Professional Programmer/Casual NFL Fan's Take on the Decline of EA and Madden 21

[MajorSupreme]

Quote: Originally Posted by Therebelyell626

They already did this. All pro football 2k8 was a great game but literally no one outside of hardcore sports gamers bought it. Granted it didn’t have any licenses only legend players. The only way I could see a game like that selling is if 2k did a deal with the NFLPA for player likeness, and stuck with generic teams almost like how PES or FIFA does when they don’t have a specific team or leagues license. Then again I think a license deal with the NFLPA would cost way more money than 2k is willing to spend. Plus outside of the license deal EA has with the NFL I am pretty sure the players association gets a nice little check from EA to and or a cut of profits from the league. Unless they didn’t get something like that collectively bargained

Before we get hit with talking about 2K in the Madden forum, they have already done this. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2...l-video-games/

[Therebelyell626]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kanobi

Take-two/2k has partnered with the NFLPA.

Oh that’s cool. Are they trying to make a new football game?

[Kanobi]

Quote: Originally Posted by Therebelyell626

Oh that’s cool. Are they trying to make a new football game?

Several, according to them with the first releasing in 2021. They also have the NFL License but for "non-sim" titles. There's speculation one of their games could be an NFL version of NBA 2k's MyPark/MyTeam. There also exists the possibility of them releasing an NFLPA-licensed sim using current superstars but with fictional teams, stadiums, etc similar to All Pro Football 2k8.

So we'll see. The main thing here is there will once again be options in terms of AAA NFL/NFLPA licensed titles for the next-gen consoles.

[kennylc321]

I honestly believe that 2k8 went wrong because that game was basically an online "Play now" game. They hedged their bet on that gamers will say "oh wow... I get to play as John Elway and I can create my own uniforms." The lack of a franchise mode is what doomed them. You play your season and you're done. And if at some point, you're 3-8 in your season, you don't have any incentive to keep playing.

2k really need to reexamine this

Having to engage in individual contracts with every single Legend in the game is expensive.

Quote: Originally Posted by Therebelyell626

They already did this. All pro football 2k8 was a great game but literally no one outside of hardcore sports gamers bought it. Granted it didn’t have any licenses only legend players. The only way I could see a game like that selling is if 2k did a deal with the NFLPA for player likeness, and stuck with generic teams almost like how PES or FIFA does when they don’t have a specific team or leagues license. Then again I think a license deal with the NFLPA would cost way more money than 2k is willing to spend. Plus outside of the license deal EA has with the NFL I am pretty sure the players association gets a nice little check from EA to and or a cut of profits from the league. Unless they didn’t get something like that collectively bargained

[servo75]

You have some particular experience with Subway?


But like I said, a company making a Madden-like game without NFL license could totally make bank. Just look at what's happening with the PC modding community. I think we have a talent pool right here more than capable of making a crowdsourced NFL from a generic but highly customizable game.

Quote: Originally Posted by kennylc321

First. You're right. We cannot blame the individual developers as much as you blame the company. I am sure that the head honchos at Subway want customers to have a good dining experience, but that does not translate to the low-skilled workers that you hire. But with that said, I never bought the whole "the NFL won't allow it" excuse. I think the relocation is a perfect example of that. I just having an extremely difficult time believing that 8 years ago, someone from the NFL sat down and said yes and no to the various uniform options of the fictional London team and said yes to the Knights and Monarchs not no to the London Tigers or whatever. But this has also been my argument: if the NFL really has such a tight reign over what can or cannot go in the game, then I put even more blame on 2k... this is a tremendous opportunity they are missing out on. They could be making a generic sim football game with a franchise mode that does not have to conform to the nfl.

[Kanobi]

Figured I would post this here as it's an in-depth interview with David Winter, founder of Canuck Play and the lead developer of Doug Flutie's Maximum Football 2020. I think it's a great interview that sort gives some insight behind making the game and improving it year-to-year.



Also this sort of aligns with something stated in the OP:

Quote: Originally Posted by servo75

If I ever won a million dollar lottery, one of the first things I'd do is start my own gaming company, make a version that's non-licensed so the No Fun League can't get involved, but allow infinite customization of teams, logos, divisions, so that we can have a real "fan-made" NFL.

[servo75]

Oh yeah I'm familiar with Max FB, in fact I support them on Patreon. They've been really fantastic and we had something like that for pro, and on PC...

Quote: Originally Posted by Kanobi

Figured I would post this here as it's an in-depth interview with David Winter, founder of Canuck Play and the lead developer of Doug Flutie's Maximum Football 2020. I think it's a great interview that sort gives some insight behind making the game and improving it year-to-year. Also this sort of aligns with something stated in the OP:

[Royerrulz]

Hilarious that there are gamers balking at microtransactions in Madden but are eager to buy a game from a developer that literally forces it into every title..

Quote: Originally Posted by Therebelyell626

Oh that’s cool. Are they trying to make a new football game?