A Letter To EA on how to (Finally) Fix NCAA's Presentation Problem... - RaychelSnr's Blog

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RaychelSnr's Blog

A Letter To EA on how to (Finally) Fix NCAA's Presentation Problem... Stuck

Posted on July 11, 2012 at 11:23 AM.

(75)

I'm a broadcast guy. A film guy. A creative pro. Nothing gets past me when it comes to camera angles, bad audio mixing, and mistimed lines.

So imagine my horror when I play NCAA Football 13.

The presentation isn't bad. It's solid, or maybe merely ok for a game. But solid presentation in video game sports means it's actually quite terrible in comparison to broadcast TV. Several games in our genre do a pretty good job of mimicking broadcast style presentations -- I'm looking at you The Show, NBA 2K and even Madden.

But for some reason, across the hall from Madden's excellent presentational approach is the NCAA team and what is quickly becoming the worst presentation in major sports titles. In fact, it probably is.

Can you think of a game that's worse?

I think we can establish there is clearly a problem here. So what's the solution? I've got a simple list of goals for EA's crew down in Orlando to follow when assembling this year's game:

Define what your are presenting. This one should be easy. You are either presenting a game as from in the stadium or on TV. Every other game in our genre has chosen the broadcast route because most people see sports from that vantage point so it enhances realism -- regardless of what the gameplay does. So NCAA team: freaking decide you are actually mimicking a TV broadcast. Nail that down. Internalize it. Honestly go to the Himalayas like Bruce Wayne did before becoming Batman and find yourself. Then come back ready to rock and roll.
Study college football broadcasts. Get in the film room and don't watch football. Watch the camera angles. Watch the score tickers, stat boxes, the commentary team. Watch how college football is presented on a Saturday. NCAA Football does not do this experience justice. It just doesn't.
Implement real camera angles. Now that you have studied broadcasts, you no doubt have realized that your game does not use actual camera angles. College Football broadcasts don't have dynamic swooping cinematic crane shots in between plays. They show shots of players, coaches, fans. It's all emotion. It's all passion. It's not a Steven Spielberg film. If you are confused, go ask your Madden brothers, they'll help you get started down the right path.
Make commentary flow. The commentary in NCAA Football has a serious problem. *wait 10 seconds before reading on* There are serious breaks between lines of commentary. *wait 5 seconds before reading on* And we all know conversations flow with massive breaks in between people talking right? *wait 10 seconds before reading on* So maybe this should be a point to fix next year eh?
Mix the audio properly. The first thing I notice about NCAA is how messed up the audio levels are when I'm in a game. The bands overpower the crowd, the crowd chants sound like 500 people are chanting them with the band overpowering everyone. The crowd noise period sounds like a studio crowd -- despite all claims to the contrary. Simply put, bring in any actual broadcast audio guy and have him work on the game -- because whoever is doing it now overall just doesn't get how to mix audio. I do it as part of my living, and I could spend three hours and have the audio mixed at more acceptable levels.
Stadium crowds are more dynamic than that. Remember those college football broadcasts? Remember how the fans were loud on defense? Remember how the fans would roar to their feet when a deep ball was thrown and they'd either erupt or a big sigh would be let out depending on what happened down field? Now ask yourself: Do the crowds in the game even remotely begin to convey this type of passion?
Make the week a storyline, not a bunch of random cut scenes. I want to give the NCAA team plenty of credit for a good start. Seriously. The studio updates and score ticker were great beginnings. But a college football week is more than that. There are storylines, other games affect your game. Commentators should make note of that -- they should be able to adequately describe the implications of what exactly is at stake. Let's use our imaginations and ask ourselves if an exchange like this would be amazing in NCAA (yes it's simplified and cheesy but just go with it)...and ask yourself if it's technically feasible. *spoiler* It is.

Reece: Well guys it looks like a major upset is in store here with this one. The #1 team in the Nation is going down tonight.
Brad: Thanks for the update Reece. Boy Kirk, I don't know about you but that makes this game a whole lot more important.
Kirk: It sure does, that means the winner of this game is now definitely going to be playing for the National Championship.

I mean...this isn't rocket science. It's time to go beyond novelty and add some real depth to the presentation.
Players aren't zombies. When a play is blown dead, players shouldn't randomly and aimlessly begin walking in every direction, bumping into each other or walking through each other. Is it that hard to give players a post-play script to move back to a huddle or to hurry it up back onto the line?
Hire someone to insert the actual records from each school and the NCAA into the game. I swear if I break an NCAA all-time receiving record for a game with 200 yards again, I'm going to cry into a pillow for the audacity of it all.
Finally, those stat banners and overlays? Starting lineups? Yeah, there should be more of them and more relevant items popping up. Ever notice how broadcasts will artificially insert storylines into games? For instance, show a stat box with QB #12's all time stats compared to the top record holders at Oklahoma for passing? Or in another instance a stat box or overlay with an old storyline from an old rivalry game. I know for a lot of big games the broadcasts will hearken back to the old games and show a picture or some video with a story of that game. Because College Football isn't just about the now, it's about the then. And Broadcast pros get that, people experienced the then and they see how it makes the now bigger.

What if you saw these types of overlays and knew you were closing in on, say, the actual NCAA record for all-time passing yards set by Timmy Chang? Would knowing you are 430 yards away not add some intrigue to a game? Would seeing an old rivalry result from the 80s not add context to the rivalry game you are playing? There's just so much unexplored territory here.

What would you all change about the presentation in NCAA Football for the 14 edition of the game?

Comments

# 46 Stafford2Johnson @ Jul 13

Could not agree more. I like this game, I really do, but everything he said in this article is true.

# 47 LastExit @ Jul 13

Excellent points made all around, Chris.

You hit the nail on the head when you suggest that the team sit down and watch college football broadcasts. While they have taken incremental steps towards a more authentic presentation (a score ticker and the studio updates) they are missing the obvious you pointed out and continue to do so. They have the ESPN trademark to work with and we get those cut scenes that are only seen in the game and the same old reaction shots? And don't get me started on how the crowd sounds versus the sound of a college crowd on a Saturday.......it really leaves you just scratching your head.

# 48 jonskinny12 @ Jul 13

Excellent article. I agree 100% with everything listed here. I know some of the things you listed would take quite a bit of work, and the presentation got a little better this year with the studio updates and bottom line. But how about a player's current game stats after each play? Doesn't ESPN currently do that just below the score overlay? Doesn't Madden do that? They've already got some stat overlays for the current game in there, just put them in after each play. Or at the very least, after every 2 or 3 plays. Not 2 or 3 times a game.

# 49 DaSmerg @ Jul 14

While I agree with the sentiment and also a lot of points in your article, I just simply think that the reality is that as long as EA, EA Sports and by extension Tiburon continue to develop this game as a console only/first title, then the development isn't going to move only incrementally forward.

Our Xbox 360's and PS3's are built on and utilizing 7 or more year old technologies.

IMO, in the interim, while the two big players sort out 'next-next-gen', move these games back to PC first (like what we saw with BF:3) to start moving these titles development possibilities forward.

# 50 SouthWestConference @ Jul 14

Lots and lots of great points. I'm an equipment snob so I pay attention to what players wear. Still, in every NCAA Game, players are automatically generated with low socks, every other player has a 2 bar jagged face mask (which hasn't even been worn since Trent Dilfer played...) and there are about 2 cleat varieties for each team. And on top of that no Adidas or Under Armor equipment. Come on EA.*

# 51 SouthWestConference @ Jul 14

Also, I am an Aggie... And they still have A&M coming out of some random *** tunnel from the side of the field and a goofy high school fight song to go with it. Apparently, EA only pays attention to about 5 school's details

# 52 bucsman80 @ Jul 14

Yes agree, One of the best articles. I am hardcore gamer in sports titles, I wish PS3 production team would make a football game, like MLB:the SHOW, with there perfection to detail in a football game. You would think after 20 years, could get it right for once Competition is a good thing.

# 53 PAPERNUT @ Jul 14

Well said. Send this to EA now and make them read it!

# 54 PGaither84 @ Jul 14

NCAA does a HECK of a better job than Madden. Madden 12, [13 isn't out yet] is a freaking joke. It's TERRIBLE.

# 55 josephid @ Jul 15

The simple problem is this, the game is chopped up. Run a play, feel like your on the field then they take you away into a cut scene. Mix it up, keep us on the field, zoom to the runner, then pan to players around him.

They, cut to a different perspective, am I a player, then in the stands, then it looks like a tv broadcast from my couch. I am playing the game, enough with this cream puff tv stlye cut scenes. It is in the game!!! I am playing keep me on the field.

When I played as Oregon, I never felt as if I was playing as them or up tempo. Again, cut away after play. I should be on the field, when I run to the side lines have the players jump up in down, zoom in, not give a cut scene. When I score, zoom in, let me run closer to the fans, more interaction. The greatest cut scenens will never let you feel like you interacting. Remember, we are players who are on the field, not four different things, fan, tv viewer, guy in a blimp???

God, I hate the new Madden side kick view, who am I, a guy in the parking lot then???

# 56 josephid @ Jul 15

Once last thing, they have cut scene after every play. Make it simpler and less would make it more. We don't need a cut scene every play, Simply zoom in on the player more and the action around him without cutting away or even no action, just getting up, moving to huddle or line of scrimmage. Make me feel like I am on the field.

# 57 CrimsontideuA @ Jul 15

So what happened to the FIFA team that was suppose to be assisting with audio this year?

# 58 BDawg35 @ Jul 16

Perhaps some more detail could've been added. In the realm of commentary, for instance, I get something like this quite often after a quick two-play drive. Herbstreit will say: "That was just an old-fashioned grind-it-out drive where they mixed up the run and the pass." The one I really hate is, "AND THEY HIT HIM IN THE BACKFIELD!" when it is a no gain. Or the contradictory, "He didn't get much" followed by "that was a nice gain" on a 3-yard run or something.

# 59 nightwulf @ Jul 16

man i swear every time i kick a field goal with clemson the lsu fight song plays this game is still broken they need to take a year off an fix this **** an charging us $60 bucks for this piece of ****