OS Fact or Fiction: Is Madden for Real This Time?

Feature Article

Submitted on: 09/06/2012 by Chris Sanner, Jayson Young

Chris Sanner: Fact.

Someone compared Madden NFL 13 to NBA 2K10 in a blog post of mine earlier last week. I think that's perhaps the best comparison I can come up with for the game. Yes, there are still numerous issues which crop up, and yes the new engine is with many quirks, but the foundation has been laid down now to the point where next season we could see a game that really creeps into greatness when things are polished up even more than where they are today.

The infinity engine really does make a huge difference in the game and gives it a much different feel and with some more tuning and tweaking via a couple of patches I'd suspect Madden NFL 13 ends up a very darned good game as it is. Then attention turns to Madden NFL 14 and what we should expect. If even half of the legacy issues are figured out, the missing elements from franchise are implemented into connected careers, and presentation is expanded upon -- all realistic goals -- Madden will be at the same level without a doubt as it's peers.

This year, you saw not just the Infinity engine and it's various benefits in each facet of the game -- but you also saw Madden move forward in the passing game with a new approach to icon passing which is subtle yet good. You also saw the game balance itself out a bit more than in year's past, at least to me. I've had some of the best games I've ever had in EA Football in Madden and while the game still cuts corners in realism, you can nitpick other series in the same way and arrive at the same conclusions. What matters to me at this point is that Madden is good, balanced football and it's now just a couple of real steps away from incredibly realistic football as well.

What is missing in this series now are subtle things that, if/when they are implemented will truly take this series into the Game of the Year conversation.

The Madden team made a brilliant decision to make big moves here at the end of this console generation. So long as they don't blow up the bridge and start over when the new consoles hit late next year I'm sure the franchise is set for a bright future from this point onwards.

Jayson Young: Fiction

The only areas where Madden NFL 13 performs at or near the top of sports gaming are its redone online franchise mode, spectacular dynamic lighting and highly detailed NFL stadiums. In all other aspects, Madden NFL 13 remains significantly behind the standards being set by industry leaders like FIFA, MLB The Show, NBA 2K and EA NHL.

While Madden NFL 13 looks attractive in still screenshots, its warts start appearing as soon as the ball is snapped, with weightless, exaggerated player movement, outdated blocking interactions, dumbfounding AI decision-making, outlandish Monday Night Raw collisions and inhuman limb contortions created by the new Infinity Engine. If beautifully animated franchises like NBA 2K and MLB The Show are poetry in motion, then Madden NFL 13's gameplay is a third grade spelling bee in motion -- unpolished, unsophisticated and full of glaring mistakes.

With an abundance of missing options and lost features, Madden NFL 13's offline experience is arguably worse this year than it was in Madden NFL 12. Virtual Twitter feeds are cool, but not at the expense of coach mode, NCAA roster transfers, fantasy drafts, roster editing, player editing, custom playbooks, custom gameplans, defensive camera perspective, multi-user offline franchise, etc.

Another potentially great mode, online team play, remains completely neglected, having made zero improvements since its Madden NFL 11 debut. EA's own FIFA and NHL series offer the ability to field full teams of human players and compete in online clubs or leagues, yet Madden NFL 13 remains limited to one-off 3 vs. 3 matches that don't even include fatigue or injuries. Madden NFL 13's online team play feature is actually worse now than when it debuted, due to the removal of the "behind the defense" camera.

High sales numbers don't always correlate to high product quality, and this console generation, EA Tiburon's Madden franchise has essentially become the Metallica of sports gaming -- still selling copies by the truckload at retail, but failing to satisfy hardcore fans who remember how great the brand used to be and how far it has fallen in recent years.

Madden NFL 13 Videos

Member Comments

# 21 bxphenom7 @ 09/06/12 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adub88


	Fiction without a shadow of a doubt. I'm going to keep saying this, until they can find a way to get down or even address the core fundamental aspects of football, I will never consider this game. Good things here and there ain't gonna cut it. Line-play, player movement, overall animations, and AI take priority over any other aspect of the game. All in all, I'm just frustrated with the game I grew up playing and actually liked it. I look at the NBA2K vs. NBA Live series and can honestly say Madden probably would have had the same fate or a drastic reduction in sales, if they had not acquired the exclusive license. Let's be real folks!

well ****ing said

# 22 bxphenom7 @ 09/06/12 06:19 PM

Fiction. Yes, they've included great additions, but they still can't hit the core elements of football gameplay. Infinity engine needs to be tuned but is a great step. Point is, Madden NFL 13 is highly overrated. All these other games mentioned: MLB The Show, NBA 2K, EA NHL, FIFA, they're in refinement mode. Madden 13 just now laid a foundation that, frankly, took way too long to achieve.

# 23 mestevo @ 09/06/12 06:31 PM

For me it's fact. It's a great game, just short of amazing, with potential with patches and future iterations off the charts. I can completely understand why some would have a contrary opinion depending on your play style.

# 24 BenGerman @ 09/06/12 06:33 PM

Fact: I agree with Chris here. What's important here is that Madden has laid a foundation for its series (and hopefully NCAA), which a lot of things it can build upon. There are definitely some things that need to be ironed out, but the overall gameplay is really pretty good.

# 25 Sausage @ 09/06/12 06:38 PM

Fiction, I went in with tempered expectations, but I am still pretty disappointing. Madden 10 stays in the disc drive another year, but at least I enjoy NCAA 13 occasionally if I need a change.

I really wanted to like it and even trusted some of the gamechanger gentlemen about how much better it is. It isn't there fault I played the demo, I shouldn't have been surprised. Though, I hear online it is fun; but doesn't actually resemble what we see on Sunday.

# 26 LowerWolf @ 09/06/12 06:53 PM

Fact: We were led to believe this would be the best Madden yet this gen. And I think it is.

Fiction: We were led to believe this would be a huge leap over previous Maddens. I don't think it is.

I think we understood that M13 was starting over. We were told that features wouldn't be added back until they were "perfect." And I think we were able to (begrudgingly) accept a stripped-down version as long as what was actually in the game was highly refined and polished. And it's not.

If a patch is able to add back some of things removed (hello editing) and/or fine tune and polish some things (I'm looking at you CCM) then I think we'll move closer to Fact.

The fact is though, this IS the best Madden yet (this gen) but it's still not where it needs to be, and it's still lagging behind other sports games.

# 27 LV426 @ 09/06/12 07:07 PM

I still prefer Madden 12 and consider it to be the best NFL game ever, but the reality is that Madden has been "for real" this gen since at least Madden 10. The kids and younger adults today don't have a clue how good they have it. When I started playing football games they looked like this:

And then this:

My main gripe with 13 is the idea of integrating a brand new physics engine into the game at the very end of a console life cycle. This is where you're supposed to be arriving at this generation's pinnacle, like Madden 05 and 2K5 did in the last gen. You don't go for a big under the hood overhaul at the end of a console life cycle. You hone what you've got to the best it can be. And considering how good the last couple games have been it makes no sense. Save the rebuilds for the next gen at this point.

You can't make a game that pleases everybody. The vast majority of people who own Madden are not online nitpicking the thing to shreds, they're playing. And it's because most people realize the reality of the situation. And the reality is that it's a video game, not a pure football simulator. And it was never meant to be. I know there are plenty that would retort with "well, their slogan is 'If it's In the Game'". And to that I say, it's a marketing slogan not a mission statement. What we have at our fingertips today is amazing. And it's too bad few here seem to realize or appreciate it.

And it's always kinda funny hearing all this criticism from people who are supposedly versed in the various aspects of football, and yet the game is hugely popular with the guys who actually play in the NFL. I think i'll take their endorsement on Madden over a bunch or armchair stick jockeys.

# 28 statum71 @ 09/06/12 07:09 PM

Much better Madden but : Fiction

Any game that limits the way I, as a buyer can play the game......can't be considered Sports GOTY.

The Show and 2K allow me to do whatever I want within my own season.

Not to mention there is still a GLARING presentation omission that NBA 2K does very well.......no Halftime Report. Can't be GOTY such big omissions.

# 29 statum71 @ 09/06/12 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LV426


	I still prefer Madden 12 and consider it to be the best NFL game ever, but the reality is that Madden has been "for real" this gen since at least Madden 10. The kids and younger adults today don't have a clue how good they have it. When I started playing football games they looked like this: And then this: My main gripe with 13 is the idea of integrating a brand new physics engine into the game at the very end of a console life cycle. This is where you're supposed to be arriving at this generation's pinnacle, like Madden 05 and 2K5 did in the last gen. You don't go for a big under the hood overhaul at the end of a console life cycle. You hone what you've got to the best it can be. And considering how good the last couple games have been it makes no sense. Save the rebuilds for the next gen at this point. You can't make a game that pleases everybody. The vast majority of people who own Madden are not online nitpicking the thing to shreds. Most people realize the reality of the situation. It's a video game, not a pure football simulator. And it was never meant to be. I know there are plenty that would retort with "well, their slogan is 'If it's In the Game'". And to that I say, it's a marketing slogan, not a mission statement. What we have at our fingertips today is amazing. And it's too bad few here seem to realize or appreciate it.

Man that's classic. That's wayyyyyy back. You must about my age.

# 30 inkcil @ 09/06/12 07:15 PM

A much better Ford Taurus is still a Ford Taurus. Madden is fun in its own "make-beleive, cartoon, arcade-style videogaming right," but to compare it to the Mercedes (The Show) and BMW (NBA 2k) of today's sports gaming is downright comedy central. ESPECIALLY in the presentation...it's the worst of any major sports game, while the NFL is the most popular of any major sports. Craziness.

If ANYONE from the NFL is comparing Madden presentation to other sports games coming out they are livid.

# 31 TreFacTor @ 09/06/12 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by statum71


	Man that's classic. That's wayyyyyy back. You must about my age.

I still have the hand held...my son thought it was a stud finder!

# 32 LowerWolf @ 09/06/12 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LV426


	I still prefer Madden 12 and consider it to be the best NFL game ever, but the reality is that Madden has been "for real" this gen since at least Madden 10. The kids and younger adults today don't have a clue how good they have it. When I started playing football games they looked like this:

Yup, I had that. I've still got the green one (where you could pass) and it actually still works.

# 33 wallofhate @ 09/06/12 07:18 PM

Inkcil you said it perfect imo. I almost wish I said it do to it being so right on the money.

# 34 blklightning @ 09/06/12 07:41 PM

It's not for real. As usual, it's a good idea that is way under cooked. If they had finished the game by properly play testing it and fine tuning it, then it would be for real. But as usual, they want to sell us half a pie at full price. I can't take it anymore; I've given up on them completely at this point.

# 35 BRxSKINSx @ 09/06/12 07:43 PM

Fiction! Although, u gotta give em credit this year for trying.... I'm no Madden fan at all but I keep playing it this year, the last few years, I've either quit playing by now or not even bothered buying it... I can actually say this game will hold me over until Oct. 2nd...and I'll continue I play it afterwards....just not as much... Now that it seems they're heading in the right direction with the game, let's see what they do going forward.... Will they just keep putting out this same game or will they get the bugs out, add to it, and make it better... Guess we will have to wait and see.....

# 36 rudyjuly2 @ 09/06/12 07:55 PM

This is a tough call so I'm going to chicken out and not give an answer. I do like a lot of the improvements but there are also a lot of issues in this game that make for a frustrating experience. From some sliders not working right to no editing to the cpu running way too much on first and second down - I find this version of Madden extremely buggy and unpolished. I'm going to pray a patch cleans up a lot of things. It's annoying me with some things right now but certainly has the potential to be the best football game ever imo. That said, real foot planting and true player momentum would really take it to another level next year.

# 37 Kaiser Wilhelm @ 09/06/12 08:06 PM

As somebody who was extremely apprehensive of buying this game pre-release I have to say Madden is rather successful in all fields. The number one thing holding it back right now, imo, is the AI/difficulty/slider bug in CCM.

Bugs will always be in software like this when but when this bug disables the challenge of an entire game mode and honestly is terrible because the play now AI is fantastic. The accelerated clock glitch is annoying but it is not quite as crippling, though it is up there, as it ruins multi-player games where AI teams are still present the most.

# 38 Humdinger80 @ 09/06/12 08:09 PM

"We shouldn't even get mad at EA for having the exclusive license. Bottom line is they saw a opportunity to monopolize the market, and they did. Any company would had done the same."

See that's my whole problem with EAs Madden, If they could make a game as good as MLB The Show or the NBA2K series, I wouldn't give a sh*t if it were the only game in town. But at this point, this game is kinda lame. I mean no offense to the devs and I'm sure none is taken as they probably get paid pretty well over at Tiburon but does competition drive a studio to produce a high quality game or is it just dedication and raw talent? Cause if I'm not mistaken EA hasn't had an NBA game for 3 years and 2K doesn't seem to give a flying f**k about when their game drops or even that it exists.

# 39 jWILL253 @ 09/06/12 08:22 PM

To quote The Seattle Times' Seahawks beat writer Danny O'neil, when he was discussing the list of the greatest QB's of all time... "This is about as meaningful as explaining why Batman is better than Superman."

Look, Madden NFL 13 is a good game. It can be a great game with the right sliders. I've played this more than I've played the last 3 Madden's combined. But, it isn't on "SGOTY" level just yet... but yes, it's for real, as far as laying down a foundation for future games.

But, we need to stop comparing Madden to other sports games, and just compare it to football. Now, does Madden properly replicate real football? In some respects, yes. In most other respects... the jury is still out.

But, I'm actually looking forward to what they do in the future...

# 40 Armor and Sword @ 09/06/12 08:24 PM

Madden 13 is fact for human v human. A blast. A great time playing against friends in the same room, or a bunch of buddies in an online CCM.

The game is a win in that department.

It is pure fiction offline vs the CPU. A train wreck for the most part and in need of a major patch job to make it playable till Madden 14.

So this game is truly a tale of two cities.

It is crystal clear it's all about online.

And offline has become a true second class citizen.

« Previous 123 4 5 Next »

More Links