Did EA purposely sabotage NCAA 2005?

[stoncold32]

So there we all were in the middle of summer; lined up 200 deep waiting on this game. People walking through the mall and staring at the long line and wondering what is going on. OU football players trying to cut in line & get the "hook up" from the clerk for this game. Nearly everyone of us having prepaid for what we KNEW was going to be the greatest football game ever. After nearly 2hrs and we finally have the game in grubby paws. Think of all the money EA made.....

Now conspiracy theory question. Did EA purposely sabotage this game in order to gain sales for 2006? Simply put, we all know(or at those of us who are not such blind EA fans to admit it) NCAA 2004 was light years better than 2005 in nearly every facet. I seem to remember hearing some saying they weren't going to buy 2005, and they would just update their 2004.

If EA had fixed the few problems with 2004, 2005 would've been the end all be all for football games, at least in my opinion, and then less would buy 2006. Solution: put out semi-crap for 2005, and then claim the engine has been "redesigned" and improved for 2006, in order to force us to have to buy it if we want a good playable college game.

I think they did it with MVP as well. The first MVP was good in gameplay, but had no A-AA-AAA teams on it, and a very limited franchise. All they had to do was implenment these features. Instead, the next we got the glitched up game where left-handed batters put too much "top spin" and therefore do not hit hit HR anywhere near the number the right-handers do. Now I bet this years game is selling pretty good thanks to the "new or improved batter interface."

Maybe my imagination is just running wild....

[quietcool72]

Quote: Originally Posted by stoncold32

So there we all were in the middle of summer; lined up 200 deep waiting on this game. People walking through the mall and staring at the long line and wondering what is going on. OU football players trying to cut in line & get the "hook up" from the clerk for this game. Nearly everyone of us having prepaid for what we KNEW was going to be the greatest football game ever. After nearly 2hrs and we finally have the game in grubby paws. Think of all the money EA made..... Now conspiracy theory question. Did EA purposely sabotage this game in order to gain sales for 2006? Simply put, we all know(or at those of us who are not such blind EA fans to admit it) NCAA 2004 was light years better than 2005 in nearly every facet. I seem to remember hearing some saying they weren't going to buy 2005, and they would just update their 2004. If EA had fixed the few problems with 2004, 2005 would've been the end all be all for football games, at least in my opinion, and then less would buy 2006. Solution: put out semi-crap for 2005, and then claim the engine has been "redesigned" and improved for 2006, in order to force us to have to buy it if we want a good playable college game. I think they did it with MVP as well. The first MVP was good in gameplay, but had no A-AA-AAA teams on it, and a very limited franchise. All they had to do was implenment these features. Instead, the next we got the glitched up game where left-handed batters put too much "top spin" and therefore do not hit hit HR anywhere near the number the right-handers do. Now I bet this years game is selling pretty good thanks to the "new or improved batter interface." Maybe my imagination is just running wild....

The funny thing is that some college football fans completely saw past all of NCAA 2005's many problems. I guess that's the fanatical nature of college football fans. I remember many of the people on the boards that actually convinced themselves that the sometimes-terrible slowdown of the XBOX version during the running game was deliberate!

I remember seeing:
"Wow! I love how the game slows down a touch so I can read my blocks. EA did a really good job of making the run a thinking-man's game."

(Although- nowhere did EA ever promote "ALL NEW SLOWER RUNNING GAME PLAY!!!")

I guess- like any game, there will be fanatics. However it was really surprising to see, considering how poorly NCAA 2005 compared to NCAA 2004. I personally think that NCAA 2005 was the worst football game released last year, and in the past several years.

[NoleFan]

I wouldn't say it was done intentionally but it can be used to bolster sales of 2006.

[cliburn]

No. First of all, the game wasn't sabotaged on PS2. You can say you wish the bounces weren't as crazy or the passing game was better, but overall, the game is good. It's better than 2004, that's for sure. No company would purposely piss so many people off for fear of losing them forever.

[3bitz]

A manager here in Houston that runs one of the many Gamestops said to me when I was there a couple weeks ago that Madden and NCAA takes a break in the gameplay department every other year and to expect them to fix some of the many issues that had plagued this years 2005. Of couse while stating this she was trying to get me to reserve 2006.... I told her hell no.

[NoleFan]

Quote: Originally Posted by 3bitz

A manager here in Houston that runs one of the many Gamestops said to me when I was there a couple weeks ago that Madden and NCAA takes a break in the gameplay department every other year and to expect them to fix some of the many issues that had plagued this years 2005. Of couse while stating this she was trying to get me to reserve 2006.... I told her hell no.

:y4:

[stoncold32]

Quote: Originally Posted by shortsoldier

No. First of all, the game wasn't sabotaged on PS2. You can say you wish the bounces weren't as crazy or the passing game was better, but overall, the game is good. It's better than 2004, that's for sure. No company would purposely piss so many people off for fear of losing them forever.

Not to beat an already dead, already soap/glue made horse, but shortsoldier how could you say that? The players drop too many balls when they are open: UNEXCUSABLE. That right there and the fact that if your player is "rattled" it's almost impossible to do anything positive to help him recover.

I don't know what aspects you think are better than '04, but whateve they are it's not in the gameplay dept. And gameplay is all that really matters, if it is bad.

[stoncold32]

Quote: Originally Posted by 3bitz

A manager here in Houston that runs one of the many Gamestops said to me when I was there a couple weeks ago that Madden and NCAA takes a break in the gameplay department every other year and to expect them to fix some of the many issues that had plagued this years 2005. Of couse while stating this she was trying to get me to reserve 2006.... I told her hell no.

I guess Madden must be taking a permament console vacation. Because the only good Madden on PS2 was the first one. And lol...at that being her selling point to get you to reserve 2006.

I never thought before last year I'd ever says this, but I'm not going to even give NCAA 2006 two looks until I rent it or play it thoroughly first.

Thank God I still have my other previous NCAA's