Cliff Notes
Rex says WR/DB Interactions is something they want to get done in near future, but they want to take a bigger focus on it and not just half way do it, or get something in this year just to have something.
Year 1 of IE is scratching the surface, with year 2 we're starting to build user mechanics around the IE. Madden 25 will for the first time in history of franchise have a fully organic tackle, dive tackles are fully driven by physics, when you dive and hit a guys leg there's no animation whatsoever, it's organic. Moving in this direction to have a fully physics driven game without pre-canned animations. This will be a multi-year process to get there, but that's where we're heading.
Rex and Cam met about Gameplay direction for Madden 25, about 5-6 key elements to be added to Madden 25.
UPDATE: I missed this yesterday, but just heard this now.
"In the previous years Gameplay was kind of a afterthought with Tiburon and it was more about what's the new big mode this year or the new big marketable feature? Gameplay never had its own identity, they were getting their direction from the game teams. Now we are kind of our own unique thing, we have our own vision, we definitely engage the game teams and make sure they are onboard with what we want to do, but it's coming from us and we have a extended plan, a 3-5 year and even further than that. This plan very closely matches our Community's "Top 5" lists. Having this plan in place, is a little more freeing, because we know if we don't get everything we want in this cycle, then we will get it in the next one or the near future. We want to get away from the years of half-finished features and really take the time and effort necessary to polish each feature, we realize the more features you try and add in one cycle the less polish you will have with them. We do less things but we try to take them to a higher level of quality."
Run Free was not originally going to be a big feature until Victor Lugo got with Rex and Cam about having precision modifier tied to it. They took it before the marketing team and they approved the feature.
With Run Free we've gone from 8 moves to 35 or 36. Running game is just as fun as passing game. Victor Lugo and I wanted there to be a "meta-game" with Run Free so you have to think about what move to make based on where the defender is and what angle he's coming from. Think about the game like a running back would,if he's coming at me from a side angle, I should do a back juke, if he dives at me, I should hurdle, etc...
Best moves in the game came from AP, Marshawn, Barry Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Youtube footage and then the mo-capped actors were told to do those as best as they could.
Precision Modifier is Madden exclusive, not in NCAA this year. There are people who will try and use the precision modifier in a arcade fashion(spamming the stick), but they won't be very successful because each move will slow you down as you stutter step and backside pursuit will catch you soon after.
If you hurdle a lot your fumble and injury chance goes up. Precision moves cost stamina and when fatigue and stamina goes in the red, you no longer do the faster moves, but you do a slower version of them which is no where near as effective.
Said no one in the office has "mastered" the Precision Modifier yet, it's very deep and requires great skill and knowledge of the game.
Rex hated "auto sprint" because it felt like acceleration and burst was taken from the user. It was very important that it had to be realistic, boost won't take you above top speed, just gets you there faster. Blocking is very authentic, pullers don't get in position in front of you just because they need to, they only run as fast as their ratings will allow them to. No longer will you be able to run Power O like a spread and get to the edge, the ends will get you. Power O is run like real life, patience is the key in the running game. Talked with NFL HB's, including Doug Martin about how they run at 80% speed until they hit the hole.
Rich Grisham says people have been told in the past blocking was improved, but haven't seen a big improvement. Rich asks what took so long and Rex says I honestly can't tell you because when I got here, blocking was a huge priority. First step was they didn't have a subject matter expert. This is where intern Clint Oldenburg came in.
Soon figured out that run blocking and pass blocking were going to be two different pieces. Run Blocking was the focus this year. EVERY run play in the game was redone. They had Bob Wylie come out for 3 days and learned about techniques and fundamentals. Translation in the blocks, reach block or zone block will move left to right across line of scrimmage. Drive blocks will push guys downfield, bull rushes from defenses will push blockers into backfield.
Went after "pattycake", improved engagement loop with blockers, more agressive, more hand fighting. Got the ends to actually speed rush. A DE who does a speed rush, the tackle drops to the same level as the qb, pocket will collapse around you completely different. Lineman will get downfield and decleat corners.
After all these improvements to the blocking, they found out the defense was at such a disadvantage because it had never seen blocking like this, so they had to re-tune the DEs, run D, block sheds, and this is what they are still working on right now. Making sure elite defenders can still get off blocks and make plays in a realistic manner.
Dive tackle is one of Rex's favorite things this year, never really worked right in the past. Again fully organic. AI will dive at you too. The way tackling works has changed, in the past there was a "tackle prep" and guys would just fall down. Rex didn't like the way this looked or felt. This year, the best way to tackle is to hold the X button down, which steers the defender into the ball carrier, flicking the hit stick is a sell out tackle, high risk, high reward, holding hit stick is the most sound way to use HS. You can use the HS to hit the wr and knock the ball out.
Rex said one of the main misunderstandings about the dev process, is they do not get the direction from executives. They come in for reviews and review the software. Not one time did one of the execs come in and tell them "I want you to do this." It doesn't come from marketing either, the marketing and PR dept doesn't come in and tell them to do something because it will sell to the masses. It comes from the millions of gamers, community forums, game changer program, etc.... Rex addressed the Madden team being lazy, said it couldn't be further from the truth, team is committed to doing whatever it takes to get it done. Understands they are under scrutiny due to the exclusive license. Realizes it's going to take another year or two to get where they want to go. Wants to encourage people to look at the direction of this franchise since Cam Weber came here. New leadership team, new direction. Rex said it will be another year or two before we get this fully turned around. Look at the gameplay improvements this year and last year, trying to cover legacy issues, double down and focus on gameplay. Cover new features and new innovations like the IE last year. Hope to keep seeing a improvement in Metacritic rating, want to be a 90+ rated title every year.
Awesome interview!
05-20-2013, 01:55 PM
