I. Introduction

Since I arrived at EA in January of 2011, one thing excited me most about the future of the game; the then yet time in development test bed, FranTK. This was a tool that would allow on-the-fly changes to data, allowing the designer to test tuning virtually in real time. I thought this would be the key to redefining the sports game franchise mode, and I thought we were on our way to bringing the career experience of NFL Head Coach 09 to Madden without all the logic...

adembroski

Ok, so, I'm an old dad, so I don't have the kinda time some of you youngans do to play Madden, but I love franchise mode, love team building, so I created a system that allows me to make quick progress without spending inordinate hours in front of the TV.

Another reason is a split between direct play and sim results in more realistic injuries.

Now, let me start with this; I love Play the Moments. Fantastic feature. But it skips too much. I've developed my own system...

adembroski

Of all the sports around the world, the role of the coach is most critical in American Football. No other sport has so many highly specialized positions, so the coordination of those positions is an integral part of the game.

So why is it that NFL games rarely address this subject with any depth? Madden's coaches provide small attribute bonuses, while coaches in the 2K series had virtually no influence whatever. NFL Head Coach 09 took a stab at it, but that was a game wholly devoted...

adembroski

I'm not sure when this got started, but I've followed the "games as art" argument for a long time. I have always found it fascinating because it was like watching squirrels fight. One attacks the others tail when he's not looking, the other leaps and runs up a tree while the aggressor hides behind another trunk, then they begin the process anew and nobody makes any progress.

Recently the following blog by Roger Ebert was pointed out to me- http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/04/video_games_can_never_be_art.html...

adembroski

During the last major realignment, the NFL clung desperately to pointless artificial rivalries. Through the process of playing one another twice a year, teams will develop rivalries, but unless these rivalries are rooted in geography, they are only that... artificial.

The NFL made the mistake of clinging to artificial rivalries like Cowboys-Redskins during the last realignment when it is clear that a Houston-Dallas rivalry would be far better.

So here is my plan for...

adembroski