Madden 09 News Post

Madden 09: Make or Break Season

04:47 PM - March 21, 2008 by RaychelSnr

Operation Sports has posted an article written by Chris Sanner discussing how Madden can regain some momentum in lieu of last years very unsuccessful campaign by EA Sports. To read more click here.

Quote:


	"Madden NFL 08 was a disaster of sorts for EA Sports. The game was shipped with bugs that rendered major portions of the game unplayable and as a result, the game sold less than the previous year's version. Metacritic average be damned, Madden 08 didn't have the fairy tale year some would have you believe."

Game: Madden NFL 09Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: NDS / PS2 / PS3 / PSP / Wii / Xbox 360Votes for game: 88 - View All

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Member Comments

# 21 gr18 @ 03/23/08 07:36 PM

I think Madden 08 for the 360 was very good minus the sim stat probs that Madden games have had.Granted this year was a little worse.Also,obviously the turnover issues and bugs shouldn't have been there.Testing goes a long way.Especially when some tweaking was evident after playing a game or two.

# 22 mastershake88 @ 03/23/08 11:17 PM

how is it a make or break year when your the only company with an "exclusive license" and you can afford to sit back with the same game every year. which what was proclaimed by game trailers, 1up.com and any other pro madden site that is payed or bribed to give good reviews.

so make or break? listen its hard to look behind at who is no.2 when your purposly made yourself the only person to be no.1.

# 23 GAMEC0CK2002 @ 03/23/08 11:21 PM

Madden + sole ownership of NFL License= Never a Make or Break Season

IMO, Madden 08 on the 360 was a fun game

# 24 gr18 @ 03/24/08 06:13 PM

When people say they disliked the gameplay I take it they mean they were frustrated with the sliders and more directly the turnover issue.

I've never been a big Madden apologist but I find the gameplay is very good and much improved in recent years other than that.

Presentation and bugs that should've been fixed with proper testing are really the keys to putting out a product that people will find satisfying.

# 25 spankdatazz22 @ 03/24/08 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gr18


	When people say they disliked the gameplay I take it they mean they were frustrated with the sliders and more directly the turnover issue. I've never been a big Madden apologist but I find the gameplay is very good and much improved in recent years other than that. Presentation and bugs that should've been fixed with proper testing are really the keys to putting out a product that people will find satisfying.

Speaking personally, my problems with the game are a lot more extensive than the presentation and bug issues the game had in '08. It doesn't feel like football. It doesn't even feel like Madden football, which was the staple of the gameplay last gen imo. My big issues:

Players feel like they have no weight - not sure why, but all the work Tiburon put in establishing a limited physics system last gen was seemingly completely abandoned next gen. Tackles almost feel random.

Poor animations - We're three years into next gen and the QB anims are as goofy as it gets - flat out horrible, period. While the range of animations has improved, that's only when you compare it to previous next gen Madden games. Compared to APF or even 2K5, the animations are still relatively stiff and awkward looking. Lateral movement is depicted poorly. It's improved from what '06 was, but that's not saying much.

Rock/Paper/Scissors approach to AI - Madden gameplay. This beats that. That counters this. On a base level that's true, but the system has long needed additional depth. Players play too similarly.

QB play - Sorry have to stress how poorly a job they've done w/the QBs next gen. Even the hilarious stuff we'd see last gen where QBs would face the wrong direction and still throw accurate passes was better than what they've done next gen. They animate poorly. They all seem to have the same drop back animation. They run awkwardly. They throw awkwardly. They display weird high school level mechanics, which I don't know most high school QBs have. The RB anims are better, but still aren't anywhere near where they should be.

Player interaction - always been a big issue w/the series. While they took a step forward with the way they have the animations flow (I forget the fancy name they came up with for it), it's still far behind what was done in APF. Even in NCAA 04/06 (last gen) or 2K5 imo. DBs and LBs knock down passes that in real life they'd have no play on - which forces you to play the game less like you would see in a real football game (high school, college, pro... even pickup ball) and more like a Madden game.

I could go on but those were biggies off the top of my head. Throw in the other significant issues like the limited number of gameplay sliders, lack of team/player sliders, and extremely poor presentation (which is supposed to be vastly improved this year - again, not difficult to do when what came before it was so poorly done). That's not even touching on whatever bugs the game had, like the excessive turnover issues. Last year was an improved effort over what came before it, but again - that's not saying much imo. If you like the gameplay that's cool - because I'm sure the game will continue to progress forward. I just feel the game should be a lot further than it is right now.

# 26 gr18 @ 03/24/08 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spankdatazz22


	Speaking personally, my problems with the game are a lot more extensive than the presentation and bug issues the game had in '08. It doesn't feel like football. It doesn't even feel like Madden football, which was the staple of the gameplay last gen imo. My big issues: Players feel like they have no weight - not sure why, but all the work Tiburon put in establishing a limited physics system last gen was seemingly completely abandoned next gen. Tackles almost feel random. Poor animations - We're three years into next gen and the QB anims are as goofy as it gets - flat out horrible, period. While the range of animations has improved, that's only when you compare it to previous next gen Madden games. Compared to APF or even 2K5, the animations are still relatively stiff and awkward looking. Lateral movement is depicted poorly. It's improved from what '06 was, but that's not saying much. Rock/Paper/Scissors approach to AI - Madden gameplay. This beats that. That counters this. On a base level that's true, but the system has long needed additional depth. Players play too similarly. QB play - Sorry have to stress how poorly a job they've done w/the QBs next gen. Even the hilarious stuff we'd see last gen where QBs would face the wrong direction and still throw accurate passes was better than what they've done next gen. They animate poorly. They all seem to have the same drop back animation. They run awkwardly. They throw awkwardly. They display weird high school level mechanics, which I don't know most high school QBs have. The RB anims are better, but still aren't anywhere near where they should be. Player interaction - always been a big issue w/the series. While they took a step forward with the way they have the animations flow (I forget the fancy name they came up with for it), it's still far behind what was done in APF. Even in NCAA 04/06 (last gen) or 2K5 imo. DBs and LBs knock down passes that in real life they'd have no play on - which forces you to play the game less like you would see in a real football game (high school, college, pro... even pickup ball) and more like a Madden game. I could go on but those were biggies off the top of my head. Throw in the other significant issues like the limited number of gameplay sliders, lack of team/player sliders, and extremely poor presentation (which is supposed to be vastly improved this year - again, not difficult to do when what came before it was so poorly done). That's not even touching on whatever bugs the game had, like the excessive turnover issues. Last year was an improved effort over what came before it, but again - that's not saying much imo. If you like the gameplay that's cool - because I'm sure the game will continue to progress forward. I just feel the game should be a lot further than it is right now.

You made some strong points.I was always more of a 2k guy but would enjoy a really good football game post-2k5.2k5,to me,is still very good but had some gameplay quirks as well.

Maybe it's the anti-EA sentiment starting with '06 ,but many think that Madden '04-'05 was better than it really was.They were held to a lower standard,I guess.The running game was abysmal then.

There has been upgrades,but I agree that some things are inexcusable.

A big gripe of mine has been that you play the level/sliders more than the team strengths/weaknesses that you're playing.A person has to use team-specific sliders to get close to acheiving the real difference between a Manning/Brady and the many below average qb's in the league.

It just seemed to me that many that liked previous Madden's think that this one is actually worse than ever.I think,with them,it must be turnover/slider frustration.

# 27 JBucc @ 03/25/08 03:01 PM

For me anyway, the article is dead on. I have a very small amount of interest in Madden 09, and if it doesn't improve over 08 in damn near every aspect I'm done with Madden. This will be their 4th year on 360. Their fourth year on the last systems was 2004, which was a little unbalanced toward the offense but still a really fun game.

# 28 BezO @ 03/25/08 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yamabushi


	I see nothing coming but improved/slicker presentation...

Especially after so many felt that was the biggest problem. Don't forget about between the lines EA!

Quote:

Originally Posted by statum71


	Who's "bright" idea was it to go away from TV-style presentation anyway????

CFO, Financial Analyst... someone concerned with the money. I can't bring myself to believe that any developer at even EA thought a radio announcer would be better for the game. That had to be a financial decision. Had to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gr18


	When people say they disliked the gameplay I take it they mean they were frustrated with the sliders and more directly the turnover issue.

I can only speak for myself, but me disliking the gameplay is about the lack of QB pocket, psychic DBs that can see out the back of their heads, bad player interaction, stiff & repetative animations, minimal signature play, limited playbooks, limited situational animations... basically the lack of realism.

The only other EA game I play is FIFA. FIFA was much improved this year. There's no mistaking it's a soccer game. If you don't play it like soccer, the CPU at least will hand it to you. With Madden, you don't need football strategy at all. In fact, the game rewards unrealistic strategy. Sim mode EA!

# 29 Kramer5150 @ 03/25/08 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BezO


	With Madden, you don't need football strategy at all. In fact, the game rewards unrealistic strategy. Sim mode EA!

Excellent point,I couldn't agree more.

As far as a sim mode goes,I would LOVE to see something like that implemented.But with Moore's comments about wanting Madden to be more "user friendly" I kinda doubt we'll see it.

# 30 Cardot @ 03/25/08 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oldschool17


	What you fail to realize is there are some of us who bought consoles specifically for sports..Then there are those of us who pretty much live for football...This means Madden is pretty much a day one purchase NO MATTER WHAT...Just like 2k was a DAY ONE Purchase NO MATTER WHAT...Now does my purchase alone ,ean I'll be happy with the game...hell no...I don't even own a copy of Madden 2008 right now because I'm disgusted with the game play...But comments like droids are just ignorant when you don't acknowledge the fact that real, true football fans just need their NFL, NCAA fix.

Why not just keep playing a previous versions that you did enjoy? Why do you need the latest version? Especially if you know going in that there is a decent chance of disappointment.

# 31 edubbs @ 03/25/08 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowherPower


	Excellent point,I couldn't agree more. As far as a sim mode goes,I would LOVE to see something like that implemented.But with Moore's comments about wanting Madden to be more "user friendly" I kinda doubt we'll see it.

There are waaaay too many "core issues" with this game's gameplay engine to ever expect that they will be able to replicate anything close to a sim mode.

# 32 siremike @ 03/27/08 02:37 AM

madden to me just isn't fun or realistic anymore. they put so much into the game that i can now come out in in a 4 wr set and with all the audible and hot routes make it in anything i please. in real football you never see as much audibles or hot routing as you do in this game. defence is the same thing. i only use 3 defenses and audible how i see fit and i do just fine. now if we go with one of the best out there 2k5 then we will see things that should be the norm by now. madden-hike ball run all over the back field, not get sacked, then throw a perfect spiral 50yds down field to a slanting reciever covered by a cb and a fs. 2k5 - roll the opposite side as your line=sack throw on bad foot or on the run=incomplete most of the time, throw into coverage= incomplete or pick 80% of time. you had to use your pocket or you would lose most of your games in 2k5. you had to understand more football in 2k5. you have to understand how the comp. thinks and reacts or doesn't in madden. i was a huge madden fan and now they are just making it less and less football and more and more about exploits

# 33 cjallure24 @ 03/27/08 12:58 PM

I don't think this is a make or break year for Madden....Reason being,they just extened the license for another four years,which gives them wiggle room to try new things instead of building off the core game......I have a feeling that the same thing is going to happen every year.....My prediction Madden 09 will have a "New Feature" that will be used to distract gamers from other nagging issues.....

Hate to beat a dead horse,but that's why I feel 2K is better,when they introduced the ISO motion for NBA2K series they didn't just leave it the way it was after that year,they continued to build on it,they created new moves with it,they polished it and still polished there core engine to make the gameplay and feel more real.They didn't throw a bunch of new features at us and sent us on our way.....That's why I consistently purchase the NBA2K series every year because I know what I'm getting.....That's not the case with Madden.

# 34 JMD @ 03/28/08 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noplace


	How is it a make or break season with no competition? Its not like we have another choice....It will just be another year of pissed off fans complaing about whats wrong with the game but will keep buying the next version hoping for a miracle...

How true. The really sad thing is, people keep buying this game every year. I know it will never happen but if we really ever want a GREAT Football game from EA we are going to have to NOT run out on launch day and buy this product. Don't pre order it and don't buy it. Make EA sweat for just one year, that's all it would take. Hell wait a week or so after the game is release and read the reviews and forums, if the game is good by all mean go get it, if it sucks again, you just saved $60.00. But there are just to many sheep.

# 35 yamabushi @ 03/28/08 05:16 PM

Reading between the lines of Peter Moores comments from earlier this week I can only infer that EA thinks the loss' in Madden sales come from not getting the 'casual gamer' buying, Instead of the fact that, maybe, Madden as a football game just aint that good. which doesnt bode well for anyone expecting solid gameplay inprovements. Good luck on your 'snipe hunt' EA.

# 36 Rawdeal28 @ 03/29/08 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gr18


	When people say they disliked the gameplay I take it they mean they were frustrated with the sliders and more directly the turnover issue. I've never been a big Madden apologist but I find the gameplay is very good and much improved in recent years other than that. Presentation and bugs that should've been fixed with proper testing are really the keys to putting out a product that people will find satisfying.

u hit the nail on the head. thats exactly why people "hate" madden 08. those issues became such a pain in the ***. especially the franchise bug.

the gameplay itself is actually very good. but presentation is bland and comes off boring. and as we have learned from nba 2k8 and THE SHOW, excellent presentation makes a good game great.

as long as 09 is free of "game killing bugs" and the presentation is good and touch up on some of the gameplay issues, 09 will be good. i will be buying it first day.

# 37 Moshood @ 03/29/08 03:40 PM

PS3 version must be 60fps and turnovers must be drastically reduced or it's a no buy for me.

# 38 mlbmastermind @ 04/30/08 10:54 PM

Nice article. I at the least just hope they completely re-do online gaming.

# 39 ODogg @ 04/30/08 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExtremeGamer


	I actually liked Madden 08...

I really liked Madden NFL 08 too.. just hated the stupid radio announcer and the presentation should be better....also when I say really liked it that is in comparison to the previous next-gen Maddens. I agree with everyone else that the series is nowhere near where it should be and is not progressing nearly quick enough for my tastes.

# 40 ODogg @ 04/30/08 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mastershake88


	how is it a make or break year when your the only company with an "exclusive license" and you can afford to sit back with the same game every year.

read MMChris' post a few posts before yours to find out how

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