Madden development cycle/release date

[crenk]

I know this will never happen but seeing as how we scan annually expect 2 patches to get Madden into decent playing shape they should release the game earlier. Since I have bought the game i have spent countless hours tweaking and adjusting, moving sliders this way and that just to get it to a state that I am comfortable playing.

Add in a patch and I have to re-work many of those sliders. I can't start a playable franchise until what, maybe week 6! Release the game early, say June 1st and use the summer to work out kinks so that I can enjoy a decent Madden all football season long.
my 2 cents

[43Chargers4Now]

There's even some rumors about an expected 3rd patch. But that's just a rumor...

P.S. EA wouldn't be able to release madden early because then there would be WAAAY too many problems that wouldn't have been fixed. Your idea of releasing the game early would probably disregarded by much of the OS community because most people would rather wait for a playable madden rather that an early madden. Just my 6 cents lol

(not trying to be a jerk or anything, I usually call my opinion 6 cents to portray that my opinion is 3x better than the next guys...)

[crenk]

I'm saying year after year release on June 1st or whenever. They get the same 12 month cycle. Same amount of time just do it earlier to work out all the BS so that we have a playable game all season long.

[RumbleCard]

Rather see them just skip a year.

[z Revis]

Quote: Originally Posted by 43Chargers4Now

(not trying to be a jerk or anything, I usually call my opinion 6 cents to portray that my opinion is 3x better than the next guys...)

lmfao. I feel the same way sometimes though.

[Herky]

Quote: Originally Posted by RumbleCard

Rather see them just skip a year.

Madden used to come out in November back in the day I think. I'd be all for a September/October release if it meant a better product right away.

[boooey]

Quote: Originally Posted by VikingFan4Ever

Madden used to come out in November back in the day I think. I'd be all for a September/October release if it meant a better product right away.

yup..
Madden NFL '97 (PSX)

Release Region: United States
Release Date: November 15, 1996

the solution is not to release early, but to get another publisher/developer to make this game who knows how to get it right..
Its obvious that EA/Tiburon cannot or will not.

[Poetique]

The real issue is that there's absolutely 0 reason for Madden to be released yearly if it weren't for EAs strong desire to add some ridiculously unrealistic gimmick every year.

Madden should be released biennially at most. Every 3-5 years wouldn't be out of the question for that matter. The NFL doesn't change at a very fast pace at all excluding player performances, drafts, and trades, which only require roster updates.

Of course that's not smart from a business sense, and because:

1. Given they have the exclusive license, they have no reason to make a product good enough to last that long.
2. They have failed to even implement all of the most basic parts of football, and usually work at a pace of adding 1-2 BASIC elements per year... one of which will be implemented tangled up in some unrealistic gimmick.
3. Most of us will buy any ole crap they produce, like we've been doing since the last decent version of Madden (which was uhh... what, 5 years ago now [Madden 05])