HI folks, installed Madden 07 on my PC yesterday and have played a couple of games, all the normal stuff is there plus a new feature where you can take control of any RB OL or TE on a play as a blocker to make sure that you get a good run, I was so sick of my FB missing lead blocks in the old version this one is really cool, you can do a cut block, or a power "bowl them over" block, or push them to one side or the other.
The graphics go into slow motion so you can handle the transition back to halfback easier. Its a cool feature that you wouldnt' use all the time but certainly adds another dimention.

The franchise mode looks a little different as is the superstar mode.

Check it out!

update!

the superstar mode is wild!
Now when playing games in this mode, and when practicing for games you ACTUALLY CONTROL YOUR PLAYER AND NOONE ELSE~!
The coach calls the plays and you try to do your job the best you can, if you are a TE you might be called to pass block, run bl;ock, go for a pass etc, its brilliant. Aparently WR QB HB and LB are the best positions to play, but you can be any at all and play using that player whenever he is on the field, kickoffs, punt returns etc. When you player is not on you can control the team as a normal game.

As your player improves he can gain special abilites that can be used to affect the ability of players on the field with him. My rookie safety is in preseason and is rated about 79, he is a ahrdhitting free safety and has the ability "Run stopper" which means if I am playing well in a game (ie we as a unit have made a few good stops on third down, picked off a pass or forced a fumble)  I start to influence the players around me and I can actually add points to the tackling ability of my fellow defensive backs. Each play when you are on the field the result of the play will effect your INFLUENCE value, if you allow a first down you loose a point, if you stop a 4th down you get 5, if you get a sack you get about 3, allow a 12 yard run you might loose 2 or 3 etc. When you influence gets higher your influence spreads, for example with my run stuff ability (they call it a ROLE) I can actually remove points from the run blocking ability of the offensive players or even the handling ability of the running backs (you have a limited number of infliuence ability points to spend that is related to your influence tally).
Each different ROLE that a player has gives him different chances to change player attributes while he is on the field using his onfield influence. Other roles I have heard of include Deep Threat, Burner, Posession WR, Field General, Captain, Blocking Back, Brute (or something like that for breaking tackles) and so on, sounds pretty cool right? I must say this might even go as far as drawing me away from playing franchise mode only.
Last year I barely even played superstar mode as it seemed pointless, now you control that player on the field and watch him develop! If you are like me and love offence you can develop a defensive superstar rookie so that using him will make playing defence more interesting between offensive drives. Like all things madden it will also teach you more about the strategy of the game, as you now can't avoid knowing what your assignment is on defence, as FS one play I will be in a deep zone, then blitzing, then man on man on a top flight WR, a underneath zone, on a TE, or manned up on a running back- its great!

well worth the purchase folks, in fact think I'll go play it now!
 

I should clarify something, when you are controling your player on thefield the camera view is just over his shoulder in what is refered to in game cicles as third person, not the blimp cam you are used to so it is really involving, I can tell you as a safety lined up one on one on Randy Moss its hard to really pay much attention to the run, and you can really get sucked in by playaction because you are looking through the packed LOS just like IRL, its like playing football!

Madden 07 on the Xbox 360 is LUSH! love this game!!  

Life as a FS is almost impossible, the problem with superstar mode is you play the game but the coach calls all the plays, and the playcalling is rotten, one game with 5 minute quaters the coach called HB Pass about 25 times, yeah that's realistic. IMX the coach will pick 4 common plays and call them all game long, often the same run 15 times in a row on a drive if you are good enough to keep getting 1st downs, talk about boring, big disapointment, hope I can find a way to alter it.

Was playing this on the Xbox 360 last night.  I started a franchise with the Eagles & travelled to Houston for the week 1 game.  Just before the 2 minute warning, I nailed a 49 TD pass to Stallworth (think that’s the right guy), to take a 14-3 lead.  What happened next was crazy!!

The Texans seemed desperate to score before the half & kept lobbing the ball up.  Needless to say, I gobbled one up (thanks Mr Dawkins), & took it back for the score.  Next drive, the same thing happens again, this time a LB makes the picks & takes it all the way.  Then with less than 30 seconds left, I go & do it AGAIN!!  Lito Sheppard (don’t know if that’s the correct name or not), makes the grab & takes it for the TD.

So at half time, I lead 35-3 when it could have been just 10-3!!  Needless to say, I won the game 49-10 in the end.

Ace.

I also played another game, the Cards v 49ers.  I took the opening kick off back 73 yards, helping me score 7 with the first drive.  San Fran then returned the kick off to the house & I did the exact same thing once they re-started the game.

Crazy!!

now i'm not really into video games much these days though i did have madden on ps1 (thats as modern as i got and nintendo 64)now i was more into racing games and couldn't really get into madden but i am intrigued in these madden one's (particully PC versions)can you play it more ala gameplan where you don't play the player but are more the coach or GM now that i could get into (even if it showed you the game or turnout of the calls)or is there a game out there that does this i.e roster building and play calling now i don't need the latest whiz bang stuff (an older version may well be adequate for me and cheaper)and it has to play on a basic laptop of 256 speed and 40 (i think)gb ram (though i run norton antivirus which i am told comprimses speed and memory)
any tips info would be appreciated
 

--Last edited by greg salmon on 2007-05-05 18:49:58 --

you can run a madden franchise without every taking to the field, you can have the computer simulate all the games and just view the resutlts and the stats, but you get total control over the franchise.
There is a newish additional option where you go into the gameweek menu and call the plays for the game one at a time like real time gameplan, but you don't have to go onto the field and control a player.
You can also have the PC simulate the whole game while watching it from spectator mode, not actually calling the plays or "being" a player on the field.
If you wanted to be a real GM this is the way to do it.

Greg, everyone I have ever talked to about Norton has had collosal problems. I have too, suggest you get a different antivirus and security program, Norton takes complete control of your system and really really slows it down. Its fine at first but after a while it gets excrutiating.
IIRC there may be a recomendations thread about this in stadium management section.
Lots of good free software out there, but you have to pay for madden.
Highly highly recomend madden 07 for the use you describe.
Superstar mode also can be simmed without playing games, in this gametype it is effectively a one man franchise, you are the superstar himself rather than the GM.

questions just ask.

There's also Front Office Football, which a number of Gameplanners seem very keen on. I've never played it myself, but it's always sounded to me like a more in-depth version of the franchise management available in Madden.

more in depth than the current madden franchise option? I find that hard to believe...

Well, I'm still playing the '05 version, so maybe this part of the game's been upgraded a lot since then and perhaps "in depth" isn't really what I mean anyway.

I enjoy the franchise mode greatly, but sometimes the AI is a bit dodgy - rival teams stockpiling loads of good players in the same position for instance while doing nothing to address problems elsewhere in the squad (although if this only happened for the Lions, you could argue this was an ultra-accurate simulation! ). Also, there are some positions (e.g. MLB, CB) where it's just way too easy to bring in any old player and watch them effortlessly develop into a superstar with very little input.

JMO of course and I have no way of knowing whether FOF is any better, but given that Madden is not primarily a management game and FOF is, you'd think the latter might be better on that front.

Oh I see, if you're 2 years behind then I can see how you would think that. There are many more franchise options these days from that version IIRC, adding entire new sections to the mode.

Just installed madden 06 on my palm TX, gonna go check it out, I am suffereing major withdrawl atm!