Robert Flores Goes One-On-One With EA Sports Madden NFL 11 Game Designers (ESPN)

[PantherBeast_OS]

Quote: Originally Posted by MJenness

Phil, while I appreciate the fact you're interacting here again, something you said in an earlier post caught my attention and bothers me. You said you guys were being open and honest when you announced that franchise hadn't been touched this year. HOWEVER, you waited until JUST prior to E3 to make this announcement. If you wanted to be open and honest, why wasn't this disclosed MUCH earlier in the development cycle? You clearly KNEW even going into this cycle that this was your plan, but you chose to wait until there was sufficient buzz and hype created to drop the bomb. Marketing at its best (or worst). Seems to me you were simply covering your backside, as I am sure you were aware of the backlash that would occur had that announcement come from someone else when the game was played at E3. And yeah, the "short development cycle" excuse has worn too thin for me. As another poster said, OTHER companies (or even other EA titles) don't seem to have this ongoing time restraint issue as Tiburon does. Want to make Madden good, and see sales increase? Simple...make Madden mirror what we see on Sunday as much as humanly possible, period. It's working well for other franchises, I don't know WHY this is so difficult for Tiburon to see. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel...just copy what you see when you watch an NFL game. You have almost unlimited access to them, more resources than ANY other developer, the time for excuses is long gone. You surely must see from the boards (and not only here) and the sales that what you're doing just is not working...time to make a change.

Well you can't just blame Phil for not coming out way earlier and saying we ain't doing nothing to franchise mode this year. Even tho Phil is head man at EA. Phil has people over him that tells him what to do and they are the marketing department. They are the ones that decides when Ian or Phil or Josh can says things about what they have done or what they are doing. I'm sure if Phil had that chance to tell us way earlier before E3 about not doing anything to franchise this year then he would of done that. But the Marketing department just doesn't allow him to do that but when they are ready to allow him to release info. I agree it sucks having to wait for that kind of info right before E3. But there is nothing Phil could really do.

[Vikes1]

Quote: Originally Posted by MJenness

And yeah, the "short development cycle" excuse has worn too thin for me. As another poster said, OTHER companies (or even other EA titles) don't seem to have this ongoing time restraint issue as Tiburon does.

It does at least seem like other dev teams may be getting more, outta less.

I'm just an idiot behind a keyboard, what the hell do I know? But it just seems to me that maybe too much time gets wasted by Tiburon going back and forth about what the hardcore/casual gamers will be attracted to.

As others have said...just focus on making the most realistic in depth NFL gaming experience possible. I could of course be wrong, but I've got a feeling that even the supposed "Casual" gamer may appreciate an extremely realistic football game. I mean what the hell, their just people too.

[MJenness]

Quote: Originally Posted by Legend Killer

Well you can't just blame Phil for not coming out way earlier and saying we ain't doing nothing to franchise mode this year. Even tho Phil is head man at EA. Phil has people over him that tells him what to do and they are the marketing department. They are the ones that decides when Ian or Phil or Josh can says things about what they have done or what they are doing. I'm sure if Phil had that chance to tell us way earlier before E3 about not doing anything to franchise this year then he would of done that. But the Marketing department just doesn't allow him to do that but when they are ready to allow him to release info. I agree it sucks having to wait for that kind of info right before E3. But there is nothing Phil could really do.

I was simply addressing his remarks about them being open and honest with us about nothing being done to franchise...his statement was not true, IMHO. yeah, they WERE honest, but only JUST prior to E3 when the news would have been out of the bag anyway. IMHO, it was PURELY for a little PR bump more than a real intent to be "open and honest" with us. I am not claiming the fault lies solely on Phil's shouldres, only that he shouldn't have even made that statement about being open and honest.

[rooney8]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vikes1

It does at least seem like other dev teams may be getting more, outta less. I'm just an idiot behind a keyboard, what the hell do I know? But it just seems to me that maybe too much time gets wasted by Tiburon going back and forth about what the hardcore/casual gamers will be attracted to. As others have said...just focus on making the most realistic in depth NFL gaming experience possible. I could of course be wrong, but I've got a feeling that even the supposed "Casual" gamer may appreciate an extremely realistic football game. I mean what the hell, their just people too.

I agree hardcore fans won't be happy with anything but a sim game but casual players will enjoy it as well. I don't see anyone enjoying being helpless on D.

[adfletch71]

I still dont understand why Ian and Phil continue too make excuses about technology and other stuff. I look at ALLPRO2K8 gameplay and how fluid it is, the wr/cb, ol/dl interactions, footplanting..etc. I know that i want immersion in my game, along with almost perfect gameplay. The presentation aspect madden still havent compared too 2k5, franchise or otherwise. They have improved over the years, but people are wondering when will they finally put 2k5 too rest. Phil and Ian, just look at those games, u dont have too duplicate there style, just learn from them and surpass it. All the community wants is a madden game that draws them in when they play, they feel satisfied and ready too play again. I still dont get that yet from madden and play others that do. We want a game like u see u sundays. Put the pride aside and look at other games, see what they offer and contribute it too the madden franchise.

[marktg30]

Quote: Originally Posted by Legend Killer

Well you can't just blame Phil for not coming out way earlier and saying we ain't doing nothing to franchise mode this year. Even tho Phil is head man at EA. Phil has people over him that tells him what to do and they are the marketing department. They are the ones that decides when Ian or Phil or Josh can says things about what they have done or what they are doing. I'm sure if Phil had that chance to tell us way earlier before E3 about not doing anything to franchise this year then he would of done that. But the Marketing department just doesn't allow him to do that but when they are ready to allow him to release info. I agree it sucks having to wait for that kind of info right before E3. But there is nothing Phil could really do.

In that case, the marketing department is poorly marketing their product. The best thing they could have done was come out ASAP and say "We are totally focusing on fixing gameplay and Franchise mode is taking a back seat once again, but next year it will be better."

This year's iteration is rather unforgivable if you ask me. But since you aren't I will just keep that to myself...

[rooney8]

Quote: Originally Posted by marktg30

In that case, the marketing department is poorly marketing their product. The best thing they could have done was come out ASAP and say "We are totally focusing on fixing gameplay and Franchise mode is taking a back seat once again, but next year it will be better." This year's iteration is rather unforgivable if you ask me. But since you aren't I will just keep that to myself...

I have never seen a game just released and the developers talking so much about next years release.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by rooney8

I have never seen a game just released and the developers talking so much about next years release.

We knew 2 months ago they were tinkering with and working on offline franchise mode. Other than that, I haven't seen what else is being worked on for next years offering.