Video Game Football Stinks, and No One Seems to Notice

[JohnDoh]

Soccer blows big

[cbc72]

Nice idea for a direction for the article and something to look at.

But I felt the article fizzled out and was shallow.

I don't really think you did a good job of detailing the specific problems with D. It reminded me of your mentioned soccer mom yelling "Champ Bailey sucks," because a receiver just scored a TD by him, while not realizing it was a blown assignment by the safety not picking up on the zone as he handed off the receiver.

I believe you understand more deeply what is going on in these games, but again, I don't really think you said much of anything to support your view.

[quietcool72]

Todd,
..but you gave the NCAA 09 game an "A-" in EGM as the reviewer????

Game of the Month too, if I recall correctly.

Now, I think most of us would say the game deserves nothing better than a C- (or less..until some miracle patching may or may not happen).. but it seems odd that you would score the game so darn high, and turn around with this editorial about how football games suck.

Todd, you have to admit... that's odd...and hurts your cred SUBSTANTIALLY in this article.

[asu666]

I love soccer/football too, but the article seems a bit biased. American football defense can be very rewarding when you crush the QB, up end a receiver coming of the middle, or stop the RB in the backfield for a loss. Crushing the ballcarrier or picking off a pass to run it back are fun skills as well. I think most people never put much into mastering defense. You can switch players in American football video games just as easily as you can in soccer/football games.

[datruth]

I somewhat agree but I don't think it has always sucked. It has gotten worse since the move to next gen. I still feel the control is not as responsive as PS2 Madden.

Can't really compare soccer defense to football defense because the game is played totally different. Soccer players transition from playing D to O many times in one game where football players primarily play D only, and rarely touch the ball offensively.

The defensive strategy in soccer changes on the fly, in the middle of the action. As you know changes in football strategy is done when the ball play has ended and changes are made based on down and distance, location on the field, score etc etc.

I don't think it's fair to compare the two but I can understand why you think one is more fun than the other. Me personally, I wish EA brought back the control of PS2 Madden (defense) with 4 to 5 times the animations.

[NEWYORICAN]

Does Todd write for Fox News as well?...flp-flops ..Todd, sorry bro, it sure does hurt your credability as a writer now...

[acarrero]

I don't know about you guys, but my defense in NCAA is stout. There's no team and no player I feel that I can't at least contain. I'm tired of people quitting on me because they go for it on an early 4th down and don't make it. We bring it on D!

While I agree that defense is the one side that needs the most attention in football video games based on lack of inovation, lets not get carried away - EA's football games still capture the sport as well as any other sports genre. Soccer is simpler therefore easier to recreate in a video game, but the golley controls himself, and there isn't as much coaching strategy in soccer. In football you have to pick an alignment every snap. The fun is in the coaching/strategy. Maybe it's only fun when you stop the other team or get a turnover, but the same goes for every other video game defense - it's not like I have any more fun in NBA 2K8 playing defense than in NCAA 09.

[DJ]

I just don't see the big issue with playing defense in football games. Never had a problem/complaint. I don't see how your soccer argument fits; both sports have 11 guys on the field and you can only control 1 of those players at a time. How is soccer more intuitive than football? You can change DB coverage, LB alignment and DL alignment pre-snap and can now assign individual assignments to the LB and DB. Pretty intuitive to me.

If you're so displeased with defense in NCAA and Madden, how can you score the games so high? That right there severly cripples your argument with any flaws you found in the games.

[Hammerhunker]

I have the simplest solution to avoid the problems of this theory; one I have subcribed to for the last 16 plus years of playing video football: I only play offense. I play both team's offense. For me, an offensive junkie, it totally is my way. Friends have called me odd for doing it that way, but oh well. I hate playing defense, and I totally agree with the points made. The points made are probably why I hate playing defense.

[MakaveliLPC]

Re: Video Game Football Stinks, and No One Seems to Notice

Yup, this guy is a jackass. I do agree with him though.

[Jgainsey]

Lol, I love the people who read this article and only reply, "soccer sucks"! Ok...

[stux]

Ah go back in your mini van, drive away and leave it to us men to discuss a man's sport.

Never like hearing some guy in a skirt talking about football.

[wurstman3000]

After you successfully helped sinking NHL 2K8 you could give it at least a little credit in this article, as the defense controls are way better than in EAs effort.

I agree with your points; when I think about it, I had only real fun playing defense in PES2008 and NHL 2K8 this year.

[spankdatazz22]

Re: Video Game Football Stinks, and No One Seems to Notice

Sure, we notice. We've noticed for a long time now. Unfortunately, as long as consumers and "critics" keep giving game developers a free pass on their broken feature sets, it seems the developers and publishers will have little motivation to change thier thinking.

Really Todd, you've mentioned your distaste for defense on your podcast and even in your recent NCAA review. But then you give EA a swat on the *** and a "Good effort guys, you'll get 'em next year ...", and score them a freaking A-. Broken AI, broken online dynasty, and chronically broken/"unfun" defense, and they still get an "A-".

"No one seems to notice", huh? It seems that includes the "critics" as well.

Well said.

[muggins]

Hey young man, I can't see so good... did Colin Cowherd write this article? I can't tell. Let me get my glasses...