Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Madden NFL 10 due out in August

New animations, special Wii approach.

Electronic Arts has announced that Madden NFL 10 will be released for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2 and PSP this August.

The "next-gen" versions of the game boast new animation technology and a range of new visual effects outlined by the art director on EASports.com.

In terms of gameplay, the press release says we can expect to drag defenders towards the first down marker, fight for a fumble at the bottom of the pile, and step up into the pocket to avoid the rush. Yay.

"We're hitting the real sweet spot of development for this generation of consoles as the team is really hitting its stride in squeezing every ounce of power and capability from the hardware," EA Sports boss Peter Moore wrote about Madden on his blog last week.

Meanwhile, the Wii version is going its own way, promising a "genre-defining art style", designed from the ground up to work as a "social, dynamic experience". So, probably super-deformed characters and hula hoops.

Fans can tune in to the Madden NFL 10 Draft Experience over at the official website on Saturday 25th April to find out player ratings as the NFL Draft takes place.

EA should also unveil the cover star on 24th April.

In the meantime, check out the first screenshot of Ben Roethlisberger looking around unspellably if you haven't already.