mirrored32's Blog
Ian Cummings & Phil Frazer were well known Madden creators. Both are no longer with EA on the Madden team. But both were passionate in creating the game we have come to know as of recent years.
Those are stated facts.
why did they leave?
Ian has stated that it was a time for a change (10 years is a long time in the video game industry or any industry for that matter) and he does attend these OS forums a bit. We don't know about Phil. We do know he has been part of the Madden team for sometime and the product we have played for the past years had a piece of his input in it as well. what parts? I don't know, but he was a part of the team.
But does speculation really matter here? what matters is a product in which I pay $65 for a year for virtual football.
what does $65 dollars worth really? take how many hours you spend on Madden per week, times that by 52 weeks in a year and you get your total hours per year. then take that $65 and divide it by those hours and you can see how much per hour you spend on Madden.
For me, this is what I got.
How much does Madden FINANCIALLY COST (MINIMUM) me financially per hour?
So I play madden and it costs me ~$0.17-0.35 per hour to play.
Time
Time outside of the Madden game itself: time on the forums, taking videos, pictures, blogging, watching E3 videos, getting to know the creators by name and photo!
Using the Time IMO incorrectly
for those that feeling threatening the creators of the game. how much of your time and money are you spending 'hating'? thinking of how much time you put in logging into a forum to 'hate' when you could go and play a different game or take the time to consider how you would want to be 'informed' that the fan of the game has some input on the game. If you don't like it why bother?
If you feel 'passionately' about the game. And it is of a 'heated' manner, consider taking sometime off. $65 is not worth anger. take the time to think about what you want to say and then say it as if you were the creator would want to hear it.
IMO even if the creator has a different 'vision' then you do, stating clearly and kindly your dislike of the direction or issue you have with the game will allow for your voice to be heard.
I feel that as a Madden community we are heard at EA. Look at Madden 12. If you have seen the posts by Ian, He heard us all of us. Listen to the words that come to us from the creators of Madden 12 "a love letter to the fans". I felt like the features and approach this year was directed to me personally. It felt good. I like the direction, personally. What Madden 12's approach says to me is, Yes we heard you and we know what you want. why? because it is what I wanted!
We as fans have no idea what goes on behind closed doors. I did read on twitter that the thought of 'the creating of Madden 13' reality show has been considered, of which I would love to see. It would let us into their world just a bit. The technical time, challenges of creating Madden, the stress of trying to achieve the game for the fans and the actual players it conveys. (think of the behind the scenes of a multimillion dollar movie we pay $7-12 to see, see the DVD's behind the scenes).
Would you want to be Donny Moore? whom sets the attributes for the actual NFL players? Imagine that stress. In the end It is a game. We can edit those attributes of rosters, and have been able to for sometime. But for the the NFL players it is a also a marketing tool / perception for whom we feel as fans we get another view of how they play. Who they are. So you can understand that pressure the creators must feel on that front as well.
Giving us more information on how the features are to work)
I understand frustration being that Madden is the best game of NFL out there. It is the only one. I just recently was educated that EA is NOT the reason there is an exclusive license. the NFL has made this so. So EA is taking on quite a burden. Perhaps the King Midas curse. The burden to take on gift/curse of trying to put out a game that will please 'most' of the people.
So all in all, what is Madden worth to you? Is it the $65 you pay that you are thankful or frustrated by?
EA is a business so money is the deadline. But passion for the game is there. IMO it is because we buy the game. I may have issues with certain things of the game, but really it is an amazing game. Remember the NFL is a game, but is a business as well.
Those are stated facts.
why did they leave?
Ian has stated that it was a time for a change (10 years is a long time in the video game industry or any industry for that matter) and he does attend these OS forums a bit. We don't know about Phil. We do know he has been part of the Madden team for sometime and the product we have played for the past years had a piece of his input in it as well. what parts? I don't know, but he was a part of the team.
But does speculation really matter here? what matters is a product in which I pay $65 for a year for virtual football.
what does $65 dollars worth really? take how many hours you spend on Madden per week, times that by 52 weeks in a year and you get your total hours per year. then take that $65 and divide it by those hours and you can see how much per hour you spend on Madden.
For me, this is what I got.
How much does Madden FINANCIALLY COST (MINIMUM) me financially per hour?
- 3.5 hours a week I spend on Madden (Minimum)
- 52 weeks a year
- 3.5*52=182 hours a year on Madden
- $65 for the cost of Madden per year
- 65/182=.35 or or $0.35 an hour
- 7 hours a week I spend on Madden (Estimated MAXIMUM)
- 52 weeks a year
- 7*52=364 hours a year on Madden
- $65 for the cost of Madden per year
- 65/364=.17 or $0.17 an hour
- 3.5 hours a week I spend on Madden (Minimum)
- 52 weeks a year
- 3.5*52=182 hours a year on Madden
- 8736 hours in a year (24*7=168*52=8736)
- 182/8736=.02 or 2% of the year I play Madden.
- 24 hours a day
- 8 hours considered sleep time
- 24-8=16
- 16 hours of awake time per day
- 7 days a week
- 16*7=112
- 112 hours awake time per week
- 3.5 hours a week minimum I spend on Madden
- 3.5/112=.03
- 3% of my awake time I spend on Madden per week.
So I play madden and it costs me ~$0.17-0.35 per hour to play.
Time
Time outside of the Madden game itself: time on the forums, taking videos, pictures, blogging, watching E3 videos, getting to know the creators by name and photo!
Using the Time IMO incorrectly
for those that feeling threatening the creators of the game. how much of your time and money are you spending 'hating'? thinking of how much time you put in logging into a forum to 'hate' when you could go and play a different game or take the time to consider how you would want to be 'informed' that the fan of the game has some input on the game. If you don't like it why bother?
If you feel 'passionately' about the game. And it is of a 'heated' manner, consider taking sometime off. $65 is not worth anger. take the time to think about what you want to say and then say it as if you were the creator would want to hear it.
IMO even if the creator has a different 'vision' then you do, stating clearly and kindly your dislike of the direction or issue you have with the game will allow for your voice to be heard.
I feel that as a Madden community we are heard at EA. Look at Madden 12. If you have seen the posts by Ian, He heard us all of us. Listen to the words that come to us from the creators of Madden 12 "a love letter to the fans". I felt like the features and approach this year was directed to me personally. It felt good. I like the direction, personally. What Madden 12's approach says to me is, Yes we heard you and we know what you want. why? because it is what I wanted!
We as fans have no idea what goes on behind closed doors. I did read on twitter that the thought of 'the creating of Madden 13' reality show has been considered, of which I would love to see. It would let us into their world just a bit. The technical time, challenges of creating Madden, the stress of trying to achieve the game for the fans and the actual players it conveys. (think of the behind the scenes of a multimillion dollar movie we pay $7-12 to see, see the DVD's behind the scenes).
Would you want to be Donny Moore? whom sets the attributes for the actual NFL players? Imagine that stress. In the end It is a game. We can edit those attributes of rosters, and have been able to for sometime. But for the the NFL players it is a also a marketing tool / perception for whom we feel as fans we get another view of how they play. Who they are. So you can understand that pressure the creators must feel on that front as well.
Giving us more information on how the features are to work)
I understand frustration being that Madden is the best game of NFL out there. It is the only one. I just recently was educated that EA is NOT the reason there is an exclusive license. the NFL has made this so. So EA is taking on quite a burden. Perhaps the King Midas curse. The burden to take on gift/curse of trying to put out a game that will please 'most' of the people.
So all in all, what is Madden worth to you? Is it the $65 you pay that you are thankful or frustrated by?
EA is a business so money is the deadline. But passion for the game is there. IMO it is because we buy the game. I may have issues with certain things of the game, but really it is an amazing game. Remember the NFL is a game, but is a business as well.
# 1
patsfan1993 @ Jun 17
Nice blog. I agree with what you are saying. I was a big Madden fan back in the day, but a few years ago I didn't like the direction it was headed with the franchise mode so I stopped buying it. It is meant to be fun but when you get angry it isn't a good use of your time or money. Looking like they might get my money again. Still considering.
# 2
Eski33 @ Jun 17
To me, any game I buy is usually worth the money I spend. Madden gets a lot of attention due to the exclusive license but I know what I am getting when I drop cabbage on it.
Madden in this current generation of consoles has been disappointing mostly due to many of the features that were in lasy gen consoles iterations somehow took years to incorporate in this generation. Finally this year's game is showing huge progress and sports gamers may finally have a game that plays as good as it looks.
Madden in this current generation of consoles has been disappointing mostly due to many of the features that were in lasy gen consoles iterations somehow took years to incorporate in this generation. Finally this year's game is showing huge progress and sports gamers may finally have a game that plays as good as it looks.
# 3
stlstudios189 @ Jun 18
I feel the same way about most sports games. I played 100 games on MLB 2k10 last year for a total of 100 hours and paid $65 thats still less than $1 an hour. Play any story based game for $65 you get 10-15 hours worth of play time.
# 4
mirrored32 @ Jun 18
thanks Patsfan. yeah Madden 12 i believe is back on track. Josh Looman is back and I am smiling.
# 5
mrmass413 @ Jun 20
why a show just make a game that ppl want to buy... besides reality t.v is fake anyways. it doesn't matter how much time you spend on madden it matters when we pay for a game we put money in there pockets so if a product is not up to par we have the right to complain. if you have 65 dollars to just throw away why not donate it to the jimmy fund or something i struggle to make ends meet everyday so when i save up 65 dollars i want my moneys worth. you say heated manner i've beeen playin for a while now nothing has changed they don't listen make any excuse you want. you think i care about what they go threw no i don't if i dont do my job good at work i get fired period..besides if all you do is rating you should be good at it if all you do is graphics then you should be good at it. all in all the game looks way better this year and i'm gonna get it. i'm not talking sh** im just taking
# 6
mirrored32 @ Jun 20
"why a show just make a game that ppl want to buy... besides reality t.v is fake anyways. "
I can understand how one could feel that the time spent on making Madden could take away concentration of the development team. It is my observation that Madden is purchased every year and in decent quantity. In context, reading all through your post, at the end you state you are going to buy this years game. I would say by your statement that EA does make a game that people want to buy, including you! (and me)
I agree that 'reality TV' is fake in exacting terms. pre-scripted etc. But a documentary perhaps would be cool. or a walk through truly what they do every day and some of the achievements and break throughs they go through are interesting to me. Perhaps not to everyone. I respect your opinion.
"it doesn't matter how much time you spend on madden it matters when we pay for a game we put money in there pockets so if a product is not up to par we have the right to complain."
I agree to disagree. The blog isn't about 'how much money we are putting in their pockets'. To me it is simply a gauge of what you feel that game is worth to you, in means such as time, money and fun.
If someone makes a product you like and feel the cost is a value worth it, then you 'vote' for it buy putting your green down. If not, you walk away. That is our right. that is how our voice is heard most. EA is a business and if the profits are not there for them, they will have to adapt.
As for complaining, I suggest using 'constructive criticism' as it simply is better to suggest then request. We have boards like the forums here and else where to put our voice out there, but if all we do is complain and never state what we DO like about the product as well, then if I were the creators, I would find it hard pressed to feel motivated to listen. Imagine if you were told nothing you do is good. Do you think you would want to listen in the future?
I can understand frustration and feeling like not being heard for in the past my frustration I use to get would be due to my 'appreciation' for the game being what it was BUT . . . I wanted more! I had to realize that I had choices. If you are open to consider some options, here are some:
*Don't buy the game - if I feel that my time, emotion, passion is not worth the game.
*Give feedback - in a place that I feel my voice will be heard. Think about how you would want to be told that would give you 'pause' to consider your point of view and suggestion. Offer something of 'quality' that allows the game creators to value the time to consider your point of view. Remember if you are loud mouthed and a 'know it all' you don't get appreciated and will not be heard. Life simply is too short. Have some fun enjoy it. Give credit where credit is due, and give yourself some credit and offer your points of view as a way to improve the creators awareness and in the end, improve your experience of the game.
*Do Both - and consider it a new year by year. Every year Madden comes out, it is EA's Flagship. They spend a lot of effort in providing the excitement for the game. If it is just 'hype' then I skip that year. It is an evaluation process. I enjoy Madden and often buy the game when I feel it is worth it. When the next gen first came out I waited a few iterations knowing it was a new engine and doing my homework realized that it will take sometime for them to get a good grip on how the systems work. I knew when I put down my $65 I am going to enjoy it. It's like going to a movie. why spend the money if you aren't going to try to enjoy it? unless you enjoy hating? which ever, enjoy it for what it is.
Then since the game is quite large in depth, consider what you do like about it after a decent amount of time (3 months typically) and start writing down points you appreciate and areas you would like to see improved. It's a good habit to give your feedback on the 'major features' of that years product in a tasteful manner that allows your voice to be heard and honest. If you think the feature was boring or took away from the game in some manner (frustration, feeling of gimmicky) write down these points. Keep a notepad by the game since the game is so big and offers so much room for thought.
Remember just saying 'i hate it' doesn't provide any real information to evaluate. The development team can't improve what they can't get detail in. Giving appreciation that you had the chance to evaluate what you expect out of any product back to the creators allows for the next product to be improved and perhaps even exceed your expectations. Inspire them to exceed your expectations.
It is apparent that you feel that your $65 that Madden isn't worth it which is your choice!
"if you have 65 dollars to just throw away why not donate it to the jimmy fund or something i struggle to make ends meet everyday so when i save up 65 dollars i want my moneys worth."
I don't know your budget, and that is fine. Though in my understanding of 'to make ends meet' I would consider Madden a 'luxury'. If you don't like the game, then don't buy it is what the generic truth is. The blog was to offer another financial way of looking at it. If you DO spend the $65 on the game the blog post offers a way of considering it.
"you say heated manner i've beeen playin for a while now nothing has changed they don't listen make any excuse you want."
I understand that in your perception that Madden hasn't changed. It is your view, you can have that. My view of videos, blogs, and forums, has provided me a feeling that people have felt 'the change's Madden.
"you think i care about what they go threw no i don't if i dont do my job good at work i get fired period.."
Your choice to read the blog is your own. Your choice to consider the information valuable or not is your own. I understand that you don't care what the development team goes through in creating Madden. Your statement about what happens when you don't do your job and get fired is assuming you are the boss of the Madden Team. Do you know what their job is? What are the goals the team was set to accomplish? Did they accomplish those goals? Are you their Boss? do you have the ability to fire the creators?
We have no idea what the internal goals of the creators of Madden are or were. Truly, it doesn't matter because we have no control over that. We are the consumers of the product. Our power is to choose to buy or not. If we care, to offer feedback that would provide them the means to offer a product they get what they want by offering a product we want. It is apparent that so far the majority of the public likes Madden mostly and change in the magnitude you have hope for hasn't had to happen.
Don't take the responsibility of being their boss when you are not. Take control of what you can by choosing to be a responsible consumer.
"besides if all you do is rating you should be good at it if all you do is graphics then you should be good at it. all in all the game looks way better this year and i'm gonna get it. i'm not talking sh** im just taking "
I am going to interpret what you mean here. Donny Moore is the Rating's person. You are stating that Donny Moore should be good at rating the players. I think he does a good job and honestly, we can edit the rosters the way we like, so I don't see an issue. I suspect you mean by 'graphics' you mean the visual aspects of the game. It is rather vague but I think I understand what you mean. The look of the game.
by taking in the full sentence in context, I think you mean the game should be better rated, and look better then it is, but it is done well enough that you are going to buy it.
In the end, whatever works for you in evaluating what Madden is worth for you. The blog is just another way of thinking about it.
I can understand how one could feel that the time spent on making Madden could take away concentration of the development team. It is my observation that Madden is purchased every year and in decent quantity. In context, reading all through your post, at the end you state you are going to buy this years game. I would say by your statement that EA does make a game that people want to buy, including you! (and me)
I agree that 'reality TV' is fake in exacting terms. pre-scripted etc. But a documentary perhaps would be cool. or a walk through truly what they do every day and some of the achievements and break throughs they go through are interesting to me. Perhaps not to everyone. I respect your opinion.
"it doesn't matter how much time you spend on madden it matters when we pay for a game we put money in there pockets so if a product is not up to par we have the right to complain."
I agree to disagree. The blog isn't about 'how much money we are putting in their pockets'. To me it is simply a gauge of what you feel that game is worth to you, in means such as time, money and fun.
If someone makes a product you like and feel the cost is a value worth it, then you 'vote' for it buy putting your green down. If not, you walk away. That is our right. that is how our voice is heard most. EA is a business and if the profits are not there for them, they will have to adapt.
As for complaining, I suggest using 'constructive criticism' as it simply is better to suggest then request. We have boards like the forums here and else where to put our voice out there, but if all we do is complain and never state what we DO like about the product as well, then if I were the creators, I would find it hard pressed to feel motivated to listen. Imagine if you were told nothing you do is good. Do you think you would want to listen in the future?
I can understand frustration and feeling like not being heard for in the past my frustration I use to get would be due to my 'appreciation' for the game being what it was BUT . . . I wanted more! I had to realize that I had choices. If you are open to consider some options, here are some:
*Don't buy the game - if I feel that my time, emotion, passion is not worth the game.
*Give feedback - in a place that I feel my voice will be heard. Think about how you would want to be told that would give you 'pause' to consider your point of view and suggestion. Offer something of 'quality' that allows the game creators to value the time to consider your point of view. Remember if you are loud mouthed and a 'know it all' you don't get appreciated and will not be heard. Life simply is too short. Have some fun enjoy it. Give credit where credit is due, and give yourself some credit and offer your points of view as a way to improve the creators awareness and in the end, improve your experience of the game.
*Do Both - and consider it a new year by year. Every year Madden comes out, it is EA's Flagship. They spend a lot of effort in providing the excitement for the game. If it is just 'hype' then I skip that year. It is an evaluation process. I enjoy Madden and often buy the game when I feel it is worth it. When the next gen first came out I waited a few iterations knowing it was a new engine and doing my homework realized that it will take sometime for them to get a good grip on how the systems work. I knew when I put down my $65 I am going to enjoy it. It's like going to a movie. why spend the money if you aren't going to try to enjoy it? unless you enjoy hating? which ever, enjoy it for what it is.
Then since the game is quite large in depth, consider what you do like about it after a decent amount of time (3 months typically) and start writing down points you appreciate and areas you would like to see improved. It's a good habit to give your feedback on the 'major features' of that years product in a tasteful manner that allows your voice to be heard and honest. If you think the feature was boring or took away from the game in some manner (frustration, feeling of gimmicky) write down these points. Keep a notepad by the game since the game is so big and offers so much room for thought.
Remember just saying 'i hate it' doesn't provide any real information to evaluate. The development team can't improve what they can't get detail in. Giving appreciation that you had the chance to evaluate what you expect out of any product back to the creators allows for the next product to be improved and perhaps even exceed your expectations. Inspire them to exceed your expectations.
It is apparent that you feel that your $65 that Madden isn't worth it which is your choice!
"if you have 65 dollars to just throw away why not donate it to the jimmy fund or something i struggle to make ends meet everyday so when i save up 65 dollars i want my moneys worth."
I don't know your budget, and that is fine. Though in my understanding of 'to make ends meet' I would consider Madden a 'luxury'. If you don't like the game, then don't buy it is what the generic truth is. The blog was to offer another financial way of looking at it. If you DO spend the $65 on the game the blog post offers a way of considering it.
"you say heated manner i've beeen playin for a while now nothing has changed they don't listen make any excuse you want."
I understand that in your perception that Madden hasn't changed. It is your view, you can have that. My view of videos, blogs, and forums, has provided me a feeling that people have felt 'the change's Madden.
"you think i care about what they go threw no i don't if i dont do my job good at work i get fired period.."
Your choice to read the blog is your own. Your choice to consider the information valuable or not is your own. I understand that you don't care what the development team goes through in creating Madden. Your statement about what happens when you don't do your job and get fired is assuming you are the boss of the Madden Team. Do you know what their job is? What are the goals the team was set to accomplish? Did they accomplish those goals? Are you their Boss? do you have the ability to fire the creators?
We have no idea what the internal goals of the creators of Madden are or were. Truly, it doesn't matter because we have no control over that. We are the consumers of the product. Our power is to choose to buy or not. If we care, to offer feedback that would provide them the means to offer a product they get what they want by offering a product we want. It is apparent that so far the majority of the public likes Madden mostly and change in the magnitude you have hope for hasn't had to happen.
Don't take the responsibility of being their boss when you are not. Take control of what you can by choosing to be a responsible consumer.
"besides if all you do is rating you should be good at it if all you do is graphics then you should be good at it. all in all the game looks way better this year and i'm gonna get it. i'm not talking sh** im just taking "
I am going to interpret what you mean here. Donny Moore is the Rating's person. You are stating that Donny Moore should be good at rating the players. I think he does a good job and honestly, we can edit the rosters the way we like, so I don't see an issue. I suspect you mean by 'graphics' you mean the visual aspects of the game. It is rather vague but I think I understand what you mean. The look of the game.
by taking in the full sentence in context, I think you mean the game should be better rated, and look better then it is, but it is done well enough that you are going to buy it.
In the end, whatever works for you in evaluating what Madden is worth for you. The blog is just another way of thinking about it.
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