Madden NFL 11 News Post

Madden NFL 11 Hands-On Impressions (Kotaku)

09:03 AM - April 26, 2010 by Steve_OS

Kotaku has posted their hands-on impressions of Madden NFL 11.

Quote:


	"If you'd like to play video game football but you stink at it, don't worry. The next Madden will put a voice in your ear, telling you how to excel. Kotaku recently had the opportunity to try the "Gameflow" feature of this summer's Madden NFL 11. It is the latest tool concocted by the Madden makers at Electronic Arts to make the game more accessible to those who have not kept up with the series' 20-some iterations. It's something the series has needed, given stagnating sales and, from what EA says, a growing crowd of both lapsed Madden gamers and those, like the author of this post, who just can't seem to get into the game because they can't get good at it. The Gameflow feature in Madden NFL 10 is optional and is overlaid atop the standard football games that anyone will play off of EA's disc. It's not a special mode of football. It's an aid for playing classic video game football. With Gameflow activated, the feature picks football plays for the Madden gamer at every moment where a play is necessary � be it offense, defense, the time when you need to punt, go for fourth down or prepare for a blitz. The feature tells you which play you will do next � out loud � if you have a headset plugged in, and even sketches the play and highlights the best way to execute it in red, so that you can never be an awful Madden player again."

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Member Comments

# 1 bonannogiovanni @ 04/26/10 09:21 AM

Excuse me, but I don't understand what's the substantial difference between Gameflow and the traditional AskMadden feature. Can anyone point it out to me? Thanks.

# 2 mm boost @ 04/26/10 09:25 AM

Because ask madden was pretty much, PICK THIS PLAY...YOU WILL SUCCEED. Gameflow is more hands on and the coach explains what needs to be done for each play to work correctly. It will bring up different plays that are finely tuned for each situation, not just a random pick play. Big difference.

# 3 NYyankz225 @ 04/26/10 09:35 AM

"The idea of Gameflow, Cummings said, is to feel like you are a head coach who has an offensive coordinator picking the plays for you. It makes playing Madden a whole lot easier and is designed to be deactivated in stages, dropping the audio or the text, as the gamer feels more comfortable shouldering their football responsibilities."

# 4 nuckles2k2 @ 04/26/10 09:43 AM

# 5 djordan @ 04/26/10 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by granddogg


	o my god valdaze was right..sorry bro

What u mean by that?

# 6 roadman @ 04/26/10 10:00 AM

This was a terribly written hands-on preview.

They tried to capture an audience of 6 yr olds.

# 7 Valdarez @ 04/26/10 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYyankz225


	"The idea of Gameflow, Cummings said, is to feel like you are a head coach who has an offensive coordinator picking the plays for you. It makes playing Madden a whole lot easier and is designed to be deactivated in stages, dropping the audio or the text, as the gamer feels more comfortable shouldering their football responsibilities."

It's a feature targeted towards inexperienced players.

# 8 lolfalconsbeatu @ 04/26/10 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonannogiovanni


	Excuse me, but I don't understand what's the substantial difference between Gameflow and the traditional AskMadden feature. Can anyone point it out to me? Thanks.

Gameflow is more 'on the fly' play calling, and unlike 'Ask Madden', you can actually set a game plan before the game where it will call the plays you want it to call in the midst of 'Gameflow'.

I'm not exactly sure how it will work yet, but I think we will be able to see the differences between this and Ask Madden...

# 9 RGiles36 @ 04/26/10 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valdarez


	It's a feature targeted towards inexperienced players.

I believe some of the previews that are out have commented that there is a level of depth to the Gameflow feature. That said, I'm not so sure it's as cut and dry as "a feature targeted towards inexperienced players."

# 10 coogrfan @ 04/26/10 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valdarez


	It's a feature targeted towards inexperienced players.

It's certainly going to be an aid to newbs, but the gameplanning element makes it a sim-gamers dream as well.

# 11 Valdarez @ 04/26/10 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgiles36


	I believe some of the previews that are out have commented that there is a level of depth to the Gameflow feature. That said, I'm not so sure it's as cut and dry as "a feature targeted towards inexperienced players."

Pretty much everyone has stated it's geared towards newer players. I've read about the customization and iTunes rating system. Still looks targeted towards new players. Hardcore players wanted the ability to edit their playbooks to support their play calling tendencies, not to setup a GamePlan so the AI would call the plays for them.

# 12 Bgamer90 @ 04/26/10 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodriggo


	Gameflow is completely worthless to me. It's going to take up whatever memory it takes up on the game disc and means that some feature that might actually add to my enjoyment of the game won't be there because, correct me if I'm wrong, EA wants to create a game experience that caters to the person who buys Madden and has NO idea how to play it. Who is that? Regardless of who this customer is I can tell you that if you've been playing video football for more than two decades, you have to realize that the future does not include us. We are being phased out. In two years, the only Madden that comes out will be on the Wii and it'll have big cartoon player models and frilly little avatars so your girlfriends can play online. All EA does is come up with stupid * to justify coming out with a game every year. How about running controls? Bringing back leadblocking? Stadium Music? Taking out repetitive and boring cut scenes, and speeding up the game speed? Creating a playoff environment? Creating a game that is challenging and fun? What do we get? Gameflow, a playcalling tutorial. ** me.

Yeah let's forget all about the new locomotion engine, the new dual stick control, turbo being off on default, along with the fact that not everything has been said yet about the game.

lol really don't get some of you guys...

# 13 Klocker @ 04/26/10 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodriggo


	Gameflow is completely worthless to me. It's going to take up whatever memory it takes up on the game disc and means that some feature that might actually add to my enjoyment of the game won't be there because, correct me if I'm wrong, EA wants to create a game experience that caters to the person who buys Madden and has NO idea how to play it. Who is that? Regardless of who this customer is I can tell you that if you've been playing video football for more than two decades, you have to realize that the future does not include us. We are being phased out. In two years, the only Madden that comes out will be on the Wii and it'll have big cartoon player models and frilly little avatars so your girlfriends can play online. All EA does is come up with stupid * to justify coming out with a game every year. How about running controls? Bringing back leadblocking? Stadium Music? Taking out repetitive and boring cut scenes, and speeding up the game speed? Creating a playoff environment? Creating a game that is challenging and fun? What do we get? Gameflow, a playcalling tutorial. ** me.

oh no! change the way we USED to do things! ahhhh!!! *runs screaming away from anything different without even trying it*

# 14 Bgamer90 @ 04/26/10 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valdarez


	Hardcore players wanted the ability to edit their playbooks to support their play calling tendencies, not to setup a GamePlan so the AI would call the plays for them.

Custom playbooks are confirmed to not be in?

# 15 Bgamer90 @ 04/26/10 12:45 PM

^^Then turn the option for it back on when you get the game.

Problem solved. Next caller...

# 16 Valdarez @ 04/26/10 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bgamer90


	Custom playbooks are confirmed to not be in?

No, but there's been no talk of custom playbooks to date.

# 17 PantherBeast_OS @ 04/26/10 12:57 PM

Well I think gameflow is going to be a ok feature and all. But I'm really waiting to see what they have done with offline franchise mode then anything. I really doubt I will every use the game flow and all. I never did like using ask madden. I wheather choose my own plays instead.

# 18 Blazelore @ 04/26/10 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Legend Killer


	Well I think gameflow is going to be a ok feature and all. But I'm really waiting to see what they have done with offline franchise mode then anything. I really doubt I will every use the game flow and all. I never did like using ask madden. I wheather choose my own plays instead.

I second that. I want to know what details went into the offline franchise.

# 19 roadman @ 04/26/10 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodriggo


	You're right, everything is nailed down tight, let's add an optional feature that calls plays for you? As if having Madden suggesting plays wasn't enough, let's actually create a AI that maps them out according to last year's real life tendencies? WTF? What a collosal waste of time and disk space.

Are you aware that you can call the plays you want before the game starts? You can have the CPU call the plays if you want, but Gameplan allows you to call the plays before the game starts.

Sounds to me you just think the CPU calls the play for different situations.

# 20 Klocker @ 04/26/10 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodriggo


	Why would I want to call plays before a game starts?

do you know how a real NFL game is played in 2010?

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