Madden needs more innovation - EA Sports exec

The Madden franchise may not be known for significant core changes in its every iteration, but Electronic Arts hopes its investment in Madden NFL 13 will buck that trend. EA Sports executive Andrew Wilson said in an interview with GamesIndustry International that the series has fallen short when it comes to fresh thinking.

"I do believe that Madden did not have the level of innovation that some of our other franchises have had," Wilson said. "I think [Madden games] were still doing great things, they were great playing games and they were significantly more than roster updates." He said the team behind the core gameplay in this year's edition was 50 percent larger than last year, and the budget was the largest ever in the series' 20-year history. The game's new Infinity engine, which allows procedurally generated animations to affect the outcome of plays, is chief among the in-game alterations, as well as Kinect voice support before and during plays. Peripheral elements such as connected-careers mode and online seasons have also received attention.

EA's earnings report released last week revealed that preorder figures for Madden NFL 13 are up 25 percent from last year's edition, but Wilson said the franchise still needs to stay on its toes. "We recognize a need to fundamentally innovate in Madden. We have a brand new leadership team: Cam Weber, Roy Harvey and these guys. Roy Harvey did a fantastic job with NCAA; he made it the best football game on the market at the time. I think he did it this year with Madden."