Inside Xbox One X Enhanced: Madden NFL 18
Many of gaming’s most compelling stories come from those who’ve helped to create our favorite Xbox One games. In our Inside Xbox One X Enhanced series, these creators will share the behind-the-scenes accounts of the work involved in enhancing these epic games for Xbox One X, how they’ve helped chart the course of the world’s most powerful console, and what that means for the future of gaming. Today, we’ll be chatting with Seth Christie from EA Sports, Technical Director on the perennial football powerhouse Madden 18.
What specifically is your development team doing to enhance Madden NFL 18 for Xbox One X?
For Madden NFL 18, we are reaching new heights on Xbox One X through visuals and gameplay. The resolution of the game can be played in 4K Ultra HD, which really comes through in the player detail. The gameplay will run at a constant 60 FPS (Frames Per Second), which means that when you go from scoring on the field to celebrating in the end zone, you’ll experience a smooth, seamless transition from gameplay to cinematic moments.
How do these enhancements impact the gaming experience?
As mentioned above, the visuals are improved due to 4K Ultra HD support and the performance is improved due to constant 60 FPS across the gameplay experience. When you combine 4K Ultra HD, constant 60 fps with additional enhancements such as an increased level of camera detail, you’ll immediately notice and feel a difference in the immersion. This means that elements such as the player’s helmet and faces become more realistic –giving you the feeling that you are right there in the stadium.
Why did your development team choose to focus on these enhancement areas?
We wanted to give our fans the highest fidelity Madden NFL 18 visual experience, and we knew these were the key areas which would deliver the most noticeable upgrades.
How do you expect fans of Madden NFL 18 will respond to seeing on Xbox One X with these enhancements?
There are still times when we do a double-take after casually seeing Madden NFL 18 on Xbox One X. The console has made the experience even more like the real-life broadcasts you seen on TV. We expect our fans will react similarly.
How has the process been to get the game up and running on Xbox One X?
The team at Microsoft planned their console transition well, and the we found it easy to upgrade Madden NFL 18 to take advantage of the power of the console.
What enhancement were you most excited about to explore leveraging for Madden 18 on Xbox One X?
The powerful GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) in the Xbox One X has allowed a jump in fidelity already, and we are sure there is still room to improve the experience in the coming years.
What does 4K and HDR mean for your game, games in the future and development at your studio?
We are now able to deliver vibrant, detailed visuals only previously imagined by our team. Our games will continue taking advantage of these technologies to deliver realistic experiences into our fans’ living rooms.
Thanks to Seth for taking the time to chat with us about Xbox One X Enhanced. We’ll be bringing you more interviews with more developers in the future, so stay tuned to Xbox Wire!