Madden NFL 13 News Post

End of Console Generations is Not an Excuse for No Innovation

06:41 PM - April 10, 2012 by RaychelSnr

"Innovations will come with the new consoles" has become a popular defense for stale franchises like Madden NFL and NCAA Football, as they continue to improve in marginal and incremental ways instead of making sweeping changes or true innovations during the Xbox 360's and Playstation 3's final hours.

Yet Madden's history, spanning over 20 years and four generations of consoles, suggests that the opposite of "incremental change" should be happening right now.

In all previous console generations, the Madden NFL series reached its creative peak just as veteran systems neared their retirement.

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Member Comments

# 1 wat3 @ 04/10/12 07:07 PM

Is Madden 13 the last Madden before the license expires? I don't want to hear " they're just going to extend" because that's not what I'm asking.

# 2 luv_mist @ 04/10/12 07:07 PM

I haven't really been following the Madden series. What innovation did Madden 10 bring?

# 3 Gotmadskillzson @ 04/10/12 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luv_mist


	I haven't really been following the Madden series. What innovation did Madden 10 bring?

Pro Tak, actual gang tackles.

# 4 Gotmadskillzson @ 04/10/12 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Profit89


	This series needs to move to the PC if they want to be taken seriously.

True, but they never will. They don't want regular gamers to upstage them. Because they know full well the modding community would do it in a matter of days.

# 5 huskerwr38 @ 04/10/12 07:36 PM

Wow, Madden 94 had over 100 Player injuries...we don't even have that now. But, it was fun to take a look back at the history of Madden with photos of the back of the box features.

Also, I think this article kind of shows that Madden might have went the way of NBA Live if not for the exclusive rights. With how bad Madden 06 was for xbox 360, this would have been the perfect time for 2k sports to land a fatal blow to the Madden franchise. Thank goodness for the exclusive rights.

# 6 Gotmadskillzson @ 04/10/12 07:44 PM

Much like the NCAA series, the Madden series spent this whole generation playing catch up to the last generation. Adding features we already had last generation back into this generation as new features, when in reality it wasn't.

This generation was nothing but the HD generation for EA Tiborun, because the only thing they improved upon was the graphics and online stability. Game play has been at a stand still for 6 years now.

If it wasn't for online, most people wouldn't even buy Madden or NCAA. And that is the sad truth of it all.

# 7 BobbyColtrane @ 04/10/12 07:47 PM

These guys are experts in why the game can't be improved.

If they spent half as much time working on the game as they do changing direction and "monetizing the consumer" this game would be the BALLS...

# 8 TreyIM2 @ 04/10/12 07:50 PM

I really don't think Madden needs new innovations because that's what they've been trying to do for far too long with things like the Vision Cone, a repetitive football radio show, that blocking crap they tried to pull, etc. Hit stick was necessary with the advent of dual joysticks because it made no sense not to utilize the extra stick so console control innovation forced that one, so to speak.

I think EA needs to work on completing the basic, core game of football, full circle, first. Things like gang tackling and multiple hit tackles/add on tackling is not an innovation, per se. THAT IS APART OF THE BASIC, CORE GAME OF FOOTBALL, period. We need more of that and the lil things that make football, football more than grandiose not quite needed right now 'innovations' because it almost makes no sense how they don't have those things down pat , yet.

# 9 MiNiDiTkA @ 04/10/12 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luv_mist


	I haven't really been following the Madden series. What innovation did Madden 10 bring?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gotmadskillzson


	Pro Tak, actual gang tackles.

# 10 rudyjuly2 @ 04/10/12 09:14 PM

I agree. I wish we would see more of an improvement but we won't. Tweak, tweak, tweak until the new consoles come out is crap but it's what we are seeing.

# 11 drk3351 @ 04/10/12 09:18 PM

one big difference. Competition. madden 99 had nfl gameday, madden 05 had nfl 2k. now, nothing

# 12 DaReapa @ 04/10/12 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Article


	...though Madden would remain strong financially the next few years, the series struggled to match the quality of Sega's new 2K Sports brand while EA Sports underwent the transition from Playstation to Playstation 2...

Not to nitpick, but it was actually Sega's Sega Sports brand - not 2K Sports, as 2K was never realized until the year EA started buying up exclusivity licenses left and right - circa 2004-2005.

Aside from that, I agree with this article, and TBH, never really had much faith in EA Sports this gen. IMO 2K5 was a hard standard to live up to, and Tiburon did very little to even so much as come close.

Off topic, isn't the NCAA exclusivity license up by now??

# 13 DaReapa @ 04/10/12 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreyIM2


	I really don't think Madden needs new innovations because that's what they've been trying to do for far too long with things like the Vision Cone, a repetitive football radio show, that blocking crap they tried to pull, etc. Hit stick was necessary with the advent of dual joysticks because it made no sense not to utilize the extra stick so console control innovation forced that one, so to speak. I think EA needs to work on completing the basic, core game of football, full circle, first. Things like gang tackling and multiple hit tackles/add on tackling is not an innovation, per se. THAT IS APART OF THE BASIC, CORE GAME OF FOOTBALL, period. We need more of that and the lil things that make football, football more than grandiose not quite needed right now 'innovations' because it almost makes no sense how they don't have those things down pat , yet.

Totally agree.

# 14 RUFFNREADY @ 04/10/12 10:28 PM

If EA uses kincet in this years version; i wil just not buy it.
Lack of innovation will kill the Madden franchis

# 15 bigsmallwood @ 04/10/12 10:57 PM

Madden 13 is make or break. This HD gen was all about graphics but sorely lacking in features. EA has to be ashamed about how terrible this next-gen football games have gone. Reselling old features as new is tacky and the excuses just show a true lack of innovation. I really hope Madden 13 is a smashing success in the gameplay/presentation department.

# 16 darknmild @ 04/10/12 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigsmallwood


	Madden 13 is make or break. This HD gen was all about graphics but sorely lacking in features. EA has to be ashamed about how terrible this next-gen football games have gone. Reselling old features as new is tacky and the excuses just show a true lack of innovation. I really hope Madden 13 is a smashing success in the gameplay/presentation department.

I hope so too.

# 17 DJ @ 04/11/12 01:24 AM

This generation has been almost a complete waste, which is a shame. I used to play Madden year-round; now, I struggle to finish one year of a Franchise.

Oh, and I wanted to make mention of something posted in the article: the back of the box for Madden 95. If you had covered up the year and just showed me that paragraph, I would say yes to buying that game. That was a very nice piece of writing and not only did it tell you about some of the key features of the game, it painted it around a scenario that you, the gamer, could face and you could put yourself in that situation.

Sports games could stand to do more of this type of advertising, as the standard 3-4 photos and very brief descriptions really don't do much to draw in those casual fans.

# 18 mestevo @ 04/11/12 03:06 AM

Doesn't this fall squarely into the 'we don't know what all they are doing this year yet' category? Current consoles have known limitations, only so much can be done, but they've made improvements and changes every year.

Who is banging the 'no innovation until next gen' drum anyways? Which seems to be the crux of the entire article.

Below are two screenshots of Madden 11 and of Madden 12, if you think that's merely an incremental change in the way the game looks, from lighting to grass and how he's even holding the ball... there's no point in really going on.

The games aren't perfect (nor were the games in the past), but man, the hyperbole in these threads is getting pretty thick:

"This generation has been almost a complete waste"

"Madden 13 is make or break" (the number just gets incremented every year for this quote)

"If EA uses kincet in this years version; i wil just not buy it." This is the typical OS 'well EA is doing something we are asking them to, but not what I want so it's bad/wrong'

"Tweak, tweak, tweak until the new consoles come out is crap but it's what we are seeing."

I look forward to when the sticky rules are back in force again closer to release.

# 19 fearwhatnow @ 04/11/12 04:51 AM

EA needs to act wisely and finally in benefit of their customers.Bring the series on PC and make it mod-friendly.This EA joke about pc piracy must come to an end.Fifa 12 for pc sold very well even if it was a mediocre game especially offline.2kSports sales on pc are good for both NBA and MLB titles all these years.

# 20 BlueNGold @ 04/11/12 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mestevo


	Doesn't this fall squarely into the 'we don't know what all they are doing this year yet' category? Current consoles have known limitations, only so much can be done, but they've made improvements and changes every year. Who is banging the 'no innovation until next gen' drum anyways? Which seems to be the crux of the entire article. Below are two screenshots of Madden 11 and of Madden 12, if you think that's merely an incremental change in the way the game looks, from lighting to grass and how he's even holding the ball... there's no point in really going on. The games aren't perfect (nor were the games in the past), but man, the hyperbole in these threads is getting pretty thick: "This generation has been almost a complete waste" "Madden 13 is make or break" (the number just gets incremented every year for this quote) "If EA uses kincet in this years version; i wil just not buy it." This is the typical OS 'well EA is doing something we are asking them to, but not what I want so it's bad/wrong' "Tweak, tweak, tweak until the new consoles come out is crap but it's what we are seeing." I look forward to when the sticky rules are back in force again closer to release.

Yeah, because what's really been holding the series back is graphics.

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