Madden NFL 06
Encyclopedia
Madden NFL 06 is an American football
video game which was released on August 8, 2005. It is also a launch game for the Xbox 360
. It is the 16th installment of the Madden NFL
series by EA Sports
, named for noted color commentator John Madden. The product features former Philadelphia Eagles
quarterback Donovan McNabb
on the cover. It is the first Madden game for the PlayStation Portable and Xbox 360.
, which allows the player to create and take control of an NFL player from his rookie year all the way to retirement. An athlete can be created by evaluating pairs of parents — judging, based on their IQs, occupations, and hobbies, whether their child would excel in the NFL — or by importing a player from NCAA Football 06
or NFL Street 2
. This player is 21 years old at the start of his career. Superstar mode is essentially Madden's Franchise mode seen through the eyes of this athlete. Rather than manage the team's front office, the player manages the career of his athlete: selecting movie roles, accepting product endorsement, etc. The player can access different areas of the city the Superstar is playing in such as the barber shop, to get a haircut or the performance institute to raise attributes if the player's agent has a key. As the player gains in popularity and prestige the superstar's home will transform from an apartment to a luxurious mansion. The player will receive calls from former NFL running back Terrell Davis
, who is the player's mentor and guide. This addition has met with mixed reviews from video game reviewers. Although the idea is considered great in concept, many found the actual execution of the mode to be lackluster.
Madden NFL 06 also features the new QB Vision Control. A cone, appearing as a spotlight emitting from the quarterback, simulates his field of vision. To make an accurate pass, the quarterback must have his intended receiver in his field of vision. Passing to a receiver not in the cone reduces pass accuracy significantly. The size of the quarterback's vision cone is directly correlated to his Awareness rating; Quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning
, Brett Favre
and Tom Brady
see nearly the entire field at once, whereas a mediocre quarterback such as David Carr
, Aaron Brooks or Kyle Boller
will see only a sliver of the field, however this has been very criticized by many fans because it may resemble some bias
that EA Sports
and the Madden series
itself is, frequently accused of (for example many players say that Ben Roethlisberger
's stats were, to some extent, deflated). A player can shift the vision cone with the right analog stick, or focus the cone on a specific receiver by holding a shoulder button and pressing the button assigned to that receiver. (On the highest difficulty level, once a receiver completes his route, his button label disappears; to make it reappear the quarterback must look in his direction.) This change also met with lukewarm reception. Although the passing system adds a whole new level of realism, it also makes the game significantly more difficult for players playing teams with less-aware quarterbacks. These players will be forced to improve their reflexes in order to be competitive, as throwing outside the QB vision cone results in a very weak and inaccurate pass.
Accompanying QB Vision is Precision Passing. Pressing the directional button or left analog stick in a certain direction as you pass the ball will make the throw over the receiver's head (Up), behind him (Left), in front of him (Right), or at his knees (Down).
Perhaps the most critically acclaimed new feature is the truck stick, which functions like an offensive version of the hit stick from the previous year. When running the football, a player can push forward the right analog stick to run over the defender, at the cost of risking a potential fumble
. Several features from previous titles return such as hot routes, playmaker features, and franchise features.
into the game's Superstar mode after finishing the game mode. The player starts as a 18 year old rookie in NFL Superstar mode and attributes are given by how development points were distributed in NFL Street 2. Also, draft classes from NCAA Football 06
could be imported to franchise mode.
doing situps and Chad Johnson, (now Chad Ochocinco), dancing. The player couldn't create any new players or edit attributes. The player could still trade and release players to free agency. The game still had franchise mode but it only had the NFL Draft and Free Agency portions in the off-season. The player could not change their franchise team unless they were fired as head coaches and the game's head coaches don't retire and if fired, go to other coaching positions. During games the player couldn't challenge plays or fumbles and there is a stoppage in play to introduce the player of the game and two-minute warning. Achievements were quite easy to earn for instance, getting a first down and entering the history book as well as activating a player card with the right stick were listed as achievements. The game engine of this game was retooled and later released as NCAA Football 07
and was the basis for the next two games on the next-gen console.
if the QB Vision cone is turned off. GameSpot
reviewed the game with an 8.2 out of 10.
Madden NFL 06 was 2005's only NFL-Licensed football videogame, due to the 2004 deal between the NFL/NFLPA and Electronic Arts
. The deal grants EA exclusive rights to the likenesses and names of all players, stadiums, logos, and jerseys. Electronic Arts also signed a long-term deal with ESPN
, complicating the game's relationship to its titular announcer. In early 2006, Madden — at the time under contract as color commentator for ABC
's Monday Night Football
— moved to NBC
to join their Sunday night NFL coverage beginning in the 2006 Season. The Xbox 360
version of Madden 06 features neither Al Michaels
nor Madden in the announcing booth. Criticism was also added because several features were cut out of the Xbox 360
version of the game, although this was likely due simply to the fact that EA rushed the game so it could be released as a launch title for the new system when it debuted in November 2005. Some positives with the XBOX 360 version were the right stick being used for the QB Vision feature and different songs from the original.
: Best Sports Game
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
video game which was released on August 8, 2005. It is also a launch game for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. It is the 16th installment of the Madden NFL
Madden NFL
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...
series by EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
, named for noted color commentator John Madden. The product features former Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterback Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
on the cover. It is the first Madden game for the PlayStation Portable and Xbox 360.
Significant changes
One of the touted additions to the 2006 version of Madden is Superstar modeBe-a-pro mode
The usage of be-a-pro mode is a repackaging of the player-lock feature with a primitive evaluation system added to rate the player's performance...
, which allows the player to create and take control of an NFL player from his rookie year all the way to retirement. An athlete can be created by evaluating pairs of parents — judging, based on their IQs, occupations, and hobbies, whether their child would excel in the NFL — or by importing a player from NCAA Football 06
NCAA Football 06
NCAA Football '06, known colloquially as College Football 2006 is a collegiate American football video game which was released on July 11, 2005. The product features former Michigan Wolverines standout and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard on the cover...
or NFL Street 2
NFL Street 2
NFL Street 2 is American football video game developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts. It was originally released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube on December 22, 2004...
. This player is 21 years old at the start of his career. Superstar mode is essentially Madden's Franchise mode seen through the eyes of this athlete. Rather than manage the team's front office, the player manages the career of his athlete: selecting movie roles, accepting product endorsement, etc. The player can access different areas of the city the Superstar is playing in such as the barber shop, to get a haircut or the performance institute to raise attributes if the player's agent has a key. As the player gains in popularity and prestige the superstar's home will transform from an apartment to a luxurious mansion. The player will receive calls from former NFL running back Terrell Davis
Terrell Davis
Terrell Lamar Davis is a former American football running back who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League from 1995 to 2001. Davis was drafted by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Davis is the Denver Broncos all-time leading rusher, with 7,607 rushing...
, who is the player's mentor and guide. This addition has met with mixed reviews from video game reviewers. Although the idea is considered great in concept, many found the actual execution of the mode to be lackluster.
Madden NFL 06 also features the new QB Vision Control. A cone, appearing as a spotlight emitting from the quarterback, simulates his field of vision. To make an accurate pass, the quarterback must have his intended receiver in his field of vision. Passing to a receiver not in the cone reduces pass accuracy significantly. The size of the quarterback's vision cone is directly correlated to his Awareness rating; Quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
, Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
and Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
see nearly the entire field at once, whereas a mediocre quarterback such as David Carr
David Carr
David Duke Carr is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans first overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
, Aaron Brooks or Kyle Boller
Kyle Boller
Kyle Bryan Boller is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at The University of California.Boller has also played for the St...
will see only a sliver of the field, however this has been very criticized by many fans because it may resemble some bias
Media bias
Media bias refers to the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of events and stories that are reported and how they are covered. The term "media bias" implies a pervasive or widespread bias contravening the standards of journalism, rather than the...
that EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
and the Madden series
Madden NFL
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...
itself is, frequently accused of (for example many players say that Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
's stats were, to some extent, deflated). A player can shift the vision cone with the right analog stick, or focus the cone on a specific receiver by holding a shoulder button and pressing the button assigned to that receiver. (On the highest difficulty level, once a receiver completes his route, his button label disappears; to make it reappear the quarterback must look in his direction.) This change also met with lukewarm reception. Although the passing system adds a whole new level of realism, it also makes the game significantly more difficult for players playing teams with less-aware quarterbacks. These players will be forced to improve their reflexes in order to be competitive, as throwing outside the QB vision cone results in a very weak and inaccurate pass.
Accompanying QB Vision is Precision Passing. Pressing the directional button or left analog stick in a certain direction as you pass the ball will make the throw over the receiver's head (Up), behind him (Left), in front of him (Right), or at his knees (Down).
Perhaps the most critically acclaimed new feature is the truck stick, which functions like an offensive version of the hit stick from the previous year. When running the football, a player can push forward the right analog stick to run over the defender, at the cost of risking a potential fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
. Several features from previous titles return such as hot routes, playmaker features, and franchise features.
Compatibility
The player could import their created player from Own The City mode in NFL Street 2NFL Street 2
NFL Street 2 is American football video game developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts. It was originally released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube on December 22, 2004...
into the game's Superstar mode after finishing the game mode. The player starts as a 18 year old rookie in NFL Superstar mode and attributes are given by how development points were distributed in NFL Street 2. Also, draft classes from NCAA Football 06
NCAA Football 06
NCAA Football '06, known colloquially as College Football 2006 is a collegiate American football video game which was released on July 11, 2005. The product features former Michigan Wolverines standout and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard on the cover...
could be imported to franchise mode.
Xbox 360 version
The Xbox 360 version had better graphics and an updated roster but lacked the features of the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions. Players did have signature celebrations which were performed automatically such as Terrell OwensTerrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
doing situps and Chad Johnson, (now Chad Ochocinco), dancing. The player couldn't create any new players or edit attributes. The player could still trade and release players to free agency. The game still had franchise mode but it only had the NFL Draft and Free Agency portions in the off-season. The player could not change their franchise team unless they were fired as head coaches and the game's head coaches don't retire and if fired, go to other coaching positions. During games the player couldn't challenge plays or fumbles and there is a stoppage in play to introduce the player of the game and two-minute warning. Achievements were quite easy to earn for instance, getting a first down and entering the history book as well as activating a player card with the right stick were listed as achievements. The game engine of this game was retooled and later released as NCAA Football 07
NCAA Football 07
NCAA Football 07 is a collegiate football video game published by Electronic Arts. The product features former USC player Reggie Bush on the cover...
and was the basis for the next two games on the next-gen console.
Soundtrack
| Madden NFL 2006 Soundtrack | ||
|---|---|---|
| Artist | Song | Xbox 360 Only |
| 30 Seconds To Mars 30 Seconds to Mars 30 Seconds to Mars is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1998. Since 2007, the band has consisted of actor Jared Leto , Shannon Leto and Tomo Miličević... |
"Attack Attack (30 Seconds to Mars song) "Attack" is a song by American rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. The song was released by Immortal and Virgin on May 3, 2005, as the lead single from the band's second album, A Beautiful Lie. The song was written by Jared Leto and was produced by Josh Abraham and 30 Seconds to Mars. The song is a... " |
|
| The All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects are an American rock band formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1999. The band consists of lead vocalist and bass guitarist Tyson Ritter, lead guitarist, Nick Wheeler, rhythm guitarist, Mike Kennerty, and drummer Chris Gaylor.... |
"Night Drive" | |
| Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders... |
"From The Ritz to the Rubble" | |
| Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ.... |
"Bat Country Bat Country "Bat Country" is a song by American metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The song was released as the second single from their third album, City of Evil. Avenged Sevenfold won 'Best New Artist' at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards for "Bat Country" and on October 1, 2009, the single was certified gold by... " |
|
| Bullet for My Valentine Bullet for My Valentine Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh heavy metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck , Michael Paget , Jason James , and Michael Thomas . They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana... |
"4 Words (To Choke Upon) 4 Words (To Choke Upon) "4 Words " is a song by Welsh heavy metal quartet Bullet for My Valentine, the song is released as the second single from their second EP Hand of Blood and later their debut album The Poison. The song is about what the band went through as "Jeff Killed John", how people's claims were that they... " |
|
| Bump J | "Move Around" | |
| Chamillionaire Chamillionaire Hakeem Seriki , better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment. Chamillionaire is also the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click... |
"Hate in Ya Eyes" | |
| Coheed and Cambria Coheed and Cambria Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore.... |
"Welcome Home Welcome Home Welcome Home is the second studio album by the American band 'Til Tuesday, released in 1986. . It peaked at #49 on the Billboard albums chart.-Track listing:#"What About Love" – 3:56#"Coming up Close" – 4:40... " |
|
| Disturbed | "Ten Thousand Fists Ten Thousand Fists Ten Thousand Fists is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on September 20, 2005 and became Disturbed's second consecutive #1 debut on the Billboard 200 in the United States, shipping around 239,000 copies in its opening week. It has been certified Platinum... " |
|
| Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008... |
"Dance, Dance Dance, Dance "Dance, Dance" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy and the second single from their third studio album, From Under the Cork Tree. Released in late 2005, in the United States it reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2006, becoming the band's second consecutive top 10 hit single.... " |
|
| Finch Finch (American band) Finch was an American rock band from Temecula, California. The band released an EP Falling Into Place and two full-length albums, What It Is to Burn and Say Hello to Sunshine before declaring a hiatus in 2006. Finch reformed in 2007, playing a reunion show on November 23 at the Glasshouse in... |
"Ink" | |
| Foo Fighters Foo Fighters Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War... |
"No Way Back" | |
| Funeral for a Friend Funeral for a Friend Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band, from Bridgend. Formed 2001, they have released five studio albums, seven EPs, sixteen singles, one DVD, and one compilation album.-Formation and Early Years:... |
"Streetcar Streetcar (song) "Streetcar" was the first single released from Funeral for a Friend's second album Hours on 30 May 2005 . It charted at number 15 in the UK, making it their highest charting single to date. It contains a heavy driving drum beat and backing riff, with melodic vocal work throughout and phone style... " |
|
| Green Day Green Day Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool... |
"Wake Me Up When September Ends Wake Me Up When September Ends "Wake Me Up When September Ends" is a song by American rock band Green Day released as the fourth single from their seventh album, American Idiot. The single peaked at number six in the United States, becoming Green Day's second Top 10 single. It also peaked at number eight in Canada and the UK,... " |
|
| Godsmack Godsmack Godsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin... |
"Bring It On Bring It On (Godsmack song) "Bring It On" is a song by the American heavy metal band Godsmack. It was released as a single in 2005. The band contributed the song to the Madden NFL 2006 football video game in 2005. The song is not featured on any known album or compilation.... " |
|
| Hot Hot Heat Hot Hot Heat Hot Hot Heat is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1999 from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.-Career:Dustin Hawthorne and Steve Bays had been in many different bands together since 1995 and met Hawley in 1998. In 1999, Hawley bought a Juno 6 keyboard and asked Bays to try playing it, as no one... |
"Pickin' It Up" | |
| Memphis Bleek Memphis Bleek Malik Thuston Patrick Cox , better known by his rap persona of Memphis Bleek or "Bleek", is a New York rapper mainly known for his tenure with Roc-a-Fella Records and CEO of his own label Get Low Records... |
"Like That Like That (Memphis Bleek song) "Like That" is the lead single from Memphis Bleek's fourth album, 534. The song peaked at #47 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart and at #22 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. The single was produced by Swizz Beatz. The song is featured on the game Madden NFL 06. Rihanna and labelmate Freeway... " |
|
| Nine Black Alps Nine Black Alps Nine Black Alps are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester, named after a line in The Couriers by Sylvia Plath and fronted by Sam Forrest.-Career:... |
"Cosmopolitan" | |
| Papoose Papoose (rapper) Shamele Mackie , better known by his stage name Papoose , is an American rapper.-Biography:Born March 5, 1978 in Brooklyn, New York City by Sierra Leone and Native American parents, Papoose made his first attempts at rapping at the age of 7. He was given his name by his grandma Vivian because of... |
"Born to Win" | |
| Paul Wall Paul Wall Paul Michael Slayton , better known by his stage name Paul Wall, is an American rapper. He is currently affiliated with Swishahouse Records, having released several albums under the label as well as... featuring Mike Jones Mike Jones (rapper) Michael "Mike" Jones is an American southern rap artist, who initially was affiliated with the record label Swishahouse, then left to be the owner of Ice Age Entertainment.... |
"They Don't Know They Don't Know (Paul Wall song) They Don't Know is the second single from Houston based rapper Paul Wall's second album The Peoples Champ. The album's version of the song features Mike Jones. There is also a remix that features Lil Keke, Slim Thug, Big Hawk, Bun B, and Trae... " |
|
| Rev Run Joseph Simmons Joseph Ward Simmons , known by the stage name Rev. Run or DJ Run, is one of the founding members of the influential hip hop group Run–D.M.C., and a practicing minister, known as Reverend Run. Simmons was born in Hollis, Queens, New York. He is the younger brother of Daniel "Danny" Simmons, Jr... |
"Mind on the Road" | |
| Sam Scarfo | "Tear 'Em Up" | |
| Sam Spence Sam Spence Samuel Lloyd Spence is an American soundtrack composer best known for his work with NFL Films.-Biography:A former USC music instructor living and working in Munich, Spence was hired in 1966 to score the mini-documentaries that conveyed NFL highlights and personalities to fans in the... (NFL Films NFL Films NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows... ) |
(Various Orchestral Songs) | |
| Slim Thug Slim Thug Stayve Jerome Thomas , better known as Slim Thug, Boss Hogg or Thug Boss, is an American rapper. He gained mainstream attention for his contribution to the popular single from rapper Mike Jones, "Still Tippin'".... |
"Get It Started" | |
| Spider Loc Spider Loc Curtis Norvell Williams, more commonly known as Spider Loc is an American rapper signed to G-Unit Records.Loc is also the CEO of G-Unit West.-Biography:... |
"When I Get Angry" | |
| Stat Quo Stat Quo Stanley Benton, better known as Stat Quo, is an American rapper. Benton worked his way to college and attended University of Florida, where he majored in economics and international business in 2000. Benton was contemplating law school, until veteran Southern rapper Scarface encouraged him to rap... |
"Rock Da Party" | |
| Tech N9ne Tech N9ne Aaron Dontez Yates , better known by his stage name Tech N9ne , is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout his career, Yates has sold over one million albums and has had his music featured in film,... |
"The Beast" | |
Reception
While the game received a generally positive reaction, some reviewers criticized the game's lack of new features and lackluster soundtrack (a recurring complaint), claiming the game plays very similarly to Madden NFL 2005Madden NFL 2005
Madden NFL 2005 is an American football video game that was released on August 9, 2004. It features Ravens star linebacker Ray Lewis on the cover...
if the QB Vision cone is turned off. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
reviewed the game with an 8.2 out of 10.
Madden NFL 06 was 2005's only NFL-Licensed football videogame, due to the 2004 deal between the NFL/NFLPA and Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
. The deal grants EA exclusive rights to the likenesses and names of all players, stadiums, logos, and jerseys. Electronic Arts also signed a long-term deal with ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, complicating the game's relationship to its titular announcer. In early 2006, Madden — at the time under contract as color commentator for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
— moved to NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
to join their Sunday night NFL coverage beginning in the 2006 Season. The Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
version of Madden 06 features neither Al Michaels
Al Michaels
Alan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
nor Madden in the announcing booth. Criticism was also added because several features were cut out of the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
version of the game, although this was likely due simply to the fact that EA rushed the game so it could be released as a launch title for the new system when it debuted in November 2005. Some positives with the XBOX 360 version were the right stick being used for the QB Vision feature and different songs from the original.
Awards
E3 2005 Game Critics AwardsGame Critics Awards
The Game Critics Awards are a set of annual awards held after the E3 video game conference since 1998. The awards are given to products displayed at E3 with the title Best of E3 of their category. The nominees and winners of the awards are chosen by individual judges representing 35 major North...
: Best Sports Game