Article on EA financials leaves little doubt what Madden 19 focus will be

[reverend_heat]

https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/...fourth-quarter

[4thQtrStre5S]

Good time to invest. People need to understand that a company is there to make money. Revenue and investors assist in the ongoing operation and expansion of the product(s).

There is uncertainty about the card system as a form of gambling, correct? That can cause concern for investors which could hurt their share value. Investing can be very unpredictable, but when there are indicators of risk floating around, the investors tend to be cautious.

EA's game volume this year will still boost share value. How much is the question.

[OhMrHanky]

It’s just so funny, sad, and unfortunate how popular MUT became, in terms of overall game development. And, I’ll never understand anyone’s fascination with the mode. I don’t know the first madden/fifa to have MUT, but I still remember the first time I looked at it in madden, and thought, wth is this? Why in the world would I want to collect ‘digital cards’? I want to play football with my fav team(s). I don’t want to play with some mix mash group and constantly have to level up players (bronze, silver, gold, platinum, etc, whatever). Lol

And, to be fair/clear, I have played madden almost exclusively offline for years with the occasional foray into online h2h. However, with fifa, it’s the exact opposite. I only play that h2h online. And, I can still remember years ago when the online system allowed for whatever rosters to play with, I would occasionally come up against the jacka$$ with 5+ 99 OVR players. And, the game would play as you’d expect, complete garbage. And, this just brings me to something in MUT, in general. You’re trying to upgrade players throughout the season, and I understand they have ways of not allowing 99 players until later in the season, but it’s just such a cheap advantage to have. As a competitive type person, I don’t want 99 players. I want to beat u with the real team. Lol. U know? Anyone can win with 99 players. It’s all just so lame. And, again, I’ll just never understand the concept. And, at some point, you’re basically playing with 1 team with all 99 players vs another team with all 99 players. I mean, what’s the point in that? Lol. I might as well play with the real nfl teams and matchup similar OVR’s.

I will say, I actually understand this more in fifa. To have a team with Messi, Ronaldo, Drogba, Hazard, DeBruyne, etc, etc would be interesting. But, that’s more a testament to the differentiation in players that is done better in fifa than madden. But, again, from a competitive standpoint, it’s pathetic to have such a strong team. And, again, if both teams have the same great players, that’s a wash, so why bother? Lol.

From EA’s angle, I totally get it. They’re making tons of money. I absolutely understand that. But, for me, again, it’s just so odd to me, from a player/consumer perspective. I’ve never wasted 1 dollar on MUT in either game and have no desire to. And, ultimately, it’s a shame so many have that ultimately contributes to EA’s focus away from quality gameplay and franchise, etc, when they know they have such a cash cow in MUT.

I would like to think that madden has a somewhat plug n play setup by now for MUT that should make creating player cards and MUT solos fairly easy at this point. So, arguably, it shouldn’t take a major focus of the team. So, technically, they should still have plenty avail to gameplay and whatnot. But, as we’ve seen for years, they still seem to neglect franchise pretty heavily. And, that could be quite deliberate. The better franchise is, the more a player might play that game mode without buying any add-ons, and that would make MUT suffer.

I guess this is the reality of the current gaming environment, sports gaming and others. I was a huge Destiny 1 player. I can’t even tell u how many hours I logged into that game. I was totally stoked for D2. But, they catered to the casual gamer, as per new industry standards, and made the game a total bore. I barely play D2 at all. We need a new gaming revolution, I think. Lol. Currently, games seem to be catering to the casual gamer to garner more sales while the hardcore gamer suffers due to lackluster or less challenging gameplay. Game companies should go old school. Make a game targeting a specific audience and/or simply make a game ‘great’. Give it a great story, controls, mechanics, options, modes, etc. And, THEN make the game ACCESSIBLE to casuals. U know? Don’t TARGET casuals. Target your game’s main audience (in madden’s case, people who already understand football and love the sport) FIRST, and then make the game ACCESSIBLE to casuals. The simple word of mouth of true football fans talking up a football game will get some casuals to play it, period. But, when u start from this angle of ‘make the game so everyone can play it,’ you’re missing the point and/or even possibility of creating a truly great game.


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[horrormaster]

MUT wouldn't be bad if the matchmaking was fair. When you can be a low overall team and get matched against a stacked 99 team, you're screwed. If there wasn't any OP formations and plays, it wouldn't be that bad either. Fix the gameplay so it takes actual strategy and things would be a lot better.

[Broncos86]

I have never tried MUT, never wanted to play that mode, and never will.

MUT: not even once.

[edgevoice]

Quote: Originally Posted by OhMrHanky

It’s just so funny, sad, and unfortunate how popular MUT became, in terms of overall game development. And, I’ll never understand anyone’s fascination with the mode. I don’t know the first madden/fifa to have MUT, but I still remember the first time I looked at it in madden, and thought, wth is this? Why in the world would I want to collect ‘digital cards’? I want to play football with my fav team(s). I don’t want to play with some mix mash group and constantly have to level up players (bronze, silver, gold, platinum, etc, whatever). Lol ...... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I believe fantasy football and free agency helped to pave the way for MUT. I remember being in a sports bar watching my Cowboys play. After we scored, a dude in a Redskins cap was cheering. I looked over at him and before I could say a word he tells me Witten is on his fantasy team. That moment really stuck. It was a brand new world....

Like you mentioned, it's just plain smart business sense to put significant resources towards a game mode that will generate the most revenue. The sad fact is that people who enjoy a sim experience are not going to be catered to in the same manner as MUT players.

If EA wants to keep franchise mode alive, it really should be built as a stand-alone game using a similar platform that Head Coach did. Make improvements to CPU playcalling via improved gameplans. Allow for more in-depth user gameplans, rather than the ridiculous 9 play window we are currently restricted to. Also, allow for the user to bring his gameplan to practice mode and be able to set up specific situations ie; redzone, 3rd down, 2 minute, etc.... Finally, devote the resources needed to improve across-the-board CPU gameplay. While Madden 17 improved zone defenses, man coverage was never tuned correctly. For instance, no matter how you shade your receiver, a comeback route almost always triggers CB ice slide animation. Once that has been attained, some added features would be welcomed from there on out, after a stable and playable game has been clearly established.

MUT is here to stay and it's obvious that many folks really enjoy playing that mode. Having said that, a stand-alone playable version similar to Head Coach for sim style players makes more sense, rather than trying to build one game to please everyone.

[kennypowers88]

Quote: Originally Posted by 4thQtrStre5S

Good time to invest. People need to understand that a company is there to make money. Revenue and investors assist in the ongoing operation and expansion of the product(s). There is uncertainty about the card system as a form of gambling, correct? That can cause concern for investors which could hurt their share value. Investing can be very unpredictable, but when there are indicators of risk floating around, the investors tend to be cautious. EA's game volume this year will still boost share value. How much is the question.

Yes, the kick back involving in game gambling systems is really starting to take off. Whether or not this qualifies would be up to the courts, but based on legal decisions being made around the world right now, I could definitely see it.

If you're interested, look up the recent case involving Overwatch loot boxes in the Netherlands, or even China. Those lootboxes only offer randomized cosmetic items. Now, they're forced to sell items individually. If that's considered gambling, this entire MUT system has to be, no?

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[roadman]

It makes sense as NFL gamer, just needs to make sense to the suits.