Madden NFL 12 NYC Event Gallery

EA kicked off NFL Draft Week here in NYC in a big way with a unique event that brought newly crowned Madden NFL 12 cover athlete (and Cleveland Browns running back) Peyton Hillis to town for a unique LIVE cover shoot for the upcoming release. Hillis beat out (er, no pun intended) Michael Vick (who was the cover star on Madden 04). Despite a brief rainstorm about an hour or so in, the spirits of the enthusiastic crowd that gathered certainly wasn't dampened in the slightest.

Hillis first sat for a indoor (well, in-tent) 360-degree head imaging photo session before changing into his Browns gear and hitting the outdoor stage which was designed to mimic a football field (complete with artificial turf). Also on hand were a few surprise guests including Deion Sanders, who made a few young fans (and future sports writers) do their own happy dance as they got the chance to interview the NFL legend. I liked how these kids had on brand-new sneakers to match their bright smiles and bouncy energy as they tossed question after question at Sanders. Hillis was incredibly busy posing and pulling off moves for the cameras, but after the shoot, got to finally sit down for some photo time with journalists and tackle a few questions.

As for the game itself, thanks to a delivery truck stuck in New Jersey, the consoles EA planned as part of the presentation arrived late, but were set up quickly enough for a few games to be played amongst the eager journalists. So far, I can report that although incomplete, Madden NFL 12 is looking pretty solid in terms of visuals, animation and an overall level of polish not seen in past Maddens this console cycle. There's a long list of new features I'll run in a separate post, but it's clear that fans will find this to be the most realistic Madden game to date in terms of a few factors. August 30 is a mere three months away, so the team at EA Tiburon will no doubt continue to polish their game until it practically glows in the dark.

Back with more in a bit...