Where Football Games Should be in 2011

[GiantBlue76]

The list of things that are missing from Madden is far too large to list here. However, I see the biggest problem being the development team who works on the game. They don't acknowledge the problems and lack the ability to fix them or improve on them. There is very little vision from them, and they also have an arrogance about them that will prevent them from achieving true success. Even with an exclusive license, a better, more talented development team would be able to reach new heights.

Sorry, but it's the truth. 7 years is plenty long enough to have nailed this game beyond recognition. Instead it's gone backwards in those 7 years. It's downright embarrassing in my opinion.

It's not really worth discussing though, because EA will never relinquish that license nor will the NFL. Each year we will be left with another lackluster effort missing the boat on the key elements of football and will have zero innovation. 2k and Sony will continue to embarrass the developers at Tiburon and they developers at Tiburon will continue to make excuses as to why something CAN'T be done as opposed to believing that things CAN be done.

[ChaseB]

Quote: Originally Posted by tazdevil20

The list of things that are missing from Madden is far too large to list here. However, I see the biggest problem being the development team who works on the game. They don't acknowledge the problems and lack the ability to fix them or improve on them. There is very little vision from them, and they also have an arrogance about them that will prevent them from achieving true success. Even with an exclusive license, a better, more talented development team would be able to reach new heights. Sorry, but it's the truth. 7 years is plenty long enough to have nailed this game beyond recognition. Instead it's gone backwards in those 7 years. It's downright embarrassing in my opinion. It's not really worth discussing though, because EA will never relinquish that license nor will the NFL. Each year we will be left with another lackluster effort missing the boat on the key elements of football and will have zero innovation. 2k and Sony will continue to embarrass the developers at Tiburon and they developers at Tiburon will continue to make excuses as to why something CAN'T be done as opposed to believing that things CAN be done.

Yeah, those Tiburon hosers never listen.

/arrogance

Spoiler

(PS, just fooling around, for the record)

[GiantBlue76]

Quote: Originally Posted by ChaseB

Yeah, those Tiburon hosers never listen. /arrogance Spoiler (PS, just fooling around, for the record)

Now's your chance Chase! I'll be the first one to admit that guys like yourself and AJ can only help the problems there, but when I play the game I call it like I see it.

[allgames]

If anyone who has a serious interest in contributing to a documentary on the history of computer/video game football and the travesty that is the current exclusivity/broken Madden franchise, please let me know.

[Big FN Deal]

I don't know if an open NFL license would make this a reality but I sure as heck would like to know why we still don't have online Spectator Mode for spectator sports games.

I agree with most of the write up but think the entire gameplay view, is outdated in it's current format. Competitive innovation would have probably caused a more refined Backbreaker view by now for all gameplay aspects. This view would give each position on the field, a unique realistic perspective and make User controlling each position, be it's own mini game. It would also allow things like QB and ball carrier vision to be differentiated in an understandable and realistic manner.

Lastly, I am convinced with direct competition there would be a "Simulation" setting in football games by now. It is unbelievable that 7+ years on next-gen console, there is no factory preset mode in licensed football games, where everything is optimally tuned for representing real life football parameters and their inherent challenges.

[steelersfan77]

I'll admit I actually like madden and Ncaa but I guess I have to. It's the only option I have when it comes to a new football game during this next gen of entertainment. My youngest one believes it's the most incredible football game in the world and he should. He's a youngster who doesn't fully understand what kind of technological advancement these new systems hold. Hell, maybe I don't either. I'm no game designer by any means.

I do believe that the exclusive license has held everything back as Madden continues to sell extremely well. It's the only game in town with the NFL label so it's going to sell well. As for gaming reviews, well, they continue to give Madden high scores year after year. I don't think Madden is deserving of a 9.0, an 8.5 or even an 8.0. For the most part the game has become stale and isn't a true simulation of NFL football. Players are still very robotic and whatever engine's the Madden team is using causes more harm than good. It doesn't allow them to concentrate on the nicks and nacks of football. Instead they continue to add different selling points by introducing something new on something that's already broken.

This game would've been so far ahead of where it is now if they just would've scraped what they had the first year of this gen, said this isn't what we wanted, skipped a year and started fresh with new technology. They would've been 4 or 5 years in with the new technology and everything else would've been an afterthought. I say this because in my opinion whatever they're using as far as technology seems to be outdated. Like I said though, I'm no game designer by any means.

All that is coming from a fan of the game because it's the only NFL licensed game in town this gen that I have to choose from. Such a shame where this game could've been with a little bit of competition and the added EA sports budget.

I guarantee it would've been far ahead of the best football game in town, FIFA.

[dfos81]

To add to the list,

Others may have mentioned this but the Replayability for me is Adaptive A.I. Tiburon(former team) tried this before w/ My Skill feature but failed.

IRL, teams will watch video on what the oppenents are doing and try to catch tendencies and exploit that in the next matchup. Also adapting while in games too. This should be more based off the players Awarness imo.

So why not have the CPU a.i. catch/compute my tendencies from the previous games and adjust accordingly for the next game. Not just what MY Skill did, b/c it didnt take into account my opponents ratings at all. I could rush for 300yds against the worst run D and it would make my next opponent turn into All-Madden Run D and stuff behind the los all game.

So a more advanced My Skill/Adaptive A.I. would really be something expected by 2012 imo!

So, for ex.
1. If I run on 1st down 3 out of 4 times the CPU should catch this.
2. If I PA on 2nd down 3 out of 4 times the CPU should catch this and adjust to stop it.
3. If I run Punt Blk too much, the CPU should try a few more fakes(in the right situations to swing momentum)

4. If I run Man Blitz schemes too much, the cpu should adjust and start making me pay for being too aggressive.


Team/Player ratings should still matter too b/c players like Ray Lewis(high awarness) doesnt need to see you do the same thing 3 times to figure out what your doing. He sees it once and your done the 2nd time around!

This would keep me and others from playing w/ Slider for months and months. It would allow me to get past YR 1 of my franchise.

Adaptive A.I. in all aspects of the game Offense, Defense, and Special Teams. Along w/ what other areas guys have mentioned is really something that should be expected by 2012.

[tril]

by now passing should be done with the analog stick and maybe a press of a button to cycle through the available recievers- which would be equivalent to checking down the receivers.
so basically youd cycle through to the receiver you want to throw to and use the analog stick to throw, and of course it would be sensitive based. deeper throws means youd hold the anlaog stick in the down motion longer before releasing.

in addition dealing with the play clock. its about time subbing in and out packages should be tuied into this. I want to see players subbing in and out, that does take time off the play clock.
this would allowthe game to be a bit more tactical. makes the favorite plays features in the game morre relevant. cuase cycling through plays and subbing packages does take more time. but also give th user the accelerated option of they dont want to sit through subbing in and out different packages.
this could alsoleadto better representation of delay of ame penalties.

also (EA has this feature already), but make covering the ball when going through a hole, and getting hit by multiple players more important.

those are just a few biggest things that would add to a sim football game. along with some of things other posters have already mentioned.
there was one company that I bet would have been at this stage already.
and the bacbreaker series had some nice mechanics and features in their game.
they were doing some groundbreaking stuff- passing agme.
too bad they didnt decide to make a complete football game with some sort of presentation element, and more testing with the camera angles.