Interesting ESPN article

[ryan36]

I know, legend. I've got to find this early...you know it's easy to forget there is a legacy there...I never realized the level of Maddens involvement. It sounds like Madden didn't want to be removed from the commentary team, if that's the case I think it's sad. Imagine how HE would've sounded current gen, with good scripts...

[joec63]

Great read, brings back memories. It's suuuuch a big business now....wow. EA can't do squat without first receiving approval by the NFL, protecting their product and image is everything. Collisions are too violent...nope can't be in the game. Players jawing too much at each other...nope can't be in the game.

[adembroski]

Quote: Originally Posted by rooney8

Lots of excuses for sales dropping but some had their merits to be fair. I worry about the opinion Madden doesn't sell as well anymore because it's to complicated. For me they lost a lot of fanbase with poor efforts from 06-09 nothing else.

We, as sim gamers, want to believe this. I want to believe this. It simply is not the case. Year after year, study after study, say the same thing; Madden became too complicated. I was hooked on Madden when I was 12... if I were 12 today, I wouldn't play it. Not because its not "sim" enough (because I dind't have a clue about "sim" when I was 12), but because there's just too much to learn.

[tomriddle]

most striking part of the article?

Madden was intrigued. Maybe, he thought, this could become a coaching tool. Pick a play, run it on a machine, see if it works. No need to scrimmage.

He sketched formations on paper, lines branching in every direction -- little masterworks of unintentional abstract art that Hawkins would later frame.

The one-time Oakland Raiders coach talked philosophy: Where's my playing field? Below sea level and it rains a lot? Then give me Gene Upshaw. Put the defense on skis and push them all day long.

Hawkins listened. Ybarra took notes. The duo promised they would create as sophisticated a simulation as home computers would allow. Real football, with seven players to a side …"

and you all wonder why everyone still craves coach mode? that's why

it is *the essence* of Madden, it's not an arcade game, it's supposed to be the best simulation around

this is why im sad the way the madden franchise has devolved over the years

[djordan]

LOL @ ANDY REID..

Quote:

"I just saw Andy at the owners meetings," Sandoval said. "He comes up to me and is like, 'Sandy, thanks for hooking me up. I saw myself in the game. My wife loves it. She loves looking at me skinny!'"

[Sausage]

Good article. Man, maybe Madden can come back with Al for a second group of commentators.

[Shizz420]

The Dante Culpepper exchange was fantastic:

Quote:

‎"Anyway, running the ball wasn't Detroit's problem," White continued. "It was passing." "Once they had Daunte Culpepper in [at quarterback], teams just dared him to pass," Strauser interjected. "He used to be so accurate. What happened to that guy?" "Wasn't he on our cover one year?" White asked. Everyone laughs

Quote:

Good article. Man, maybe Madden can come back with Al for a second group of commentators.

I like a 3-man booth of Gus, John, and Cris myself. Have Madden, with the telestrator, show you replay play breakdowns with sig sayings in Franchise mode, as well as his patented, "Boom!" in there as well.

I also want Pat Summerall back. He wouldn't even need to do new voice overs; his voice sounds like a computer, anyways and it would be easy to implement in the game. Could you tell the difference between Pat Summerall in a room, on Madden (minus the sayings), on television, or on Golden Tee? I can't!

Quote: Originally Posted by Cusefan

Thats business for ya

Yeah, and to the producers: it's not you guys who work hard to improve the game (to our suggestions) that we complain against when someone says, "give up the license".....

.......it's the limitations put on you by the systems in place from the corporate structure from up in the upper brass of EA and the NFL, who due to their greedy anti-trust tactics, have not only deprived fans the option of more football games in the market place, making the genre grow quicker, but also older players in the NFLPA who could really use that money in royalties.

"Competition is sin". In that case, I guess those who have to pay for it are the consumers, developers, and the players (minus those active).

"That's business for ya"

[Danimal]

Quote: Originally Posted by adembroski

We, as sim gamers, want to believe this. I want to believe this. It simply is not the case. Year after year, study after study, say the same thing; Madden became too complicated.

Whose studies though? What's the test base? How are they determining that conclusion? More importantly what factors are the measuring to come to the conclusion it's too hard?

I would love to see an independent study on the above conclusion not measuring some telemetry data that says "Most gamers called less then 15 plays, so they game is too complicated" How much of that data came from online play where people do anything to win? Let's say people average using 12 different plays, of those 12 how many were the same play? Lets say 10 plays measured out to be called all the time, was it because they had a high success rate or because the user didn't understand the more complicated plays? Finally how do you measure that last point with telemetry data?

Hopefully you can see my point. It's very easy for data to be skewed when you don't take all the factors into account. Since we have no idea the data, how it was measured and if it was measured correctly we're taking it at face value that these conclusions are correct.

I'm not saying that EA is wrong, but I won't say they are right either which is effectively my point. No one can sit here and say matter of fact that the game is too easy or too hard because of the reason I pointed out above.