EA paid a pretty penny for exclusive content and now they aren't even using it to its full potential. To make things worse, play-by-play duties are handled by the "EA Sports Radio Announcer." His half-awake, homeristic commentary lags behind the game action and subtracts more from the experience than it adds. This system of commentary doesn't even make sense. Why I would be watching or playing a football game and listening to it on the radio at the same time? Again, sports fans the count of professional football broadcasters that recorded voiceovers for the game: Four. The number involved in the game's actual commentary: Zero. The setup is bizarre to say the least.

And in other questionable presentation, there is no halftime show whatsoever. Unless of course, you count being able to click the replay button and view the biggest plays of the first half. It's a little sad that NFL2K5 put a real time halftime show in their game three years ago, on last generation consoles, and that presentation is better than the current industry standard.
As the only NFL game in town, gamers are buying it at $60 a pop expecting all the bells and whistles. The computer AI is uneven, making some brilliant plays on even the Pro level but being as dumb as a sack of hammers on others. When the computer doesn't try an onside kick when it's down by two scores with a minute left, or inexplicably punts on second down late in the first half, you'll swear Barry Switzer is coaching again.

There are also way too many fumbles for the rhythm of an actual NFL game. Between interceptions and fumbles, 8-10 turnovers a game is not unusual. For there to be as many fumbles as consistently as there are in this game, Tony Romo would have to be the ballhandling coach for half the teams in the league. It doesn't matter who's carrying the rock either. Typically sure-handed guys are as likely to cough it up as known butterfingers. On the tournament circuit this year, we will probably see a lot of guys running towards the sidelines in the fourth-quarter.

In spite of these gripes, Madden '08 is a really fun game of football. This year's innovations aren't just shoehorned in for newness' sake, they change how the game is played. If EA Sports builds on the good parts of this game and ups the presentation of things like play-by-play to a truly next gen level, this franchise will keep piling up the profits no matter whose name appears on it.