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[DMczaf]

http://operationsports.com/news.asp?newsid=27994

Electronic Arts is pleased to announce that NCAA Football 2005 has officially gone gold for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube. The game will be in stores on July 15 and is the first EA SPORTS title to have Xbox Live capability. Last year's game was the #2 football game in the marketplace and #9 selling console videogame in North America.

The videogame sports season kicks off with NCAA Football 2005 and this year it’s all about the home field advantage. For the first time in a football videogame, the game day atmosphere directly affects players’ on-field performances. Track the crowd’s impact on your players and see if they can withstand the pressure from some of the most hostile environments in college football. Find and exploit key personnel mismatches with the new Match-Up Stick then celebrate big plays with new fan celebrations like the Gator Chomp and Texas Hook ‘Em Horns. Only NCAA Football 2005 puts you inside the stadium to deliver the real emotion, collegiate atmosphere, and traditional gameplay of college football.

NCAA Football 2005 also features a deeper Dynasty Mode™ where you can monitor program integrity.

Oh yeah, GC > Xbox!

Gamecube

Xbox

GC grass textures > Xbox grass textures!

 

[Mr_Furious]

I'm hard pressed to find actual differences that make your GC>Xbox claim factual. If all your judging by is the grass then I'd reply: Diffrerent stadium? Artificial turf? Weather?

 

[Bowser]

I'm hard pressed to find actual differences that make your GC>Xbox claim factual. If all your judging by is the grass then I'd reply: Diffrerent stadium? Artificial turf? Weather?

The players on the GC version look...sharper. The Xbox ones look blurry (to me, at least).

 

[Deleted member 284]

The grass has looked better in the GC versions of EA Football before (see IGN's 2004 madden comparison). Still doesn't make up for the options on the xbox not to mention being online.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

sadly it's true dudes. for whatever reason, madden/ncaa have always had more vibrant colors on gamecube. the grass has also always looked outstanding. but lets be realistic friends, even if ncaa looked 10 times worse on xbox/ps2 you'd buy it over GC for the online play!

 

[adrockthekid]

The colors seem a lot more vivid in the GC screens, where the Xbox screens look really washed-out...but that could very well be weather. However, if that's the case, bad job on EA PR's part - they shouldn't release non-optimal screens at this point. Stupid stupid.

 

[DMczaf]

Without looking at the link, tell me which pic is from which version

 

[Mr_Furious]

Those are all terrible screen grabs so judging which is better based off of them won't matter.

 

[human5892]

The links don't tell which game the picture is from, so I haven't checked these guesses, but:

Xbox, then GC, then PS2?

 

[Bowser]

I swear I didn't look at the link, but these are my guesses:

1. Xbox
2. GCN
3. PS2

 

[jedimike]

1. 16:9 mode - Xbox
2. less jaggies - GC
3. PS2

... me no lookie

 

[DMczaf]

Yup, all 3 right

More GC grass! Mmmmm smell it!

I don't know FMT! I might be picking grass textures over Xbox Live online play and tournaments!1!1

 

[Deleted member 284]

Yup, all 3 right

I don't know FMT! I might be picking grass textures over Xbox Live online play and tournaments!1!1

Shut up

 

[human5892]

One thing we can all agree on: the PS2 version looks like ass.

 

[DMczaf]

One thing we can all agree on: the PS2 version looks like ass.

Is this the most used line in GA history, even though its deserved 99% of the time? Heh

 

[human5892]

Is this the most used line in GA history, even though its deserved 99% of the time? Heh

No, that would either be "FHUTA" or "IBTN" or some other acronym.

Still, it's probably a pretty close runner-up. It's a good consensus-builder.

/me is a uniter, not a divider!

 

[siamesedreamer]

Oh yeah, GC > Xbox!

Nope:

Xbox = online
GC = connectivity?

Winner = Xbox

 

[Baron Aloha]

Nope:

Xbox = online
GC = connectivity?

Winner = Xbox

The fewer than 5% of console owners who go online agree with you. But for the other 95% where online doesn't matter GC > Xbox.

 

[siamesedreamer]

Holy shit the Xbox version does look like ass. WTF happened?

 

[Ristamar]

Holy shit the Xbox version does look like ass. WTF happened?

Hmm. Weren't Miyamoto and some other Nintendo execs rubbing elbows with EA in recent months? TEH CONSPIRACY!1!!!1!

But seriously, it doesn't look bad. Now the PS2 version... *cough*

 

[SickBoy]

Online aside, the Cube version is still the worst of the three because of the pure lameness of the controller.

I had Madden 2002 on the Cube and then NCAA 2003 (couldn't say no to $5 while it was still the current title). They both play fine no the Cube, but the controller can be annoying. I hated that controller when I was first playing Madden 2002.

-SB

 

[Ristamar]

Eh, I don't know. *shrug* I have NCAA 2003, and the controller never bothered me or my friends...

 

[Mrbob]

The fewer than 5% of console owners who go online agree with you. But for the other 95% where online doesn't matter GC > Xbox.

My Xbox HDD where I can store tons of replays and no worries about space with franchise mode disagrees! Beyond that, playing a sports game with the GC controller has to be a pain. Also, grass textures have always looked better on the GC version of EA Sports games. Must be that ATI hardware.

 

[SickBoy]

Eh, I don't know. *shrug* I have NCAA 2003, and the controller never bothered me or my friends...

There are occasions where you have to leap the giant gulf that is the A button -- i.e.: sprinting and then diving. I finally got the hang of it, but I absolutely loathed the controller in the early going.

-SB

 

[Guileless]

Nintendo lost me with the N64 memory card fiasco. For a long time Nintendo didn't make memory cards with sufficient size to save seasons on sports games, so you had to use a 3rd party and pray it wouldn't get corrupted.

 

[jedimike]

The fewer than 5% of console owners who go online agree with you. But for the other 95% where online doesn't matter GC > Xbox.

Christ JC, you'll bite on anything...

Xbox pros...

5.1
480p
16:9
online
custom soundtrack

GC pro...

pretty grass

 

[Bowser]

Well, I have to choose the GCN or PS2 version, and there's no way in HELL I'm getting that shitty ass PS2 version, controller issues or not. I'm fine with using the GC controller.

 

[bishoptl]

Christ JC, you'll bite on anything...

Xbox pros...

5.1
480p
16:9
online
custom soundtrack

GC pro...

pretty grass

heh ouch

 

[scorcho]

Christ JC, you'll bite on anything...

Xbox pros...

5.1
480p
16:9
online
custom soundtrack

GC pro...

pretty grass

pretty sure that NCAA 2005 will have 480P on the GC as most EA games do.

 

[MattCoz]

I've been GameCube-only up until now, this will be my first Xbox game. Now I find out the graphics are worse, heh.

 

[LEBRON KING JAMES]

if dey are finish wit da game den why are dey waitin till da 15th to ship it?

 

[Bowser]

LEBRON KING JAMES

Matlock?

 

[shpankey]

Christ JC, you'll bite on anything...

Xbox pros...

5.1
480p
16:9
online
custom soundtrack

GC pro...

pretty grass

Add to the Xbox...
Hard Drive (easy unlimited saves)

Add to the GCN...
Really shitty controller for sports which lacks a couple buttons to make things even worse.

 

[shpankey]

P.S. You guys have to realize these pics are not really going to represent what you will see. When you look at an image on a TV, you have to understand that the TV has specific settings for that Input and scan rate etc. So if the TV is adjusted for a GCN to be more accurate, that's not the Xbox's fault.

What I mean is, you have to professionally calibrate a TV to both a GCN and Xbox to get a fair picture between the two. For instance, I have had my TV calibrated by a Pro (cost $250) for my Xbox. The colors, greyscale etc etc etc were all set to a standard (I forget the acronymn for it).

Now, if I was to play another console on the system, it's not really a fair comparison as this TV is professionaly calibrated for an Xbox. Dead on accurate. It's exactly how the game developers intended for the game to look, but only on the Xbox.

Also, over color saturation is not good IMO. The GCN pics show a picture that has the color entirely too saturated, to where it looks like a cartoon. But that is subjective I suppose.

But I do agree, the grass textures are definately better on GCN. But that's been the case for the GCN on Madden and NCAA for a few years now. Something they have always done for the Cube as an extra bonus for em. But EA are really big fans of Nintendo and I believe this is how they try to help GCN in their own little way.

 

[Baron Aloha]

Christ JC, you'll bite on anything...

Xbox pros...

5.1
480p
16:9
online
custom soundtrack

GC pro...

pretty grass

Heck, if you have online or an entertainment system that is ready for 5.1, 480p, and 16:9 then obviously the Xbox version is a go, no question. The bottom line is those features are nice but they are worthless to most people since most people don't take their Xboxes online or connect them to good entertainment setups. So that leaves those people to decide between better graphics/textures and faster loading times vs. custom soundtracks and unlimited replay saves. I'll take better graphics and faster loading times over a custom soundtrack and a bunch of saves that I'll never use any day. Therefore my original statement still stands. For the average Joe, for this particular game, GC > Xbox.

And you are really one to talk about biting on something.

 

[Ramirez]

I don't suppose there's any option this year to be able to load your custom rosters online so both sides can see the names of the players?

 

[shpankey]

Heck, if you have online or an entertainment system that is ready for 5.1, 480p, and 16:9 then obviously the Xbox version is a go, no question. The bottom line is those features are nice but they are worthless to most people since most people don't take their Xboxes online or connect them to good entertainment setups. So that leaves those people to decide between better graphics/textures and faster loading times vs. custom soundtracks and unlimited replay saves. I'll take better graphics and faster loading times over a custom soundtrack and a bunch of saves that I'll never use any day. Therefore my original statement still stands. For the average Joe, for this particular game, GC > Xbox.

And you are really one to talk about biting on something.

Well, I don't know about faster loading on GCN, I'd guess the opposite was true actually. But I dont know for sure. Also, there is the issue with the GCN controller lacking two buttons and just generally being a poor controller for sports games altogether. Especially football. The lack of two buttons hurts the game a lot IMO... I mean, that's a pretty big deal.

And again, cartoony oversaturated colors doesn't make the graphics "better". I'll give you the grass textures are better, but that's about all you got in this argument. Everything else on the Xbox is better. Especially when it comes to control.

And the hard drive with unlimited saves is a very big deal. Custom soundtracks is also very cool. You can listen to them while in menus, or adjusting rosters or with the mini games (<-- this is a big deal because the mini games rock).

 

[Silkworm]

Xbox pics show Gators, GC pics don't (at least in the first post of this thread). Therefore Xbox is the winner!!!! Go UF!!! *CHOMP*

 

[Deg]

Christ JC, you'll bite on anything...

Xbox pros...

480p
16:9

EA gc games have pro scan and 16:9. I know this because i use them.

Faster loading on GC games is quite true and they are ussualy much faster as in 2-3x the time on long loading games. If you have a good memory card you can really speed up save times to almost 0 as well. A good example is 007 where most GC memory cards spend more time saving over the game loading. I'm using the datel 1019 card. I will only go official if Nintendo's version is just as fast.

 

[vg260]

On the Xbox and GC, white facemasks still look gray

 

[CrimsonSkies]

It's really tough to look at these versions of this game from a graphical standpoint after seeing EPSN NFL 2K5 on the Xbox . What could have been.