Madden '08: Xbox 360 Rocks While PS3 Walks

With a close eye on game ports it's no surprise the Internet is all over the fact that the PlayStation 3 version of Madden '08 is slower than the lower horse powered alternative.

First reported by USA Today and then analyzed by Joystiq the news is moving around some of the top blog/news sites quickly. None of the issues are major show stopping problems, as a matter of fact they're all known issues: Xbox 360 has a higher frame rate (60FPS) on all sports games while PS3 is running at 30FPS.

So, what's the big issue?

"On the surface, the releases on 360 and PlayStation 3 look identical. However, when you stack them head-to-head, it’s clear which is better. Madden on 360 is fast and fluid, thanks to a sharp jump in frame rate that allows the game to move twice as fast.

PS3 owners, unfortunately, are greeted with a Madden that is sluggish in comparison. Action stutters far too often, particularly on injuries, penalties and turnovers. There’s also a half-second delay between pressing the hike button and receiving the ball in your hands. Even close-ups between play look dull when lined up against the 360’s sleeker cut scenes."

The problem is simple: you can notice it with the human eye. Joystiq wasn't sure what the deal was and if this was just a blown out of proportion so they fired off some questions to Electronic Arts to see how they reacted:

"Rob M." from EA Sports technical support says he understands gamers "frustration," but says that EA has been "developing titles for the Xbox 360 for over 3 1/2 years" and has only been working with the PS3 for over a year. He goes on to say it's "very difficult to get it right the first time." He goes on to say that that 30 frames per second is the same for all PS3 sports games, and they're happy to point out that the same holds true for 2K Sports as well. He finishes by saying that "if you choose not to purchase the [PS3 version], it is a choice [they] fully understand and respect."

Nice. So, the game doesn't run any better than their competitor and they're having a hard time getting it right the first time (isn't this the second Madden release for the PS3?) and that's the problem.

Does the reason why really make any difference at all? The fact is, the game runs choppy on the high end system that gamers payed extra to own over the other competitor. If anything, this is going to assist in Xbox 360 fans adding fuel to the PlayStation 3 fan fire.

Maybe next year...

(Thanks, evilavatar)