Madden NFL 11 News Post

Madden NFL 11: Ian Cummings Interview

12:20 PM - August 19, 2010 by RaychelSnr

OS recently had the chance to speak with Madden NFL 11’s creative director Ian Cummings during a conference call. Check out the interview below.

Operation Sports: How does the "shoulders squared locomotion" feature function? Can you comment on the philosophy behind it? It would appear that players naturally want to turn it up field -- when was this idea brought to the table?

Ian Cummings: The locomotion system for us was about really getting back to the core of the game, you know? We just had so many problems that we couldn’t really solve with the old system, and so one of the big facets of locomotion is actually layered animation. And, typically a run cycle is a small clip of animation, but what we have been able to do with layers (we implemented a little bit of it in Madden NFL 10 with quarterbacks being able to throw out of sacks early) is really the ability to separate the parts of upper body from the lower body.

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Member Comments

# 41 roadman @ 08/19/10 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaSmerg


	I really wish that Ian would simply take ownership of some of the pretty blatantly obvious build decisions that the team has made for Madden in the past 3 years. This current team seems more inclined to make a more watered down game for the masses. I am not implying some sort of wrongedness or a gotcha type thing. If that's what they want to do, and they can make money doing it, awesome! But at least some folks out here can just worry about looking elsewhere. Thanks for the interview OS. It's nice that Tiburon has opened up on what used to be the black box of Madden development. [/left]

I agree up to that point.

I think 10 was a huge leap from 9, but I don't think that 11 was as much of a leap as 10.

Also, I don't know if you can put the whole thing on Ian's head and shoulders. There is also upper management to contend with plus marketing.

I'll take the direction that 10 and 11 appear to be headed vs 06-09 any day of the week.

It has a ways to go, yet, though.

Plus, Tibouran is build in a different studio than FIFA. Budgets might be tighter than anyone thinks, Tibouran laid off a good chunk of their work force a year ago.

# 42 Tengo Juego @ 08/19/10 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannyr326


	Does anybody know when they will re-implement the old pre-play adjustments back instead of being forced to use the strategy pad? I really hope they bring back the old PS2 pre-play controls with the ability to shade an individual WR, bump an individual WR/ Double Cover. What happened to "spotlighting" a WR from last years game?? Why do they keep trashing the great pre-play controls?

It's supposed to be included as DLC around the start of the NFL season. So, early September.

# 43 DJ @ 08/19/10 07:23 PM

Would've liked to have seen a question about if the CPU QBs throwing out of sacks will be addressed. I do get sacks but still most of the time you get close to the QB, they throw it away (and it's a perfect spiral, too, not a wobbler) just before they get hit.

# 44 DaSmerg @ 08/19/10 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadman


	I agree up to that point. I think 10 was a huge leap from 9, but I don't think that 11 was as much of a leap as 10. ...I'll take the direction that 10 and 11 appear to be headed vs 06-09 any day of the week. It has a ways to go, yet, though.

I'm just going to have to very strongly disagree with you on what you have perceived to be the evolution of Madden.

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadman


	Also, I don't know if you can put the whole thing on Ian's head and shoulders. There is also upper management to contend with plus marketing. ...Plus, Tibouran is build in a different studio than FIFA. Budgets might be tighter than anyone thinks, Tibouran laid off a good chunk of their work force a year ago.

Ian directly said EA Sports titles. 90% of my beef wouldn't be with Ian if this was a decision from above.

I'm afraid I would end up totally derailing this thread by going into more details plus I'd prefer to read what others are thinking. That is the nature of a lurker shall we say

. It sounds like we might agree more than disagree though.

# 45 Benicio10 @ 08/19/10 07:50 PM

The biggest problem is that Madden is in an identity crisis phase. Ian mentioned tuning the game towards offense to keep the fun. But he doesn't realize that that isn't fun for us. It's frustrating because you can't play D.

Realism = fun.

# 46 xylocaine @ 08/19/10 07:57 PM

The Online quitter part confused me... is he saying it's a "bug"

it seems to me then the same bug is in NCAA 11?

# 47 gabs485 @ 08/19/10 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreyIM2


	Many of the issues I posted about on the feedback site are touched on here, and even two I forgot to include which was CPU QB quick snaps(btw, I ONLY play with accel. clock OFF and that doesn't make a diff) and kick return blocking but I did mention blocking, overall, because as a point of reference, NCAA 11 is not AS bad since the blocking in that game feels much better than in Madden 11, overall. I've taken it to the house on kickoffs AND punts in NCAA 11. Not at all in Madden 11. Ian - If you are reading, CPU QB quick snaps not only affects pre-snap adjustments but the realism the game. QBs IRL don't always quick snap. We just need varying snap times. Many times, teams are trying to milk the play clock before snapping, unless, of course, they are in hurry up O. It would be easier to accept that I couldn't complete my adjustments if I the CPU QB suddenly goes quick snap on a given play than if he were doing it all the time, which is the case in Madden 11, still. Remember how for Madden 09, u guys patched that? As for kick return blocking, we just ask that our blockers do their job. I stated in my post on the feedback site that I believe that the locomotion is now affecting some things such as blocking with slow, over-animating turns by blockers and the coverage deally where guys are just standing and watching the plays unfold instead of just reacting, at times. Kick return blocking has always been an issue, though. We need that fixed, mayne I do agree about the twisty-turny deally. I usually don't do it because the heat of the moment and if I do remember to twist, I usually do it the wrong way because of the "inverseness" of which way the players' back turns in relation to the right joystick motion. Doesn't seem intuitive to me...Actually, I don't think I've done it in Madden 11; only in NCAA 11. Eh. PA DEFINITELY needs to be fixed. Feels like too many jail breaks going on there. Lol. I'll be lucky to hit my FB out in the flat many a time. Plus, I think Sanchize should be faster than many of these D-linemen who seem to be able to chase me down when I have to turbo-ize the situation. I play with auto-turbo but, of course, u have to use turbo to scramble past the LOS as the QB. Maybe that's making some weird difference but then again, in NCAA, my QB(s) outrun(s) the linemen. Anyway, I'm getting used to Madden 11. Still frustrating aspects of the game that make me wanna throw ish but if things can be patched, I'll be more than happy.

That is what really makes me angry at Madden developers, I dont like EA that much but this is entirely on the developers. Every time that there's an issue with the game, they just make corrections. Instead of eliminating the root cause of the problem that guarantees that it wont happen again. These developers have not knowledge in quality control whatsoever.

They are unable to meet our requirements, they do not have the competences to guarantee their customer satisfaction. Recurring issues are not EA directors faults, its the Developers that do not take the correctives/preventive actions when issues afloat. EA needs to form their developers with quality control knowledge, who are process oriented and think about improving continually.

For me it is unacceptable that Madden 11 have some of the same issues Madden 06 had. Even more, issues that were fixed in between version, reappear in the latest.

That is just shameful.

P.S. Im not judging the developers competence to design or create video games, I recognize that they are more than capable. But there are certain areas (Quality Control, Process Standardization) in which they have not knowledge of.

# 48 PantherBeast_OS @ 08/19/10 08:28 PM

This is a good interview with Ian. Good read aswell. But my concern has to be on the front 4 lineman getting pushed around and pushed the groud be the AI olineman way to much on all pro setting on running plays alot of times. I know Ian and madden crew vision this year was to make the run blocking better. But it seems to me the oline are way to strong and smart in the running Game. I'm seeing Viking front 4 getting pushed around like rag dolls by the AI olinemanwhile the AI gets big chucks of yards on run every down most of the time. I understand some teams might not have that good of a front 4 to stop the run. But the Vikings front 4 is one of the best in league at stopping the run. But yet it seems the AI oline always overpowers them wheather good or not. The D is concerning me the most about madden 11. But overall the game is good and I can't complain that it ain't. But the glaring issue to me is mainly the D in getting to the AI for sacks and having trouble stopping the run because the AI olineman is way to powerful on the run blocking.

# 49 dat boi Q @ 08/19/10 09:11 PM

i really think these interviews come off real pointless when you cant or wont go at these guys.
After 3 or 4 years of interviews with ian you can almost know whats he going to say.Whats really funny its that his answers for a problem is another problem
swarm the ball but players just fall down or flop

turn off accel clock but it doesnt make a difference

by now their should be no excuses
how is it that nba elite can start all over in one year but madden cant seem to build off of what they all ready have stop adding and complete and fine tune all the other stuff that they praise about the year before

# 50 Acedeck @ 08/20/10 02:07 PM

I'm horrified that Ian actually thinks kick returns are "more accurate" this year. They are absolutely horrible. Maybe the average return is closer to reality, statistically, but they don't play out the way they should whatsoever. Kick return blocking, as well as pursuit, is just pitiful in Madden 11. That's not the only problem with the game obviously, but I do find it disturbing that they don't think there's much wrong with it. Techmo Bowl had better kick off gameplay.

# 51 z4ckdabeast @ 08/20/10 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benicio10


	The biggest problem is that Madden is in an identity crisis phase. Ian mentioned tuning the game towards offense to keep the fun. But he doesn't realize that that isn't fun for us. It's frustrating because you can't play D. Realism = fun.

So you loved the QB vision cone? That was realistic.

# 52 mr_president @ 08/20/10 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by z4ckdabeast


	So you loved the QB vision cone? That was realistic.

the idea of vision cone was good , the execution of vision cone was terrible.

# 53 angrynewyorker @ 08/21/10 07:32 AM

If you're gonna revamp Franchise Mode, for the love of god at 80 man rosters for the offseason, let us plan training camp, have an IR list that actually works like it should, have progression stats like in The Show so you can actually see if Vernon Gholston is worth holding onto. Oh, and differentiate between restricted and unrestricted free agency. But then you'd have a perfect Franchise Mode, so I dunno if you'd wanna do that.

# 54 xX CASCABEL Xx @ 08/21/10 01:02 PM

same thing every year, uh, were going to patch it, why not test the game before it goes out, what if they built cars or or planes, CRASH!!!

# 55 PumaAura @ 08/21/10 01:09 PM

The game went gold how long ago and they knew the defense was terrible, the game was choppy/laggy. I guess they sat on their hands for a month and used us to tell them what's wrong.

# 56 jhogan3132 @ 08/25/10 08:58 AM

I heard that there was a patch coming that would remove the strategy pad. Anyone hear anything about that?

# 57 roadman @ 08/25/10 10:09 AM

^^^^They aren't removing it, they are adding the old way back in a patch.

# 58 StormJH1 @ 08/26/10 05:54 PM

I don't think he "danced" around the questions much - he admitted time and time again that there were things people were unhappy with. If the Madden dev team meant for something to be a certain way, and it turns out that people don't like it, Ian has the right to explain WHY the game is the way it is and offer their perspective (such as punt returns being 5 yards instead of 40 everytime).

I have the game and I like it, there's just something about it that feels more "arcadey" to me, even amongst additions like locomotion that are meant to address core gameplay. It was a revealing interview in that he seems very aware of "things that are popular with Madden gamers" (high scoring, offense-all-the-time gameplay like Madden 2004) vs. "things that make a good football simulation". I feel like Ian would prefer to make the latter game, but perhaps there's pressure on him due to the low sales numbers from last year and again this year. I don't think that's really fair to blame on the devs, though, since Madden 10 & 11 are the 5th and 6th iterations of the same game on the 360...at some point, the hardware limitations are what they are, and people aren't going to buy the same game 10 years in a row.

# 59 StormJH1 @ 08/26/10 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angrynewyorker


	If you're gonna revamp Franchise Mode, for the love of god at 80 man rosters for the offseason, let us plan training camp, have an IR list that actually works like it should, have progression stats like in The Show so you can actually see if Vernon Gholston is worth holding onto. Oh, and differentiate between restricted and unrestricted free agency. But then you'd have a perfect Franchise Mode, so I dunno if you'd wanna do that.

Agreed on that. And this is where the "financial realities" aspect sets in, since I think they truly believe that 10% of the Madden community would even notice something like an 80-man roster or UFA vs. RFA. Their attitude is that most of that 10% is hardcore enough that they're going to buy the game anyway.

Which is kinda sad b/c the history of Madden is that people LEARNED about NFL playbooks and strategy from playing this game back in the day. That tells me that if you put features like that in a game, you can "educate" your consumer base over time, and everyone will benefit from a deeper product.

# 60 HuRRiiCaNe22 @ 08/26/10 06:39 PM

They make all these tweaks to the game and fiddle with every little thing to make it appeal to the general audience. Yet, I don't see people coming on here ever praising the fact that they love unrealistic high scoring Arena Football games. (because they don't) If they want to appeal to an audience, it should be NFL fans that play video games. I don't think as many people would complain about a realsitic experience. (if done correctly) But sadly, as Madden is an annual game, that doesn't prodive much time to scrap and start from scratch, as a physics based game style would revamp the Madden world more than an over exaggerated version of Madden 10's Beginner playcalling system.

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