Presentation: Fixing NCAA 11 part 2 - thescoop's Blog

thescoop's Blog

Presentation: Fixing NCAA 11 part 2

Posted on July 26, 2009 at 05:19 PM.

(16)

A lot of news was made recently when Russ Kiniry of EA said "what is presentation?" on a podcast show, people have been up at arms. How is it someone that is in charge of this game not know what that means?

I've felt he's gotten beaten up a little too much for the statement. I heard more as a call out to those that give no ideas but say the presentation is wrong. So I think I get what he was saying. (Or I hope)

But in case Russ doesn't know what presentation we want I'm going to lay it out there in part 2 of my six part fixing NCAA series. I've head some good ideas, some of which I'm going to be using in here and got a few of my own.

First things first, the bands are pointless if you aren't going to have everyone's formation. I really can't stand to see my school spelling out EA. At the very least you couldn't have made them at least spell out the school's logos? I think this was a good idea that shouldn't have seen light of day till you could get them all. Besides, I've got a better idea for pregame anyway. You can still use your band formations, but just on the main focus on the field in pregame.

I miss the old pregame. I miss seeing the players warming up on the field. I see what Madden is doing this year and I want some of that for NCAA. If there's a Heisman Trophy candidate on the field he should be highlighted. We can see a compare of the two stars for each team. Then cut back to the booth and lets see the guy debate the game. (Bands can be seen behind them now since the warming up was taped earlier, if you want) After Lee puts on the mascot head, we see the teams run out on the field, road team booed, home team runs out in team specific intros. Fight songs play and we get ready for kickoff. Already feels more like college football.

The crowds at college football games are never bland. In NCAA video game they feel that way. We need more craziness out of our fans in the stands. Maybe include some cutscenes of these fans going nuts. Also, I'd turn up the audio of the crowd going crazy. It would give it more of that college feel.

One thing that was huge for NCAA 09 was stadium sounds. While they are back for 10, there were no improvements. Stadiums sounds helps makes the game's presentation even better. Why EA didn't try to make improvements here is beyond me. We need more slots. We need more options. I'd like to be able to assign multiple songs for kickoff (3 limit would be ok.) We also need a post game song for both victory and defeat. Also, I think the there should be a longer cutscene at the start of the fourth quarter. I'd like to hear most of my fourth quarter song play before the game starts back and its over. Maybe show some of the fans dancing to the music would be nice. A lot of schools have a fourth quarter tradition with their songs. A longer cut scene will give us that.

A feature another game has that NCAA could use and would a great way to add to the presentation side is MLB The Show's custom chants. Using your headset, you can record different chants to be uploaded in the game. You can have these chants said at different times during the game, even added it to the begining or end of a custom sound would be great too. A lot of us fans of smaller schools don't get to hear our chants so this would be a way for us to get it in the game. It is a great feature on the Show that could be great in NCAA.

I think a post gameshow would be nice. Something where we see the highlights of the game and a new studio team talks about what we've seen. I think a studio show during the week would be great too. You've got a contract with ESPN so use some of ESPN's personalities to make this happen. Then we can hear them talk about upcoming matchups and discuss big upsets during the week. You can go back and look at 2k's College Hoops 2k8 to get an idea of what we want.

Mascots are a love hate thing for some NCAA gamers. I think most don't mind them, we just don't want to play with them in stupid mascot games. That being said we need all that we had in last gen. Its about time to get all the mascots in the game finally. Then if you want to keep mascot celebrations in the game we can all take part. But on the topic of those celebrations, it should cost you 15 yards if you do it like it would in real life. Remember, if its in the game folks.

The biggest thing taking away from presentation for several people is the still missing stadiums. EA has had four years now to get them all in and yet we still have some times and bowls missing their stadiums. Its about time this ends. Next year's NCAA shouldn't be missing stadiums. Nuff said. It is a joke you can't get this done.

Also, in the same vain is missing stadium expanisons. EA should do a better job making sure that major stadium expansion are included in the game from year to year. If your team's stadium has completely changed from one year to the next EA should make sure it gets in the game. If it wasn't finished in time for that year's game then use the blueprints to it in the game for that season. Come on EA. The New York Yankees got a new stadium this season and the baseball video games got it in the game. Under EA's logic, it would be a wait till next year and maybe even the next year. So all major stadium expansion and new stadiums needs to be in next year's game.

Another must is the return of the refs and chain gang on the field. Why were taken out and why this long for them to return still blows my mind. Bring them back for next year. It adds to realism when I have to wait for that chain to be stretched out see if I got the first. Also, after playing the Madden demo, I'm really impressed seeing the refs right there on the field. Didn't realise how much I missed them.

In that vain we need the real coaches and assistants. Heck, I'll settle for fake coaches and fake assistants as long as we can see them on the sideline. Maybe a close-up of the head coach during a replay review, or show the D-cord before a huge third down play. Coaches are a huge part of college football, but we never see them in the game. That's just sad.

Moving back to dynasty presentation, I think we need them to bring back the Heisman Trophy show from the past. I don't like just scolling to see I did or didn't win the Heisman. We need something more than just the trophy popping up on the screen saying we've won.

Also, a lot of people like the idea of a national signing day show. I think this could be ok, but not something I'm as big on. To me I won't be as excited about this as I am seeing the draft in Madden. But it is a cool idea that I wouldn't mind seeing added to the frame.

The last thing I'll address is the annoucers. They were once the best in sports gaming, but now they are stale and I'm hearing the same lines I've been hearing for years. I'm not saying a whole brand new team, but the audio these guys record needs to be completely redone. I want to hear new audio. Also, I think it wouldn't be a bad ide (although I'm sure it can't be done) to include a second team on the game that covers the less importan games. That way we hear the A team when it is a big game, and the B team when it isn't. This is one of the things I've been hoping for a while, but I realize most likely isn't going to happen. Still I can dream.

Comments

# 1 noda11 @ Jul 26

I agree, well written.

# 2 bigsmallwood @ Jul 26

Agreed!!!

# 3 AndyP @ Jul 27

An important point is - as seems to have been proven by some of what Madden has included this year - what do you see when you watch a college football game on a Saturday. You see Corso and mascot heads... you see the players on the field warming up... you see the bands (I can see EA taking them out again next year because they've "changed focus")... you see replays cutting back to earlier points in the game (these replays are all saved and categorised anyway so why not use them for that reason).

For a while people have claimed EA doesn't get presentation so when an EA guy like Russ makes the remark "what is presentation" it gives the wrong impression.

# 4 thescoop @ Jul 27

I agree with you, Andy. I think Russ' remark does leave that impression and I hope next year they hear our words and actually understand what we mean by it. I know the Madden guys do and I do believe the NCAA guys do too. I think his statement was poorly worded.

As far as the bands go, I hope they are there, but more in the background of our guys in the box talking about today's match up like they would be in a real broadcast. Then it won't matter as much if it isn't my school's actual formation.

# 5 thescoop @ Jul 27

I forgot to mention the BCS Bowls. Good call out, JC. I agree with you there cause the bowl games don't really feel special right now.

# 6 TracerBullet @ Jul 27

Great read! Everything you said would be excellent.

# 7 phattmatt58 @ Jul 27

I've played this franchise every year consistently for at least 6-7 years, and it amazes me that they still don't completely get it. NCAA Football is the game I look forward to most every year (since they don't make MVP Baseball anymore, what a shame) and it frustrates me that instead of All-Time teams and the ability to re-live/re-play All-Time moments, we get stupid mascot games and Road to Glory, which is the worst game mode EVER! They need to quit trying to sell the game to 6 year olds and focus on the gamers who actually BUY and play the game. I guarantee that most of their demographic are people who post on sites like this, and I just wish they could get a bunch of us in on a beta version, or at least look at our ideas and seriously consider them.

# 8 geezmeister @ Jul 28

Totally agree. Its unbelievable we dont already have all of these things. We should be talking about the small things we want implemented not the obvious things that should be in the game. I am very happy with what NCAA has done on field as far as gameplay this year, just use the freakin ESPN to its potential and stop slapping it on front of the box only to find out all we get is a freaking sports ticker. Its 2009 if I want updates ill watch sportscenter. If NCAA fixes these problems you spoke of it will be the best sports game ever.

# 9 cowboy_kmoney @ Jul 29

It would be nice to see them do something about the national championship game, There is no fellin in it win you win it. I think that needs work as well.

# 10 thescoop @ Jul 29

Yeah, the title game has never felt right. We need to see the guys in standing waiting to hold the trophy. We need to see the emotion on their faces after winning this huge game.

I do also think we need all bowl games to feel special. The pump up the crowd does need to be either allowed for both teams or just turned off. That or if you travel well, you can possibly out draw the other team in the bowl and have a slight edge.

Anyway, keep the comments coming. We need to make this blog so big so that EA pays attention and and maybe some ideas are picked up for next year. Tell a friend to read and comment on this blog

# 11 HiTEqMETHOD @ Jul 30

I've been playing this game since the 98 and 99 editions and buying it since 2001, I too am completely perplexed as to how EA has not gotten the presentation right since the jump to next gen consoles. Little things like the players warming up during the pregame went a long way during the ps2,xbox days and to know that they haven't emulated that yet is discouraging to say the least. We should be beyond that by now, we should have...well, everything mentioned in this blog post. Good read man.

# 12 thescoop @ Jul 30

thanks for the feedback, hiteq. I'm hoping that maybe one of the EA devolpers would pop on and maybe share their insights with us here, but so far no comments from them. Hopefully they've at least read the thing.

Even if they don't, I'm still going to go ahead with the other parts of the blog. Part 3 will be either this weekend or next week sometime. Just really depends on my time.

# 13 cowboy_kmoney @ Aug 3

Its has been long over do in this series and if NCAA plans to make a run for the gold in next years game of the year its has to make MADDEN step it up all the way. And thats stop having this random player picks when we send a draft over to MADDEN, At the end of the season at that point NCAA should send all the players from all 120 teams that are leaving early or graduating as and new import system that will allow the user to b able to pick who we may think is a bust or gem. A wide open draft class every time you send a draft over, So now that player that has a OVR of 82 and is good enough to be in the pro's will be giving that chance to see if a team picks him up.