Every year impressions and previews for Madden are similar

[Exonerated]

Every year the complainers and haters are similar

[Nintari]

Quote: Originally Posted by granddogg

It seems like ppl on this site want somebody to tell you if you should like the game or hate it.....

That's what reviews are for...to save you from having to waste money on a rental/purchase. You just have to find a site/mag that you trust and these days it's getting harder and harder to do that.

[spankdatazz22]

I think because every site wants to continue having that inside access. Even OS is guilty of it. Hell, even the posters on OS are guilty. You see people going out of their way to compliment the developers for their efforts and treating their presence as benefiting us more than it does them. The "privilege" of having Tiburon's ear - when it's been the developers that have underperformed with the game in the first place.

If you think this is bad, wait until review time comes. I'm sure every site is going to break it's neck to get out something positive. The sad thing is none of them ever take responsibility for their glowing reviews of Madden in previous years. I'll never forget TeamXBox saying Madden 08's - not even 09; 08 - gameplay warranted a "9.8". It's easy to go back and read some of the goofy IGN reviews in previous years to see how far off they were. OS was the one site I'm aware of bold enough to give Madden 06 the rating it deserved, although their review benefited from coming out much later than most reviews. But the way they review Madden has softened considerably over the years. Even last year's game got an 8.5 from them. Yet people would have you believe the "new" dev team has spun [crap] into gold. Can't have it both ways. Either it's a good game the new team is building on, or the reviewers were flat out wrong with their previous assessments of the game - thus making it hard to believe their views on the game now.

[ZoneBlitz]

I think this year is different for several reasons:

I have played the demo and, if it is any indication, we will likely have a substantially different Madden than in the past.

Also, the changes they are making are aimed at re-engineering the foundation of the game. Never before, to my knowledge, have they done so much with ratings, character awareness, animations, etc... Consider, for example, the changes made to enhance the uniqueness of each team. Play the demo against Pittsburgh and against the Cardinals and you will notice that you are playing two different teams.

Finally, they have had substantial interaction with the community this year. They have been honest about the areas that needed work and what they are doing to address it. EA has even stated that their goal is to make Madden so realistic that a coach should be able to beat someone who just has joystick skills. This is so true. In football, you can have the greatest athletic abilities, but they are meaningless if you face someone who has more knowledge of the sport.

These points alone indicate, to me, that this year will be different.

[TheSolutionKMH]

Quote: Originally Posted by xylocaine

If you have frequented OS for a long time maybe you have seen the same pattern I have. Every year a new Madden comes out with alot of anticipation the months leading to the release. Every year, a handful of people are let on the inside by EA and they must sprinkle some magic dust on them because EVERY YEAR they report back to us on how great the game is. I'm not saying that this year isn't going to be good, by all I've read it's going to be special, But hear me out. From Madden 06 for next gen through, 07,08 etc all sub par titles the initial impressions and hands off impressions just gush love. Then the public gets the game and all hell breaks loose. Never has someone reported back to us after being granted a preview screening that "The game is horrible or not up to expectations" when many of the years it clearly was. Maybe a psychologist would know the answer. Is it that if you have an opportunity to see something that no one else does you want to always report that it's good? Or is it that the few that are granted access by EA don't want to loose that privilege for future years so report that it's the next coming? BTW I loved Steve's preview, but it just made me feel deja vu.

Its about apart of the Matrix, every impression and preview is all by design and is programmed well.

[KingCashus]

Quote: Originally Posted by spankdatazz22

I think because every site wants to continue having that inside access. Even OS is guilty of it. Hell, even the posters on OS are guilty. You see people going out of their way to compliment the developers for their efforts and treating their presence as benefiting us more than it does them. The "privilege" of having Tiburon's ear - when it's been the developers that have underperformed with the game in the first place. If you think this is bad, wait until review time comes. I'm sure every site is going to break it's neck to get out something positive. The sad thing is none of them ever take responsibility for their glowing reviews of Madden in previous years. I'll never forget TeamXBox saying Madden 08's - not even 09; 08 - gameplay warranted a "9.8". It's easy to go back and read some of the goofy IGN reviews in previous years to see how far off they were. OS was the one site I'm aware of bold enough to give Madden 06 the rating it deserved, although their review benefited from coming out much later than most reviews. But the way they review Madden has softened considerably over the years. Even last year's game got an 8.5 from them. Yet people would have you believe the "new" dev team has spun [crap] into gold. Can't have it both ways. Either it's a good game the new team is building on, or the reviewers were flat out wrong with their previous assessments of the game - thus making it hard to believe their views on the game now.

Yeah, it's kind of pathetic. I was on Metacritic the other day and saw Madden 08 for PS3 got an 81 combined score. I rented that game when I first got my PS3 and was shocked. I felt duped that reviewers were praising that game. God knows how many people actually bought Madden 08 off those reviews.

[granddogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by Nintari

That's what reviews are for...to save you from having to waste money on a rental/purchase. You just have to find a site/mag that you trust and these days it's getting harder and harder to do that.

Are you telling me that if a reviewer you like tells you a game is good that you will just go buy it WOW!!!!!OR if he said it was bad you'll just forget the game????

[spankdatazz22]

Quote: Originally Posted by ZoneBlitz

These points alone indicate, to me, that this year will be different.

I guarantee you there were people saying "this is the year" last year for whatever reasons. I can remember guys like pastapadre and old community day attendees saying the same thing (not the past year's CD guys). And I guarantee next year will be more of the same - some are already looking to M11. I'm sure this year's game is better than 09, just based on the demo. But 09 was also better than 08. And I find myself wondering how much better 10 really is, versus where the title should be. Or if that's even a fair barometer. I think it is, given that Tiburon has been making next gen Madden for the past 5yrs.

It's really going to come down to individual perspective. I think for the people where Madden has been so bad that they haven't even looked at a football game in years, M10 will likely be a revelation. I generally like the demo, but last night I played the NCAA demo. Before the Madden demo I despised it; couldn't even make it through a complete game. Last night I was able to play it more for whatever reason (still don't like it though). I also couldn't help noticing the similarities between the games - outside of the speed, they are somewhat similar (to be expected though). Before work I played APF for the first time in weeks, and that gave me a much different perspective on what M10 is looking like it will be. I think this'll be another year where the game really doesn't get judged for what it is, and is instead judged for what people hope it will be. People may not even judge the game harshly because of the increased dev involvment. It's obviously better, but how much better is it really? How much more realistic is it when you see receivers getting toggled into the air like a fighting game (from hits from behind or the side, no less). I know the devs are saying they want the game to be realistic, and it's better - from what it was. But not sure how much that's really saying, given what Madden has been. And people are being told what they want to hear.