A few days ago we attended the Madden NFL 07 Party at the ESPN Zone in Times Square. It was a lot of fun and a great event. There was plenty of food and drink and lots of kiosks set up so everyone got a chance to play the game. There was great access to the football players. We had the opportunity to speak to each one. It was funny because there were also some little kids there from Newsday. One of these kids who was about the size of Orlando Pace’s leg asked him to arm wrestle.
They had a panel discussion about the importance of the running game in Madden NFL 07. I noticed an improvement when I played the PS2 and Xbox 360 versions. The running game is like fighting for every inch, struggling to break tackles and lunging forward. In otherwords, the running game is more fun. But that’s just my take on it. I recorded the panel discussion and you can listen to it.
Shaun Alexander (Seahawks), Larry Johnson (Chiefs), Carnell “Cadillac” Williams (Buccaneers), Reggie Bush (Saints), Curtis Martin (Jets), Orlando Pace (Rams), Warrick Dunn (Falcons), Steve Hutchinson (Vikings), Mac Strong (Seahawks), Marshall Faulk (Rams) and William Henderson (Packers) were there.
Here’s a shot of me talking to Marshall Faulk. I asked him if he remembered meeting me. I knew he wouldn’t so it was sort of a joke. I told him that I remember meeting him and playing Madden against him a few years ago. I think I said something about it being a highlight of my career.
Here’s me talking to Eddie George, one of my football idols. The thing is that Old Timey Gamer and I played years of Madden as the Titans just so I could be Eddie George. I told him that I loved playing him in the game because he could just knock people down and run for an 80 yard touchdown and he said that’s always a good feeling.
Tina got to meet Eddie George also.
This is me and Brian Neal. ResidentGamer on tha loose
This is Tina with Orlando Pace. My guess is that she’s less than a third of his weight. He’s a really big man.
This is me with Steve Hutchinson. We talked about whether he thought that offensive lineman get their fair share of the attention while we waited for our burgers to be grilled. He feels that it’s not good when most of the attention that offensive linemen get is when they do something wrong, like miss a block or commit a penalty. I told him that that’s the problem, that everyone takes offensive linemen for granted which means that they must be doing something right. Then his burgers were ready so I let him eat in peace.
This is Tina interviewing Vodka and Tonic as we take a break from the night’s event.
And finally, here are some screenshots from the Xbox 360 version.
posted by maddmatt
