploding genre, but exclusives generally end up bad for consumers. Nevertheless, they’re on their way - so the key for gamers is to stress the need for a universal control scheme. Before our basements end up packed with fake guitars and drum kits, consumers would be better served by a choice of controllers for their favorite music games - in which case, they would likely try more competing titles (which means more sales for everybody) since the upfront cost would be noticeably lower. Everyone knows the money’s in software, not hardware, so the developers behind these games, like it or not, will eventually have to decide whether or not they want to support each other’s hardware - and if not, risk missing out on sales. This will be the last barrier to break down before the music-game genre reaches its full potential.

• EA’s CEO, John Riccitiello, recently pointed out to the San Jose Mercury News that his company was wrong to focus their development on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, noting, “…we typically figured out who the market leader was going to be before the start of the cycle and bet with our development resources on that platform. We made the wrong call there (by betting on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360), which made this transition harder than it would otherwise be.” Except he may be wrong again (or right the first time) in light of the staggering 969 percent (year-over-year) increase in PS3 sales, making Sony’s platform EA’s most profitable by far, according to Kotaku. In Q1 of fiscal year 2009, the PS3 was responsible for a whopping $139 million in sales, far eclipsing the PC ($86 million) Xbox 360 ($81 million) and the PS2 ($79 million). The famously popular Wii? In last place among consoles and tied for fifth place overall with the PSP at $57 million.

Sure, there was an enticing soccer pitch right outside our window, but on this day, the producers of the PC and next-gen (Xbox 360/PlayStation 3) versions were holding court, and through their cornucopia of accents, the group had a fascinating back and forth about the FIFA of this fall, the FIFA of the last few years and the FIFAs to come.

Versions of FIFA 09 for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were all available for play, though the next-gen build was over six weeks old; something that the team tried to correct before the event but couldn’t finish in time.

While there were no new announcements to be made - those would be saved for times when the media was present, of course - there was the game to play and the producers’ brains to pick.

Paul Hossack, the PC version’s producer, took the floor first to show off what appeared to be a significantly improved version of FIFA 09 for that platform. Hossack noted that the team’s primary intent was to make a game that took advantage of its own platform as opposed to simply rehashing a console version. To that end, the game uses the Internet in a more robust fashion, adding “widgets” to the game’s menu that keep gamers up-to-date with both the in-game and real soccer worlds at a glance.

In a more creative development, the team decided to use the “WASD+mouse” command structure used in most first-person shooters as a new control option in FIFA 09 for the PC. When used, there is a crosshair on the screen that’s utilized for passing, shooting and telling players to make a run. One click (the controls are fully customizable) sends a pass; either to a player directly or to an area of the field, and the other click shoots, using the crosshair as the target. Hovering the crosshair over a player and using the scroll wheel commands the player to break down the field. The game’s commands in this fashion are contextual; more of an “intention”, and the players’ attributes, body position and other factors will determine how successful the actions will be. Initially, I assumed that it would serve as an easier way for new players to play, but in practice, it’s more of a new way to play that has its own challenges and rewards - and it’s a command scheme that could only exist on the PC.

In Europe, the PC is still the platform of choice for most FIFA gamers, so it was fascinating to sit back and watch our counterparts from across the pond sit down at the monitor and try out the new features. The game looks quite good on the PC, and Hossack pointed out that many of the same player assets used in the next-gen versions are shared in the PC version. On a higher-end gaming rig, like the ones at the studio, the graphics were close to being on par with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions.

In a one-on-one discussion with Hossack, he told me that their machines were running the game at its maximum settings and were using single Nvidia 8800 video cards. Even though those aren’t necessarily cheapies, you apparently won’t need a quad-core SLI-based rig to enjoy FIFA at its best on your PC.

Later that afternoon, next-gen producer Dave Rutter joined the group, kicking off his presentation with a delicious bit of esprit de corps; delighting in needling the PC team regarding his version’s “superiority,” as he put it, over the PC build. The dry-witted Rutter then offered up a list of the game’s major alterations, including a list of “250 key improvements,” many of which where the result of feedback from the gaming community.

But the most obvious change in the game is its newfound focus on physicality; the difference between bigger and smaller, faster and slower players is immediately noticeable, which makes the game feel more organic and unpredictable.

The game’s play was also much more responsive to input from the controller, something that Rutter said was a focus during the game’s development. Using a series of direct comparison videos between FIFA 08 and FIFA 09, many subtle changes in the way the game plays became apparent, and indeed, many of the assembled gamers commented on how much better the game “felt”.

While there were a few notable issues - namely with defensive “pathing” and recognition, as well as overly-accurate long shots on goal - the game played very well, as well as can be expected for a June build of a game that won’t release until late September or early October. Quite frankly, the game was quite fun to play, if a bit too wide open at times. Rutter, for his part, often scoffed at the build, repeatedly pointing out that the one available for play was far inferior to their more current one.

For the serious FIFA player, FIFA 09 introduces the notion of “Custom Team Tactics”, 11 different parameters that can be tweaked to change the way a team will approach in-game situations. They’re simple and understandable, and they clearly work - the same aggressive, attacking team you played can became a tightly-packed defensive squad with just a few minutes in the Tactics menu. It’s the team’s hope that gamers not only change the way their teams play to their liking, but that fans will tweak their favorite squad’s tactics when new players arrive on a team or a coaching change is made in an effort to make the game more reflective of any real-life situation. To that end, the tactics files can be saved to an EA Locker and shared with the FIFA community. It’s a feature for the serious soccer fan, but it has the potential to become much more that, especially in online games.

In feedback from last year’s title, the FIFA next-gen team learned that the “Be A Pro” online mode was often being used as a way to learn more about the rules and tactics of the sport as well as a new way to experience the game. Seeing an avenue for growth, they’ve expanded the former one-off game mode into “Be A Pro Seasons”, a four-year career mode that allows you to either step into a real player’s boots or create your own.

Even more shocking to the team was the fact that a whopping 40 percent of online gamers used the game’s Online Team Play mode. I’ve always felt that this kind of gaming was the inevitable (and much-anticipated) future of sports gaming, but the 40 percent number exceeds all expectations. Clearly, the FIFA team had to do more to satisfy the clamor for Online Team Play and for this iteration, they’re expanded the mode to a full 10-versus-10 (though it can be less as well) with no goalkeepers.

Adding to the online thrust of the game is a new matchmaking system that allows players who play without any in-game assists to find one another and a new system for disconnects that - hopefully - discourages plug-pullers, as well. The EA Player Hub will serve as a lobby and a way to view other players, including identifying local players, players that use full manual controls, their “player type”, and of course, their reputation.

In a one-on-one chat with Rutter, I asked him where the “back of the box” feature was; the one catchphrase-type feature that always gets used as a marketing tool in advertisements. Rutter responded that he thought they already had a good game with FIFA 08 and that the focus on FIFA 09 need not be on a new feature; the team should focus all its time and energy on making the game look and play even better than before instead. As it turns out, the “250 key improvements” will have to suffice for the marketing team.

“I fought for that. I had to fight for that,” Rutter said with a laugh. “It wasn’t easy, I promise you.”

***

While I was not able to attend the presentation for the Wii version of the game, I’d be happy to discuss the PC version (which I played a little) and the next-gen versions (which I played a lot) and try to answer any questions you might have. Please feel free to leave any comments or questions in the thread below, and from now through Friday, I’ll be happy to answer as many of your questions as I can.

The soccer pitch shown in this picture sits atop part of the EA Canada studio’s parking garage, and though I’m certain that the roughly 20 attendees representing seven different countries (USA, UK, France, Germany, Poland, the Nederlands and the Czech Republic) will be spending almost all of our time in conference rooms with the game and it’s developers, I can’t help but imagine how much fun it might be to grab some of the game’s Canadian designers and take a run at our own “Eight Nations” game.

Instead of skilled soccer players, you’d have a bunch of flat-footed gamers risking hyperventilation - but it’s all for love of the game, right?

I’ll be traveling back to Colorado on Tuesday and expect to have (barring any pending non-disclosure agreements) much to discuss regarding the upcoming FIFA Soccer 09 on Wednesday. See you then.

The quirky-looking game has an oddly endearing and inviting nature, which makes it more approachable to novice gamers without stripping the title of the all-important baseball part of the equation. While Power Pros will also release for the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo DS, the added immersion factor of the Nintendo Wii’s motion controls make that version of the title the one to watch.

Yesterday, I participated in a conference call with the game’s producer, Rob Nelson, to discuss what went into making MLB Power Pros 2008, and what gamers should expect from it when it arrives on store shelves.

***

“Really, the game is a blend of a nice, deep sim-baseball game that any hardcore baseball fan will appreciate, but it also has a look and a design to it that’s very accessible to new players; that’s easy for new users to pick up and play - and really, what we want to do is hit both spectrums and want everybody who plays the game to come away feeling that they had a good experience,” Nelson said. “We don’t want (new) players to feel like they couldn’t figure out how to play the game, and we don’t want the hardcore players to feel like they’ve been shorted on modes or features because the game is accessible. I think we’ve done a good job of doing that this year.”

For those familiar with the Power Pros series, Nelson highlighted two new modes. “There are two RPG-styled modes, where you create your character and you bring your character through a story.”

“The first one is Success Mode, which was in the game last year but has been completely redone with (an) all-new story and all-new characters. The idea is that you create your character and you can make him a pitcher or hitter… you’re taking your character from Double-A (minor league) baseball and trying to get him to the Major Leagues.”

Nelson goes on to explain what changed between last year and this year’s version of Success Mode. “Last year, you had a character that you were trying to get from high school into the minor leagues. Now, this is a continuation of that story… You need to impress the coaches, you need to impress the scouts, you need to improve your character in a way that will make him successful so he gets more playing time. Eventually - hopefully - you’ll get him into the Major Leagues.”

The game’s completely new mode is entitled MLB Life, which has a Japanese RPG bent that’s not often seen in American sports titles. After either creating a new character, importing one from Success Mode or using an existing MLB player, you’ll experience “the life of an real player”, according to Nelson. After reading about the mode below, whether you choose to select Yankees third-sacker Alex Rodriguez or not will be based largely on your ability to process irony.

“You also have money and can buy houses and can buy cars and can develop hobbies… Everything in your player’s life, you will control over (20) years,” said Nelson. Including, curiously, dating and marriage. “You can make friends and build relationships how you want. You can meet girls - as long as your character isn’t already married - hang out with these girls and develop a relationship; however you want that relationship to go… it’s relatively light. We’re not getting into the, um, complex nature of relationships,” Nelson says, with a nervous laugh.

“It’s a fun experience… you can end up buying an engagement ring and proposing,” Nelson pointed out. “That’s absolutely your call. I think gamers that are into the story mode and that character interaction will love it. If you’re not into that; if you just want to play baseball and make your character as successful as possible, you don’t have to dive into that realm.” But wouldn’t it be a shame to miss out on the “MLB Life” of the nutty-but-gifted Manny “Being Manny” Ramirez?

While your player isn’t out carousing like Derek Jeter (in an E-rated fashion, of course), there are other things that must be considered as well; things like road trips. “When you’re packing your bags for a road trip, you’re going to be gone for three or four days. You’re going to have to bring the items that you’ll want on that road trip. If, in between games, you want to work out or play chess or do one of your hobbies, you have to have thought to bring those items with you, and you only have a limited (amount) of space,” says Nelson.

Unlockable content keeps the game fresh, including stadiums, new gear and stances for created players as well as a set of baseball “cards” for the collector. While there’s no online functionality in the game, the Wii version allows players to load their created characters on the Wii Remote and play with that character on a friend’s system, and rosters (and even entire teams) can be edited, re-ordered and shuffled about to your heart’s delight.

There’s an inherent silliness to the MLB Power Pros series, but the series completely embraces it in a bear hug - and therefore it works. Players spin around like tops before falling on the ground after swinging at a third strike, and despite lacking most facial features (and legs!), the characters are quite expressive nevertheless. There’s no question that Power Pros is designed to be fun and accessible as opposed to an in-depth chess match, but it’s still centered around a solid game of baseball, making it an excellent entry point for young gamers… and gamers that are young at heart.

***

MLB Power Pros 2008 will be available in stores on July 29 for the Nintendo Wii, the Nintendo DS handheld and the PlayStation 2.