Must Read this critical review on EA's own forum!!

[Vikes1]

I kind of hate to admit it but...I've lowered my expectations in order to enjoy Madden '09'.

In many cases I have to play the game with blinders on, to not get upset with the many basic football 101 screw ups. It's a laundry list of things, we all know what they are. I try not to rant about the game on the board, it only serves to make the game more difficult for me to enjoy.

I do believe Madden '09' to be the best playing Madden game of this generation. But sadly...thats not really saying a whole lot. My biggest complaints about this years game would be, the lack of attention to detail....even pertaining to the most basic of things. Secondly would be the freezing issues. Just these two things are justifiable reasons to be disappointed with '09'...in my opinion.

Overall I'm enjoying this years game. But yeah...it is kind of sad that it takes for me to have lowered my expectations, and must look past so many basic issues the game has.

[Moegames]

Quote: Originally Posted by tazdevil20

I can see how you might be frustrated, but think of it in terms of the consumer. I mean, this is the only NFL game, and the fact that we are on 2009 and you can throw a pass over the line of scrimmage is pretty sad. Considering that when you play 2k5 (published in 2004), they had ALL of the actual penalties in the NFL. You also can't run 10 yards out of bounds, come back in and then catch a TD pass in that game. I think you are doing a good job Ian, but I can't blame people for being pissed off. This is what you get when you have exclusivity. It would be one thing if Madden was really WOWING us every year, but expectations have gotten so low now, that people are getting content with things that are slightly above average. Madden 09 is a "good" game, but at this point and with the access you guys have to the NFL, it should be a GREAT game, and it isn't. It's not even as good as NFL 2k5 was yet, and that's really unacceptable. I am not one to favor a company, I just want a good football game to play, as most people do. However, until Madden starts truly resembling real football, and as long as you have the exclusive license, you need to be willing to accept this type of criticism. The fact that you are letting it piss you off is not a good way to react either, instead, you should take the personal attacks with a grain of salt, and take a step back and say, "How do we blow our fans away next year with this game?".

Well said buddy.. thats one of the most honest, unbiased comments i've read in these forums in a while. I honestly feel 2010 will be a bigger turnaround then this years madden09...i hope. I have faith Ian will deliever and turn it around for us...he already is in alot of ways and he got the lead job late in the game.

As you said (person im quoting), Madden 09 still isnt as fun as NFL2k5..and i think thats why alot of us are upset as NFL2k5 just seems so ancient now days...well not just that but the bugs in the game as well should not be there right now, they simply shouldn't. Im totally HAPPY to see dev's in here hearing us out and fixing patches on our feedback..thats freaking kick butt but the thing is, some of these things should not have slipped thru the hands of the developers at tiburon..there is absolutely no excuse for the QB being able to pass after crossing scrimage along with some of the other stuff being fixed in the patches.

Another thing that REALLY bugs me (AND MANY MANY OTHERS) is how Madden has no "EXCITMENT" when you play the game. I must sound like a broken record around here but there is no atmosphere or presentation in madden what so ever.. i mean, ok maybe a bit of "presentation" this year with the cool futuristic gui/interface, backtrack,etc ...stuff like that is narly but so much more is needed in the presentation dept. And as i said about the Atmosphere.. i mean.. why was NFL2k5 such a fun game to play? The answer is Atmosphere.. that made NFL2k5 "EXCITING" to play. Again..plaster Madden2010 with so many in-between play cutscenes of players getting hyped after a big play with pats on the back on the sidelines, multi player celebrations after a TD is made,etc. Pregame, Half Time stuff..not just stats and stuff like that but something that represents what us NFL fans watch on tv when we are viewing a real NFL football game broadcast, maybe sideline updates from other broadcasters on the field updating the weather, key injuries,etc Make madden feel like a real nfl football game..2k did that... I mean this and i mean this litterly..if EAsports has to copy NFL2k5's presentation and atmosphere for 2010 1:1.. do it..just DO IT!! Take our word on this just for once...please!!!

I dont mean to stress this element of a football videogame over and over and over..i know there are some badly needed tweaking on gameplay elements, franchise,etc but man.. if you just had the atmosphere and presentation in there in a quality way.. alot of these bugs and flaws would just not be so damn apparent because madden would be still fun to play regardless...

I dont know man.. i just feel so drained with all the let downs and stuff in praying for a fun playing game for the last 4 years and just keep getting let down. Dont get me wrong.. Madden09 is finally fun to play but "barely" gets the job done ..i know i couldn't go into 2010 with the next madden just being as fun as madden09..i just couldnt do another season of madden09...this years game will hold me down for this season but thats it...i totally expect to be blown away next year with a FUN & EXCITING madden 2010...and if its not exactly that, im done, i love football with a passion but im ready to pack my bags up and let it all go and if someone asks me next year why i skipped out..i'll be ready to spread the word as if my life depended on it..just to help make a stance for some real change. People must stand up and stick up for what they believe in..otherwise nothing will ever change..and if enough people do this..especially with bright minds and the internet as tools..things can happen.

[NYGmen56]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheFuture15

This guy posts a few total inaccuracies though - and he's using me to look like an idiot which really pi$$es me off as well. He makes this sound like a massive issue when it is in fact not. This is extremely hard to reproduce and was resolved in the best way possible... Total BS. This glitch is getting eliminated, despite this totally slanted negativity and skepticism. Really? Pathetically horrible that we try to figure out an issue and fix it? Again, totally uneducated and incorrect statement. I respect this guy's rights to write whatever he wants, but he's making a lot of assumptions and stating them as fact, which is just not cool in my opinion. Am I off base for getting frustrated with an article like this?

Ian,

Can you fault the guy??? Regardless of what you think he said that was incorrect, i mean bottom line is you put out a game that is just down right BROKEN.. Seriously what did you expect? The game you guys put out is flawed and unexcusable.. If you can't see that.. Man I don't know.. makes me wonder..

[stux]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheFuture15

Am I off base for getting frustrated with an article like this?

Yes and no. He does seems to aim this at you, which isn't cool. And I do think there are a lot of assumptions, which again isn't cool. Lastly, he has issues with some gameplay issues that I think are more opinion the fact.

But, he has a lot of valid points:

The state of franchise mode in madden has been a joke since it started on the next-gen systems. Mainly because the crashing issues and the FA issues in 07 and 08.

I agree completely with him that the tone of your original post made it sound like you were doing us a favor by fixing mistakes. Those mistakes shouldn't have made it into production and when you fix those problems you will also be working on 2010 because they will be eliminated for that release. I do not believe this was your intent but that is the way it came off.

His pathetically horrible comment about franchise was poorly worded, and I could see why that would upset you, but I agree with his point. Which is that again this shouldn't have made production for two years in a row franchise mode is crashing AND what I think his point was, that it isn't getting fixed on this patch and was mentioned seemingly as an after thought. Also, in his and my opinion this should have taken a lot higher priority over some of the minor issues that were addressed. I know you may not have know about it until more recently but it does seem to be a bad problem that testing should have caught. He shouldn't be blaiming you for that but you know the whole shoot the messanger thing.

His so called patch statment probably doesn't take into account the ms and ps delays. But again he was trying to stress the fact that it doesn't appear to fix franchise crashing issues. On that note I do not understand why there isn't a way to patch the game like you do the rosters OR using the integrated browser OR on the PS using a USB drive to bring the update onto the machine. This is probably an area were his and mine lack of education gets us into trouble but I would think something would be possible.

Lastly, I totally agree that there needs to be a solution for people without xbox live. In my opinion everyone should get a new disk. I have personally had a small company replace a disk for me because of something like this. The disk that is released should absolutely not have crashing issues. Some of the other issues sure fine but nothing that crashes the game.

I do agree he seemed to attack you personally and did state some things as fact that are opinions but he has some good points. It sounds like the guy really really wanted to love this game. Look at all the time he spent trying to find work arounds to play the game. We aren't gettting paid the play the game and are in fact paying becuase we want to relax and have fun. The last three years have often felt like work to me because there have been so many franchise mode issues. Furthermore, this year has SO much potential IF the game didn't crash at all out of the box I think A LOT more people would be patting you on the back. All that potental lost to a lot of frustration, so, I can see where he would get upset.

For a lot of us it wasn't until the last 1-3 years we started checking out these forums. Why? Not becuase we didn't love Madden but because there weren't nearly as many problems and we were having fun just playing the game. Not to get into his whole political debate but it does seem like a lot of these problems started to occur right after the exclusive NFL agreement. That is why people keep bringing that up. If the last two year of Madden were like 05, in my opinion, you wouldn't here that nearly as much.

Anyway, Ian do not take it personally. Even if that is what he meant the guy way clearly upset and needed some place to vent. It crappy he picked you to be his whipping post but he was just looking for someone to blame for the problems.

Those of us that read here a lot see that you put your time in and clearly want to make a great game.

I think if you guys came out and said, hey, yeah the testers droppped the ball for the second year and we are trying to pick it up there would be some satifaction that someone atleast took the blame. A promise that there will be no major crashing issues next year would help as well.

[rckabillyRaider]

Quote: Originally Posted by Moegames

I mean this and i mean this litterly..if EAsports has to copy NFL2k5's presentation and atmosphere for 2010 1:1.. do it..just DO IT!! Take our word on this just for once...please!!!

Heck, the Madden team should take some pointers from EA's own game......NCAA 09! The presentation is not the greatest but is WAY, WAY better than Madden 09. It makes me wanna keep coming back to play the game and I can forgive some of its flaws (after patch#2) because it is just fun to play and running the Dynasty is really fun as well compared to the Madden Franchise

[stux]

Quote: Originally Posted by rckabillyRaider

Heck, the Madden team should take some pointers from EA's own game......NCAA 09! The presentation is not the greatest but is WAY, WAY better than Madden 09. It makes me wanna keep coming back to play the game and I can forgive some of its flaws (after patch#2) because it is just fun to play and running the Dynasty is really fun as well compared to the Madden Franchise

I agree. NCAA dynasty hasn't crashed for me and is fun to play. I will say I didnt' get to far into 09 but I played 08 a lot with no crashing. I played about two seasons into 09 without a hitch and was having fun.

[brendanrfoley]

That was one angry dude.

I think he lost it a little near the end, and did become childish (the fill a sock with ice and hit yourself in the face bit, especially). But he did have reasoning behind his complaints.

That said, I don't agree with a lot of them. But hey -- at least he's fleshing out his complaints.

[unisol_us]

What a horrible waste of cyberspace that rant(can't call that a review) was to read. I read about 1/3 of it a wanted to punch the author right in his nose. What nonsense just my 2 cents.