Madden 09 Will be Special

[Nza]

Quote: Originally Posted by DLaren

I had already assumed that Maddens' 20th anniversary would be special, but it's reassuring to hear it from the horses' mouth... I'm expecting EA to do it big because Madden'09 feels like it's going to be a game that reflects a celebratory event; screwing up Madden'09 would be like a highschool football team losing their Home-Coming game (you just don't do that) . Aside from making a solid game, to go along with whatever fluff they plan on adding I hope that follow in the foot-steps of the 'Hall Of Fame Edition' and add an older version of Madden to the disc (maybe Madden'99). Then for the cover it'd be cool if they put together some-sort of collage of all the other Madden covers and made them one for the Madden'09 cover. Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be worth the extra $10.

They won't "screw up" 09 by mainstream definition - that would be very, very hard to do. But I'll be pretty surprised if it's any more popular around places like here than 08 is. The issues with this new Madden run deep with the enthusiasts and it would take a pretty extraordinary effort to correct them IMO - possible, but not probable. I don't really think it's fair to say they "screwed up" with 08, as I'm sure most people who play it quite like it as common expectations aren't high.

The older version idea is kinda cool. Not sure which version they'd choose though - 99 is good from a technical sense as it was the last non pure 3D engine game I believe and would be pretty easy to package, but choosing the 10th version for the 20th anniversary game doesn't make a whole lot of sense. On the other hand, the very first version would be kinda lame as it's probably unplayable by today's standards, although from a historical POV it would be a great way to show how far gaming has come.

Anyway, I'm not sure he meant it will be special gameplay wise, I'm thinking it's just going to be an ordinary every year release but EA will keep touting the 20th year marketing phrase like just being 20 years old is a feature itself somehow. I mean if they had it in them to go above and beyond just because it's the 20th version, why not do that every year. They might include a few bells and whistles like an old time version etc but I'm pretty sure it's business as usual at EA.

[J-Unit40]

Quote: Originally Posted by therizing02

.....yawn..... After last year's NCAA and Madden disasters and all the pre release hype, how can anyone believe a word these guys say?

Bingo!

[grunt]

The "special" will be a tin can with a tribute to Madden for the past 20 years. If people want to spend the extra 10 bones more power to them.

I still think there are more Madden defenders than haters on this board. Some of us just want a next gen football game.

[jmood88]

Quote: Originally Posted by DLaren

Advancements and Improvements are two different things...Nowhere in my post did I say that the developers of Madden have advanced next-gen football...I detailed how the game has improved two-folds every year in comparison to its previous iteration to illustrate why there is a legitimate reason to be optimistic that Madden'09 will be twice as good as Madden'08. I'm not trying to convince you or anyone else to run out grab the game at midnight this fall, I just strongly disagree with anyone who speaks as if Madden'09 has little chance of being a quality title; it's almost as if some people have become so bitter that they've lost the ability to view the Madden series objectively (to the point where Branching animations, improved O-Line logic, and enhanced DB AI are labeled as "gimmicks"). So I'm giving reasons as to why I have a more positive outlook on the game and sharing why I'm excited to see what Madden'09 has to offer; and based on the effort that the developers put forth in '08 (combined with the addition of Peter Moore, the last-gen developement team, and the 20th anniversary) I think everyone else should have a reason to be excited too .

People have become bitter because they're sick of seeing these promises of a better game each year when the games have been horrible. They add gimmicks every year, having a new list of bullet points doesn't prove how the game is going to turn out. If you want to have a positive outlook then go ahead but don't be surprised that other people don't want to throw their money away.

[chadskee]

Well I think that we have all learned to ignore the hype every year and wait to see it for ourselves. I bought in to the hype of it being the best Madden ever last year, and that was $60 down the drain.

They will hype it every year, this one seems like more than others but don't hold your breath. Just wait and see for yourself, thats all I gotta say.

It's all good though, I'm confident Backbreaker will be a good game and its rumored to come out 2 months beforehand.

[Nyrican127]

Quote: Originally Posted by TJdaSportsGuy

Someone's started drinking early this evening. Guys, I am sick and tired of seeing you all jump at every and any opportunity to spew your negativity towards the Madden franchise. I set up the "I have a problem with Madden" thread for a reason. It's because it gets really old when in thread after thread, all it is is a bunch of replies like the ones we have here. We get it. You're disappointed in Madden. Now move on please. You know, I'll never get the point of posting your thoughts on something you DON'T like. I don't like soccer, but do you see me jumping in any chance I get in the soccer forum to tell the people there who enjoy it that I think it's a stupid sport? Nope. My mother once told me that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Clearly, many of you were never taught that lesson.

Isn't that the point of having a forum? To voice your opinion? Whether you agree with it or not? Let the kids post and quit whining. Nobody is offending anyone else or posting off topic. They're simply voicing they're opinions on a public forum. With that being said I am looking forward to Madden 09 if only for the fact it's the only football game out there

[StormJH1]

The anti-Madden bias comes from the fact that it's the one video game you will NEVER see previewed and reviewed objectively. Who do you think advertises in gaming magazines and websites...Calvin Klein? Wrong, try EA, which is a much bigger company than just sports titles. Madden is a cash cow, and it would be virtual career suicide for any game reviewer to give it a sub-par review.

Take the FA pool glitch. Do you honestly think that every reviewer just happened to miss a glitch that practically everybody caught within a few weeks of playing franchise mode? Of course not, they just didn't want to be the guy printing a review that said "Oh, and by the way, this game will be defective unless you have an internet connection and download a patch that will become available 5 months from now".

If any other game fails to innovate, ships as an HD-port of a last gen title, and has glitches that cause it to be broken for many users (not even MENTIONING the fumbling problem), reviewers jump all over it. Madden, conversely, doesn't get touched. Instead, it gets celebrated year after year by industry brownnosers and casual gamers who've never seen a decent football game. THAT's where the backlash comes from!

[rudyjuly2]

Quote: Originally Posted by TJdaSportsGuy

Guys, I am sick and tired of seeing you all jump at every and any opportunity to spew your negativity towards the Madden franchise. I set up the "I have a problem with Madden" thread for a reason. It's because it gets really old when in thread after thread, all it is is a bunch of replies like the ones we have here. We get it. You're disappointed in Madden. Now move on please. You know, I'll never get the point of posting your thoughts on something you DON'T like. I don't like soccer, but do you see me jumping in any chance I get in the soccer forum to tell the people there who enjoy it that I think it's a stupid sport? Nope. My mother once told me that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Clearly, many of you were never taught that lesson.

I agree with this and I don't like Madden either for my own personal reasons. This is a forum but when the same criticisms gets uttered over and over again what's the point? The "I don't like Madden thread" is a good place to spew your hatred if you want. As soon as news leaked out about the EA extension, you just see the same fanboy flaming start up all over again (regardless of what game you prefer). Its beyond tiring and ruins any meaningful conversation.