Coming to PSN Today: Madden NFL Arcade

Hey Gamers,

My name is Danny Doeberling, a Designer on Madden NFL Arcade. The game is launching today on PSN, so let me fill you on some details to get you excited.

Madden NFL Arcade is a fast-paced 5-on-5 football game with depth for both casual and hardcore fans alike. We tried to make the game accessible by simplifying the playcall and giving users a pared-down arcade specific control style. We feel that we’ve created an opportunity to pull off some big moves on the gridiron with more ease than ever before in a Madden game. Gone are the special teams, with a major focus on big hits and big plays. Our traditional Madden fans will feel right at home as we kept the traditional well-polished Madden football engine, and allowed for the user to have the option of the standard PS3 control scheme they are accustomed to. What really sets the game apart though is the Game Changers that are distributed during the course of the play. And there are some off-the-wall ones too: decoy passing, frozen players, extra downs…why not? Don’t think you can score? Use the entourage and your entire offensive line shows up as a convoy to the end zone. A lot of strategy will come into play and you’ll constantly be watching the HUD hoping the next turn will be something good.

We love playing Arcade in the multiplayer mode as it really brings the competitive nature out in everyone. Because a lot of the rules are customizable, we had a fun time experimenting with different rule types, and everyone started creating their own house rules and quickly found that much like the NFL, every team has potential to pull off an upset. The internal competitions were intense and created an instant rivalry between the dev team and marketing (which our Lead Designer would usually choke during, which he blames the refs even though there are none). I am sure you guys are going to have a blast playing the game and I’ll be seeing you online!