It had to eventually come to this

[Undertoad]

Fox's pregame NFL show just highlighted Michael Strahan's ability by showing Madden 2002 clips of him. Calling it the "cyber-strator".

Madden 2002, for those who don't follow gaming, is EA Sports latest [American] football game, for the PC and [some] game consoles. From one point of view, it's amazing how close to "real" it looks. Which is what the 3D modellers are shooting for; they want the game to look like it does on TV, do that it's a very immersive experience for the player.

Maybe they've been doing this all season and I just found out. In any case, here we have 3D models in a virtual reality being passed off as an honest representation of actual reality.

TV news with its journalists understanding the importance of representing reality as reality and simulation as simulation, will introduce a 3D model of, say, the recent AA crash as "one possible explanation of what happened". The sports department has no such qualms; because, after all, sports is not "real" or "news".

So since EA Sports is paying for it, and they have an interest in describing their product as being damn close to real life, well, that's how it'll be described. And it probably even saves Fox a little time, since they don't have to comb through their library of clips to find examples of the REAL Strahan making REAL sacks. Just load up Madden on the Playstation and run a few plays.

I'm not saying this is despicable. Hey, it's just football. But I do find it fascinating.

[elSicomoro]

Originally posted by Undertoad
Maybe they've been doing this all season and I just found out. In any case, here we have 3D models in a virtual reality being passed off as an honest representation of actual reality.

I don't remember it in the first few weeks, but definitely in at least the last 3 weeks or so. It's fascinating.

Speaking of football, time to watch the Rams dismantle the Patriots.

[warch]

Some effects are creepy. Not quite the same subject, but it made me think of a couple of years ago when FOX sports tried on NHL hockey. Remember that? Feeling a need to tap into the US market in a fresh way they introduced the "glowing puck", horrible to watch, particularly when the blazing red or blue comet tail actually obscured the play. Was it tipped? Did he get a stick on it?

The design team's concept seemed to be to "enhance" the real game they were showing to resemble a more exciting computer game.

Graphically they employed the strange transformer robots and sound effects to frame the action,(going for the impressionable 6 year olds) and the score windows had borders that recalled a high-tech-shaving-commercial aesthetic. hummm.

[matt]

I absolutely HATE FOX Sports' NFL coverage. Madden & Summerall are annoying, and Terry Bradshaw & Company in the studio seem to spend more time giggling at each other's bad jokes than actually talking about football.

Mmm ESPN.

[Chewbaccus]

Thus the greatness that was the coming of Jimmy Kimmel.

God bless Jimmy, and Adam, and The Fox. Poor ol' Fox.

~mike

Man. I tell you what. Xbox games look absolutely incredible. I really wouldn't mind seeing some Dead or Alive bouncing around on TV screens.

Seriously though, I hear NFL Fever 2002 is supposed to be pretty alright, and it sure does look good... maybe Fox will be switching to that soon?

[Chewbaccus]

DoA3, Halo, thinking, thinking...

Yeah, that's all that's attractive from XBox.

All Hail The Cube. Now and Forevermore.

~mike

Whateva. Though the cube is definitely cute, I personally find its controller to be lacking (it doesn't feel very good in my hands), and I'm only really impressed with about 2 titles: Luigi's Mansion & Star Wars.

Xbox, though being from -the devil-, is still quite good. I find the controllers to be much more comfortable than any I've used before, and like I've said, I have 4 games and like them all. It all depends on what floats your boat, though. Amped is a really great game, and I'm definitely addicted to it. You seriously should try it out. PGR is good too, but I haven't played it enough to say it's "great". I've just really enjoyed what I *have* played of it. Of course, YMMV (Your Monkeys May Vibrate).

[Violine]

Originally posted by Undertoad

Madden 2002, for those who don't follow gaming, is EA Sports latest [American] football game, for the PC and [some] game consoles. From one point of view, it's amazing how close to "real" it looks. Which is what the 3D modellers are shooting for; they want the game to look like it does on TV, do that it's a very immersive experience for the player.

Hey, just getting back in here, and well, I'm about a month late in replying to this...

Its ironic that the PC game is being used on tv. I have a confession. Last year I bought the latest EA NFL game, and well, I can't play it. But during the off season I would set it up to have the computer play the computer. I turned the play by play announcer on and would sit and watch it as if it were an actual game.

Ok, so I need a life...

Ruth

[elSicomoro]

I'm getting Madden 2002 for Xmas! Whoohoo! In a span of 2 weeks, I'll have gotten as many new games as I've bought over the course of the past 2 years--4. And how many of the new ones did I have to pay for? Zilch.

I know for certain that I'll be renting a few games while out of work. Last year, I played quite a bit of Sim City, Madden 2001, and Monopoly.

[Undertoad]

I have the Madden 2002, mainly because this time I'm avoiding the NHL 2002 because they say it's gone too far down the arcade route (and away from the simulation route).

I gotta say, Roo, that should be the oddest thing one can do with Madden, but obviously since they've set it up so that one CAN play a completely CPU-run game, and watch it, I suppose they do expect people to do that!

I'm forever an oddity, I really prefer text-based league simulators. These are kind of rare, but basically you are the GM of a team and the CPU simulates the games. You make trades, set the rosters, pick throught the free-agent market, etc. They have these kinds of games for almost every sport.