When will madden be a top 3 sports game again?

[BostonJay14]

was talking to my friend last night who came over for dinner and then played some video games. We played NHL for a few games, then NBA2k11, then some MLB the show. Somewhat surprisingly we played 0 games of madden 11. We used to be roomates 10 years back in college at Northeastern Univ. In 2001 we had an offline franchise with us two and our other roomate each having our own team. we played like 13 seasons. we would play all the time. I dont think we even owned another sports game. there was madden, and then there was everything else. i mean maybe we'd play some hotshots golf here and their, but that was it.

Anyhow, it got us to talking, what happened to madden? It used to be the best sports game, no questions asked, not even debatable. But now its like when you play or have friends over rarely is it the game of choice and most people want to go with one of the other sports titles out right now, for instance:

-NHL has come so far since the PS2. the game has its issues, but even then it is outstanding on all levels(gameplay, online, season/franchise). Right now its either 1 or 1a for sports games.

-NBA2K11 is unreal and has made huge improvements since the PS2 versions as well. The game play is great. You sit down and play and its fun. The gameplay and player movement is great and fluid. And it has a ton of replay value.

-MLB the Show. another unreal game. revolutionized baseball video games on nextgen consoles. Gameplay is great. even with the online lag problems, the game is super fun.

And then you have madden. Maybe its improved since ps2, Maybe its not as good in alot of areas. Their are a lot of different opinions in that aspect. but the point is, it doesnt appear to be at level of those other 3 sports games. And if it is, its certainly no longer the clear cut "it" sports game. IF anything their is a debate and at best it is very split debate. If you have to rank them popular opinion would probably be NHL,NBA, MLB and then madden. Some may even put NCAA ahead of madden on that list.

so the question is, when will madden get back to being the best, or even cemented in the top 3? Unless their is a pretty big jump in several aspects, I would say it is less then likely to happen for madden '12. The thing is, Their isnt one thing that is the "problem" with madden. Its a good game. It just hasnt revolutionized next gen sports gaming in any one area, or overall, like those other titles have.

For me personally, its either been late to the party(online co-op, online franchise), subpar with its "NextGen"implementations(online franchise web site is poor to say the least), Or Has just muddled with too many things(Constantly changing controls, adding and removing features, not having things CG versions have/had.) and probably, an issue with priorities(as madden fans are really split on whats most important).

For me, what made madden the undisputed best sports game when it was on top was:

- great intuitive controls
- you could EASILY playmaker all 11 defenders pre snap because it was quick and steam lined
- smooth player movement. wasnt stiff at all
- fun factor (tough to really pinpoint this)
- deeper playbooks
- better franchise mode(or at least one that hadnt stalled yet)
- more customization. we could do more. the EA locker allowed us to do online franchises and control every aspect. current online franchise is very restrictive

but again, that list is meaningless, because its just MY list. and im sure others differ alot. for instance, I dont care about graphics/presentation. im more gameplay/franchise. and that is really the crux of it. For EA to be the king of the hill again, they need to make major strides from A to Z in just about every aspect of the game. And whats working against them, is now expectations are getting higher because other sports titles are doing these things really well. for instance, NHLs co-op modes vs maddens. or NCAA's dynasty vs maddens online franchise.

The last few years, madden didnt have much competition. and while their is no other NFL licensed football game, gamers are now being pulled in many different directions with sports games that have gone from being fun 3 month titles, to year round blockbusters. Add Black Ops to NHL/NBA/MLB/NCAA and now you have 5 different games pulling gamers away from madden, raising the bar, and becoming the "it" games of this generation.

I'm sure some will disagree, and I hope people dont take this as me flaming madden. As mentioned, im a fan, i liked 2011. This is more a commentary on what it will take for madden to get back to being "theee sports game" and not just a really good sports game.

And I think it will either take major across the board improvements, or something that revolutionizes nextgen/online play.

thoughts?

[Keenan G.]

Probably never unless 2k started making football games again with the NFL license. You need competition to bring the best out of you. Look what NBA2K did to NBA Elite. They had to start from stratch by renaming the title, going back to the drawing board, and eventually not even releasing it.

So you know that EA is working hard to make NBA Elite better than NBA 2k next season.

[Carlboy82]

Honestly what I feel, is when they either completely redo this game, or they finally correct issues that have been a part of this game for many years.

[JDoze]

A head coach franchise with a tweaked Backbreaker engine IMO.

[SA1NT401]

i honestly dont EVER see it getting back to a top tier title (based on the quality of the actual product NOT sales numbers) just given the "2 steps forward, 3 steps back" trend year in and yeat out.

MY top 3 would be....

THE SHOW
NBA 2K11 (entire series really)
FIFA/NHL - these 2 are neck and neck for me.

And interestingly enough the last 2 are made by EA, SO they CAN if they want to....Which is just further proof that they just dont want to. And i blame the dorks in the suits for that NOT the developers, just want to make that clear.

The developers have VERY very little to say about the final product, they have to do what the guys upstairs say.....and i would be willing to bet that NONE of the execs even picked up a controller outside of a presentation at a conferance.

Pete Moore needs to go IMHO and give the franchise the proper direction.

I just want football back...NFL football.....NCAA was the better game in my eyes this year adn issues in madden just werent as previlent in NCAA.

[Nab_Impervious_XII]

Madden's problem is that they focus on making a fun game to play with friends, instead of a game that actually simulates football to its maximum potential. This is why they have a difficult time letting go of pre-scripted and goofy looking tackles. They look unrealistic, but the goofiness attracts a lot of fans who enjoy party-like games.

I'm gonna be honest with you. I really really don't like Madden. But I actually enjoy playing it with certain friends. It's a weird but interesting phenomena that Ian Cumming and the crew are fostering, and partially explains why this franchise remains moderately successful despite its obvious shortcomings.

[ryan36]

This has all been said before. It's almost just a wishlist...but an interesting discussion.

[Black59Razr]

Quote: Originally Posted by Keenan G.

Probably never unless 2k started making football games again with the NFL license. You need competition to bring the best out of you. Look what NBA2K did to NBA Elite. They had to start from stratch by renaming the title, going back to the drawing board, and eventually not even releasing it. So you know that EA is working hard to make NBA Elite better than NBA 2k next season.

Does anyone know why the NFL is the only major sports league that sold an exclusive license? If the NFL is, in fact, making more money by taking away competition and innovation, then the NBA, NHL, and MLB will be followings suit very soon.