Yes, just like the real football season, a new Madden comes along every single year. However, the version that has been lacking in that department has been a PC version. For the first time in a decade, Madden will be making its return to PC with Madden NFL 19. We spent some time with this version during EA Play and while the game will certainly support controllers, players can also use a mouse and keyboard for controls. It does not seem conventional, but at the same time, it does not play how one would assume it would.

Speaking and working with Senior Producer of Madden NFL 19 Carlos Guerrero during our time at EA Play, he dove into what went into to implementing the mouse and keyboard mechanics. This is not something that was simply tacked on. He stated that a senior designer was appointed for the PC version, specifically. That designer did a lot of research on how to implement this since players want this as an option. It took a lot of work and all the focus testers loved the implementation according to Guerrero. The end result was something that blew our mind.

One would assume the typical setup of using WASD to navigate and maybe using the mouse to aim passes or look around. That was completely wrong. Your movement is a virtual thumbstick much like something on a touchpad. The mouse is your thumb as the direction you moved your mouse is where the player would run. Space bar will be used for passing as the team is looking to add a custom key palette to customize the player's experience. Keys are used for specific actions, but the movement is tied into the mouse, itself. It's something different that takes some getting used to, but it's fun and works in the end. Guerrero also stated that the PC version will be the ultimate visual representation for Madden NFL 19.