@BillJ: LOL Of course it is a video game and we do want to be entertained...however after playing other games that have done what me and many others have asked, I don't think I am asking for much. And the other games, such as 2K5 are HIGHLY entertaining. Television style presentation is long overdue for Madden. #NoExcuses. But I understand where you are coming from though.

Bigsmallwood, everything you mentioned is spot-on. The worst part is Tiburon's apparent bull-headedness. NBA 2K10 was the best in the presentation business, and it would seem NCAA is on the right track, so why don't Ian and company work on it?

I don't have the answer, but what I do know is that 2K's announcers tell me when Kevin Durant is leading the league in scoring, and while Herbie and BN's commentary has grown a bit stale, the game is starting to show sigs that its developers are starting to value nuance.

Sure, they could slide by on gimmicks and continue to give us robotic commentary, inappropriately timed player reactions, cookie-cutter sundays and an overall lacking experience.

They could, and likely they will.

But maybe, just maybe, the advancement on the part of other games both in and out of football will spur the tiburon mule. (Shark mule, har har.)

Hopefully so, or NFL gaming will remain head and shoulders below the rest of the sports genre.

Oh, and don't sweat the people who are completely satisfied, they just don't know their sports.

If you've never played it, and you don't watch it, why would you want your sports games to resemble the real thing?

@RynVintage86': I appreciate it man! People are just "defenders" of EA and acting like they don't know the game of football...maybe some of them don't know. (ignorance is not bliss lol)

I hope they get it together because this "It can't be done in one year..." excuse is lame. 6years in....other Dev Teams have done it....Ian and Co. should step up....or sit down.

@BillJ: I dont play madden 30hours a season let alone 30 hours a week. Since you have been playing Madden since the golden years like you said you should know why Madden irks people. Its easy....Put Madden 11 graphics on madden 05 and you would have a better playing game period. Madden now just doesnt compete to What was offered 6years ago. as consumers cant we demand a better product? Its a shame the allpro2k8 is vastly superior to madden now gameplay wise.

I really don't know why Madden irks people. Time and money are commodities, I never understand why people here continue to waste both on something they don't like. If you don't like it don't waste your time and money on it. There are a wealth of entertaining games out there to be played. Life's short... go with what you enjoy.

It's tiresome to continue to watch people beat up on a game they don't even like (almost like it's their hobby). And I've been watching people complain since 1991.

Madden should have followed The Show and NBA 2k's lead and put the last gen engine on next gen with the great graphics.

I think that's why most of us love The Show and 2k, and why we feel Madden has really dropped the next gen ball.

@BillJ: I don't think people hate the game, nor are we "beating" up on Madden. People just want POSITIVE change and in order to do so constructive criticism is necessary. 6years into next gen and sports gamers (esp hardcore sports gamers) have gotten the shaft from EA. They do not like to come to this site because of the facts that people point out in their game. They make it a point not to invite certain people to their community dates and that way they avoid answering the REAL questions as to why their product is still lagging behind when it does not need to.

@bigsmallwood: You do realize that everyone's pinnacle football game, NFL2K5, was in its sixth year of development? And even after six years there were some major issues with the title. Including problems with the franchise mode and noticeable drops in frame rate when playing in rain and snow (XBOX version).

And I'm still not sure which titles Madden lags behind? Different titles have different requirements and different rules, with football being the most difficult to program.

I think people need to have something to complain about and unfortunately sports gamers continue to point to Madden.

@ BillJ: Great point...except Madden is in it's 21st year of Development...2K was only around for 6years when 2K5 (flaws and all) upstaged all other football games.

I thought Madden 10 was a HUGE step in the right direction...but Madden 11 seems to be lacking in many areas (not just presentation which is an eyesore)

I will probably purchase M11 so that I can experience it for myself and hope that Presentation is taken serious in M12....

@BillJ. Madden has been making games since 89. Not 2000 like 2k. Also 2k was in its 4th year on xbox not 6th. You seem to make excuses for Madden but you cant create an argument that can be justified. Ea just doesn't care.

Right on.

I totally agree about the gameplay. Why are receivers STILL not catching deep balls in stride? Why can they still not run through a catch in perfect stride?

Why do they either jump when it isn't necessary, or go through this slow animation where they reach across their body to catch the ball which causes them to slow down and allow the DB to either swat the ball away or tackle the WR on a play that would be a TD in real life?

Why is it that after years and years EA still hasn't made the premier pass rushers in the game do something other than be totally irrelevant?

I can take control of DeMarcus Ware and I'll still watch him have next to no impact. But what if I use the Cowboys and let the cpu control him for me? NOTHING.

Don't they have guys who test these games? If so, how is it that they can't detect what long time Madden players can find after 2 games?

The first drive in the demo I realized that pass rushers would once again have no impact.

There is no excuse for the gameplay to not have progressed to this point to where these types of things still exist.

Time to stop making excuses and start making some real improvements.

It's true that what's on the field doesn't feel right. I'll be honest, it's been awhile since I've played organized football, but I still play pickup pretty often, and I just don't feel it.
Bill, believe me, I know that the level of difficulty to program on-field activity is beyond words. I've never tried it, and it certainly takes a better, smarter kind of cat to do it, so I'll lay off that part (though EA does have that fancy real-time physics engine floating around, and you have to wonder if they could apply it if the code is already there).
Ah, but the off-field stuff; broadcast quality presentation and commentary, a deep franchise experience (remember the newspapers and even the radio shows from last gen's Maddens?), and superstar mode... These are all things the audience has clamored for to no avail.
It just seems like the development team has tried to blaze their own trail, and their consumers are getting anxious.
They just need to listen and reconnect to their audience.

@RynVintage86: The problem is nobody knows or understands what trail the dev team is trying to blaze. They say "If you see it on SUnday, You will see it in Madden" However that slogan was never upheld. I support them, but they do not seem to value what their gamers have to say. Sadly, we may never see Madden improve this gen.

i beat the jets all madden with 1 play the cpu is too dumb for me to enjoy.. im not goin to switch just because and i was never forced to