Kushmir's Blog
The Madden Community is in up in arms right now. People are not happy. The game has been out a little over a week and people are already screaming Patch. Why you ask? First it was the Strategy Pad. While I don't find anything wrong with the decision to incorporate the SP, I think that like the speed burst option there should have been a choice. Before the game even released, EA said they would patch it within the first month, no big deal to me, but to many this was Strike One.
Next there was the moment when people actually got their hands on the game. It was readily apparent the defense had been Dumbed Down to such an extent that many long-time users wondered out loud if Madden had finally catered their game exclusively to casual fans who may have thought the game too complex, too difficult and intimidating. While off-line Madden users adjusted sliders and got the game they wanted, Online was a fiasco, as any average player found it easy to rack up 40 point games with ease. Punts were an afterthought and 4th down conversions in excess of 15 yards were routine. Fair Play rules? Nowhere to be found. The Madden Community was shell-shocked. There was a universal cry of "Patch the Defense" but as of this writing it hasn't even been addressed. Strike Two.
Then came the Coup De Grace, THE FINISHER. Two shots center mass. First, it was revealed that online players were no longer able to play our friends in ranked games, people complained badly, and although I agreed with the decision based on protecting the integrity of the Leaderboards from Rank Manipulation--I still thought friends would be able to get wins and losses with no ranking points. Lastly, after years of being forced to play the CPU online when an opponent left, Madden fans would finally get their wins the instant an opponent quit and be free to find another opponent. NICE. but no so fast, the new system sadly had a pretty big Achilles Heel. If a person quit in the first half? You got no win, no points, no nothing except for 15-20 wasted minutes you could never get back. After word got around quitting first half had no consequences? Quitting Ran Rampant. Fans of online play cried foul when they found out, and still are--and as of this writing still, nothing has been done. Strike Three.
I can't say what will happen or how this will end, but I know that people's patience has worn thin and that if something's going to be resolved it needs to happen SOON. The community seems fed up with their concerns being ignored and the same issues with gameplay rearing their heads year after year after year. They're tired of a handful of people giving them a sub-par brand of virtual football--and although i've stuck up for EA in the past, I can't go along for the ride this time. This time--they're in the wrong. WAY WRONG. Alienating the long-time Madden Community is bad any way you slice it. I fear that there may be so much animosity after it's all said and done, that long-time Madden fans may jump ship the first time there is a legitimate competitor to the Madden franchise just to spite EA and Tiburon. Hopefully the Powers That Be get the message--time is certainly of the essence.
# 17
sgibs7 @ Aug 20
Interesting stance. In terms of Gameplay the game is getting worse. Everthing is becoming automated. I have been playing this game since 1992 and it has slowly started to become NFL Head Coach year by year.
If the QB auto drop back was removed...I would have said Madden 10 was the best Madden of all time. However this one simple "canned animation" has such a crippling effect on the game.
Again great artcile!
If the QB auto drop back was removed...I would have said Madden 10 was the best Madden of all time. However this one simple "canned animation" has such a crippling effect on the game.
Again great artcile!
# 18
seeuatthemovies @ Aug 21
So Ian Cummings published a "roadmap" for "fixing" Madden this morning, I'm not sure I'll buy it even if they can manage to pull it off.
# 19
xX CASCABEL Xx @ Aug 21
This mess of a Football game better be fixed, I do not belive one word from their lips from this point on, I have not seen one scintilla of evidence that this game is worth the $60.00 I wasted on it...
I remain perplexed how something like this could be sent out to the public knowing it is crap...
I remain perplexed how something like this could be sent out to the public knowing it is crap...
# 20
shadthedad @ Aug 23
From a gameplay standpoint, it's one of the better Maddens. They still have a couple of patches to clean things up. Let patience have her perfect way my friend,
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I believe the reality is one we all are aware of for the most part, and that is that EA enjoys most of their revenue from this product off of the casual fan. This is the bottom line, and whatever modest manifestations of talent, grit, vision, gumption, and methodical work ethic Tiburon employs, it will not trump the equation of what is both cost effective and necessary to generate sales with this title.
Perhaps slowly, and I'm talking glacially so, Madden is headed in the right direction, but at this juncture after numerous iterations on the current generation of consoles it is a stagnant insult to the football gamers who desire a sim representation of football.