The Future of the NCAA Series.

[sportzbro]

First of all, hear me out on this one..

I have been playing video games since I was in 5th grade, and I've been getting NCAA since 2001. NCAA 06 was and still is my favorite sports game of all time. I can still remember all the epic comebacks, lucky option plays, the spin move, and my #3 Iowa Hawkeyes taking the field to a roaring Kinnick Stadium crowd. I still play it to this day, scratched disc and all. I have been there at midnight release for years..

For the first time in almost a decade though, that will be changing.

With the switch to next gen for the 2007 installment it made me think things would get even better from 06. Since the new technology came out, I have been left to settle for an incomplete and hallow game. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed the next gen titles, but there is much to be desired. I know many of you feel this way..

Then there is the flip side. Many feel happy & satisfied, and they will be the ones this year who will be buying this game day one. I'm done arguing about whether or not that's a good idea anymore. That is your choice. Heck, I used to be you just buying the game because I absolutely had to have college football, even if 07,08, & 09 weren't that good.

Since the next gen era, the community mantra has become "maybe next year". Personally, I'm tired of this. I have wished, begged, & requested as much I can over the past 4 years. Yes the game is progressing (very slowly), but it really feels like its in neutral...

That brings me to what I found on the Electronic Arts: Tiburon website earlier and would just like to share it with everyone. This is what EA considers to be a qualified game designer..

Link

Game Designer

Quote:

Designing games is a passion at Tiburon. We have some of the most talented designers in the industry who bring excitement and enthusiasm each day to the products at Tiburon. Our design team like our studio is a competitive group who are always looking to design, tune, balance, and make the best sports games possible. It starts and ends with the designers at our studio. The designers lead the creation process at the beginning of the project and tune and polish it to the very end. The designers run brainstorms, write designs, implement data and features and then tune, re-tune and polish. During the entire product cycles the designers own the vision of the features and the entire product. Designers work with a ton of creative and skilled people from every discipline. The designers work closely with artists and engineers to finish features and products. Each design takes a great effort from all of the disciplines involved and working as a team to complete a feature or even the product is very rewarding. It is the ability to work with so many cutting edge tools and so many talented people that makes being a designer at Tiburon very special.

With the recent news of rosters pushing many fans of the series over the edge, it is time to reflect on the current state of the game, and some of the people responsible for it.

Read the game designer profile again...I think this needs to be looked at hard, and the tough questions should be brought up.

Are we getting the best that we deserve? Are the designer's truly interacting with not only OS, but also NCAA Strategies, IGN, etc. to a point where it is actually improving the product? Are you happy paying for a game that you know isn't as good as a title you bought in 2005?

Unfortunately, I have to answer no, with the exception of what seems to be NCAA's lone voices, Adam Thompson & Russ K. Other than that, it has been nearly bleak when it comes to our input & what actually makes the game.

You may ask then who is actually make the decisions..That man is Jeff Luhr, who many of you have probably not even heard of. This is not surprising because he has yet to acknowledge OS NCAA forum. Its this type of disconnect with the consumers that leads to a poor product. As the Keynesian Model of Economics states, its Demand that creates Supply.. not the other way around. He is alienating his consumer base by allowing the implementation of unnecessary features & botched game mechanics, while ignoring the most basic fundamentals of the college game. Remember, We are the ones that ultimately determine what happens to this game, and I don't think our demands are too outlandish.

And we've all witnessed what has happened to Madden. The community was tired of the silly direction it was going in, and EA agreed by dumping most of the staff. We've seen what leaders with dedication, vision, and true interaction with with the community can do for a game.. It looks great, and in only one year's time it has done a complete 180. Imagine if NCAA could do this, and bring you back to how it felt when your virtual team ran out onto the field.

What's happening is a loss of the true, loyal consumer base. I know people say "Its all about money, and they don't care," but you can't convince me Peter Moore or John Riccitiello doesn't care that his long time EA fans are giving up on one of their headliner games.

I love NCAA too much to just let it slip into a perpetual state of mediocrity, and allow the leaders of the game's development to become complacent, while other games are leaps and bounds ahead of this series, and yet they continue to improve (The Show, NHL, FIFA). There is so much more that can be done to make this game not only as good as 06 & 04, but quite better..

All I'm saying is, if its truly special to be a designer & on the NCAA team in general.. shouldn't they be putting out a special product? What is the direction of this team for the future?.. because we can not possibly continue on the route we are on.

[RamblinWreck21]

yah '06 was the best ncaa game. Yes, the next-gen has been really disapointing. However, I'm getting NCAA 10. I realize its not as good, but I need a Create-A-Team Next Gen game. NCAA 10 is that. However, if NCAA 11 is to NCAA 10 as NCAA 10 is to NCAA 09, I can easily see myself giving up on the series, or atleast suspending it.

[Boucher]

This has to be on of the greatest threads I have ever read! I agree about the Adam part, I have been really tough on him but he doesn't shy away and he keeps coming back. This is the type of guy we need leading our NCAA game.

[Flav]

Post of the year.. I'm 100% with you.

[stevedrumsdw]

Great thread I enjoyed that.

[mmorg]

Remember the NCAA series is always one year behind the Madden series. Hopefully we see some turnover in the NCAA design team like we did last year. Maybe Adam Thompson will be next years Ian Cummings? I can only hope.

NCAA needs to wake up to what is going on at EA. There have been so many changes in their sports titles lately and I can only hope it extends to the NCAA series.

[SHO]

Good post. Should be stickied.

[sportzbro]

Quote: Originally Posted by mmorg

Remember the NCAA series is always one year behind the Madden series.

The thing is it doesn't have to be.