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Written by cgonz | 04 March 2009
Posted in EA Sports NCAA Basketball

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – March 3, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced EA SPORTS™ will for the first time offer a downloadable official NCAA® Tournament edition of its college basketball videogame. Fans will be able to replicate the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship bracket and play with all the schools in NCAA March Madness®. Called NCAA® Basketball 09: March Madness® Edition and available exclusively for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system for 1200 Microsoft points ($15.00), it will be available to download just in time for the start of the NCAA tournament. The 2009 Tournament tips-off exclusively on CBS Sports on March 19th.

NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition will be easy-to-download exclusively for the Xbox 360 through Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 1200 Microsoft points beginning March 11, 2009. The game will initially feature teams from last year’s tournament, and then beginning on March 18, will feature the just-announced official Selection Sunday brackets and accurate teams with updated ratings.

NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition will re-create all the atmosphere and intensity of NCAA March Madness by enabling fans to authentically replicate the entire NCAA Tournament and play through the “virtual bracket” with their favorite team under the same conditions they’ll face throughout March Madness. Take on the challenge of leading any of the 65 schools competing on the road to the Final Four®, from the opening round right through to a virtual reproduction of the Final Four on the authentic Ford Field court in Detroit, where one team will be crowned NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Champion on April 6, 2009.  

“We really wanted to make our game available to a wider selection of fans that are drawn to college basketball by the passion, excitement and drama that surrounds March Madness,” said Connor Dougan, Producer for NCAA® Basketball 09: March Madness Edition. “Fans will be able to experience the tournament, feel the adrenaline rush that comes with a single loss elimination tournament and write their own history.”

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Written by Scott Hemphill | 15 October 2008
Posted in EA Sports NCAA Basketball

October 14, 2008 - Electronic Arts has provided IGN with the inside scoop on tomorrow's official announcement of its partnership with Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. Blue Ribbon will be providing team scouting reports and team ratings for EA Sports' college basketball videogame, NCAA Basketball 09, which is scheduled for release on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Playstation 2 consoles on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook has been the leader in compiling accurate scouting reports on college basketball teams for the last 28 years, and EA Sports will utilize its scouting reports and data to drive NCAA Basketball 09.

"We are always looking at new ways to create a more authentic gameplay experience for our fans and this new partnership with a recognized industry leader is significant," said Peter Moore, President, EA Sports. "This partnership enables us to replicate with precision the playing style of every Division I school in NCAA Basketball 09 this year."

NCAA Basketball 09 introduces a new, strategic gameplay feature that challenges gamers to replicate their school's style of play and set the game tempo to enhance their chances of winning. Whether your school pushes the ball in transition, runs a half-court offense that utilizes the clock and limits possessions or features a balanced attack that combines transition offense with set plays, NCAA Basketball 09 rewards the strategic gamer by emphasizing team specific styles of play. In addition, NCAA Basketball 09 will feature Division I coaches in-game for the first time, providing real time instruction and feedback, helping players control the tempo by executing their team's offense and defense to perfection.

"The partnership between EA Sports and Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook will bring a level of realism never before experienced while playing NCAA Basketball 09," said Chris Dortch, Editor, Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. "Because for the last 28 years, when college coaches begin the process of scouting their opponents, the first resource they turn to is Blue Ribbon. To have that sort of resource-- which coaches all around the country have come to rely upon--available in NCAA Basketball 09 is unprecedented..."

Check out full story and Q&A HERE from IGN.

 

Written by cgonz | 19 September 2008
Posted in EA Sports NCAA Basketball

"Layout of Community Event – First off, I’d like to thank EA Canada Content & Community Leader Marcus Stephenson for organizing this event and also the NCAA Basketball development team for meeting with us and being open to hearing our feedback and thoughts. Not playing the game at all on day one may not seem exciting, but being able to hear producers explain what features are in the game (and why), their thoughts on the franchise, and also taking our feedback (positive and negative) is a process I hope takes place at more community events. They have made it very easy for attendees to go back and tell the community their feedback is heard and implemented when they show us direct quotes from community members found in threads, wish lists, etc. I hope they continue this in blogs leading up to the release of the game.

Gameplay – Right off the bat, the new engine (from NBA Live) has helped eliminate two of the biggest issues found in March Madness 08 – poor ball physics and a poor rebounding system. The game plays faster and smoother than MM08.

The NCAA Basketball team has put a focus on making the game play as accurate as possible the last two years, making the big feature addition each year gameplay related. While it would have been easy for them to respond to the slow, sluggish March Madness 08 with a run & gun, completely offensive minded feature in NCAA Basketball 09 to attract the casual crowd, the team responded with a feature that makes gamers play to their team’s strengths.

Making cross-court passes is ill-advised in this game. You must make smart passes or they will be picked off. Beating the press takes work. It can be done, but it takes patience and smart passing & correct ball movement; as in real-life.

As stated in the earlier reports, the team has put a focus on making the offense & defense play as realistic as possible, while still being a fun video game.

With the addition of the NABC license, NCAA Basketball has put a focus on getting each team to play like their real-life counterparts. Tennessee & Memphis will push the ball up the floor and apply full-court pressure defense, Colorado will run a half-court offense, Syracuse utilizes the 2-3 defense, etc.

Game Tempo Control - During the presentation on day one, this feature sounded gimmicky and several attendees wondered how this feature would appear when actually playing the game. However, after playing the game this feature works as intended. It stresses that gamers execute a gameplan that matches their roster. No longer can people just run and gun (shoot 3s and press all-day), if it doesn’t fit their personnel. The Game Tempo Control helps reflect the game pace and reminds gamers via Coach Feedback about their gameplan and to stick with it. "

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Written by cgonz | 18 September 2008
Posted in EA Sports NCAA Basketball

Here's Part 2 of NCAA Strategies NCAA Basketball 09 Event Recap regarding Gameplay..

"The following is a recap of the gameplay presentation from NCAA Basketball producers Sean O’Brien and Connor Dougan.

The main gameplay addition to NCAA Basketball is“Set the Tempo.” As explained by O’Brien, “college basketball is defined by the excitement and intensity that comes with the uniqueness of each team’s style of play, and executing that style of play to perfection.”

In NCAA Basketball, there are three distinct styles of play: Up Tempo, Half Court, and Balanced.

- Up-Tempo: Pressure D, push ball in transition, aggressive offensively.
- Half Court: Use shot clock, run longer sets, limit opponents possessions.
- Balanced: Can run in transition & play half court.

Each team has a pre-defined style of play based upon their roster and coaching style/tendency. These can be changed mid-game and also in Dynasty Mode.

Throughout the course of the game, the tempo is measured and displayed via a Game Tempo Control meter – resembling a speedometer. Based upon time of possession (average time each player takes to attempt a shot per possession), the Game Tempo Control will show the current pace of the game and the pace each team should be striving for. Up-Tempo teams will want to bury the needle, Half Court teams will want the needle on the left side, and Balanced teams will want the needle in the middle. Half court teams will not be penalized for scoring on fast breaks or on offensive rebounds & put-backs.

If teams play to their ideal tempo, they will receive a slight boost. If they are allowing their opponent to play to the tempo they desire (while not playing in their own), they will receive a slight downgrade. The key to success in NCAA Basketball 09 is recognizing your team strength & ideal tempo, and playing to each.

In the pre-game screen, gamers can pick three points of emphasis. These points are based upon the style of play that team uses in real-life. These three points do not alter the gameplay, but rather are simply presentation support with the coaches in-game. "

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE