Operation Sports - Press Row Podcast: Episode 19 with NCAA Football 14 Producer

[tical2399]

Quote: Originally Posted by Official_Mole

I can understand Madden NFL trying to create a Casual/Hardcore balance due to the fact that the NFL is the most popular sport in America and chances are more people "casually" buy Madden NFL than any other sports game out there. So I can see why Madden NFL would need to accommodate the casual features but also give us hardcore gamers true simulation fundamentals in game play. NCAA Football, in my opinion, should have a slightly difference perspective on the Causal/Hardcore balance. Most NCAA Football gamers (from my experience) are a little older, like high school and up, and are hardcore NCAA Football fans. Most who continue to play NCAA Football after the release of Madden (or don't get Madden at all) are hardcore NCAA and want things to be as real as possible, in every part of the game. Now my final thought is this..... Make Madden NFL and NCAA Football fundamentally realistic, provides users more control. If that makes the game harder for the casual users then that means your making progress because a sport as complex as football is not easy to learn. However, this is a business, you want to attract more fans, I totally understand. That's why I'm glad Ben Haumiller said in the interview that they are providing tools and guides to help those who are new to the game learn and get better. That is how it should be. Provide the user with game tutorials to learn the game but teach the sport. When I played Madden NFL 07/NCAA Football 08 Online for the first time my combined record was probably -130 wins to losses. I was terrible, but I learned, I got better. Now each year I get +100 wins to losses at least (not counting league games). People can learn to play the sports, do not be afraid to make the game more real even if that means more complex to the casual fan. If they really love the game they will want to learn. And when you can accomplish something like getting better and better at Madden or NCAA then its even more fun.

Those words are great, but you game changers never seem to say that. When you do your own podcasts/ radio shows or whatever, all I ever hear is cupcake questions like "has it been a challenge finding the right balance between fun and realism"? Then you let the rep give his pre scripted response and you move on to the next talking point.

At no point do I ever hear you guys say "well as a player of the game, I'm disappointed every year by your insistence on trying to draw in the casual crowd at the expense of us hardcore fans that have been with you year in and year out" I never hear that.

I never hear a GC say "speaking for most of the community, we'd like to see you focus on absolute realism (good, bad or ugly) even if it pushes some casuals away". You just said it here, why not say it on your podcasts and at events?

You or somebody else will probably say, well they have business concerns that they have to think about so we give them a pass based on that. I say hell no we shouldn't. We here are fans, short for fanatics, by definition we are not rational people when it come to the things that interest us.

I'd love for a GC to tell an EA rep that we as a community dont give a damn if every pure casual up and leaves, because there will always be enough hardcore fans out there to more than sustain the series. In fact, making it more hardcore will probably make it MORE popular.

But you won't tell them any of that. You guys don't want to ruffle any feathers, you want to keep your free sneak peaks at the game, you want to keep your (i suspect) free copies of the games, etc. I just wish the GC would ACTUALLY speak for the community instead of just pretending to as EA sanctioned message filters.

[Buckeyes007]

Loved the Interview and excited for my favorite series /game of all time in Ncaa Football. Nice to see a different side of ben in this interview and the interaction of features for the kids and stuff was really cool. Also like the features they added to this game to teach the sport and stuff like that. This should be Ncaa 06 for the 360 in terms of how great the game will be. Ncaa 06 was great. Ncaa 14 i think will be even greater.

[Sausage]

Quote: Originally Posted by tical2399

Those words are great, but you game changers never seem to say that. When you do your own podcasts/ radio shows or whatever, all I ever hear is cupcake questions like "has it been a challenge finding the right balance between fun and realism"? Then you let the rep give his pre scripted response and you move on to the next talking point. At no point do I ever hear you guys say "well as a player of the game, I'm disappointed every year by your insistence on trying to draw in the casual crowd at the expense of us hardcore fans that have been with you year in and year out" I never hear that. I never hear a GC say "speaking for most of the community, we'd like to see you focus on absolute realism (good, bad or ugly) even if it pushes some casuals away". You just said it here, why not say it on your podcasts and at events? You or somebody else will probably say, well they have business concerns that they have to think about so we give them a pass based on that. I say hell no we shouldn't. We here are fans, short for fanatics, by definition we are not rational people when it come to the things that interest us. I'd love for a GC to tell an EA rep that we as a community dont give a damn if every pure casual up and leaves, because there will always be enough hardcore fans out there to more than sustain the series. In fact, making it more hardcore will probably make it MORE popular. But you won't tell them any of that. You guys don't want to ruffle any feathers, you want to keep your free sneak peaks at the game, you want to keep your (i suspect) free copies of the games, etc. I just wish the GC would ACTUALLY speak for the community instead of just pretending to as EA sanctioned message filters.

Well said and this is pretty much my feelings. As a consumer I have been so patient and end up kicking myself within a month of purchase. Last EA football game I loved was NCAA 11 with its updated presentation and organic gameplay, which was butchered by patches / tuners. I actually still play it in its stock mode, no updates / tuners.

Sent from my HTC VLE_U using Tapatalk 2

[roadman]

Is the guy, Richard Grisham, that did this podcast a GCer?

[Official_Mole]

Quote: Originally Posted by tical2399

Those words are great, but you game changers never seem to say that. When you do your own podcasts/ radio shows or whatever, all I ever hear is cupcake questions like "has it been a challenge finding the right balance between fun and realism"? Then you let the rep give his pre scripted response and you move on to the next talking point. At no point do I ever hear you guys say "well as a player of the game, I'm disappointed every year by your insistence on trying to draw in the casual crowd at the expense of us hardcore fans that have been with you year in and year out" I never hear that. I never hear a GC say "speaking for most of the community, we'd like to see you focus on absolute realism (good, bad or ugly) even if it pushes some casuals away". You just said it here, why not say it on your podcasts and at events? You or somebody else will probably say, well they have business concerns that they have to think about so we give them a pass based on that. I say hell no we shouldn't. We here are fans, short for fanatics, by definition we are not rational people when it come to the things that interest us. I'd love for a GC to tell an EA rep that we as a community dont give a damn if every pure casual up and leaves, because there will always be enough hardcore fans out there to more than sustain the series. In fact, making it more hardcore will probably make it MORE popular. But you won't tell them any of that. You guys don't want to ruffle any feathers, you want to keep your free sneak peaks at the game, you want to keep your (i suspect) free copies of the games, etc. I just wish the GC would ACTUALLY speak for the community instead of just pretending to as EA sanctioned message filters.

Are you familiar with the youtube channel "The Sim Standard"? They preach fundamental football and bringing true simulation to Madden NFL and NCAA Football and they are great examples of what the Game Changers are all about.

We tell them what the community wants, half the group runs their own sites to collect fan feedback to email developers year round. TraditionSportsOnline.com is run by 5 or so Game Changers and they are one of the best sources for Simulation Leagues. We have guys who at the end of the day want the same thing as anyone else.

Now Im not going to get into some silly debate with someone I don't know about how the Game Changers are "yes men" and all that stuff because its not true, especially me. You saw what I wrote, I want simulation and realism. I don't want the game to cater more to Casual fans and neither does any other Game Changer.

I'm 99% certain you've never met any one of us, but for me personally, I wish I could meet every single person who views us as "yes men" because I would like people to know that we are fans of the game like anyone else and want the same things.

I never hear a GC say "speaking for most of the community, we'd like to see you focus on absolute realism (good, bad or ugly) even if it pushes some casuals away". You just said it here, why not say it on your podcasts and at events?


^^ Lastly, how would you know whether or not we say these things at events? Because the last time I was down there that's all we did. Told them we want fundamental football with absolute realism.

We love the community, we love hearing what fans want because we share the game passion as you and anyone else does. We want realism, we want true simulation football. Period.

[Official_Mole]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

Is the guy, Richard Grisham, that did this podcast a GCer?

No he is not.

[tical2399]

Quote: Originally Posted by Official_Mole

Are you familiar with the youtube channel "The Sim Standard"? They preach fundamental football and bringing true simulation to Madden NFL and NCAA Football and they are great examples of what the Game Changers are all about. We tell them what the community wants, half the group runs their own sites to collect fan feedback to email developers year round. TraditionSportsOnline.com is run by 5 or so Game Changers and they are one of the best sources for Simulation Leagues. We have guys who at the end of the day want the same thing as anyone else. Now Im not going to get into some silly debate with someone I don't know about how the Game Changers are "yes men" and all that stuff because its not true, especially me. You saw what I wrote, I want simulation and realism. I don't want the game to cater more to Casual fans and neither does any other Game Changer. I'm 99% certain you've never met any one of us, but for me personally, I wish I could meet every single person who views us as "yes men" because I would like people to know that we are fans of the game like anyone else and want the same things. I never hear a GC say "speaking for most of the community, we'd like to see you focus on absolute realism (good, bad or ugly) even if it pushes some casuals away". You just said it here, why not say it on your podcasts and at events? ^^ Lastly, how would you know whether or not we say these things at events? Because the last time I was down there that's all we did. Told them we want fundamental football with absolute realism. We love the community, we love hearing what fans want because we share the game passion as you and anyone else does. We want realism, we want true simulation football. Period.

The reason I say you never say it to them is because on any radio show or podcast that the GC are part of none of you EVERY say it on those public airwaves.

You may say it to the devs at events, but what I'm saying is why don't the GC who have actual radio shows ask on those shows and put the rep in the hot seat and make him give an honest non scripted answer on why they ignore the hardcore fundamentals you preach about.

You say you said it at the last event, why not ask them on the air so their answer is on the record. You claim I've never met any of you, and that is true, but to be honest who cares. The fact is some of you have shows/podcasts and I've NEVER heard that question asked EVER.

[tical2399]

Quote: Originally Posted by Official_Mole

No he is not.

I was more referring to the GC as a whole not this parties in this interview.