Users Online Now: 2043  |  June 28, 2024
RaychelSnr's Blog
What does EA Football have to do to get its fans back? Stuck
Posted on September 13, 2010 at 07:51 PM.


If you haven't been around the OS Forums -- and other community forums for that matter -- there is a wave of discontent which has been around both NCAA Football and Madden for several years now.

I think some of the hate is definitely unjustified, but I also think there is a clear reason why both games are garnering so much negative attention these days: the games are stale.

I know it's not that difficult of a concept, but it's something which I think is totally true.

During an OS Radio show a few weeks back, I said something which I think totally rings true: to newcomers of the series, they will feel the games are quite good. To longtime fans, they will feel the games are quite stale and average.

So what do both games have to do next year to get their groove back among long time fans and newcomers alike?

I've got several ideas such as changing up the basic gameplay formula, recreating the franchise/dynasty modes, and reinventing community gaming.

However, I also ascribe to the theory that sometimes, listening is the best way for a breakthrough. So now is your turn, what specifically does EA Tiburon have to do to get their mojo back in your eyes? And if you are happy with the games, what do you think could keep that mojo going for you? Sound off!
Comments
# 1 jwired21 @ Sep 13
For one thing I can't pick up Madden without getting bored out of my mind. I have owned every Madden, ever. So I have played the game for quite sometime. I used to look forward to playing multiple years of franchise, but this is one area that seems to continue to go backwards. As they gear more toward playing online, they seem to have left the franchise gamers behind. I read one of the blogs earlier this year where they said data showed that most people only played a year or two of franchise. This is probably because of how stale the mode is. One thing about Franchise that leads to it being stale is the inability to switch teams. I love in NCAA that I can build up one program and decide to move on to another. I might play a year or two and then have to start up a new Franchise just to play with another team. This just doesn't make sense.
 
# 2 rudyjuly2 @ Sep 13
They have to make the games better and for me that's largely improving cpu AI. What is the biggest reason online gamers like to play online (unless dealing with cheesy quitters is a turn on for some)? They want the challenge of matching wits with another human.

There is a HUGE difference between playing another human vs. the cpu. Another human adapts fast. They call plays they know that work. Hell, EA could improve their football games immensely by either removing plays that don't work well or creating a VIP type system where the cpu learns over time what plays to use more or less. I don't want to see a QB with a speed rating of 55 ever run the option. I don't want the cpu to constantly blitz on 3rd down or blitz with two CBs leaving slot receivers wide open.

If I see a game of MLB the Show on my TV or a clip of NBA 2K11, those games look real. I don't feel the same way when I watch an EA football. I like NCAA Football 11 quite a bit but when I watch Denard Robinson of Michigan execute the run-option offense against Notre Dame or UConn it looks great. The cpu is horrible running that offense. I want more realism for all offensive styles and not just the pro-style ones. I watch Denard Robinson or Tyrod Taylor scramble on roll outs or pass plays and yet I rarely see that happen in NCAA 11. I want the cpu to play more like a human and provide a real challenge. I want to think I'm watching a real game and a real physics engine would help there as well.

Adding more features, making dynasty more robust, improving online lag connections, etc. won't make Madden or NCAA significantly better. Offline gamers may be considered dinosaurs but there are still a ton of us. And the only way to improve that is to smarten up the cpu.
 
# 3 CubFan23 @ Sep 13
Video game football needs to be out of EA's hands! What I mean is there needs to be some competition from other companies. This goes for all sports games, the whole exclusive rights deal has dragged video Sports games into the toilet with the exception of SCEA's the Show series, They are the only one's who really seem to listen to the community when it comes to the Show and what needs to be fixed and added. The whole Madden team seems to blow smoke up our behinds, taking features that worked in previous years out of the games for some reason. Is it really that hard to add an in-game save feature? How many years have people been asking for that?!

I do not play online ever in any sports title, but it seems to me that game companies focus alot of time and resources into this feature yet every year all people do is complain about how online play is horrible, or there's lag or cheaters because of some bug etc... I like a lot of people,( I would say more than play online) play only offline franchise mode, yet these modes seem to be ignored for the most part and drag with new and innovating features or are just broke when the game releases and are never addressed by the developers(MLB 2k9). But as long as people will shell out $60+ every year for what the most part seems like an updated roster and some eye candy, EA and others will keep feeding us the same crap every year. The only way to stop this is not buy it! Hit'em where it hurts, right in the wallet!
 
# 4 squadron supreme @ Sep 13
I would love to see them focus on pass protection. Too many times in Madden and NCAA players get beat by the "swim move of god". They need to have much better linemen interaction to truly represent one and two gap defensive line schemes. Plus on passing plays when I bring up the play art let me see who is supposed to block who this would make sliding the line more effective and let me be able to spotlight a potential blitzer so I can tell the running back to watch out for him.
 
# 5 squadron supreme @ Sep 13
Almost forgot let a player be able to double team and chip pass rushers.
 
# 6 charter04 @ Sep 13
For me Madden has been "OK" on this generation of consoles. The game play this year is really good to me. When I play a human I can run a real offense and if they want to play unrealistic the game punishes them. You want to run Dime all game, the game allows me to run it down their throat. You want to load up the box and blitz everyone and use bump and run, then I will max protect and hot route it for 6. They did a good job of making players play a little more real.

As far as Franchise mode goes. That's anther story. You have to have great imagination to enjoy it. NCAA's Online and offline dynasty makes Maddens mode look terrible.

I haven't had this much fun with an NCAA game since 2003. I can't understand what problem people have with it. The online dynasty and offline dynasty I am in are awesome. The online element and making your own story takes it to a new level. The gameplay is soooooo much better then last year. If your good and have a good team you can really do some work. If you can't enjoy this years NCAA then maybe football games aren't for you.
 
# 7 stlstudios189 @ Sep 13
I just cant get into the game as much as before. I am still playing MLB 2k10 inatead
 
# 8 hoop xyience @ Sep 13
to be real my ps2 madden gets more play than my 360 madden...better franchise mode and to be honest better gameplay...its sad but i feel its true
 
# 9 statum71 @ Sep 13
I don't think its possible. Because most people that cry hatred are the ones that will always find fault with EA doing football, period.

It could be the best game ever known to man and it would still be garbage in a lot of people's eyes, just because the developer is EA.

Football is by far the number one sport in America. Therefore it's always gonna face far more criticism. Some guys will just never ever get past the fact that a great game like NFL 2K5 was unable to continue to continue because of this deal.
 
# 10 Kornnickel55 @ Sep 13
Personality of the players....TD celebrations aren't enough.....having players like R.Lewis really get hype when he makes a great play. Have some players run differently than others.

This game needs what 2k has done with nba2k.......Heck EA started this way back in the day with Celtics vs Lakers.....I think that is one aspect that could make EA football games better.

Real Double Tackles....I hate when lets say CPU makes a defensive stop and I'm right there too, but my player doesn't make contact in a way that looks real...my player just falls off or looks like he just got hit

Salary cap in online franchises

More interaction between the running backs and offensive linemen (2k5ish)

Stiff arms need major work

Let us change jersey numbers for players in online franchise
 
# 11 PH1LLYSFINEST13 @ Sep 13
The Pro-Tak needs to be enhanced upon...Im tired of my guys rolling in front of them. They dont do that in real life. I'm not even saying real time physics , but i should be able to get in on any tackle at any time even if the guy is 2 inches from being down by contact. Or when he is doing the stumble animation , i should be able t come in with My saftey and clean his clock. Tackling NEEDS improvement.

Another thing I was thinking about was the passing game. Maybe do a mix of Fifa and Elite , have a sweet spot for the passer so that you can actually overthrow or underthrow the ball. Put the little power bar in the bottom corner ( as in Fifia ) and then have to hit the sweet spot while holding the button long enough and if you over throw or under throw , your receiver should have to make the adjustment whether it be coming back to the ball or going up and getting it. Thats just a thought though.

The running game this year is finally good.
 
# 12 jugganott @ Sep 13
More physics based games. If they don't add physics to their games then they will need to get more guys in mocap suits so that there can be MORE outcomes for different actions. More animations. It's a game, but if you don't have animation for most of the plays, or moves, then it will just get stale and predictable. That's why their games play the way that they do....no enough possibilities...again, they don't have enough animations to support realistic gameplay.
 
# 13 SoulAssassin @ Sep 13
The current Franchise and online Franchise modes are dated and become boring because of the lack of features and depth... offseason and preseason do little to hold the gamer's attention. NCAA Dynasty and Online Dynasty modes imo blow away the Madden counterparts because simple features like the Dynasty Wire and Recruiting system which is much more fun than Madden's draft. The news and magazine features of older NCAA versions would've seemed to be a no-brainer for Madden.. but nothing similar has ever been added... so Franchise mode gives the player a sense of isolation. There's no league hype, no real player personality, no interesting story lines surrounding player movement in FA or trades, no hype surrounding draftees... the onfield gameplay is good, but the overall package just seems to be missing things that can give the modes outside of the onfield gameplay a lot more life and immersion.
 
# 14 xirdneh132 @ Sep 13
For NCAA Football one small thing I have been asking for since forever, the ability to edit players whenever we want, not just before we start a franchise (at least in offline franchise mode). This can clear up some of the problems such as recruits coming in rated too low or be used when players develop in a manner that was not necessarily easy to see, such as Denard Robinson, who is a great runner in the game but made great strides in the passing game. I don't play as Michigan so he is rated behind Forcier and not playing and I don't want to go back and waste the several weeks I have put in on Dynasty Mode just to change his ratings.

Pass blocking is still a huge issue. I slid my offensive line left (I rarely slide my line) because of the formation the defense was in. I made the correct call but what happens, my 99 Offensive Lineman who is much more athletic than my 78 rated defensive end just watches the defensive end go right by him as I get sacked quickly. This is still an issue.

Pass Rush problems, I can rush the passer but rarely can I get a sack. Every quarterback on NCAA has a Dan Marino quick delivery. I've had linebackers line up near the line of scrimmage, come in unblocked at full speed and the quarterback, taking the snap from under center, backs up and delivers a quick rifle pass to a receiver that was incomplete but in real life the qb gets sacked.

Get rid of the awesome jumping defensive lineman who seem to consistently knock down slant passes even when I loft them, or try to loft them, over the line.

NCAA is still an awesome game though but if I could get one thing for both NCAA and Madden is the ability to edit players whenever. Too many times there have been players who were rated average but developed into awesome players during one season in college and rookies and other players in the NFL who turned out to be much better than people thought. There are also others that turned out to not be as good as we thought and had disappointing years.
 
# 15 BEARYChi @ Sep 13
For me.its GAMEPLAY because im gettin sick of the same Animations when they should of thought of getting physics in the first place.i dont have the game but im still gonna get it b4 Xmas.EA has all the tools to make a great sports game but Madden and previous Live game wasnt doing it for me.....i havent seen much improvement since they went Next Gen.When i got Backbreaker the gameplay(physics) was nice because you wouldnt expect the same tackles or same catches etc.i get mad when every year when Madden or Live/Elite comes out it always a new Features which is okay....but gameplay is the most important and will always come 1st.This why i only buy Fifa and Nhl from EA because they improve every year and theyre EA's best Sports games.This is my first year not buying a Next Gen Football game on release day.But i do hope they do alot of changing next year.
 

« Previous1234Next »
RaychelSnr
57
RaychelSnr's Blog Categories
RaychelSnr's Xbox 360 Gamercard
RaychelSnr's PSN Gamercard
' +
More RaychelSnr's Friends
Recent Visitors
The last 10 visitor(s) to this Arena were:

RaychelSnr's Arena has had 2,508,249 visits