More Links

Russell_SCEA · 06-03-2008, 10:56 PM

First I would like to thank EA, Tiburon, Will Kinsler, Ian Cummings, Sean Bailey, Anthony White, Donny Moore, Josh Looman, Phil Frazier, Ryan Ferwerda, and all parties involved for their hospitality and taking time out of their busy schedules to speak with us.

Josh Looman Senior Designer for NFL Head Coach 2

Intro
NFL Head Coach 2 was originally a title I had very little interest in heading to Tiburon. I loved the concept from the original Head Coach game, but that game burned us. So much so I had a nasty taste in my mouth whenever someone mentioned HC.

That was years ago and its now 2008 and HC2 is upon us I would strongly advise anyone who has plans of buying this game to forget that HC1 even existed. I must insist that you wipe your memory clean of that debacle of a football sim. I say this for one reason HC2 blows HC1 to pieces in every aspect. From this point I will not even speak of the blasphemy which is HC1.

DEEPEST SPORTS GAME EVER MADE
NFL Head Coach 2 is hands down without a question the deepest sports simulation ever created. Trying to write about this game that I only had a couple of hours playing is almost criminal. So I would strongly advise all potential buyers or those interested in this game to do your home work. Find all the info, write ups, and impressions you can on this game. With the limited time I had with the game I liked everything I saw. This link should help
http://www.pastapadre.com/2649/footb...nt-09-info-hub

The biggest surprise for me on HC2 had to be the menu system and how fast I was able to complete tasks. Normally a simulation game like this would quickly garner the tag as tedious, but HC2 couldn't be any further from that statement.

I can't stress it enough completing tasks in this game is fast nothing seems to take a long time. No action seemed like a choir all the UI's where intuitive and pleasing to the eye.

The Draft
HC2 has the draft interface we have all wanted in Madden for so long. Because there has been so much coverage on it I won't beat that dead horse. You can not upload NCAA rookies, but we could see that feature in future releases. Instead Josh and the crew created 21,000 unique rookies. In that pool of players you will find gems, first round bust, and the next Elway.

The Look
Graphically HC2 is very appealing to the eye, for instance the coach models are spot on. The sidelines are very well populated with players and coachs performing different tasks. This may come as a surprise, but the presentation is excellent. (Did I say excellent, presentation, and EA in the same sentence!)

There are at least six or more camera angles and its pretty fun to call a play put down the controller and pump your fist when your QB completes a 60 yard bomb. Or throw it at the screen when your star RB fumbles and costs you the game.

Tiburon really took advantage of the NFL license in this title. During the draft you will see videos of Adam Scheffler and Todd McShay. Graphically and presentation wise NFL Head Coach 2 has Madden and NCAA 09 beat.

NFL Schemes & Dynamic Player Ratings
HC2 uses its own player ratings system don't worry you still see speed, awareness, accuracy, etc.... However the similarities end there HC2 player ratings change depending on what type of scheme that team uses. It's the concept the Patriots and Colts have used over the past five years. Those two teams only draft and sign free agents that fit their scheme. HC2 has successfully replicated this ideal in game.

For example the Colts run the now famous Tampa 2 defense. This scheme doesn't need fast CB's because they always have over the top help. The Ravens however play a lot of man coverage with a single safety over the top.

When players change teams in HC2 their ratings also change depending on the coaching philosophies that team uses. (IMO) This may be the biggest change from the Madden series in HC2. The new system adds another level of depth to an already excessively deep game. Players will have a lot of fun taking over a team and changing their coaching philosophies.

I simply love this aspect of the game and I believe its one of the many features that gives this title an insane amount of replay ability. (Also don't think for a second you can turn one of the bad franchises around in one year you will probadly be fired before that lol.) Building a team is going to take time in this game. (Something I always hated in Madden.) In less than three years I could turn a team around in Madden and hold up the Super Bowl trophy.

Actual Game Play
If you ask any community leader, Donny, or Josh for that matter they will probably tell you I had the most fun playing games in HC2 out of the group. The more I played HC2 the more it impressed me throught the day.

Playing games in HC2 is fun calling plays, making subs, and sending in calls to the defense in game was a blast. I fell in love with the on-the-fly play creator. I'm not even sure I called any scripted plays on defense once I got the hang of it.

Creating plays just like all other features is extremely intuitive. You pic your formation then decide to create a play. This process only takes less than 10 seconds to create a play. You can move guys around, sub players out, and change thier assignments on the fly.

After you finish the play you can run it in real time. If you decide the play is worth keeping you can save it to your playbook for future use. I'm a R.Ryan or S.Spagnuolo wannabe be and I love creating exotic defensive schemes and HC2 lets you run with that idea. You can also attempt to bring Urban Meyer's offense to the pros. Or the flex bone for that matter if you can create it you can run it in HC2.

What I didn't like
I did however have a few qualms with the game. I hate the fact that head-to-head games are played in super sim mode. I would much rather see the game play out in real time and talk trash to the opposing coach when my team scores. However I do understand the teams logic behind this decision.

My second and last gripe is that the game only features 15 seasons. Granted its going to take months to finish 15 seasons, but I was expecting at least 30. Those are the only two things I didn't like about HC2.

Closing Statements
Originally I had little interest in this title mainly due to the sour taste HC1 left in my mouth. However after hearing Josh's presentation and playing the game for myself HC2 will be a purchase of mine. This game isn't for everyone though if you want to control your players then NCAA and Madden are your games. On the flip side if your a big franchise guy and you love the coaching aspects of the NFL and an extensive NFL draft simulation then Head Coach 2 is your title. Without a doubt HC2 is fun, fast, and extremely deep.

The Future of the NFL Head Coach Franchise

Josh Looman

Donny Moore Designer for NFL Head Coach 2

Josh and Donny gave a great presentation on Head Coach during the second half of our first day at Tiburon. You can see the video here
- Head Coach 09 Presentation

I want to talk about how the community will directly make or break this title and if it becomes a franchise. Potentially we could see an NCAA Head Coach game in the next couple of years, but the success or failure of this title will dictate what happens moving forward.

During my time talking to Josh and Donny they constantly reiterated how important the community is for this title and how many of the games features were taken directly from wish lists around the net. Josh is looking forward to feedback on Head Coach from the community after the game has shipped. He is extremely exited about the idea of posting on different forums and engaging in direct communication with the fan base to help take the series to the next level. (He starting doing this today.)

I spoke with Josh about online franchise for Head Coach and having the ability to see the game play out as it does in single player online in the future. He was all for both ideas and they have already talked about it.

Moving forward the future of this series is in limbo and will ultimately be decided by sales figures and how the community receives the title. As Josh stated during my conversation with him the future of this franchise is in the community's hands.

RUSSELL05 out

therizing02 · 06-03-2008, 11:40 PM

Thanks for the impressions Russell. The game has sounded great from the first bit of info I saw this year. Sounds like I should buy 2 copies. It would be absolutely SICK to have an NCAA Head Coach game. Wow!

DLaren · 06-03-2008, 11:54 PM

Thanks Russell.

I'm sold on the games depth, my only concern is the AI. Since the actual gameplay is out of our control we will have to depend on our players following the directions that we give them. Did your QB appear to follow his progressions for the most part? Did the O-Line pick-up the blitz appropriately? Did the HB's follow their blockers and hit the correct gaps? Did playing against the CPU feel fair?

Any further impressions of the AI would be appreciated, thanks.

Russell_SCEA · 06-03-2008, 11:56 PM

Quote:


	Did your QB appear to follow his progressions for the most part? Did the HB's follow their blockers and hit the correct gaps? Did playing against the CPU feel fair?

Yes, Yes, and Yes but I only played two full games so take it with a grain of salt.

DLaren · 06-04-2008, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russell05


	Yes, Yes, and Yes but I only played two full games so take it with a grain of salt.

Nah that's good enough for me. Since you're constantly giving instructions during the game, I figure two full games would be enough time to take notice if players were blatantly disregarding your orders. In the first HeadCoach I could tell that was a problem after one half.

As long as the AI is pretty good and the game doesn't have any major bugs I'll be happy with this title for years to come.

Ninjoid · 06-04-2008, 01:27 AM

Thanks for the impressions Russell..I'm so pumped for this game it's unreal. I really hope the Community excels and goes out and buys this product. The amount of depth in it is great and I'm sure with all of our feedback it would only grow as a product. However, it needs this chance to grow.

Management sims are highly successful over here in Europe (Football Manager etc) so hopefully HC can have that same appeal in the US. It's disappointing that the game doesn't appear to be receiving a European release as I'm sure it would have done really well over here given the market for existing management style game. That said I'm in the fortunate position of having a PS3 so I can luckily import the game with the console being region free.

Thanks again for your take on things - appreciated.
Mark

Step2001 · 06-04-2008, 01:37 AM

Is EA using Madden to sell Head Coach 09 OR Is EA using Head Coach to sell Madden to alot of people who said they would stay away.

By that I mean the $89.00 tag for both games.

How are they going to determine if Head Coach was a success or failure?

Who's buying The combo Madden/Head Coach deal?

Who's buying Head Coach by itself?

I have Head Coach pre-oredered at Gamestop.

Nice write-up Russell05! Thanks for the great info & your time and effort!

Seahawk76 · 06-04-2008, 12:08 PM

Nice writeup, Russell.

This game was barely on my radar a few weeks ago and now I can't wait to get my hands on it.

06-03-2008, 10:56 PM	#1
Russell_SCEA SCEA Community Manager OVR: 29 Join Date: May 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 4,161	RUSSELL05's HEAD COACH 2 Impressions & Community outlook for the Future. First I would like to thank EA, Tiburon, Will Kinsler, Ian Cummings, Sean Bailey, Anthony White, Donny Moore, Josh Looman, Phil Frazier, Ryan Ferwerda, and all parties involved for their hospitality and taking time out of their busy schedules to speak with us. Josh Looman Senior Designer for NFL Head Coach 2 Intro NFL Head Coach 2 was originally a title I had very little interest in heading to Tiburon. I loved the concept from the original Head Coach game, but that game burned us. So much so I had a nasty taste in my mouth whenever someone mentioned HC. That was years ago and its now 2008 and HC2 is upon us I would strongly advise anyone who has plans of buying this game to forget that HC1 even existed. I must insist that you wipe your memory clean of that debacle of a football sim. I say this for one reason HC2 blows HC1 to pieces in every aspect. From this point I will not even speak of the blasphemy which is HC1. DEEPEST SPORTS GAME EVER MADE NFL Head Coach 2 is hands down without a question the deepest sports simulation ever created. Trying to write about this game that I only had a couple of hours playing is almost criminal. So I would strongly advise all potential buyers or those interested in this game to do your home work. Find all the info, write ups, and impressions you can on this game. With the limited time I had with the game I liked everything I saw. This link should help http://www.pastapadre.com/2649/footb...nt-09-info-hub The biggest surprise for me on HC2 had to be the menu system and how fast I was able to complete tasks. Normally a simulation game like this would quickly garner the tag as tedious, but HC2 couldn't be any further from that statement. I can't stress it enough completing tasks in this game is fast nothing seems to take a long time. No action seemed like a choir all the UI's where intuitive and pleasing to the eye. The Draft HC2 has the draft interface we have all wanted in Madden for so long. Because there has been so much coverage on it I won't beat that dead horse. You can not upload NCAA rookies, but we could see that feature in future releases. Instead Josh and the crew created 21,000 unique rookies. In that pool of players you will find gems, first round bust, and the next Elway. The Look Graphically HC2 is very appealing to the eye, for instance the coach models are spot on. The sidelines are very well populated with players and coachs performing different tasks. This may come as a surprise, but the presentation is excellent. (Did I say excellent, presentation, and EA in the same sentence!) There are at least six or more camera angles and its pretty fun to call a play put down the controller and pump your fist when your QB completes a 60 yard bomb. Or throw it at the screen when your star RB fumbles and costs you the game. Tiburon really took advantage of the NFL license in this title. During the draft you will see videos of Adam Scheffler and Todd McShay. Graphically and presentation wise NFL Head Coach 2 has Madden and NCAA 09 beat. NFL Schemes & Dynamic Player Ratings HC2 uses its own player ratings system don't worry you still see speed, awareness, accuracy, etc.... However the similarities end there HC2 player ratings change depending on what type of scheme that team uses. It's the concept the Patriots and Colts have used over the past five years. Those two teams only draft and sign free agents that fit their scheme. HC2 has successfully replicated this ideal in game. For example the Colts run the now famous Tampa 2 defense. This scheme doesn't need fast CB's because they always have over the top help. The Ravens however play a lot of man coverage with a single safety over the top. When players change teams in HC2 their ratings also change depending on the coaching philosophies that team uses. (IMO) This may be the biggest change from the Madden series in HC2. The new system adds another level of depth to an already excessively deep game. Players will have a lot of fun taking over a team and changing their coaching philosophies. I simply love this aspect of the game and I believe its one of the many features that gives this title an insane amount of replay ability. (Also don't think for a second you can turn one of the bad franchises around in one year you will probadly be fired before that lol.) Building a team is going to take time in this game. (Something I always hated in Madden.) In less than three years I could turn a team around in Madden and hold up the Super Bowl trophy. Actual Game Play If you ask any community leader, Donny, or Josh for that matter they will probably tell you I had the most fun playing games in HC2 out of the group. The more I played HC2 the more it impressed me throught the day. Playing games in HC2 is fun calling plays, making subs, and sending in calls to the defense in game was a blast. I fell in love with the on-the-fly play creator. I'm not even sure I called any scripted plays on defense once I got the hang of it. Creating plays just like all other features is extremely intuitive. You pic your formation then decide to create a play. This process only takes less than 10 seconds to create a play. You can move guys around, sub players out, and change thier assignments on the fly. After you finish the play you can run it in real time. If you decide the play is worth keeping you can save it to your playbook for future use. I'm a R.Ryan or S.Spagnuolo wannabe be and I love creating exotic defensive schemes and HC2 lets you run with that idea. You can also attempt to bring Urban Meyer's offense to the pros. Or the flex bone for that matter if you can create it you can run it in HC2. What I didn't like I did however have a few qualms with the game. I hate the fact that head-to-head games are played in super sim mode. I would much rather see the game play out in real time and talk trash to the opposing coach when my team scores. However I do understand the teams logic behind this decision. My second and last gripe is that the game only features 15 seasons. Granted its going to take months to finish 15 seasons, but I was expecting at least 30. Those are the only two things I didn't like about HC2. Closing Statements Originally I had little interest in this title mainly due to the sour taste HC1 left in my mouth. However after hearing Josh's presentation and playing the game for myself HC2 will be a purchase of mine. This game isn't for everyone though if you want to control your players then NCAA and Madden are your games. On the flip side if your a big franchise guy and you love the coaching aspects of the NFL and an extensive NFL draft simulation then Head Coach 2 is your title. Without a doubt HC2 is fun, fast, and extremely deep. The Future of the NFL Head Coach Franchise Josh Looman Donny Moore Designer for NFL Head Coach 2 Josh and Donny gave a great presentation on Head Coach during the second half of our first day at Tiburon. You can see the video here - Head Coach 09 Presentation I want to talk about how the community will directly make or break this title and if it becomes a franchise. Potentially we could see an NCAA Head Coach game in the next couple of years, but the success or failure of this title will dictate what happens moving forward. During my time talking to Josh and Donny they constantly reiterated how important the community is for this title and how many of the games features were taken directly from wish lists around the net. Josh is looking forward to feedback on Head Coach from the community after the game has shipped. He is extremely exited about the idea of posting on different forums and engaging in direct communication with the fan base to help take the series to the next level. (He starting doing this today.) I spoke with Josh about online franchise for Head Coach and having the ability to see the game play out as it does in single player online in the future. He was all for both ideas and they have already talked about it. Moving forward the future of this series is in limbo and will ultimately be decided by sales figures and how the community receives the title. As Josh stated during my conversation with him the future of this franchise is in the community's hands. RUSSELL05 out Last edited by Russell_SCEA; 06-25-2008 at 12:36 AM.

06-03-2008, 11:40 PM	#2
therizing02 MVP OVR: 20 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Downtown Chi-Town Posts: 4,169	Re: RUSSELL05's HEAD COACH 2 Impressions & Community outlook for the Future. Thanks for the impressions Russell. The game has sounded great from the first bit of info I saw this year. Sounds like I should buy 2 copies. It would be absolutely SICK to have an NCAA Head Coach game. Wow!

06-03-2008, 11:54 PM	#3
DLaren MVP OVR: 16 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Los Angeles	Re: RUSSELL05's HEAD COACH 2 Impressions & Community outlook for the Future. Thanks Russell. I'm sold on the games depth, my only concern is the AI. Since the actual gameplay is out of our control we will have to depend on our players following the directions that we give them. Did your QB appear to follow his progressions for the most part? Did the O-Line pick-up the blitz appropriately? Did the HB's follow their blockers and hit the correct gaps? Did playing against the CPU feel fair? Any further impressions of the AI would be appreciated, thanks. __________________ Currently Playing: Madden 20 (PC): Los Angeles Chargers Franchise (Coach Mode); Currently in Year-1. College Hoops 2K8 (360): Mighty Monarchs Legacy #2; Currently in Year-12. College Hoops 2K8 (360): Mighty Monarchs Legacy #1 (retired); 40 seasons completed, 6 NCAA Championships won. Last edited by DLaren; 06-03-2008 at 11:57 PM.

06-04-2008, 01:27 AM	#6
Ninjoid MVP OVR: 16 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: UK	Re: RUSSELL05's HEAD COACH 2 Impressions & Community outlook for the Future. Thanks for the impressions Russell..I'm so pumped for this game it's unreal. I really hope the Community excels and goes out and buys this product. The amount of depth in it is great and I'm sure with all of our feedback it would only grow as a product. However, it needs this chance to grow. Management sims are highly successful over here in Europe (Football Manager etc) so hopefully HC can have that same appeal in the US. It's disappointing that the game doesn't appear to be receiving a European release as I'm sure it would have done really well over here given the market for existing management style game. That said I'm in the fortunate position of having a PS3 so I can luckily import the game with the console being region free. Thanks again for your take on things - appreciated. Mark Last edited by Ninjoid; 06-04-2008 at 03:00 AM.

06-04-2008, 01:37 AM	#7
Step2001 Pro OVR: 9 Join Date: Jul 2006 Blog Entries: 5	Re: RUSSELL05's HEAD COACH 2 Impressions & Community outlook for the Future. Is EA using Madden to sell Head Coach 09 OR Is EA using Head Coach to sell Madden to alot of people who said they would stay away. By that I mean the $89.00 tag for both games. How are they going to determine if Head Coach was a success or failure? Who's buying The combo Madden/Head Coach deal? Who's buying Head Coach by itself? I have Head Coach pre-oredered at Gamestop. Nice write-up Russell05! Thanks for the great info & your time and effort! Last edited by Step2001; 06-04-2008 at 01:45 AM.

	MLB The Show 24 Review: Another Solid Hit for the Series
	New Star GP Review: Old-School Arcade Fun
	Where Are Our College Basketball Video Game Rumors?

06-04-2008, 12:08 PM	#8
Seahawk76 MVP OVR: 11 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Arlington, TX	Re: RUSSELL05's HEAD COACH 2 Impressions & Community outlook for the Future. Nice writeup, Russell. This game was barely on my radar a few weeks ago and now I can't wait to get my hands on it.

More Links

RUSSELL05's HEAD COACH 2 Impressions & Community outlook for the Future.