Madden NFL 25 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

[Steve_OS]

Kotaku's Owen Good sends word that Madden NFL 25 could include actual NFL referees. If they are adding some focus on the referees, let's hope they are working on the penalties in general, pass interference being first on the list. (Although I have seen a few more this year...)

Quote:

EA Sports plans to include real-life NFL referees in Madden NFL 14, according to two different sources close to the NFL Referees Association. One of them said the officials' facial features have been scanned into the game, with an eye toward making their calls and explanations a part of the broadcast presentation for next year's game.

What are you hoping to see come out of this?

This is just a rumor for now, so let's keep the discussion on penalties (and not "WHY ARE THEY WORKING ON REFEREES WHEN THEY HAVE SO MANY OTHER ISSUES...")

[roadman]

I'm with Steve on this one, I'd like to see more penalties called in the DPI area, though, there has been some called on the CPU this year.

I'd like to see defensive holding after the 5 yd rule on receivers, too.

Need to see Ed Hoculai's big guns too.

[RyanMoody21]

Well one really good thing would be if they got him to turn around. Not sure I have had a call made this year where the ref faces the camera.

[Jarodd21]

Yeah if they are bringing in the actual refs they definitely need to focus on getting the penalties to work correctly..

[SECElit3]

I am sorry Steve... I know you wanted to keep in on topic, but this post nearly caused me bodily harm from laughing so hard. It may just be pure frustration or something, but I was literally rolling on the floor in tears. Hahaha

It will be nice to see a pass interference called from time to time though.

[homeycool]

The option to challenge different aspects of a play on every play would be nice.

Also I want to see flags on the field when there has been a penalty, maybe blue bean bags when there is a turnover. How about multiple penalties on the same play?

Lastly, if a ref has to throw two flags, if he used his hat on the second one, that would be pretty cool to see.

While all of these are just little extras that shouldn't be priorities, they would add to the immersion and replication of what we see on Sundays (and Thursdays, Mondays, and Saturdays at the end of the year).

[Big FN Deal]

I almost got excited about this because my mind immediately went to this bodes well for penalties. However, thank you to Owen Good for keeping me grounded in reality.

"It's unlikely the officials themselves would have any influence on a game, such as in how plays or penalties are called. Sports video games that allow for variable officiating (that is, not uniformly governed by the game's engine or AI sliders) use fictitious officials, such as MLB the Show. Here, actual NFL officials would likely be a presentational element, and a presence for the new booth team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms to comment on next year."

In that quote is a link that completely blew my mind about MLB The Show and again makes me realize I do not have unreasonable expectations for what Madden SHOULD be at this point.

"And yet every single time I've started a Season or Road to the Show campaign in MLB The Show, I've selected the variable plate umpiring. The feature's been a part of the game since MLB 07 The Show and I've used it ever since. I've also turned on check-swing appeals and the potential to get hosed on that call, just as Washington's Matt Capps was in Houston earlier this week. I've taken a completely closed, controlled environment that is incapable of incorrectly officiating an objective result and willingly introduced the chance that I'd lose a game when a stingy umpire won't give the obvious strike three." http://kotaku.com/5556304/the-expans...ht-strike-zone

Like so many other things concerning Madden and EA Tiburon, this will likely be another wasted opportunity to add substance while simultaneously having flash to appeal to the masses. Refs performing realistically in a video game is likely not considered "fun" but this will likely lead to something like a hidden all referee team and sadly, I am not joking. SMMFH

[at23steelers]

"WHY ARE THEY WORKING ON REFEREES WHEN THEY HAVE SO MANY OTHER ISSUES...")

Seriously though, Im playing that "other game" and in one series I saw: defensive PI, roughing the passer, ineligible receiver downfield, and illegal forward pass. I actually didn't know what the penalty was going to be, until after he announced it. In Madden, you know, it's going to be holding or clipping. It's almost a given. Players actually jump offsides on fake snap, imagine that! Also, I challenged two plays of illegal forward pass and both overturned. They need to overhaul challenge system, so you can pick what you want challenged. Don't give me the "in madden they look at the whole play", because most times it doesn't like they do. It just adds more variety to the game. Madden is fun to play, but the game just lacks the intensity of the unexpected. You expect to score every time you possess the ball, so field position doesn't matter, you know what the penalties will be. Improved tackling does help, but penalties will add some more immersion to the game.