Why can’t Madden make a game like NBA 2k

[GhostofBruce]

Quote: Originally Posted by BA2929

It's funny you say this. Everyone on the 2k board would disagree completely. They think 2k focuses too much on MyPlayer and online modes and that's it. They're in a complete meltdown over there because they got a dev blog that didn't mention enough improvements to franchise. I honestly think some of you guys need to take a few years off from Madden and come back with fresh eyes. It's a pretty great game. I haven't played a Madden game in a decade (or bought a new football game at all since the last NCAA game released) and gave this one a trial on EA Access. I'm very impressed. Frostbite is trash. Nobody knows how to use it correctly outside of DICE and most devs absolutely hate it with a passion. If any of you don't understand why things are taken out or not included, especially graphically, I'd blame Frostbite first.

This has been going on with Madden well before Frostbite! Before the previous engine (Infinity) as well. This goes back 15 years. Coincidentally once EA got the exclusive NFL license.

[Smallville102001]

Quote: Originally Posted by GhostofBruce

This has been going on with Madden well before Frostbite! Before the previous engine (Infinity) as well. This goes back 15 years. Coincidentally once EA got the exclusive NFL license.

Yep I think madden 2007 was the first year that they were the only nfl game and that was when ps2, gamecube, xbox gen was till like the main focus and I noticed while still a really good game that year it was the first time I saw a newer madden get worse then the year before during the gen of ps2, gamecube, xbox.

[bugkill1sf]

Quote: Originally Posted by GhostofBruce

This has been going on with Madden well before Frostbite! Before the previous engine (Infinity) as well. This goes back 15 years. Coincidentally once EA got the exclusive NFL license.

Personally, my focus is on Franchise and how it is presented and I would tell the devs to simply make Madden franchise have the same features that Madden 12 had. The menus need to be different and updated, but that was the last Madden franchise that had almost everything I wanted.

[AUTiger1]

Quote: Originally Posted by thatmanGriffin

The NBA also supports 2k by creating its very own E-league teams that associate with real NBA teams i believe. The NBA is becoming more popular with the main stream audience. They push for change and want the game to follow what the league is doing. Meanwhile the NFL is worried about it's brand they limit on what EA is allowed to do for Madden. In that video about equipment. The guy basically said that the NFL has to approve of the game before they can release it. I want madden to succeed and get better, but until the NFL lightens up a bit we will be getting subtle changes every year. Sent from my SM-G955U using Operation Sports mobile app

I get that, but it just doesn't make sense that we used to have certain features and now we don't.

[Papadc73]

Quote: Originally Posted by Smallville102001

2K NFL games are overrated and I do think it is lazy because madden on ps2 in a lot of ways was a better game still then madden 20. If a game made by the same company but like 10+ years older can be better there is really no reason madden cant be better then it is now and I am 100% sure if 2k was still around that madden would be like 1000 times better then it is right now.

yeah right.. nuff said.

[triggerfish1976]

It’d be interesting to see the data analysis of user engagement with franchise mode. If we knew how much time people spent playing various aspects of franchise we may have a better understanding as to why the Madden dev team chooses to focus more on other aspects of the game.

My guess is, the overall engagement time is quite low compared to MUT. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the majority of this time is spent siming large portions of the situations presented in franchise mode. It’s interesting to note that there is a fairly robust amount of sim options in franchise (the cutting out of the walk to the line is a great example), at least in comparison to the immersion aspects of the game. I think this may be due to the change in fan culture of the NFL. The majority of fans are no longer hardcore fans. Most people that follow the NFL came on board during the mass market push of the NFL and the younger fans know the league as the pass heavy, finesse focused league that we see today. The NFL is also losing a lot of its pop culture appeal due to having to scale back on individual player promotion in response to so many off the field problems that continue to occur each year.

This is in stark contrast to the NBA that is quickly rising in popularity due to there being so many players who have become celebrity icons. We also see an expansion of team promotion in the NBA where mid and small market teams are becoming on trend. Thanks to people like Bill Simmons and the smart marketing towards the younger generations we are seeing a shift in sports fanbases from the NFL to the NBA.

That’s just what I think the marketing may be telling us.

The other issue is just that the developers who work on NBA2K series are just better at what they do. Reality is, Madden has never really blown me away as a football fan. I enjoy playing it because it’s the only option but there is no denying that we would have a totally different game if 2K were to have continued to develop its franchise. They were able to surpass Madden quite quickly back in the day and if it wasn’t for the monopoly, we would likely have seen a similar path that we saw between NBA Live and NBA 2K.

[burter]

Quote: Originally Posted by Papadc73

Also the crazy thing is, you can pickup and play NFL 2k right now and still see something new as far as animations, even to this date?!?! It's crazy people keep on saying Madden developers are lazy, I say they are just not as talented imo.. Honestly when you can make a game that to this date still has better animations and included so much more, even being 14+ years older??? That's talent.. Period.. Madden is still trying to play catch up to this date! I mean think about it..... If NBA Live died because of NBA 2K, what would have happened to Madden if NFL 2K was still around making football games?? The answer is clear as day.. EA knew it too, buy out the License and do it quickly! And continue to extend the contract if you don't want what happened to NBA Live to happen to Madden.

What I don't understand is why didn't EA pick up some of those 2k football guys? Did 2k just shift them to NBA? Did EA not want to bother poaching them? It's weird. I just watched a video a guy put up a couple of weeks ago ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lF9_RIOeCw&t=688s )and around the 2:37 mark it shows the throwing animation of 2k8 and Madden 19 and 2k8 is like night and day. Madden 20 has gotten better on the animations on throwing but still needs a way to go. Also at 3:34 instead of some predetermined stupid a** you know the punter is going to get his punt block animation, in 2k8 the punt goes over his head. I mean I don't think Madden ever done that.

Anyways back on subject, Madden team is going to have to have a reason to add some of their old CFM back and new CFM to start trying to be like how it is in 2k BB. Not going to happen though when people buy the game every year. The only thing we can hope is if 2k basketball doubles or triples Madden sales every year to where the NFL decides to open it up to every one.

[cleverley1986]

Arguably Madden is in this place where devs would like to see something implemented but cant for whatever reason. USUALLY because of execs.

Once they have your money...why do extra?

Franchise is only rivalled by other sports games franchise mode, not other football games franchise modes.

NCAA 14 is a great example of why EA dont revolutionise franchise, because a 6 year old game is still getting a huge player base while there are still guys out there making new rosters/teams to download. If Madden 21 had half of the features we all want, would that mean we are less likely to buy future variations?

If you look at NBA 2K, the detail in myleague is getting to the point where as a player i think "yeah i like the contract detail...but it's getting almost too detailed."

There's no doubt in my mind that there are hundreds of changes that could be implemented that would make the fan base happy, keep the NFL happy and sell games for EA, but they can also do this without putting the work in so long as WE buy the game every year.