Madden NFL 12 Reviewer Impressions: Gameplay

[gdh5503]

Man this is the same game from last year. That is my problem with forking $60 bucks especially as a consumer. ESPN NFL 2k5 was ahead of its time and I am disappointed how Madden still has not shown up. The game is boring man. Who cares about pregame entrances? what about half time? What about real football presentation with ESPN, I still haven't seen it. I see the ESPN logo on the cover of the game but I don't see it in the game. Look at NFL 2k5... Bottom line is these developers need to put out product every two years and not charge gamer $60 bucks every year for the same game just minor adjustments that can be sent has patches throughout the year. ***USE YOUR VOICE GAMERS***

[gdh5503]

Man this is the same game from last year. That is my problem with forking $60 bucks especially as a consumer. ESPN NFL 2k5 was ahead of its time and I am disappointed how Madden still has not shown up. The game is boring man. Who cares about pregame entrances? what about half time? What about real football presentation with ESPN, I still haven't seen it. I see the ESPN logo on the cover of the game but I don't see it in the game. Look at NFL 2k5... These developers spend more money on Marketing and Advertising then they do actually developing the game. Bottom line is these developers need to put out product every two years and not charge the gamer $60 bucks every year for the same game just with minor adjustments. They can be essentially downloaded as patches throughout the year and the gamer not charged $60 dollars for the same game just with minor upgrades and Marketed as a "New" game. Not buying the same game I have twice!! ***USE YOUR VOICE GAMERS***

[gdh5503]

Man this is the same game from last year. That is my problem with forking $60 bucks especially as a consumer. ESPN NFL 2k5 was ahead of its time and I am disappointed how Madden still has not shown up. The game is boring man. Who cares about pregame entrances? what about half time? What about real football presentation with ESPN, I still haven't seen it. I see the ESPN logo on the cover of the game but I don't see it in the game. Look at NFL 2k5... These developers spend more money on Marketing and Advertising then they do actually developing the game. Bottom line is these developers need to put out product every two years and not charge the gamer $60 bucks every year for the same game just with minor adjustments. They can be essentially downloaded as patches throughout the year and the gamer not charged $60 dollars for the same game just with minor upgrades and Marketed as a "New" game. Not buying the same game I have twice!! ***USE YOUR VOICE GAMERS***

[adub88]

Listening to the latest OS Podcast, I was awakened from my trance. I almost bought this lame reprentation of NFL football. The demo is fun, can't deny that, but after the honey moon phase is over, I could see the same old frustrations I've had with the game settling in, so bump that, I'm taking my pre-order money and putting it towards NBA 2K12.

[Rudolph999]

It's 2012 they should now have a franchise mode with media and technology coming out of everywhere, radio stations, internet, blackberry, iphone, cbs, espn, fox sports, local tv station , local newspaper and national newspaper. Come on the league is media driven. Image the NFL without media exposure. How do we find out what's happening in the league with a poor interface. It's like making your favorite sandwich and never eating it. It's incomplete.

[TheTodd84]

Quote: Originally Posted by cgalligan

Pretty much the same story we've been reading every year... It always seems like the game, is SO CLOSE, yet SO FAR away from being whats expected...

All the EA people try to do every year is polish a turd. The current game engine was a dud from the beginning and they have to try and make the best of it. But when does the point come when, year after year, after trying to cut corner after corner to make the game realistic, and it STILL is not realistic, do you just scrap the engine and start new, or purchase a physics-engine that is already in place, like the unreal engine or euphoria?

It would seem like now is the time. It's almost like EA is stubborn with their system and don't want to take credit for the idea that they developed a flawed engine that is stale and is on its last legs. That's at least what it seems like. I don't want to say they don't care, but with a big corporation, that can of worms is always on the time.

I think now would be the time to just say, "the hell with it" and get a real-time physics in here. I don't understand why breaching that subject to EA is like talking about an inoperable tumor, or bringing up abortion.

A lot of good business people say this all the time, "sometimes you just have to realize a poor investment, and cut your losses." EA has been losing money on Madden and NCAA for years now. The engine was poor investment and it's time to move on, to real-time physics... and probably without tiburon, which I, as well as many others on here, would be fine with. EA has the man-power and talent to develop solid games, look at the bad company series. The issue is that these current crop are hindered by an engine that is awful, and they have nothing else to work with. Give Ben Haumiller a real-time physics engine, and see how he does. If the game still stinks then, it's on him. But seeing as how NCAA made such a marked improvement in just a year with a horrific engine, the sky would be the limit w/ real-time physics.

Make the change, EA, it's been due time.

[TheTodd84]

is always on the table*

Dunno what i was thinking when i typed that sentence, lol. But either way. The biggest issues is that this generation of madden is BEHIND its time... it STILL doesn't have gameplay, or features that like that "other football game" had back in 2004. That's why it is time for a change.

[noonan2112]

Quote: Originally Posted by khaliib

Very, very skeptical. For the last 3 years I've read Pre-pre release impressions and they've "All" included statements "It's not a bad game" and/or "it's an improvement from last year" while noting the same negatives that are year-in, year-out. It just seems that as usual, everything sounds good on paper (sort of to speak) but the reality is that very little change will be seen. For some reason, with these two football releases, the whole football gaming atmosphere feels "Blah" compared to years ago. I just have this "don't expect too much" attitude with EA's football games nowdays. I know some will argue it's still too early, but to read that some of the same issues still exist that the gaming communities have beaten them over-the-head to correct and issues advertised with pride as being gone still there, I just throw my hands up. Man, all this time and not "ONE" impression through the years that says "WOW! What a game. This is football at it's best". It's always "it's an improvement". I remember the days of Super Techmo Bowl in college where hundreds of students would skip classes just to play some football. It was Heated and Hardcore with a football game that doesn't boast half the capabilities of the current football releases, yet it was exciting and you couln't wait to play. Guys lost girlfriends over spending too much time playing this dumb football game "everyday". With all the super-duper gaming systems and T'v's, you would think we would have our minds blown away, but that "something" for 2012 football just doesn't seem to be there as in the days of old.

Wow, you completely summed it up!

It looks like I will save my $60 yet again this season. Why in the world can't EA catch up to our current technology and improve the game. It is as if the next-gen consoles, HD, and insane graphics engines have made the Madden franchise wet its pants. Give us a good game like the old days!!!

P.S. I was always the Bills in Techmo Bowl Gotta love that offense with Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Andrew Reed.