Five Things EA Sports must do for Success in Madden NFL 13

[fcboiler87]

I have not purchased Madden in over 5 years. Madden 11 was given to me as a gift. I played it a handful of times before shelving it. Online franchise was a joke. They shouldn't have been allowed to even release it as it was. There are just too many basic things in the NFL that aren't in the game? Why? I don't know. But I have been making my point with my wallet.

[TNT713]

Re: Five Things EA Sports must do for Success in Madden NFL 13

Goodydog,

I remember history differently. I played my first Madden on the Sega Genesis system because it was an exclusive title until Madden 94 was released on the Super Nintendo. These games were published by Visual Concepts. When the Sony Playstation launched, Gameday would have competed with Madden 96 but Visual Concepts didn't deliver the title for PS1. EA 'fired' VC and awarded the series development to Tiburon studios.

Madden 97 was the first EA offering for the Playstation. When Sony's Gameday '98 first used 3D player models it overshadowed Madden briefly. The group at Tiburon countered by adding both 3D player models (ugly but still 3D), they blew the doors off of every other game by also introducing "Franchise Mode."

After years of being out of the game, Visual Concepts returned with NFL2K as a launch title on the Sega Dreamcast. EA opted not to publish on the Dreamcast and focused on the PS console instead. When Sega launched the Saturn and abandoned support for the Dreamcast, it eventually forced them out of the console business altogether and VC began developing for the Playstation 2 in direct competition with Madden. That was around the same time that 989 and Microsoft abandoned the football gaming market leaving Madden and 2K to fight it out.

When 2K4 inked a deal with ESPN, their offering drew more attention, but still didn't sell nearly as well as Madden. When the XBox launched, EA again opted not to produce a title leaving 2K without a competitor on that system. As a marketing strategy to draw even more attention to the title, 2K5 released with a $19.99 price tag to compete alongside Madden's $49.99 price tag which drew a large chunk of casual and die-hard football gaming fans alike.

It didn't hurt that 2K5 was visually stunning, but it did hurt that the NFL wasn't happy about cheapening the NFL brand. The NFL sought an unified NFL branded video game. The price of 2K5 along with the substantial market share difference left 2K unable to outbid EA for the exclusive deal... In the final gasp, NFL2K became All-Pro 2K and released one final football offering - but without NFL teams, players, or stadiums - sales forced 2K out of the football genre for good.

And here we are, today with Madden as the king of video game football.

Sources:

Memory
NFL 2K
Madden NFL
Visual Concepts

Later

[steelcurtainrox]

Re: Five Things EA Sports must do for Success in Madden NFL 13

Someone probably already said this, but I hate when I throw a perfect pass across the middle, my receiver just doesn't go for it. So they need to fix that. But if it's something I'm doing wrong, can someone tell me?

[dorian813]

please fix the A.I. as well. I hate throwing to ball to a receiver and then a player with his back turned that's not even covering the guy I threw the ball to turns around and makes the int.
fix the blocking again, yes it got better but it still needs to be better.
fix the defense, the front 7 have gap assignments they just don't chase the ball after it's hiked.
make the pre-snap reads harder. football is chess it should be harder to see man from zone. in real life the corners don't always chase the man in motion to the other side of the field they sometimes hand them off to other players. also bring the safeties up closer to the line on some plays. include more run stopping style of defense other then all out blitz like gap assignments, again.
figure out how to get the ball over a linebackers head.
bring back smart qb's and lb's that can read a certain formation but instead of showing that they know the play just give the option to change to a new play that can better challenge the play call or simply have one of the receivers change routes to sit in the zone.
add the little things.
make it feel more like a real broadcast and not some cheese fest. think 2k but better. Chris Berman was great at half time.

[eye guy]

Can you move everything on your list down a spot... Number one should be not renewing the licence they have with the NFL.

Have a look at what it did to the MLB2K series...

[Pete1210]

Full featured Online Franchise mode

[RynoAid]

Re: Five Things EA Sports must do for Success in Madden NFL 13

Full featured Online Franchise mode

this is what is holding the game back more than anything... for me anyways. I want a hybrid of Madden and Head Coach, online with 32 coach/gm's

[Big FN Deal]

Re: Five Things EA Sports must do for Success in Madden NFL 13

this is what is holding the game back more than anything... for me anyways. I want a hybrid of Madden and Head Coach, online with 32 coach/gm's

According to what EA has claimed their data shows, no you don't. You want to have quick superficial fun, not some in depth time consuming NFL authentic online franchise mode. You think that's what want but the data knows better because it's been picking money making features that gamers really want for years. /sarcasm

Please mods, don't yellow card me for that comment. I know it's probably uncalled for but it's true though. When did the standard for what goes into Madden become that it be quick and easy to learn instead of NFL authentic?

I am bitter as hell right now because my Redskins looked like **** this year in real life and the only NFL video game I have to let me change that in the virtual world, I can't even stomach anymore.

Please M13, you're my last hope this gen! lol

[TNT713]

Re: Five Things EA Sports must do for Success in Madden NFL 13

Someone probably already said this, but I hate when I throw a perfect pass across the middle, my receiver just doesn't go for it. So they need to fix that. But if it's something I'm doing wrong, can someone tell me?

Here are a few scenarios:

1) QB throws pass and WR stops running and shuffles his feet in place.

If you have large thumbs or aren't centered on the X, O, or Triangle (A, B, or Y on 360) icon buttons you may unintentionally switch to the receiver as you pass the ball. The O/B switches the your intended receiver and if there is still action on the left stick when the switch occurs, the CPU will hand complete control of the receiver to the user. If the user anticipates the CPU making the catch and releases the left stick, the WR will pat his feet and stand in place.

Recommendation: Bend your thumb so that you activate the buttons with the tips of your thumb instead of having the face of your thumb on the icon button. This decreases the surface area contacting the buttons and reduces the chance of the inadvertent switch.

2) QB throws and WR moves away from the ball.

If you run a route with a cut and attempt to deliver the ball to the receiver so that it arrives simultaneously as he's coming out of his break, sometimes they aren't 'on the same page.' The QB may sight adjust the pass upfield to a wide open area as if the receiver is running a streak, but the receiver runs the assigned route and breaks in his normal spot.

Recommendation: Hold the ball for a quarter beat longer before releasing it, or tap the button a little softer so the flight of the ball is loftier. It will create a larger window of time for the ball to arrive, which helps minimize the 'miscommunication.'

2a) QB throws and WR moves away from the ball.

Similar to #1, large thumbed players may be inadvertently switching to the receiver but in this case maintain 'action' on the left stick. The receiver will then run in whatever direction the left stick is pointing.

Recommendation: Same as #1.

That said, I specifically recommend getting into the habit of manually catching every pass to remove questions about why a receiver is or isn't doing what we expect.

Later

[Dazraz]

The awful sound quality & repetitive commenatry/cutscenes frustrate me. EA need to make each game feel different & fresh.

[pf8363]

Re: Five Things EA Sports must do for Success in Madden NFL 13

Please give us custom music. It adds so much to the immersion.

[bakan723]

They need to go back to giving the player more control again. As a player of football games from the very beginnings, I haven't been into them for awhile because they feel so damn AUTOMATED. It feels like the game practically is playing itself these days. If my hands are removed from the controller, my player should NEVER move on his own, PERIOD !!

Back in the Sega Genesis days, if the manual catch mode was on and you didn't become the receiver yourself and catch the ball, the cpu wouldn't do it for you, like they do now.

[hhpanther2926]

Agreed, also it does a terrible job on using import NCAA rosters (granted we as fellow operation sports alum) know how to change it but seriously why should we spend time doing something that EA sports should have taken care of years ago ???? Also the new way of signing free agents is terrible I mean the system/game picks the length of the contract and you only get to choose front or back load or even contract ??? So many issues with madden 12 it is a joke and EA will not fix them in the 2013 installment still I will buy of course !

[huskerwr38]

Re: Five Things EA Sports must do for Success in Madden NFL 13

Here is a video of why foot planting needs to be fixed. This pass was called incomplete, but he definitely should have gotten both feet down on the ground. His feet just sort of glide across the ground, never really making contact. So frustrating!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/alCwiuXoK5c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[ajs41072]

1) Special Teams.........the Ravens/Patriots game ending would NEVER happen in Madden. No one misses a 30 yard FG, even 40 is tough to miss.
2) Ball Physics........The ball goes in the hands of whoever the game wants it to. Doesn't matter if he's not in position, if he's close the ball will find his hands for a catch or interception.
3) All penalties called......as mentioned in other posts, we've all played years and years of Madden without seeing this among other penalties.
4) Pass placement........Every pass caught by a receiver winds up in the numbers. No one ever has to reach out or behind to catch a ball. This makes receivers able to run in stride with every pass.
5) Home field advantage......not sure how this would be implemented, but I never feel an advantage now.