Early info on NCAA 08 from EA

[mxATVracer10]

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_videogames/2007/04/ncaa_football_0.html

NCAA Football 08 early details revealed

posted by JeffRubenstein on Apr 13, 2007 5:11:51 PM

The gaming media (myself included) was given an early taste of NCAA Football 08 this week at EA Tiburon’s media event. For the upcoming college football season, NCAA is going decidedly old school. As in high school.

The most immersive new feature debuting in NCAA Football 08 is Campus Legend Mode. Players can take over the persona of an existing college ballplayer, but the fun is starting from scratch. Rather than step into his shoes before the first college game, you’ll actually help finish out high school! You’ll run plays from that particular player’s position through the high school football playoffs, and if you do well, he’ll receive a number of offers to play college ball. As an example, we were shown a player from Altamonte Springs (read as Lake Brantley High School). In the playoff bracket, I saw Ocoee, and a number of other real-life high schools. Very cool, I think.

Once in the collegiate setting, your player will attend practices and other familiar features. New this year, however – you’ll decide what the footballer does in his spare time. Want to attend that frat party? You may become more of a “Campus Legend,” but your grades might slip. Playing a pickup hoops game might help your jumping stats – or you might get injured. It’s all risk-reward, but it could be fun. I’m sure it’ll all be sim-able if you get bored with micromanaging your player’s virtual life.

Speaking of simming – NCAA 08 will have the most advanced features ever in this department. Let’s say you’re up 50-0 at halftime (it can happen if you’re playing Florida vs Western Kentucky on the default level). You can Super Sim your way through the second half, and still keep your stats. Also, should the computer mount a comeback, you can jump right back in there and finish out the game manually.

“Game Highlights” is another interesting feature. Gamers can replay pretty much every play in an entire game, rather than just the last play. You can then create a “highlight”, choosing to re-watch the play through a broadcast angle, etc. This is much more advanced than last year’s snapshot feature (though that will return too, in a modified way).

These highlights will then be shown on a screen inside your chosen university’s “shrine.” This marble-floored hall will be the storehouse for earned achievements (we saw what the room would be like filled with trophies and other paraphernalia), all of which are part of your “greatness score.” Upping this score is key to becoming a Campus Legend, which brings us full circle.

When it comes to actual gameplay, EA is dumping last year’s Momentum meter – or rather, they’re modifying it. Rather than the team as a whole gaining momentum, individual players will build “confidence.” Confidence is built on both offense and defense when you, the player, make a play. So letting the computer play defense won’t let you take advantage of this feature. They’re calling this “lead by example.” In the example demo’d for us, a series of option plays built up the quarterback and running back’s confidence. When they scored, the confidence of the entire team was lifted, presumably helping him score on the ensuing 2-point conversion. I hope that this yields tangible results, as the momentum meter was fairly useless in my experience last season.

Otherwise, NCAA Football 08 is looking better than ever, and the Campus Legend mode looks to increase the depth that EA Tiburon is hoping to add to all its sports titles. We’ll of course have more, including hands-on video, as its release approaches this Summer.

:pop: Hope it comes out on the Wii though

[JDawg2303]

Sounds awesome. I'm so buying it when it comes out (for 360). I even got a cover ready for it (PT).

[DuSStyBottoms22]

I wouldn't count on any of this being in the 360 version, EA has been shafting us next gen users ever since the 360 came out.

[Collier11]

I wouldn't count on any of this being in the 360 version, EA has been shafting us next gen users ever since the 360 came out.

Next Gen?? I know many a person that would argue that ps3 is better than 360.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

Next Gen?? I know many a person that would argue that ps3 is better than 360.

I may be wrong but I think ps3 is also considered "next gen"

[OU-HSV]

The campus legend thing sounds the same as '07 except for the ability to play the kids final high school games...that sounds pretty sweet to me.

[Collier11]

I may be wrong but I think ps3 is also considered "next gen"



I was just referring to how he was claiming to being left out because 360 is "next gen" Not that it even matters

[TheUnnamedSooner]

So, is ps3 going to have those features and 360 not?

[OSUFAN11]

I think both of them will have it! The 360 will for sure have it and I would assume that the PS3 will have it. The only thing about the PS3 is they are making it hard for developers to make games for the PS3. I dont know if will mess with the production of NCAA Football though! I just got my 360 about a 3 months ago and I love it! I have been trying to get better at NCAA Football 07 before 08 comes out because I want to get into one of those leagues that I hear people talk about. Is anybody in one of those? If so, maybe you could consider me! Ha Ha! I will use OSU even though there will probably be people with highly ranked teams. LOL!!

[BASSooner]

what about recruiting for dynasties?

[Ardmore_Sooner]

They need to add the Army All American game

[kelloggOUballa]

freakin Zabransky is on the cover........

[Ardmore_Sooner]

And Vince Young is on the Madden cover..... WHO CARES?!

[OU-HSV]

what about recruiting for dynasties?
Surely the recruiting will be the same or better. That's one of my favorite aspects of the game.

[the dude]

And Vince Young is on the Madden cover..... WHO CARES?!
I do. Too many deserving players left off so an undeserving one could be put on... Looks like i'm not going to be getting NCAA '08 this year. (at least not from the store - i'll wait till i can get it used, but don't tell EA that becuase it'll ruin my boycott).

[Ardmore_Sooner]

Haha, Mario was always on the cover of games, and Luigi was way more deserving, but I still bought the games. ;)

[TopDawg]

Next Gen?? I know many a person that would argue that ps3 is better than 360.

I know many a person that would argue Texas is better than OU.

[TopDawg]

Sounds awesome. I'm so buying it when it comes out (for 360). I even got a cover ready for it (PT).

I can't wait. I got my 360 around Christmas and even though I think it's compatible, I haven't played my old NCAA 07 on it because I want my next NCAA experience to be with the 360 version.

I've had an okay time playing Fight Night Round 3, PG3 and Tiger Woods in the meantime...but it's all just to pass the time until NCAA 08 comes out.

[emoinwinter]

Hey! I live in Altamonte Springs! (I guess they used that since EA is right down the street from here)

[the_ouskull]

Oh yeah? How old are you? Do you know a girl, probably early 30's, named Ginny Henson? (At least she was Henson when I knew her...) Quite the hottie. Lol.

This is an awful, suck year for football games.

NCAA - BSU's signal* caller.
Madden - Tejas.

Crap.

the_ouskull

* = whichever bullsh*t play the offensive coordinator's 8 year-old girl draws up next, "amount of men on the LOS" be d*mned. :D

[Collier11]

I know many a person that would argue Texas is better than OU.



You must know some real idiots!! ;)

[Salt City Sooner]

Surely the recruiting will be the same or better. That's one of my favorite aspects of the game.
One thing I've heard about recruiting is that there is such a thing as a coach's honor being at stake, & if you make a promise to a recruit (i.e. early playing time), you'd BETTER keep it, or you'll be watching said recruit walk away a heck of a lot more this year than in previous editions.

[OU-HSV]

One thing I've heard about recruiting is that there is such a thing as a coach's honor being at stake, & if you make a promise to a recruit (i.e. early playing time), you'd BETTER keep it, or you'll be watching said recruit walk away a heck of a lot more this year than in previous editions.
Wow, that's a good idea for people that use playing time a lot. Playing time never seems to be my catch anyways though. When I was still in my dynasty at OU my 2 best angles were program prestige and coach prestige. Now I'm successful at S.D.S.U. (and they moved me into the PAC10) and my 3 most effective angles (in this order) are Program Prestige, Coach prestige, and Location.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

I think both of them will have it! The 360 will for sure have it and I would assume that the PS3 will have it. The only thing about the PS3 is they are making it hard for developers to make games for the PS3. I dont know if will mess with the production of NCAA Football though! I just got my 360 about a 3 months ago and I love it! I have been trying to get better at NCAA Football 07 before 08 comes out because I want to get into one of those leagues that I hear people talk about. Is anybody in one of those? If so, maybe you could consider me! Ha Ha! I will use OSU even though there will probably be people with highly ranked teams. LOL!!

I am. We already have an aggy in our league, and I'm embarrassed to say he is ranked #1. (in '07 they have reid being pretty good)

[badger]

And Vince Young is on the Madden cover..... WHO CARES?!
Proof that Wonderlic really is stupid... MADDEN CURSE!!! :D

[snp]

I hope they added Miami vs Florida International to the classic game list.

[OSUFAN11]

I am. We already have an aggy in our league, and I'm embarrassed to say he is ranked #1. (in '07 they have reid being pretty good)

LOL! maybe I could give him a run for his money!

[Collier11]

screw the leagues, just get plastered and play your buddies online...much more fun!

[OSUFAN11]

I am. We already have an aggy in our league, and I'm embarrassed to say he is ranked #1. (in '07 they have reid being pretty good)

I am guessing you use the Sooners? LOL! What site do you guys use for your league?

[OU-HSV]

I hope they added Miami vs Florida International to the classic game list.
Haha, that'd be like the "Grand theft Auto: NCAA Football edition"

[Landthief 1972]

I am. We already have an aggy in our league, and I'm embarrassed to say he is ranked #1. (in '07 they have reid being pretty good)

That was one thing I have always hated about NCAA Football 200x. The AI is SOOO friggin' stupid when a fast QB scrambles. Half the time it doesn't know which defender to switch to.

[OU-HSV]

One thing I hope they take off the game for '08 is that part when you throw a pass or you're running the ball and they freeze the screen and make the footage change to slow motion. That ****es me off a lot when I'm playing my game.

[Ardmore_Sooner]

I hated on 07 that the secondary always played like a bunch of drunken blind fraternity guys playing in the dark with blindfolds on. The coverage was ALWAYS horrific.

[Ardmore_Sooner]

The whole high school aspect is going to be pretty good, I just wish they had the Army All American game like the McDonalds All American game has been on March Madness games of the past. Get to use and get a feel for some of the guys that have committed or still haven't committed yet. Sometimes you recruit guys that look good on paper, but ride the bench for 3 years. I'd like to be able to get a feel for these guys so you'll at least know where to use them.

They also need to have offseason practice where you can get your players better (like the Madden games) and have spring scrimmages where players can gain confidence and such.

Also the probation aspect needs to be brought back. I know it is isn't necessary but it was fun trying to keep your guys out of trouble.

[OU-HSV]

The whole high school aspect is going to be pretty good, I just wish they had the Army All American game like the McDonalds All American game has been on March Madness games of the past. Get to use and get a feel for some of the guys that have committed or still haven't committed yet. Sometimes you recruit guys that look good on paper, but ride the bench for 3 years. I'd like to be able to get a feel for these guys so you'll at least know where to use them.

They also need to have offseason practice where you can get your players better (like the Madden games) and have spring scrimmages where players can gain confidence and such.

Also the probation aspect needs to be brought back. I know it is isn't necessary but it was fun trying to keep your guys out of trouble.
:confused: My NCAA '07 game has the spring scrimmage mode along with the probation. Which game are you talking about that doesn't?

[Ardmore_Sooner]

The 360 version must not have it. It doesn't even have race for the Hesiman! DANG YOU MICROSOFT!

[OU-HSV]

I play on PS2

[TheUnnamedSooner]

I am guessing you use the Sooners? LOL! What site do you guys use for your league?

leaguedaddy. There are 12 of us, and there was a $10 entry fee (which goes into a pot to distribute at the end of the season). Yes I'm using OU and currently ranked #2.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

I hated on 07 that the secondary always played like a bunch of drunken blind fraternity guys playing in the dark with blindfolds on. The coverage was ALWAYS horrific.

Yeah, if they are in zone, they DO NOT go out of their bubble. Even if a receiver is flying by.

[OSUFAN11]

leaguedaddy. There are 12 of us, and there was a $10 entry fee (which goes into a pot to distribute at the end of the season). Yes I'm using OU and currently ranked #2.

That sounds cool. I like that you get to make a little money. League daddy is a pretty good site for leagues too! As long as it is competitive then it should pretty much be fun to play in.

[TopDawg]

The 360 version must not have it. It doesn't even have race for the Hesiman! DANG YOU MICROSOFT!

If I recall correctly, the 360 had some features that the regular game didn't, but then it also lacked some of the things the regular one had. I think it was because of the timing of the release of the game and the release of the 360. I bet the features on this year's game are more similar.

[OSUFAN11]

NCAA Football 08 Hands-On
We go first and 10 in the Big Apple with EA's upcoming college football game.
By Brian Ekberg, GameSpot
Posted Apr 26, 2007 8:30 pm PT

NEW YORK CITY--With just two days to go before the NFL makes a whole new crop of former NCAA football stars into pro football stars in the 2007 NFL Draft, EA Sports kicked off NCAA Football 08 with an unveiling at a posh New York City restaurant, full of media, game producers, and potential draftees. Athletes and hangers-on abounded, but our first priority of the evening was getting our grubby paws on a playable build of NCAA 08. We first saw the game a few weeks ago at EA's annual press event in Orlando--home of EA Tiburon, the development studio behind both NCAA and Madden--and were excited to finally try the game out for ourselves.

Our first stop along the way in our 10-minute session with the game was to fire up a match between the Auburn Tigers and the Washington Huskies to see how the much-vaunted new animation system is affecting gameplay. And though the version of the game we played was still early in the development process, the new animations were on fine display in the game. There were the small but noticeable touches such as new catching animations for receivers--for instance, hauling in the ball while falling to the ground--as well as new celebration moves.

The bigger change could be felt in the responsiveness of the players in the game. Players felt more nimble and quick to respond to the slightest change in direction when using the analog stick. Producers are chalking this up to some sophisticated new branching animation technology, which is being built into the core football engine that powers both NCAA 08 and Madden NFL 08. Instead of players being "stuck" to the longer animations of their on-field players, branching animation will let you break out of an animation and into an entirely new set of moves. As one producer explained, "Why should you have to wait for an animation to finish?"

Some of the other cool news for the game revolved around the improved artificial intelligence we noted in our last preview, especially with regard to the wide receivers. While the preview build of the game was suffering from a noticeable "dropsies" bug (which will surely be ironed out by release), there was no denying that the receivers were playing position better than we'd seen in a while. Wideouts routinely squared their shoulders to the defender covering them, getting in front of the ball, and then spinning up field to gain extra yards. AI-controlled running backs were quicker to spin or juke away from trouble.

Late in the first quarter, we drove the ball into the end zone against the Huskies on a gorgeous crossing pass from Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox to the outstretched hands of receiver Rod Smith, a perfect play to experiment with using NCAA 08's new highlight replay feature. After pausing the game, we were taken to a menu that let us choose from any previous play in the game. We chose the touchdown pass by pressing the X button on the Xbox 360 controller and were then allowed to choose from one of four camera angles to view the replay from (broadcast, wire, press box, and sideline, as well as an additional "random" option).

Once you've chosen your camera angle, you'll have the option to save the play to your NCAA 08 "shrine." Your shrine will save up to five video highlights you've recorded, as well as a number of "photos" of your recent games, which are taken automatically during the game. If you have an especially cool replay, you can even save it as a video file and upload it to the Internet to share with your friends.

Another cool feature is a new take on the defensive hit stick, one that is designed to even the score between different-sized players. By pressing down on the right analog stick when tackling a ball carrier, you can cause your defenseman to go low and attempt to take out a bigger opponent's legs--a crucial weapon to have if you're looking to bring down a fullback with a small defensive back, for example. The hurdle button has also returned, allowing you to leap over players with a touch of the Y button. As a counter, your opponent will have be able to use the other new ability with the revamped hit stick--the ability to hit high by pushing up on the right analog stick.

A slightly tweaked interface and menu system presents NCAA 08's playbooks in a slightly different manner, which took some getting used to. One of the other big new features in the game, the motivation levels, was also present in the game, but it wasn't really that evident in our brief time with the game. To check your team's individual motivation levels, you zoom out on the field by pressing the trigger button and then push down with the right analog stick. A small circle surrounds each of your players on the field, color-coded to match his intensity level. We didn't have enough time to send any of our players into the zone, but when asked about the system, producers confirmed to us that while "in the zone" players will give a boost to all players on their team, the individual attribute boosts won't immediately turn the team into the second coming of the 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Instead, the boosts will be modest, but noticeable, improvements to whatever your players' base attributes are.

We would have loved to have spent the entire night huddled in the corner, checking out all the nooks and crannies of NCAA Football 08, but it wasn't long before former NCAA stars like JaMarcus Russell and Adrian Peterson came along, looking to try the game out for themselves. And who's going to argue with a guy the size of Russell? Rest assured that we'll be bringing you much more on NCAA 08 in the coming months, including some detailed looks at the game's revamped Campus Legend and dynasty modes.

-GameSpot