News Post

NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

11:42 PM - April 24, 2008 by coogrfan

NCAA Strategies have just posted their first look at NCAA Football 09.

Quote:


	"The offensive line play seems improved in pass protection, IMO. I am not sure I would quantify it as a pure �pocket� like some of you have asked, but I didn�t got stomped by the defensive line as much as I did in 08. In 08, online play was hampered by gamers taking advantage of the lead blocking feature with offensive linemen. If you attempted pancake blocks with them, they would blow the DL several yards deep opening up a huge hole. This year, that does not seem to be the case. I worked on this several times and only saw one pancake, but it did not result in the DL getting blasted five yards deep � only two or three. The rest of the time the players were simply engaged in a tie-up."

Game: NCAA Football 09Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS2 / PS3 / PSP / Wii / Xbox 360Votes for game: 95 - View All

NCAA Football 09 Videos

Member Comments

# 1 Scott @ 04/24/08 11:44 PM

Just got done reading, some good info..

# 2 eaglesfan27 @ 04/25/08 12:08 AM

What I'm reading about interceptions still being too prevalent has me concerned.. definitely appears to be a rent before I buy.

# 3 bad_philanthropy @ 04/25/08 12:11 AM

I don't like the thing about the interceptions it seems to indicate that DB play hasn't received the attention it needs.

I also can't understand why they refuse to add additional camera angles.

# 4 Scott @ 04/25/08 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy


	I don't like the thing about the interceptions it seems to indicate that DB play hasn't received the attention it needs. I also can't understand why they refuse to add additional camera angles.

Yeah, the interception thing worries me, but hopefully they'll have time to get that fixed..

# 5 SageInfinite @ 04/25/08 12:15 AM

Sounds good. Gotta see it in motion but I think I'll enjoy 09 since I enjoyed 08. Still not positive about a 1st day purchase but the demo and videos will help make that decision.

I still wish Tiburon would take more risks and throw a mass amount of authenticity into the game. Sounds like the little things have improved but I still don't get the feeling we'll see anything like The Show or NBA 2k has.

# 6 spankdatazz22 @ 04/25/08 12:16 AM

Huge credit to the author; that was probably the most detailed early look at a sports game I've seen. Seemed to honestly and evenly talk pros and cons; no wild overstatements one way or the other and even put a cherry on top by giving readers perspective with the last few paragraphs. Very much appreciated.

# 7 jfsolo @ 04/25/08 12:17 AM

Its good to read that they have emphasized to the development team tuning those gameplay areas that have bothered me the most the last few years.- Too many accurate throws, pick 6's, zombie plays by defenders.-

Its somewhat disconcerting that those issues are still as big of a problem as they are, but hopefully those guys can persuade the team to really do some major tuning of those areas.

# 8 WDOgF0reL1fe @ 04/25/08 12:20 AM

Not too shabby. Im still very stoked

# 9 Spectre @ 04/25/08 12:23 AM

Meh, I'd like to hear impressions from more neutral sources before I get enthused. Fool me once...

# 10 J-Unit40 @ 04/25/08 12:26 AM

I am less enthusiatic after reading that write-up. 1-2 INTs returned for TDs per game? No thanks. I honestly may not get this game on Day One this year. I don't think I've ever said that about this game, but the INT issue is just inexcusable. And so is only having one camera angle. Really EA. One freaking camera angle? We have how many camera angles in FIFA, NBA Live, UEFA, etc.?

It sounds like there have been some improvements in other areas, but if the game is going to be an interception festival like '08 than this game will be just as frustrating. I can only hope that the INT slider and Knockdown slider actually work this year.

There is still some time left to fine tune the passing game (hopefully), so who knows.

Good write up by NCAA Strategies though. Thanks for keeping us informed coogrfan.

# 11 bad_philanthropy @ 04/25/08 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SageTheInfinite


	Sounds good. Gotta see it in motion but I think I'll enjoy 09 since I enjoyed 08. Still not positive about a 1st day purchase but the demo and videos will help make that decision. I still wish Tiburon would take more risks and throw a mass amount of authenticity into the game. Sounds like the little things have improved but I still don't get the feeling we'll see anything like The Show or NBA 2k has.

I completely agree about wishing Tiburon would just take risks and go all out with authenticity. I think that it is a proven effective formula in game design, look how attention to detail has been received by gamers playing The Show and how that has translated into the rise of that title. And although it's not nearly the same type of game, the emphasis in GTA IV's production was all about the small details and adding as many of them as possible, and look how well that seems to already have been received by the public and the media.

# 12 therizing02 @ 04/25/08 12:33 AM

Thanks for posting the impressions Coogr.

ATTN EA: Please fix the play of the DBs!!!!

# 13 Soonerd2 @ 04/25/08 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WDOgF0reL1fe


	Not too shabby. Im still very stoked

Me too. Some good and bad things in the write up, but it's already paid for at Gamestop.

# 14 Moshood @ 04/25/08 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Unit40


	I am less enthusiatic after reading that write-up. 1-2 INTs returned for TDs per game? No thanks. I honestly may not get this game on Day One this year. I don't think I've ever said that about this game, but the INT issue is just inexcusable. And so is only having one camera angle. Really EA. One freaking camera angle? We have how many camera angles in FIFA, NBA Live, UEFA, etc.? It sounds like there have been some improvements in other areas, but if the game is going to be an interception festival like '08 than this game will be just as frustrating. I can only hope that the INT slider and Knockdown slider actually work this year.

I'm not thrilled to hear that the INT's for TD's are overdone still. That @#$% killed the game for me last year. I mean really 1-2+ INT's returned for TD's PER GAME!! WTF kinda crap is that.

# 15 qpc123 @ 04/25/08 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moshood


	I'm not thrilled to hear that the INT's are overdone still. That @#$% killed the game for me last year. I mean really 1-2+ INT's returned for TD's PER GAME!! WTF kinda crap is that.

Really the way i think about, if hes playing default sliders and they get 1-2 per game that can prolly be toned down with sliders since last year on default i could get 3-6 pick sixes a game.

# 16 SageInfinite @ 04/25/08 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy


	I completely agree about wishing Tiburon would just take risks and go all out with authenticity. I think that it is a proven effective formula in game design, look how attention to detail has been received by gamers playing The Show and how that has translated into the rise of that title. And although it's not nearly the same type of game, the emphasis in GTA IV's production was all about the small details and adding as many of them as possible, and look how well that seems to already have been received by the public and the media.

This adds a wow factor for casual and hardcore gamers.

# 17 jfsolo @ 04/25/08 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Unit40


	I am less enthusiatic after reading that write-up. 1-2 INTs returned for TDs per game? No thanks. I honestly may not get this game on Day One this year. I don't think I've ever said that about this game, but the INT issue is just inexcusable. And so is only having one camera angle. Really EA. One freaking camera angle? We have how many camera angles in FIFA, NBA Live, UEFA, etc.? It sounds like there have been some improvements in other areas, but if the game is going to be an interception festival like '08 than this game will be just as frustrating. I can only hope that the INT slider and Knockdown slider actually work this year. There is still some time left to fine tune the passing game (hopefully), so who knows. Good write up by NCAA Strategies though. Thanks for keeping us informed coogrfan.

Its one of those things where you don't want to be rude to people who have invited you to observe, report, and critique their game a couple of months before its done, but I hope they can really hammer the point home how fundamentally flawed it is for there to be that that many returns for TD's. They really need to convince them to fix this aspect of game. To me its the most important thing they can do during this trip.

# 18 Moshood @ 04/25/08 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qpc123


	Really the way i think about, if hes playing default sliders and they get 1-2 per game that can prolly be toned down with sliders since last year on default i could get 3-6 pick sixes a game.

Yeah, hopefully the INT Slider works this year though since last year I could nab 4+ INT's with the INT Slider set at zero.

# 19 twisted88 @ 04/25/08 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qpc123


	Really the way i think about, if hes playing default sliders and they get 1-2 per game that can prolly be toned down with sliders since last year on default i could get 3-6 pick sixes a game.

That's assuming the sliders actually WORK this year! In browsing various forums last year, it seemed the overwhelming gamekiller was the excessive turnovers in 08. There were obviously other gameplay issues, but the ints was the one I saw complained about the most. You would have hoped that would be one of the first things they addressed this year. Just hope with over 2 months before release, they get that fixed!

# 20 bad_philanthropy @ 04/25/08 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qpc123


	Really the way i think about, if hes playing default sliders and they get 1-2 per game that can prolly be toned down with sliders since last year on default i could get 3-6 pick sixes a game.

That's true, compared to default last year that is an improvement, but the ratio still needs to be improved. I don't know what the average TD/INT ratio was in college football last year but I'm certain it was above 1:1 or 1:2.

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