Five Predictions for Next Season

[RaychelSnr]

This year's EA Football season is in the books as all three major EA Sports titles have been released. As for next year, our very own Chris Sanner has an idea of what you should be expecting out of EA. Check out his five predictions for next season and be sure to add your own!

Quote:

"You can call it shock, a surprise, a rude awakening, an eye-opener or a bolt from the blue. Whatever you call it, EA Sports' critical success in football gaming this year was completely unexpected from this writer. I expected the games to be improved, but I never envisioned both NCAA and Madden getting above average reviews overall. When you throw in Head Coach 09's generally favorable feedback, it seems as if EA football is on a major uptick."

[labguy]

Overall I agree with your top 5. The only thing I would do is put number 2 and 4 at the top. Madden is EA's flag ship title. The franchise mode has been ignored for too long. I personally think even with the disparity between offense and defense on NCAA, that it still has greater replay value due to the online dynasty mode. I think both titles are headed in the right direction for once. Overall though someone at EA has to look at how they are doing QA and come up with something better though. Earlier community days maybe? Beta release to limited amount of users? I don't know but what they are doing now is not working. Too many things that we find in 2 hrs of gameplay are getting through.

[asu666]

Madden and NCAA:

1. Quality Test, quality test, quality test...
2. Madden 2005 was great because it amped up the D. Lesson learned?
3. Why does NCAA still use generic stadiums? Bite the bullet and hire another stadium builder or two.
4. In-game presentation should be vastly improved (e.g., ESPN NFL 2K5). Maybe EA doesn't want to use the ESPN assets in-game because they want the license linked to Madden and not the other way around, but you guys still need to blow out the stats and overlays. Those need not slow the game down as much as something like Backtrack.
5. The CPU should know the difference between a cheeser playing 5 minute quarters and someone trying to play a sim like 15 minute quarter. The cheesers have been winning lately because every down is hurry up against the CPU teams and that makes playing 15 quaters unrealistic, especially in NCAA.
6. Where is Owner Mode in Madden and why doesn't NCAA have player conduct and some of the other last gen features yet? March Madness had a whoel campus and program build out feature.
7. Did you guys get the memo about the clock running after the ball is set when someone goes out of bounds in NCAA?

Overall this year was a giant step up from last year, so some credit is due. As far as I'm concerned though, ESPN NFL 2K5 is still the best football game ever made. I think five years is enough time to finally get your act together and trump it, if for no other reasons than it ends the complaining and the fans deserve better.

[RaychelSnr]

Just one note, I actually didn't put these in order of how I'd like them. I actually alternated NCAA and Madden until the last one, so these aren't in the order I'd like to see them.

[rudeworld]

Madden lack of presentation is what makes that game so boring..... with NO pre or post game shows and the laughable halftime show is here just funny. In NFL 2k5 a game which was released 4 years ago still outshine this game in presentation and some may say gameplay.....EA should be ashamed with the fact that Madden doest even seem like he is in the same game as the guys in the booth..... does he even say there names when sending it back to them from showing the halftime highlights? the game is just dull the main reason i traded it in...... and still playing NFL 2K5

[asu666]

The worst thing about the CPU's rush to the line to snap the ball is that there are all of these great defensive adjustments there that no one that doesn't play the game 20 hours a day and have memorized would possibly be able to make in the short time before the ball is snapped. I hardly ever see the CPU put a man in motion or make adjustments at the line. That's the game within the game and its broken right now.

The ball is hardly ever snaped with more than 5 seconds let on the ball clock in real life. Ever game someone breaks a school passing record because the hurry up approach the CPU takes adds tons of extra plays to every game.

Not to mention the clock not starting when the ball is reset aftering going out of bounds. That doesn't even matter because even if it did start, the CPU would still hike the ball with only three seconds having run off of it.

I have my penalty sliders turned up to 100% on v1.02 of NCAA and it's rare that more than once in a game of 15 minute quarters in there a penalty called. That helps the already over powered offense be that much more effective because they never have to deal with long yardage situations.

[Smokez4DAyz]

The Atmosphere got a little better, I can feel the action on the feel thru visuals, so, mission accomplished. Hit stick camera, weather related speed changes, Night and Bad weather lighting, post play skirmishes or help ups, alot of little things, that you may not notice while you're frustrated with some cheesy guy online or the CPU A.I passing for 73%.

As for NCAA, I don't know how much they can make defenses any better, the hash marks are farther apart in college, so drags and pitch outs are far more successful, mobile qbs, and star offensive players will always have the advantage in college, did you see week one of college? Lots of busted plays, only USC looked dominant, and OHIO STATE looked great, everybody else gave up at least 20 points. Maybe more infractions, due to the youth and inexperience of the atheletes.

[Moegames]

Quote: Originally Posted by Smokez4DAyz

The Atmosphere got a little better, I can feel the action on the feel thru visuals, so, mission accomplished.

wow

mission accomplished? Hell no brotha.. not even close to mission accomplished. Tiburon has ALOT to learn in the Atmosphere Dept...which is needed for a NFL Vidoegame. Hopefully Ian feels the same..we'll see but as it stands..the game feels DEAD as it always has. The last NFL football game that felt alive was NFL2k5.

If your wanting to know what atmosphere is and what is exactly needed in Madden..do a search of my posts, most of what i post in here is nothing but the much needed atmosphere and presentation so badly needed in both games or better yet, use the seach engine, direct it to Madden Forums Only and Type in "Atmosphere" without the quotes...... you my friend, do not see the light, sorry to say

One of the MOST IMPORTANT aspects of NFL Football is totally missing in Madden..atmosphere and presentation. NFL games THRIVE on that stuff in real life.. come on, how can you not see this..are you a Madden developer or something? Sure sounds like it..