NCAA Football 09 Postmortem - Operation Sports

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NCAA Football 09 Postmortem

Submitted on: 01/13/2009 by Christian McLeod

It is the perfect time to revisit EA Sports' NCAA Football 09 and discuss the game in postmortem fashion. NCAA 09 did a lot of things right both on and off the field. I wanted to focus specifically on what 09 brought to the table this season, and how these features held up over the course of the 2008 college season. I know there are many of you out there still playing the game -- and many who will not agree with what I have to say -- but as of this week, I feel it is important to at least "officially" end our NCAA Football 09 discussion, and begin our NCAA Football 10 discussions.

Plus, it is always fun to take a look back at a title nearly seven months after release because, at this point, most people can speak more calmly about a title that is not so fresh in their minds. Is the honeymoon officially over? How did NCAA 09 withstand the test of time?

NCAA performed as good as Florida this year - there was a bump or two, but it was largely rather good.

Graphics/Presentation

Graphically, NCAA Football 09 was beautiful. The game was finally able to nail the look of the college athlete, and subtle details such as flak jackets, the corporate logo on visors, back bars and the different helmet options added a lot visually. The fields also looked great with EA's touted grass-rendering engine showing some unique differences at certain venues (Oregon, Boise State, The Coliseum). The authentic stadiums also looked great, and had enough small details to keep even the most rabid fans happy -- assuming, of course, their stadium made it into the game. Even the sidelines were a visual upgrade over NCAA 08, and had enough detail to create a sideline that was at least passable.

Visually, the only real sore spot would have to be the crowd graphics. It was yet another year of blocky, PS1-style fans and crowd interactions. This really is not that big of a deal considering how much the crowd actually plays into a game of NCAA 09, but after seeing some great looking crowds in games such as NHL 09 and NBA 2K9, this aspect certainly stands out more than ever.

From a presentation standpoint, NCAA 09 turned in yet another weak (or should I say, Notre Dame-like) performance. For the third straight year on next-gen consoles, gamers had to live without any type of pregame Gameday festivities, bowl patches, special bowl presentation, highlight shows of any type, pride stickers that actually equate to on-field performance, and many of the other small nuances that fans of the franchise took for granted during the last generation.

Gamers also did not witness any further integration of the ESPN license in NCAA 09 -- other than the ESPN Radio updates and ESPN Motion capabilities within a separate menu.

Retrospective Review Score for Graphics/Presentation: B

The graphics were certainly a step up in NCAA Football 09.

Gameplay

Here is a category that caused some of the biggest forum uproar of 2008. Before NCAA 09 even released, there was a firestorm of criticism about the game's higher than average CPU completion percentage, broken gameplay sliders, broken special teams coverage, and a lack of CPU/human pass rush.

Eventually, two patches (one and two) were released that helped address some issues on defense, fixed special teams coverage, and fixed the sliders. However, there was never an official confirmation from EA that the patches corrected the high completion percentages and lack of a pass rush. Some gamers reported the problems had been fixed, while others reported never seeing a difference between pre- and post-patch gameplay.

My personal experience with the gameplay was very positive. I did have issues with the CPU completion percentage when I first purchased the game, but I slowly began to learn how to combat this by tricking the programming. Early on, it seemed that if you played a man-to-man defense you were able to magically start shutting down the CPU's pass game, no matter what play the A.I. ran. I also had a difficult time generating any type of pressure on the CPU pre-patch. While both of these issues were frustrating early on, I still did enjoy the wide-open gameplay and college football pacing. Once the second patch was released, however, the gameplay really hit a high for me.

I was one of the gamers who felt the patch did fix zone coverage enough to lower the CPU completion percentage. In other words, the patch made my players engage in better coverage. This in turn, allowed me to generate more pressure on the CPU QB, and I began seeing myself get 3-5 sacks per game with powerhouses like USC and Florida, and 1-2 sacks per game with weaker schools like Purdue and Baylor. To me these were realistic enough numbers, especially when you consider the fact that you really do not see that many sacks in your average NCAA game -- now imagine a real NCAA game where only five minute quarters are played.

NCAA 09 was the first NCAA game since NCAA 04 that really made me pay attention to defense post-patch. I found that I really had to mix my coverages up this season, pay attention to offensive adjustments, and even hot route my defensive players to combat mismatches recognized at the line. Completion percentages could still be high, depending on the strength of your defense as a whole. Nevertheless, when I look at Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, Grahm Herrill and even Nate Davis's completion percentages this season, NCAA did not produce passing percentages that were as unrealistic as a number of gamers have complained about.

The gameplay had some drawbacks but was largely good.

All of the defensive strategies mentioned above are techniques I never had to employ before, because it seemed like the past four iterations in the series have allowed you to play lazy defense (i.e. you pick a play and your CPU teammates do all the work for you). Post-patch defense was really a lot of fun to play, and it was extremely rewarding to sack a QB or make a big play all because of an adjustment you made at the line. There are still times when I will run into an impenetrable CPU-controlled offensive line, but this happens perhaps 1-2 plays per game to me now post-patch, as opposed to all game pre-patch.

On the offensive side of the ball, NCAA played great. New left-stick juke movements made a world of difference, allowing you to effectively hit your holes in the ground game and evade tacklers in the open field. Offense was a lot of fun this year and more wide open than in past years. Some people really liked this, myself included, but some despised this change. Personally, I felt the game conveyed the offensive-style of college football better than it had during the past few years. After observing this year's 2008 college football season, I could not help but think that NCAA 09's offense nailed college offenses spot on.

The NCAA in real life is becoming more of a wide-open league offensively, and I think NCAA 09 did a great job of conveying that sense of explosive offense. Face it people, NCAA 09 allowed you to set your offense up as a Florida/Texas Tech spread attack, a USC pro-style rushing/aerial attack, or even as an Alabama pound-the-rock-on-the-ground attack. You could run the style of offense that best suited your play style in NCAA 09, and there was no better feeling in Dynasty mode than recruiting kids that would fit into your style of offense.

The main downside of NCAA 09's offense was that once your team's offense was rated an A- or higher, you could pick apart pretty much any team not rated an A on defense. However, this is hardly a game-breaker, as it would be like not rooting for Florida or USC because their offenses are too efficient. I know gamers want a challenge, but there just comes a certain time when you build a monster of a program. You cannot be upset if you are dominant at that point; you just have to move on to a weaker school.

The gameplay of NCAA 09 took a ton of heat, and is still being scrutinized by many gamers out there. To me, this criticism is widely unwarranted, especially after the second patch. As I said before, NCAA 09 is the type of game where you need to adjust strategy manually, and cannot just rely on your CPU teammates to make every big play for you. I realize many in the sim and 2K camps are going to have a field day with this statement, but I feel NCAA 09's gameplay was the pinnacle of the series. It is not perfect, but it is the best we have seen so far.

Retrospective Review Score for Gameplay: A

The pinnacle of awesomeness in college football.

Online Options

NCAA 09 gave us one of the greatest online modes in sports-gaming history: Online Dynasty mode. Not only could you compete in a full-fledged dynasty with your buddies online, but the game allowed the CPU to take full control over teams that were not user controlled. This was a first for online leagues on consoles, and drastically extended the replay factor within the mode. Another first for console online leagues was the fact that everything that could be done in an offline dynasty could be done in an online dynasty.

Until NCAA 09, it seemed like an online league feature would always have a set of limitations that differentiated online from offline franchises (no trades, no stat tracking, and so forth).

Online Dynasty is incredibly addictive, and it is one of the best online features we have ever seen.

Outside of the Online Dynasty mode, NCAA 09 offered us the first mostly lag-free online versus mode I have ever experienced in the series. Gaming with a buddy across the country was no different than if he/she was sitting in the same room as you -- this was a huge plus in my eyes as recent years have been a test of patience due to lag. The addition of the "Online Game of the Week" lobby was also a huge winner in my book, as it kept the weekly matchups fresh, and kept me coming back weekly to create my own history.

Retrospective Review Score for Online Options: A+

There is something to be said about the Online Options in NCAA - some of the best out there.

Feature Set

The final aspect of NCAA 09 I wanted to touch on was the feature set. NCAA 09 included one of the more robust feature sets that we have seen in the series. We were given a nice set of mini-games, a full-featured four year Campus Legend mode, a silly Mascot Game option and your run of the mill Practice modes.

The mini-games and mascot challenge are time wasters. They are not revolutionary, but I am not going to complain that they were added. Now, if you told me that the reason NCAA 09 was missing bowl patches was because of these modes being included, I would have a beef with the game. Assuming that is not the case, I am cool with the modes being in the game, and give Tiburon some credit for giving us more game, vs less game as has been the norm the past few years.

Campus Legend mode is not necessarily the strongest feature in the game, but it was solid enough to keep you busy for at least a little bit. The A.I. of your teammates was awful, and the mode got repetitive quick, but at least the mode was included for those who are big fans of the "Be a Pro" formula. I will not complain too much about a feature that works relatively well and provides entertainment for some.

Overall, I was pretty impressed with the feature set in NCAA 09. It added to the overall package of the game, and extended replay value for more casual players.

Retrospective Review Score for Feature Set: B+

Next year, hopefully NCAA Football 10 performs better than the Big 12 South in Bowls.

NCAA 09 has provided me with hours upon hours of gameplay over the last seven months. As a big fan of the series who had been letdown by NCAA 07 and NCAA 08, this year's game made me believe that the franchise is once again headed back towards its last-generation greatness. NCAA 09 was not perfect and needs some work -- many would say more work than I think it needs -- but at the very least, NCAA Football 09 was finally a reinvention of the franchise for the current-gen consoles.

The Christian McLeod Postmortem Review Score for NCAA Football 09: A-

NCAA Football 09 Videos

Member Comments

# 21 Pared @ 01/14/09 11:00 AM

I haven't played NCAA much this year. Many of the same issues that plagued the game in head to head matches remained... CPU play was a "chore" and the game lacked the enthusiasm of college football.

I enjoyed '08 but with the CPU actually feeling worse this year, there wasn't much else left to do with the game.

Look at previous years; No matter how bad NCAA was, people would not move on to other games. They would overlook the issues and still play the game. Recently, other games have done a much, much better job of capturing their sport than NCAA has. People would rather play MLB, NBA NHL, and FIFA games over this. The same holds true for Madden.

It's just deep issues with the engine that seem to persist. I loved all the other stuff they added to the game, like the team celebrations and such... but they couldn't overshadow the same issues that are there year after year. And this year, with the wide open gameplay being instituted... many more were introduced.

Even with their problems I would prefer to play NCAA '04, '05 and '06.

# 22 rudyjuly2 @ 01/14/09 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stoncold32


	I gotta disagree dude. This game is borderline terrible if you've ever played the PS2/Xbox versions. You say the biggest problem is the CPU running game, but I think it's WAy more than that. What about the CPU never passing deep? I think I've counted a total of two pass plays where the ball traveled at least 30yds before the WR caught it....and both of those were in the same game.

I just listed the biggest problem which I think is the cpu running game. I would agree that the cpu never passing deep is a big problem but #2 on my list. In terms of the speed issue, the biggest problem there was RBs running routes against LBs. I also thought the QB's were too slow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rudyjuly2


	1. Improve the anemic cpu rushing attack. With the horribly watered down sliders this year, that wasn't possible. 2. Bring back the deep ball! The cpu never threw it deep and it was rare to see a WR actually get behind a DB as well. Better cpu QB AI in general. 3. Improve the DL moves and map them to the R-stick. Playing as a DL sucks and is no fun currently. 4. Better player control on defense. It's too hard to manually defend the pass.

# 23 rhombic21 @ 01/14/09 11:15 AM

My review of NCAA Football '09 is this:

The AI issues, particularly on defense, combined with the lacking playbooks, made head to head play a lot less fun than it probably could/should have been with better gameplay tuning. Additionally, the game is still in the dark ages when it comes to CPU AI, both in terms of game planning/game management, and in terms of roster management and recruiting, which made offline gameplay/dynasty uninteresting -- particularly for people with above average gaming skills.

Still, it did some things well. Graphically they took some important steps forward with the field textures and player models. The stadium sounds feature is something that could potentially be expanded and improved on even further in the future to build on atmosphere/presentation. The EA locker made roster sharing easier, and will probably eliminate scum like Kaldenburg. And of course, online dynasty is a blockbuster feature that, when the rest of the game catches up, will be an even bigger hit. That's the sort of big-time feature that will not only drive NCAA forward in the future, but which will put pressure on other sports games to expand their online modes as well, similar to the way that EASW revolutionized things a year ago.

So, I think that if you rate NCAA 2009 by itself, you have to give it somewhere between a 7.0 and 8.0. It was a mediocre game that was generally not all that fun to actually play. But if you look at the game as a step in the process, towards NCAA 2010 and beyond, I think it may go down as a serious contribution, assuming of course that EA eventually gets around to fixing the core gameplay issues that are currently holding the series back.

# 24 deebo2246 @ 01/14/09 11:51 AM

I am still trying to figure out if the producer of this article played the same game as everyone else. However, everyone has a different opinion on what videogame football should play like. Maybe he just enjoys playing a game that offers no realistic aspect of the game we watch and have played over the years. EA as a whole need to go back to the drawing board with their football and basketball games and re-invent them from the ground up with new visionairies that can make a realistic engine for those 2 sports. They need to talk more with FIFA and NHL producers to help them make a more definitive game. They may need to take the approach of utilizing two studios to make the development process longer with them alternating release years. If football is EA's claim to glory then treat it like a superstar it once was and not a prima-dona rookie that it has become.

# 25 bangpow @ 01/14/09 12:04 PM

I think NCAA 09 is absolutely brutal. It is not a fun game to play at all as the AI is probably the worst I've ever seen. I just never feel like I'm playing a game of football.

In fact, while NCAA 08 wasn't all that perfect either, I think I might go picked up a used copy tonight as I remember actually having some fun with that game last year, especially after the last patch that came out for it.

# 26 Tovarich @ 01/14/09 12:19 PM

The absolutely pitiful angles taken by the AI, the random sabotaging of speed when the CPU gets outside, the lack of custom playbooks, the baffling playcalling by the CPU, the awful DL animations...gameplay is no better better than a C...at it's core level, gameplay is broken unfortunately I think. I agree the complaints about pass rush were excessive. Eliminating robo QB could fix that. It's not all about sacks. If you got pressure, robo QB appeared. CPU screens...result in sacks more often than not for me. The DL getting flipped head over heels though was funny the first 200 times I saw it, then I just shook my head. Graphically, very nice. Presentation was simply a lack of effort in my opinion. They did ok with what they tried to do, they just didn't do anything. Online dynasty is nice for the first try. Some very strange problems with it though...basic stuff though like schedules...why is the 09 season the 07 schedule? How the hell does that even happen? 1-AA teams need to stop being treated like HS teams. Because seriously, you have to try not to score 100 on the 1-AA teams on Heisman with 5 minuete quarters even. Rosters thankfully are editable because whoever did those had to be clueless about football. I know you can't know the true depth chart when the game is out, but yikes. A lot of this just strikes me as lack of effort. All very fixable, except gameplay at its core probably needs to be built back up from scratch.

# 27 rudyjuly2 @ 01/14/09 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigjake62505


	With all the other issues that have already been stated here one thing that really takes away from the beauty of the game is the horrible running animations. It looks so stupid when the running back breaks a long run then starts to bobble and hop when they are doing that horrible animation. I want whoever is responsible for this to watch some football games and pay attention to the running style. Who in the world of college football runs like this? And for the love of god fix this. The RB's are just an example, Watch the DL/OL guys run. That is the stupidest running style I have ever seen.

The long runs do look dumb. I think a lot of that is due to the fact they are trying to calculate fatigue on the fly during a play. It ends up retriggering the running animations all the time and looks bad. They need to fix that. Just get rid of fatigue during the play for all I care.

I would like to see game long fatigue (ie. 30 carries killing a smaller RB) and season long fatigue/physical condition implemented if possible.

# 28 fistofrage @ 01/14/09 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rudyjuly2


	The long runs do look dumb. I think a lot of that is due to the fact they are trying to calculate fatigue on the fly during a play. It ends up retriggering the running animations all the time and looks bad. They need to fix that. Just get rid of fatigue during the play for all I care. I would like to see game long fatigue (ie. 30 carries killing a smaller RB) and season long fatigue/physical condition implemented if possible.

Thats another problem with the game....When the guy gets the "cobb up his a$$" animation on a long run, he doesn't actually slow down. He just starts doing the Hemoroid Hop. I think its supposed to be fatigue setting in, but it doesn't work. Looks more like he's trying to run accross burning coals without hurting his feet. But it doesn't allow for defenders to catch up as they should.

# 29 AuburnAlumni @ 01/14/09 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMChrisS


	It is the perfect time to revisit EA Sports' NCAA Football 09 and discuss the game in postmortem fashion. NCAA 09 did a lot of things right both on and off the field. I wanted to focus specifically on what 09 brought to the table this season, and how these features held up over the course of the 2008 college season. I know there are many of you out there still playing the game -- and many who will not agree with what I have to say -- but as of this week, I feel it is important to at least "officially" end our NCAA Football 09 discussion, and begin our NCAA Football 10 discussions. Read More - NCAA Football 09 Postmortem

Please...name them.

I tell ya what...I'll name what they did WRONG on and off the field.

Let's start with off the field....

1. Dynasty glitches....games counted twice, games that were wins changed to losses for no reason, starters transferring after award winning seasons, inability to keep guys from going pro in online dynasty, etc.

2. Dynasty Logic....Undefeated WAC/MAC/Conference USA teams going to BCS Championship games over 1 loss BCS Conference teams.

3. Recruiting Logic...CPU controlled teams recruiting 11 WRs and 2 Defensive Linemen or CPU controlled teams after 3 years having 20 WRs and 6 total Offensive linemen.

4. Stadium Sounds....if you had over 20 stadiums sounds saved, you couldn't connect to an online head to head game unless you deleted them down to 15-20 or so.

Now on the field....

1. CPU QB AI- Horrid as usual. Throws into double coverage, "freaks out" if a HB is covered on a HB Screen i.e. will either A) just sit there forever waiting to be sacked or B) roll out to the far side of the field...then throw across the field to the covered HB regardless of whether you are literally standing right next to the HB. Rarely throws Deep. Usually will throw at least one pick six per game, maybe more.

2. Robo QB- On Heisman, it's just stupid. CPU QB always knows where the blitz is coming from. CPU QB will throw a perfect pass off his back foot under pressure with no penalty whatsoever.

3. Completely Neutered Defense- Horrible Pursuit Angles. "Greased Pig Animation" included as a cheap way to manufacture "Wide Open Gameplay" with defenders stumbling around like the 3 Stooges over and over. Superfast WRs who are unstoppable on slants and deep posts. Superfast RBs who blow by safeties and LBs on swing passes, etc. Complete lack of blitz aggressiveness...rarely, even on an all out blitz, can you get to the QB in less than 4-5 seconds.

4. Horrible O line/D line interaction- Suction blocking still there after a decade. D linemen get "engaged" with O line and do a psuedo "Sumo-Rodeo" animation that they can't break out of. Ridiculous amount of "chop blocks" by O linemen on D linemen. No difference a ratings...a 60 rated O lineman blocks just as well as a 95 rated O lineman and a 99 rated Defensive End plays exactly the same as a 60 rated Defensive End.

5. Overly juiced Speed ratings- As has been stated, a team of 1 and 2 star 99 speed players will annihilate a defense full of 5 star recruits. Comical speed differentials with 95+ speed players literally able to gain 400 yards a game due to Defense unable to effectively defend.

6. Horrible Pass Coverage AI- DBs and LBs have zero awareness in zone coverage. WRs and RBs can run a route, sit in a zone 2 feet from a defender and defender will not adjust to cover the WR/RB.

7. Horrid CPU Playcalling- CPU will call a QB Read option on 3rd and 9 with a 60 speed QB. CPU will call 3 screen plays in a row all the time. CPU has no real "strategy" to its playcalling and will not adjust during a game.

Quit beating the EA company Drum folks. This game was a major disappointment both on and off the field, unless you like Tecmo Bowl style gameplay instead of simulated college football.

# 30 quietcool72 @ 01/14/09 01:40 PM

Wow...retrospective score for NCAA 09 gameplay is an "A"?

And yet, the reviewer admits:
"I did have issues with the CPU completion percentage when I first purchased the game, but I slowly began to learn how to combat this by tricking the programming."

That's a heck of a way to play a football game. That's not good "AI" by any means. Defense was totally handicapped in this game, even GOOD defenses with high ratings. I just don't think anyone is doing any favors for the future development of this game by rewarding EA with a gamplay "A" for this years' game. If this game gets an "A", I'd hate to see the gamplay that would net a "D" or an "F".

# 31 youALREADYknow @ 01/14/09 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuburnAlumni


	This game was a major disappointment both on and off the field, unless you like Tecmo Bowl style gameplay instead of simulated college football.

You're underestimating Tecmo. Aside from the ability to throw the ball 100 yards in the air, I'd have to say TSB had more balanced gameplay than this game.

# 32 AuburnAlumni @ 01/14/09 01:43 PM

OMG...I just read the review.

Chris...an "A" grade? Seriously.

I'm sorry, but with the very vocal issues and constant "89-45" type scores folks are getting, for you to give this game an "A" on gameplay is well.... wow.

# 33 fistofrage @ 01/14/09 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuburnAlumni


	OMG...I just read the review. Chris...an "A" grade? Seriously. I'm sorry, but with the very vocal issues and constant "89-45" type scores folks are getting, for you to give this game an "A" on gameplay is well.... wow.

Yeah, I just realized that too and read the article. Gameplay A? Dude seriously. You might as well stop writing now and retire.

If you give the gameplay an A, then I seriously can't trust your opinion on games going forward.

Look at all the above mentioned Legitimate Complaints if you even knocked just 1 or 2 points off for each of the serious flaws regarding speed problems, pick 6's, artificial tom foolery that leads to wide open gameplay, AI not going deep, recruiting problems by the AI, dynasty issues, automatic FG's, lack of penalties, players ratings meaning nothing except for speed, the list goes on........

Your gameplay score should warrant a B- at best and '06 and '07 for the PS2 beat this game. '08 is close for the Ps2, surpasses it in every area except pursuit angles.

# 34 doctorhay53 @ 01/14/09 02:01 PM

Heck im still playing. Not ready to talk about it as if its dead yet.

Still half a year till the next game comes out. I'm getting my money out of it.

# 35 rudyjuly2 @ 01/14/09 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuburnAlumni


	OMG...I just read the review. Chris...an "A" grade? Seriously. I'm sorry, but with the very vocal issues and constant "89-45" type scores folks are getting, for you to give this game an "A" on gameplay is well.... wow.

Your opinion on this game went from rage to high praise to rage right from the beginning. I felt you blew a lot of stuff out of proportion when this game was released. Chris can have his opinion and it's one you shared at one point. For a game that sucked, I'm surprised you played it much but weren't you in a ton of dyansties as well?

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuburnAlumni


	This game is 1000000x times better post patch. Jess and I are using an All American Slider set and I'm on the road at Alabama. Some impressions. 1. Kickoffs are MUCH improved. No more house rules! 2. The Sliders working helps so much. Now the CPU is much more challenging on All American. 3. THERE IS A PASS RUSH!!! PRAISE THE LORD! THERE IS A PASS RUSH!!! I'm playing Alabama on the road in Tuscaloosa. My highly rated D line is actually getting in the backfield, not getting pancaked every play, and on a play just 5 minutes ago, both of my Defensive Ends blew by the Bama tackles and got to the QB. There are still pancakes, but not NEAR the insane amount as before. I almost wept with joy. I'll post a vid in a bit showing the improved pass rush. It's absolutely exhilirating. note I have Break block at 100 and CPU pass block at 0. I'm on All American. 4. You can hear opposing stadium sounds and it is SWEET. I'm listening to the Million Dollar Band in Tuscaloosa with Auburn on the road. I'm such a geek, I'll be setting each playlist before I play because it adds SO much to the game. Good job EA. This is a DEFINITE improvement, especially on defense. Hopefully these carry over in Human vs Human games as well.

# 36 quietcool72 @ 01/14/09 02:10 PM

What amazes me to this day is the different standards by which Madden and NCAA are judged. Madden is far from being without its own problems, but why is it that things NOT broken in Madden are often broken in NCAA, and hardcore NCAA fans who shun Madden's problems still wax poetic on the "greatness" of even the worst of the NCAA series? Are marching band sound clips and mascot visuals powerful enough to excuse poor AI running, non-existent pass D, AI QB's who refuse to throw the ball deep, low-rated college kickers with early years Morten Andersen legs, and a D-line pass penetration that is non-existent?

I guess so.

# 37 stoncold32 @ 01/14/09 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doctorhay53


	Heck im still playing. Not ready to talk about it as if its dead yet. Still half a year till the next game comes out. I'm getting my money out of it.

Well, I'm sure like some people, you've managed to numb yourself from the terribleness of the gameplay to where you just ignore the obvious. It's easy to do when you're trying to justify spending money on something. But unless you've NEVER played any PS2 football or even Ps1, or you have no clue how football should look in real life, then yeah, you might like this game. Other than that, I just don't see how.

And I never read that guys review either, but for him to give it an "A" in gameplay, only gives EA more reason not to change anything....and will probably take it even further in the wrong direction. I mean, when the "experts" are giving you praise, who cares what the rest of us mindless minions think as long as were giving the money, right?

# 38 rudyjuly2 @ 01/14/09 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stoncold32


	Well, I'm sure like some people, you've managed to numb yourself from the terribleness of the gameplay to where you just ignore the obvious. It's easy to do when you're trying to justify spending money on something. But unless you've NEVER played any PS2 football or even Ps1, or you have no clue how football should look in real life, then yeah, you might like this game. Other than that, I just don't see how.

That's an overly harsh and personal opinion though. Some of us do like the game even if we see the flaws. I liked the PS2 versions as well but don't think the PS3 version is crap. It certainly has flaws that annoy me but I had fun with it and got my monies worth. I don't think it's fair to label anyone that liked the game as clueless.

# 39 stoncold32 @ 01/14/09 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rudyjuly2


	Your opinion on this game went from rage to high praise to rage right from the beginning. I felt you blew a lot of stuff out of proportion when this game was released. Chris can have his opinion and it's one you shared at one point. For a game that sucked, I'm surprised you played it much but weren't you in a ton of dyansties as well?

AA's response was much like mine upon first getting the patch. This game was so TERRIBLE pre-patch that any improvement was met with praise. I dl'd the patch, and in my very first game with it I played against Alabama(CPU), Parker-Wilson threw two 35 yd TD's catching the receiver perfectly in stride on both of them. I was amazed at that because prior to that, I'd never seen a pass travel over 20 yards, THROUGH THE AIR. I thought this would be norm now, and seeing mixed up passing styles. However, I havent seen the CPU do that since!!! Not once. I'm sure he typed his opinion after 1-2 games.

I also think people have become too accepting of EAs mistakes. The sliders not working in this game was just totally unacceptable, they still don't work like they should and like they have in the past. Thats like buying a car and not being able to tweak the AC/Heat adjuster, even though the controls are there. This is just my opinion, but to say that this game is good or even above average in any way(other than graphics) is just an admition of people just being so desperate to for something, that they'll settle for anything.

# 40 fistofrage @ 01/14/09 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rudyjuly2


	That's an overly harsh and personal opinion though. Some of us do like the game even if we see the flaws. I liked the PS2 versions as well but don't think the PS3 version is crap. It certainly has flaws that annoy me but I had fun with it and got my monies worth. I don't think it's fair to label anyone that liked the game as clueless.

But he has a point. What if the EA programmers are sitting around right now trying to figure out what they can do to appease the OS critics. I know, I know.....But just imagine they read our posts are take the constructive criticism. And then EA Smithers goes running up to them with the review. "I think you'll be pleased sir."

"Exxxxcellent, apparantly we don't have to change a thing, OS just gave our gameplay an A. And to think, Johnson, you were going to work this weekend trying to fix that pick 6 issue they were complaining about. Go enjoy that new movie you wanted to see instead".

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