What Happened?

[splff3000]

By now everyone here knows about the numerous bugs and glitches in this game. It's excessive to say the least, but it's EA, what do you expect? Almost every version of Madden or NCAA over the last few years, has released with major bugs that get patched later. This is nothing new so the bugs that are being found all over the place is pretty much par for the course for EA. What isn't up to par is the simplicity of the bugs and how easy it is to find them. I mean no one really noticed that the accelerated clock wasn't working in CCM when they were testing this? Really? Now that aspect of this is not normal. I can live with that tho. It's EA. There's almost nothing they can do that can surprise me nowadays.

What I'm trying to figure out tho is how did all these people have the retail version almost a full month early and no one mention anything about all these bugs. We all know that superstar athletes and movie stars an all those guys get the game early, but I'm wondering about the reviewers and the game changers. WTH? I'll admit that I didn't read every review of Madden 13, but I read a lot of them. I don't recall seeing any mention of bugs in the reviews I read. I don't usually rely on game reviews for my purchases, but I do note them. In hindsight, I have to admit that the Xbox magazine review that came out early had the most accurate review of all that I saw(9.0 IGN? Really?).

The biggest concern I have tho is with the game changers silence. Last time I checked, they were supposed to represent the community. They were community members sent to Tiburon to give the devs direct feedback from the community. What about direct feedback to the community? Why did no one from the community have any idea about what a mess CCM is out the box before Aug 28? These "community" guys had the game almost a full month early, yet we have to find out about these bugs and things after release. I understand the release of info like "schemes do not save" would hurt sales, but isn't that what "community" guys are supposed to do? Isn't that why we have thread after thread after thread here now talking about some kind of bug or glitch in Madden 13? Because "community" members wanted to alert the community of a bug or something.

You would think that with EA bringing the community in early to look at the game and give feedback and with them giving community members (game changers) the game early, they would be putting out the best product they possibly can because they would know that if the game was crap, the whole community would know about it because of these community members that would have the game early, but that isn't the case. In fact, one could argue that the product has gotten increasingly sloppy since the advent of the game changers program. Yeah there were bugs before, but the amount of bugs that have cropped up in the last few years is amazing and the number of bugs that can be considered game killers by some is higher than I ever remember it being. Hell we have even had bugs that are literally game killers ie you can't play an entire mode because of the bug (transfer failed error in ncaa, game freezes in Madden).

Now I understand that game changers have to sign a NDA and all, but I always assumed that dealt with discussing features before they are announced or before a given date. I didn't think that it dealt with just discussing flaws and bugs within the game after it was done. If it does, then everything else makes sense and pretty much validates what I think about the program itself. This would also explain why a lot of game changers are pretty nonchalant about a lot of these issues or unwilling to discuss them. Although I would have to wonder if a community member, that can see flaws and bugs within the game, but not discuss them, is really part of the community. I'm not talking about flaws and bugs during development. I'm talking flaws and bugs that are seen in the retail copy that was received a almost month earlier than everybody else.

You'll never see me talking bad about the game changers themselves (even tho I think the program itself is just for marketing). I have a lot of respect for those guys. And you'll never hear me saying I ain't buying Madden, so this isn't a case of me hating or anything like that. I've been a member of the Madden community a long time and as a long time member of the Madden community I feel that what happened here this year, should never happen. It just shouldn't. Soooo, what happened?

[schmit_95]

Quote: Originally Posted by splff3000

By now everyone here knows about the numerous bugs and glitches in this game. It's excessive to say the least, but it's EA, what do you expect? Almost every version of Madden or NCAA over the last few years, has released with major bugs that get patched later. This is nothing new so the bugs that are being found all over the place is pretty much par for the course for EA. What isn't up to par is the simplicity of the bugs and how easy it is to find them. I mean no one really noticed that the accelerated clock wasn't working in CCM when they were testing this? Really? Now that aspect of this is not normal. I can live with that tho. It's EA. There's almost nothing they can do that can surprise me nowadays. What I'm trying to figure out tho is how did all these people have the retail version almost a full month early and no one mention anything about all these bugs. We all know that superstar athletes and movie stars an all those guys get the game early, but I'm wondering about the reviewers and the game changers. WTH? I'll admit that I didn't read every review of Madden 13, but I read a lot of them. I don't recall seeing any mention of bugs in the reviews I read. I don't usually rely on game reviews for my purchases, but I do note them. In hindsight, I have to admit that the Xbox magazine review that came out early had the most accurate review of all that I saw(9.0 IGN? Really?). The biggest concern I have tho is with the game changers silence. Last time I checked, they were supposed to represent the community. They were community members sent to Tiburon to give the devs direct feedback from the community. What about direct feedback to the community? Why did no one from the community have any idea about what a mess CCM is out the box before Aug 28? These "community" guys had the game almost a full month early, yet we have to find out about these bugs and things after release. I understand the release of info like "schemes do not save" would hurt sales, but isn't that what "community" guys are supposed to do? Isn't that why we have thread after thread after thread here now talking about some kind of bug or glitch in Madden 13? Because "community" members wanted to alert the community of a bug or something. You would think that with EA bringing the community in early to look at the game and give feedback and with them giving community members (game changers) the game early, they would be putting out the best product they possibly can because they would know that if the game was crap, the whole community would know about it because of these community members that would have the game early, but that isn't the case. In fact, one could argue that the product has gotten increasingly sloppy since the advent of the game changers program. Yeah there were bugs before, but the amount of bugs that have cropped up in the last few years is amazing and the number of bugs that can be considered game killers by some is higher than I ever remember it being. Hell we have even had bugs that are literally game killers ie you can't play an entire mode because of the bug (transfer failed error in ncaa, game freezes in Madden). Now I understand that game changers have to sign a NDA and all, but I always assumed that dealt with discussing features before they are announced or before a given date. I didn't think that it dealt with just discussing flaws and bugs within the game after it was done. If it does, then everything else makes sense and pretty much validates what I think about the program itself. This would also explain why a lot of game changers are pretty nonchalant about a lot of these issues or unwilling to discuss them. Although I would have to wonder if a community member, that can see flaws and bugs within the game, but not discuss them, is really part of the community. I'm not talking about flaws and bugs during development. I'm talking flaws and bugs that are seen in the retail copy that was received a almost month earlier than everybody else. You'll never see me talking bad about the game changers themselves (even tho I think the program itself is just for marketing). I have a lot of respect for those guys. And you'll never hear me saying I ain't buying Madden, so this isn't a case of me hating or anything like that. I've been a member of the Madden community a long time and as a long time member of the Madden community I feel that what happened here this year, should never happen. It just shouldn't. Soooo, what happened?

Can't like this post more! Well said. No disrespect to any gamechangers out there, but I would love to hear their take on these bugs, many of which ruin the game for a lot of people. And Im not talking about editing, people just need to get over that. It ll be there next year.

[splff3000]

Quote: Originally Posted by schmit_95

Can't like this post more! Well said. No disrespect to any gamechangers out there, but I would love to hear their take on these bugs, many of which ruin the game for a lot of people. And Im not talking about editing, people just need to get over that. It ll be there next year.

Yeah, I'm not talking about editing and fantasy draft and things like that. I'm talking about all the bugs that you notice the first time you play. Like the first time I came into CC I noticed things that were wrong right away. I was just wondering why no one, reviewers and game changers, mentioned any of that stuff.

[kehlis]

The NDA could have prevented them from posting any of the problems and I understand and am okay with that.

My issue is with the fact that they acted like everything was roses and this game was going to be superb. Some of them have been better than others but some have just answered legitimate questions with tired rhetoric that got real old real fast.

There are a few GC's that I really like but unfortunately the loud majority of them has given them a bad name.

It's embarrassing to see these things missing and ignored knowing the things that we read from these guys months ago.


They will claim differently and as much as I don't want to admit it, it seems they were nothing more than individuals that were given perks and in turn just had to promote the game.

[RGiles36]

Not going to quote everything in that post, but I understand where you're coming from Splff.

A couple things: we didn't have the game a month early. More like 1 week and a half. And in that time w/ the retail, the bugs that I was finding I funneled back through the GCers b/c I know a handful of 'em were in Tiburon when our copies released.

Two: just b/c you're finding bugs that shipped doesn't mean we didn't bug-mine and point out things that were actually fixed. Thank us later that IR is opening up a roster spot b/c it wasn't in June (kidding about thanking us).

That's just a quick example. Trust me -- I know where you're coming from. But the quasi-implication that we're just sitting on our hands or that many of us don't have the community's interest at heart is false -- regardless of what we share or don't share publicly.

[ABR173rd]

Quote: Originally Posted by kehlis

The NDA could have prevented them from posting any of the problems and I understand and am okay with that. My issue is with the fact that they acted like everything was roses and this game was going to be superb. Some of them have been better than others but some have just answered legitimate questions with tired rhetoric that got real old real fast. There are a few GC's that I really like but unfortunately the loud majority of them has given them a bad name. It's embarrassing to see these things missing and ignored knowing the things that we read from these guys months ago. They will claim differently and as much as I don't want to admit it, it seems they were nothing more than individuals that were given perks and in turn just had to promote the game.

It was really difficult after playing the game for a couple hours and noticing these little attention to detail issues, and wondering to myself how could they possibly have been overlooked? I have also not been super outspoken about the infinity engine but to be quite honest that wasn't the huge OMG moment a lot of those guys hyped it up to be. In regards to offline the offline CCM issues the game changers must have never played a single offline CCM.It is not possible to play through a couple game's and not notice the A.I. and play calling issues....

[RGiles36]

Additionally, we're not quality assurance. I understand frustration w/ bugs; I myself have postponed my league and have even contemplated putting M13 down til patches arrive. My point is direct that frustration where it belongs...I've been down there to provide feedback -- not bug test.

[splff3000]

Quote: Originally Posted by RGiles36

Not going to quote everything in that post, but I understand where you're coming from Splff. A couple things: we didn't have the game a month early. More like 1 week and a half. And in that time w/ the retail, the bugs that I was finding I funneled back through the GCers b/c I know a handful of 'em were in Tiburon when our copies released. Two: just b/c you're finding bugs that shipped doesn't mean we didn't bug-mine and point out things that were actually fixed. Thank us later that IR is opening up a roster spot b/c it wasn't in June (kidding about thanking us). That's just a quick example. Trust me -- I know where you're coming from. But the quasi-implication that we're just sitting on our hands or that many of us don't have the community's interest at heart is false -- regardless of what we share or don't share publicly.

Rgiles, man I'm pretty sure you guys found a lot of bugs. I know that's partially what you guys were up there for. I'm not saying you guys let these bugs out. I know at least one game changer that said he told them about a specific bug before the release. He assumed, because of that, the bug fix would be in the first patch. I do thank you guys for that stuff. I'm more focused on the actual retail release. I know for a fact that a few other game changers got their game early August because they posted pictures of it. That's what I'm talking about. Still tho, even if you got it just a week early, there were things I noticed right away, that no one mentioned. Rgiles, I know you're legit man. I know you have done your best to diplomatically not get everyone too hype for the game. I always respect what you have to say because I know you're trying to tell the truth but be diplomatic about it. In fact, there are a few of you like that and that's cool. Unfortunately, like kehlis said, that isn't the case for everyone. There have been some that, in hindsight, look like they were just straight promoting a game. That's not cool coming from people that are supposed to be representing the community.