After less-than-perfect reviews for the past two editions of Madden, the development crew promises that Madden NFL 08 will be a defining moment in the football series' long-running, and incredibly successful, history.

What will make Madden 08 the football game to be reckoned with? Producer Ian Cummings, who showed off certain new elements of the game at the Tiburon studios in Orlando, FL, says it all depends on "pure dynamic gameplay." To put it in layman's terms -- that means a host of new features will give the player more control over the game than ever before.

Cummins said that this year – more than others – they've looked to the fans to see what changes they should make in the game. Besides obvious suggestions such as improved AI and more flexible animations, they're reinstating old favorites like defensive hot routes and classic rosters.

Madden will come packed with a host of new features that look to make this year's game one step closer to the real thing. Using the Madden 08 game engine, Cummings gave us a play-by-play on what to expect.

Branching Animations
Computer-controlled players in the game will move more realistically. Instead of taking long, lazy turns to change directions, players will stop, plant their feet and cut to the left or right – a movement known as "branching" -- allowing for faster (and more realistic) movement. This technology can already be seen in FIFA and NBA Street Homecourt.

As an example, Cummings showed a demo of a receiver in last year's Madden game running straight out-of-bounds before getting the chance to veer left or right. With branching technology, a runner will move more like real-life players – instead of heading out of bounds, they will quickly cut left or right to avoid the sideline and gain a few more yards.

At first glance, this whole branching thing might seem minor, but Cummings says the advanced technology plays a big role in making the rest of Madden's new in-game features run smoothly.

On the Receiving End

Just like real-life, not all receivers can pick up a pass with the same dexterity and panache of the Bengals' Chad Johnson. Catching a ball will now depend on a player's situational awareness, spectacular passes and catch-in-traffic ratings. For the first time, receivers will be able to snag the ball with one hand (the higher the player rating, the more likely they will be able to pull this off). Possession catches also play a bigger role. Press a button to trigger a possession catch at the right moment – a receiver will slow down and focus on catching the ball, meaning they're less likely to fumble and more likely to avoid in-air collisions. Possession receivers like Marvin Harrison can become that much more valuable.

Colliding in Mid-Air

When a player jumps into the air to catch a pass, they think before they leap. This year, receivers who like to leap and snatch the pigskin in midair – that means you Randy Moss -- will be more likely to get flattened by oncoming traffic.

The HitStick Goes 2.0

The HitStick is back, and Cummins says it's better than ever (not that he'd be likely to say otherwise). HitStick 2.0 lets players choose whether they want to tackle high or low by flicking the right analog stick up or down (or not at all, if they want to hit directly in the middle).

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