Madden Creative Director, Ian Cummings is Leaving Tiburon

[TreFacTor]

Quote: Originally Posted by LiquorLogic

I'm sorry, but I don't actually buy the explanation that Ian wasn't happy with the direction Madden was going. First of all, he's leaving to develop facebook games. There can't be much depth to that. Leaving Madden, to develop facebook games, because EA wants to cater to the casual crowd seem idiotic to me. Second, Ian clearly made attempts make the game more sim: They added Pro-Tak, slowed the game down, made the drop backs, of the QB, more realistic, and, among other things, they stretched the ratings to further separate the elite from the average. The problem was that Pro-Tak looked like a group hug; the speed, which was the default speed online, was too slow, and the stretched ratings were useless because ratings, especially in the trenches, meant absolutely nothing. Games that were four and seven years old, respectively, were still head and shoulders above anything that Ian and company were able to produce. The dev team obviously had the freedom steer the game in the direction that sim gamers wanted, but it's a real possibility that this team simply wasn't talented enough to pull it off. Maybe Ian did leave for the money; however, I find it hard to believe that a start up company, making facebook games, pays more than EA Tiburon. Maybe Ian gave up, or maybe Tiburon gave up on him. We'll never know. That's a good point, but EA and Tiburon are well established companies. You would think they pay top dollar, but who knows.

Don't forget that Ea has their own Playfish social game division now so he could have easily stayed with the company and simply took another position. Amicable splits usually means a person is fired but as stated, we may never know.

[jeremym480]

Quote: Originally Posted by Segagendude

Just hire the Man himself-----Mr. John Madden-------the game's namesake-------to be the new creative director. He's got nothing else going on right now......and he can go with what he knows is football, and if they (the suits) don't like it, he can tell em to "stick it". Afterall, this was originally HIS idea!

That's be awesome... I can see it now.

Dear Mr. Madden,

If you could add a a working IR, player moral, better scouting and a more immersion NFL Draft to offline franchise Madden 13 I will hand deliver you my finest Turdurken. Oh and while your at it please add all of this to online franchise too.

Regards,
jeremym480


-------------------
Dear jeremym480,

Boom. Done. Where's my Turdurken?

Signed,
J. Madden

[Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by TreFacTor

Don't forget that Ea has their own Playfish social game division now so he could have easily stayed with the company and simply took another position. Amicable splits usually means a person is fired but as stated, we may never know.

This doesn't consider the possibility that maybe he left on his own accord to be his own boss and work on games he designs at this new startup. He wouldn't be able to do that at Playfish.

And how is getting fired an "amicable" split, in any capacity?

[TreFacTor]

Quote: Originally Posted by CHooe

This doesn't consider the possibility that maybe he left on his own accord to be his own boss and work on games he designs at this new startup. He wouldn't be able to do that at Playfish. And how is getting fired an "amicable" split, in any capacity?

Often times companies will allow high profile, highly paid employees to resign even though they have been fired. There hasn't been any smoke from either camp so all is quite and seems peaceful....amicable=without serious disagreement or ranco : characterized by friendly goodwill : peaceable

[Cre8]

Quote: Originally Posted by CHooe

This doesn't consider the possibility that maybe he left on his own accord to be his own boss and work on games he designs at this new startup. He wouldn't be able to do that at Playfish. And how is getting fired an "amicable" split, in any capacity?

Sometimes (on occasion) a person can be in a position where they reach a point of their boss being such a pain that they don't really care when they get fired, if they do.

Just saying.

[LiquorLogic]

Quote: Originally Posted by Smoke6

Besides the bolded being false as SPEED was the overall factor once again, I can see him leaving because wanted to limit his creativeness and innovation with this game, if thats what it was. people do it all the time when they feel they're talents or ambitions are being held back for either money or whatever.

Uhhh...it wasn't false. They did stretch the numerical ratings that were awarded to the players. There were fewer players that were given 95+ ratings with more players being in the 70s and 60s. This was all done in an attempt to make elite players stand out from the average, and it didn't work. That's why, again, speed was the determining factor because the ratings weren't programmed properly, which was my point. It's why I think that the lack of talent was more to blame than lack of cooperation from the "suits." All of the things that were implemented in Madden 10 were "sim" in theory, but they weren't implemented correctly. In my opinion, that falls on directly on the developers and not the suits.

[RGiles36]

I guess I should no longer be surprised at how brash and bold people are behind a keyboard. I wonder how many people in this thread have the stones to tell anybody that they lack the talent to do a certain job in a face-to-face scenario.

It's one thing to be upset with the quality of a product you love. But people sound border-line deranged when they appear to take a videogame so personally.

[LingeringRegime]

Considering how Madden hasn't warranted my money the last two years, I still think Ian did a very good job considering the engine he had to work with.

It will be interesting to see what direction they take the game now.