lets be real here is Madden Anti-consumer???

[triplechin]

Quote: Originally Posted by Madden08PCgmr

NFL2k was a different era. I can't recall much, if any, paid content across all platforms at that point. I would love it if it were simply "In the game".. but if they take Franchise the route of MUT, I can live with that, provided we get what we want.. I can see where this could turn into a complete cluster.. adding one minor wrinkle with each release while emptying our coffers. .. at least with it being back on PC, we'll have far more custom options at our disposal.

Sorry I wasn't clear, I was referring to NBA 2K's franchise mode. They recently released a blog and they put in a ton of effort. I agree I would possibly be OK to pay extra if I truly got what I want but I just dont see it happening

[GiantBlue76]

Some of the rationalization I see in this thread is just, wow... I can't even...

Aside from that, I see so much about "resources" and other excuses. That's all completely false. First off, the Madden team and the resources EA has are massively larger than what 2k/take two have. Both are big companies, yes, but the Madden team is huge. There is no excuse about not having the resources to build a quality experience. The excuses about restrictions from the NFL are also bogus. Yes, there are some restrictions from the NFL, but not involving what sports gamers want. Also, 2k has a bunch of modes dedicated to "Ultimate Team" type of gaming just like Madden. That doesn't stop them from building up the core of the game, which is a true, complete NBA experience on and off the court.

I find it difficult to understand why all of these false rationalizations are made to defend Madden. If you enjoy Madden, then it shouldn't matter to you either way. Have fun with the game, that's the entire point. That being said, that doesn't change the reality of the situation. A good friend of mine and I talk about this a lot. He used this analogy... "I love the movie Half-Baked. It's not a good movie. It is not oscar worthy in its acting, nor is it going to set the precedent for comedy/drama, but I love that movie. Just because I love it, does not mean that it changes what the movie really is."

So, is Madden anti-consumer? The answer to this question is undeniably NO. The company acquired an exclusive license to position itself in a way to build the game how they build it. As much as I despise them (for many reasons not relevant in this thread), that is their right to do so. As boneheaded and ridiculous as I think their design, development and overall production of their game might be, they still need consumers to have a business.

That being said, Madden is getting absolutely crushed by NBA 2k in sales. This is not just Worldwide, it is here in North America. You can try to spin it however you want, but the reason is that 2k is offering a massively better experience. Even people who are not as passionate about basketball as they are about football are switching over because of what it is offering. It is a complete experience and makes madden look absolutely ridiculous. Let's be real, if EA announced the type of feature set that NBA 2k was, people on here would lose their minds in bliss and proclaim EA to be the greatest company ever. People can try to spin it however they want, "Football is harder, Basketball is world wide, there are less consoles, etc. etc." or whatever the excuse of the month is here at OS. The reality is that none of it is valid.

I find a way to enjoy Madden by playing in a league. However, that doesn't change the reality of the situation and it doesn't make me suddenly lie to myself to try and convince myself Madden is better than it is. There is absolutely no excuse for it other than it being a calculated and deliberate move by EA to do what they do when it comes to this game. They have a right to do it, it's their product. It sucks for us consumers, but it is what it is.

[Madden08PCgmr]

Quote: Originally Posted by Americas Team

Lack of innovation in Madden has little to do with MUT and more to do with prioritizing based on the resources they have. The suits are not allocating enough resources to Madden for them to make huge changes every year, part of the reason is because Madden is exclusive and they can get away with it. The Madden team needs to at least double in size if not triple, the game is improving at a snails pace because of resource shortage. If I was in charge of video games for the NFL after reading the 2K Franchise blog I would fire EA and beg 2K to make the game, lol.

The NFL doesn't care about that though.

How many people at 345 Park Ave have ever even held a controller in their hand?

Madden is a marketing tool for them. All they care about is their image. EA has probably never pushed back on them. Not once.

That relationship will continue until it doesn't make financial sense to one of the parties.

(Wish it were otherwise, but that's a fact, as I see it..)

[Madden08PCgmr]

Quote: Originally Posted by triplechin

Sorry I wasn't clear, I was referring to NBA 2K's franchise mode. They recently released a blog and they put in a ton of effort. I agree I would possibly be OK to pay extra if I truly got what I want but I just dont see it happening

I hear you.

I've read great things about 2k, but I don't have much experience with it, outside of the UBR.

I'd love it if they were back in the football business. NFL2k, even to this day, stands up very well against everything since.

[coach422001]

Quote: Originally Posted by JoshC1977

I'll give a stupid analogy....but one that I think illustrates the point I am wanting to make.... Let's say I own/operate a steak house. My obvious core are going to people who love a big ole slab of beef (mouth watering). Now, I acknowledge a smaller minority of people who don't eat meat...and maybe they get dragged to my steak house by someone else. I have some options available for them. Time passes by and the business is doing well and I decide to expand the menu. My core consumers are still the meat lovers, so I heavily add to that portion of the menu with maybe a couple of minor changes to the meatless options. This only makes good business sense, I need my core customers happy. Some years later, I get more and more people begging for more meat-less options. So, I expand the menu to be more diverse, adding a larger segment of options to the meat-less menu. To keep costs down, I pare down the core menu a bit. My client population has begun changing and to keep my profits up, I need to change with them. Eventually, I hit a point where steaks are no longer my primary focus...they are still there, still loved, but the core of my restaurant has changed with the times. EA is just like this steak house and the franchise guys the meat eaters. The consumer base changed as online gaming exploded and they adapted to that. Franchise gaming was de-prioritized to reflect the times. That's not anti-consumer....that's business.

I think you succeeded in making your point and making me hungry.

I wonder if this is how IHOB was created?

[Madden08PCgmr]

Quote: Originally Posted by 4thQtrStre5S

Red Dead Redemption 2 is merely a continuation of Red Dead Redemption if we want to look at it from your perspective. Thus, continuing with the perspective, it took Rock Star games 8 years and a 1000 people to update the previous game. That sounds inefficient.

I can't guess what the production cost was. Crazy to think about.

But I also can't name a title Rockstar didn't deliver on.

Grand Theft Auto V is still on store shelves after 5 years, and has generated more money than any movie ever made.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if we aren't saying the same thing about Red Dead II 10 years from now.

.. it would be fascinating to see what sales would be on Madden 2005 if it was re-released.

[ODogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by Americas Team

If I was in charge of video games for the NFL after reading the 2K Franchise blog I would fire EA and beg 2K to make the game, lol.

You got a link to this blog?

[ODogg]

I think what no one has said must be said, it is quite possible that it boils down is that the Madden programmers may just not be that good at their job.

Honestly, that is what I think is the root of a lot of this...