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Your Thoughts on Madden NFL 25
It’s officially launch day for Madden NFL 25 – though the Season Ticket release has taken some wind out of the yearly “big event” sails – and response to the game has been all over the board. My full impressions and run-through of Franchise mode attempted to paint a picture of the experience the game provides through nearly 30 hours of playing. A Press Row Hangout with Rich Grisham, who’s somewhat more positive on the game, was recorded to discuss it from all angles at even greater length. Read more
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First Free-to-Play Mobile Madden Releases for iOS Devices
Madden NFL 25 released today for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad while Android will have to wait until later in the year. It represents EA’s first attempt at a free-to-play sports game on mobile that will be driven by microtransactions instead of the up-front price. The game has been available on the Canadian market since last week where has received somewhat unfavorable reviews due in part to that structure.
Features for Madden NFL 25 include Ultimate Team, solo challenges for the team to play through, offensive shootout mode, head-to-head turn based play, and exhibition. Controls are handled through taps and swipes or a touch screen d-pad option. Essentially the game has been built on the Ultimate Team concept which has proven to be a tremendous revenue generator for the company in the console realm in the hopes it will translate to mobile revenue as well.
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Better Understanding Your Turn Football: Player Ratings and Upgrades
Last week Pick6 Studios developer Michael Saperstein provided insight on the general construction of the excellent mobile game Your Turn Football and some of the strategies to consider when playing. Make sure to check that out here if it was missed earlier. Next up is an opportunity to learn more about what the player ratings mean and how upgrading special teams, defense, and coordinators can impact on-field success. Read more
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Off-Screen FIFA 14 Next-Gen Gameplay Videos
The first opportunity to see next-gen FIFA 14 in action came with Gamescom last week. The game was running on the Xbox One, considering the partnership between EA and Microsoft those type of arrangements will be the norm in coming years, and a number of off-screen videos were captured. Though never the best way to evaluate a game they do offer a chance to assess the graphics, some of the new tech behind the Ignite Engine, and in general how the games flow. Continue on to check out the videos and leave any thoughts in the comments! Read more
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The Line Drive for August 25
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦There is still availability on the Madden NFL 25 Anniversary Edition which includes NFL Sunday Ticket for viewing on PC, tablets, and phones.
♦Manage and view Madden NFL 25 online franchises from the new website.
♦New blog for Madden NFL 25 takes a look at the trade system in franchise mode.
♦New blog for Madden NFL 25 takes a look at player popularity in Owner mode.
♦New blog lists all the signature and generic player celebrations in Madden NFL 25.
♦New blogs detail how d-lineman, DBs, and linebackers are rated in Madden.
♦The payouts for the settled EA football pricing lawsuit are coming soon.
♦The NCAA wants to delay the likeness lawsuit by 15 months.
♦A college’s football program success determines how much video game money they get.
♦ESPN with a look at how little each program makes and why it’d be easy to walk away.
♦Special Press Row Podcast talks with Donny Moore regarding Madden player ratings.
♦Special Press Row Podcast brings on NHL 14 developers to discuss this year’s game.
♦ThatSportsGamer compiled all the Ultimate Team rewards in M25’s Skills Trainer.
♦EA Sports posted an Instagram video of Damian Lillard doing mo-cap for NBA Live 14.
♦Confirmation that NBA 2K14 will include historic teams was posted on Operation Sports.
♦EA Sports released a new current-gen trailer for FIFA 14.
♦New blog goes over a few “Living Worlds” features for FIFA 14 on PS4 and Xbox One.
♦The FIFA 14 web-app for Ultimate Team will open up on September 15.
♦New trailer for NHL 14 goes over how to fight with the new system.
♦A minor patch addressing a couple issues released for MLB 13: The Show.
♦Colombia’s CategorĂa Primera A will debut in FIFA 14.
♦The FIFA 14 for PS Vita will again be nothing much more than a roster update.
♦A free-to-play Madden NFL 25 released for iOS devices in Canada but not the US yet.
♦Kickstarter funding being sought for new football game (link removed – likely scam).
♦Google may be interested in obtaining the exclusive rights to NFL Sunday Ticket.
♦A few slots remain to claim 10% off on an NFL Game Rewind Season Plus subscription. -
Press Row Hangout: Madden NFL 25 Review Edition
With the release of Madden NFL 25 yesterday through Season Ticket and various outlets reviewing the game – make sure to check out my extensive general impressions and look at Connected Franchise along with Rich Grisham’s review at GamesRadar – the two of us discuss our thoughts on Madden this year and survey a number of tweets sent in by viewers in this Press Row Hangout. Late next week the Press Row Podcast will bring the whole panel together to debate the merits of current-gen Madden NFL 25.
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Madden NFL 25 Complete Connected Franchise Owner Mode Impressions
The name change to Connected Franchise is accompanied by a whole new career path in Madden NFL 25. For some time Owner mode has appeared to be what will determine most the value of this year’s edition in the series at least in terms of new features.
What follows is a run-through of the Owner mode experience. There simply was not enough time to analyze every feature included within, but instead this represents a general overview of how the mode shapes up and its potential lasting appeal. Every snap was played in every game of the season as well as running into year two and testing out a few features independently. Check out the FB album for nearly 100 screenshots and don’t miss the full write-up of general gameplay, presentation, and mode impressions that also went up today. Read more
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Madden NFL 25 Complete Initial Impressions
Madden NFL 25 is one of the most difficult to evaluate sports games in recent memory. It carries with it considerable value thanks to a deep feature set, distinct improvements to gameplay, and appreciable fun factor. For every positive though there seems to be something dragging it down from potential excellence. Features aren’t completely fleshed out, gameplay looks and feels chaotic, and legacy issues remain unaddressed.
Make sure to check out the detailed walkthrough of Connected Franchise with Owner mode in focus also posted today. Look for the final Hits and Misses review late next week. Continue on for thoughts on Madden NFL 25’s gameplay, presentation, and modes. Read more
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