Isn't it time the audio in Madden matched other sports games?

[TNT713]

No offense, but who plays games for the announcers? I'm gonna guess disappointed fans.

Fact is, people play Madden ALOT. There's no way to pack 300 distinctly unique audio experiences into any game. Much less Madden. I'm sure if you watch enough football, you're going to hear the same phrases repeated over and over...

That doesn't mean the audio in Madden can't be better... But it is to say that we should be realistic about how good it can be. Each game taken individually, sounds as good as most live broadcasts. But after 200+ games, it all sounds the same.

I'm sure it'd be the same with NBA2K too... Play it enough and it all sounds the same.

Later

[Segagendude]

Quote: Originally Posted by TNT713

No offense, but who plays games for the announcers? I'm gonna guess disappointed fans. Fact is, people play Madden ALOT. There's no way to pack 300 distinctly unique audio experiences into any game. Much less Madden. I'm sure if you watch enough football, you're going to hear the same phrases repeated over and over... That doesn't mean the audio in Madden can't be better... But it is to say that we should be realistic about how good it can be. Each game taken individually, sounds as good as most live broadcasts. But after 200+ games, it all sounds the same. I'm sure it'd be the same with NBA2K too... Play it enough and it all sounds the same. Later

It's called immersion. If I hear the same commentary every single game, relevant to the situation or not, it quickly becomes stale and boring.

If, however, after Week 10, I'm still hearing new stuff AND situational commentary (I.e. "if ________ win this game, they'll need _________to lose to get into the playoffs, or else their season is over in a few weeks")
it immerses me into the presentation aspect of the game.

Although I haven't played it yet, MLB 2k11 is a great example. I'm reading their presentation and commentary is topnotch, and that's a game that has a 162-game-long season.

How hard would it be to implement some of this same style into Madden, a 16 game schedule with playoffs?


Also, as some have mentioned, the overall sound of the crowd in Madden is dull, and the announcers sometimes have long delays after a score is made.

I'll cite NHL as an example here: The crowd noise is borderline deafening, which is the way it should be in an enclosed arena. But, they should bring this same level of crowd noise to Madden. Arrowhead sounds like a 4,000 seat capacity stadium in the game, instead of the raucous (sp) stadium it is IRL.

[statum71]

No offense......but there's a lot of players like yourself that ONLY play football so they don't realize how far behind Madden is in the presentation department.

Now that you've played 2K.....you see what all the fuss is about. And guess what.....The Show, FIFA, and NHL are just as far ahead.

Madden is also one of the last sports games without custom music.

[statum71]

No offense, but there are a lot of sports gamers like yourself. They ONLY play football so they don't realize how far behind Madden is in presentation.

Well now that you've played 2K, guess what....The Show, FIFA, and NHL are just as far ahead. So now you see what all the fuss is about.

Madden is also one of the last few sports games not to offer custom music.

[statum71]

Sorry for double post.....computer tripping this a.m.

Tried to delete and couldn't.

[GiantBlue76]

Quote: Originally Posted by SeventhWard

It's become a new tradition. Every year, just about this time, hundreds flock to OS to fantasize about Madden's potential and how good it used to be...and every year, someone starts a fantastic thread about one of the most important elements of any video game - SOUND. Passionate discussions ensue. Intelligent and passionate men from all walks of life come to OS and contribute their opinions and ingenuity to the cause of talking about what would make Madden sound awesome. Yet when the game ships in August, as it does every year, all of our passionate discourse about sound has already fallen upon deaf ears. Will this be the year Madden finally incorporates some sort of Sound Design Revolution? Unlikely. They don't rock the boat too much down there in Orlando, and as long as guys keep the myth alive that "Madden Sounds Fine" it will never be a priority. The cold hard fact is that Madden's Audio Design is, and forgive me for not being constructive momentarily in favor of being blunt, WEAK. Limp. Scrawny. Even with an energetic new announcer, Bland. Lackluster. Hollow. The game isn't even properly mixed in 5.1 dudes - audio ain't a priority over there. Madden is made by a relatively small team with a huge bureaucracy and corporate mindset attached to it. Unless someone HIGH on the food chain demands wholesale audio changes, Madden 12 is going to sound just like 11 did with minimal paycheck-justifying improvements. My gut instinct tells me there will be no audio revolution in Madden on this generation of consoles. To do so would be to re-write the whole audio program and the way it streams from their expansive audio database of recordings. The trend shows Tiburon would rather spend their budget licensing songs as opposed to re-approaching and optimizing their outdated commentary tech and audio presentation. We all know a Madden Audio Revolution COULD be done with the assets they have. However, in an humble opinion I've formed from years of watching this studio make this game, they're just not agile enough to make it happen and their track record proves it. Banned from OS for having an unpopular opinion in 3...2.... -SeventhWard

Good post.

[Nab_Impervious_XII]

Quote: Originally Posted by Segagendude

If, however, after Week 10, I'm still hearing new stuff AND situational commentary (I.e. "if ________ win this game, they'll need _________to lose to get into the playoffs, or else their season is over in a few weeks") it immerses me into the presentation aspect of the game.

EXACTLY. We realize commentary eventually becomes repetitive and predictable, but Madden doesn't even try to highlight obvious scenarios:

• 16-0 PERFECT seasons don't even elicit ONE phrase of acknowledgment.
• You can also be 9-6, and be in a virtual playoff elimination game during Week 17, and the commentators will instead reference the "historicity" of your stadium.

It's a truly "disconnected" affair when it comes to audio presentation and EA. And it's disappointing because EA's competitors deal with 82+ game seasons and still have the ability to reference past-game tendencies in their commentary (i.e. "Kobe Bryant had an amazing comeback performance yesterday in Memphis"), but we can't even get general commentary regarding playoff qualification in a 16 game schedule.

[DaveDQ]

Quote: Originally Posted by SeventhWard

It's become a new tradition. Every year, just about this time, hundreds flock to OS to fantasize about Madden's potential and how good it used to be...and every year, someone starts a fantastic thread about one of the most important elements of any video game - SOUND. Passionate discussions ensue. Intelligent and passionate men from all walks of life come to OS and contribute their opinions and ingenuity to the cause of talking about what would make Madden sound awesome. Yet when the game ships in August, as it does every year, all of our passionate discourse about sound has already fallen upon deaf ears. Will this be the year Madden finally incorporates some sort of Sound Design Revolution? Unlikely. They don't rock the boat too much down there in Orlando, and as long as guys keep the myth alive that "Madden Sounds Fine" it will never be a priority. The cold hard fact is that Madden's Audio Design is, and forgive me for not being constructive momentarily in favor of being blunt, WEAK. Limp. Scrawny. Even with an energetic new announcer, Bland. Lackluster. Hollow. The game isn't even properly mixed in 5.1 dudes - audio ain't a priority over there. Madden is made by a relatively small team with a huge bureaucracy and corporate mindset attached to it. Unless someone HIGH on the food chain demands wholesale audio changes, Madden 12 is going to sound just like 11 did with minimal paycheck-justifying improvements. My gut instinct tells me there will be no audio revolution in Madden on this generation of consoles. To do so would be to re-write the whole audio program and the way it streams from their expansive audio database of recordings. The trend shows Tiburon would rather spend their budget licensing songs as opposed to re-approaching and optimizing their outdated commentary tech and audio presentation. We all know a Madden Audio Revolution COULD be done with the assets they have. However, in an humble opinion I've formed from years of watching this studio make this game, they're just not agile enough to make it happen and their track record proves it. Banned from OS for having an unpopular opinion in 3...2.... -SeventhWard

Good post except for the "banned" part. Do you want that to happen? Why instigate it? you want to run somewhere else and blab about how you got banned from Operation Sports? That seems to be the trend lately and it's stupid.