NHL vs. Madden -- The Tale of Two Reviews At OS - RaychelSnr's Blog

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RaychelSnr's Blog

NHL vs. Madden -- The Tale of Two Reviews At OS Stuck

Posted on September 14, 2011 at 12:42 PM.

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I'm going to try to be a bit more candid on reviews we publish going forward, and I really wanted to take a minute today to explain just how hard it is to review games sometimes.

First off, many of you may know we changed our review process earlier this year. While we intended to change the scoring scale right off the bat, we didn't quite fully get there until the Madden review. You can see a couple of discrepancies in our scoring method before the Madden review and after the MLB: The Show review. However, the Madden and NHL reviews are the first two AAA titles to fully embrace the new system, as will all reviews going forward.

In what is an occurrence which has never happened, we went from NFL football straight into NHL coverage this year. There was literally no time to catch our breaths and think about the new review format in its entirety -- but there weren't many tweaks we sought after the Madden review anyways.

Really, the contrast between both games is a tale of what we really value at Operation Sports and I'll let you in on it right now: we value fun but realistic gameplay experiences first and foremost. If a game can sport that combination of fun and realism, it is practically almost always an automatic 7 if the rest of the modes work in some form or fashion.

Madden and NHL were scored pretty similarly (7.5 and 8 respectively) so let's throw some comparisons between both Madden and NHL and as you'll see the correlations aren't always 1/1: NHL 12 sports a fun and realistic brand of gameplay while Madden sports a fun but quite unrealistic brand of gameplay. Madden sported an improved but far from great presentation experience, NHL sported a solid but also far from great presentation experience. NHL has game modes which saw little improvements but were already pretty solid (but also not great) while Madden sported a much improved Franchise Mode which is incredibly deep but with a clunky interface while the rest of its modes are bordering on 'blah' for gamers. And finally, Madden featured a somewhat buggy experience (but not on the level of NCAA) while NHL is seeing what appears (at least on the surface) to be a bit buggier experience.

Why are these comparisons important? I think they show that first, the reason why NHL 12 was scored an 8 while Madden received a 7.5 is because NHL sports realistic AND fun gameplay, which we do put a premium on here at OS. However, in my opinion (and I can't speak fully for Caley who actually scored NHL), I really felt I was left with a 'been there and done that' feel with NHL 12. It was a year where refinement and not evolution was the name of the game. Whereas with Madden, I was left with a spirit of change that, while deeply flawed, was a signpost the game was moving forward. Thus, NHL was held back by a lack of innovation while Madden received some additional scoring support for actually moving the series forward.

In a candid manner I think both games have potential for growth next year. Madden really needs to refine it's flawed experiences such as the horrendous menu system in Franchise Mode while also focusing on improving it's gameplay to be more realistic (the NCAA blog I wrote Monday is a good primer). NHL needs to start moving the experience forward again next year with better modes and new ways to play their game, the series can't get stuck moving sideways.

As the new review system moves forward I think you'll see exactly what I see in the value of changing it up and making the scale a full 10 point scale. There will be more room to maneuver with scoring both titles in a fair manner next year. Imagine if we were working under the old system and NHL had received a 9 and Madden an 8.5, there wouldn't be anywhere to move either game except a half point in one direction or the other next season.

Both games could move in one direction or another in big ways, and that's something which we intended in the first place. Now it's onto Basketball and Soccer season for the review cycle (plus patch reviews of the current games).

Thanks for being awesome OS'ers!

Comments

# 1 kbmnm247 @ Sep 14

Seems reasonable to me. Thanks for clarifying and pointing some things out, even though in my opinion you guys had no need to explain yourself. A review is a review.

# 2 RaychelSnr @ Sep 14

It's not really a defense but more a further hashed out explanation to get people more on board with the new format. Still some confusion out there and we'll do this probably through this release season at times to just drive home the fact that we have a new system and it really is better than the rest

# 3 druez @ Sep 14

Well said, I'm buying into the concept, lets see how you continue this going forward. Old habits die hard. I might of scored NHL 12 a bit higher 8.5 maybe. But, as far as Madden and NCAA I'm hugely disappointed in both games. No way NCAA is even a 7.

# 4 jmik58 @ Sep 14

I would like to see reviews split down the middle. Half based on gameplay, the rest on all the other bells and whistles.

Or, give the game a score (review) based on gameplay and then a separate score based on the other aspects of the game.

My utopian hope is that this would help draw attention to the importance of gameplay. Maybe i'm old-school, but I can't stand how the current generation of sports games has shifted to presentation without polishing the gameplay.

# 5 CujoMatty @ Sep 14

I think people put too much value on what score the game got last year or what such and such title got in comparison.also I don't really agree with giving a game a certain score so there is room to judge it appropriately in comparison next year whch the bottom of the article implies. Honestly I, as well as most sports gamers I think, trust OS as the best reviewers. So just keep reviewing how u do and realize people are gonna bitch no matter what "wha??? NCAA got 8.5 NHL got 8!!!!".....um who cares.

# 6 RaychelSnr @ Sep 14

cujo -- We changed the scale so we can rate games with more accuracy. The old style was essentially a 5-10 scale instead of a 0-10 scale. It just makes more sense to do it this way if you want the most accurate scores. However, we'll be fighting the perception problem for quite awhile yet

# 7 KBLover @ Sep 14

@cujomatty

EXACTLY. I wish the scoring mechanic for reviews would just die. It's about as useful as OVR in Madden...very little unless the difference is extreme. Seriously, 7.5 vs 8.0? That's...significant?

The real guts of the review is what the reviewer's impressions and experiences were and how he/she/they tried out the game (what modes? what settings? custom or stock difficulty? general skill level? what was the reviewer looking/hoping for?)

The idea of condensing all of that to a single number is senseless, imo. I just wish the industry as a whole would get away from it. Maybe if a site like OS led the way (I gather this is a respected community in the sports game world) maybe a revolution would get started.

# 8 AllJuicedUp @ Sep 14

chris, have you ever considered rating the games twice... once for their offline experience and once for their online?

Because let's face it, the two are vastly different experiences and when you really break down a game, it really is a tale of two different versions.

Just looking at NHL 12. Online with HUT and imo especially the EASHL, NHL is one of the best gaming experiences anywhere, period. Even though the modes didn't change that much, the fun level is off the charts. Really, the biggest thing NHL lacks is a quality dynasty mode, but that would be 3rd fiddle regardless.

While offline, the improved AI certainly helps those gamers get a little more longevity than they otherwise would, but all in all, the modes are unchanged and with smaller gameplay changes this year, the lasting appeal probably isn't there for a lot of people. Imo, it is offline where you get more of that "been there, done that" feel this year.

So for people wanting NHL offline, they may only be looking at a 7ish game, while people who play online are playing a game thats more in the 8.5-9 range.

Scoring games seperately based on their online and offline qualities I think would speak to gamers more and reach them quicker on a level they understand. Afterall, what is the point of a review if not to better inform gamers?

# 9 RaychelSnr @ Sep 14

@KBLover -- That's a good idea and we've toyed with it, many have. The simple fact is, gaming companies WANT media sites to score games and will threaten to pull their media credentials if they no longer score games. They consider scores very important, and no matter what media sites do...as long as they have that stance scores will be around forever.

# 10 RaychelSnr @ Sep 14

@AllJuicedUp -- That's always an interesting argument...but we'll never do it for a variety of reasons. Although having a more fleshed out online experience review process isn't a bad idea, but having multiple scores for the same game would be a nightmare for the casual user.

# 11 Petey B @ Sep 14

I really enjoy OS's new review system, and I also love Owen Good-He's a brave visionary talent-but please, no one let his article on the pointlessness of reviewing sports game hinder the great work being done here!

The specificity that OS strives for creates information for the buyer considering spending his hard earned cash ("I need the new Mountain West logo in my games!" "I hate short shorts on men, thus will be skipping the Legends mode in NBA2K, good day to you, sir!"). Plus, the ideas that get generated from OS and the community are obviously invaluable-EA just poached two writers! Sharing the experience is part of the experience.

As for giving a game a number, I know it has to be done, but outside of the world of games, it does seem a bit like trying to give THE A-TEAM a 7 or Lord Byron or 9.

# 12 PSRusse83 @ Sep 15

Thanks for sporting that review.

# 13 Eski33 @ Sep 16

Reviews are good but I never make a decision to buy / not buy based on someone else's opinion. I like to read what they think and to gey a glimpse of what to expect.

I love Madden and NCAA. They may not be the most realistic emulations of the sport but they provide a fun factor. Same with NHL which does a much better job of realism.

If I made decisions based on anything I read I wouldnt have any games in my library.

# 14 Tomba @ Sep 20

Simply put. NHL 12's gameplay is like Fifa's. So gameplay wise it's brilliant.
But like Fifa it is BLAND and loks like it has no life except in the main menu and game modes which admittedly are very robust...

Now I'm a big advocate for Madden 12. I feel it's like NBA 2k9 where the series IF animated and tweaked more correctly (like in my own edit of the game) it can become a ame like the NBA 2k series where they just make animation and gameplay improvements until it works because that's ALL they ever did with NBA 2k THEY REFINED it from a good base which was 2k7 and that what Madden 12 is a GOOD BASE on which to improve on finally

NHL has had a good base since NHL 07... WHY has it not progressed and why hasn't it gotten more scrutiny in the broadcast and presentation aspect of the game? Why because no ones watched hockey on TV. It's a sport EVERY rather go see in person, so from alarger audience view they are not concerned about it.

But in order to have a true sport sim a video game NEEDS to have the presentation from a tv broadcast implemented. Just imagine or think NBA 2K12 now with JUST a north to south camera? BECAUSE THAT'S what NHL IS DOING? what so different in this logic. On TV hockey is SEEN by the side view and nothing else...

And if for nothing else NHL 12 getting a 8 over Madden 12's 7.5 is like saying the game is easier on the eyes than The Human Centipede.

It is not...