Five Things EA Sports must do for Success in Madden NFL 13

[Eagles1fan89]

1. wr jump up to get the ball
2.dymanic blocking
3. double team pass blocking
4. better accuracy

[AndyP]

I agree with the suggestions in this article but I've truly given up hope with Madden. EA and Tiburon are far too comfortable releasing essentially the same product with minor updates each year. There is zero incentive to do anything. The first 360 release was Madden 06. If they were going to add these things in this generation of consoles, they would have by now. It won't be long before a whole new game is developed for the next gen consoles and we go around the block again. Like I said, I've given up all hope.

[Goodydog]

Quote by AndyP:

"I agree with the suggestions in this article but I've truly given up hope with Madden. EA and Tiburon are far too comfortable releasing essentially the same product with minor updates each year. There is zero incentive to do anything. The first 360 release was Madden 06. If they were going to add these things in this generation of consoles, they would have by now. It won't be long before a whole new game is developed for the next gen consoles and we go around the block again. Like I said, I've given up all hope."

And therein lies the issue.

Stops beating chest for a few seconds...

I said replicate 2K's CORE GAMEPLAY, but it seems that some here get overly sensitive and devolve into a furious rage when "2K' is mentioned. Btw, I can acknowledge Madden's accomplishments:
1. Madden is graphically appealing
2. Madden can be fun (at times, extremely fun). EA has managed to capture and incorporate a "fantasy-like"
aspect in its gameplay

And that is the problem; EA has focused on the fantasy aspect and has thrown football "REALISM" in the attic. Those of us who played Madden when it was FIRST CREATED remember the perfect balance of graphics and realistic gameplay. But guess what, things changed. Competition arrived, fans matured, and the industruy changed (I'm not trying to teach a history lesson here, but you have to put Madden, videogame football, and videogames in perspective, especially since some of you are 30+).

Then there was a schism in videogame football, remember that? EA sided with Sony, if you didn't own a PS you couldn't play football (Madden). And then EUREKA! - The greatest thing to happen to videogame football was bestowed upon us...Visual Concepts (VC). People would walk by a Dreamcast display saying "I didn't know a game was on today. Who's playing?" That's right people, the first 2K game looked lightyears better than Madden. But EA knew that Visual Concepts didn't have the financial muscle to compete with EA and they knew that VC was still trying to establish a fan base, so EA didn't worry too much.

EA noticed that VC's initial game was graphically superior, so they focused on graphics and presentation. But VC realised that Madden's CORE GAMEPLAY lacked realism. Oh sure, EA had realistic stats and stat-trakcing, realistic attributes for players, jerseys and stadium models, but the actual game (you know, "It's in the game"?), the actual gameplay was mediocre. And that's where VC made it's total commitment, GAMEPLAY!

Those of us who were old enough to experience Madden (92) at its beginning and then were forced to play 2K (Dreamcast and then the Xbox initially before EA agreed to make a game for the 1st Xbox) because of EA's alliance with Sony would be able to form an objective opinion because we loved Madden initially (Who didn't) but we were forced to play something else.

Take it from Columbus homie...The world ain't flat.

Until EA (Madden) makes a serious commitment to gameplay (like VC), and stops all the superficial, yearly - "Oh, we are adding blah, blah, blah..," only to have the same (or other new) glaring issues, EA will always truly be "the great pretender."

[Skyboxer]

Quote: Originally Posted by TNT713

I'm with you on some of this... Not so much on the rest. First, NFL Fever sucked. It wasn't the worst football game I've ever played (that was Gameday 99) - but it was close. What you deem as "X for X" isn't a fault with the passing interface in Madden - it is the beauty. When Madden launched on consoles with only 3 eligible players (because there weren't enough buttons for 5) there it was still never just a simple "X for X." Even then the game had a built in option to throw a bullet or a lob. Ever since, we've had more options added to give us more variety. Now we can lead passes with the stick high, low, left, and right of a receiver. We can throw balls away several ways too - either with the R3 or by purposely over/underthrowing a receiver in a variety of directions. To consider all the possibilities that have been added without changing the basic "X for X" interface is nothing short of mind boggling... Regarding players running on and off the field when they are subbed - I'd LOVE THAT. Haven't seen it since Madden '92 (or was it 93?). IT needs to return in place of the cut scenes that usually play out while were in the playcall screen... Heck, I'd be cool if they ran the ACCELERATED CLOCK down while players trotted out at time lapsed speeds... And real ball physics are LONG overdue... The ball physics on 12 are as good as they have ever been, but they still aren't quite right. They need to be drastically improved - but it's the first year it's been a focus so I'll cut the devs some slack. I expect the ball physics to be much better on Madden 13 and beyond.

I never said Fever was a great game. I was simply referencing the new passing system. It was a step towards giving us OPTIONS instead of being forced to continually using the Hit X for X system. I want to be able to throw anywhere on the field. Again when playing Fever's read and lead you felt good when you had a good passing day. It was far more rewarding than just pushing a button. I just think we're long overdue to have some variety in the games options.

I still play fever for that alone. Just a change of pace.
We are in 2012 and we still have the same passing system. Again not saying remove X for X but for the love of God step out of the box a bit and try to advance the game.
X for X is "ok" at best IMO but we should have options by now.
That's all I'm saying. Options for those that are tired of the same system year after year.

Even Madden on the Apple IIe was a ton more fun than the current system.

[roadman]

^^^

Stopped reading after "when Madden first came out" perfect balance of graphics and realistic gameplay.

Ambulances on the field, less commentary and very choppy, running around the ends and gaining 400 yds rushing, chucking the ball in the air for 500 yds passing. That wasn't realistic and that's when I first started playing Madden.

No one isn't saying Madden doesn't have issues, they do and they need to right the ship towards more realistic NFL football.

[Skyboxer]

Quote: Originally Posted by bobneil

Madden does not live up to its its slogan, "If it's in the game, it's in the game". Rocca kicking off for the Redskins???? It infuriates me every time.

Don't believe they've used "If it's in the game, it's in the game" for quite a while.
It's now just "It's In the Game".
At least that's all I ever see anymore. Could be wrong though.

[fcboiler87]

I have not purchased Madden in over 5 years. Madden 11 was given to me as a gift. I played it a handful of times before shelving it. Online franchise was a joke. They shouldn't have been allowed to even release it as it was. There are just too many basic things in the NFL that aren't in the game? Why? I don't know. But I have been making my point with my wallet.

[TNT713]

Goodydog,

I remember history differently. I played my first Madden on the Sega Genesis system because it was an exclusive title until Madden 94 was released on the Super Nintendo. These games were published by Visual Concepts. When the Sony Playstation launched, Gameday would have competed with Madden 96 but Visual Concepts didn't deliver the title for PS1. EA 'fired' VC and awarded the series development to Tiburon studios.

Madden 97 was the first EA offering for the Playstation. When Sony's Gameday '98 first used 3D player models it overshadowed Madden briefly. The group at Tiburon countered by adding both 3D player models (ugly but still 3D), they blew the doors off of every other game by also introducing "Franchise Mode."

After years of being out of the game, Visual Concepts returned with NFL2K as a launch title on the Sega Dreamcast. EA opted not to publish on the Dreamcast and focused on the PS console instead. When Sega launched the Saturn and abandoned support for the Dreamcast, it eventually forced them out of the console business altogether and VC began developing for the Playstation 2 in direct competition with Madden. That was around the same time that 989 and Microsoft abandoned the football gaming market leaving Madden and 2K to fight it out.

When 2K4 inked a deal with ESPN, their offering drew more attention, but still didn't sell nearly as well as Madden. When the XBox launched, EA again opted not to produce a title leaving 2K without a competitor on that system. As a marketing strategy to draw even more attention to the title, 2K5 released with a $19.99 price tag to compete alongside Madden's $49.99 price tag which drew a large chunk of casual and die-hard football gaming fans alike.

It didn't hurt that 2K5 was visually stunning, but it did hurt that the NFL wasn't happy about cheapening the NFL brand. The NFL sought an unified NFL branded video game. The price of 2K5 along with the substantial market share difference left 2K unable to outbid EA for the exclusive deal... In the final gasp, NFL2K became All-Pro 2K and released one final football offering - but without NFL teams, players, or stadiums - sales forced 2K out of the football genre for good.

And here we are, today with Madden as the king of video game football.

Sources:

Memory
NFL 2K
Madden NFL
Visual Concepts

Later