Madden NFL 13 Infinity Engine Hands-On Preview

[danqb11]

I hope the "tripping over feet" does not get outta hand in this game.

[TTD71]

Re: Madden NFL 13 Infinity Engine Hands-On Preview

Much like FIFA, EA creates a great engine that is developed around contact (heavily) and collisions - and then forget to implement fouls (soccer and football fouls) as a result.

Would it be so hard to tweak this one little thing - that should make a HUGE difference as far as realism is concerned.

Ever watched kids play Pee-wee football? That gives you a good indication of exactly how hard it is to make something with good physics (ie. - REALITY) LOOK good playing football - or applying the rules and strategy of the game to inanimate objects (in the case of the on-screen players).

The difference is like the difference between making a great looking, set-piece adventure game and making a so-so looking but immensely deep RPG. Games like Uncharted and God of War 3 and the like have a HUGE advantage of being able to limit reality to fit into a pre-conceived box. The games LOOK great, but they are limited by what the programmers want the player to be able to do. Then look at a game like Dragon Age or GTAIV - open world, huge amounts of freedom and options and possibilities, but the price paid is that the graphics suffer in comparison to the "state of the art" stuff like Crysis 2 or Battlefield 3.

The challenge for EA has always been how do they adapt their game - which IMO has been the best LOOKING football game ever made for quite some time now - and turn it into BOTH the best LOOKING and the best PLAYING game? Infinity Engine sure does look like a giant leap in the right direction to me. The plays that really stand out for me so far are the vastly improved running - being able to trip and bump and deflect off of other players is HUGE - and the ability to have little guys hang-on to the ball carrier (the Turner example in the debut trailer....where the CB does not just bang down Michael Turner but instead is holding onto one leg for dear life until another defender comes in and cleans up the tackle).

This IS the Madden I have been waiting for...it may be 7 years late, and it may still sorely disappoint, but THIS is the direction I expected the franchise to move going from PS2 to XB360/PS3 all along. More than anything else, I am relieved to see that the developers share a vision of making the game do things that I feel are important....things like respecting angular momentum, mass and acceleration when determining the outcome of a collision; things that are going to make the unrealistic gameplay styles go extinct - the guys who love to hit stick EVERY tackle, the guys who love to run their Safeties around in circles and morph through the O-Line for nano pressure, the guys who have no idea how to read blocking or hit a hole or actually call plays for match-ups and strategy beyond triggering canned and predictable outcomes...those "styles" may still find exploits (probably will), but they will no longer be able to dominate and exploit the game as easily (if at all in some cases), and THAT alone is worth $120 from me to EA (for PS3 and XB360 versions once more)...

Bravo to the guys at EA that are working to FINALLY bring us the "next-gen Madden" experience that I was hoping for all along. Its late. Its been incredibly frustrating to live through. And it barely made it out before the end of the console generation...BUT its finally here and the foundation that is laid here has put the abortion of Madden NFL 2006 finally in its grave forever. (I STILL believe that Madden 2006 - 2009 were essentially ruined by the rush job of getting a game released for the launch of the XB360 at any cost...that cost has been very long and very high, but with this new beginning and new engine to govern the basics of the the players and gameplay, there is hope for more than band-aids on gaping wounds moving forward!!!

[KnottyMonkey]

I will say that based on the Madden 2006 (non) experience, I would be willing to forego Madden 14 on Xbox 720 (assuming it comes out next Nov). Instead, just release it for 360/PS3 next year rather than a rushed piece of garbage. Ideally Xbox 720 would be backwards compatible and I could play the game on 720, but if the cost of having Madden 14 on the brand new console is that it will suck for 6 years, I'll live with one more year of highly polished RTP on current gen.

- OR -

Here's another thought: I wouldn't complain if they just made a build of the current version for the 720/PS4 that played at 1080p, maybe throw in something like a bit higher res player models and full, interactive sideline or something to make me shell out for 360 version in August and 720 version in November. And then, don't pretend its something that its not - just tell us: "this is a 720 compatible version of the 360 game with higher res player models, interactive sidelines and a slightly upgraded physics engine that runs on the new 720 dedicated Physics Processor". Anyway. . . just my $0.02.

Meanwhile, back here in the real world, having a hard time sleeping at night thinking about RTP and all the possibilities. Might cancel my NCAA pre-order since no RTP and I just play it for a month until Madden comes out anyway.

[Juggernaut55]

I absolutely cannot wait for this game now

[mdiggitydawg]

no replay? that was a huge disappointment last year too...madden and ncaa will really have to knock my socks off for me to spend money on them this year...still feeling burned from last year and not sure i am ready to come back...give me a definitive reason to come back

[metronomymarkus]

Much like FIFA, EA creates a great engine that is developed around contact (heavily) and collisions - and then forget to implement fouls (soccer and football fouls) as a result.

Would it be so hard to tweak this one little thing - that should make a HUGE difference as far as realism is concerned.

i cannot believe you said that fifa has not implemented FOULS! of all games, FIFA? u must be joking.

[cattlekiller]

I thought the Infinity Engine was used by Black Isle RPG's?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinity_Engine

[truintellectplaya]

Madden is defense optional and has been that way for too long. Where you able to play effective defense without gimmicks?

[b0z1c]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwsF4q2i4LM

[Demoncrom]

Looks interesting but I think we should give credit where it is due. Thank you to Natural motion and Backbreaker for forcing EA to get off its hind quarters and implement physics into their game.

[Mos1ted]

Re: Madden NFL 13 Infinity Engine Hands-On Preview

Looks interesting but I think we should give credit where it is due. Thank you to Natural motion and Backbreaker for forcing EA to get off its hind quarters and implement physics into their game.

This.

After I watched some the videos showing off the Infinity Engine, the first thing I did was thought about Backbreaker and how the Infinity Engine probably wouldn't exist without that game's creation.

This is why I'm mad at 2K for just giving up and not making another attempt at a football game after 2K8. A fully-featured game with generic players would have created enough buzz to get EA's attention.

Backbreaker wasn't even a fully-featured game, but it brought forward one of the most innovative additions in football gaming history. Every football game (or sports game for that matter) would be judged on whether it has real-time physics or not.

[m1ke_nyc]

Re: Madden NFL 13 Infinity Engine Hands-On Preview

Just imagine if they work on footplanting, line interactions, penalties, and WR/DB interactions for 14, that game would probably be the best sports title of the year. I cant wait for Madden 13, never been this hyped for a Madden game.

[TCFClemson]

Re: Madden NFL 13 Infinity Engine Hands-On Preview

Awesome write up Thanks!

Looking forward to vids.

[Demoncrom]

This.

After I watched some the videos showing off the Infinity Engine, the first thing I did was thought about Backbreaker and how the Infinity Engine probably wouldn't exist without that game's creation.

This is why I'm mad at 2K for just giving up and not making another attempt at a football game after 2K8. A fully-featured game with generic players would have created enough buzz to get EA's attention.

Backbreaker wasn't even a fully-featured game, but it brought forward one of the most innovative additions in football gaming history. Every football game (or sports game for that matter) would be judged on whether it has real-time physics or not.

How real is that. EA might not say it openly but they are clearly implementing this because of the innovation introduced by others. Case in point, DBs and Backers having to see the ball to react on it is one of the features in 2k5, fact not fiction. My only care for the monopolization of any sports license is and has always been the lack on innovation that is wrought from such deals due to the lack of competition.

People who played APF2k8 and enjoyed it (Like myself who still plays it more than Madden) miss the small things, like sideline interactions with off field players and great commentary. But, when a non NFL title is released even it's it's Gawd Awful(Backbreaker was nearly unplayable) we will need to show some support because the concepts in some of these other titles are actually very good.

Any who, my interest in Madden this year will be to see if this addition plays well. I can say that the changes to NCAA 12 feel nice and fast and I plan to pre-order this game as well.

[dcal]

Re: Madden NFL 13 Infinity Engine Hands-On Preview

I can't remember when I was this excited for a Madden release. I have been hard on EA for the lack of innovation and stale engine in Madden. I am very surprised that physics calculations will be implemented before next gen consoles and this definately shows EA is making game changing strides to bring Madden back to past form.