Why EA Needs to Patch the New Playoff into NCAA Football 13

[bomccready]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kaiser Wilhelm

You're not the only person to make these remarks but I chose to cite your post in order to address this notion entirely. It does not matter if the system does not go into effect until 2015 because EA can patch it so that it goes into effect in 2015. In Madden 2002 the Texans football team was programed to only come into effect after the completion of the first year in franchise mode. The ability to have a feature lay formant only to be triggered under certain circumstances is nothing new to video game programming and completely within the theoretical realm of possibility.

Kaiser Wilhelm, great post - that's exactly the point I should have made more clear in my original article.

So many people have commented that my article was stupid because the playoff isn't really starting this year. But I'm not arguing that EA should patch this in as a separate mode or in year one - I just want to see it come into effect at the appropriate time in Dynasty Mode.

Games like Football Manager and Baseball Mogul have demonstrated that this kind of coding is very possible. And I think it would be awesome if it could happen in NCAA 13. If it doesn't work perfectly, that's okay. Trying to put it in this year would give the NCAA team time to work out the kinks and see what doesn't work so that by the time the playoff does come into place, it will be working perfectly.

[moylan1234]

You were clear in the article bomccready sometimes people just read what they want to read and I agree it would be awesome to have the tourney come into effect in 2015 but I think they should wait until all the details are announced.

also love the idea of a separate tourney mode way more useful than road to heisman

[LastExit]

Quote: Originally Posted by bomccready

Kaiser Wilhelm, great post - that's exactly the point I should have made more clear in my original article. So many people have commented that my article was stupid because the playoff isn't really starting this year. But I'm not arguing that EA should patch this in as a separate mode or in year one - I just want to see it come into effect at the appropriate time in Dynasty Mode. Games like Football Manager and Baseball Mogul have demonstrated that this kind of coding is very possible. And I think it would be awesome if it could happen in NCAA 13. If it doesn't work perfectly, that's okay. Trying to put it in this year would give the NCAA team time to work out the kinks and see what doesn't work so that by the time the playoff does come into place, it will be working perfectly.

That's how I read your article originally and it's a great idea. They should do it for dynasty mode but I expect that they'll hold off and offer it as a "new feature" in NCAA 16 or whichever iteration it will be.

[Kaiser Wilhelm]

Quote: Originally Posted by bomccready

Kaiser Wilhelm, great post - that's exactly the point I should have made more clear in my original article. So many people have commented that my article was stupid because the playoff isn't really starting this year. But I'm not arguing that EA should patch this in as a separate mode or in year one - I just want to see it come into effect at the appropriate time in Dynasty Mode.

I believe you made that point very clear here --

Quote:

No, we won’t have the playoff this year, and EA might use that as the justification for not including it in the game. But a lot of people play Dynasty Mode, and some of us even make it to the third year. If I hit 2014 in my dynasty and don’t see a playoff system, it just won’t be the same. The NCAA football series is ostensibly a simulation of real college football, and that’s why we need the playoff system patched in. We may not know all the details of how the system will work, but if EA can patch in even a reasonable facsimile of the playoff system, that should be good enough

It does require the reader to read a bit in between the line but the attentive reader would have easily picked up on that.

Quote:

Games like Football Manager and Baseball Mogul have demonstrated that this kind of coding is very possible. And I think it would be awesome if it could happen in NCAA 13. If it doesn't work perfectly, that's okay. Trying to put it in this year would give the NCAA team time to work out the kinks and see what doesn't work so that by the time the playoff does come into place, it will be working perfectly.

The biggest issue is the business model of the annual sports title. The model is that each new game is an expansion. So where we have games like the recently released Crusader Kings II that will have patches, like the most recent 1.06, that actually add in features that previously were not in the game in order to maintain the long-term life of the game (around 5+ years); games like EA Sports' NCAA Football franchise can just add these features in the next year and use it as a sales pitch.

It is logical from a business standpoint for EA to not add it in, unless the business has some benevolence but EA is one gaming company I would argue lacks any benevolence towards their consumers.

[jfsolo]

I don't think that anyone misunderstood the intent of the original article at all. People get upset with or have these hopes that EA will do X, when they should know better.

EA's going to make up their own rules for the unknown aspects of the playoff, then code it to kick in during the third year of the dynasty, or they're just going to wait until NCAA Football 15, using the rules that are actually in place, and have it start during year one of the dynasty. Everyone knows what their going to do.

You can want them to do the former, but an expectation of anything but the latter is fundamentally illogical, and getting po'd is pointless.

[HankScorpio11]

Good lord guys.

You all realize that the details of the 4 team playoff haven't even been ironed out yet, and that the decision is still subject to passage by the NCAA Board of Directors with regards to adding an additional championship game???

Then there's the little issue of the game containing the NCAA license and having to get approvals for in game content from the NCAA (remember back in the day when the tearing down of the goalposts had to be removed?).

Do you honestly think the NCAA would sign off on something to be in the game when the real world details of the playoff (what sites will play the game, how the selections will be made, etc) haven't even been ironed out yet. Even if EA wanted to include the playoffs in a patch I'm sure they couldn't.

I've been coming on this site for a very long time now, and have lurked quietly in the shadows. When I read this article I had to post something.

I just am confused as to how this article gets put on the front page, or even written in the first place, when there is a game called MLB The Show 12 that not only neglected to include a playoff system that had firm details ironed out before it's release, but also has been mum regarding any sort of patch to include the new playoff system...and by the way, their competition found a way to include the new system into the game.

Stop all the ridiculous EA bashing over this and start breaking down the facts logically. Better yet, when can I expect the front page article addressing the lack of the new playoff system in MLB 12 vs. this TMZ fluff piece meant to stir the pot-- (which you succeeded in doing by the way ).

[JMU_Devil_Dawg]

The article stated "Regarding the NCAA football playoffs...", however the playoff system at the FBS level is not being implemented or run by the NCAA. It is not like the the three tournaments (Division 1 (FCS), Division 2, and Division 3) that the NCAA runs every year. I think it is an important distinction because FBS is still outsourcing on of its potentially most profitable products in the post-season allowing the corrupt bowl games to over-charge the participating institutions and continue their abuses of their tax-exempt status.

[Playmakers]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kaiser Wilhelm

You're not the only person to make these remarks but I chose to cite your post in order to address this notion entirely. It does not matter if the system does not go into effect until 2015 because EA can patch it so that it goes into effect in 2015. In Madden 2002 the Texans football team was programed to only come into effect after the completion of the first year in franchise mode. The ability to have a feature lay formant only to be triggered under certain circumstances is nothing new to video game programming and completely within the theoretical realm of possibility.

Completely agree with you....

I think some of these guys will defend EA for life. No one cares if the playoff system isn't intact yet in the real world.

This is VIDEO GAME FOOTBALL not the real world....They (EA) include fictional players in the game so why would a fictional playoff system be in any different?

People on these boards argue every year over random ratings assigned to players so who cares if they argue over a random playoff system.....

They included a playoff mode in older version of the game without it being in the real world of NCAA FOOTBALL yet all of sudden some of these guys are acting like it has to be cut in stone only if the NCAA has it implented in real life already.

Your comments about Madden and the Houston Texans was a great example of how EA could do it but they won't do it and some of these posters will act like it's impossible even when it's been done before on a older system.

I understand the playoff formula might not be right this year if they patched it into the game but EA has had done things wrong before in Dynasty mode and tweaked it the next year based on feedback.

I don't see how including a playoff format would be any different and they could just tweak it next year to make it 100% accurate.

Personally, I'm more interested in getting the mode added to the game with or without Dynasty Mode this year.....I just think they should atleast include some kind of Playoff Mode/Tournament Mode just for Play Now Games.

That way as i stated before you give these guys who spend hours creating teams on Team Builder something to do outside of Dynasty mode with their created teams....

Who to say a guy that creates High School Teams, Division II schools or Black College Football Programs wouldn't love to have a playoff mode and use their Team Builder squads in that Mode.