Madden 2013: Features for Fans to Use First with Release Date Here

After months of agonizing wait, Madden 13 has finally hit shelves. Odds are good that you went out at midnight to pick up your copy and have been playing for hours already, but if you are still getting a feel for the game, we have the features you need to try covered. 

This seems to be EA Sports' biggest effort to completely overhaul the Madden franchise. It has always been entertaining, but there have been some features in recent years that haven't worked as well as they sounded on paper. 

In an effort to make sure the fans get their money's worth, no punches were pulled this year. Here are the biggest features you need to at least try out right when you pick up the game. 

Connected Careers

Obviously, the biggest new feature has to be the first one to use, right?

There are still a few mysteries surrounding the Connected Careers mode, but on the surface it sounds intriguing. The basic gist of it is this is a way to keep you connected to the game even when you aren't in front of your Playstation or Xbox. 

We live in a world of social media and constant network connection, so it only makes sense that a video game would take advantage of that. 

Plus, being able to take control of a player you create or a legend whose career arc you want to shape makes this the most important addition to the Madden franchise since the hit stick. 

Madden Ultimate Team

The description of this feature from the EA Sports website describes this as "a free-to-play game mode that perfectly combines Madden NFL Football, fantasy football, and player trading cards."

Basically, it is a marriage of all the things that football fans love. Plus, it can be used as a standalone game mode or as a modified franchise, which works well for players who like to try everything out first before diving in deep. 

We all have our own idea of what the perfect NFL team would be. This mode not only allows us to make that fantasy a reality, but makes it so that you can test the theory against the best the NFL has to offer. 

Coach Mode

This is basically an update of the Franchise mode, which has been phased out in name for the Connected Careers feature. 

In Coach mode, you will be able to do everything that you normally would in Franchise mode, except when the team decides it wants to make a change, then you are going to have to start looking for a new job. 

I actually like the idea of this feature more than a straight Franchise mode because it requires more hands-on strategy instead of just trying to build the best roster and leaving the players to do all the work. 

This is one of those features you will likely wait a little bit to try because it is going to take up so much time, but when you do, it will be worth it. 

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