NCAA Football 10 News Post

NCAA Football 10: An Alternate Take

11:06 AM - July 20, 2009 by RaychelSnr

Truly great sports games often transcend the sport they're based on, finding a way to appeal to a broad group of gamers. Games like NHL 94, Winning Eleven 6 and the original NBA Jam fall into this category. Even if you weren't a fan of the sports themselves, those games still probably appealed to you when you played them because the final products were greater than the sum of their parts.

NCAA Football 10 falls short of that transcendent status. As a longtime Madden player who has made sporadic forays into the NCAA series, I went into NCAA 10 looking to see if the game would grab me and make a fan of me. It did not.

-Feature written by Jim Harris

Read More - NCAA Football 10: An Alternate Take

Game: NCAA Football 10Reader Score: 6.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Wii / Xbox 360Votes for game: 61 - View All

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# 21 KG @ 07/20/09 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fistofrage


	There won't be another company pushing them with a College Football game for quite some time. However, there are plenty of other places to spend your entertainment $. Those are the real competitiors. I would say there are probably only a 10 or 20 thousand people out there that are completely "addicted" to NCAA football and will buy it no matter what. A majority of their sales will come from people who just want to be entertained and would be willing to play a different genre and foredo NCAA football if it was more entertaining. I am almost positive that a casual fan of NCAA football sees little to no difference between the games and could easily go a few years inbetween NCAA purchases.

I think a lot of people buy it because they release it so early. EA would never kill their own product but imagine if this & Madden dropped on the same day.

# 22 Dice @ 07/20/09 02:48 PM

WOW! An objective review of a game where he didn't like the game but didn't said that it was garbage and didn't bash EA.

# 23 noplace @ 07/20/09 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dice


	WOW! An objective review of a game where he didn't like the game but didn't said that it was garbage and didn't bash EA.

And didnt hurt anyones feelings..

# 24 fistofrage @ 07/20/09 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kgx2thez


	I think a lot of people buy it because they release it so early. EA would never kill their own product but imagine if this & Madden dropped on the same day.

Exactly, that is what NCAA has become. A stop gap. Very dry and boring, but it comes out first. I bet 30%+ of NCAA sales are just people wanting a new football fix only to abanden the game 4 weeks later when Madden comes out. Its a nice little cash cow. They charge the same price for a game that costs a fraction of what Madden costs. It would be like Nike releasing a pair of Air Jordan Juniors a month before the Air Jordans came out that would unravel and become unwearable just in time for the Air Jordan release.

It seems like the NCAA team used to say, "so we have a lesser budget, lets show the world what we can do with it." Now granted there were probably some things that were always off limits which EA wanted to introduce with Madden first. But NCAA always felt fresher on last Gen. It was the better game. I stopped buying Madden in 2004 and haven't bought it since. But for the last 2 or 3 years, I have been longing to play a decent football game again and its just not happening.

# 25 Ruffy @ 07/20/09 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noplace


	And didnt hurt anyones feelings..

I'm crying on the inside and smiling on the outside....

.

Nice read.

# 26 carnalnirvana @ 07/20/09 02:58 PM

i read mm chris's review. thought it was off but its his editorial so thats ok. My question is what do people expect from video games as of 2009.

i keep seeing people talk about presentation, what is good presentation?

every review i have read about this game NOWHERE does it mention that the cpu plays football... on third and long they try to get the first down aggressively..... NOWHERE .....

now i admit different people like this game for different reasons but PRESENTATION is so subjective what can they really do, for example i want a tailgating mini game, he wants marching bands, my brother wants corso predictions, my cousin wants highlights of impact players, now from this list on any given year someone is going to be upset c'mon....

gameplay is something we can all agree on they need to get that right and this game plays really well if you are not a cheeser online or off.

does it have glitches, which game does not...

# 27 Cj7298419 @ 07/20/09 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logic Doctor


	I feel like all of EA's games are lacking in the presentation department and when we call them out and say "the presentation is lacking" EA responds with flashy menus, hyping up Erin Andrews and implementing college bands for the first minute and a half of the game. Presentation goes much deeper as it is something you experience constantly throughout a game, whether it is during a game, after a game, while I�m in my dynasty screen, wherever part of the game you are in. Presentation is essentially a meter for one to measure a games longevity. Here's are some presentation ideas. -I agree that the dynasty should be run through a coach�s perspective similar to College Hoops 2K8 -There has to be more stat overlays during the game. NCAA football 10 has the ability to record all kinds of crazy stats. Stop making us dig up these statistics through menus and display them mostly during games. - (This is the most frustrating thing of all) Pleeeeeeease use ESPN integration properly. Having access and the ability to use ESPN in your games should be a no brainer when it comes to how you want to use them. Most people relate to all sports by watching them on TV, specifically ESPN, so why is there a lack of ESPN staples? Here are some ESPN Ideas� -Weekly top ten plays with videos broken down by ESPN commentators -Actual ESPN college football writers writing columns throughout the season about events occurring throughout your dynasty -I should be able to go to sportscenter in my dynasty and view highlights of that weeks games -After a big upset victory my coach should be invited to ESPN for a phone interview on FIRST TAKE (it�s an early morning ESPN show) or something to that equivalent. -During the Bowl Championships Jim Rome should do his "Here's what I'm burning on segment" on the Bowl matchups and the superstar players that are involved. In my opinion, its little things like this that give a game life and longevity. Playing from a coaches perspective in your dynasty and having ESPN integrated properly would make the game so much more enjoyable on so many different levels.

Wow, very good post Logic. The people at EA would probably laugh at these ideas and say "Lol, they really want all of that?! In your dreams!"

# 28 fistofrage @ 07/20/09 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carnalnirvava


	i read mm chris's review. thought it was off but its his editorial so thats ok. My question is what do people expect from video games as of 2009. i keep seeing people talk about presentation, what is good presentation? every review i have read about this game NOWHERE does it mention that the cpu plays football... on third and long they try to get the first down aggressively..... NOWHERE ..... now i admit different people like this game for different reasons but PRESENTATION is so subjective what can they really do, for example i want a tailgating mini game, he wants marching bands, my brother wants corso predictions, my cousin wants highlights of impact players, now from this list on any given year someone is going to be upset c'mon.... gameplay is something we can all agree on they need to get that right and this game plays really well if you are not a cheeser online or off. does it have glitches, which game does not...

The issue is that the game played fine 4 to 6 years ago on the last gen with better presentation.

We should have all the stuff you listed as presentation. We used to have Corso predictions, Impact players warming up, chain gangs, coaches, captains heading to mid field, teams coming out of their tunnels, etc.

Field goals are automatic from 55 yards in. Thats not a good game of football. There are a million warts popping up in the dynasty progression and ease of recruiting. The game was shipped with broken sliders, etc.

All we want is take everything that worked right in the past, give us next gen graphics, and a dynasty and stat engine that progresses realistically. No one here is asking them for a ground breaking new game. We just want a new coat of paint on what used to work just fine.

# 29 carnalnirvana @ 07/20/09 03:13 PM

they wont laugh at it, but i think he is not being realistic in his DESIRES

most of what he mentioned i dont even get from espn it take 4-5 networks and deep research on the net by ME to get that type of stuff

tv networks prepare all week to get half of that done c/mon

# 30 carnalnirvana @ 07/20/09 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fistofrage


	The issue is that the game played fine 4 to 6 years ago on the last gen with better presentation. We should have all the stuff you listed as presentation. We used to have Corso predictions, Impact players warming up, chain gangs, coaches, captains heading to mid field, teams coming out of their tunnels, etc. Field goals are automatic from 55 yards in. Thats not a good game of football. There are a million warts popping up in the dynasty progression and ease of recruiting. The game was shipped with broken sliders, etc. All we want is take everything that worked right in the past, give us next gen graphics, and a dynasty and stat engine that progresses realistically. No one here is asking them for a ground breaking new game. We just want a new coat of paint on what used to work just fine.

progression: last year it was not enough for some especially the crowd that claimed they had a beast with a 3 star kid who had room to grow they complained he moved maybe 2-3 points not the complaint is vice versa.

game shipping with broken sliders yep thats legit should not happen.... THEY FUMBLED THAT.

corso picks man and tunnel walk to the field i mean do you really need that to get you into the atmosphere to play this game. if gaming is you hobby a marching band is not necessary to pump you up.....

captains on mid field, after seeing 50 teams captains doing the same animation the first 50 games i play c'mon thats old after week one....

recruiting being easy, not everyone is using florida and usc i am using SMU have not seen a 5* singning in year one 3* and down...

this is all subjuctive we could do this all day....

# 31 fistofrage @ 07/20/09 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carnalnirvava


	progression: last year it was not enough for some especially the crowd that claimed they had a beast with a 3 star kid who had room to grow they complained he moved maybe 2-3 points not the complaint is vice versa. game shipping with broken sliders yep thats legit should not happen.... THEY FUMBLED THAT. corso picks man and tunnel walk to the field i mean do you really need that to get you into the atmosphere to play this game. if gaming is you hobby a marching band is not necessary to pump you up..... captains on mid field, after seeing 50 teams captains doing the same animation the first 50 games i play c'mon thats old after week one.... recruiting being easy, not everyone is using florida and usc i am using SMU have not seen a 5* singning in year one 3* and down... this is all subjuctive we could do this all day....

For point 1, all they needed to do was have "some" meaning 50 or so 3 and 4* guys that would achieve 94 or 95 status if they stayed all 4 years and have some 5* guys that just didn't improve at all. It has to be balanced, but the logic should be simple enough.

As far as the animations.....I'm pointing out that we had these things before and I liked them. Do we need them? Guess not, guess thats what EA thinks too. But for those of us that want presentation, put it in, for those that don't want it, just hit "X" or turn it off in the menus.

Recruiting, once again its a problem in the programming logic. The 6* teams can recruit 10 - 12 5* guys each year. But this year it really doesn't matter because all the teams will have slews of 95+ rated guys 3 or 4 years in.

# 32 carnalnirvana @ 07/20/09 03:55 PM

i have not finished my first official season so i cant comment on the excessive progression....

i do know, people asked for progression and they should know with EA its always a tale of two extremes. it works too mell or not well at all..........

i get your point on the presentation but its hard for me to relate i dont care about cut scenes that much

also, i disagree with 50 guys pre determined for elite progression, that may make it too scripted but it should better handled

# 33 fistofrage @ 07/20/09 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carnalnirvava


	i have not finished my first official season so i cant comment on the excessive progression.... i do know, people asked for progression and they should know with EA its always a tale of two extremes. it works too mell or not well at all.......... i get your point on the presentation but its hard for me to relate i dont care about cut scenes that much also, i disagree with 50 guys pre determined for elite progression, that may make it too scripted but it should better handled

Last year the progression I thought was pretty decent. It was always a big day when the season ended and the online dynasty would look at progression. We had some 3* guys get up in the 90s. We also had some 4* guys flounder in the low to mid 80's. The 5* guys came in too high and could usually make an impact right away, specifically because speed was the only thing that mattered. But they took not 1, but 2 steps back last this year.

# 34 motormooseAJC1 @ 07/20/09 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cj7298419


	Wow, very good post Logic. The people at EA would probably laugh at these ideas and say "Lol, they really want all of that?! In your dreams!"

True. At least until someone pulls out an old copy of ESPN NFL 2k5, then they'll start crying.

I know it's beating a dead horse, especially here at OS, but come on. If an original xbox game can at least come close to all the things Logic wants in a game, shouldn't the next gen games be able to do that as well? It just seems like EA is so set on not copying the 2K series that they're really wasting the money spent on the ESPN license. I think that's a little short-sighted on their part, especially when you consider how much more they'd probably make on the game just from a little presentation improvement and integration. But hey, just my opinion...I don't expect them to change...

# 35 Hipster-Doofus @ 07/20/09 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carnalnirvava


	i read mm chris's review. thought it was off but its his editorial so thats ok. My question is what do people expect from video games as of 2009. i keep seeing people talk about presentation, what is good presentation? every review i have read about this game NOWHERE does it mention that the cpu plays football... on third and long they try to get the first down aggressively..... NOWHERE ..... now i admit different people like this game for different reasons but PRESENTATION is so subjective what can they really do, for example i want a tailgating mini game, he wants marching bands, my brother wants corso predictions, my cousin wants highlights of impact players, now from this list on any given year someone is going to be upset c'mon.... gameplay is something we can all agree on they need to get that right and this game plays really well if you are not a cheeser online or off. does it have glitches, which game does not...

Although I agree with the fact that EA can't make everyone happy, the rest of your post is way of touch IMO. They can't make everyone happy, so they do nothing? I don't quite understand that theory. With that logic, nothing, ever in life, would get done. Not pleasing everyone is just the way the world works, and it's apart of everyday situations.

I just want you go take a look at the new Madden videos....you don't think presentation is important?...well....the devs of Madden did.

Atmosphere is what makes College Football IMO the greatest sport on earth. This game is laking in that department big time. It just feels like playing Madden, with decent gameplay and using college teams. I don't want that, I want it to feel like College Football, I want the "College Feel" to implemented into this game. I want them to capture what College Football is really about. It's not about the "game play" for god sake....it's about the bands, the 80,000 fans yelling like a bunch of drunken mobsters, it's about the student sections...the atmostphere is what is important here.

As far as the prsentation is concerned, you know as well as I do that it is flat out Lame. This presentation rivals that of Bill Walsh College Football 93....(sarcastic of coarse). The presentation is just another aspect in helping this game create more of a "college feel" to it, and thats the most important thing.

If all I cared about was gameplay, I'd just buy Madden and not worry about NCAA. Gameplay is obviously important, but there needs to be some seperation, some "difference" in the two games other then the teams used. That difference should be atmosphere/presentation, because in reality, that is the main difference.

# 36 seanmac @ 07/20/09 06:00 PM

I don't know, I would argue that the things that make college football feel like a different animal from the pro game are fairly straightforward:

1) The quality of play is much, much worse.
2) The games are generally lopsided and uninteresting, as there is a tremendous disparity in the talent level between top and bottom teams.
3) There are a lot more variety to the schemes, as teams try to find unusual offenses or defenses that allow them to make up for the aforementioned talent disparity.

Being primarily an NFL fan who has nevertheless caught a good number of college games live, I have to say that the poor quality of the play always made more of an impression on me than, say, the student section (which exists mostly to torment anyone who is actually trying to watch the game instead of frat boys pulling Jack Daniels bottles through their flies and girls banging thunder sticks together). Which is to say that I think that presentation isn't where NCAA fails to model the sport. Instead, the overall quality of the play should be sloppier.

# 37 texbuk84 @ 07/20/09 06:18 PM

after playing the game its pretty solid. i have no complaints. i'm rebuilding colorado state into a powerhouse team and its a blast

# 38 carnalnirvana @ 07/20/09 06:57 PM

seanmac, lol hahahah nah man college sports is the last pure version of all sports we have left, especially in basketball and football...

their pro counterparts and a bunch of over-paid divas who mock the hard work of the past generations.....

but back on topic, Hipster....

you are right a college game is soo energized its a unique experience. I just dont see how that can be captured, Personally when i play my games i am hyped because:

i am using SMU vs Michigan in a season game( i scheduled them) but knowing i have no shot to be honest is the challenge i get up for....

i just fail to see how what you mentioned can be implemented with out it becoming some stupid cut scene ofter 10 games. i am imagining myself in my living room watching a game nothing you mentioned gets me hyped to watch the game at noon....

what gets anyone hyped is the PLAYS ON THE FIELD the match ups, the big names, the future NFL'ers

what i think hurts this game is that the players dont have any personality so we try to use the school tradition to form an artmosphere

the only cut scene i would want which i think they could improve presentation is rivalry games, rivalries should have an entrance animation

but yes overall i guess it could be better,,, GAMEPLAY THOUGH GAMEPLAY...........

# 39 Hipster-Doofus @ 07/20/09 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carnalnirvava


	seanmac, lol hahahah nah man college sports is the last pure version of all sports we have left, especially in basketball and football... their pro counterparts and a bunch of over-paid divas who mock the hard work of the past generations..... but back on topic, Hipster.... you are right a college game is soo energized its a unique experience. I just dont see how that can be captured, Personally when i play my games i am hyped because: i am using SMU vs Michigan in a season game( i scheduled them) but knowing i have no shot to be honest is the challenge i get up for.... i just fail to see how what you mentioned can be implemented with out it becoming some stupid cut scene ofter 10 games. i am imagining myself in my living room watching a game nothing you mentioned gets me hyped to watch the game at noon.... what gets anyone hyped is the PLAYS ON THE FIELD the match ups, the big names, the future NFL'ers what i think hurts this game is that the players dont have any personality so we try to use the school tradition to form an artmosphere the only cut scene i would want which i think they could improve presentation is rivalry games, rivalries should have an entrance animation but yes overall i guess it could be better,,, GAMEPLAY THOUGH GAMEPLAY...........

I see what your saying, and I guess I was venting over the wrong thing. What I was arguing about is not the presentation persay, but more the atmosphere of the game. When the bands play after a big play, it seems like they don't even want to be there.....no excitement. When you break a long run, at a Key point in the game....all the fans in the stands are two busy texting on their IPhones and not paying any attention. When you break a long run, or get into the EndZone with 1 minute left to go ahead, every just goes back to huddle and you are left to celebrate on your own, (oh yeah the mascot....haha give me a break).

There is a lack of excitement, a lack of emotion, a lack of, well atmosphere. Your right, you don't watch the games for the presentation, you watch them for what they are...games. However watching a Ohio State Michigan game, with no excitement on the field or in the stands would drastically change the way you look at college football forever.

"Oh yeah, they did implement the Defense....Defense....Defense chant". But when was the last time you watched a game being played in the Swamp and 90,000 fans were yelling Defense....Defense.....Defense? They yell like a bunch of drunken mobster....until their voices go out.

I guess I might be nit picking here, however I just feel that EA could capture the essence of the game so much better. Maybe I'm looking into this to much, I mean, I am playing the hell out of this game so I guess EA did to something right. or maybe it's because it's my only option. I'm not asking EA to capture the college football experience perfectly, and give me the same emotions and excitement I get from watching it, all I'm asking them to do it Try. Try and make it as close as possible, don't jsut "go through the motions" on the very thing, the very reason we are even playing.

# 40 seanmac @ 07/20/09 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carnalnirvava


	seanmac, lol hahahah nah man college sports is the last pure version of all sports we have left, especially in basketball and football... their pro counterparts and a bunch of over-paid divas who mock the hard work of the past generations....

Purity is being able to execute the plays properly. As it stands, college athletes have less time to practice than high school students do. Which is to say that the college players are over-paid (because they are most certainly paid) divas who don't put in the hard work that professionals do and then put an inferior product on the field.

And I was quite serious- the primary problem with NCAA is not presentation but the fact that players should be much more limited as compared to Madden.

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