Today is a day that sports gamers have prayed for since the fateful morning of December 13th, 2004 when EA locked up the NFL license in an exclusive agreement, effectively shutting down their critically acclaimed rival, NFL 2K. Not one to go quietly, 2K Sports has announced their long rumored gridiron return with All-Pro Football 2K8, slated for this Summer and for "next generation video game systems."
Gamespot sat down with Visual Concepts president Greg Thomas to cover some of the more obvious challenges they will be facing in the marketplace. With no license to work with, All-Pro Football 2K8 will be facing an uphill battle for mind share when it comes to dealing with EA's unstoppable Madden series. This doesn't seem to bother Thomas as he is "expecting this game to be a big, big seller, we're expecting our fans to be really excited, and there's a lot of fans."

















(Page 1) Reader Comments
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#4 - Madden comes out during the summer every year and uses the next year as it's moniker. Madden07 came out in August of 2006...it's still called 2007...sports games have done that every year when they release in the latter half of a year it's been done like that for forever.
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What the hell man. Get your facts straight. Madden 07 was released in 2006. Quit your bitching.
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I liked Madden on *Genesis* but the 2K series for dreamcast was everything the latest Madden wasn't -- namely, FUN. It carried over that fun to Xbox, where I was happily converting people to the series until EA spoiled my fun.
I just hope that EA responds to this by reviving the Mutant League franchises. They were crap, but they were fun. :)
k9
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It's not a question of me getting my facts straight, dumbass. Just because there's a precedent for something doesn't mean it's the right way to do it. It's dumb to have the game that comes out before the 2007 season be called 2008, particularly if it's a legends game. At least with the regular licensed Madden game I suppose they could argue that the Super Bowl for the 2007 season is played in 2008. Not so much with a legends title.
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It seems really dumb to complain about a convention which has been de rigeur for nearly 20 years.
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I remember the first Front Page Sports: Football -- none of the players had real names (Phil Simms was "Ethan Anno", etc.) Still extremely fun, and you still get a sense of ownership with these players.
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just if your listening, its gonna be real hard to wn the compitition 2k. what i look forward in madden now is roster updates and pre game games with friends. vick it the shit man. :( good luck !
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I have played Madden games and I dont think they were bad games, but they certainly didnt stack up to NFL2K games. That's why EA bought the license because they couldnt take the heat!! Wusses.
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Visual Concepts was really hitting their stride when EA bought the NFL license away from everyone.
NFL2K5 was such a tight playing game. I loved it.
I can't wait to see 2K8 running in High DEF.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE...make your own player option!!!
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That would be totally awesome.
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Madden will always be the godfather of videogame football but EA constantly reminds us that they are not about maximum effort when it comes to making Madden. They prefer to go the cheap rout. For example: How can you possible make Madden 07 for the Xbox 360 with a 30fps frame rate??? 30fps??? When on the PS2 and Xbox it's running at a silky smooth 60 frames per second (this is the rate all sports games should run)Don't use the excuse that it's a new system because 2k Basketball on the Xbox 360 is running at 60fps. Another example- How can you take out the announcers?? Why is there only 'gang tackling' on the PS2 and Xbox?? Why are their servers piss poor?? Why is Marshall Faulk on the Rams?? This is what happens when you own the NFL. You can make anything and force it down the customers throat.
I am close friends with the people at Visual Concepts and they listen to their fanbase. If you have a gripe or an innovation they will listen. I call them all the time and have seen some of my request actually put in the game. They are a dedicated group who has yours and my concerns a priority.
So for you Madden fans, keep playing a game that features 25 yard drop backs by the QB followed by and 80 yeard bomb that is always caught. Keep enjoying games that feature over a 100 total points scored and defense is an afterthought. Keep enjoying a game where playing DB means you must have done something wrong in another life. And most of all keep enjoying taking it from behind from EA, a company that has lost the quest for innovation and let it's marketing machine take precedence over making a full fledged state of the art video football game.
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It's about time.
I hope this is a FirePro-esque game where they have hilarious/ridiculous/clever Japanese-sounding renames for characters obviously inspired by the NFL. "Ray Lewis" becomes "Jay Smasher," "Reggie Bush" becomes "Young Rush," "Tom Brady" becomes "Bob Glory," etc.
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What a joke.
I see why EA bought the NFL. It's easy to pay to be lazy then to work to be the best.
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Knoxximuss, I totally agree, Baseball Stars is still the best baseball game ever as far as pure fun. CLimbing the wall and robbing homers was oh so satisfying.
Now, if they would just make a new Tecmo Bowl Football with updated graphics but the same, simple, sweet, run and gun gameplay! Now, THAT'D be a coup!
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I'm finally gonna get gang tackles that aren't just canned animations anymore. Running backs that react to being stuck behind lineman, and don't just run the same exact way no matter where they are. And the guys who invented the right analog stick in football are gonna be using it again.
I just hope they make the greatest create-a-team and player mode of all time.
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All-pro football 2k8?
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For the one that said 2k5 was broken I think you need to visit Madden and I'm sure you will see it was just as busted up and still so with no competition. Madden still have players that GHOST through other players and DB's that turn up field yet stop quicker than the WR who know the route and jump in front for the INT all with his back turned.
Yes I'm talking about Madden 2007.
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Because 2K5 was benched I fell for the same hype of Madden 07 and was let down again. They have not changed the player models since 2000. All they did was render them with the new 360 engine and change the texture maps. Madden 07 on the xbox 360 is slow loading, the player animations look like something out of a early 90s stand up arcade game, nothing next gen except for the textures and they're weak IMO. And even though it was an entire year later to develop the 07 version what was new? All they did was add the stuff they left out of the 06 version so what I got is a full copy of the game for $118.00?
I don't care if I don't see "real" NFL teams I want the game play and options that 2K5 had updated for the next gen game consols. If 2K5 was just able to be played on the 360 with defferent team textures I would buy it.
The running addition in Madden sucks compared to 2K5. Nothing like running into a shoelace and having your running back fall backwards or I love how the recievers can catch a ball that goes through a players chest with his forearm. All you Madden lovers go and find a freind with 2K5 and play it. You will be pleasently surprised. Even the players looked like the players on your team not some generic face or body.
And all the options you had with 2K5 was amazing, kept me playing for hours...
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Madden suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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