NCAA 12's Lack of Inspiration Is Its Achilles - RaychelSnr's Blog

Arena Blog Dynasty Scores Sign Up ☰

RaychelSnr's Blog

NCAA 12's Lack of Inspiration Is Its Achilles Stuck

Posted on July 1, 2011 at 12:03 PM.

(43)

I've harped on sports games' need to immerse us into themselves by copying the medium by which we experience sports the most (TV). The difference in the perception of each football game this season can easily be traced to one game doing this (Madden) and one game not (NCAA).

The NCAA demo felt a strange combination of stale and uninspired combined with beauty and polish. On one hand, NCAA's gameplay will undboutedly reach some rareified territory after a few tuning packs and a couple of patches. And the new lighting? Now we're talking! On the other, the game is going to be a bore to play after a couple of seasons because the total package just isn't all that great.

My first beef rests with the commentary. The commentary hasn't changed and what was once the best commentary team in video game sports has now turned into one of the most annoying and stale teams in the booth of our genre. You'd expect at least a few new and meaningful lines to be added to the core gameplay experience over the course of nearly a decade -- but all indications are that will not be the case yet again in 2011.

Then when it comes to TV style presentation, the same old boring unrealistic camera angles continue to dominate the game. There's nothing resembling broadcast viewpoints, which is to the game's detriment at this point. The best games in our genre feature rich TV-style presentations. NCAA, in this regard, feels completely uninspired and boring.

Here are a few simple ideas for the NCAA team going forward: real broadcast angles, different graphics for being on different stations (have a different one for National, Regional, etc. broadcasts...even have the scoreboard in the corner for non-televised games), get the commentary team in to add thousands of lines including some dynasty specific stuff, don't let each team entrance be the same camera angles each time. Something, anything....we beg you.

However, it's not all bad. For all of NCAA's initial faults gameplay wise within the demo, I'm seeing enough good here to actually be excited. Patches and tuning packs will fix the minor issues. I'm certain we will see what amounts to one of the finest playing football games in history yet again when the dust settles.

The problem is, it's now 2011 and great gameplay isn't enough to be considered a great game in sports simulations. Users are spoiled by efforts like NBA 2K, NHL, MLB: The Show, etc. and leaving out a pristine TV style presentation in favor of the same uninspired effort will result in NCAA feeling like it wants to be a National Championship contender going into the season, but just as with any other perrennial underachievers we're going to get an 8-5 effort instead.

Comments

# 1 Bumble14 @ Jul 1

Umm NHL has probably the worst TV presentation of any game this generation ;-)

While I do agree I'd like to see more camera angles, stat banners, and graphical overlays, what is included is pretty much on par with he current ESPN broadcast. Also no mention of authentic team entrances?

There is certainly a lot of room for improvement, but I don't think it's embarassingly bad either.

# 2 ThaShark28_316 @ Jul 1

I'd prefer to say 11-2 in a non-bcs conference.

Winning all these games, but that sneaky *** late season road game, they get beat. Then get crushed in the bowl game.

# 3 rudyjuly2 @ Jul 1

I agree. The commentary desperately needs to be fixed and I'm mainly talking about Herbstreit. This needs to be better and is a huge component of the presentation. What commentary team is worse than these guys anymore? Madden? Time to bring in some new blood to freshen it up.

# 4 TFunaro @ Jul 1

Quote:


	The NCAA demo felt a strange combination of stale and uninspired combined with beauty and polish.

I think that statement perfectly sums things up.

# 5 kc10785 @ Jul 1

Is it safe to say with a month and a half of Madden gameplay videos people are already spoiled when it comes to intro videos and in game camera angles

# 6 209vaughn @ Jul 1

I fully agree with kc10785... I think the Madden hype is hurting NCAA right now. I have a feeling that a lot of the EA resources will shift from Madden to NCAA next year and next year NCAA 13 will be revolutionary.

# 7 EtheRed @ Jul 1

don't we all get tired of waiting for next year to get here and then notice little if anything different? I am and have been a NCAA series fan since the first Bill Walsh game was out and have played installment to reach the market but , I do feel like it's time to see some real big changes. some times I feel like EA gets rid of some things and then brings them back a few seasons later saying they are new and revolutionary?

# 8 kc10785 @ Jul 1

@Ethered

so you telling me with the RTG, Online Dynasty, gameplay upgrade as far as no suction. zone D running styles, tons of new animations, and more wasn't enough. Before the madden video drop everybody was on the NCAA bandwagon and now all of a sudden this game is 11.5 cut it out please.

# 9 TarHeelPhenom @ Jul 1

What I have decided to do...and I have done this with NBA 2k11 as well in spite of it's great commentary is...cut commentary off altogether. I would rather have the feel of me being inside the stadium on gameday and only hearing the public address announcers voice. To me it makes me feel as though I'm in the action or right there viewing. After all...I am playing the game. Now, maybe I'll turn it on for big games. But, for the most part...the commentary will be off. Won't bother me at all!!!!

# 10 tommyboii2008 @ Jul 1

I dont see any real problems with the camera angles on replays and highlights in the demo.. They have angles that u cant get in real-life, and lets be honest, replays in a real broadcast typically dont blow you away to begin with.. I dont see the gripe with the camera angles

# 11 reginald_rush @ Jul 1

I feel the exact same way. I am inspired, but at the same time, feel that something more can be done to make the game a 10. I love college football and I want a product that will rival the 2K series. Come on EA!

# 12 DJ @ Jul 1

Yeah, the NHL comment was off the mark in terms of presentation, but I get the point you were trying to make

Last year, for the first time in any sports game, I turned off the commentary and just had my custom stadium sounds playing. I didn't want to play this way but like you mentioned, the commentary we have now with NCAA is beyond stale.

If EA doesn't want to overhaul the commentary, at least freshen it up and mimmick what we have in NBA and MLB 2K. Those games make you feel like you are experiencing a real broadcast and it 100% adds to the games' shelf life.

I am still excited for this game because of the team entrances and the improvements that have been made to the gameplay. There's still work to do but I'm happy with what EA has been offering us the past two years with NCAA.

# 13 Rolltide1012 @ Jul 1

Havent gotten to play the demo but two or three times. Though there seem to be some nagging issues from the past i think it is definitely better than last years. I may be the only person but i have stopped getting drawn into the madden hype just to be let down. I thought NCAA was a much better game than Madden last year. Just my thoughts. Also think the retail version will be alot better than the demo as i felt it was last year.

# 14 TFunaro @ Jul 1

@DJ and Bumble14,

Actually, he's not off at all by mentioning the presentation in the NHL series. Have you guys ever heard the commentary in that game? It's awesome. Sure, there's some repetition, but the vocal emotion is off the charts. Commentary plays a huge part in the "overall" package of a television-style presentation. NCAA Football fails miserably in this department while the NHL series continues to excel.

# 15 labguy @ Jul 1

Everyone has their own opinion of what makes a game have "replay value". You seem like you will enjoy the game, but just for a brief time because the commentary and some presentation issues are not up to par. Two words gives NCAA more replay value than any game I have ever played. Those two words = ONLINE DYNASTY! The NCAA team has met and exceeded my expectations on what a game can do to allow limitless replay value. Competing against real people (not AI) across the country on the field and on the recruiting trail is AWESOME. It never gets old for me.

« Previous12 3 Next »

RaychelSnr

Create Your Card Flip Card Over