As a result of recieving Madden 11 as a Christmas gift, I have returned to a title I used to play religiously in the late 90's and early 2000's, but quit buying in lieu of the NCAA series. While that is not a title without its own issues, I found when I was buying both of them, that the College game more interesting to play from a Dynasty vs. Franchise perspective. When I got Madden this year as a gift I decided to invest some time in the Franchise while I was on vacation, and have been shocked at some of the sloppiness found in the coding/testing of the game, which undermines my confidence in the title as whole. I doubt I will ever go back to it. I am nearing the end of my second Franchise season. I have played maybe 10-12 full games and simmed the rest, and in just that small sample size I have observed the followiing:
- Going into the last game of the regular season of my first year, playing as the Packers, I entered the game at 9-5-1 and only able to qualify as a Wild Card in the play-offs (or so I thought, and NFL rules would suggest). The standings showed that the final wild card belonged to Tampa Bay, whose record after their final game was 10-6. This was before I played my game, with my team able to pass TB with a 10-5-1 record (Better record based on 1 less loss). Surely it would correct it, if won. Well, I played the final game, won, and assumed I had qualified the Packers with a 10-5-1 record. However, the WC was given to the Buccaneers at 10-6. The only seeming explanation for this to me was that the CPU only looked at wins ... and with both having 10, the WC was given to the Bucs due to a superior NFC record, even though the Packers had one less loss. Sloppy!!
- In an early season game in the 2nd year of the Franchise, Aaron Rodgers threw an interception vs. KC. The KC interceptor then fumbled the interception return, which KC recovered. Sincce the interception occurred inside 2 minutes of the 1st half, the booth called for a review of the fumble (even though KC recovered it) and determined it was NOT a fumble and reversed it. It had no impact on the game because the fumble did not result in a change of possession, and KC rightly kept the ball where the returner was tackled ... however, statistically the entire play was thrown out. Rodgers was not charged with an interception, nor was the KC D-back credited with one, seemingly,because the ruling (of a fumble) was overturned. Sloppy!!
- In the final game of the regular season of season 2, the Packers beat the Vikings 32-31 on a last second FG to win the NFC North. However, when the statistics windows were brought up, it showed a final score of Minnesota 37 Green Bay 32. In scrolling through the scoring plays I discovered what happened. The Vikings had a play that was originally ruled a TD by Rice. I challenged the play when I noticed on replay that the ball never crossed the goal line. I won the challenge, and the ball was spotted no the 1. AP scored on the next play. In the scoring summary it showed Rice's TD, but with no conversion attempt, followed 3 seconds later by AP's TD and ensuing XP. Rice was credited with a TD, and Bulger with an extra TD pass, even though the play had been ruled down at the 1 on replay challenge. I was terrified to exit the game for fear that the Packers would be credited with a loss, lose a 1st round bye, and the NFC North title. However, to find out what would happen, I exited without replaying and the Pack was credited correctly with the win. Once again ... Sloppy!!
This doesn't even speak to many of the issues already talked about in hundreds of posts on here, most notably the IR issue. Offensive players being credited by the announcer for tackling themself. Referrees incorrectly stating the down (This happens all the time on Holding on Punt returns ...they always say 'Repeat 4th Down' or something to that affect). Announcers will frequently say when a player winds up just short of a first down 'And he doesn't get it, and that will bring up 4th down, even if its NOT 4th down.
God only knows how many of these quality issues exist, and I am frankly tired of uncovering them. I don't expect the game to be perfect. It is afterall a video game. The game play itself is enjoyable, but I simply don't trust the product enough to continue to invest my time in the Franchise mode, which is the only way I want to play it, and I certainly won't ever spend a dime of my money on it in future releases. I just don't understand how stuff liike this makes it out of QA testing, and it makes me distrustful of the entire product.
The Madden development team needs to get their act together ...
01-07-2011, 03:52 PM
