In depth Interview by Kat Bailey with Creative Director Mike Young on Longshot

[CM Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ueauvan

Sorry CM but with all due respect i disagree with you as a Brit i should be scared of the game as its not native to my youth yet somehow i think i can handle it, by playing coach mode. [...] personally i couldnt care about "being a qb"

If you are playing Coach Mode you are immediately differentiating yourself from at least 90% of Madden's target audience. The vast majority of people who buy the game prefer to have user agency over the outcome beyond calling plays; they want to make the throws, make the tackles, and make the catches.

Given the creative direction of the series over the past couple years, this year included, I also have the strong impression that this way of playing the game is also the way the developers intend Madden to be played.

[King_B_Mack]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

The designers and developers would love to give you more options, but options aren't free and they often aren't cheap. Something like a RtTS equivalent for Madden is basically two entire cycles of work if not more, that's not a reasonable ask for an "option", that's an entire feature.

Uhh I didn't say anything about a RtTS equivalent. I've never been one to call developers lazy or stuff like that so I'm not going to start now and wasn't doing that in my post. But I highly doubt it's a two cycle project to put a random team select button in CFM. It's absolutely reasonable to ask for that. If CFM was the same as it's been and when you went to select the team you play for, if you could continue to do it the way it's been done or press square/X and a random team is picked like in play now mode, any and every other sports game or fighting game on earth that allows you to pick a random team/fighter, I'd be cool with that.


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[Speedy]

I understand why these RPG-style modes in sports games are popular. RTTS, MyPlayer, etc...there's a high % of people that play these games. I don't want to knock it as I think there is a market for it and Madden has every right to pursue that like other titles have.

That said...I'd love to know the % of folks who strictly play franchise/owner mode. It seems that more and more dev teams are going away from this mode in favor of these RPG/solo game modes. I just don't get it. Duece's ideas for franchise would be CONSOLE SELLING if they were implemented in full. I'd like a lead dev who pushes and cares about franchise and sinking $$/time into it.

[Madden08PCgmr]

Quote: Originally Posted by DeuceDouglas

That's EA though. The suits dictate it all. I absolutely agree with you but as tough a pill as it is to swallow, it has to be realized that they're not making the game for us, they're making it for dollars. If you're not spending cash on MUT packs the only thing thing they care about is either A) how can they get you to spend money on MUT packs or B) how can I find someone else to spend money on MUT packs. So if you're playing a mode that doesn't generate additional revenue you have to realize that the mode is going to not be built for the people playing it. It's going to be built like this mode around kids and people who don't even play the game to pull them in and maybe stick around and spend more money in-game. It's no coincidence that you get MUT rewards upon completion of the mode. It really, really sucks but that's just the way it is and it isn't going to change any time soon.

Couldn't have said it any better.

How the mighty have fallen.


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[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by Speedy

I understand why these RPG-style modes in sports games are popular. RTTS, MyPlayer, etc...there's a high % of people that play these games. I don't want to knock it as I think there is a market for it and Madden has every right to pursue that like other titles have. That said...I'd love to know the % of folks who strictly play franchise/owner mode. It seems that more and more dev teams are going away from this mode in favor of these RPG/solo game modes. I just don't get it. Duece's ideas for franchise would be CONSOLE SELLING if they were implemented in full. I'd like a lead dev who pushes and cares about franchise and sinking $$/time into it.

Rex said 65% play CFM.

[jfsolo]

Quote: Originally Posted by Speedy

I understand why these RPG-style modes in sports games are popular. RTTS, MyPlayer, etc...there's a high % of people that play these games. I don't want to knock it as I think there is a market for it and Madden has every right to pursue that like other titles have. That said...I'd love to know the % of folks who strictly play franchise/owner mode. It seems that more and more dev teams are going away from this mode in favor of these RPG/solo game modes. I just don't get it. Duece's ideas for franchise would be CONSOLE SELLING if they were implemented in full. I'd like a lead dev who pushes and cares about franchise and sinking $$/time into it.

You may not believe them, but I believe Rex and Clint when they talk about how hard they have to fight for features in CFM that are for the hardcore and don't produce extra revenue.

Now I only play franchise, so I'm all for CFM getting blown out, but I don't believe there is a developer alive no matter how much they love franchise who could get the EA Sports brass to invest the resources necessary to implement Duece's plan, because, one, it seems like 10 years worth of work, two, it looks super intimidating for new users, and three, it doesn't have any micro transaction component.

It's not the passion for the mode of the development team that is the issue, it's the brand building ideology of the company suits that is the impediment. You could never convince them that implementing that plan would be console selling, let alone game selling for new users.

[OhMrHanky]

Quote: Originally Posted by jfsolo

You may not believe them, but I believe Rex and Clint when they talk about how hard they have to fight for features in CFM that are for the hardcore and don't produce extra revenue. Now I only play franchise, so I'm all for CFM getting blown out, but I don't believe there is a developer alive no matter how much they love franchise who could get the EA Sports brass to invest the resources necessary to implement Duece's plan, because, one, it seems like 10 years worth of work, two, it looks super intimidating for new users, and three, it doesn't have any micro transaction component. It's not the passion for the mode of the development team that is the issue, it's the brand building ideology of the company suits that is the impediment. You could never convince them that implementing that plan would be console selling, let alone game selling for new users.

I don't buy this 'intimidating' argument. I understand what you're saying and I've heard it from others. I think if they created a blow out CFM, they could easily attract casuals. If they made that mode more interactive. In terms of the story mode now being a learning tool. They could absolutely put that INSIDE CFM. This would draw noobs in. And, as CFM is a continuous multi-year mode, it would give them insight and/or drive for it.

And, I don't want to hear, 'they can't market that.' Here's your pitch, especially for selfish Americans, lol, 'Build your own dynasty. Become a living legend. Win more super bowls than tom Brady. Become the GOAT.' I mean, there's a million ways they could market this to make people want to play this. And, again, for the noobs that are 'intimidated', u start with a shorter, maybe (not sure how long longshot is), or not, idk, story mode within CFM. Make it optional, as vets may not want to fiddle with it. I mean, this is where u put it altogether, if u want. U could make a career player, go through the story of going through high school, college, and then being drafted by whatever team u choose. Then, start your franchise up. They can add 'helper' stuff like tutorials on franchise stuff if they need to. But, either way, there's your introduction to CFM. And, u created your own player that is now on your team. Go build your dynasty.

Now, on top of that, u add the history stat tracking to make it worth their while (like almost every other sports game). This is where u start to give more/better CGI cut scenes. When u win the Super Bowl, have a CGI interview scene with the MVP. When draft time rolls around, have CGI stuff for game footage of the top draft stock.

For anyone that argues, 'oh. That's too much. It'll take a long time, etc, etc. '. That's sort of my point. If the suits want big story modes to bring in casuals, and the madden team wants to focus on CFM (but, the suits won't let them), then the onus is on the dev team to come up with ideas like this to pitch to the suits. This allows them the creative freedom to blow out CFM AND bring in casuals AND appease the suits. Manipulation 101, it's how u get quality products done in video gaming. U, often have to trick upper management. And, they're usually pretty clueless, so u have to dangle shiny objects in front of them. Lol.


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[Lexicon]

As the days go on, I'm really liking the idea of Longshot. Like a lot of what I read in this interview. I don't even care if I don't get to play a whole game, because the mode sounds interesting. Meetings with coaches, participating in the combine, making decisions that will branch my path... All that sounds much more interesting to me than a single player career mode. I've always liked Mike Young. He's done some really good work on the series.