Madden NFL 11 is set to release in just a few weeks and EA Sports wants to give their loyal Madden fans a demo that is fitting for one of EA’s biggest franchises. Releasing today on Xbox Live and PSN, the Madden NFL 11 demo is the most “robust” demo to ever be released for the franchise. The demo features full 5 minute quarters, full GameFlow integration, the ability to create offensive and defensive game plans and much more. Voted by the fans, this feature rich demo will have the Indianapolis Colts vs the New York Jets. Check out the full details of what is included in the demo and the new screenshots released today.

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Last year the Madden NFL franchise finally came into its own. Expectations will always be high for the only football game on consoles but expectations will be even higher for the upcoming Madden NFL 11. The big features that will be appearing in Madden NFL 11 include GameFlow, new running controls, and more online modes including a 6 player co-op. Last week I was able to get my hands on Madden NFL 11 and was able to play an entire game using GameFlow. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to play online co-op but what I saw from playing against another player and CPU has me optimistic for the new Madden but also a little bit worried.

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Last week I got a chance to go to the EA Season Opener event held in San Francisco during GDC. Several upcoming sports titles were there including FIFA World Cup, EA Sports MMA and Tiger Woods 11. While those were the only games that were hands-on, EA did talk about other titles that weren’t available to play, which included Madden NFL 11 and NCAA Football 11. During the presentation it was very clear that the team behind each title is actively listening to fans of the franchises on forums, blogs and even from reviews. They also gave us some insight on how important online games are in helping the team develop future titles. EA even went to the extent of researching the different audiences for both titles and what they like to watch on TV. What they found was fans of college football live and breathe sports while fans of the Madden franchise tend to be a more diverse crowd. Here are some of the things they are looking to bring to the upcoming football games.

NCAA 11

Last year’s NCAA Football title was a big hit; in fact one of the most popular aspects of the title was being able to create your own team. Players were able to do this online and then import it into the game. Before launch they had 100,000 teams created and to this point that number has grown to 500,000. It is obvious to them that for NCAA 11 they want to add more interaction between the computer and the game. Ron Harvey, executive producer on the title did spend some time talking about social media so maybe we will be seeing that in the upcoming title. Online play is a huge aspect of NCAA with more people playing online in the college football game than in the Madden title. But that doesn’t mean offline is going to take a hit. With 80% of the people playing the Dynasty Mode EA is going to do everything they can to continue to improve and build on its success.

So after talking to gamers, looking at forums and speaking to critics, what kind of improvements are we going to be seeing in NCAA Football 11? More authenticity, refs, auto-save, dynamic logos, the gang tackling system, formation substitutions, more accurate playbooks, and much more. Although these are the things they are working on, Ron explains that not everything they want to add will work as planned so some features won’t make it this year but he is very confident that fans of last year’s game will enjoy the changes to the upcoming title saying “There’s some really big stuff coming”.

Madden NFL 11

There is no doubt that Madden NFL 10 was the best Madden title in this current generation of consoles. It took them a couple of years but EA Tiburon finally got it right. Much like NCAA online gaming plays a big role in determining what we are going to see in next year’s title. They are able to track things like the success rate of the Hit Stick, success rate of certain plays, which team is being used more often (this year it was the Steelers, go figure), and the success rate of stiff arms. Most of these stats bring up interesting aspects of the game that even fans of the series might not know about the game. The one part of this that I don’t agree with is the stiff arm mechanic which they said had a success rate of 23% and if anyone plays the game they know it works way more often than that. Other stats they pulled up made them realize that a single game took too long to complete, which came to an average of 63 minutes and during that time only 17 minutes was spent actually playing football. Though it’s true that in real life only a fraction of the time is spent playing the game, EA wants to create a “simpler, quicker, and deeper experience.” How they will do that wasn’t discussed but I don’t think they will be going towards mini games since they want to shorten the traditional game of Madden. Presentation is already at a minimum, especially online, but that could be the direction they are going in.

Another aspect they touched on was the play calling. Madden NFL 10 had 330 unique plays and they found that an average user will only use 13 plays. They want to change this so gamers can experience the full playbook but in my opinion players only use those 13 plays because those plays work most of the time. I can’t see how they are going to get gamers to use more of the playbook but that is a goal for them this year. The success of the Online Franchise mode and the Madden mobile App is something that EA is excited about and is planning to do more with. With social media being so big now and with so many gamers having instant access to the internet they want to find more ways to integrate that into Madden NFL 11. Unlike the presentation for NCAA not much was discussed about the changes or additions coming to the upcoming Madden title but it is clear that if you are very vocal about changes or additions you want to see in the game, EA will be there to listen to you.

The research and stats that were shown to us during the presentation was very interesting to say the least. My only concern is if they weigh the online stats too heavily and use that to discount what people on the forums or blogs are saying. I do like that they see the positive response to the integration of using your computer for things in the game and that they are looking to do more with it. We’ll be hearing more about the upcoming football titles in the coming months so we’ll definitely keep you posted.

Madden Ultimate Team is now out and free to access via a title update. Fans of the FIFA Ultimate Team will instantly feel right at home as EA Tiburon has taken pretty much the same feature and thrown it into Madden NFL 10. This feature allows you to build a team by collecting virtual cards that include everything from NFL Superstars both former and current, head coaches, stadiums and more. For those fantasy football fans you might want to give this a shot as it brings you even closer to the feeling of managing a team.

How it works is you have a set amount of points and you can use those points to buy packs of cards. The cards represents your team and you simply play against the computer or online against another team to gain more points and purchase more cards. The goal is to create an unstoppable team by getting more and more cards. There is also an auction house where you can buy and sell cards which is pretty nice if it works as it should. Again this is a Free update for everyone so all you have to do is download the new mode. Here is a tutorial video and some key features for the new mode.

Features

• Build Your Ultimate Team – With complete customization, take control over every aspect of your team. Set your starting offense, defense, special teams and then take your team to the field by playing games in Madden NFL 10. Determine who will coach your ultimate team, and then tailor additional aspects like uniforms and home stadium.

• Nine Card Types – Collect bronze, silver and gold cards to form your ultimate team. Select from player, coach, playbook, injury, stadium, uniform, and contract card types. Go for the best with legendary player cards, as well as limited edition variants.

• Develop Team Chemistry – Get an on-field chemistry boost, by selecting players from the same pro or collegiate team. Choose playbooks, stadiums and coaches from the same team to get an added boost, or allow Madden Ultimate Team to dynamically update as the lineup changes.

• Acquire New Cards – Build your team in a variety of ways. Play games and earn coins to acquire new card packs, buy or sell cards with millions of Madden NFL fans at the auction block, or check weekly deals to purchase limited edition cards. Acquire additional card packs by using Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE Marketplace or purchase them from the PlayStation Network.

• The Hub – The home base for building your Madden Ultimate Team, The Hub provides easy access to your card collection. Make team changes or acquire new cards via the auction block or in-game store. Easily view total coins accumulated, team chemistry, team skill level, team record and total card value.

• Online Leaderboards – Keep track of how your team ranks versus friends. Madden Ultimate Team online leaderboards will track your overall record, including head-to-head, versus the computer, and more.

For those of you who can’t afford to pay the $60 for the new Madden we here at Spawn Kill have an extra Xbox 360 copy to give away, but like always you’ll have to work for it. We want you to become the lawyers for either Hagens Berman or Electronic Arts and give us your best opening statements. Convince the jury (Spawn Kill) why the lawsuit has no standing or why EA owes money to millions of gamers. Your answer doesn’t have to be very long just long enough to state your case. The best argument for or against the lawsuit will receive a copy of Madden NFL 2010. Don’t forget in order to be eligible for the contest you must register at Spawn Kill and make sure you use a valid email address because that is how we will be contacting the winner. Read on to hear all about the lawsuit.

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The first set of preseason games are just about to start so you know what that means, another Madden game. Every year for the past four years I’ve looked forward to the newest edition of Madden NFL, but every year I was disappointed with the game. With every new title EA Sports tried to improve the game and give gamers a little bit of everything. Finally this year they are attempting to go back to Madden’s and are concentrating on the on-field action instead of all the flash and glam that goes into the game. Although this means the extra game modes take a hit, the actual gameplay of Madden NFL 10 got a huge boost and with the new Pro-Tak system, it is one of the best in the series.

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The NFL season is just getting under way with all players, besides the rookie hold-outs, reporting to training camp. While NFL analysts try to predict which teams will be at the top of their divisions and who will be the best player in the league, Madden NFL 10 has already figured that out. EA Sports officially announced the full player and team ratings for the upcoming game. Although Madden comes out during the first week of pre-season games, EA already knows who is going to be good and who is going to get the top draft picks next year.

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