Will There Be Penalties?

[tdogg097]

It's a simple question but if you played M24 you know penalties were essentially non existent. I always go back to the comment one EA developer said about penalties not being fun and that's why they are not that big in the game. It's crazy that EA spends so much time on every aspect of the game and this one particular area always seems to be ignored or even worse purposely left out. The videos out there make the game seem incredible but I'm definitely cautiously optimistic about how realistic this game is going to be. Madden on the current Gen has mostly been pretty to look at and not much else. The realism in M24 was destroyed by CPU play calling and lack of penalties. I have high hopes for NCAA 25 but lack of penalties would be another big let down by EA.

[Hooe]

This is going to be an impossible question to answer without the game in our hands.

From what we know far, though: none of the Campus Huddle blogs authored by EA Sports have spoken much if at all about penalties. The only thing I remember third-party media writing about penalties is that the Targeting foul is not in the game.

Generally speaking, if EA Sports isn’t talking about something, it’s not a point of emphasis for them in their upcoming release. I would not hold my breath for any functionality with respect to penalties beyond what is in Madden right now.

[Dawgfan1]

I've seen a couple people say they saw more penalties at the EA event compared to Madden 24, and there were some impressions on penalty numbers in the Madden 25 beta (not expanding on cause EA seems to be strict with that info this year). Besides that, they haven't mentioned it for this game so we'll just have to see when the game comes out.

[Ghost Of The Year]

Quote: Originally Posted by tdogg097

It's a simple question but if you played M24 you know penalties were essentially non existent. I always go back to the comment one EA developer said about penalties not being fun and that's why they are not that big in the game. It's crazy that EA spends so much time on every aspect of the game and this one particular area always seems to be ignored or even worse purposely left out. The videos out there make the game seem incredible but I'm definitely cautiously optimistic about how realistic this game is going to be. Madden on the current Gen has mostly been pretty to look at and not much else. The realism in M24 was destroyed by CPU play calling and lack of penalties. I have high hopes for NCAA 25 but lack of penalties would be another big let down by EA.

That's something I don't get. If, as a developer, you think penalties aren't fun? This is why you have sliders for crying out loud. If there are people who do have fun because penalties happen, fix it where adjusting slider helps add penalties. If there are people who don't enjoy penalties, fix it where adjusting sliders down, help those people.

[Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ghost Of The Year

If, as a developer, you think penalties aren't fun? This is why you have sliders for crying out loud.

Let's reframe the question and remove football from the hypothetical entirely:

How might a video game developer — in their own mind or in the mind of the publisher funding the development of the game, or both — justify allocating any development time or money building out a gameplay feature which they themselves believe would make their video game less enjoyable to play?

[radiohead]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ghost Of The Year

That's something I don't get. If, as a developer, you think penalties aren't fun? This is why you have sliders for crying out loud. If there are people who do have fun because penalties happen, fix it where adjusting slider helps add penalties. If there are people who don't enjoy penalties, fix it where adjusting sliders down, help those people.

It''s akin to releasing an NBA game where fouls are rarely called.

There's little doubt in my mind that penalties are deemphasized to placate the MUT crowd.

This is why they need an arcade mode, a sim mode, and a MUT mode.

[nazzman]

Interesting issue. There are penalties on just about every other play in college. Of course, it's not much fun in a video game. Seems to me you want three or four a half (vs. your team) for some kind of realism. IIRC, '14 had maybe one a half and you were surprised when it happened.

[Ghost Of The Year]

Quote: Originally Posted by radiohead

It''s akin to releasing an NBA game where fouls are rarely called. There's little doubt in my mind that penalties are deemphasized to placate the MUT crowd. This is why they need an arcade mode, a sim mode, and a MUT mode.

Sliders that worked properly is all they need. Don't want penalties? Turn sliders down. Want more penalties? Turn sliders up. Easy peasy.