Let the buzz officially begin. This week, EA Sports put Madden NFL 09 on display for the first time at the publisher's spring press event in Vancouver. Producers were on hand to talk about practically every aspect of the game, from features designed for the hardcore crowd and newcomers alike to the advent of online leagues. We've got all the details here in our latest look at the game.

　　A common theme from EA's Season Opener event was the ability to customize the gaming experience in this year's crop of games based on your skill level. In no game is this more true than in Madden 09. From the moment you first pop the game into your console, it will immediately guide you through a series of tests to gauge your "Madden IQ." The tests function similarly to minigames found in previous versions of Madden, albeit this time with a holographic graphical treatment. The tests measure your proficiency in various Madden disciples, including rushing, passing, defending the run, and defending the pass. Based on the results of the minigames, Madden 09 will automatically configure difficulty settings to ensure that playing against the CPU will always be a competitive experience. Your Madden IQ will also be used to determine other elements of the game presentation, including the play-calling screen and the level of depth presented in analytic cutscenes.

　　With features for the hardcore Madden players and newcomers alike, Madden NFL 09 should appeal to any football fan.

　　These cutscenes, which also make their debut for the first time in Madden 09, are automatically triggered whenever you blow a potentially big play. EA specifically mentioned three such instances (getting sacked with an open receiver, throwing into coverage, and making a bad play call) but suggested that more events will trigger similar cutscenes by release. The cutscenes show you replays of the mistake and an overlay of the offensive and defensive play arts, and they provide suggestions on how to avoid such mistakes in the future. Like the concept for the Madden IQ, this appears to be an attempt by EA to appeal to a not-so-hardcore audience that may not be familiar with all of the intricacies of the sport.

　　Madden 09 won't expect you to remember this analytic advice for the next applicable instance, either. Instead, the game will provide you with the ability to "rewind" the last play and attempt to correct the error immediately. Because this will clearly be a powerful tool, use of the rewind feature is limited to three per game by default and can be adjusted in the settings for more or fewer depending on your personal preference. In addition to giving you a second opportunity to cash in on a big play, rewind can be used on defense to negate your opponent's home-run ball. It's your choice whether to use rewinds to jump to capitalize on early opportunities or save them to put away your opponent in the fourth quarter. Unranked online games will offer three rewinds per player by default, but the feature will not be available during ranked matches.

　　In addition to efforts focused on widening the Madden audience, Madden 09 will boast a collection of cosmetic improvements. First and foremost on this list are the improvements to weather and venue presentation. Players leave footprints during snow games that gradually disappear (though bodies sliding on the snow mysteriously don't cause the same effect), fog effects have been added, and jerseys no longer remain spotlessly clean throughout the game. Grass textures have been dramatically improved to the point where you can distinguish individual blades; stadium shadows falling on the field of play appear sharper and more realistic; and even the sidelines look appropriately populated with third-string scrubs and various coaching personnel. Random (but reasonable) weather effects will be available in unranked online games but, again, not in ranked matches.

　　Playing at Lambeau in winter, you'll see realistic footprints in the snow.

　　Presentation improvements don't stop on the field either. The play-calling screen now offers many of the common Madden adjustments, such as changing audibles, substituting players, and even a quick replay of the last play without the need to pause the game and navigate menus (though the game clock and play clock will still pause while changes are being made). Although it's not groundbreaking, EA's hope is that this will lessen the disruption to the gameplay caused by making such adjustments.

　　Finally, Madden 09 also debuts a number of new features as well as a game mode that Madden enthusiasts have been anticipating for a long time: online leagues. This feature alone is so monumental and anticipated that it deserves an extensive breakdown.

　　Online leagues can include anywhere from two players to a complete league of 32 participants. You will have the ability to start the season with a fantasy draft (or just play with the default roster), conduct trades with other players, and even play online games at your convenience by way of a flexible schedule system. The flex schedule will let you play regular season games in any order or at any pace you choose. It is EA's hope that this will eliminate the long-standing issue of scheduling online games between gamers with commitments outside of gaming. For instance, one player may notice that his week 8 and week 15 opponents are online and play both games back-to-back. In fact, one player could finish all of his regular season games in a weekend before another player has even played his first.

　　Luckily, leagues aren't stuck with those deadbeat players who never play their games. The league commissioner will be able to expunge such players and even add new players to the league midseason. (It is still unconfirmed whether adding new players in this way dynamically appends every team's schedule to accommodate the new players, but that would appear to be the only way this could work.) Naturally, stats from every game will be tracked, and participants will be able to check out league leader metrics (though only per-game statistics will have any meaning for the reason mentioned above).

　　Think you've got what it takes to beat your friends? Find out in Madden NFL 09's online leagues.

　　That's the good news. However, since this is the first year that EA has officially sanctioned online leagues, there are bound to be some limitations. First, online leagues will be limited to a single season. Clearly this will expand in subsequent renditions of Madden, but the result for this year may be that only fantasy-drafted online leagues will have an element of parity.

　　In addition, only human-controlled teams are allowed--no CPU teams. This is a slight disappointment, because now 32 people are needed for a realistic experience, but honestly, few online players look forward to playing a computer-controlled opponent anyway. Assuming there are enough hardcore Dolphins fans out there, it shouldn't be an issue to fill every team if that is indeed a deal breaker for you.

　　The trading system for online leagues will be limited, in that only one-for-one trades will be possible (that is, you will not be able to trade multiple players and receive only one in return). This technical hurdle can be circumvented, assuming both parties make their intentions clear to the rest of the league. For instance, two parties could make a one-for-one deal, and one party could simply release an additional player with the understanding that he would be signed by the other party. A two-for-two deal could be done by simply making two one-for-one deals. Also, as a result of the flex schedule, trade participants must have completed the same number of games. Otherwise, you could have a situation in which someone plays his full season with Randy Moss and then trades him to another player for further use.

　　Injuries will be removed completely in online leagues. The producers stated that as a result of the flex schedule, injuries would just complicate things unnecessarily. Imagine a player's star running back going down with a two-week injury during a week 15 game. That player may attempt to "duck" a good opponent for a few games and target bottom-feeders until he is back to full strength.

　　Finally, there will be no divisions, and the playoffs will not share the format used by the NFL. Because of the variable number of teams in each league, Madden 09 will simply put all of the teams in one common pool with the top half of the teams advancing to a single-elimination playoff. Though this may not be the most realistic playoff system, at least there will be no question that the best teams are indeed advancing to the playoffs. Unfortunately, because there will be no spectator mode in Madden 09, no one other than the participants involved will be able to see how the season concludes.

　　Other additions to Madden NFL 09 will include: Madden Moments: Madden 09 will introduce a feature called "Madden Moments," where fans can relive some of the most memorable events from the '07-'08 season. One confirmed event is the Dolphins actually salvaging a win to avoid a 0-16 season, and it stands to reason you'll see a Madden Moment for the Patriots capping off their perfect regular season. Each Madden Moment will place you in an actual scenario, where you must lead a game-winning drive, make a big stop, or protect a shallow lead. Past Madden Emulators: Madden 09 will include an emulator that lets you relive Madden games of years past. If Madden '93 holds some sentimental value, you can reexperience the glory days or at least appreciate how far the franchise has come in its 20 years of existence. Importable Fantasy Football Teams: EA will be launching what it hopes will be yet another successful football franchise this year, titled "Fantasy Football." Available via download for the Xbox 360 and PS3, Fantasy Football will let you conduct your actual fantasy football drafts on the console with the addition of Madden-esque graphics and draft commentary. Once you're finished, you will be able to upload your fantasy teams into Madden 09 and face off against other fantasy teams (positions not drafted on the fantasy team will be randomly filled).

　　The weapon system will return in Madden 09; you might even see some rookies become formidable players straight away.

　　In addition to those new features, Madden producers addressed some key fixes that will be found in Madden NFL 09, including: Revamped Sim Engine: The simulation engine in Madden 09 has been reworked to produce more-realistic results in franchise mode. Gone are the days of multiple 2,000-yard rushers in a single season, and simulation score results will more accurately mimic scores in the NFL. In-Game Saves: Not enough time for a full game? Madden 09 will let franchise gamers save their progress midgame so they can resume running up the score on the Bears at their convenience. Instant Replays: Borrowed from the NCAA Football production team, Madden 09 will let you save your favorite replays for educational purposes or to simply rub salt in the wound of the buddy you torched on that flea flicker. Manual Catch Fixed: Issues stemming from the introduction of the "spectacular catch" in Madden 08 and its impact on manual catching have been fixed. Expect the manual catch to return to its Madden 07 form.

　　We're looking forward to exploring more of what Madden NFL 09 will offer, and of course you can expect to see all the latest previews and strategies on the game here and at our sister sports site, SportsGamer.