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Wow!  Where in the world have I been?  According to the guys over at ncaastrategies.com, a third patch has been released for both PS3 and XBOX 360.  Please see this link for more information.

One of the biggest complaints about the NCAA Football series is the lack of emotion, drama, storyline, and presentation.  With the article below, I have detailed several items that could make the overall experience with NCAA Football ’11 more unique.

***All of the below was seen only a few plays into the BCS National Championship between LSU and Ohio State:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/7354/bcs-national-championship-national-championship-ohio-state-vs-lsu

Improve Kickoff presentation:

• Show an upclose shot of the 2 returners fixing their gloves, pointing at the sideline, or jumping up and down.
• Show an upclose shot of the cheerleaders.
• Show the kicker setting up the tee and backing up while the referee blows the whistle (if it’s windy, have the ball fall over and watch the kicker reset it).
• When the kick is in the air, show a panning shot of the entire stadium from left to right.  Right before the player catches the ball, swing the camera behind the return man.

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After the kickoff presentation:

• Show the entire offensive team huddled up with the coach or the coordinator
• Display the “This Season” stats as the QB walks up to the line:

• Before a play begins, show a tight view from the sideline that includes a graphical 1st & 10 marker on the field (yellow line & red arrows):

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After the first play presentation:

• Show a graphic of the offense:

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After the second play presentation:

• Show a graphic of the defensive players

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After a first down presentation:

• Show a pan and scan of the band

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After a touchdown:

• More team animations (players run from up the field & celebrate with the player)
• Pan and scan the band
• Pan and scan the fans celebrating (preferably up close…just a few fans)
• Show the opposing coach getting pissed off and angry at his coordinators (alternatively, show him throwing his clipboard, standing there with his arms folded, just shaking his head…there’s a million things here…)
• Show the player that got the touchdown running off of the field with a stat overlay:

After the play presentation:

• Show the players slapping each other’s helmets (butts for that matter)
• Helping each other dig themselves out of a pile
• Show the QB looking at the sideline for the next play
• Show the QB looking at his playbook wrist chart

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Split screen presentation:

• Show opposing quarterbacks, show opposing coaches, show a DB and  WR.  This is common when the announcers are talking about specific matchups.
• Here’s what I envision when there’s a really good LB facing off against a good QB:
  (On one side of the screen, show the QB in the huddle with his team.  On the the side of the screen, show the LB talking to his players about assignments.)
  Brad:  “We’re really going to have to watch this matchup between the linebacker and the quarterback.  These two guys are some of the best in their positions.”
  Kirk:  “That’s right Brad.  Quarterbacks really hate worrying about getting sacked by the defensive line.  Now, the Quarterback also needs to be conscious of the linebacker at all times.  You never know when this team will throw a blitz into the mix.”

• If the defensive player made a good play on the ball, then show them getting up and celebrating.  In NCAA Football ’10, the camera always sticks to the offensive player with them “struggling to get up”.

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This is by no means a “cumulative” list of what should be added to the presentation.  Rather, this is essentially the ideas I got after watching about 10 minutes of the BCS Championship game.  There’s no reason why any or all of these items shouldn’t be added to NCAA Football ’11.  Do you have more ideas?  Sound off in the comments!

According to the NCAA Football Community Wish List Tournament over at ncaastrategies.com, custom playbooks has defeated correct option blocking as the most wanted feature in NCAA Football ’11.  Unfortunately, the feature is not nearly as complex as what you would expect from a custom playbooks feature.  In fact, when I think of custom playbooks, I think of the ability to create plays and add them to your playbook.  However, the description over at the tournament is far less appealing:

Many NCAA Football gamers spend days (if not weeks) trying to find the perfect playbook – one with the right mix of plays and formations they feel comfortable with. However, many end up disappointed – only finding a playbook that contains a portion of what they want. With Custom Playbooks (a feature in last-gen NCAA Football), users could pick a set number of formations and plays to use in a custom playbook linked to their profile.

Read the rest »

As many of you know, the guys over at ncaastrategies.com are having a great tournament to decide the most user-wanted feature for NCAA Football ’11.  If you haven’t already voted, here’s your chance to vote for the Final Four!  Here’s the matchups:

Formation Subs vs Custom Playbooks

Correct Option Blocking vs Better Offensive Playbooks

Vote now & help make a difference in NCAA Football ’11!