THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2007
NEWS
ENTERTAINMENT
3A
March Madness game rates Arthur, Collins poorly
EA Sports staff captures Allen Fieldhouse experience, but upsets fans with low scores for star players
Senior center Sasha Kaun throws down a dunk over his Oklahoma counterpart, Longar Longar, in the EA Sports March Madness 2008 video game. The game, scheduled to ship Dec. 11, features improved control of low post players.
BY THOR NYSTROM
tnystrom@kansan.com
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Sean O'Brien is laughing — not because the reporter's question is funny, but because the question is asked so often, most of the time by an incredulous fan, O'Brien, the creator of EA Sports NCAA March Madness 2008, was asked during an interview last week why Kansas' Darrell Arthur and Sherron Collins were rated only 77 in the new game.
After stifling his laughter, O'Brien said, "People are always ticked off with that. It is probably the most judged thing that we do every year."
Such is life for the creator of one of the EA Sports video games, the best-selling sports titles in the country.
For the record, O'Brien said an "edit player" feature was designed for gamers whose biggest qualm with the game was the slight of their favorite athletes. So, in the case of Arthur, a gamer can bump up his rebounding skill and low post moves.
O'Brien said his team of developers worked on the March Madness game year-round. The '08 game was finished Nov. 5 and is scheduled to ship Dec. 11 after an approval stage to be sure the software works properly.
The new game will have a couple of big additions: improved player control in the post, including offensive and defensive positioning, and the inclusion of ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews.
Andrews, who said she had wanted to be a part of the game for years, said integrating herself into the game was a fun experience.
"It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be," Andrews said. "When I cover a game, I go to morning shootaround, I sit down with the coaching staff, I do a week worth of research. You have to keep it really generic when you are working with the game because you don't have that week to work with. The story lines could be anything."
A graduate of the University of Florida, which won the NCAA football and basketball trophies last year, Andrews said she could see Kansas as the next big national dual-threat program. She called Allen Fieldhouse "the loudest place I have ever been" and said her last experience at the fieldhouse was difficult.
"I love reporting from Allen Fieldhouse," Andrews said. "Last year against Texas A&M, I had laryngitis before the game. ESPN had no time to change reporters. They were pumping me with hot water. It was so loud that you couldn't hear anything. It was bad. I was getting text messages from friends and family saying they
O'Brien made sure the Allen Fieldhouse experience was as realistic as possible in the game.
have to turn up their microphones."
"Kansas has been a school that has been very good to us. We rely on the schools to provide us with assets." O'Brien said. "When we built Allen Fieldhouse, they provided us with schematics. We've done work with Bill Self, who has given us scouting reports on Big 12 schools. That gives us offensive and defensive sets realistic for other schools."
O'Brien said he and his staff had been to games in the fieldhouse to
help make additions to the game. The Rock Chalk chant, for instance, has been a game staple for a few years. EA Sports also has added intricacies of the student section, such as specific distraction tactics KU students use during free throws. The game also has realistic mascots, players, cheerleaders, courts and band members with 3-D instruments.
"We want a Kansas experience, because that is our consumer," O'Brien said. "It is the guy or girl that lives in Lawrence, Kan., and goes to the game. The people that know the Kansas experience. We
want to nail that experience."
EA Sports creates games in a studio in Vancouver. O'Brien said 1,600 to 1,700 people worked in the studio, but about 45 people worked on constructing NCAA March Madness.
O'Brien said the environment was highly competitive because other titles, such as Madden NFL, NCAA Football, NBA Live, were constructed in the same building.
As for the oft-repeated questions about player ratings, O'Brien said the ratings were derived from a formula based on stats, minutes played and the strength of the athletic conference. O'Brien said one employee made the ratings each year, and the game also employed ESPN's Doug Gottlieb to "give us a good insight into incoming freshmen."
"It is somewhat subjective, and it can change throughout the year pretty quickly," O'Brien, said of the ratings. "If you disagree, or God forbid we screwed up, we give you the opportunity to change it."
Not that it will stop fans from asking.
Edited by Tara Smith
NATION
Gore, Bush reunited at White House for Nobel Prize winner photo op
BY BEN FELLER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Talk about an inconvenient truth. Al Gore finally won his place in the Oval Office on Monday, right next to George W. Bush.
Forever linked by the closest and craziest presidential race in history, the two men were reunited by, of all things, White House tradition. Gore was among the 2007 Nobel Prize winners who were invited in for a photo and some chatter with the President
"Familiar faces," the former vice president said of the media. Bush, still smiling, added nothing.
Gore got the recognition for his work on global warming.
The two men stood next to other, sharing uncomfortable grids for photographers and reporters, who were quickly ushered in and out.
The two also had a 40-minute meeting in the Oval Office, part of Bush's effort to show some outreach to his longtime rival.
Bush aides said it was private and
would not comment on it. Gore, trailed by the press as he left the White House, allowed that he and Bush spent the whole time talking about global warming.
"He was very gracious in setting up the meeting and it was a very good and substantive conversation." Gore said. "And that's all I want to say about it."
The two have not met privately since then-President-elect Bush paid a visit — short, and not that sweet — to Gore's residence in December
President Bush, right, poses for a photo with former Vice President Al Gore on Monday in the Oval Office of the White House. Gore was visiting the White House with other 2007 Nobel Prize recipients. He said he and the President talked about global warming in a private 40 minute meeting. ASSOCIATED PRES
ASSOCIATED PRESS
his wife, Tipper, walked out along Pennsylvania Avenue and up 17th Street, toward his nearby office — even though the White House is adept at helping people slip away unnoticed, if they want to.
Prize was less than giddy. The White House tried to make clear that Bush was hosting Gore not out of obligation but genuine interest. Gore said he didn't want to comment. But with the media waiting for him, Gore and
2000. Since then, Gore has not shied away from criticizing Bush; His latest book, "The assault on Reason", is a relentless attack against the administration. And the White House's response when Gore won the Nobel
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