The possibility of Madden 11 and Motion Control

Full article found at http://ps3.ign.com/articles/108/1084369p1.html

IGN.com wrote:

In this, the first of many looks at how to use both Natal and PlayStation Move in fun ways that don't replace the core gameplay that we know and love, I'm going to put Madden NFL 11 in the spotlight. It seems, at least from our initial understanding of the two separate technologies, that PlayStation Move will be the better option when it comes to emulating sports games. I'm not talking about just using an IR sensor to point to receivers on the field as you do in the Wii version of Madden. If what Sony says is true, then true 1:1 (one-to-one) motion could make its way to high-definition sports games for the first time. Natal could also tackle a segment of the sport of football, but I'd like EA Sports to keep their use of the camera technology to a minimum in the hopes of not hurting Madden's gameplay.

The (Sony) Move has a lot of possibilities given the fact that it has the ability to house motion-sensitive gestures on the main controller, directional movements with the analog stick on the sub controller as well as a limited offering of button presses. I envision Madden NFL 11 coming in two flavors on the PS3. One will be those who own PlayStation Move, one will be for those who do not. The Move variety will feature an additional football peripheral that will actually wrap around the move controller so only the colored bulb is shown to the camera (for tracking purposes). Provided that the Move actually does track 1:1 motion as well as Sony claims, this would allow for the controller to seamlessly integrate into the passing game. The PlayStation Eye could track the exact angle, speed and trajectory of your passing motion as the onscreen quarterback's arm and position of the football would follow the exact movement. Meanwhile, the Sub Controller would handle the movement of the quarterback's feet. Forget IR and forget shaking aimlessly at the screen with the Move remote to toss the pigskin -- our solution eliminates all of that and instead uses the motion controls in a very simple and logical way that will hopefully translate well to video game form (provided EA Sports can pull it off).

Natal is less obvious with its uses because I haven't actually gotten my hands on (or is it off?) the hardware in the same context as I have with the Move. Based on my relatively limited understanding about the limitations of Natal, using it for finite motions that require true 1:1 control and split-second reactions would seriously hurt the Madden brand of football. Instead, I propose that EA Sports keep the core football game intact and use Natal for something that we know it's already good for: kicking. We've all seen Kudo Tsunoda kicking those flying balls on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and it seemed to work fairly accurately with regard to the angle of the body in relation to the trajectory of the ball he sent flying. So I thought, "Hey, why not use this for field goal kicking game in Madden?" It's simple, it has the potential to be pretty cool, and it certainly won't get in the way of core Madden gameplay.

It'll work like this: when it's time for a field goal, you stand in place in front of Natal. The placement of your feet will act as the spot where the ball is placed after it's hiked. From there, you take three steps back and two steps to either side (depending on which foot you kick with) just like they do in the real NFL. Once the ball is hiked, it's up to you to angle your foot properly and kick with enough speed to get the ball through the uprights. It might not be as sweeping a change as could be delivered by PlayStation Move, but it's something.

I don't know if EA has plans for Madden 11 and motion control, but some of the stuff this guy talks about would be awesome. maybe its only good in theory... or maybe it would kick ass. i mean i never played Madden on the Wii, but people say its fun. i think they'll have to mix it in to avoid some people freaking out about it.