Top-selling video game designed in Central Florida

Inside NCAA Football 14

MAITLAND, Fla. – It's almost time for the hits and highlights -- we're just two months away from the start of the college football season.

But the good news -- whether you're rooting for the Gators, 'Noles, or Knights, you can start your own season now.  The top-selling college football video game, NCAA Football 14 is available in stores and it was designed right here in Central Florida -- at EA Sports in Maitland.

Recommended Videos



Unpredictable, powerful, and exciting," said Ben Haumiller, one of the main designers of the game. "If you're a college football fan at heart, this is the game for you."

This time around, Haumiller says, the action is on a whole new level.

"We come out every single year, and every single year we're expected to raise that bar a little bit more," said Haumiller.

But raising that bar isn't easy. Like a real college football team, the designers of this game start brainstorming and planning for a new season well in advance.

"We're working on the next year's title, before we even put this year's title to bed," said Haumiller. "It's a lot of conversation. It can get pretty heated at times, too, cause people get very passionate. It's college football, it's a very passionate sport."

To capture that passion, EA brought in actual college players to simulate the speed and intensity of a real game.

"These guys are at work all day doing these things," said Haumiller. "So a quarterback might throw the ball 100 to 150 times in a single day."

Jeff Ostergaard knows the secret to delivering the intensity you see in the game. Ostergaard is the art director for NCAA Football 14. His team spent months traveling the country, going to dozens of schools, and taking part in practice.

"We had people right on the field, five yards behind them as they were hiking the ball to capture the best audio experience as possible," said Ostergaard. "To convey that emotion and that intensity, we want the best."

For moms and dads out there -- the designers of the game say that it's a must-have, because it gets your kids involved in football and teamwork at a young age.

"You've got a lot of parents buying this game for their kids, and dad might be helping influence their son about where they want them to go to college," said Haumiller.

NCAA Football 14 hit stores last week for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.