Did EA/Tiburon stumble into another generation?

[BoomerSooner11]

Quote: Originally Posted by N51_rob

Can someone please tell me one idea from the Game Changer idea site that has been fully implemented yet. Yes EA is stumbling into this gen because they didn't need to produce a launch day title, but they knew they could cash in on one if they did so they ported over current gen warts and all, "fixed Oline interactions" and added "True step". Lipstick on a pig if you ask me.

This is what really grinds my gears, no matter what they're going to make a profit. They have no competition, and when I was in Gamestop paying off my system this weekend, the girl behind the counter said that Madden was one of the most preordered games for both X1 and PS4. (Granted that's one store, not a yardstick to measure the thousands of other stores.) I was shocked though, I mean it's like Call of Duty; it's review proof. No matter what people are going to buy it, it's the only NFL football game on the market, about to be the ONLY football game available. I agree though, solid post.

[royounggoku]

Quote: Originally Posted by Brooklynnets24

Notsureifsrs really reaching for straws here

Oh man I didn't even finish reading that. It's crazy how they can literally repackage this game as next gen and people will sit here and make excuses for them while they sit back and laugh there asses off. When will people stop making excuses for this game?

And being a primary fan of basketball and understanding the underlying strategy of it, I find it insulting how people talk about it sometimes in there effort to defend this game.

[royounggoku]

Quote: Originally Posted by Segagendude

Hard for me to say. While I can appreciate that they just ported this time around and kept various things in the game rather than bare bones it ala 06, the foundation wasn't that great IMO. And all the news about active sidelines and whatnot; I've yet to see evidence of that. I don't think they stumbled as they said they were better prepared for NG this time around, but at the same time, they're still not utilizing NG's capabilities to their full potential..

How hard is it not to be better than 06? It was a travesty. People keep bringing up how they were better prepared than then like its an accomplishment. So they didn't release a game stripped bare, am I supposed to be jumping for joy? I think we should expect the same improvement out if this game that we do from any other big name game in the market. And compared to some other games it doesn't even remotely hold up.

[Big FN Deal]

"Stumble" implies that what happened was an accident, so I say no, they have done exactly what they intended. I do believe however it was the wrong choice in terms of having a better game and long term revenue but I'm sure they don't care as long as they make money now. I have stated before that it's easy to presume that because a company is profitable they consistently make good decisions but that's not the case and there are many examples that show this. In reference to EA Football, they seem to keep making short sighted decisions for profit, while hurting their brand, ie NCAA Football. I don't know the ins and outs of Tiburon's finances but it begs to reason that whenever sales dip they just cutback on investment to offset that and keep it profitable. I would presume there was a bare minimum spent on next-gen M25 across the board, development, marketing, etc, so no matter how low the sales may seem to us, EA Tiburon will be in the black and on schedule. After Christmas and into next year when more gamers presumably have new consoles, I expect to see the same ole marketing hype that has been Madden's trademark current gen and the game continue to be what it is.

All that said, I expect that cutback in investment to include the NFL exclusive, so I don't think they'll be renewing that. Catch 22 about that is, imo, when the NFL exclusive ends, EA Tiburon will spin that as if it's evidence that they are truly committed to making Madden better and welcome competition. Considering it's unknown how soon any other studio would be willing to release a NFL game even in an open NFL license market, that still gives EA Tiburon time to run the same hustle. Hype incremental improvement and faux innovation, while still fundamentally delivering the same "Madden" experience.

So in recap, no they didn't stumble, EA Tiburon has their gamers right where they want them and will continue this social experiment in marketing as long as possible. I choose to no longer be a marketing lab rat and won't be buying another Madden anytime in the foreseeable future. However I do plan to have a front row seat for the reenactment of Groundhog Day in 2014.

[MHammer113]

First off I must say that CrimsonTide and Brza have made excellent points and comments that unfortunately hit the nail on the head. I have not made one comment about the nextgen consoles or games, but I cannot hold back anymore after reading through this entire thread. With that said I will not be buying or playing a next gen system until March when MLB the Show comes out.

My initial thought is Madden needs competition to become a better game, but when you see what San Diego Studios releases every year with MLB the Show and what 2k Sports releases each year with NBA 2k maybe this is not even the answer. I do feel as though Madden has seen a drastic slip in quality since 2k was knocked out of the NFL game making industry, but that is still no excuse. It is so sad to me that EA seems to care more about the marketing of their product then the actual product itself.

For me the perfect example lies in College Hoops 2k8 vs. NCAA Basketball 10. NCAA Basketball 10 is TWO years newer than Choops 2k8 and if I were to ask 100 people there choice of what game they'd rather play now, the overwhelming favorite would be Choops 2k8. Why is that? EA marketed up NCAA 10 with two commentary teams, pre season tournaments, and a realistic NCAA tournament. Then we get the game and it freezes uncontrollably to the point you cannot even play the game. What does EA care though? NFL 2k5 has the same effect. I guarantee there are people who believe NFL 2k5 on last gen is actually better than at least two Maddens on the current gen. Think about how absurd that is.

The NFL is the most popular sport in America if not the world and because of that it has become the most popular video game. Not because Madden is a good game, but because the NFL's popularity is growing each and every year. EA and Tiburon both know this and they have been taking advantage of this since 2k was knocked out of the industry. 2k San Diego Studios, someone please get your hands on the license and give EA some competition. If this happens there is little doubt in my mind we will not only have one good NFL game, but two because the competition will be feed us an excellent product.

[royounggoku]

Quote: Originally Posted by MHammer113

First off I must say that CrimsonTide and Brza have made excellent points and comments that unfortunately hit the nail on the head. I have not made one comment about the nextgen consoles or games, but I cannot hold back anymore after reading through this entire thread. With that said I will not be buying or playing a next gen system until March when MLB the Show comes out. My initial thought is Madden needs competition to become a better game, but when you see what San Diego Studios releases every year with MLB the Show and what 2k Sports releases each year with NBA 2k maybe this is not even the answer. I do feel as though Madden has seen a drastic slip in quality since 2k was knocked out of the NFL game making industry, but that is still no excuse. It is so sad to me that EA seems to care more about the marketing of their product then the actual product itself. For me the perfect example lies in College Hoops 2k8 vs. NCAA Basketball 10. NCAA Basketball 10 is TWO years newer than Choops 2k8 and if I were to ask 100 people there choice of what game they'd rather play now, the overwhelming favorite would be Choops 2k8. Why is that? EA marketed up NCAA 10 with two commentary teams, pre season tournaments, and a realistic NCAA tournament. Then we get the game and it freezes uncontrollably to the point you cannot even play the game. What does EA care though? NFL 2k5 has the same effect. I guarantee there are people who believe NFL 2k5 on last gen is actually better than at least two Maddens on the current gen. Think about how absurd that is. The NFL is the most popular sport in America if not the world and because of that it has become the most popular video game. Not because Madden is a good game, but because the NFL's popularity is growing each and every year. EA and Tiburon both know this and they have been taking advantage of this since 2k was knocked out of the industry. 2k San Diego Studios, someone please get your hands on the license and give EA some competition. If this happens there is little doubt in my mind we will not only have one good NFL game, but two because the competition will be feed us an excellent product.

I agreed with everything you said but American football is far from the most popular sport in the world lol

[Only1LT]

The only thing that is absolutely shocking to me, is that a lot of people needed Crimson Tide to spell out what you all should have known, without his confirmation.

[LorenzoDC]

Quote: Originally Posted by RGiles36

I honestly think you and Crimson are right on the money. Trying to find a way to lead into what I want to say, but also remain tactful because I respect these guys and have met several personally. To me, while I'm proud to have become a GC (who doesn't like to be recognized), I don't think we do a lot to put public pressure on Tiburon. Some say they handle their criticisms behind close doors, and things of that nature; I don't buy that. Personally, I'm at a point where I'm just indifferent to this series. I really am -- which is why I lurk but post infrequently. The thing that has bothered me in recent months is how GC's are so measured in how they criticize Madden publicly, if they even criticize it at all. But the smallest glitch in NBA2K is over-scrutinized by the same people, to the point of using the words 'crap' and 'broken'. C'mon man! If any game deserves that level of criticism, it's Madden. Don't take the gloves off on 2K, and simply give Tiburon a pat on the head for it's consistent shortcomings. Another thing that bothered me was when that stellar NBA2K next gen trailer dropped. And rather than glowing about the positives as most of the sports gaming community was, I saw some GC's take the approach of, "Well, this isn't the angle in which I play the game. Show me real gameplay 2K." Two things: 1) If that's the worst thing you could say about that trailer, then clearly it was pretty damn good. Don't be petty. 2) NBA2K & Madden are not the same game; you can buy NBA2K w/out seeing gameplay angles and sleep like a baby. The same can't be said for Madden. Never know what you'll get (as this transition to next gen has shown). My point is that there's reason to feel the GC program is hollow. I never made it out to be some big deal; I never boasted about an open line to developers b/c I never felt I had one. And I've emailed guys on that staff a time or two coming off community events. No response. I'm not upset about that -- just sharing my experience. And to be fair to EA as far as GCs being used as marketing pawns, I've never been approached by Dewiel or anyone else to drum up hype or put out a fire. Never. That "responsibility" that many GCs assume is often a choice of their own.

I remember you posting this summer about the game not really moving in a direction to satisfy the offline sim oriented franchise gamer. Now that there's a product hitting the street, do you think you can elaborate?

In my view, it's the offline or solo franchise gamer who is most focused on sim and gameplay quality versus the CPU. Making that crowd happy is the real test of any sports game's worth.

They may not be the majority, but a game can't become great without that crowd being enthusiastic. I think the NBA2k series makes this clear, as does MLB The Show.

Thanks for posting your comment.