Madden NFL 11 Makes Co-Op Online Football Fun w/ Video (IGN)

[booker21]

horrible just horrible... what is that coop crap changes? the camera follow the players you are controlling.... also those bonuses are crap i hope they are optional.

[SeventhWard]

Sounds like the same commentary as last year, just with a new voice. This is just what I was concerned with. Back in May, I sent a tweet to Ronnie Morales, Audio Designer on Madden NFL 11.

@EA_Romo is the VO technology/sequencing with Gus in Madden 11 any different than in previous years - or is it just a great new voice?

Surprisingly, he wrote back. Cool guy.

@SeventhWard we have a new system that helps drive speech and presentation at once for a more robust package than ever before.

Okay so - keeping in mind that this TINY piece of video that we saw is NOT from the final retail build - is this it? That can't be right, can it? The guy wouldn't lie to me. No way. Right?

Getting Gus Johnson is great. It was a good decision and Congratulations for getting that to happen. But his great emotional energetic voice alone doesn't SOLVE THE PROBLEM with Madden Commentary. I want to give Mr. Morales the benefit of the doubt here. I really hope that it doesn't sound like that in the final game....but like a character in a George Lucas movie, I've got a bad feeling about this.

This is the same sequencing (my term, don't know the correct one) we've always had, and it's OLD. Boring. Robotic. Tired. Sure, Gus is much more animated that Tom Hammond - but it's a band-aid approach.

Sometimes we can do our MOST creative work on the LEAST important problems. The more important problems often demand quick solutions, so we fall back on familiar methods. - Paraphrased From Some Guy's Blog

The little things. The details. In every Madden, it's what they miss. For Madden '11, they've got "new lighting" but once again its not Progressive Lighting. Why not? It's technically possible and in a 2010 game it's expected. Hell, even NCAA 10 had it. Why take the time to implement a new feature and not complete it? Like Online Franchise.

"New features" are rushed into the game before they're truly complete and, to use the word the suits use, the CONSUMER is the one that suffers.

I'm frustrated. I'm frustrated that Madden is a game that has to be made within a rigid, flawed big-studio structure. I'm frustrated that the talented guys who make Madden aren't being challenged, hence the lack of true innovation. I'm frustrated that the combination of these things gives the impression that the fans seem to have more passion than the guys making the game.


-SeventhWard

[ThaShark28_316]

Ok you guys have to be kidding me. This **** isn't done. Come on man, the audio was silent til AFTER the play...I mean literally after AD was tackled.

[TIm]

Quote: Originally Posted by gabs485

EA Developers are so mediocre that they manage to make Gus Johnson sound generic. EA needs to hire 2k5 developers, there's no hope in these guys. BTW don't you guys think that the game looks awfully similar to Madden 10?

I haven't played many sports games but I recently bought Nfl 2k5.. And before this gets in a argument about the games...I just think that if they make the commentary presentation like 2k5, MANY people would feel different about the overall game.. Right now it's just sooo bland that they nitpick on the other parts.. The overall game looks good though..

[TheWatcher]

Quote: Originally Posted by MrSkagTrendy

I like Gus a lot but there still needs to be a bit more commentary. He's silent until after the snap.. We need a bit of "Favre hands off to Peterson, he's gonna bounce it outside.." etc

Yep, I wrote this to them myself. At least since going to broadcast-style this generation, they never announce who's dropping back, they never announce who the ball is being handed off to, they never announce who's in to receive, they never announce who's in to kick or punt. Those are big empty spaces, and since all of these actions happen for the entire course of an NFL game, well, they've got a big problem there. I know they said they hired professional writers, but... that silence is awful, and I honestly don't see how that can go without being noticed unless you just don't watch NFL games on TV...?

There were some videos djordan posted of Madden 03(?) where the QB was announced dropping back, and handoffs were announced, etc. that bad silence didn't exist last generation.

[Vikes1]

Quote: Originally Posted by gabs485

BTW don't you guys think that the game looks awfully similar to Madden 10?

Yes I do.

However imo, not sure if we could really expect a dramatic difference in just one year. But if you may mean, wheres the evidence of momentum and locomotion? Although this is a very small sample size....I didn't see any either. Not saying it's not there...but personally, I just didn't see it. Looks just like M10 to me so far. But it certainly is a beautiful looking game.

[thmst30]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheWatcher

Yep, I wrote this to them myself. At least since going to broadcast-style this generation, they never announce who's dropping back, they never announce who the ball is being handed off to, they never announce who's in to receive, they never announce who's in to kick or punt. Those are big empty spaces, and since all of these actions happen for the entire course of an NFL game, well, they've got a big problem there. I know they said they hired professional writers, but... that silence is awful, and I honestly don't see how that can go without being noticed unless you just don't watch NFL games on TV...? There were some videos djordan posted of Madden 03(?) where the QB was announced dropping back, and handoffs were announced, etc. that bad silence didn't exist last generation.

I know the commentary has been a sore spot with you. Is it truly possible they spent all this time since last year writing up brand new commentary and they didn't change a thing in how it's delivered? I just can't fathom that they decided to start from scratch with Gus and even listed "completely revamped audio presentation from the booth to the field" as a major feature, but yet they STILL have bland uninspired commentary. I won't completely judge from that video for a multitude of reasons, but do you see it being drastically improved this year?

[Xeper84]

I couldn't see a real difference between madden 10 &11 in all the videos i've seen only a little improvement in player movement. But i have also not seen a single gang tackle thats something thats makes me nervous.