What Effect Has The Madden Community Had On Substantially Changing Next-Gen Madden?

[Step2001]

I think everyone that has posted ideas in a constructive form has played a role in Madden over the years. Everyone "likes" are different, from gameplay, franchise mode, online etc. etc.

I'll keep posting because I see things and hear things in the game that have been mentioned on OP's Madden's Wishlist. That's all I need to keep it up.

[Big FN Deal]

Quote: Originally Posted by kingkilla56

I would say we influence it more than we think or rather care to see. We asked for Franchise mode to evolve it did. Maybe not the way we wanted specifically but it changed and we'll have to wait to see how it turns out. We asked fro real time physics. They added it. We asked for scheme based ratings, they put it in. And I know there are many more examples. Just because they do things to the game we didnt ask for or dont agree with doesnt mean we have little input in the game.

I don't know that because some things we asked for eventually changed means we affected due to the timing. If you told someone every day for 3 years they needed to get a shorter haircut because it would look better and finally one day they did it, that doesn't mean you affected what they did. That seems more like they finally decided that's what they wanted to do and who knows what if any affect your insistent or suggesting had.

Same thing with next-gen Madden, FIFA, NHL and NBA Live all implemented physics first along with HC09 having scheme based ratings, so those things could very well just be a natural progression. Right now there are many on the Madden dev team from EA Canada so I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Madden continue to follow in the mold of the FIFA and NHL with upgraded AI and the next steps in physics for Madden 14.

Like I said in the OP, that stuff seems far more like an affect due to personnel changes than due to community influence, imo. Hopefully some CD/CE attendees and EA Game Changers will chime in to give their opinions on how they believe their direct interaction with EA/Tiburon has substantially affected Madden. Also, for full disclosure, anyone in that group that does chime in, my follow up question will be "Then why is it that you could affect ____ but not ____?"

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by Big FN Deal

I don't know that because some things we asked for eventually changed means we affected due to the timing. If you told someone every day for 3 years they needed to get a shorter haircut because it would look better and finally one day they did it, that doesn't mean you affected what they did. That seems more like they finally decided that's what they wanted to do and who knows what if any affect your insistent or suggesting had.

This was exactly my kind of thought I had reading that post.

Maybe the influence was there and it was just a matter of timing or getting the staff in there that could make it happen, or maybe it's like in the example you gave. Say it often enough and odds are, it's just going to happen and make you look like you were right.

[cuttingteeth]

This is actually the first year I've ever felt that speaking my mind publically could possibly help, and therefore, this is the first I've tried it.

The results have been met with some people reading all that I write and seeing that I'm trying to make logical sense. Some people instantly decide I'm a whiner or complainer. Then there's the big wigs who mostly quell and downplay every single thing I have to say, as if it is a disgusting negative and can't be allowed.

So, my deduction from this brief experience is - We make no difference at all by what we say in these forums. I would expect that calling EA on the phone or emailing them over and over would help. Game sales will be the first, true thing they look at, of course, as they are a company looking to profit. Game sales are still the best bet at suggesting we probably want more or different.

Sure, enough new people could join this forum and other forums, and maybe we could alert them to thinking first about lack of features before just buying the game...but it probably wouldn't work because, again, it seems the primary goal is to quell any possible negatives and promote the game at all costs. It feels that way, at least.

[Tweeg]

Quote: Originally Posted by Evan_OS

Then what community are you apart of then if you play Madden?

I think we feel like part of the Madden community, but we aren't what EA sees as the target audience.

If sim gamers had an influence it wouldn't have taken this many years for pass trajectories. It's 2012 and we are acting like pass trajectories is an amazing accomplishment.

I think Big FN Deal's haircut analogy applies quite nicely.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by cuttingteeth

This is actually the first year I've ever felt that speaking my mind publically could possibly help, and therefore, this is the first I've tried it. The results have been met with some people reading all that I write and seeing that I'm trying to make logical sense. Some people instantly decide I'm a whiner or complainer. Then there's the big wigs who mostly quell and downplay every single thing I have to say, as if it is a disgusting negative and can't be allowed. So, my deduction from this brief experience is - We make no difference at all by what we say in these forums. I would expect that calling EA on the phone or emailing them over and over would help. Game sales will be the first, true thing they look at, of course, as they are a company looking to profit. Game sales are still the best bet at suggesting we probably want more or different. Sure, enough new people could join this forum and other forums, and maybe we could alert them to thinking first about lack of features before just buying the game...but it probably wouldn't work because, again, it seems the primary goal is to quell any possible negatives and promote the game at all costs. It feels that way, at least.

Actually, this forum is set up by the administrative staff and the mods to allow the users to provide constructive feedback and criticism, not direct, EA, you ruined my life criticism and you suck criticism. Constructive feedback and criticism will not go unheard, but if you are trolling in every thread espousing your opinon, then, the mods need to follow the rules to make sure posters are doing the same.

The mods have been pretty generous to allow the frustrated gamers to voice their opinions the last few weeks. Some users have joked about this becoming an offline vs online forum mentality. It really shouldn't come down to that. Last night, some poster said all offline gamers won't purchase the game until later down the road. That is not true for all offline franchise gamers.

Again, trying to put all users under one group mentality. We shouldn't judge people how they play the game and what makes them happy when they play the game, on any side of the fence.

I try to put myself in a developer of EA shoes. If I was reading this forum, and all I saw was back and forth bickering over the last few weeks, would I want to stop by again and read the same gibberish or would I prefer to see well constructive feedback and criticism post that aren't repeated in every thread or every half hour.

Just my 02 cents.

[kjcheezhead]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

Actually, this forum is set up by the administrative staff and the mods to allow the users to provide constructive feedback and criticism, not direct, EA, you ruined my life criticism and you suck criticism. Constructive feedback and criticism will not go unheard, but if you are trolling in every thread espousing your opinon, then, the mods need to follow the rules to make sure posters are doing the same. The mods have been pretty generous to allow the frustrated gamers to voice their opinions the last few weeks. Some users have joked about this becoming an offline vs online forum mentality. It really shouldn't come down to that. Last night, some poster said all offline gamers won't purchase the game until later down the road. That is not true for all offline franchise gamers. Again, trying to put all users under one group mentality. We shouldn't judge people how they play the game and what makes them happy when they play the game, on any side of the fence. I try to put myself in a developer of EA shoes. If I was reading this forum, and all I saw was back and forth bickering over the last few weeks, would I want to stop by again and read the same gibberish or would I prefer to see well constructive feedback and criticism post that aren't repeated in every thread or every half hour. Just my 02 cents.

This goes back to the OP's original question. Do the responses in these thread have any affect on the developers decisions at all?

If I was a developer and I saw thread after thread about how upset the hardcore franchise guys are, I would try and see how to remedy the situation. Strat pad was met the same way a lot of these old missing features are being talked about and it was patched asap which did at least quiet some of the bickering between guys who liked strat pad vs guys who enjoyed the old method, even if it didn't completely fix the issue.

That's actually where the interaction is good. Where I question the devs even bothering to read community ideas is in threads like LBzrule's dline adjustments or run commit fixes. There are some good suggestions in those types of threads but they feel ignored by the devs for the most part.

[GiantBlue76]

I don't believe THIS community has much of an impact. I used to, but after some conversations I've had and things I've learned, I don't believe that anymore. I believe that Tiburon wants to keep Madden "fun", and the target audience for this game is people who just want to have fun with their favorite players and run up the stats. When we have zig zag running, no difference between the Giants and Browns defensive line, poor player interaction animations, a terrible challenge system, missing and poorly implemented penalties, etc. etc., it shows that they have no interest in REALLY making a simulation of the game. They want a "fun" game that is based on the NFL. Realistic is not fun (according to them), and they want to continue to attract the tournament and competitive players to give the game its national attention. In their eyes, it's not fun to average 3 yards per carry in some games. People won't be interested unless they take Romo and throw for 400 yards every game with 5 TDs.

It is what it is.