Madden NFL and the Future of Video Game Sports (Grantland)

[TNT713]

Quote: Originally Posted by Meast21Taylor

I'll use the example of games like Starhawk, they released the Beta versions for all of us to play(for a certain cost) and after months of data and improvements, they release it on a disc, after that disc is released, they are still updating w/ patches and DLC every few months or so. Maybe Madden/EA should consider whats working out for other games and why the consumers are going over to those games, before its too late.

From what I can assume from interviews with EA's Peter King over the past couple years, this may be where EA is trying to transition. Digital distribution is far less expensive than pressing and shipping millions of discs.

Later

[Big FN Deal]

Ok, this constant reference to hand towels as an example of why the NFL football in Madden isn't better, has just gone too dang far! lol

To paraphrase Allen Iverson, "Hand towels?, we're talkin bout hand towels?, not all the core football attempts that failed from Madden 10 but hand towels?"

[TMJOHNS18]

Quote: Originally Posted by TNT713

I imagine EA being a bus driver with 5 million passengers - each with a different destination. One person wants to go to Wyoming, another wants the bright lights of Chicago, while someone else wants to go to the moon. In trying to accommodate everyone's wishes no one ends up where they want to be before the bus runs out of gas. LOL

I'd say it's more like the cash cab, EA ask what they want in the new Madden and they get so many different answers at once that time runs out and most of the wishes get kicked to the curb. What do they end up with? A few very happy people, some moderately happy, and many still wanting something else.

I almost wish EA would not make Madden 13. Not because I'm tired of buying Madden (gotta get my fix), but because I'm tired of them doing so little every year. They don't seem to have the same innovative spirit we see with other sports franchises and have seemed to rely too much on their brand recognition for sales instead of advancing Madden.

To think if what they could really do if they had a solid year of just working on the game. Instead of having to fix a few issues with the current release, add some in for next year and quality test them (well... you'd think they do but we all know that might be skipped...) is a bit much. If they could take a step back, look at the entire package, and have an extra year to really dive into it, I think they could really do something amazing with what they have.

[TNT713]

Quote: Originally Posted by TMJOHNS18

I'd say it's more like the cash cab, EA ask what they want in the new Madden and they get so many different answers at once that time runs out and most of the wishes get kicked to the curb. What do they end up with? A few very happy people, some moderately happy, and many still wanting something else.

LOL... I love that show! And I like the analogy. That said, there are far more people happy with Madden in the other 38 communities I am a member of than here at OS. By far there are more disgruntled people here than anywhere else I've been.

But like you said, there are so many answers to the question - EA is at a real loss as to how to make all the people who are disgruntled more gruntled (it's a word now... lol)

Later

[Thunderfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by TNT713

LOL... I love that show! And I like the analogy. That said, there are far more people happy with Madden in the other 38 communities I am a member of than here at OS. By far there are more disgruntled people here than anywhere else I've been. But like you said, there are so many answers to the question - EA is at a real loss as to how to make all the people who are disgruntled more gruntled (it's a word now... lol) Later

How can they be at a loss as to how to make the NFL gaming fans happy? Maybe they could start with why they are disgruntled.
Just by reading that top 5 list, pretty much summed it up for me. Does EA read these boards?