My name is Danny Doeberling, and I’m a Designer on Madden NFL 13 for PS Vita. The game is launching on August 28th, but I wanted to let you know how you can get your hands on the action early with the demo, starting August 14th. When designing Madden for PS Vita, the Dev Team set the goal of making the most complete Madden handheld experience to date, and without a doubt I feel we delivered it. Madden NFL 13 is visually stunning on PS Vita — seeing all the superstars decked out in their brand new NFL uniforms in HD on that gorgeous OLED screen really gets you excited for football season to start. The game is built from the Gen 3 engine, so if you are familiar with PlayStation 3, you will feel right at home here.
Our favorite part of development on this title was incorporating PS Vita’s unique features. I’ll just say this: you don’t know how much you need the touch screen until you get it in your hands — you can use your finger to freely draw receivers’ routes! We titled this feature Call Your Shots. It’s quick, it’s fun, and it will make you forget about the old way of individually assigning player hot routes (which we still have for you traditionalists). It also works wonders on defense, too. Quickly send a Linebacker on a blitz or drop your Safeties back off into a deep zone. We love using Call Your Shots in head-to-head games around the office — things get ultra-competitive when people here think they’re an armchair Mike Tomlin. With the touch screen, we also let you call plays, select players, and easily put a player in motion with a swipe of the finger.
When we looked at the rear touch pad, we wanted to use it as a way to provide enhanced control while emphasizing efficiency. The rear touch pad lets you modify each defensive group and offensive line pre-play. You can also double-tap it to do jukes with the ballcarrier or spins with a quick drag of the finger. PS Vita just has so many dynamic features; it was fun getting a chance to experiment with everything. We ended up using the motion sensor function for kicking, and the camera for snapping your photo for inclusion in Superstar mode. As a Designer, it’s really fun getting to play around with new hardware — especially with the tool set this system has — and finding ways to make Madden better.
The demo gives you a taste of the action by letting you play with last year’s Super Bowl teams. So, see if you can start mastering all of your touch screen moves and command the field like Calvin Johnson. Like I said earlier, we have created the most complete handheld Madden experience to date. You can play as a player in Superstar Mode, compete in a full Franchise mode with Fantasy Draft, go head-to-head Online, and get updated rosters and Madden Moments live throughout the NFL season. I am sure you guys will have a blast playing the demo, and I’ll see you online when the game launches August 28th.
Where’s the cross play? Oh wait…
The fact that you left out a save transfer between Vita and Ps3 is huge. I would have loved to be able to upload my franchise or superstar and keep playing on the road. I would take that feature over the touch stuff anyday. Now I will most likely decide between a Vita OR PS3 copy, instead of picking up both.
I don’t have much confidence in the madden series anymore, but I will give the demo a shot.
o_O Are those Vita screens? If so WOW!!!!! Also we need Cross Play!!
Already have Madden 13 preordered for Vita so it’s good that I can try it out and decide whether or not I need to cancel that preorder before the game comes out.
Excited to try the game! I do have a question: Are the touch features optional?
The photos are private on twitter.
I mean flicker*
Good luck with the release, looking forward to it!
Nice to see Vita getting some love, but will there be a PS3 demo too?
@Satnamji. Yes, a PS3 demo was mentioned in The Drop yesterday.
Whoa, those graphics on the Vita is kind of mind-boggling. Such potential… Glad to see it getting some games. I don’t like sports game, but I’m sure many were anxious for this. Keep it up!
Since the VITA version uses the MADDEN ’12 engine, does that mean added features to this years’ PS3 version – most specifically the removal of the psychic DB – wont be present in the VITA version? Also, how large is the VITA demo?
This looks to be fairly close to the console versions’ features, although not being able to transfer saves back and forth is pretty bad. Please patch that if possible. Anyone play Madden on iOS and Android? What a watered down piece of garbage. People who say that the Vita is pointless because of the iPhone and high-end Android devices are out of touch with reality. How do watered-down versions of popular games make the Vita obsolete when it has full featured games?
I wish you sincere good luck. I will wait for a severe discount since there is no cross play. EA fumbled on that feature.
To do something besides whine, thanks for the demo before release. Love to check out this game and still be able to get in on some preorder goodness. Should be fun to have this portable.
Looking forward to Madden NFL 13. Looking forward to Nantz and Simms calling the game. It’s like watching the game on CBS. Gus and Chris had their time. Jim Nantz is long over due. He did Tiger Woods Golf games the past couple of years. I hope Madden NFL 13 kicks butt!!!
Will we have access to Ultimate Team on the vita??
fumble!
Im getting my PS VITA on the 28th bundled with this game, i dont like madden games but i wanted to purchase a Vita with a free game, so you guys were fortunate to release it on august and have me pre order it, im going to try it, maybe ill like it on the vita with its features. Cant wait though.
@20
Do you live in the LA area? If so I will buy it off you.
I live like 2-3 hours away from LA, Coachella Valley.
No cross save no buy. I will not give you my money for being lazy. If there is no cross saves there will be some lame excuse about there was not enough time. Plz just put cross saves in then i will buy two copies of madden and we all are happy.
Btw the game looks great
Pre-ordered mine through Amazon. Right now its 34.69 plus a $10 credit toward next order through amazon. Not bad, just hope the demo makes me happy I pre-ordered it. Looks good from pics, I am sure it will look even better running in real time on my Vita.
@23, I share your thoughts 100%. No cross-play kills it for me. The option of taking your game “to go” is a def. software/hardware selling point… I’ll wait till EA integrates cross-play for Madden as I don’t think it’s possible to patch this feature post release.
I still don’t know how you can get away with calling the VITA version Madden 13. It should be Madden 12 with updated rosters. EA states they want to see if the VITA version will sell before they think about developing cross play, but if you release a sub par game, no one will buy it. So they’re burying Madden on the VITA before the game is even released.
madden has been a boring game since ea hogging up the nfl license
EA didn’t want to release Madden for the Vita this year, but Sony made them from what I read and you won’t be hearing from Jim Nantz and Phil Sims this year on your Vita anyways. Sorry to be a debby downer. I will try the demo and see if I like it.
@29, really? I read nothing about that. Ea will release their sports games on every possible platform; that’s what they do.
It was on N4G or IGN.
If these pics are from the Vita game then graphically this game will be great, but I have to agree with most people when saying that EA dropped the ball on not including cross save features like Sony does with their MLB The Show. This could have been huge with many people buying two copies of the game just to take their franchise on the go. Hopefully this can be patched in. I will be checking the demo out regardless.
Sold.
What time does the madden 13 demo come out today?
it’s noon an no demo yet for the vita!?
I know this is for the Vita but I thought that the Fantasy Draft option was left out of Madden 13??
When is NCAA coming to Vita?
Is it just me or you can’t download the demo for ps vita
Never it works!!
Never mind it works!*
No cloud save. No buy.
I really like the demo, you folks did a good job for you first time on this new hardware.
Do you know if Sony or EA would/will do Digital Bundle for a good price to have both the PS3 and Vita Versions of the game?
After a dozen games on the Vita demo, I must say that I’m not impressed. The game play was OK, but there were too many issues in this limited demo to justify purchasing the full version on the 28th when it’s scheduled to be released.
Issue 1) The cut-scenes and animations are pretty jerky. Game play is better, but frame rate is not very good.
Issue 2) Passing assignment buttons are often wrong. It’s pretty frustrating when your veteran QB can’t even keep his receivers straight! Wow! Nice bug!
Issue 3) The announcers often do not get the situation right. The most glaring offence happened on a 2nd down situation where the announcers were congratulating my bravado for going for a 4th down conversion! This is not a huge issue (and nothing new with EA), but it sure takes away from the experience.
Bottom line: EA had better update the demo, and soon. If this limited demo (2 min quarters – 1 game mode) has so many problems, what else is lurking in the full version? I’m not adventurous enough to find out. I’ll just wait for another developer to get the NFL right on Vita.
Why can’t I play Madden 12 online on Vita ? Also will I be able to play online 3G with madden 13????