PS2 Title Sports Host of New Features Including Full Online Play

So close to the excitement, to the passion, to the thrill that is college football. With kickoff a little more than a month away, game publishers are also getting ready for another exciting season of gridiron greatness. Sony Computer Entertainment America has a few surprises on tap with the release of NCAA GameBreaker 2004 for the PlayStation2.

For the first time in the history of the NCAA GameBreaker franchise, gamers can take their skills online and compete against other college football fans anytime, via broadband or dial-up.

Other new features include animated mascots, cheerleaders, fight songs (how can you have the pageantry of college football with the spirit of cheerleaders and that rousing war cry?) and sideline personnel as well as new bowl games and hidden stadiums. Gameplay modes will include practice, season, tournament, exhibition and coaching career. And the uniqueness of the collegiate sport will also be captured in the title as gamers will get to run those formations that harken back to power football at its best - with fullhouse backfields and the wishbone.

And these are just some of the thrills and excitement in store for players, who are ready to buckle down that chin strap and head into another season of smash-mouth football. Or perhaps, you favor the run-and-gun style attack. It will all be here, as will a few surprises in the player interface.

George Rothrock, the producer of NCAA GameBreaker 2004, stepped to the sidelines for a few moments to talk with GameZone.com about this upcoming title.

Question: The world of gaming in general, and sports games in particular, is really heating up in terms of dynamic lighting, motion-capture imagery and other graphical techniques that add realism to the game. Is there anything new graphically about GameBreaker 2004?

George: The GameBreaker 2004 graphics and major systems have been redesigned to feature an all new quad-plus ambient light source system (4 lights plus an ambient), specular highlighting and reflection maps on player helmets, weighted vertices on the player models and event triggered key framing throughout the animation system and completely new motion capture.

Q: College football is a much more enthusiastic or emotionally charged game, in my opinion, as opposed to its profession counterpart. How have you translated that feeling into your title?

George: The player attributes are more wide open in college ball...chances for player mismatches, the inclusion of school-specific imagery and ambiance: fight songs, mascots, plus Keith Jackson and Tim Brandt’s expertise and enthusiasm.

Q: What other features are new or unique to the title this year?

George: This year’s game additions include, but aren’t limited to, voice recognition for command control over the game, mascots, create a team, lots of new options, fight songs, customized accessories and player uniforms, stadium and environment renovations and an amazing Online feature set. The online feature set includes: voiceover IP chatting, buddy lists, user mail, online tournaments, private chat channels, full chat functionality and voiceover IP chatting available during game play, Web-based score reporting and a complete Web site all accessible from your personal computer and your PlayStation2.

Q: Because no one truly knows who will be stepping out on the field until opening day, it must be particularly difficult to put together teams for the title. How are you able to configure teams and lineups so far in advance?

George: We use our experience, careful review of the teams and their plans for the upcoming season, third party statistics and information from vendors and then allow the user to download roster updates as the season progresses!

Q: In the same vein, how difficult is it to script the audio portion of a game like this?

George: With experts like Keith Jackson and Tim Brandt providing input and guidance, scripting is very exciting. Implementing the audio is a lot of work, but we have outstanding audio engineers working on the title.

Q: What elements make creating a college football game particularly difficult, and what elements do you consider essential to a successful title?

George: The approval process is exacting. The devil’s in the details, but everyone works extremely hard to ensure that a player that attends a particular school sees that team represented accurately and in an exciting manner. As Keith Jackson puts it "They’re your football team, that’s who they are." Essential college football features include the option plays and the big air attack.

Q: What aspects of GameBreaker do you think particularly appeal to gridiron gaming fans?

George: College ball is a wide-open, wild game when compared to its professional brother. Big plays, upsets and underdogs are part of the experience. That’s where the title comes from: the Gamebreaker is the outstanding individual, usually headed for the NFL, that can dominate on the field. It also refers to the player that can turn the tide, ensure the victory, or blow it all.

Q: Does the game feature a generic playbook or are the playbooks specifically tailored to the teams?

George: Each team will have their authentic play style in their playbooks. Option quarterbacks, amazingly talented backs, and the air attack are all accounted for, as accurately as possible.

Q: Will the game feature customizable teams and players. Does the game work in conjunction with NFL GameDay in allow developed players to move forward through a draft?

George: Yes, the players can be adjusted, that’s to say they can be named, substituted, their assignments on the team changed and indeed you can draft seniors into NFL Gameday. Teams can be created including designing their uniforms, picking a logo and stadium, and entering them into a bowl or tournament season against the big teams in those divisions.

Q: The game is going online this season. Will there be a ranking system for gamers or a tournament system?

George: Absolutely. The online community is vast and you’re going to love it!