Madden NFL 11 Demo Available Now, Please Post Impressions Here

[ryan36]

Quote: Originally Posted by djphleks

Ok I played about 4 single player games and 1 two player game on the demo. The S-Pad needs to be taken out and replaced with the old method. I think this will work better and allow more pre-adjustments before snap

I don't think NFL defenses make more than 2 or 3 adjustments per play...I also don't think that I play in the NFL ... I think it just means you have to call better D. I wish they'd have tiered defensive play-calling...tell your guys in the box to do one thing, and the secondary to do another...I'd like that a lot

[ODogg]

My thoughts are that EA seems to believe there are a lot of non-football fans that they can get to buy the game if the game is simplified. However, I believe it's just the opposite. I believe that by simplifying things as they are that they are actually leaving sales on the table due to actual football fans choosing to pass.

They should re-think their strategy and go after more of the hardcore football fans. I mean look at the NHL series, when they were going after the casual sales they were getting trounced by 2K sports. When they switched to go after the hockey fans then their NHL series began destroying 2K sports game and has every since.

If they did the same thing for Madden I think they'd see a huge sales increase.

[ODogg]

ryan36 - i'm lucky to get 1 adjustment in before the snap. Yes I know, I'll get more used to the strategy pad but it still won't help. Why? Well there are three reasons:

1. When I play other players they will snap the ball immediately most of the time, so saying the CPU in the retail version will delay the snap longer is a solution means nothing to me.

2. The actual interface of the strategy pad is slow and even after I memorize all of the options it is not responsive.

3. The Xbox d-pad is terribly unresponsive.

Combine #2 and #3 and I see a world of frustration ahead for a lot of us Xbox 360 players. And for #1 then it's frustration for online players and/or people who play head to head with other people. And lastly, if you're an online Xbox player then you get the best of both worlds of frustration!!!

[TLizChosen]

Everything has pretty much been said, so I will just say I can get used to the D-pad. I have already preordered and will play it, but I think NCAA is more fun at the moment.

[ThisIsReality]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ronnie brown23

some ratings still dont matter. why is lowery from the jets with 68 man coverage locking down reggie wayne. smh

What difficulty are you playing?

All-Madden is a difficulty where the CPU does NOT play to their ratings at all.

I've heard All-Pro isn't either and Pro is the way to go with some adjusted sliders.

[ryan36]

ODogg- I'm with you, I see what you're saying...but offensive players make those same adjustments to get the most out of their plays don't they? I always shift someone , flip a run, send a guy in motion , hot route, or slide protect. Usually 1 or sometimes 2 of those adjustments...I don't know about how horrible the 360 d-pad is, so I'll concede that point. I still think it'll be ok. I wish you didn't have to 'activate' it first...that extra step bugs me. If i could just hit down+down to adjust the line, that'd be easier. If they could remove that extra button map, I'd like it

[proud2bawesome]

After playing the demo a few times, I am really disappointed. It feels like a huge step back from last year in most departments. Most grievances have already been aired here so I will resist the urge to completely bash it. But I have to say, even though I have bought Madden new every year, I will not this year. Why would I? It's just Madden 10 with crappy controls. I will try not to be too harsh, but in all reality if I were a higher up from EA auditing this team's development cycle, by the time I was done the entire staff would be fired. There is nothing in this game to justify the time and money that went into it for a full year.

[adembroski]

I understand where people are coming from on this locomotion thing. I feel it more tightly in NCAA as well, but I wonder how much that has to do with there being a lot more open field running in NCAA. The NFL is effectively played on a "smaller field" due to the speed of the game, so there isn't as much cutting to be done.

I don't like the strat pad much either, I didn't like it at CD, though I'm growing accustom now. Still, I have a hard time seeing the benefit. Virtually every 2-button adjustment I made before is now a 3-button adjustment. Admittedly, there's one big benefit: It doesn't take up the entire damn screen anymore. Ian is insisting once people get used to it, they'll like it (and evidence thus far is proving him right... on twitter I constantly see converts who are liking it now after complaining a few hours ago.)

For the record, I heard from someone, and I think it was Ian, say that the QB doesn't quick snap so much in the retail game. That'll make a huge difference.

Everyone's raving about the sideline catches. Everyone I've seen has been executed 2 yards out of bounds, so I'm not seeing good things so far. I would assume this is actually a good sign, as the receivers don't automatically keep their feet in on every sideline catch. If I were going off of only what I've seen, however, I'd have an issue with it.

I concur with most people on the catch animations. I've seen some really good ones, especially on bad passes over the middle. Drops/incompletions always seem really realistic, and I've seen some great catches that didn't defy logic.

The blocking seems... inconsistent? Too many DLinemen getting off blocks too quickly for my taste.

Anyways, this is only 3 games, all on All-Pro... 1 as the Jets, 2 as the Colts. I'm 1-2, 1 close win, 1 close loss, and a blowout loss.