In depth Interview by Kat Bailey with Creative Director Mike Young on Longshot

[jpdavis82]

Watch the interview Rex did with Simfballcritic he explains why they chose this direction and how it will be up to us where they go from here with it.

https://youtu.be/MnuxVNNNNuU


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[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kingd803

This is a game brother. We want to play it. Not watch it. You've got to admit this is a bit ridiculous. Madden is literally so far behind the others in gameplay, presentation, franchise, and customization that it's ridiculous. These resources could have been used to improve things or add things that we've been BEGGING for. And or other games have had for almost a decade. Do you see what I and many others are saying? Please just acknowledge it. I swear when anyone says something about madden you respond and try to defend it. And it's nothing personal. You seem like a respectful and professional person. I don't mean any disrespect at all. But honestly it seems the higher ups here don't want any negativity towards EA. Let me put it like this. Football is my passion. Like I'm sure it is to most here. I mean I really have to deep respect for the game. I am a very casual basketball fan. I don't know the x's and 0's of its strategy. I buy 2k almost every year. I'm blown away yearly by what they do and what that game allows me to do. Madden, I don't but often. When I do I end up playing a handful of times and never pick it back up. I return to older games to get my football fix. I've provided a ton of constructive criticism to the team. Made videos. Talked to the devs. And at this point madden just continues to move in the opposite direction that I personally want it to move it. It's just very frustrating.

Pretty sure I agree with everything you just said here.

However, if they would have allowed you to use the player in Franchise games then Longshot might have been more than just a curiosity to me.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Quote: Originally Posted by OhMrHanky

I'm sorry. I still think is a waste of money and resources on 2 fronts. 1. Dev time and creation. CFM is still not fully fleshed out. One can argue metrics as 'not enough people play this,' or as we have heard recently, 'many people play this'. Lol. However, u can argue for both as reasons to continue working on this and make it a fully fleshed out mode. Find out what's missing and add it. Many suggestions are here and I know they've pulled from here, before. They could've added this story mode into CFM if they wanted to. They could've made it smaller, I would think, but many options are available here. In any sports sim game, this truly should be your #1 mode, period. And, should appeal to your #1 target audience which should be football fans. Football fans already know how to do this stuff and what to expect in a CFM. So, u have to blow it out bigger to get more bang for your buck. Think BIG!! And, if u want to convince the suits, tell them you're giving away more MUT packs in CFM by adding x, y and z. Lol. But, also, by blowing out CFM and satisfying your base, madden would receive more street cred, better reviews, less negative reviews, etc. THIS would bring more casuals and new users in. "Build it, and they will come." 2. Wasting money on poor marketers with poor marketing ideas. I really think the marketing team is off their rocker. From everything I hear here and there. I understand wanting to pull in new users from wherever I can. But, first things first. Understand your product. You represent a FOOTBALL game. As such, u should be marketing to football fans, both hardcore and casual. U should be including selling items such as 'the most realistic simulation of football ever. I thought I got knocked out by ray Lewis, himself!' And, then have a commercial with Lewis popping out of the tv and knocking a gamer in their a$$. Lol. If madden chooses to use that, I'll take some royalties. Lol. But, seriously, to spend all marketing and money and resources (or more) to try to pull in people who don't even watch football? This should be a small % of money/time spent. Again, KNOW YOUR PRODUCT. Don't waste your time where not going to get it. There are many people out there who are sports fans who are choosing not to play madden. Those should be your #2 target (after football specific fans). People who are choosing NBA 2k and The Show, and simply not buying madden because of the poor CFM. These are the people u could most easily flip to buying madden. How do u pull in these people? With a wicked CFM and better overall gameplay. These should be the selling points focused on. After all of that, if u have some extra time and resources, sure, try to pull in casuals with something. But, this overall take that they've got to pull in casuals so much, I truly think should take less money and resources. If someone doesn't like sports, but loves shooters and is looking to buy Gears of War or Madden, they're going to choose gears. And, I think, just overall, that's where the frustration lies with longtime gamers, longtime madden fans, longtime football fans, and longtime sports fans. Madden just hasn't been on top for so long, if ever, we would rather see them spend money on making the game better. Not, adding a campaign mode. Especially, if that mode took 4 years to make. Lol. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My main issue with Longshot is the wasted potential of not adding it TO Franchise mode. Do everything they've done, but expand it into the CFM; expand it into the player's career; expand it into their Pro Bowl success; expand it to their Super Bowl victories; expand it into their Hall of Fame enshrinement.

Now YES, this will take more resources. BUT, if it's a part of Franchise mode, then it's already going to be affecting and adding TO Franchise mode. And not just indirectly. Presumably some of the stuff used for Longshot could then be used for Franchise in general.



So, this has a lot of potential, but not if they're only considering it as a marketing ploy to expand the customer base. IF they integrate it into Franchise mode, it could be special.


But unfortunately, it looks like the character is going to become a mascot, and every year it is going to have a different challenge for him. Madden 2019 I suspect is going to involve him making the team from the practice squad or something. Or if that is already in this year, then earning a starting job and maybe a Pro Bowl selection or something.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

The designers and developers would love to give you more options, but options aren't free and they often aren't cheap. Something like a RtTS equivalent for Madden is basically two entire cycles of work if not more, that's not a reasonable ask for an "option", that's an entire feature.

They definitely did something great this season regarding that: Sim mode, comp mode, and arcade mode.

Wonderful step.

[OhMrHanky]

Quote: Originally Posted by ForUntoOblivionSoar∞

My main issue with Longshot is the wasted potential of not adding it TO Franchise mode. Do everything they've done, but expand it into the CFM; expand it into the player's career; expand it into their Pro Bowl success; expand it to their Super Bowl victories; expand it into their Hall of Fame enshrinement. Now YES, this will take more resources. BUT, if it's a part of Franchise mode, then it's already going to be affecting and adding TO Franchise mode. And not just indirectly. Presumably some of the stuff used for Longshot could then be used for Franchise in general. So, this has a lot of potential, but not if they're only considering it as a marketing ploy to expand the customer base. IF they integrate it into Franchise mode, it could be special. But unfortunately, it looks like the character is going to become a mascot, and every year it is going to have a different challenge for him. Madden 2019 I suspect is going to involve him making the team from the practice squad or something. Or if that is already in this year, then earning a starting job and maybe a Pro Bowl selection or something.

Oh yeah, I agree with that, too. I posted something similar in another thread. And, if they had chosen or pushed for adding story to CFM from the start, they might've been able to add more stuff within CFM while making it.

My targeting push to the suits would've been something like, 'create your own dynasty. Take your player from college to the pros. Win the super bowl. Etc, etc.'

Now, it's possible they add this next year continuing his story. And, I could see them doing it in a way that u make it to the playoffs, then lose. Then, next year, u go to Super Bowl and lose. Then, the year after that, u finally win. Lol. But, ultimately, they can continue the story with losing, losing, then finally winning the Super Bowl.

But, overall, yeah, I totally agree, they could've specifically put this inside CFM to onboard noobs, and then jump right into CFM. Now, here's the kicker, maybe. Because they've had a somewhat bare bones CFM, they don't have enough to offer after that. Like, if they did have a superstar mode that was blown out as a part of CFM, now u know how to go through it, and u start/create a new superstar after finishing the story and jump into your CFM. But, because they don't have this mode set up, yet. They couldn't do it. So, maybe next year, actually. With the sharing with NBA live, maybe, they'll add some features like that to CFM. And, maybe they'll also tie in the story to CFM when/if they do that. I think most of this community would be perfectly fine with that. Again, it's sort of the fact that they don't even have a fully fleshed out core CFM mode, yet. They should get that right, first.

And, to the people saying madden wants to bring in new people and expand their base. I gotta tell u, I don't think you're even pulling in all football fans, which is truly a shame. If madden concentrated more on CFM and the aspects of football that true football fans want, they would probably draw more people in and sell more units by finally bringing in all football fans, instead of pulling in a few more randoms. Who knows the exact numbers, here. But, seeing how concerned they are with bad YouTube videos and whatnot, they could fix that by simply committing full bore to football and football aspects. Meaning, if they had a fully fleshed out career mode with a great CFM, the youtubers would be promoting it more bringing in the rest of the football fans who boycott this game every year due to lack of features.


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[howboutdat]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

Rex said 65% play CFM.

So my question stands, how is it that with over the majority of Maddens user base , warrant stealing what little resources already go to that mode, and get spread out to another game all together, as well as a new mode for Madden ?

I mean 65% is pretty high. Lets say they average 5 million copies of madden sold a year. That is 3,250,00 people buy the game for franchise.Lets just claim they only make 10$ per copy of madden sold. Thats only 32,500,000$ made because of Franchise alone. Now how much of that actually goes back to making CFM better? Seems like this year, not much at all.... yet they wonder why we have a hard time believing the " wait until next year" montra we hear so often......

[4thQtrStre5S]

Quote: Originally Posted by howboutdat

So my question stands, how is it that with over the majority of Maddens user base , warrant stealing what little resources already go to that mode, and get spread out to another game all together, as well as a new mode for Madden ? I mean 65% is pretty high. Lets say they average 5 million copies of madden sold a year. That is 3,250,00 people buy the game for franchise.Lets just claim they only make 10$ per copy of madden sold. Thats only 32,500,000$ made because of Franchise alone. Now how much of that actually goes back to making CFM better? Seems like this year, not much at all.... yet they wonder why we have a hard time believing the " wait until next year" montra we hear so often......

When I heard Rex mention how many people play CFM, my first response was, I wonder if they are playing because MUT packs were terrible in M17, and a complete waste of money so people just migrated over to CFM?

If the problems in MUT were not the case, and CFM attracted 65% of the player base, then that would indicate that CFM is in a generally good position, and many of the game play changes will affect CFM and make it better, so it is killing two birds with one stone...

Again, CFM information is not all out, so anything could change.. I would imagine adjustments to draft class generation and maybe some streamlining of contract negotiations? Just guessing, but there should be something.. Though overall, I think the game play is the top improvement, along with off ball injuries and draft board. I recall Devs talking how difficult it would be to include off ball injuries, so maybe that took a good bit of resources to accomplish, though it would be a part of the game play changes, IMO.

[ODogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by 4thQtrStre5S

When I heard Rex mention how many people play CFM, my first response was, I wonder if they are playing because MUT packs were terrible in M17, and a complete waste of money so people just migrated over to CFM?

Why do you assume it has to be either/or? I play both modes and I'm sure there are a lot of folks out there like me who also play both modes.