From the sound of it, Madden 08 looks to drastically improve on what was already a pretty unique and fun experience by simplifying a bit of the controls and adding some incredible features (headings added by me to the IGN interview):
Tightened ControlsSo there you have it...some Wii-exclusive features, and it looks like the few complaints about Madden 07 have been pretty well addressed. Online and multiplayer both sound quite interesting and hopefully they're done well. I'll definitely be picking this one up!
IGN Wii: Are there any specific gameplay changes from running, passing, kicking, or play management?Damian: We've done some tweaking in all areas of gameplay to make things easier to pull off. To Kick or Punt the ball now you simply hold the A button down and swing the Wii Remote up to generate power. This gives the user enough time to properly aim their kick before generating power. On the running side we've simplified the Power Move command to barrel through oncoming defenders. This year you just push the Wii Remote forward. These changes are just the tip of the iceberg, which together help make the game easier to play and more enjoyable.
IGN Wii: The previous game made great use of controller motion for stiff-arms, jukes, and catching or deflecting passes. Have any more of these motions been added for 08? How is the controller being used this time around?
Damian: A lot of those great gestures are back along with some new ones. One of the new additions we're particularly proud of is our new gesture based Audible system. This year we've put your Audible controls on the nunchuk. All you need to do is swing the nunchuk in one of four directions to call an Audible on the fly before the snap. These additions make the pre-snap game that much more interactive, just like in real life. If you don't like what you see on the defensive side of the ball in Madden 08 Wii, make the motion on your nunchuk and watch your team adjust.
On the gameplay side you will see a number of those fun gestures return. We wanted to keep the controls fun and easy to remember so we remapped a lot of the difficult two handed gestures to simpler actions. The result has made the game a lot more responsive and fun to play.
On the control side of things we're also trying something very new to Wii sports games, but we'll have to talk about this in our next interview. We're not ready to let everything out of the bag quite yet.
Improved Graphics
IGN Wii: How does the game compare visually to last year's Madden, and will the Wii version specifically be getting a visual bump?Damian: We put a lot of effort into the Visual and overall presentation this year. From our initial showings of the game people are impressed with the leap the game has made over last year. On the visual side we really tried to push the game's depth of color and richness. Everything from 3D grass to the shiny player helmets pop off the screen, even more so when you're playing in 16:9 with 480p. You'll notice this year that player jerseys and pants have that realistic jersey sheen (reflections) on them that actually adjusts with the camera angle. We didn't stop there, though. Our new in-game presentation includes an overhauled Play Call screen which shares some characteristics of the Next Gen game. Overall I think people will be impressed with what they see when they play the game, especially if you own an HDTV.
Party Mode
IGN Wii: As far as general gameplay goes for all consoles, how is Madden 08 different from its predecessor?Damian: Madden 08 Wii includes many new features and some exclusive to the Wii version only. For starters, the Wii version will include the franchise's Read and React Player Weapon system. Basically, during gameplay you can manually display and see where your impact superstars are and where best to exploit mismatches on the field. These players are marked with Player Weapon Icons to illustrate their strengths. For example, star QBs can be classified as a Precision Passer, a Scrambler or having a Cannon Arm; the highest honor is that of the Franchise QB.
The Wii version will also offer a number of exciting exclusive features. One of those is our brand new Party Mode. We built this mode for those times when you have friends over and you want instant multiplayer action. We worked closely with our friends at Nintendo and have included full support to attach your own custom Mii to track your overall progress in the mode.
When first entering the Party Mode you have three distinct games areas: Play Now, Mini-Games and Trivia. All areas fully support four-player action. Once each player creates a profile with their Mii, it's off to gameplay where you can compete in 22 mini-games, a Trivia mode which will test your NFL knowledge or traditional Madden fans' favorite exhibition action. Each time you win or lose at party games it will raise or lower your Party Rating. The sheer number of multiplayer mini-games offered this year is staggering to say the least.
Online Play
IGN Wii: Along with new roster updates and mini-games, what can Wii players look forward to this year? Have live roster updates, streaming stats, or any other features been added to give the game the NFL feel?Damian: It doesn't get any more NFL than streaming sports scores, which have been added to the feature set this year when you log into our brand new Online mode.
IGN Wii: Please go into detail in regards to online multiplayer. What modes can you play? Will it be as robust as, say, the 360 version?
Damian: The online mode this year on Wii will allow two-player Exhibition games which can be ranked or unranked matches. Once you've signed into EA Nation you'll have instant sports scores stream into the lobby and have access to quick play features to jump right into the action. Updated rosters, Leaderboards, EA Locker and EA Messenger are all a part of the online package this year.
IGN Wii: Does Madden support voice chat or any type of online communication? Also, will players need friend codes to hook up, chat, and play?Damian: Madden Wii does not support voice chat this year. We do have a basic EA Messenger chat service which allows you to keep connected with friends during online play. EA Messenger is separate from the Wii friends list so when you're online you search for people by using their online EA Nation Persona.
IGN Wii: Does the online mode automatically import your system code, or do you need a separate friend code to play Madden online?
Damian: Madden Wii doesn't support the Wii friends system during online play. This is something we're still working on with Nintendo. For now our online play uses your EA Nation Persona to search and manage your EA Messenger account.
IGN Wii: How many of the game modes are multiplayer enabled? Can you play all mini-games, tournaments, and modes on and offline? Are there any online seasons/tourneys for the Wii version?
Damian: Pretty much all of the standard offline game modes are local multiplayer enabled. Social gaming is the big push for us this year with the inclusive of Party Mode and Online Play. We don't support online tournaments this year. However this is something we're looking at for next year. With this being the franchise's first year online on the Wii we have concentrated on delivering the core Madden gaming experience at a high quality.
