EA shows off first screens of NCAA Football 12

EA gave a first look at the visual improvements for NCAA Football 12 today with the unveiling of the game's official blog. Art director Jean Adams outlined the High Dynamic Range (HDR) rendering, and showed off a few of its impressive results.

"It allows us to preserve contrast without losing the details that make the game look realistic," Adams wrote. "In previous versions, playing in the shadows made gameplay appear dark and muddy, which really killed the quality of our game. This was especially noticeable when playing in huge stadiums like The Swamp or Death Valley, where at certain times of day shadows cover most of the field making action hard to see."

Other tidbits to add more realism include some new gear, dreadlocks, more detailed crowds, and grass that actually looks like grass. "The field surface has looked like a tennis court for way too long, with the addition of 3D grass our game looks more photo realistic and immersive," Adams said. It also apparently means that the players shave their legs.

NCAA Football 11/12 grass comparison

Check out the high-resolution images in our gallery.