NCAA Football 12 - Everything you don't see on Saturday - RaychelSnr's Blog

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RaychelSnr's Blog

NCAA Football 12 - Everything you don't see on Saturday Stuck

Posted on September 11, 2011 at 11:44 AM.

(81)

I watched college football yesterday. Then I decided to play a game of NCAA Football 12.

Then I turned my console off -- there's no comparison to be made here.

The NCAA Football series is in a sadder state than I realized, and if the presentation and atmosphere aren't fixed for next year, I can't see how anyone can continue to spend $60 on the game with a straight face. After this year's "bug extravaganza" that seems to be a never-ending nightmare for series fans, I'm just ready to start talking about a better theoretical time in the future.

Whether it comes or not is anyones guess.

But let's assume the new golden age of NCAA Football is coming next year. Let's also assume it's coming because of my vision and wishlist I'll be going through in the coming days, which may or may not be absolutely scary. I have a vision for the direction of the NCAA Football franchise, as I think the game is just outside the cusp of greatness, and I think it's time to share some of the practical things that can be done on a one year development cycle.

Here are four practical suggestions for the presentation of NCAA:

1) Sit down on a Saturday and watch college football, then ask yourself: does our game capture that?

If you answer yes, your resignation letter can be hand-written and delivered to your bosses; it's a simple letter to write so I won't bother you with anything more.

But if you answer honestly, you'll have answered, "not only no, but heck no." And since you did, you are well on your way to recovery. Now that we know there's a problem, how do we solve it?

2) College football is an all-day event. But more importantly, each game has an intense, incredible atmosphere -- and they're all different. A game at the new Mean Green Stadium is completely different from a game at 'Death Valley'. The thing they both have in common is that both games mean everything to the fans at the game. The fans aren't silent, they don't climax to a dull roar.

This is the first step. Fix the crowd audio, make each game different and also learn what all 120 crowds do in NCAA football. Implement them. Hire a good sound guy. Do something. But I beg you (as do the rest of the fans of your series), actually capture this aspect of the sport.

3) Remember those TV broadcasts? Remember the dynamic camera angles? The way players interacted with each other post play? Remember all the broadcast elements that came together in the big-time production of your favorite team's game? If you are confused as to how to do this, find a TV production crew in a truck somewhere and hire them.

Madden's cameras were a good start, but when players still turn into mindless zombies post-play, you know something is wrong. Just look at how guys play to the camera on a Saturday, look how they play to the crowd. None of that is properly implemented in NCAA.

And you have the ESPN license. ESPN means GameDay. Figure out some way to integrate GameDay that is not cheesy. Have games be the 'GameDay Location' each week and set up those tiered TV games again. Use different graphics for different 'networks'. We're just scratching the surface here on what's possible. But each game feels largely the same, we need to move beyond the static presentations of the past decade. It's time for some dynamism.

4) College football is about tradition, either by invention or by success. Learn about each program, all 120 of them. It's not hard to get an actual working dossier as to what each team's big traditions are. I can name several dozen off of the top of my head, and with a bit of work I'm sure I could get everyone covered up until the Sun Belt and MAC with little further effort.

You know what NCAA fans won't be sad about? If you use real footage for some of these things, and celebrate them as well. Just play NBA 2K titles from prior years to get an idea for how you can integrate real footage within a video game. Why not have pregame cut scenes of fans at Toomers Corner? The Midnight Yell at Texas A&M? The Walk of Champions at Ole Miss?

A repetitive cut scene to start each game isn't creating atmosphere, it's creating more boredom. Start introducing different cut scenes to open each team's games -- or better yet, start making things work within a dynamic environment.

The problem that the developers of NCAA have had is that tradition does not just begin at the stadium. When it comes to Saturday, the entire town is fair game -- and when that aspect of college football is finally and fully embraced within the NCAA Football series, the entire NCAA experience will feel as if it's that gorgeous day of events each time you turn on the game.

Let's face it, the NCAA Football series has a fever. The only cure is more cowbell -- at least in Starkville. Perhaps some War Chants in Tallahassee, Jumping Around in Madison, and all kinds of other things in all kinds of other places.

I see a future for the NCAA series where I turn on my console after a long day of football on a Saturday, and instead of turning it off, I just get to relive the whole experience all over again.

Comments

# 1 F3ardaBlu3Waffle @ Sep 11

I already want my MONEY back...

# 2 ezio @ Sep 11

I agee. Especially the sound. I was watching the Penn State vs. Alabama game and that was the first thing I thought of. they sound needs a lot of work in the game to compare to what you hear during the real game.

# 3 Goblowsoup @ Sep 11

I agree, I remember when NCAA did a better job at capturing the atmosphere. I think between 05-08, if memory serves me right, they had the War Chants and other dynamic atmospheres in the game. They bypass that now by adding "custom stadium sounds" to every game, but that doesn't work. I think College Hoops 2k7-2k8 did a fantastic job at different teams=different chants/sounds. EA should take a look at that, it's a good example of what is possible.

# 4 jjsmitty34 @ Sep 11

Honestly, this is how I'm starting to feel about the series.

Really wish they would have just upgraded the PS2/Xbox engine for the Next Generation like NBA 2K and then slowly updated that.

# 5 RUFFNREADY @ Sep 11

EA is dropping the ball more, and more, now a days! I think that's why Peter Moore got out of that position; so he didnt have to take anymore heat! All he has to do now is shmoove some investors, and collect a PHAT cheque.
These three year plans are starting to look stale after the first year! what can we expect from the following years; more features and tons more bugs?
cheers

# 6 dabigman9748 @ Sep 11

It's amazing how every year, you talk about how this NCAA Football is going to be the savior of every crappy one before it. You talk about how this year's version is amazing and must be bought immediately. Then about 3-4 months later, you start to realize that this game is as buggy as every one of its predecessors. It's a never-ending cycle and I haven't bought a NCAA Football since 09 and don't plan to waste my money on another half-assed game this generation.

# 7 mf756193 @ Sep 11

Completely agree with everything said. I may be in the minority, but I truly believe that NCAA Football 12 was a step backwards from NCAA Football 11 in many facets of the game. Sad, but true.

# 8 JohnDoe8865 @ Sep 11

Great blog

# 9 Tickkid @ Sep 11

I agree here, but the problem we have is 2 fold
1) Yearly - we obviously want the game yearly, because the series keeps selling like crazy yearly. As long as it is yearly - we aren't going to see real improvement for every other season worth of games. As long as people keep buying the thing like crazy - there isn't going to be huge innovation, and if we would give the series time to develop, instead of buying it every year - we may see some real improvement.
2) Competition - obviously, we love college football. We don't want to go a year without a game when there is some changes - and we have hope. It would certainly be great for there to be another option, but I don't know if that will ever happen.

I have hope - but I love college football too - so they probably will keep getting me.

# 10 knighthawksfan @ Sep 11

I agree with this totally bro thanks for the write up

# 11 SoulAssassin @ Sep 11

Doing step #1 seems out of the question for the devs.

# 12 xylocaine @ Sep 11

If EA has no competition in the form of another next generation football game, don't expect them to put more than minimal effort into 2013 release.

# 13 therizing02 @ Sep 11

Someone needs to get EVERY sound engineer at Madden and NCAA and have a serious discussion/meeting/sit down.

EVERY year these two games have hands down the WORST sound in any sports game on the market. The God awful repetitive commentary, the drop outs, the sound quality is abysmal at best.

How these people cannot realize the importance of sound in replicating the true atmosphere of what goes on on Saturdays and Sundays is a joke.

# 14 rudeworld @ Sep 11

@Tickkid... I think its a combo cause games like NBA2k Improved from and seem to look like to improve from year to year... I think its more or lack of effort.... and EA continuing to have a great marketing department to draw in more sales, I purchased NCAA11 but traded it in 2 weeks later, just felt stale and will not get drawn in by a pretty game thats broken underneath... also with games like NBA2k we see that games can improve from year to year.

# 15 EmmittSmithx22x @ Sep 11

I am trading in NCAA 12. I am upset at how unpolished this game is. Transfer Fails still occur, and will continue to be a problem...Is it so wrong of me to ask for a 60$ game that works? If I am going to drop 60$ on a game....it shouldn't be a work in progress...My reason for picking up NCAA this year over Madden was NCAA has their online dynasty down to a science....boy was I wrong. In 1 online dynasty I was in I we watched our National Champ be robbed of his title because of a transfer fail. Once we advanced, the game magically assumed he didn't play the game and it simmed the game and the CPU then won the title... We just want a game that works...The game has the potential to be great....but it cripples itself so much with issues it's not.

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