Madden NFL 11 News Post

Out of Bounds: The Billion Dollar Elephant in the Room

01:57 PM - August 11, 2010 by RaychelSnr

Tuesday marked the beginning of what many would consider a secular holiday. While there were no trees, candles, or even aluminum poles and feats of strengths, Tuesday marks the beginning of many long, wasted nights filled with cans of downed cokes, missed meals and social engagements. It's an event that has grown so large that economists now chart its impact, which has grown into the billions.

Let's be honest here, you're probably going to buy Madden 11 if you're a football fan -- assuming you haven't already purchased it. I know I'm going to buy Madden 11. It's a cultural moment. A time in which you know anyone and everyone who cares the smallest iota about sports video games will be playing the same game. All other sports games pale in comparison to the type of influence the little football-game-that-could has exerted over the years.

Read More - Out of Bounds: The Billion Dollar Elephant in the Room

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Member Comments

# 1 turftickler @ 08/11/10 02:11 PM

This is a good read, but let's face it. There will be a lot of current and old fans of the Madden NFL series that will be passing on Madden 11. I, for one, will not be purchasing Madden 11.

I will be sticking with Backbreaker even though it does lack all of the real NFL stuff, we can still create our on NFL Rosters, Teams, and Logos. This is not a Backbreaker vs. Madden 11 post. This is a post about having a different choice even if it is not an NFL based game.

I am a true football fan and I will be 100% honest. Madden 11 did not deliver that experience for me, but Backbreaker has. I went through the training and learned how to play the game the way it was designed to be played and I love it.

Maybe next year, Madden 12 might be a purchase, but Madden 11 is not.

# 2 therockstar2005 @ 08/11/10 02:15 PM

Too true. It's not that Madden is bad, as (admittedly after one game) I like it. But the lack of competition does seem to be having an impact. Competition helps breed creativity. Look at NBA 2k vs NBA Live/Elite/Whatever it's called this week. They seem to go back and forth trying to innovate, and the competition seems to improve the overall games. NBA Live had improved by leaps and bounds last year, and it may surprise as Elite this year, but 2k also looks strong. Last year 2k had the NBA Today, by far one of the coolest features as far as presentation yet, and this year NBA Elite has upped its game with ESPN presentation (allegedly). It's just a shame to wonder what Madden might be like if NFL 2k was still around, or what both of them might be like.

# 3 Triathlete_201 @ 08/11/10 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMChrisS


	Let's be honest here, *you're probably going to buy Madden 11* if you're a football fan**

Partially true, but for me, mainly because it's the only option for an NFL game out there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by therockstar2005


	It's just a shame to wonder what Madden might be like if NFL 2k was still around, or what both of them might be like.

I would LOVE it if that were the case..even better yet, NFL QB club, NFL Gameday, NFL fever to have even more choice and competition.

# 4 joec63 @ 08/11/10 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMChrisS


	Still, though, this is not about Madden versus NFL 2K

lol, yes it is...It's about Madden vs blankety blank NFL11. Same thing.

# 5 ryan36 @ 08/11/10 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triathlete_201


	Partially true, but for me, mainly because it's the only option for an NFL game out there.

I think that's the point. They know by now about what the game's gonna sell every year, and that's all the innovation required.

# 6 BezO @ 08/11/10 02:34 PM

Nice article! Less buying it every year and getting back to NCAA, you took the words right out of my mouth.

# 7 TreFacTor @ 08/11/10 02:44 PM

I refuse to buy Madden until I see what the first patch addresses. In it's current form it's not worth $60. Whit so much just copied and pasted I have a hard time trying to see why the game ships every year with the same issues, or even with issues regarding new features that they spent so much time implementing. For now BackBreaker has my support, but their first patch breaks more than it fixes so it's a no win situation right now.

# 8 Keohane15 @ 08/11/10 02:49 PM

For anyone saying that backbreaker is better, you have to be smoking something. The physics engine is great, but the game brings nothing to the table gameplay wise. The camera is awful and the patch completely broke the running game.

# 9 Hova57 @ 08/11/10 03:06 PM

Chris how is it you can post an article like this knowing its going to invoke who game is better or why _________game is garbage. honestly all that article was a to each his own write up. sure many people got madden and alot don't like it. but the same can be said bout backbreaker and ncaa . if you want the truth NCAA is the best out of all three games. There are things in backbreaker that could improve madden and ncaa greatly, but the same can be said of what madden and ncaa has to bring to the table. As far as the nfl debate that some are going with. Its out of the other companies hands its purely up to the NFL. If you want NFL on other companies they need to produce something that could prove to the NFL that it will make money. the NFL isn't interested in anything that's not going to make money. From a gamers perspective yeah competition would invoke innovation, but at this point we could keep wishing and hoping, but doubtful it will happen. Backbreaker is the only thing that could help which i think it has. its seems the physics cycle is making its way around EA so one would think there football games would be next up for 12 series of football games.

# 10 DubTrey1 @ 08/11/10 03:10 PM

In the end, it always comes down to consumer choice at the register - and we all only have the one choice, it's unfortunate but the only show is town has us all by the short hairs. However, at least for me, I am a fan of football first, and of the NFL second - so at least for me, I got my fix for the year with NCAA11. Thank goodness for that.

I will resign myself to just watching my team on Sundays instead of running with them on the virtual gridiron.

# 11 AzureEffect @ 08/11/10 03:21 PM

NCAA 11 Online Dynasty = No purchase of Madden 11...especially since no Online Franchise updates were made.

Backbreaker= Physics with potential; another patch would be nice

2K8= Player abilities + 2Ks great Football engine..great game that lacks depth.

NFL 2K5 w/ Updated Rosters= Best total package NFL Football experience. It gets the big things right; while sweating the small details as well.

# 12 Other Guy @ 08/11/10 04:21 PM

Stagnant. That was the perfect word to describe the Madden franchise. It's unbelievable how many of the same reoccurring issues plague this franchise year after year after year. It's unbelievable how many features are still missing from last gen. It's unbelievable how many important items have been on the wishlist for years, and still have not been added. I'm not trying to bash the game in anyway, but I'm just stating it for what it is.

For me personally, I've felt less and less interest in each version of Madden since the switch to next gen. I bought Madden 10, and gave it away after 3 months. That was by far the least time I'd played any Madden. This year I haven't even purchased the game, and I don't plan to.

Again, I don't want to bash this game, or compare it to any other game. I'm just really disappointed with the lack of improvements over the years. It's to the point where I don't even play anymore.

# 13 AndyP @ 08/11/10 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dewie12


	EA in general does not consistently build on its titles.

Exactly. It not only appears to have no vision - the focus seems to change on a year by year basis, often with the result that the big feature of the previous year is either left out the following year or left unchanged - but also they don't seem to know what they want in the game. Sim ? Arcade ? This straddling the line between the two just isn't working for me.

# 14 blklightning @ 08/11/10 04:55 PM

Quote:


	the only football-game-that-could

that's better.

come on now. it's not like they're the underdog out there. they're the only dog out there.

# 15 EQuipT @ 08/11/10 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 7stringking


	i think Madden 11 will be the game that at long last delivers a semi realistic NFL experience from EA...and the funny thing is i haven't got it yet..NCAA is making me happy, and without the same expectations from a college game as i have for an NFL game, i am enjoying without feeling like i am being shortchanged..but if NCAA is any indication, then Madden 11 will probably be the best one yet...and will anyone notice???...EA has delivered too many unrealistic football games in the past and they may be paying for it this year......which is too bad as they may be on track now.hopefully 2k will be able to make an NCAA football game next year and we will have some choice again...i don't consider backbreaker a choice

its not, ncaa is alot better game. this madden is just a repackaged version of last years game and what was added sucks anyway.

# 16 wallofhate @ 08/11/10 05:06 PM

This article is exactly how I feel and greatly written! It's almost to the point where I laugh at myself for buying the game day 1 because I know for a fact there are 1-2 patches that I'm goin to have to wait for weeks after spending my $60. I know the Madden team works hard its just it bothers me to instead of something made better they just change it to seemingly say "we did something" I'm 28 years old and like a lot of us that have been playing madden since the beginning its a strange love hate relationship with madden. It's a good game but not a great game and I'm getting the feeling that EA sports is fine with that but this marginally better Madden has ran its course with me.

# 17 mva5580 @ 08/11/10 05:33 PM

There are problems with Madden, always will be. It's never going to change.

I just think that it's time for the user base at sites like this to accept that they are the EXTREME minority, and if anything should be grateful that EA puts as much effort as they do into making the game as realistic as it currently is. Because let's face it, most people just don't care. I'll bet you right now that a good percentage of the people who play this game aren't even aware that sliders exist, let alone care about going in and messing around with them. They just want to buy the game, play it with updated rosters/uniforms/etc, and have what their definition of fun is. Because their's is obviously different from people like us on this site.

To me, it's not fun to be able to drop back and fire 50 yard TD passes all day. To people like that, it's great. And some of it has to do with the age of those people playing, but some of it is just flat out not caring whether or not it's an ultra-realistic representation of the NFL.

And then you have to consider how far do you go with "Realistic?" For example say you're the Lions and you're playing against the Saints. Should you lose that game 99% of the time? ALWAYS, no matter what difficulty level the game is on, no matter how good you personally are at the game, etc? Because so often I hear people complain about "robo QB," defenders always batting balls down, too many injuries, and whatever else. Ok so if that stuff is actually set on a realistic level, we'd all be losing A LOT more than we do. If you really want the CPU AI to play you as the actual NFL team would play you, then you're not going 15-1, 14-2, 13-3 with very many teams in the game. If ever. And you'd rarely ever win the Super Bowl, as that's obviously REALLY hard to do. So are you ok with that? Or do you want it realistic, but realistic to the point of always being able to win? Where does it stop? And who defines where it stops?

It's impossible to navigate. It just is. And those people who some of us call "casuals" are probably going to get the most attention because they are the majority. Always will be. I just think that for how much people harp on demanding the game to be absolutely as realistic as possible, a lot of those same people would have a problem with how difficult the game was if it truly was that realistic.

# 18 Hova57 @ 08/11/10 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mva5580


	There are problems with Madden, always will be. It's never going to change. I just think that it's time for the user base at sites like this to accept that they are the EXTREME minority, and if anything should be grateful that EA puts as much effort as they do into making the game as realistic as it currently is. Because let's face it, most people just don't care. I'll bet you right now that a good percentage of the people who play this game aren't even aware that sliders exist, let alone care about going in and messing around with them. They just want to buy the game, play it with updated rosters/uniforms/etc, and have what their definition of fun is. Because their's is obviously different from people like us on this site. To me, it's not fun to be able to drop back and fire 50 yard TD passes all day. To people like that, it's great. And some of it has to do with the age of those people playing, but some of it is just flat out not caring whether or not it's an ultra-realistic representation of the NFL. And then you have to consider how far do you go with "Realistic?" For example say you're the Lions and you're playing against the Saints. Should you lose that game 99% of the time? ALWAYS, no matter what difficulty level the game is on, no matter how good you personally are at the game, etc? Because so often I hear people complain about "robo QB," defenders always batting balls down, too many injuries, and whatever else. Ok so if that stuff is actually set on a realistic level, we'd all be losing A LOT more than we do. If you really want the CPU AI to play you as the actual NFL team would play you, then you're not going 15-1, 14-2, 13-3 with very many teams in the game. If ever. And you'd rarely ever win the Super Bowl, as that's obviously REALLY hard to do. So are you ok with that? Or do you want it realistic, but realistic to the point of always being able to win? Where does it stop? And who defines where it stops? It's impossible to navigate. It just is. And those people who some of us call "casuals" are probably going to get the most attention because they are the majority. Always will be. I just think that for how much people harp on demanding the game to be absolutely as realistic as possible, a lot of those same people would have a problem with how difficult the game was if it truly was that realistic.

very good post. as far as you question where does it stop as far as realistic. i think most would agree at this point getting the physics of the game where most would be happy. for example tacklin and not sliding off each other seeing the body move based on hits. ball have some weight yet being able to put it over heads and in breadbasket. stuff like that.

# 19 Vikes1 @ 08/11/10 06:01 PM

Myself, and maybe some others, aren't even exactly sure why Madden just doesn't appeal to you any longer.

I don't know....is it just the same ole same ole feeling. Or pretty much knowing it'll most likely be a several weeks wait for patches to fix things that are hard to believe weren't fixed it the first place. Or how these issues ever got through to the retail version. But here they are again.

Personally, I believe Madden in two player mode is a dang solid gaming experience. But I spend the majority of my time vs the cpu. And to be honest...playing vs the AI, I always have the feeling I'm cheating...or being cheated. And that just doesn't provide a satisfying gaming experience. And no matter the settings I've tried for several years...I just can't shake that feeling. I think this more than anything has spoiled my Madden gaming.

I realize other sports game AI could use some work as well. But imo...Madden needs some serious AI attention, before I'll consider buying again.

# 20 goalie @ 08/11/10 10:17 PM

just wanted to say that this is a good read... nicely written, good style...

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