Madden NFL 2005

Madden NFL 2005 will feature a team-management mode and a deep single-player story mode. Madden NFL 2005 has been called the Madden Football 2006 World Series of football. While the game is set to debut at Electronic Arts' annual Tiburon studio in Vancouver, you can expect a number of improvements to the latest installment in EA's popular football series.

The goal of this year's iteration is to create a unified player system that combines both social and physicality. The game will feature 13 NFL players who will be featured in the game's story mode, ranging from Vince Young, the head coach of the Cleveland Browns and Vince Young, to the oft-maligned Gretzky Bea. Along with a career mode, there will be a practice mode for those who prefer a more structured style of football. Beyond those familiar with the game's established mode, Madden NFL 2005 will have a dynasty mode, which will enable players to build a character from a personal playbook.

According to EA, the team at Tiburon has collaborated with American football specialist Matt Furlong, whose legacy extends to the company's Madden NFL 2004 franchise. The development team has taken a variety of audio cues from the game, including the use of digital voices, stadium sounds, and a dynamic crowd to fuel the game's special game modes. Madden NFL 2004 will also feature fully loaded online support, thanks to the addition of online play.

Besides its impressive roster, Madden NFL 2004 will also feature a solid online gameplay experience. The online game will feature a complete roster of 32 NFL players, as well as a ranked and unranked league mode. In addition, the game will include the ability to form player unions to represent players' loyalty to one another. Finally, EA promises that NCAA 2004 will feature a full roster of more than 50 top college teams and playable leagues, as well as a plethora of multiplayer modes that will let up to four players take control of one another.

NCAA 2004 is scheduled for release in August, with PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube versions scheduled to follow in September. We'll bring you more information on the game as it becomes available.

GameSpot: We've been playing the PlayStation 2 version of NCAA 2004 for a little while now, but we have noticed that it's actually a little too addictive. How does the game break down when you first start playing it?

NCAA 2004 is an extremely fun game that's perfect for those who enjoy playing the PC or Xbox and don't mind repeatedly switching between console and PC controls.

GS: The game seems to be pretty far along in development--as we've seen in other EA sports games--with as much content as they do on the PC. What's the core of the game?

CL: The core of the game, simply put, is a mixture of strategy, strategic options, and arcade gameplay. So you can play an action game, but also more in depth, as you get to play more of this type of game, as the simulation aspect focuses more on a sports-oriented focus, which you can expect to see on a lot of the next-gen consoles.

GS: Will there be any online functionality in the game?

CL: That's something we are definitely looking at, as we feel that the network of features in the game, and the instant-action action-based gameplay in general, will provide a better experience. We'll be evaluating this information as it's been developed, so we are looking at the online play. And of course, it's a big game and not just a little twitchy. And obviously, that's one of the things we are looking at doing to make sure we keep those things in mind and expand upon them in the best way possible.

GS: We saw a brief glimpse of a lot of footage that you can see in the game, which was easily most impressive and detailed. What are your thoughts on that footage? Are you guys looking at how the frame rate and memory management for the Xbox 360 hardware has progressed?

CL: We're looking at an average of around 60 frames per second, a much higher drop in performance. And if you look at all the things we've been working on, we've found that if you look at everything from the Xbox 360 hardware, it's actually improved. And for the first time we've been able to make that leap. And, with the Xbox 360 hardware, we've got a lot more horsepower in the CPU. And on top of that, it's also getting better graphics processing, which is fantastic. So in terms of technology, the processing power that you can get on the Xbox 360 is something that you've never seen before.

GS: Can you tell us about how the Xbox 360 hardware will affect the overall experience? For example, Will you be able to take the voice from one of your favorite characters to the next?

CL: When you create a new game, you always want to make sure that the gamer who's playing the game wants to play the same character over and over again.