Madden NFL and the Future of Video Game Sports (Grantland)

[SoulAssassin]

An interesting tidbit in regards to fearing the Gameday franchise more than NFL2k... and 2k's daring move at the time with the $20 price tag.

Whole article is a good read, however.

[kjcheezhead]

I read an article like this last year and the year before. Here is the one from last year.

Overall, it's not a bad read but it doesn't get me any more or less excited about the team in place. Stale gameplay, lack of presentation/story, and player interactions aren't something the Madden team hasn't been aware of for years.

I also gotta say that I'm getting a little tired of hearing of the rendering 22 players on a field problem. I think on the whole, Madden does a solid job of assigning the proper players the proper tasks. It's how these things animate that is so frustrating. Db's mirroring the wr routes and defenders coming off blocks the instant the ball carrier gets close isn't what we should be seeing.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by kjcheezhead

Overall, it's not a bad read but it doesn't get me any more or less excited about the team in place. Stale gameplay, lack of presentation/story, and player interactions aren't something the Madden team hasn't been aware of for years.

When is the last time you heard a public official from EA speak about stale game play of Madden to the media?

[adfletch71]

Not impressed at all, this has been Madden excuse since 2006. David Ortiz, Phil Frazier & Ian Cummings now Weber. It's time for these guys too understand, Madden has been on next-gen consoles since 2006, 8 years already. They still lack fundamentals of football and the gaming community it tired of there excuses. Enough with the talk, show me what's on the field. Shout can't even get a offensive and defensive pass interference penality for goodness sakes!!!! Please EA fundamentals.

[RGiles36]

Quote: Originally Posted by Big FN Deal

It's always fun to speculate and I kept picturing a new position specific field level gameplay view option when reading that part. Just seems like a rather simple addition that instantly adds more immersion and realism. imo.

Yeah, speculation is all we can do this time of year, so let's have at it!

I too thought of field level gameplay, but how much bang for their buck will they get with that? I don't have a firm grasp on what experience the average Madden fan wants, but would anyone really want to play as an OL? A tight end? A safety? I think people would give it a shot, but it wouldn't be a preferred method of playing the game. I don't think it would be a simple addition to make every position on the field playable -- not to mention developing control schemes for each position and most of all finding a way to make those various positions fun.

I did like what Roy Harvey spoke to though, as far as streamlining the experience and being able to provide various levels of depth for different gamers. A lot of us are getting older . I'd like to be able to customize my gameplan from my desk at work. Or do some franchise scouting online or something. I'm not sure what direction they're going in, but I think there's definitely a market who could appreciate being able to take their game (franchise) with them.

[kjcheezhead]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

When is the last time you heard a public official from EA speak about stale game play of Madden to the media?

They do it everytime new developers get on board. Ian Cummings was going to move away from Ortiz's arcade direction. Now Cam Weber is on board and they are going to a more simulation and NFL broadcast style.

This as close as the execs actually come to openly speaking out about stale gameplay anyways...

Quote:

On this point, Weber was surprisingly forthcoming: "We read the forums, we read the consumer feedback, we read reviews. I think in general there's a feeling that EA's football titles are starting to feel a little bit stagnant in terms of how you play them

So the feedback Cam Weber reads is that the game is starting to feel stale? Really? Come on, Man! EA can go back and read feed back for any version of current madden, it pretty much the same. Presentation is not existant, game modes are too shallow/bare bones, animation/interactions are bad.

The part of the artricle we are talking about is only about a paragraph long by the way. The rest of this article discusses EA watching NFL film, picking John Madden's brain apart and meticuously making the best football game possible with technology available. Either that, or it discusses EA's challenges like casual/experienced gamers, and how to make a sports game "artistic".

This article doesn't spend a lot of time dicussing the staleness of Madden, or any other of Madden's shortcomings.. and when it does it usually talks about sports games in general.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by kjcheezhead

They do it everytime new developers get on board. Ian Cummings was going to move away from Ortiz's arcade direction. Now Cam Weber is on board and they are going to a more simulation and NFL broadcast style. This as close as the execs actually come to openly speaking out about stale gameplay anyways... So the feedback Cam Weber reads is that the game is starting to feel stale? Really? Come on, Man! EA can go back and read feed back for any version of current madden, it pretty much the same. Presentation is not existant, game modes are too shallow/bare bones, animation/interactions are bad. The part of the artricle we are talking about is only about a paragraph long by the way. The rest of this article discusses EA watching NFL film, picking John Madden's brain apart and meticuously making the best football game possible with technology available. Either that, or it discusses EA's challenges like casual/experienced gamers, and how to make a sports game "artistic". This article doesn't spend a lot of time dicussing the staleness of Madden, or any other of Madden's shortcomings.. and when it does it usually talks about sports games in general.

All I asked was when the last time you read a Madden executive talk about the stale game play. I don't recall Ian coming out and saying Madden's game play was/is stale, do you?

Cam Weber hasn't been on board a year, yet, and he was suppose to know before he came to Madden what the Madden forums were all about?

Puzzling to me.

[jmik58]

Quote: Originally Posted by Danknugmelo

They need to omve away from Madden and get in people who are more familiar with how football is played NOW. Madden hasnt coached since, what, the late 70s? And he hasnt announced in 4-5 season. Game has changed and left him in the past.

You've taken a lot of criticism over this comment but I had a similar thought when reading about Coach Madden's involvement with the game. It was well known that Al Davis held back the Raiders franchise by infusing his 1970's philosophy into a team that tried to compete in modern times. I don't put John Madden on that same level, but I do think it would be constructive to have input from others who have current/recent coaching and/or playing experience on the pro level.

Anyone who watches the NFL can say "Oh, the bubble screen is trending this year," or "Rugby punts are something we need to add because teams do that now," or "The nickel back should line up here because that's how it's done in a base defense..."

John Madden's experience is either in the past or on a viewership basis where he doesn't understand modern schemes and modern philosophies to the extent that is possible.

He never coached/gameplanned/scouted any of the current players and/or coaches that run the present NFL game. I doubt he has taken the time to break down modern day blitz packages or coverages. As a commentator he may have been the guy who used the telestrator to help "educate" viewers, but he doesn't go to the levels of a Chris Collinsworth to really explain the "why" and the "how" of the intricacies of each play.

John will tell you that Marvin Harrison was supposed to be here and usually is there, but sometimes he's not going to be there.

Chris Collinsworth will tell you why he should be there and why he was or wasnt, and what the other team or players did to make that happen.

Schematics/philsophies are evolving on a yearly basis in football. Coach Madden isn't breaking down film and drawing up adjustments on a weekly basis anymore. He hasn't done that for decades.

The game is in the present and moving forward. Madden has good fundamental insight, but he lacks the present day knowledge and innovation that is alive in younger, more recent coaches and players, etc.

I respect John Madden and think he does a fine job providing input. But we need some modern day John Madden's riding shotgun to help bring the X's and O's of the gameplay along.

The fundamentals and basics of the game may never change and for that reason Coach Madden is a great asset. But his contribution can't reach a dynamic level like that of someone with more recent experience and input.