I just found this on the IGN blogs:
- Improved Visuals
The screenshots featured in the article were looking pretty good. Slightly above last year’s quality, and there are still improvements to be made. Not to mention there are many more months left for development. The team said they are working to improve the graphics from last year, and it looks like they’re telling the truth.
- -Refined Control
EA has realized that some motion controls worked last year, while some were more complicated and harder to do in the heat of a game (specifically the two-handed ones), so they’ve tightened the controls all around.
- -New Help System
There is a more in-depth on-screen help system this year, in order to attract the casual gamer and make it a “less intimidating experience”. It will now let you know when to snap the ball, throw the ball, intercept the ball, etc. There will be a picture of the gesture to let you know what to do, but it won’t be “totally intrusive and in your face.”
- -New Audible System
Flick the nunchuck up, down, left, or right depending on which play you want to switch to.
- -Telestrator Mode
When you make a good play, there will be an option to launch telestrator mode. You can then fast-foward, rewind, and change the camera angle while watching yourself annihilate your friend. Then, while pressing the A button, you can literally write on the screen. Write out how badly your buddy sucks, or just show him what your players are going to do to make his players look like rented athletes. Personally, I can’t wait for this feature.
- -Party Mode
Featuring 22(!) mini-games, including the three from last year, is Madden 08’s Party Mode. Your performance in this mode affects your overall player rating. 2-D versions of your Mii and the Miis of the other players accompany individual player ratings, so you can tell which person has which rating easily. Also included are nine brand-new minicamp drills, with each being designed around motion control. Finally, Party Mode also has a football-trivia game in which up to four players can battle it out.
And finally, TEH MEGATON!1!!…
- -Online Play
Yes, Madden 08 will be one of the first to include online play for Wii. Not only that, but it also has leaderboards, an always-online function to get streaming ticker updates from ESPN, standard exhibition match-ups, downloadable rosters, and an instant messaging system. Perhaps the most exciting news in the whole article, though, is this:
NP: “We don’t yet know how the friend-code system will be implemented, if at all, since EA plans on re-creating the online experience featured in other online versions of the game.” And then EA said this:
“One of the things Nintendo does really well, from a philosophical standpoint, is to establish friends and link people up for quick matches. We’re looking for ways to push that and Madden Wii will be the first to experience it. It’s in new territory for a lot of developers, so we’re keeping Nintendo in the loop as far as what we’re doing. I think that Madden will be one of those games that helps Nintendo and us at the same time.”
Hopefully this means no friend codes for Madden. If EA can do it, that will give other developers the balls to stand up to Nintendo with their own online titles.
Thank you hidingintheshadows