Sega's next (final) "Madden Killer"

[illinifan999]

Cribs (http://ps2.ign.com/articles/429/429800p1.html)


"July 22, 2003 - The concept is simple, yet often times overlooked. If you reward gamers with unlockable content, they will play more games in order to score more points and unlock more rewards.

Sega Sports announced today that they are finally entering the world of gamer rewards with their brand new feature called "The Crib", scheduled to debut in the highly-anticipated game ESPN NFL Football.

"The Crib" gives gamers access to an empty pad that you can transform into your ultimate virtual hangout with more than 300 unlockable items from couches and bobbleheads to mini-games like air hockey and paper football.

"We already knew that our sports gamers were ultra-competitive, so we wanted to keep challenging them to be on their game when they play," said Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts Entertainment. "This is one of the many ways that we are raising the bar in ESPN NFL Football this year with innovative features that keep the game not only challenging, but also fun."

ESPN NFL Football is scheduled to ship this September. Until then, click the media to check out some of the first shots of Sega's new Crib."

There are screens of it.

Ummmm, fun?

[Easy Mac]

I guess i'm the only gamer who wants to play a football game, and has never cared about unlocking these "spcial" prizes.

[JeeberD]

That's just idiotic...

[Easy Mac]

dola, and can I buy women to come to my crib.

[TLK]

How long is it gonna be before they break-out a Power Pad looking thing, and your actually gonna have to do all the running and passing?

[yacovfb]

fluff...useless fluff

[Kodos]

This has to be one of the stupidest features ever. Sega has no clue if they think this will bring people over in droves. If you want to compete with EA, beat it with gameplay, graphics, features that actually add to the game, AND DON'T RELEASE THE GAME A MONTH AFTER MADDEN COMES OUT. What are these guys thinking? :confused:

[Marmel]

That wouldn't get me to buy the game, only a good FOOTBALL game will. However, that looks pretty cool. I say, Good Idea!

[ice4277]

I can see it right now: The Sims: Superstar Athlete. Half the game would be spent buying SUV's and gold jewelry, the other half hiring high-priced lawyers to get you out of legal trouble :D

[Easy Mac]

Don't forget doing the Cocaine.

[Leonidas]

So if you do certain things in the game it will enable you to go play virtual air hockey instead?

[andy m]

Originally posted by illinifan999
If you reward gamers with unlockable content, they will play more games in order to score more points and unlock more rewards.

i don't get the point why a company would care that gamers play their game 1 time or 1 sextillion times. once the game is sold, does it matter?

[yacovfb]

andy- yes, but if you play the game more, you are more likely to buy next years version as well

-yacovfb

[ISiddiqui]

Damn, yacovfb... beat me to it :D.

Anyway, it's a dumb option. Focus on the gameplay!

[Cornhuskerly]

I think that this will be good for Sega--judging by last year, they obviously can't out-sell Madden on gameplay/franchise alone, so they're trying to boost their fun factor. I have no problem with it.

[EagleFan]

That's what I'm looking for in a football game, the chance to play air hockey.

Note to Sega: When you're making a football game, concentrate on football.

[Eilim]

Thats its.. No Madden for me this year. How can you pass up bobbleheads? :rolleyes:

[Fritz]

I played madden for seventytwo hours straight and my fingers were all swollen and oozing puss and then a number appeared on my screen and I called it and gave them a secret code and my address and they mailed me a Ray Lewis fur coat.

that ever happen to anyone else?

[Marmel]

Well, I had swolen fingers that were oozing puss......

but that was after 72 straight hours doing something else.

[Fritz]

Originally posted by Marmel
Well, I had swolen fingers that were oozing puss......

but that was after 72 straight hours doing something else.

you are the only person in the history of man to give yourself herpes

[Marmel]

*taking a bow*

[MJ4H]

man this board confuses me sometimes

[A-Husker-4-Life]

Originally posted by Eilim
Thats its.. No Madden for me this year. How can you pass up bobbleheads? :rolleyes:

I just can't believe Sega thinks that this Crib Fluff crap is going to help sell their football game:confused: I just wish they would build a better game, they have never had a good franchise mode and it looks like this years going to be the same.... Oh well, it's MADDEN for me....

[SackAttack]

Y'know, I said the exact same thing about Madden in 2001 when they introduced Madden cards. The game engine just didn't mesh with what I expected from a football game, and the Madden cards just seemed like so much fluff designed to attract people's attention.

Funny how that works.

[Terps]

It's pretty much just a souped-up user profile system. I don't care for unlocking things to decorate my 'crib', but just to have it for the trophy room and all the stats that it keeps track of is good enough. I doubt Sega is marketing this as a "Madden Killer" though.

[tucker342]

Who needs a football game when you can play air hockey!

[mckerney]

But guys, this new feature is phat and dope and Poppin' Fresh! Don't tell me that you guys have never been playing a video game and thought to yourself, "You know, this would be a lot cooler if it had a virtual bobblehead in it," cause I know you all have. Now if you try hard enough, you will finally be able to see virtual bobbleheads, in all their video game glory.

[mckerney]

Nevermind. I change my vote to 'So Gay'

[Pumpy Tudors]

I honestly thought that the idea of "manager mode" in OOTP5 sounded silly when I first heard about it. I thought the same thing about the Madden cards just like SackAttack. Hell, I even thought that about the Sports Illustrated covers in NCAA 2004. When I finally saw manager mode and the SI covers, though, they won me over. No, this "Cribs" thing isn't going to make the gameplay any better, but if it's done properly, it could at least be amusing.

I still think the Madden cards are silly, though.

[Ragone]

Originally posted by Easy Mac
Don't forget doing the Cocaine.


Easy, Since thats a Extra Feature, that would require a expansion pack unto itself

Sims:Nate Newton

[rexallllsc]

Worst.Feature.Ever.

[sterlingice]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who was pissed when Madden went with Madden cards. It was cool at first: I like cards and there's an inherently cool feeling in getting a pack baseball cards and finding your favorite player or team or promo or whatever. But that lasted about 5 minutes...

Then I realized that I'd have to play about a billion games trying to do things like get those extra 12 yards for a 200 yard rusher or completely take one of my recievers out of the game for all but a couple of plays in an attempt to get him a high yards per average. Or, worst of all, just kindof scrap an entire drive just so I can kick a 60 yard punt or field goal.

Not only that, but I was having to do it for stuff like the extra teams and players that were normally included in previous version. Talk about a step backwards. I didn't want to sit there and try and keep throwing 500 yard games against the Bengals (sorry, but they always have crappy ratings) so that I can get more packs of crappy gold, silver, and bronze cards that I'll never use, sell back the doubles, and keep praying for that 85 Bears card so I can finally play as them...

SI

[Abe Sargent]

Anything more on the cribs?

-Anxiety