When in doubt, call a screen play.

　　That's the conclusion that my co-worker Tom Mc Shea and I came to when playing Madden NFL 10 together last Friday. We were playing as the San Francisco 49ers and taking on the Kansas City Chiefs, one of the few teams rated lower than the Niners in the game. Mc Shea and I played together via Madden 10's online cooperative play--one of several new features in the game--and managed to eke out a victory against the Chiefs despite some horrific defensive play on our part. It was a good time, though it should be noted that cooperative play is in some ways a very different experience from playing the game by yourself or against another player online.

　　The main difference between playing cooperatively and playing by yourself is the division of roles. The host of an online co-op session essentially has practically all the control in a match--from calling the plays to executing on the field as the quarterback. As the guest, you'll get a brief look at the play that was called and will need to make position and player choice adjustments on the field accordingly. Having no input into the playcalling might be frustrating for some hardcore Madden fans playing cooperatively in the guest role--a nice addition for next year would be to let the guest player "suggest" a play, which the host could then choose or ignore. An even better solution would be the one Mc Shea suggested: Split play-calling duties down the middle, with one player calling plays on offense, and the other handling defensive duties.

　　With the system in place as it stands, however, communication is key. For Tom and I, it was a matter of announcing the play I was calling and it's fair to say that voice chat will be one of the key differentiations between successful online cooperative duos and players that get their butts handed to them.

　　Once you've got the play selected, both players can choose to toggle between players before the snap. Only the host player can play at QB (though he can switch players after the snap) while the guest player can choose to play any other position on the field. During running plays, for example, the guest player might want to play as the running back or the lead blocker; on a passing play, he might want to play as the wide receiver. When in control of a wideout, you're not tied to the play's route and can instead run whatever route you choose. In fact, one of the most basic pre-snap adjustments you can make in co-op is to have the wideout announce a different route before the snap, then watch as the AI DBs struggle to catch up. Call it a "voice command hot route," if you will.

　　In our game, Mc Shea and I made several adjustments of this sort. Unhappy with the delayed release of the running back when calling our beloved screen play, I told Mc Shea (who was controlling the Niners' Frank Gore) to send Gore into the flats as soon as I snapped the ball. The result? A huge 70-yard touchdown score (and an XBL achievement for completing a touchdown pass with a partner on All-Pro difficulty). That isn't to say that the screen play worked every time we called it--though it did seem quite effective--just that making these types of adjustments between teammates are as simple as saying them aloud.

　　One thing that definitely takes some getting used to are the camera angles, especially when playing on the edges. Similar to how the camera in Superstar mode focuses on your individual player, the camera in online cooperative play focuses on the player you're controlling at the moment. That's not a big deal when playing as quarterback for a pass or running back on a handoff, but when playing as a wideout, you'll often have plays where the ball doesn't come your way and you're left wondering just what the heck happened. Again, communication rules here--and it's a good idea to synch up with your partner so that your chosen wideout will always be the QB's first read.

　　While Mc Shea and I performed relatively well on offense, our defensive skills left a lot to be desired. As on offense, the host player is responsible for calling the defensive play. You'll be able to toggle between players pre-snap and the focused camera angle will once again display your controlled player front and center. The reversed camera angle (similar to the defensive camera angle option from NCAA Football 10, which swings the camera around so that defensive players are facing "up" the screen), when coupled with those tight camera angles, also take some getting used to. Personally I had a lot of trouble playing as linebacker and dealing with passes that were just over my head but then, I suppose, so too do real linebackers.

　　Online franchise is one of the other big additions to Madden NFL 10 and I've been playing in an online franchise against EA producers and fellow journalists since last week. As for my impressions, the short version is: It's a big step up from last year's poorly conceived online leagues, though there's still work to be done.

　　Up to 32 players can take part in an online franchise, one for each team in the NFL. If you have less than the full amount, you can have the AI control non-player teams, which wasn't in last year's game. When creating a franchise, you can choose to play with traditional team rosters or start from scratch with a fantasy draft. As you might expect, each week of your franchise season, you'll have a game to play (unless you're in a bye week) against either a CPU team or a real life opponent. Presumably, at the end of the season--I'm only a few weeks into mine--there will be an authentic playoff series, culminating in a Super Bowl championship between the final pairing.

　　You'll need a code to authorize your online franchise (either when joining or creating a franchise) and that code will be packed in the retail box, thus leaving those who rent the game out of luck, it seems. Still, for many, online franchise is the reason to buy Madden 10. That realistic feel of an online franchise--with authentic leagues and divisions, as well as individual statistical leaders tracked throughout the season--is a big upgrade from the incomplete online leagues of last year. Add in the ability to manage your franchise team via the EA Sports Web site or via the upcoming free-to-download iPhone app (see screens), and there's a lot to like. Still, there's definite work ahead to make online franchise as compelling as it could be. Trade logic is still fairly rudimentary--you can't trade draft picks--and there doesn't seem to be any financial information in this mode. For example, you can sign any free agent available to you without having to worry about salary cap restrictions. Here's hoping that it won't take too many more iterations of Madden before the online franchise is as deep as the one found offline.

　　GameSpot's Madden NFL 10 launch center is live. Check it out in the coming weeks for more screens, videos, and features right up to the game's release on August 14.