So I take it that I am the only member here that loves Madden

[jake44np]

I for one am loving Madden 08!
Last years next gen version was an absolute waste, but this years version is very solid.
I have played about 5 games so far on All Pro with the int slider set at 0 and I am loving the gameplay. It is hard to score against teams with a good defense and it is hard stop teams with a good offense.

[seanmac]

Quote: Originally Posted by Walker8

I understand that but I just find it weird when people say Madden is nowhere close to a sim but APF is? When I can run with Emmitt Smith and stiff arm 5 guys and break countless tackles that is a sim? DAn Marino and his laser arm from another planet. Does he ever make a bad throw? APF seemed very arcade like to me. I loved it and thought it was a great game, but I just dont see comments like that. I can corner route all day in that game and there is a lot of cheese. Screen passes dont work the way they should, the defense over commits. NBA 2k7 is the best sports game I've ever played. I think it's very realistic but it's still not sim. There are way too many dunks and it's unrealistic in so many ways. I just think people like to nitpick the things wrong with madden and say its not a sim, while they completely overlook the things that are unrealistic about 2k games.

Is APF a perfect game? No, by no means. But it provides a football solution to most of its problems. If you are having trouble with corner routes, you can play soft coverage and have the corners play outside technique. There are runners that are hard to bring down, but with the defense flowing to the ball properly, you can slow the runner down with your first man and finish him off with the second. There is no football solution to Madden's pass defense AI. You have to game the system. You figure out what the AI will and won't give you and then work around it. That's playing a video game, not playing football.

I'm willing to overlook things like the overpowered kickers and other minor issues, but I can't overlook huge, gaping issues. In the modern NFL, the passing attack is the key to the game. When you get it wrong, as Madden does, you have a serious problem.

[ODogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by Walker8

I understand that but I just find it weird when people say Madden is nowhere close to a sim but APF is? When I can run with Emmitt Smith and stiff arm 5 guys and break countless tackles that is a sim? DAn Marino and his laser arm from another planet. Does he ever make a bad throw? APF seemed very arcade like to me. I loved it and thought it was a great game, but I just dont see comments like that. I can corner route all day in that game and there is a lot of cheese. Screen passes dont work the way they should, the defense over commits. NBA 2k7 is the best sports game I've ever played. I think it's very realistic but it's still not sim. There are way too many dunks and it's unrealistic in so many ways. I just think people like to nitpick the things wrong with madden and say its not a sim, while they completely overlook the things that are unrealistic about 2k games.

Yeah, people don't apply the same level of standards to APF2K8 because they don't view the company in the same light, as a market leader with bigger resources, and hence give the product much more slack. It really is unfair in a lot of ways and I'm even guilty of it myself to be honest.

[Homeslice]

Not to turn this into yet another APF 28k vs Madden thread, but without franchise the title is simply inferior for me. That's all there is to it honestly. If Madden can at least pump out a quality game of football (which it does), then I'll take it every day without hesitation.

And to answer the OP -- no you aren't, I LOVE this year's Madden. I've hated every Madden on the next-gens, but this year's really shines to me. Great title.

[jeetaa6]

Yeah, people don't apply the same level of standards to APF2K8 because they don't view the company in the same light, as a market leader with bigger resources, and hence give the product much more slack. It really is unfair in a lot of ways and I'm even guilty of it myself to be honest.

heck, odogg...i wouldn't say you're guilty of it as there is every reason to expect MORE from EA than VC. i sure do.
i'm not going to rehash the entire "exclusive license why the heck don't they use ESPN" thing, but that aspect is just a case in point of making themselves APPEAR lazy and that they don't give a crap "cuz they own the joint" now.
EA is simply a monster and should be delivering at a higher level consistently than VC or others in the football gaming business. they should have the best employees, the best resources, they already have the exclusive relationships in place.

i would expect EA football offerings to be the best every year as things stand now.
slam dunk.

i wanted a great game from 2K this year and got a very good game (gameplay is a blast, but there isn't much else for an offline gamer). i honestly did not expect as much from them as i do from EA. just the way it is. so yeah, VC/2k mostly get a pat on the back in a "nice try, you underdog, you" kinda way. i agree with you there.

[ODogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by jeetaa6

Yeah, people don't apply the same level of standards to APF2K8 because they don't view the company in the same light, as a market leader with bigger resources, and hence give the product much more slack. It really is unfair in a lot of ways and I'm even guilty of it myself to be honest. heck, odogg...i wouldn't say you're guilty of it as there is every reason to expect MORE from EA than VC. i sure do. i'm not going to rehash the entire "exclusive license why the heck don't they use ESPN" thing, but that aspect is just a case in point of making themselves APPEAR lazy and that they don't give a crap "cuz they own the joint" now. EA is simply a monster and should be delivering at a higher level consistently than VC or others in the football gaming business. they should have the best employees, the best resources, they already have the exclusive relationships in place. i would expect EA football offerings to be the best every year as things stand now. slam dunk. i wanted a great game from 2K this year and got a very good game (gameplay is a blast, but there isn't much else for an offline gamer). i honestly did not expect as much from them as i do from EA. just the way it is. so yeah, VC/2k mostly get a pat on the back in a "nice try, you underdog, you" kinda way. i agree with you there.

I meant I'm a bit more guilty of not also criticizing TakeTwo's games really, like I do the EA games. It's very easy to bash on EA as it seems you feel no guilt about doing so, after all they got plenty of money and their games are huge sellers. But I am like anyone else when it comes to TakeTwo and the 2K games, I want to see EA have competition so I often bite my tongue, sometimes I do it subconsciously I think, because we want them to continue to hang around as the competition makes all games better. This is a big reason why I think we see so much lopsided criticisms, it's not that EA's games are so much worse overall, but that no one likes to pick on the "little guy" but attacking the "big, rich bully" is something people often wear with a badge of great honor.

[Walker8]

Quote: Originally Posted by seanmac

Is APF a perfect game? No, by no means. But it provides a football solution to most of its problems. If you are having trouble with corner routes, you can play soft coverage and have the corners play outside technique. There are runners that are hard to bring down, but with the defense flowing to the ball properly, you can slow the runner down with your first man and finish him off with the second. There is no football solution to Madden's pass defense AI. You have to game the system. You figure out what the AI will and won't give you and then work around it. That's playing a video game, not playing football. I'm willing to overlook things like the overpowered kickers and other minor issues, but I can't overlook huge, gaping issues. In the modern NFL, the passing attack is the key to the game. When you get it wrong, as Madden does, you have a serious problem.

I'm not an overly techincal person who gets into every technical aspect of how the ai reacts. I work in IT and I've been a computer geek my whole life which is kind of funny, but I admit there are people out there that are much better at noticing those things than I am. I'm much more about if a game just feels right or smart to me or not. Madden feels right in a lot of ways. Usually when that's the case that means the ai is doing a pretty good job. I know people think the ai cheeses and its not sim, but what I find intersting is the stats in each of the games I play are very realistic. Tackles for LB's, lineman, yards per carry, passing yards, completion percentage are all very realistic. Plus the game feels right to me on the field as well. If I make a bad read I'm going to pay for it. Every game I've played has been very different. It seems very dynamic.

[cpdfrank]

Im a big 2K fan, and think this game is markedly better, and finally alot of fun to play.