Madden 15: Player Sense 2.0 Is Key to Series' Current and Future Success

Shiny graphics are awesome. New-fangled offline and online modes are cool too, but perhaps more than any other sports video game franchise in existence, Madden must improve the artificial intelligence of virtual teammates and opponents. 

Doing so will play a major role in determining the quality of the games moving forward. 

The emphasis placed on the opening statement isn't meant to imply that the game is woefully behind other series in this respect. It's simply the nature of the sport the game emulates. With 11 players on the field, gamers can only control one guy at a time. Ensuring that the other 10 are acting realistically is a big deal.

It's a dynamic that only the FIFA series can relate to. Even in that example, the difference in physical contact between the players could arguably make the A.I. in Madden even more crucial to the game's bottom line quality.

What is Player Sense 2.0?

In Madden NFL 15, the series is introducing Player Sense 2.0. It is the next step toward making the virtual players on the field behave the way NFL players do in real life.

This year, it's all about pass coverage. 

Defense is getting plenty of attention in this year's game in a way to pay homage to the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, and in efforts to balance the overall gameplay in the popular series.

So far, things sound awesome.

On the official EA Sports website, the focus of Player Sense 2.0 is described as follows: 

"In Madden NFL 25, there were too many holes in Zone Coverage and there was a little too much separation versus certain routes in Man Coverage.

The Madden development team worked on both Zone and Man coverages in concert for Madden NFL 15."

Essentially the developers are recognizing some rather unrealistic exploits that experienced Madden players routinely take advantage of in the passing game. While money plays aren't as much of a problem as they were in years past, they still existed to a degree last year.

It appears the objective was to limit the effectiveness of plays like the slant and in-and-out routes. The official website continues:

"

In Man Coverage, we have redone the system for reacting to cuts by WRs. Instead of waiting for the right point in the cut for the defender to react, we ensure that the defender gets to a specified coverage point based on the cover type (off Man or Trail), the route type, and player ratings (Route Running vs. Man Coverage).

Ratings matchups will play more of a role as defenders vie for underneath or overtop positions. There’s no more “wait and break” positioning, as it is more realistic. If players do get beat, the separation will not be as exaggerated as in past years of Madden.

Remember: Only certain defenders have outstanding Man Coverage (MCV) ratings, so keep that in mind when calling Man defense. Know your players’ abilities and put them in position to succeed.

"

The changes don't just affect man coverage, there are also various enhancements to zone coverage as well. Defensive players are said to react more realistically in flat and hook zones. Your defense could be beaten in zone coverage in unrealistic situations last year.

This year, the game also allows gamers to disguise defensive formations. This is an essential tool when battling a formidable online opponent who knows how to read defenses.

A Copy-Cat Game for a Copy-Cat League

While it will never be a complete representation of real football, it's nice to see the video game evolving and including more details of the strategies from the real game.

You've heard it a thousand times, but it's true, the NFL is a passing league. EA Sports is smart to focus on creating a balanced experience in Madden's passing game. When playing online, most players favor aerial attacks.

That fact makes improving the passing game a must now and looking forward. Establishing a standard for smarter defenders is one of—if not the—first elements the developers should master for generation-4 consoles.

Critics of the series say: "Madden is the same every year." To some degree they are right, but a large portion of that sentiment is me-too-ism. It's become the "smart" thing to say by opinionated gamers.

That said, those who spend their hard-earned money for games have every right to voice their concerns. 

Football is a difficult sport to tinker with in a video game format. There's not much that can be done with camera views and such. You need to be able to see down the field, so the over-the-top view is the best possible approach.

With such a small area to try to affect change, the seemingly small—but very big—details like pass coverage logic and player tendencies become the path to ensuring the game isn't just a roster update.

Looking Forward to Release

Will Player Sense 2.0 be an instrument for the overall game's ascension? We won't know for sure until the retail version is in our hands. Here's what one gamer said about the trailer that introduced the new feature:

When the visual wow factor wears off and/or when every gamer is accustomed to the beautiful graphics that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can produce, it's going to come back to gameplay.

Hopefully, Player Sense 2.0 is part of the plan that ensures the Madden series is ready for the long haul.

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@BMaziqueFPBR