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Madden NFL 11 News Post

Madden NFL 11 Title Update #4 Details

  10:52 AM - October 19, 2010 by Steve_OS

First off, we have been aware of a roster de-sync issue that resulted in more disconnects during some online games - primarily affecting Online Franchise and Madden Ultimate Team games. Rest assured we have a fix slated for this upcoming title update, and more details are explained below.

Ultimate Team ‘Rivals Pack'
The biggest delivery for this update is a set of features built around Madden Ultimate Team, and this signifies a few months of development work as we couldn't squeeze these features in by the ship date. The "Rivals Pack" delivers three new features for Ultimate Team, allowing you to make new rivals in Tournaments, face off against old rivals in Play vs. Friends, and renew some rivalries with Refer a Friend.

New Feature #1: Tournaments
You guys have asked for Tournaments in Ultimate Team for a while now, and we're happy to say that they will be available in the next title update. Here are some details about this brand new feature:
1. Each tournament has entrance criteria which can range from specific players to minimum team skill or chemistry.
2. Once you enter the tournament, you'll be matched up against another tournament player and battle it out. The owner who wins the game will move on to the next round while the loser has to start the tournament over.
3. You win coins every time you advance and if you advance to the last round and win, you'll earn even more coins and you might even win a rare player.
4. Tournaments, like Collections, are dynamic and new tournaments can (and will) be added throughout the season.
5. We're also planning on having special promotional tournaments where we release an insert for the weekend and those that find that insert can enter a special tournament.

New Feature #2: Play With Friends
Another feature the community has asked for is the ability to play against your friends in Ultimate Team, and that will finally be available in Title Update #4. You can challenge your friends anytime they are online and play a game of MUT.

New Feature #3: Refer a Friend
One of our favorite new features is Refer a Friend. If you have buddies that play Madden, but they haven't joined Ultimate Team, you can earn coins for getting them to join up. A brand new screen has been added that allows you to keep track of your invites and your rewards from the friends that have accepted the referral.

Uniform Updates

Here's a list of uniform updates that will be rolled out when Title Update #4 releases:
• Added alternate tops for the 3 Vikings jerseys featuring the 50th anniversary patch being worn this season.
• Added the current Redskins Home and Away uniforms. In addition the socks issues are fixed.
• Added the current Chargers powder blue uniform.
• Added a uniform top for the Saints including the Super Bowl Champions patch as seen in their home opener.

Content Updates
Here's a list of some of the other changes we've made to Madden NFL 11 that will be rolled out when Title Update #4 releases:
• Fixed a couple of random Madden Moments stability issues.
• Fixed the user's ability to view play art manually if the opponent on defense holds LT/L2 pre-snap.
• Fixed an exploit where the user could audible when coming out in the Bronco Heavy formation with a HB or WR at QB.
• Fixed an exploit where after pressing the square/X button on defense a user is able to hold down on the L-stick which allows the defender to release off the LOS and go after the QB as soon as the ball is hiked.
• Fixed a hanging issue with onside kicks in Madden Moments Live and offline Madden Moments.
• Fixed an issue causing a high percentage of disconnects in Online Franchise, Madden Ultimate Team, and other online head-to-head games

Well, that's it for the update on Title Update #4. Expect it to arrive at the end of this month or the first week of November with all the features and improvements you see listed above. If you have any questions or comments feel free to hop over to the EA Forums to discuss.
- Madden Team

Source - Madden NFL 11 Blog

Game: Madden NFL 11Reader Score: 6/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 96 - View All
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Member Comments
# 81 Armor and Sword @ 10/20/10 10:30 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gordy748


I did exactly that last week. It's ok but gets really boring really quickly. And guess what? Medal of Honor's published by...... EA.

I started the game on Hard on Friday night and was finished around Saturday. It's far too easy, the storyline is hashed (how many elite American soldiers routinely flagrantly disobey orders, apart from Steven Seagal?), the maps are more dull than the original Halo (which is how many years old?)... The game is simply not worth the sticker price.

So yesterday I got Battlefield: Bad Company 2 from the second hand box for a 1/5 of the price. MILES AND MILES better than MoH. Sad that a 6 month old game beats MoH. But bizarre that Battlefield 2 is... an EA game.

I have no idea why EA would delete so many great features out of a game, but it seems it's a habit that's not confined to their sports games.

BCBF2 is an amazing game. When you play with a great squad with headsets it is so intense and a ton of fun. The new DLC Vietnam is around the corner too for BCBF2. Look forward to getting back out on the battlefield and shooting again.
 
# 82 Gordy748 @ 10/20/10 11:05 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by havokeff
Really, people complain that they want realism in Madden, yet don't seem to fathom that the most realistic aspect of the NFL is that winning is HARD. The game should be hard too, and if you aren't afraid to set the sliders to an appropriate setting, you will never achieve that no matter how the game plays.
I currently play as the Seahawks using normal speed, with custom sliders set at 13/12/12/12. Even after deciding not to use my World Class Staff power-up, I still get ~12 wins a year. Even trying playmaker's sliders, I've found that if I play a higher rated team, most times I'll win. Frankly, it's not realistic for the 'Hawks to have the Saints' track record this year (much as I'd love this to be true).

Quote:
Originally Posted by havokeff
Re: Uniform degradation: Really? I mean, really? Is that what you think about when the game is over? "Oh man, my uniform is too damn clean! EA sucks!!" And news flash, most teams have some form of field turf now, so dirt on uniforms is pretty irrelevant these days.

Re: Alt Uniforms: This is something I could get behind, but as a major issue and a 'Fail'? Come the F on people, most Alt Unis get worn once or twice a season. Yes it goes to overall presentation but it is hardly the end of the world lapse that users make it out to be. Especially the 50 year patches and such. It sounds much more like people are upset that EA didn't give their teams the special attention that they think they deserve, and not really much more of an issue outside of that.
Ok, I'll agree you on this one. Dirty unis is not a game breaker. But it's annoying, just like playing in the rain in Dallas' dome. And there are a collection of annoyances that I think limit the potential of the game. For many the really annoying thing is that features that don't work right or aren't there used to be.

Quote:
Originally Posted by havokeff
Re: EA not listening/caring what consumers (we) say: That is a load. And not the way any company that makes a product that has to be purchased by the consumer in order to sustain itself, operates.

We know that they listen. We know that they read the things we write. Does that mean that they can implement every thing that we want or fix /change all the issues we complain about? No, of course not. The game would never come out if they did that. But no one can say with a straight face that they haven't tried to make Madden the best product they can make, especially in light of the fact they need to put out a product every year at a certain time, where most game companies get to take 2-3 years on a game and 95% of them STILL suck.
You sure about this? People that make things we buy are just people. Some are smart, some listen, but others are stupid and others plain arrogant. I work at Sony (not Playstation) and I see dumb decisions made all the time, by companies you'd be sure would know better. Then there is money. There's not much chance it's a coincidence that Madden 11's patch 4 fixes something that could earn EA more money, while ignoring offline franchise (which doesn't earn EA ongoing revenues).

I don't doubt there are programmers working on Madden 11 that care deeply about the game. Equally, I don't doubt upper management have different priorities. They get paid on money made and boxes sold. As long as a game doesn't have critical showstoppers that impact sales, they aren't so concerned about quality. Sometimes this is a good thing (without timelines we'd never get games on time), other times less so. EA's exclusivity franchise costs a lot of money. They need to recoup this, and at the same time they have no incentive to improve it. The economics simply say that EA should spend less on development and more on trying to get money back.

Quote:
Originally Posted by havokeff
Re: The patch: Personally, I haven't touched game-planing or whatever it is called so I can't comment on it. That goes for the online play and Ultimate team card game thing. Clearly though, there are people that wanted these issues addressed, and *GASP* they are willing to pay for them. As for not addressing game play... what exactly is wrong with it?

I am an avid football fan as well as a avid Madden player and I am not seeing these game play problems that people are talking about. What I see are an occasional animation glitch, sometimes I see them regularly. Raise your hand if you have ever played a game for hours on end that didn't have a glitch in it's animations.
It's not the animation based gameplay I find dull, it's where and how they happen. The gameplay allows cpu plays in instances that are not physically possible. I see cpu LBs hurdling over my prone OL and accelerate in mid air into my running back. I also regularly see them get past the tackle, then pull a Tron-like turn 90 degrees to intercept me. Or the Safety that suddenly accelerates into the path of the ball to intercept me when they were yards away running the other way. Or the cpu WR instantly change direction at full sprint to catch the ball.

I really don't mind getting beat as the 'Hawks if I'm playing the Saints. Fumbles, sacks, etc... they're given. What pains me is seeing the Saints win by pulling off impossible moves; they're a better team but they're not supposed to be extras from Marvel Comics.

Quote:
Originally Posted by havokeff
Really what I see in this thread, and threads all over this forum, are people mad because they don't get to pop in Madden and get the actual NFL. I mean, yes, that would be great, it is what we all want, but it is just a video game. That isn't going to happen. (Not yet anyway) And as many people have already pointed out, it doesn't happen, and certainly hasn't happened, in any game out there, for any sport.
I agree (really, I do). But Madden (football) is the second top game type globally, after soccer. It really should offer a better experience than basketball and hockey games. I'm not sure many people would agree it does.
 
# 83 romeosdistress @ 10/20/10 11:17 AM
only problem i have is too many injuries to human players.
 
# 84 falconfansince81 @ 10/20/10 11:26 AM
wow, all you guys who defend the game with your slider theory fail to realize a large majority of the madden community plays online...particularly online franchises where you can't further 'tweak' the game.

i don't even know anyone who actually plays the cpu, which is why i find it profound that so many people refer gameplay issues over to their slider solutions. its the cpu...its not like its a challenge to destroy it even on all madden...and nothing will be realistic about it no matter how good your slider settings are.

i can live with the game as it is though, and adapt as well since we all know its a video game...plays like one, and is not meant to be an nfl simulator by any means. there are no slider fixes to stop a sproles animation that sends him trucking though albert haynesworth so lets focus on what CAN be fixed and what IS being addressed.

i am glad to hear they have possibly addressed the online franchise D/C issue as now its become so bad we are lucky to get 25% of our games completed. 9 franchises in our sim community league are putting the game on hiatus hoping the patch makes it possible to continue the league we worked on so hard for years to create...
 
# 85 bigsmallwood @ 10/20/10 11:28 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Senator Palmer
And by the way, I wasn't mad. Not in the least. Maybe a little disappointed, but there was no anger in my post and no bashing of EA or the development team. You on the other hand seemed to have tweaked a nerve. The issue that I brought up is an issue that many others have echoed.
I agree. I think a nerve was hit for him because he is in love with the "idea" that sliders make everything okay in Madden, never once realizing that Madden's core gameplay needs fixing.

Sliders also don't cover up the fact that this patch is pretty bad in terms of it is not focusing on the most important aspect: Gameplay.
 
# 86 BobbyColtrane @ 10/20/10 11:37 AM
if they would only add an intro slider, a predetermined weather slider, a presentation slider, and a franchise mode slider i would in good shape.

the problems i have with the game have nothing to do with the sliders and whether or not i use them.
 
# 87 oneamongthefence @ 10/20/10 11:56 AM
I play the cpu a lot. I find realism an enjoyable experience and with sliders I get that. I do wish more gameplay tweaks are being made. An some audio problems are fixed and that helps the immersion factor however the qb intros were a problem in later years in franchise. It would often refer to last season stuff that's no longer relevant past year 1 in franchise. For play now games it should always give the good intros. I would like to hear them all but I may get them 1 out of 5 games if I'm lucky.
 
# 88 CreatineKasey @ 10/20/10 12:11 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by falconfansince81
wow, all you guys who defend the game with your slider theory fail to realize a large majority of the madden community plays online...particularly online franchises where you can't further 'tweak' the game.

i don't even know anyone who actually plays the cpu, which is why i find it profound that so many people refer gameplay issues over to their slider solutions. its the cpu...its not like its a challenge to destroy it even on all madden...and nothing will be realistic about it no matter how good your slider settings are.

i can live with the game as it is though, and adapt as well since we all know its a video game...plays like one, and is not meant to be an nfl simulator by any means. there are no slider fixes to stop a sproles animation that sends him trucking though albert haynesworth so lets focus on what CAN be fixed and what IS being addressed.

i am glad to hear they have possibly addressed the online franchise D/C issue as now its become so bad we are lucky to get 25% of our games completed. 9 franchises in our sim community league are putting the game on hiatus hoping the patch makes it possible to continue the league we worked on so hard for years to create...
I feel similar to you. I only play online. Because of that, sliders are irrelevant to me every year. I need the game playing well at default sliders. Have you ever got around to getting your D up? I used to go in spurts against bad opponents, but against anyone similarly matched or better than me - it's 30+ points on 10 minute quarters. Being a guy who got 4 shutouts last year and averaged giving up around 10 points per game... this is hard to stomach.

That's the gameplay issue - if you play online, especially in sim leagues, it's frustrating to see these inflated scores. Our league regularly saw/sees scores nearing a combined 100 points. That's just ridiculous. In the NFL it's much tighter than in college. Our averages aren't even close. Now, some of that goes upon the user. Even so, there doesn't seem to be that opportunity to have a low scoring game when both players are competent on offense and similarly matched.
 
# 89 debauchlord @ 10/20/10 01:13 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by falconfansince81
wow, all you guys who defend the game with your slider theory fail to realize a large majority of the madden community plays online...particularly online franchises where you can't further 'tweak' the game.

i don't even know anyone who actually plays the cpu, which is why i find it profound that so many people refer gameplay issues over to their slider solutions. its the cpu...its not like its a challenge to destroy it even on all madden...and nothing will be realistic about it no matter how good your slider settings are.
hate to burst bubbles, but only a slim majority of players play the game online, and of those, roughly half are exclusively online. A minority of THAT minority play online franchise. It is not near as big as you think. Everyone else is a vs. CPU "play now: game or Player vs. Player "play now" game. Of those, roughly half play franchise mode. An even slimmer majority play franchise mode longer than three years.
 
# 90 falconfansince81 @ 10/20/10 01:31 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by debauchlord
hate to burst bubbles, but only a slim majority of players play the game online, and of those, roughly half are exclusively online. A minority of THAT minority play online franchise. It is not near as big as you think. Everyone else is a vs. CPU "play now: game or Player vs. Player "play now" game. Of those, roughly half play franchise mode. An even slimmer majority play franchise mode longer than three years.
i used to strictly play offline as well until the mode became stale to me and ai far less adaptive, but rather static.

"Those playing Madden NFL 11 have averaged more than 2 million online connected game sessions each day, with nearly a fifth of all online play on a new feature that allows fans to play 3-on-3 with or against friends. "

-The Wall Street Journal

2 million people is a small minority? really??

offline franchise hasn't been the focus for years now, and its clear where EA is heading...towards a demographic that will generate revenue and increase stock value. i'm simply adjusting with the times and trying to get the most out of what we have to work with.

i don't waste my time in the lobby's, or playing ultimate team. i enjoy a sim experience vs. a human opponent because i love competition, something for ME the cpu can't provide. EA recognizes this as well, and is doing what is in the best interest for the company to be profitable while they still can...sorry to say but offline franchises aren't going to bring in the money.

you offline guys trying to patronize me are sorely missing the big picture...
 
# 91 zeroice @ 10/20/10 01:33 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old School SD Fan
Obviously, you feel your 3 friends and you represent the entire Madden community, and sadly EA's obsession with online modes seems to indicate they do too.

To me, online is simply the "land of cheese" and always will be, a HUGE number of Madden players play the game the way they did before online existed - in franchise mode, building their franchises over multiple seasons, against the CPU. No cheese, none of the frustration of scheduling games with others.

How EA could be aware of all the community's input - they DO monitor boards like this - and blow off the three most often cited issues is beyond me : 1) QB intros, 2) field & uni degradation, and 3) gameplay bugs created by their own patch.

You want to ask who plays certain things, ask yourself how many play the incredibly lame Ultimate Teams - designed solely as a money generator? How many play the absurdly thin Superstar Mode for more than an hour or two? EA consistently burns precious development time on cutesy stuff that generates so little interest instead of just focusing on the core game modes.

Been frustrating for years and will continue to be so.
I agree 100 percent i think online is alot of cheesers alot. So offline frnachise is the way to go always has i play online sometimes but its generally for someone who has to win at any cost and they are ot playing real footv\ball so its pretty boring to me..why play someone who cheeses all the itme. however i do find some games that are nioce onlione but i choose to run my own franchise


f2e8b115-3c39-4f89-9b1e-ca4ddba6199e
1.03.01
 
# 92 bxgoods @ 10/20/10 01:40 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by debauchlord
hate to burst bubbles, but only a slim majority of players play the game online, and of those, roughly half are exclusively online. A minority of THAT minority play online franchise. It is not near as big as you think. Everyone else is a vs. CPU "play now: game or Player vs. Player "play now" game. Of those, roughly half play franchise mode. An even slimmer majority play franchise mode longer than three years.
I would have to disagree, games with poor Online modes aren't selling well. The only games that sell today are online games.
 
# 93 sb24 @ 10/20/10 01:50 PM
So heres the common theme I have noticed.

Offline gamers - I havent played online in 5 years because of the cheese fest. All every user does is cheese and there is nothing to do to stop it. We are the majority of madden players.

Online game - I havent played franchise in 5 years because it doesnt offer a challenge anymore. I can beat all-madden with my eyes closed. We are the majority of madden players.

Can either of you sides use actual data to prove you are the majority? No you cant plain and simple. Do you guys have any idea of the number of users who have a 360/Ps3 not connected to the internet? That alone skews the number that EA releases when they say X number of users are online. Even when they release "x number of players have played at least one online game." Well they leave it at one game because of the number of users who dont go back for a second game.
 
# 94 bxgoods @ 10/20/10 01:57 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by sb24
So heres the common theme I have noticed.

Offline gamers - I havent played online in 5 years because of the cheese fest. All every user does is cheese and there is nothing to do to stop it. We are the majority of madden players.

Online game - I havent played franchise in 5 years because it doesnt offer a challenge anymore. I can beat all-madden with my eyes closed. We are the majority of madden players.

Can either of you sides use actual data to prove you are the majority? No you cant plain and simple. Do you guys have any idea of the number of users who have a 360/Ps3 not connected to the internet? That alone skews the number that EA releases when they say X number of users are online. Even when they release "x number of players have played at least one online game." Well they leave it at one game because of the number of users who dont go back for a second game.
Just look at video game sales, the majority of them have a strong online community.
The Online gamer is the one spending the most money this gen, and they will continually pump out cash after they bought the game on DLC. So you can continually make money from them unlike the Offline gamer.
 
# 95 sb24 @ 10/20/10 02:06 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by bxgoods
Just look at video game sales, the majority of them have a strong online community.
The Online gamer is the one spending the most money this gen, and they will continually pump out cash after they bought the game on DLC. So you can continually make money from them unlike the Offline gamer.
Well my point is, there is no factual data that says which one is used more. I personally feel like the online community is bigger, but I only have my own random observations, no data. And data is skewed by the number of users who play madden on a system that is not connected to the interenet.

Who you can make more money off of is a completey different topic.
 
# 96 jaxpac @ 10/20/10 03:17 PM
MUT will remain the focus as long as morons keep spending additional money on it. It isn't even worth discussing how ridiculous some people are for spending additional money on something MUT but there must be a lot of those people out there because it's obvious that this is why the mode will continue to get a lot of attention from EA. Why bother with franchise mode when players of MUT mode are willing pay real money to EA for something that is of zero value and costs EA no additional time or money.
 
# 97 Armor and Sword @ 10/20/10 04:28 PM
Offline players in Madden are not getting the love anymore. 2012 is the last chance Madden has to keep those of us left who still support this storied franchise and were the foundation and backbone of why it became what it is today. It was our dedication to the series through the Genesis, Playstation and the PS2 years that have made it the cash cow and given it the reputation it has today.

Now that the brand has a life of it's own they have changed course to cater to the new gen of gamers who I call the online gaming generation. It is totally clear who Madden is catering to now.

I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is the NFL not EA only allowing one comapny to dictate how their brand is being represented in video games.

This is not EA's fault. The NFL wants total control. That is the problem. Once the license is not made exclusive we will get a choice again and that will of course create better games on both sides.


All we ask is please acknowledge us one more time with a deep and immersive franchsie mode and we will really be happy.
 
# 98 Playmakers @ 10/20/10 04:35 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by falconfansince81
wow, all you guys who defend the game with your slider theory fail to realize a large majority of the madden community plays online...particularly online franchises where you can't further 'tweak' the game.

i don't even know anyone who actually plays the cpu, which is why i find it profound that so many people refer gameplay issues over to their slider solutions. its the cpu...its not like its a challenge to destroy it even on all madden...and nothing will be realistic about it no matter how good your slider settings are.

i can live with the game as it is though, and adapt as well since we all know its a video game...plays like one, and is not meant to be an nfl simulator by any means. there are no slider fixes to stop a sproles animation that sends him trucking though albert haynesworth so lets focus on what CAN be fixed and what IS being addressed.

i am glad to hear they have possibly addressed the online franchise D/C issue as now its become so bad we are lucky to get 25% of our games completed. 9 franchises in our sim community league are putting the game on hiatus hoping the patch makes it possible to continue the league we worked on so hard for years to create...
LOL!

U think no one plays the game offline....obviously you've been under a rock all year
 
# 99 falconfansince81 @ 10/20/10 04:37 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by sb24
Can either of you sides use actual data to prove you are the majority? No you cant plain and simple. Do you guys have any idea of the number of users who have a 360/Ps3 not connected to the internet? That alone skews the number that EA releases when they say X number of users are online. Even when they release "x number of players have played at least one online game." Well they leave it at one game because of the number of users who dont go back for a second game.
i cited the wall street journal for my data, which at least proves MY end is clearly NOT the minority as others have said based off what you referred to as the 'he said, she said' scenario.

"Those playing Madden NFL 11 have averaged more than 2 million online connected game sessions each day, with nearly a fifth of all online play on a new feature that allows fans to play 3-on-3 with or against friends.

 EA increasingly has focused on digital platforms and a slimmer portfolio of core games to recover from recent troubles and reposition itself in the gaming industry. As consumers migrated to online and mobile games and the industry shifted from packaged goods to digital interfaces and downloadable content, EA suffered more than its peers because of its traditionally high development costs, leading to job losses and expense cuts"

-By Kathy Shwiff, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2357; [email protected]



thats a lot more people who are going to see those old spice, kfc, and tocho show ads the sponsors paid big bucks for. regardless of what online figures you subtract off total sales to get your online/offline consumer figures its the online gamers who are the clear focal point, which is why i said offline is being phased out...so i RATHER see the improvements for online franchises over modes like MUT which i will never play.
 
# 100 falconfansince81 @ 10/20/10 04:39 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Playmakers
LOL!

U think no one plays the game offline....obviously you've been under a rock all year
no just not in the slider section since it doesn't apply to me, obviously YOU'VE been under the rock if you really think offline gaming is more important to EA than online. its being phased out for a reason...
 


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