John Madden called for change to video game play calling

The life of an EA Sports “Madden NFL” video game begins in September, about the time when gamers are salivating over the just-released version of the popular franchise. Last year, that meant EA Sports staffers went to the Pleasanton, Calif., home of former NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden, whose name adorns one of the most revered video games in the industry. This time, Madden wanted to see a revamping of the way plays are presented and called on the game to make it closer to what actually happens in NFL games. The result is arguably the biggest change in how plays will be called in the history of the series. “It’s really taking what has historically been our play-calling screen in ‘Madden’ and breaking it down into a much more realistic fashion,” “Madden NFL 11″ senior producer Phil Frazier said. “The result is you no longer pick the plays. The plays get picked for you in each situation based on authentic NFL game plans. Games get done in half the time.” — Denver Post