If they have a fresh and realistic franchise mode, superstar mode, and tackling they will get me back.

Honestly, Ea needs people who've played college or Nfl football in their madden team. Their are a lot of animations and moves that are not top-level football caliber. Tackling, the trenches, certain catches, and penalty animations all need a ton of work.

Madden specifically needs to improve on 2 main things:
1. The defense needs to improve for both the cpu and user controlled, There are way to few animations for tackles and there are way to many one on one interactions in the game. It seems that the defense cant keep up with the offense at times as well..
2. There is not enough signature styles to seperate each star player from one another. For example, at running back, you're either a fast running back or a strong running back, there's no real animations or attributes that differentiate Chris Johnson from Ray rice, or Marion Barber from Brandon Jacobs.. The only real signatures they have are the QBs throwing animations. APF 2k8 is the only football game that really captured individuality of the players.

honestly, i think the Madden team seems to be worried to much about features and cutscenes and not working on gameplay making this years Madden, IMO, the worst ever, but NCAA, for me, NCAA is prolly the most fun i've had w/ a football game in a really long time, if not ever. NCAA this year changed, and that was a good thing, Madden, didn't change anything but a few features. Madden HAS to start from scratch, because i don't see it going anywhere but down next year if they approach Madden 12 the same way they did 11.

I own NCAA 11, but not Madden (which is normal for me).

If NCAA 11, had been like the previous iterations of this generation, then I would say the game was still stale and not worth $60. However, I personally feel like the developers made a concerted effort to address concerns the community has had for a long time: presentation, offensive blocking, etc. Are they perfect? No. But to me there is marked improvement.

BTW, I agree with something MMChrisS wrote last month about sports video game makers allowing for deeper customization options (http://www.operationsports.com/MMChr...t-sports-game/). I envy those that get NBA 2k for the PC because of all the neat things they can do to customize the game the way they want to.

how bout something as easy as changing/updating the game engine!!! Look at other games...mlb the show...uncharted..killzone...gears...they all update their engine and the games get better and better....The only thing that madden does is put in features that were in the old gen and call them "new".

Ok everybody that is from OS that knows me, know what I am going to talk about and that is.....The lack of Scrambling QB's.

The only time I ever seen it was in franchise mode or dynasty mode, even then it was a rare sight. Might see it once or twice a whole 9 minute quarter game. Of all the attributes, why EA don't have a dedicated scrambling tendancy in Madden or NCAA is beyond me.

For the past 2 years now Madden has had a run category for QB's throwing on the run. But being the cpu AI QB don't run, this attribute is totally useless. So to me, all the QB's look the same because they all play like Peyton Manning, standing still in the pocket like they got 1,000 pound cement blocks on their feet.

It would be nice if you played against Vick, McNabb, Big Ben, etc if you left a wide open running lane that they would take off. But they don't, instead they fire the ball down field into double or triple coverage.

So frustating for me to come out in a 3 man front, see one of my DE's get pancaked, the nearest LB 10 yards away and the QB just stands in the pocket with all that day light in front of him, and fires the ball 30 yards down the field into double coverage. Makes me go WTF ??????? everytime I see it happen.

Don't ever have to use a defensive contain play or QB spy play ever against the cpu. Really don't ever want to use a blitz period since the QB don't ever run it is a guranteed sack for me because I know the QB is just going to stand there.

And in NCAA it is 10 times worse. Mainly because EA for the past 2 years has bragged about dual threat QB's in the game. Dual threat ??? Really ? In what game ???? Not in the NCAA games the past 2 years because they don't run.

So they are more like NO THREAT, because they can't throw that good and since they don't run either, it is a rather easy game. I swear if it wasn't for the school jerseys and their numbers on the back I couldn't tell you if I was looking at Terrell Pryor, Tyrod Taylor or some average joe playing QB because they all play the same.

When I am playing against a mobile QB, I expect to see them moving around. Seeing them roll out, throw on the run, scramble for as many yards as they csn get if they see wide open space. But in Madden and NCAA, you can drop all 11 defenders into 15 yards off the ball and the QB still won't take off.

I don't know what happened to this series the past 2 years. In 08, 09 they use to scramble, use to provide a challenge, forced you to account for their mobility. But then came 10 & 11 and all the QB's turned into statues.

What is even worse is one of the designers says he is a former QB. So being a former QB, how can you allow a football game to have QB's that don't scramble when they got clear wide open running lanes ? QB's that don't roll out. QB's that don't throw on the run ?

EA's motto for their football games has always been what you see on saturdays and sundays. I don't know about them, but when I watch games on the weekends, I see QB's rolling out, throwing on the run, scrambling when they got wide open spaces.

I mean my goodness NCAA 11 has Tim Tebow on the cover ! A guy who had 2947 rushing yards and 57 rushing TD's in his college career. So how can they not having scrambling QB's in their football games is beyond me.

EA Sports needs to first relinquish the NFL License so that other Dev Teams can make an NFL game. 2nd they need to actually work on making a complete game. That means, tightened up gameplay, an actual presentation (stop acting like they have no idea what gamers are talking about.), and fully fleshed out features that will give the game longevity.

Every year they have half stepped on making a complete game. They are always saying what they do not have time to touch and how "next year" it will be in the game....only for that not to be true. I disagree that people "hate" on Madden just for no reason. It is because the game has yet to deliver, yet reviews glow as if Madden is a game near perfection.

The Bottom line is Madden and NCAA have to deliver, especially when they are the only horses in the stable. NCAA is close, Madden, not so much.

Not to mention EA needs to follow 2Ks lead and make Ratings actually matter and play out in a realistic manner across the board.

Someone posted earlier that either EA has to do a hell of a lot more motion capturing or create a real physics engine which considering the power of the ps3 and 360 should have been done when the systems were first announced. The need to bring in offensive line and defensive line coaches and make adjustments so that the power/bull rush is actually useful. This year for me NCAA took a step forward (minus horrible zone coverage) while Madden took a side step (improved run blocking but every back is a nightmare to tackle).

EA football games are like soap operas... you can miss a few years and when you pick it up again... not much has changed.
All the same "characters and plot lines".
I buy Madden every 3 years or so... and I never seem to miss much.
NCAA has been roughly the same game since the last last gen offering.
They aren't bad games but it's the same with Tiger Woods... I have '08... and no reason to get any of the more current offerings.
Not enough innovation for my $60.

Put Ines Sainz as the sideline reporter

presentation upgrade/overhaul, an upgrade for NCAA and a Madden presentation overhaul.

make the franchise fun again, there is no reason madden could not just add to there mode(no excuse for not touching it) main reason I didn't touch it this year even though the demo was fun.

I'll tell you what EA needs! They need competition. Sure, it sucks to be EA with a competitor breathing down your neck, but if EA wants the excitement back, they should stop relying on brand history, and start truly blowing open the envelope of video game design.

Let's face it, as sports gamers who have high expectations, it feels right when a game feature or gameplay enhancement you've been pining for finally comes your way. But these little steps only hold the attention of gamers for so long. What EA really needs, despite starting from scratch, is a good reason to start from scratch.

Bring on the competitors! Bring on the reason to wake up in the morning, grab your coffee, jump in the car, and fight your way through traffic to your game design workstation. Without competition, there's no real need. No urgency. The money keeps coming in, so why try hard?

But when you're in a fight for your professional life, it's surprising what you'll come up with. REAL dynasty/franchise modes complete with press conferences, team practices, coaching staffs, and personal stories and events that make any game unique. How about player career modes like the one we all love from EA Canada (BAP of course). How about core game code that generates player emotions and momentum? Then there's the animation scripts that have haunted both Madden and NCAA for years, causing gamers to play the game around these animation loops, causing cheesing.

They say necessity is the mother of all invention. Well, EA has gotten away with not needing much for a while. That's why the games are stale. Why invent? Why pursue perfection? The money keeps rolling in because they've signed exclusive deals with the NFL and NCAA. These exclusive deals have stolen the chance for truly innovative game designers, and lined the pockets of EA and its producers. It's not anything illegal, mind you, it's just that it's become a monopoly. That monopoly only furthers the stench of a stale game.

Get rid of the exclusive deals. Get rid of the monopoly. Get back to pushing the envelope of game design and take advantage of a hungry, educated game playing population. But it only happens if there's a reason. Right now, there is none.

harlequin782@ Agree totally, especially the part about arcade vs. simulation. Madden ever since it has gotten to next gen has looked and played arcade. When I look at Madden 11 I see play-doe football not real football, but when I see Mlb The Show I feel like I'm at the game.

About the animations, I think Madden is miss a lot of the technique of real football. Also every running back doesn't run the same.

Animations determine too much of what goes on in the game.

Suction blocking/sunction tackling make the game very frustrating. Warping by offensive and defensive players makes the game very frustrating.

Playbooks make no sense. Its a shame you have to go to one or 2 formations to try and find certain types of runs or passing routes. Some formations dont even have different run plays just 1 or 2 in the formation.

In other older games you can send more than one man in motion. You can come out in one formation and shift to another.

You only have one way to quicky disguise your coverage in Madden and thats show blitz. It lends to too much micro management of the defense pre-snap. The defense has too much to adjust and little time or good control scheme to do it in.

The fact that you cant come in and FINISH a tackle sucks. If you see a cpu team mate start a tackle, its best you avoid the tackle until the animation plays out, else you stand the chance of losing the add on tackler to a dumb fall down animation only to see the HB break the initial tackle and run free, leaving you one less nearby defender to make a play.

The game animates ugly, player models are too small and everything looks out of proportion.

Players don't really have any personality or stand out from other player abilities.

You cant even freaking dive at the QB in this game, you will go into a silly fall down animation.

Pass blocking needs work. Would love to see the ability to have double teams on pass blocks and some real world blitz pick up calls for HB/FB to help out in pass protection.

Need to be able to create our own playbooks.

end 2am rambling.