Ten Details From 'MLB The Show' I Hope To See in Madden 10 - statum71's Blog

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Ten Details From 'MLB The Show' I Hope To See in Madden 10 Stuck

Posted on February 17, 2009 at 02:53 PM.

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Many are calling Sony's MLB The Show the best sports game franchise of today. While that point can be argued, it is indeed at least ONE of the very best games out. What really sets it apart is the attention to small detail which, combined...really brings the game to life.

Excluding gameplay, here are ten of those small details I hope we'll see (in some fashion) in Madden 10:

1. Better Crowd... The crowd really seems to understand the moment (in The Show). They stand and get loud in key situations. Plus, you can see fans and vendors walking around. I've never been to a stadium where everyone was always at or in their seats like Madden in recent years.

2. Replay Angles... Anyone who's played the demo will know what I mean. The replays sometime show from this wide view that gives you a great look at the stadium. Its a lot better than zooming in to the player who made the play. Sometimes the replay angle is from the outfield, which is a great angle as well. Wider views and better angles.

3. Lighting... The Show may have the best lighting of any sports game ever. Sunlight or stadium light. The shadows in the stadium and the way the sun looks on the field are just incredible.

4. Coaches presence... I know the coaches are in Madden, yes. But the only time I see them is after a replay review. And thats brief. Other than that it seems like they aren't even there. I wanna see Andy Reid (or any coach) holding his play sheet over his mouth so nobody can read his lips. And get a quick shot of him in-between plays. For example, after a bad at-bat with the Rays I saw Joe Maddon giving my guy the business! In The Show, the managers are there...and you know it!

5. Stadium Feel... After the fly-bys, sometimes its hard to distinguish a difference between the stadiums in Madden. No they don't all "look" the same I know. But in The Show...the wide angle replays, fly-bys in-between plays, attendance variations and all that stuff work together to separate the stadiums. Playing at Fenway feels like....Fenway. And no other stadium does.

6. Players Talking... I don't have to hear what they're saying, but there is just something cool about watching the players in The Show talking to each other. Whether its to the other team (probably trash) or to teammates or coaches. Especially coaches! They seem "alive" because they aren't just zombies playing baseball. I can't hear 'em in real life either, so what they're saying doesn't matter.

7. Everyone celebrates... I love it when I hit a homerun and when the batter comes around somebody's waiting at the plate to celebrate with him. On the flip side, its annoying when I score a touchdown and my guy is the only one celebrating. Other than maybe one other player who might come over. The other players are walking or standing around like they don't realize what just happened. The sidelines should come alive too. Just like the dugout cut scenes during the homerun replay in The Show.

8. Better quarter end transitions... Watching me play The Show, at the end of an inning my girlfriend asked: "do they show commercials?" That might sound comical but actually its a good question for someone watching for the first time that doesn't play games. Because the combination of relative replays, a fly-by, music, the boxscore on screen and the fade out really do give it the "feel" that they are going to a commercial. NBA 2K's the same way. I hope Madden 10 is too.

9. Stat overlay highlights... Its so cool when my batter comes up in-season and his stat overlay comes up and maybe something like his home run total is in yellow. And at the bottom it says "leads the AL." Or even the same if its a batter I'm facing. Its just cool to be reminded of where this player stands in my current season.

10. Live and active officials... I like when a runner is sliding into 2nd base and its close. Once the ball is there all you can do is...WATCH the umpire!!! Just like you would on TV. I would like to see that on sideline catches and close calls in football. The commentator should be in suspense just like the rest of us...until the official comes in! Fumbles, first downs, whats the flag for? All that stuff. Certain things shouldn't be announced until the official makes his signal. The officials should be on the field and active!

I have a feeling Madden 10 will be the best one yet. I just hope they don't neglect the small details.

Gameplay is first, yes. But the "extras" are what really bring any game ALIVE.

That feeling that its more like TV than just another game.....thats ALIVE.
The Show feels Alive! Its like its breathing.

Comments

# 1 rudyjuly2 @ Feb 17

Presentation is huge for me in video games. The immersion factor really adds to the game.

I will say that I don't care about stadiums in any sport other than baseball. Baseball is unique in that each field is different. Every other sport has the same field and I just don't care about stadiums other than baseball.

# 2 thudias @ Feb 17

Very good read!

# 3 thmst30 @ Feb 17

So true, yet we all know it won't happen. The Show is truly the standard for this generation's sports games IMO.

# 4 raphael @ Feb 18

Great post, I totally agree and I guess I would be happy if EA would manage to get the same presentation feel that 2k5 had this year and than a lot better for Madden 11, because I honestly don't think they can manage to fix all the major gameplay and presentation flaws this year but it would be great to see that they've addressed a lot of the community suggestions which would bring back a certain credibility to EA and also the Madden series.

# 5 DubTrey1 @ Feb 18

Excellent post - Hopefully the EA devs are reading and taking notes.

# 6 bDub77 @ Feb 18

It seems that every year, people "have a feeling" that the upcoming Madden will be the "best one yet". And yet, every year people are still disappointed with it. It's an endless cycle. EA talks up the game and all the "improvements" to get people excited, then those people buy the game by the truck loads, and those people are once again disappointed. EA talks a big game. Marketing is their strongest point. But they usually fail to deliver. People need to start speaking with their wallets if they really want EA to make a better game, or if they want the NFL to not go exclusive any more.

Oh, and Madden 10 is just a stupid, stupid name.