NFL Head Coach 09
Encyclopedia
NFL Head Coach 09 is the follow-up to NFL Head Coach
for the Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
. The game was released on August 12, 2008. The game is available in the 20th Anniversary Special Edition
of Madden NFL 09
, and was released as a standalone game on September 2, 2008. The full game was released as a download on the PlayStation Store
on September 4, 2008 in the US, and no Europe or other overseas release is planned.
Tony Dungy
from Indianapolis Colts
replaces Bill Cowher
as the cover head coach while Adam Schefter and Todd McShay
provide commentary on upcoming draft picks.
Other notable features include:
20th Anniversary Collector's Edition, claiming, "If we shipped Head Coach alone, it would be a full-priced SKU. But if we pack it in, we can reduce the price and make it a bonus to our fans... On the first Head Coach, we think it was a great concept, and as far as we've taken it, to be able to pack that in and pass on those savings to our consumers, if you can have one awesome pack like this -- we're really fired up." Two weeks later, EA announced a standalone version would be available three weeks after Madden's release.
NFL Head Coach
NFL Head Coach is a National Football League video game that was released on June 20, 2006 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC. The game allows the player to control an NFL team and become the greatest coach in NFL history...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. The game was released on August 12, 2008. The game is available in the 20th Anniversary Special Edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
of Madden NFL 09
Madden NFL 09
Madden NFL 09 is an American football video game based on the NFL that was published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It is the 20th annual installment in the Madden NFL video game franchise. This game is known for its realistic graphics and big hits...
, and was released as a standalone game on September 2, 2008. The full game was released as a download on the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
on September 4, 2008 in the US, and no Europe or other overseas release is planned.
Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...
from Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
replaces Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
as the cover head coach while Adam Schefter and Todd McShay
Todd McShay
Todd McShay is a football analyst.McShay is a native of Swampscott, Massachusetts and played quarterback for the Swampscott High School football team . In 1999, He graduated from the University of Richmond with a B.A. in leadership studies, and served as the backup quarterback before a back...
provide commentary on upcoming draft picks.
Gameplay
Coach's meetings have been removed, and the game is in real-time. The player can elect to skip offseason schedules and focus strictly on game day playcalling.Improvements and updates
The game features the following improvements to the previous version:- Team ratings preferences: teams will draft according to individual preferred ratings (e.g., the Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
will prefer speed players) - Coach preferences: head coaches will favor free agents they worked with before
- Free agent signing: the game will abandon the Madden method of free agent signing, and will utilize an eBayEBayeBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
-styled auction system, and a live timer. Also RFA will run on the same system. - Improved player contract AI: players will be more aggressive and demanding during negotiations
- Improved NFL CombineNFL CombineThe National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
/Pro Day: players ratings change more realistically following their Senior BowlSenior BowlThe Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...
, NFL Combine and Pro Day activity respectively - Improved menu system, in the form of a coach's clipboardClipboardA clipboard is a thin, rigid board with a clip at the top for holding paper in place. A clipboard is typically used to support paper with one hand while writing on it with the other, especially when other writing surfaces are not available.-Other uses:...
- Expanded Rosters now allow for 75 players in the offseason with weekly cuts in the preseason until the rosters are down to 53 at the beginning of the season.
- The GM of each team will invite unknown players to training camp, just like in real life, where the head coach will have to hold practice to find out which ones are worth keeping and which ones to cut.
- Physical punishment builds up throughout a season and can lead to various injuries. (If a player continuously gets hit hard in the same spot of the body, eventually he'll suffer a severe injury)
- Players can now come out of retirement as well as players from smaller leagues joining the NFL.
- Players can now leave for "personal reasons."
- The coaches you hire will affect the style you play, and the more famous they are, the more control they will demand from you (such as Mike MartzMike MartzMichael Martz is a former NFL head coach and currently the offensive coordinator for the National Football League's Chicago Bears....
or Bill ParcellsBill ParcellsDuane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
) in order to have them coach under you. You can now also hire college coaches that will add their own style to your playbook, such as bringing the option into the NFL. - You can sub players at any time to any position
- Make plays and export them to Madden 09 or make them mid-game to stop a spread offense or blitz
- Teams now track the future of the position in order to keep you informed as to how to upgrade a positions through showing you who is coming up in the draft as well as who will be a free agent.
- There are now no overall ratings for players, instead there is a team rating for the player based on your team's philosophy (ex: Tyler BraytonTyler BraytonTyler Brayton is an American football defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders 32nd overall in the 2003 NFL Draft...
80 overall with the Carolina PanthersCarolina PanthersThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, 69 overall with the Detroit LionsDetroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
) This returns from the Windows version of the original game.
Other notable features include:
- Improved draft day trading, including the ability to trade draft picks as well as future picks
- Improved trade AI, including computer-computer trades
- Trade timer, forcing a trade to be completed in a limited set of time
Bundle with Madden NFL 09
Electronic Arts announced in a press release that NFL Head Coach 09 would be available in the Madden NFL 09Madden NFL 09
Madden NFL 09 is an American football video game based on the NFL that was published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It is the 20th annual installment in the Madden NFL video game franchise. This game is known for its realistic graphics and big hits...
20th Anniversary Collector's Edition, claiming, "If we shipped Head Coach alone, it would be a full-priced SKU. But if we pack it in, we can reduce the price and make it a bonus to our fans... On the first Head Coach, we think it was a great concept, and as far as we've taken it, to be able to pack that in and pass on those savings to our consumers, if you can have one awesome pack like this -- we're really fired up." Two weeks later, EA announced a standalone version would be available three weeks after Madden's release.