The year 2020 brought many changes to the video gaming industry, but none was as impactful as the release of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The new generation consoles introduced more polished graphics and gameplay innovations and a new standard of authenticity and realism, which elevated games such as Madden 21 to a new level. This is another fun breakthrough in the Esports and the online betting industry.
The most realistic football simulation in history
It’s only natural to expect game releases on new generation consoles to bring something new to the table. But almost no one could have expected the giant leap EA Sports made in gameplay innovations with the release of Madden NFL 21 for Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 on Friday, December 4.
The newly-released series introduced the future of Madden NFL gameplay with the help of the “Next Gen Player Movement” powered by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, which gathers players’ real-life data and integrates it into the game. To make the data as accurate as possible, the Next Gen Stats uses information collected by sensors worn by the NFL players in each of their games, which in turn creates fluid player movement and the most realistic experience in Madden’s franchise history.
“Every console transition year, our team is equally excited by the possibilities of new technology and inspired to develop both new and improved experiences for fans of Madden NFL. This year is no different, with Madden NFL 21 representing a major step forward in the future of football gaming with the addition of real NFL player data from Next Gen Stats,” said Seann Graddy, Madden NFL 21 Executive Producer.
“Taking advantage of the new hardware from Sony and Microsoft, our EA SPORTS team has created an incredibly immersive game that delivers the most authentic and realistic NFL experience players will have ever felt.”
With the help of new technology, the NFL Madden players will not only get a chance to feel the explosiveness of New Orleans Saints’ Michael Thomas and the elite accelerations of Las Vegas Raiders’ Henry Ruggs, but also see significant improvements in the defensive players’ movements who no longer feel like bots, but react authentically to the situation and take unique angles when chasing down the ball.
Nex-Gen Stats Replays brings more in-depth analytics
Not only have EA Sports teamed up with Nex Gen Stats to bring more realistic gameplay for their Madeen NFL franchise, but they also offer players an in-depth analytical breakdown of crucial plays that happen throughout the game. The “Next Gen Stats Replays” trigger after each key moment in the game. It showcases a breakdown of 15 specific data points, giving the players all the needed information to make strategic changes decisions.
With the introduction of Nex Gen Stats Replays, the play calling in Madden NFL is now more intuitive and accessible, giving the players more control over changing playstyles and making specific plays based on how the game is unfolding.
Realism down to the wrinkles on player’s jerseys
Although playing NFL Madden will never compare to the real thing, the new technology has made a huge leap in turning a simple video game as realistic as possible. Besides the player movement and their unique characteristics, Madden NFL 21 also focused on smaller details.
The new cloth animations now dynamically update the player’s jersey wrinkles based on the player’s movement, improving the player’s silhouettes and making their bodies feel more organic as ever before. In addition to that, the new location-based audio helps the sounds of the game feel more immersive, with fans and players reacting more accurately to the action on the field.
EA Sports’ Madden NFL 21 is currently the only game that uses the new technology, but it’s only a matter of time before other games follow suit. EA Sports’ FIFA and NFL franchise and 2k Sports’ NBA could benefit from the same improvements, and to some degree, the same holds for PGA Tour 2K, UFC, and other sports titles.
New Gen’s impact on the video sports industry
Although it’s hard to find any obvious correlation between the technological improvements in video games and the impact it can have on the sports industry, it’s not entirely true to say there is none.
With Madden NFL using real-life data to improve its gameplay, the two industries are now closer than they ever were. As long as other sports video game titles follow the same path, the action that happens in the real-life sports events will have a significant impact on video games as well. In some ways, the sports industry is benefiting from this partnership as well as there is no shortage of stories about how a gamer fell in love with the sport after first playing it on his console, granted it’s the video game industry that has profited from this collaboration in a more significant way.
