Donny Moore, the 'Madden Ratings Czar', Leaving EA

[charter04]

Quote: Originally Posted by kehlis

Fair enough. I shouldn't have said that but it just seemed to me that you guys were defending him when it really wasn't necessary because no one said anything negative about him. I very well could have been wrong.

It's all good. Dan is a grown man like me. He can defend himself.

let's just move on. lol

[4thQtrStre5S]

SOrry I made the initial comment; I didn't think it would start such a stir...I was merely curious how someone would know that another person wouldn't get a job; I really considered that ggsimmonds may have been an employee of EA/Tiburon...

How about we leave it as the fault of the internet because emotions and tone and such do not travel through texts...

- Peace..

[DCEBB2001]

Quote: Originally Posted by ggsimmonds

None. Sorry if it offends you or causes you to get defensive, but my guess is that if he tells EA that the first thing he would do is get rid of the overall, they probably will not hire him. Sorry you don't like it, but it goes against their design vision. Also I personally would not hire him because of this: "FBG Ratings is a one man show" "Let the users "scout" their team like real GMs and coaches do based upon the TRAITS and PRODUCTION of their players." My perspective is that on one hand he is saying my way or not at all, i.e. he does the ratings as he sees fit and will not alter his system to accommodate marketing or whoever. Sure that is fine. But he then steps outside of ratings and suggests that the CFM guys do their thing differently. So he is not keen on people giving him outside input but he is already doing that himself? Look it is nothing against him or the ratings, but if I was EA I would not be too eager to hire him. ( I personally feel that the changes he suggests are good ones, but it is not about my opinion. Try to put yourself into EA's shoes)

First and foremost, I stated that I would SUGGEST to do away with the overall IF they bring me in. That means that they would have to hire me FIRST then listen to my suggestion.

The website is a one man show. I personally get the data then rate all of the players using the same source material and methodology. It doesn't NEED more than one person to run when you get great source material. All it requires is someone who is more than capable to interpret and interpolate the source data into ratings that are of use in the video game. If EA wanted, they could go to any real scouting department and get their data to put into the game. However, then those entities would be giving up their information to the public where anyone can see it. That eliminates their edge as a business. Instead, my model utilizes some inside information to bring that data to light anonymously. The people supplying the data don't get outted and the people who want real data driving their Madden ratings get it. Everyone wins.

What EA does not have is the source material that is as valid as what I can provide. Then, they still need someone to run the nuts and bolts of actually rating the players based on that data. It is not as easy as it sounds. I can do it because I developed the methodology - nobody knows it better than me. By hiring me, they kill two birds with one stone. They get great data that is valid and they get the guy who knows how to convert that data into Madden ratings. You think that they wouldn't hire me because I would suggest something that I could make a valid argument for but could very well be nixed without issue? Seems like a pretty steep price for making a suggestion that I wouldn't even bring up until AFTER the paperwork is signed.

It is my firm belief that the ratings drive everything on the field. Look at what FBG Ratings can do even in a less than perfect environment for Madden 15. Read some of those reviews about how it makes the gameplay better. If the ratings didn't matter, people would never have noticed a difference or clamored for them. One thing that I made abundantly clear in 2011 was that I would NOT sacrifice the sanctity of the system as by definition, it would make that system break the universal methodology used to rate ALL PLAYERS WITHOUT BIAS.

EA chose in 2011 to forgo my simple request of making sure that no suit would overrule any rating that I publish so that methodology would stay intact. Fast forward 4 years, and now THEY CONTACT ME. I never applied for a position. I never called anyone. I didn't even know that Donny resigned until I got the email from Rex Dickson himself. They contacted me first...almost immediately after Donny announced his resignation on Twitter. What does THAT tell you? Either they are interested in letting me come in to make some real changes and influence this process, or they are trying to pump me for information. Either way, I find out on Monday, so let's see how serious they really are about making this game better.

[DCEBB2001]

Quote: Originally Posted by ggsimmonds

It is the shortness and way you worded your post. Like you were trying to swat me down or something. In my reply I specifically say it is not about my views on Dan's ratings and you reply that it sounds like I am offended by Dan. Awesome. I should not have any more EA insight than anyone else here. We all see the same things. The way they make ratings reveals a big deal with their top 10 lists and such. Look back at the CFM details. I think it was a stream where they discussed it. They added in the ability to know the overall of a draft pick immediately after selection. They said it will be cool to have guys ask you during the draft "what was his overall?" Madden likes the overall rating. Abolishing that would require a drastic change in their mindset. Hence my initial comment. Look I will explicitly state this to save from confusion: I personally would like for the overall rating to be hidden. I'm all for it. I do not think EA is interested in doing that.

The real funny thing is that I have over 2000 rookies already rated on draft night....EA used to have 32, so that stuff can continue. Think about an EA site where every player's rating is present at the moment they are drafted...all 256 of them.

The overall thing is just a suggestion and continuing with it doesn't change any of the stuff I do. I just hate having to use that darn OVR as a box within I have to work. It seems to take away from how it should really be done.

[4thQtrStre5S]

I would love the overall hidden....

I would even love the measurables hidden; SPD, ACC, STR, etc.. Those ratings that could be represented with 40 times, and split times and bench presses..etc..

[RogueHominid]

I'd be shocked if the OVR being hidden were even on the table. Much more simulation-oriented sports games than Madden still haven't gone away from the OVR.

[DCEBB2001]

Quote: Originally Posted by 4thQtrStre5S

I would love the overall hidden.... I would even love the measurables hidden; SPD, ACC, STR, etc.. Those ratings that could be represented with 40 times, and split times and bench presses..etc..

We are on the same page here. The scouting data doesn't use a grading scale for measureables. They use the measureables themselves. A player profile will have all of the measurables listed first, then the grades on the 0.0-5.0 scale second, for each position-dependent skill. So a guy like A.A. Ron Rodgers would have a profile like this:

A.A. Ron Rodgers
QB
Butte Junior College
74in
222lbs

10: 1.69
20: 2.77
40: 4.71
Vertical: 34.5
Broad: 110
Shuttle: 4.32
Cone: 7.12
Bench: 340
Squat: 400
Clean: 280

Arm Strength: 2.9
Footwork/Scrambling: 1.2
0-10 Accuracy: 2.6
10-25 Accuracy: 3.3
>25 Accuracy: 3.2
Toughness/Leadership: 3.9
Reads: 2.9
Timely Release: 2.2
Ball Security: 1.3
Special Teams:
Injury: 0.3

[4thQtrStre5S]

Quote: Originally Posted by DCEBB2001

We are on the same page here. The scouting data doesn't use a grading scale for measureables. They use the measureables themselves. A player profile will have all of the measurables listed first, then the grades on the 0.0-5.0 scale second, for each position-dependent skill. So a guy like A.A. Ron Rodgers would have a profile like this: A.A. Ron Rodgers QB Butte Junior College 74in 222lbs 10: 1.69 20: 2.77 40: 4.71 Vertical: 34.5 Broad: 110 Shuttle: 4.32 Cone: 7.12 Bench: 340 Squat: 400 Clean: 280 Arm Strength: 2.9 Footwork/Scrambling: 1.2 0-10 Accuracy: 2.6 10-25 Accuracy: 3.3 >25 Accuracy: 3.2 Toughness/Leadership: 3.9 Reads: 2.9 Timely Release: 2.2 Ball Security: 1.3 Special Teams: Injury: 0.3

This is the stuff I really like.... I would also like to have an "intelligent" rating that would actually be used in CFM to determine how well a player learns and/or progresses...Of course I am thinking this is how to put in the Wonderlic scores...

I like this article on the quality of the Wonderlic and the significance of intelligence: http://www.assessmentpsychology.com/nfl.htm