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Madden NFL 10--Online Franchise Details and More

Online franchise is coming to Madden NFL 10...to a console, PC, and iPhone near you. Details inside.

Last week, EA Sports dropped the news that online co-op will be part of Madden NFL 10. The mode, which will allow two players to play on the same team against a CPU team, will feature headset support and allow either player to play as any position the field. In between plays, you'll be able to switch between players, which will be perfect for changing up between running and passing plays when on offense. When playing online, the game will focus on position-specific cameras that will follow each player's selected player throughout the entire play.

Apart from online co-op play, the big Madden NFL 10 news--which was announced seemingly accidentally last week in a video detailing Madden's online cooperative play--is the inclusion of an Online Franchise mode. This is a feature that Madden fans have wanted for a long time. While the online league feature in last year's Madden NFL 09 felt more than a bit tacked on, online franchise, by contrast, seems as if it will be remarkably well rounded--at least based on what EA Sports has said about it so far.

In addition to supporting real NFL schedules, online franchise will offer many of the same features you've come to expect from the Offline Franchise mode, including full stat tracking, the ability to set/save depth charts for your team, and trade support. It will also include both a fantasy draft and live draft option, the latter of which sounds like it will be a highlight for dedicated Madden franchise fans. While the best online franchise leagues will be those with a full slate of human players, you'll be able to fill in gaps with CPU control if you like.

For Madden fans who live and breathe their favorite game, you'll be able to follow your franchise, even when you're away from your game console. The Madden NFL 10 Web site will allow you to manage your online franchise team, and it seems that everything--from setting your depth charts to proposing trades--will be available to you via the Web site. There's even an iPhone application in the works that will let you handle your franchise business when you aren't near your PC. No price or release date for the app has been announced yet, but we'll be following up on that soon.

While online franchise sounds like it's off to a promising start, it likely won't be as in-depth as the Offline Franchise mode...at least at the start. For one thing, trade logic isn't as flexible as it is in real life; you won't be able to trade draft picks for a player, for example. That said, because the franchise information is server-based, it follows that the development folks at EA Tiburon will be able to add features (and, perhaps more importantly, fix bugs) throughout the life of the game. For example, when online franchise was introduced to the press last month, producers told us they were currently in the process of adding commissioner tools that would give a franchise commissioner more control over rosters (presumably for such things as moderating one-sided trades and the like).

Presentation looks to make a big jump in Madden NFL 10 as well. The fans have been asking for a proper Super Bowl ceremony for a while now, and this year, they'll get it. It will be complete with confetti and a trophy ceremony that will make it feel like you won something more than just another regular season game. In addition, there will be more elements of a pregame football atmosphere, such as camera shots of fans filing into the stands, USAF jets flying overhead after the National Anthem, and the occasional shots of players or referees doing their thing on the sidelines. When you add a postgame show called the "Extra Point," hosted by Fran Charles and Alex Flanagan from the NFL Network, it seems like Madden will feel more like a real broadcast event than it has ever since the game moved to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

We're very curious to see how online franchise works--especially its implementation on the PC and iPhone--so we'll be keeping up with its development up until Madden NFL 10's release on August 14. Until then, stay tuned to the GameSpot sports blog for the very latest Madden 10 information.

50 Comments

  • NoseWeed619

    Posted Oct 11, 2009 4:52 pm GMT

    Haha. A post-game show called Extra Point. That's clever as hell.

  • syphon24

    Posted Aug 15, 2009 4:07 pm GMT

    i frickin hate football.

  • Coolyfett

    Posted Aug 10, 2009 10:23 am GMT

    I may pick this up for the PSP, It has been a long time since I have played a Madden game. I do not have any sports titles for my PSP yet, maybe this will be the first! I want to see if the changing color helmet the Jaguars use will be shown in this game.

  • gamerboy82

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 5:42 pm GMT

    i heard that they fixed player progression and all that good stuff in this years game. EA better check their own progression lol this is the biggest one year jump since its come out for the "next gen" systems

  • Yung_Thrandy

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 2:46 pm GMT

    Madden is the top franchise of all time.

  • cito_6t9

    Posted Jul 28, 2009 12:03 pm GMT

    no you cant but you can train and practice plays when the full game is realesed

  • Liam-1992-2006

    Posted Jul 28, 2009 10:41 am GMT

    sorry but that is an essential part to the rules. it really would be stupid without it.

  • clayt169

    Posted Jul 28, 2009 9:46 am GMT

    I'm new to the madden series and just started playing the demo. Does anyone know if you can turn off the time clock on the game. I'm trying to learn the plays and the time clock keeps expiring.

  • slasha35

    Posted Jul 28, 2009 9:09 am GMT

    I agree with rsxpilot02 I really think this will be game of the year and it should be because Madden is due for one after the last couple of pathetic attempts

  • rsxpilot02

    Posted Jul 21, 2009 8:58 pm GMT

    I'm with some of the others that have been disappointed with Madden on the 360 (06 on XBOX was epic). I think finally the right guys got in charge of this project and 2010 is going to be the best Madden yet. Online Franchise is going to be sweet, and the whole PC access stuff is straight up wicked. For once it looks like they took our feedback on the last one, and instead of adding a bunch of useless garbage and leaving everything else the same, they actually seem to have smoothed over the bumps from last year and then went on to add some much appreciated stuff. I have high hopes for this year's release, and I'll bet that 2011 will really hit the mark.

  • Mastajedi1

    Posted Jul 19, 2009 12:20 am GMT

    I called 2 local Gamestops and they had Madden codes, because response is slow! Mmm...mabe it's because it's the middle of summer, or interest is low because of the teams in the demo. I know, they were in last years Superbowl, but lets get real. For example: Steelers vs Eagles, Dallas vs Texans etc...or let the gamers pick the the 2 teams, in other words...be creative! Ian and the development team is on point (we hope) with the game, it's the corporate marketing geeks who don't get it! Their brains are made of teflon...we tell them what we want, but it doesn't stick! This code thing makes no sense, NCAA, Fight 4 didn't have pre-sale codes. A few years ago, after Houston built Reliant stadium, they didn't tear down the Astrodome, they tore down Astroworld, the amusement park?! My guess is, the dome is the 8th wonder of the world, the 9th wonder is...Why? Makes no sense!

  • niner212

    Posted Jul 4, 2009 8:06 am GMT

    Hey maybe EA knew what they were doing taking small steps along the way. BTW something you can do without 2k.

  • beak1313

    Posted Jul 3, 2009 12:39 am GMT

    This madden looks promising I think we will be able to see which console has the edge with this game. the texture on the helmets looks awesome!!! I suck at madden but i am a big football fan I still play even when I lose haha. I have always liked both the madden and 2k series and i looks like they are bringing the 2k look with madden twenty 10. I like it. I get madden every year its like my early christmas present when it comes out!! Cant wait!!

  • Mastajedi1

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 9:30 am GMT

    Boy, those long ball, no huddle, arcade players are gonna hate 2 play me when this comes out...the other night I took down a level 17 player (I'm a L1) in M09. With the new tip pass and pass blocking schemes, I'm gonna be breaking some hearts next season. Thanks EA...you're not 2k yet, but you're getting there!

  • sakurayuri

    Posted Jun 19, 2009 9:47 pm GMT

    There hasn't been official word anywhere whether Madden 10 will be on PC or not so I still have hope!

  • raiden2223

    Posted Jun 16, 2009 1:47 pm GMT

    REALLY WISH 2K WOULD DO NFL. WOULD BE MUCH BETER THAN MADDEN NOW. IF IT WOULD BE ANYTHING CLOSE TO 2K BASKETBALL WOULD BE GREAT.

  • raiden2223

    Posted Jun 16, 2009 1:43 pm GMT

    If they would change it up would be good. But bet anything its the same old gameplay with beter graphics

  • lil_b_osu21

    Posted Jun 15, 2009 6:19 pm GMT

    its about freakin time Madden got it right!!!!! All these videos and I have seen look promising. The thing I am glad to see the most are the refs and chain gain crew are back! The gameplay also looks a lot more realistic, now only if NCAA could get things would be great. NCAA looks almost the same from last year, a better pocket set up and team names for bowl games looks to be the only improvement they have made. Tackling, receiving, and hits look all the same, season showdown looks and sounds STUPID!! Create a team who cares about that! I mean sure its fun but who cares, I think they should add real coaches, like they have in all the other sports games, able to set prices for games, make up fund raisers and boosters to help make money for stadium and team gear upgrades, like they do in real life. EA says how they want to be the most realistic sports simulation game out there, well create a school is fake, the animations are stiff, after a TD is scored players just walk to the sideline, where they in real life are jumping up and down like I have seen for Madden 10. NCAA I use to be a big fan but each year I am more and more disappointed, and the thing that is the most disappointing is EA creates both of the games. Madden LOOKS like it may have created a true FOOTBALL game but as for NCAA 10 it looks like another long season awaits, I could be wrong but last season backs me up good enough.

  • Yung_Thrandy

    Posted Jun 10, 2009 8:35 am GMT

    OSN this s**t is gonna be great. All they do is take steps forward, good job EA.

  • SQUALL20XX

    Posted Jun 9, 2009 1:16 pm GMT

    Also not my type