LSU Quarterbacks Use Custom Videogame to Ready for BCS Championship

Louisiana State quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux are using a custom-made football videogame to prepare for the BCS national championship on Monday, according to an AP story.

Called the PlayAction Simulator, the PC game is a product of software developer XOS Technologies, in collaboration with EA Sports. The program looks like an Electronic Arts football game on the outside--minus unnecessary glitz like crowds and bands--but features customized playbooks and instant feedback on play choices.

"Whenever we hit a play, that play would automatically match up with the defense that we would see or blitz we would see," said LSU's Perilloux. "If you make the wrong decision it's an automatic interception or it's an automatic incompletion."

The simulator is adjusted for each quarterback, allowing for more decision time and a wider selection of plays to choose from depending on the player's skill.

"The thing is pretty realistic," said LSU offensive coordinator Gary Crowton, who added that he wouldn't be surprised to see a version of the game tailored for positions other than quarterback. "It's still in its infant stages for us, but it's been kind of fun for our guys."

XOS also markets a virtual reality version of the simulator, which they claim allows players to call plays, run, and pass within a 3D motion-capture lab. LSU and Tennessee became the first schools to adopt the PlayAction software last year, but XOS has plans to make it available to all of its clients in the near future.

The company has sold software to sport clubs since 1999, after founder Dan Aton was asked by the Orlando Magic basketball team to develop multimedia software for use within its organization.

While any Madden player knows that football simulations have their faults, the players approach the PlayAction game as simply one more training tool at their disposal.

"It was cool. It focuses on what you bring to the table during that game," remarked Perilloux. "It looks just like me."