Q&A With Simon Sherr - Animation Director, MADDEN

[jeetaa6]

Welcome to OS, friend! Thank you for taking the time with us to ask about and receive feedback.

Would you like a menu option that would allow "uncompressed replays" and "Full Replay"?
-YES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. ALSO, A "REPLAY FREQUENCY" SLIDER, LIKE 2K5 HAD. I ALWAYS CHOSE "FREQUENT REPLAYS".

Would you like to see a "realism" and an "arcade" mode of play. -YES, A MENU OPTION ON THIS WOULD ALSO BE GREAT, IF DOABLE. BUT I'D PREFER REALISTIC OVER ARCADE IF I HAD ONE CHOICE. HOWEVER, MY SON AND HIS BUDDIES WOULD LOVE THE ARCADE MODE I'M SURE.

3. Is it ok (or even good) to have lots more slipping in the snow and rain - like the above if you don't slow down before planting you slip, if you turn too hard while sprinting you slip etc..
-YEAH, MAYBE NOT LOTS MORE SLIPPING, BUT SPRINKLED INTO THE GAME TO MAKE IT MORE REALISTIC WOULD BE GREAT. PERHAPS A SLIDER OPTION...SEE BELOW.

4. What other weather specific features would you want to see. -SLIDER OPTION FOR FREQUENCY OF "WEATHER IMPACT": PLAYERS LOSING FOOTING, BAD SNAPS, BAD THROWS BY QB-LOSES GRIP, FUMBLES, MISSED CATCHES, PERHAPS WEATHER IMPACT ON NUMBER OF PENALTIES IN A GAME??
-WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SEE MARKS IN THE SNOW WHEN PLAYERS SLIDE, SIMILAR TO THE FOOTPRINTS NEW THIS YEAR. MORE WIND IMPACT ON KICKS/PASSES.

In my opinion, the more Options or Sliders you can put into the game so we can really customize our gameplay experience, the better.

Thanks again, Simon.

[countryboy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pared

Realism mode? HELL YES!!

what he said...

[sj3981]

Definite yes to the realism option....that would be great to be able to choose whether we want a more arcade style or something more realistic.

I'm also not seeing why everyone is clamoring for Euphoria just yet because we have not seen enough of backbreaker yet IMO to determine whether or not it will be an effective engine for football games. But if that game pans out well, I will TOTALLY understand why everyone wants Euphoria in Madden.

[ch46647]

If you could get that realism option in for 09, with the realistic cuts, momentum etc. You would have one happy Madden Community.

If this is possible please do this, because the videos look great however like all the Madden's on the next gen it just seems to hercky jerky.

Thanks

[TDogg09]

I posted this in Ian's thread but since you are the animation director, I'll ask you:

Have you ever thought about animating the jerseys so that they move independently? More specifically I'm asking if you ever thought about making an animation that looks like this

http://media.bonnint.net/apimage/f26...8d9906d8d8.jpg

where the defender uses the qb's jersey to make the tackle, or like this

http://etc.lawrence.com/photos/nebra...n%20sacked.jpg

where after a sack, the quarterback's jersey would be pushed off his pads? I think this would be a pretty cool aspect if this could be included somewhere in the future.

This and helmets being knocked off but I know you already talked about that.

[Russell_SCEA]

Quote:

Please don't go for a happy medium, that is what EA has been attempting to do (which is the reason we are where we are), and what we have now (arcady gameplay) while that "other company" went in a different direction and as a result, we are still talking about that "other game". The product we are playing now is a result of an attempt to appeal to the masses and it has somewhat backfired as what we now have does not resemble football. That is what EA is here to fix. Lets help them do it. Cdon

I disagree and secondly we aren't the majority here I'm trying to be objective. I don't feel that we have arcade gameplay right now thats your opinion. A lot of this stuff will boil down to is there a happy meduim if you can't be objective and realize that we are the minority of the consumer base it makes this process that much harder.

[dbshady]

I just want more realism, I dont really care about the Replays, its not an issue for me.

I would like better QB animations, especially with the running animation (who holds the ball at their hip when they run, its looks horrible). Throwing, and Dropback animations should also be looked at. Dropback looks werid, its fast, the steps look off, theres no bounce.

It would be awsome to have a differation in speed with this game, it seems like theres two speeds, jog and sprint... football isn't played like that, I want to feel the speed, I want to pull hesitation moves (make a cut, slow turn up field as the defenders overpursue without pressing juke), hide behind blocks find a whole and explode, slow down and relax, basically walk into the endzone when defenders are 30 yards away, catch a ball and spin the opposite way and turn up field, a better hit stick (on offense - lower the shoulder, one shoulder, not this fat body gut bump we see, and if theres no defender to hit, make it into a stutter step, more push the line animations.

More over the top TD animations, more diving for a TD animations (from the corner, or reaching the ball), more cover up animations (cover over the top of the ball with the other hand, both hand, bring it up tight, move the ball to the other hand), better stiff arm animations.. not this bended elbow, server tray thing we see, extend that arm, fully, open the hand, wait for that defender to come and stick it in his facemask, use that same button to point if theres not a defender around you, point out a block, RT - block to right, LT - block to left.

More equipment, team color gloves and spikes, more gloves and spikes, you have an NFL liesence, use NFL Equipment Apperal or Reebok. The gloves in the game are gloves I purchased in 2005. More facemasks, DNA Helmets (LT's Helmet for that matter~!), Mouthpeices, Nose Strips, eye black, Knee and Ankle Braces, Towels, One Sleeves, Back Guarders, Rib Protecters, More hair styles, Let us Edit hair styles, let us edit all these things. Let us edit player models (build), let us make our own player model ajustments, the ones we like. All these create realisim to the players.

Yeah, I know Hesters name and #, you dont really see their face (and if you do, most of their faces dont make the game), but you see the short braids, the eye black, the zebra nose strip, the visor, the helmet, the facemask, the back guarder, the wristbands, the webbed white and orange gloves, the black ankle tape.. all those things make Hester, Hester in a videogame.

I could go for days, but this is more then long enough for today. Sorry guys.

[ChuckMonts]

Quote: Originally Posted by cdon2k

So when you say, "I am not making any promises", is this a feature that could get in 09 or are we strictly talking 2010 here? Please clarify. Thanks, Cdon

madden 09 will only be getting small tweaks if anything from now til release. I don't think people realize the time it takes to produce the packaging and disc it's self and get them all shipped to the stores they will be sold at.

Any major additions such as the ones he is talking about will be stuff for 10 and many more years in the future.