Madden 09: Tackling Engine Blog & Video

[FFBACKLASH]

Definitely > Madden 08 but still< tackle alley. I'll be impressed when Tiburon shows gang tackles.

[FFBACKLASH]

Here comes the complaining give it a rest you dont like it dont look at it or buy it enjoy the video they improved a system in one year give credit where its due no video game will ever be perfect......live in the now wooooooooosaaaaaaaa

That's a skewed statement. While it's clearly improved, it's not a 1 yr improvement. It's the latest tweak on an engine they've been tweaking since this generation began.
Tiburon should take a page from EA Canada and actuallt rebuild something. When NBA Live failed EA Canada skipped the PS3 version and started from near scratch. NHL 07 was the product of skipping the 06 season and franchise is now the best representation of its respective sport.

[BrianFifaFan]

Re: Madden 09: Tackling Engine Blog &amp; Video

That's a skewed statement. While it's clearly improved, it's not a 1 yr improvement. It's the latest tweak on an engine they've been tweaking since this generation began.
Tiburon should take a page from EA Canada and actuallt rebuild something. When NBA Live failed EA Canada skipped the PS3 version and started from near scratch. NHL 07 was the product of skipping the 06 season and franchise is now the best representation of its respective sport.

I'll agree about NHL, but you forgot how Fifa has grown leaps and bounds,too. Now NBA Live, I'm still not feeling it. But EA Canada is definitely on the ball! And they have Fight Night now as well, I can't wait to see how they bring that to the next level.......

[JRod]

Re: Madden 09: Tackling Engine Blog &amp; Video

If Madden made the an improvement like FIFA, I would be very impressed. It's not as bad as live, just right there in mediocrity.

[scourge]

Re: Madden 09: Tackling Engine Blog &amp; Video

it's just a tired arguement that's played out is all..

yeah, thats true

[jyoung]

Re: Madden 09: Tackling Engine Blog &amp; Video

Aside from all the over-the-top NFL Blitz hits, this is actually a pretty impressive upgrade.

If only they would put this kind of effort into the rest of the gameplay (player movement, especially), they would be on their way to at least matching 2K in the animations/movement department.

[Hassan Darkside]

Re: Madden 09: Tackling Engine Blog &amp; Video

Actually there's gang tackles in the video.

22 seconds-There's a 2-man gang tackle, 2 Ravens tackle LT. It looks like it's from last year though.

45 seconds- Two Chargers tackle Willis McGahee. Looks like there may have been impact by both and one stumbles and falls after the hit is made. It doesn't look like it's one of the ones where a player gets tackled and a close defender just falls down.
53 seconds- Two chargers tackle McGahee at the line of scrimmage.

56 seconds- Ray Lewis wraps LT up and Terrell Suggs comes in and nails LT.

My complaint though still is that the near defenders don't react with the ball carrier enough. More often than not, they should swarm the ball carrier and there should be gang tackles a lot of the time. Maybe it's something they can work on with good defensive teams/bad defensive teams. The problem is that the other defenders just wander around and fall over when the initial tackle is made near them.

[Scott]

Re: Madden 09: Tackling Engine Blog &amp; Video

Actually there's gang tackles in the video.

22 seconds-There's a 2-man gang tackle, 2 Ravens tackle LT. It looks like it's from last year though.

45 seconds- Two Chargers tackle Willis McGahee. Looks like there may have been impact by both and one stumbles and falls after the hit is made. It doesn't look like it's one of the ones where a player gets tackled and a close defender just falls down.
53 seconds- Two chargers tackle McGahee at the line of scrimmage.

56 seconds- Ray Lewis wraps LT up and Lee Suggs comes in and nails LT.

My complaint though still is that the near defenders don't react with the ball carrier enough. More often than not, they should swarm the ball carrier and there should be gang tackles a lot of the time. Maybe it's something they can work on with good defensive teams/bad defensive teams. The problem is that the other defenders just wander around and fall over when the initial tackle is made near them.

I think you mean Terrell Suggs, not Lee..

[Hassan Darkside]

Re: Madden 09: Tackling Engine Blog &amp; Video

Yea I think you're right. 2 am lol.

[Nza]

Re: Madden 09: Tackling Engine Blog &amp; Video

Actually there's gang tackles in the video.

22 seconds-There's a 2-man gang tackle, 2 Ravens tackle LT. It looks like it's from last year though.

45 seconds- Two Chargers tackle Willis McGahee. Looks like there may have been impact by both and one stumbles and falls after the hit is made. It doesn't look like it's one of the ones where a player gets tackled and a close defender just falls down.
53 seconds- Two chargers tackle McGahee at the line of scrimmage.

56 seconds- Ray Lewis wraps LT up and Lee Suggs comes in and nails LT.

My complaint though still is that the near defenders don't react with the ball carrier enough. More often than not, they should swarm the ball carrier and there should be gang tackles a lot of the time. Maybe it's something they can work on with good defensive teams/bad defensive teams. The problem is that the other defenders just wander around and fall over when the initial tackle is made near them.

It depends how you define 'gang tackling'. My idea of gang tackling, at the very least, is defenders being able to change the direction and momentum of a ball carrier after he has already been engaged by a defender. This is a huge deal because it forms some very basic elements to defense in football plus it can directly relate to the outcome of a play. I can't tell you how many times in Madden I've seen a RB approaching a goalline with 3 defenders in his face, and he manages to get in because the 1st defender he comes in contact with slightly before the other 2 initiates a 1 on 1 tackle, and the weight and momentum of the other 2 defenders have no influence on the outcome of the tackle, as they bounce off and/or fall over. Madden "gang tackles" are the same. While most effectively stop a ball carrier in his tracks, they're just canned animations with no real concern for mass and momentum and other physical properties of a collision. Not even the 2K series really achieved this, but it at least made it so 2nd and 3rd defenders can change the result of a tackle after it was already initiated. What this does is it allows for swarming defense to actually make an impact on the game, Madden doesn't allow this and nothing in that video tells me this will change.

The "gang tackles" in this video are about as complex as those in Madden 05 (which I think was the first year EA introduced canned 2 man "gang tackles"). The sad thing is it's so integral to the sport and yet EA seemingly continue to ignore it. It isn't some trivial eye candy, it's an actual pillar in the sport of football. This is why EA are often said to "not get it". It should have been a huge priority to replicate as soon as the hardware permitted it, and according to 2K that was about 4-5 years ago. Still waiting, EA.

[sj3981]

Re: Madden 09: Tackling Engine Blog &amp; Video

The video is impressive, relatively speaking, when compared to any of EA's next gen efforts. And until EA develops a new tackling/physics engine (ie.,euphoria, etc.), we wont see true gang tackling like LB's Boley/Hall example. This is disappointing because all signs point to the fact that this engine will be around for the duration of this generation. That said, the graphics have that WOW effect in regards to the actual player models and I like the new proportions for the players. Its now more along the lines of last generation.

I think its hard to sit here and compare Madden's physics/ tackling engine to other sports games, such as FIFA, because the player contact and interaction is significantly smaller in a sport like soccer as opposed to football or hockey, were hitting is a major aspect of the sport. Not trying to provide excuses for EA here, but developing an effective engine for a football game seems like a much taller order then making one for a soccer game.

[grunt]

Re: Madden 09: Tackling Engine Blog &amp; Video

I can't really be impressed with the blog/viral marketing of a tweaked tackling engine that is over 7 years old. I seen and played with a better tackling engine for the past 5 years. EA needs to step up and get us a new physics model.

[AJ21476]

Re: Madden 09: Tackling Engine Blog &amp; Video

I dont even think the problem with the game is tackling or Qb play or even glitches. I feel inorder to get the game to be realistic, step 1 MUST be the O line and D line play. Until that is fixed in madden, this game will NEVER be sim.

[Harlemal]

Re: Madden 09: Tackling Engine Blog &amp; Video

shut da hell up man. just because we like what we see and u dont, doesnt make us "easily swayed". me and millions of others will u buy it. since u dont like it. dont buy it. spare us the grumble u and others always come on these madden boards to preach.

every damn thread is the same thing. go play the other games u have in ur library and leave madden alone.

Best post in this thread.

[Matt Diesel]

Re: Madden 09: Tackling Engine Blog &amp; Video

Few negatives:

1) The Bengal LB standing around when the tackle is happening right next to him.

2) The CB for GB tries to tackle the ball runner by running straight at him and grabbing his shoulders.

3) The jump forward forearm tackle is ******** and is still seen a lot

4) So many 1-1 open field tackles, why? Where is the D swarming to the ball?

However, the animations do look more fluid which I guess was the point of this demo.