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NCAA 2011 Football Demo discussion


I have been waiting for this moment for awhile, and my pre-order is waiting for the game's July 13th release (that's 13 July for hot hot and my other brothers-in-arms). Well tonight, let the preview begin. That's right... the XBox demo came out yesterday, and the PS3 demo is available for download today.

Ncaafootball11cover_medium

via gomadden.com

That means another chance for me to enjoy the Cardinal man cave I finally finished after more than a year of work, and fire up the PS3 for some NCAA football 2011 action on the 92" HD projection screen. I'll give some updates later tonight, but here are just a few of the new features available in the game.

  • Formation substitutions are back
    Remember on the PS2 when you could substitute a speedy QB and HB for options, or say you want a towering Chichester at a TE slant route when near the goal-line? Well, it's back on the PS3. Now we can substitute Vic Anderson at QB during a WildcatCARD formation... now if only we could substitute Pat Moorer or Charlie Strong during a goal-line defense. Speaking of coaches, I'm not sure how EA Sports is going to handle our...
  • TruSchool System
    This system apparently tenders to a school's specific style of play, offensive play-calling, and coach tendencies. Will the 2011 game include Sanford's Spread (sounds like a nice butter substitute), or Kragtastrophe's frequent screen passes and "FB up the middle on 3rd and 23"'s? If it includes Coach Strong's defense, we better see some Terry Tate-like slams and some hard hitting.
  • Dynamic Conference Logos
    It's about damn time... and kind of a coincidence with the recent expansions and realignments. Think you have the perfect conferences in mind? While the last release included custom conference creations, the on-field logos will now change on those teams' fields, even adding their team's colors to the outlines of the conference logos. So when the Cards move to the ACC or SEC, their field won't read "Big East" anymore.
  • Pre-Game Team Entrances
    Clemson, Ohio State, Texas, and the mid-field spear of the FSU Seminole will be included. If they don't have the Cardinal Bird parachuting in, the "Call to the Post", the fog machine entrance of the team, or Mr. "I think I'm Vin Diesel" attempt to start a "Go"... "Cards!" cheer tradition, I'm going to be pissed. Over 150 mascots, stadiums, and mascots now available... does that mean I can now celebrate with the Cardinal Bird? Will PJCS's upgrade be shown? Until Coach Strong gets us back on the national spotlight enough to be on a demo, we'll just have to wait for the full release on July 13th.
  • On-field refs and ESPN Integration
    The zebras are back on the field, but this time you can't use them as a lead-blocker like in the PS2 days. However, there is something much better on the field... er, at least the sidelines. Not only are Nessler, Corso, and Herbstreit commentators in the press box, but Erin Andrews is on the sidelines providing commentary, insights, injury reports, and nude vid.... what? No nude videos or scantly clad dancing outfits? Oh well... I guess that explains the rated "E" for everyone. At least she's on the sidelines.

Again, only the demo is available now, so no simulations... just speculations on what the new features will be like. Thank goodness we have a new coaching staff, and the "half-empty stadium" feature won't have to be incorporated anytime soon. The game series definitely lacks perfection, just like my man cave lacks a beer fridge, but the features are enough to satisfy my college football cravings until the real season begins.