Football, 5 years after.

[Sandman42]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paytonsplace

Yes, but no one put a gun to EA's head and said "Buy the NCAA, ESPN and Arena licenses".

Seriously? You're telling me that if you ran EA and had that money to spend, that you would decline getting exclusive rights from the NFL?

[Paytonsplace]

Quote: Originally Posted by rgiles36

You're full of it dude! Madden 10 hosts the same exact features with a graphical facelift? Really? The game has its flaws certainly, but to say that the game more or less only improved the graphics is hogwash. Isn't every sports game a yearly work-in-progress? Shouldn't all sports games continue to improve year in, year out? I can't believe that you're trying to draw a connection between Madden's sliding sales and the quality of M10. And now the game is overpriced considering EVERY GAME IS STANDARD at $60? Edit: I do agree with you about 2K stomping Madden had there been no exclusive license. Like others, I played 2K games exclusively since I had the Dreamcast and was thrilled when 2K games came to the PS2/Xbox. But you can't minimize the strides that Madden 10 has taken this year. That's my point.

Madden has made strides this year. However those strides have been undermined to a large degree. Poor AI, poor pursuit angles and questionable animation hold Madden back.
Additionally, many, including myself may be of the attitude that after five years, this is to little and to late.

I've not felt this down on Madden since I last bought it in 2006. As some may recall, that was Madden '07, the game that shipped with no fatigue. That is right folks, fatigue was broken right out of the box, thus making Madden '93 a more realist version of football than Madden'07.

I appreciate what the devs have tried to do but something is holding Madden back and given my lack of knowledge on what that is, I can only guess that it is competition. It is ironic, the lack of any NFL2K game makes Madden a poorer game.

[Paytonsplace]

Quote: Originally Posted by msteelers

Madden 10 is a great game of football, does a lot of things right, and all it did was bring us back to the level we were at five years ago. That's how bad the exclusive license has been for the genre.

I am glad that you are enjoying Madden 10. I wish I could agree with you. However I do agree that we've time warped back to 2004.

[Paytonsplace]

Quote: Originally Posted by PacMan3000

I loved 2K5 as well, but here's my question to all: What things--what specific things--do you want EA to do for Madden 11 that you feel is no where near the level of 2K5? Can you detail it/articulate it? And is there anything you feel Madden 10 has surpassed 2K5 in? I have my own views and will share later, but I think this needs to be addressed because, in my opinion, Ian and the entire crew think they pushed 2K5 to the periphery. I recall that Ian made a comment about that recently either in a post on OS or on Twitter. So if you think that that's not the case, what would you liked to see added, tweaked, or fixed for the next game that, in your opinion, 2K5 still does better? I think some constructive criticism and analysis would benefit everyone here.

Great Question!! This is what I want to see in Madden

1. VIP AI system. An AI system that adapts, not only to a specific play but to the kinds of plays I call and the tendencies that I, as a user tend to favor. Think about it. IN Real football, no team goes into a game blind to the tendencies of another team. The coaches and players study film and past experiences with that team. That was what was great about the VIP system. It replicated that experience. The CPU knew your tendencies even before kick-off. Money plays should be dead in 2009.

2. Better pursuit angles: Players should not "stairstep" to the ballcarrier. We've all seen the poor angles that great players take in this game.

3. Animation: Across the board this needs improvement. I kept on seeing the same animations over just a few hours of playing the game for the first time. For those of you who have shoestring sacked the QB, you know what I mean.

4. Physics: I've seen some defenders pull moves in this game which makes me question my physics degree. This has to be improved.

5. Challenge system: Shouldn't I be able to tell the ref what I am challenging?

6. Presentation: NFL2K had game highlights from your game and other games...5 years ago. They had players saying "Hi mom" to the cameras. They had fans with their head in their hands when their team was down...5 years ago. Madden needs all this and much much more. It has after all been 5 years.

7. Custom camera. Just a though. 2K had it...again 5 years ago.

8. Pro-tack is a fine idea. I question the implementation. I'd like to see this improved. This ties in with physics.

9. Players may want to think about staying in bounds.

10. Improved clock management.

The above are things that I believe NFL2K5 had to a far greater degree than Madden 10. PLease remember that my perspective is somewhat unique. I've been playing NFL2K5 since Friday. Life events prevented me from playing it when it first came out. Consequently, I'm experiencing NFL2K5 and Madden '10 as if they were BOTH new games. that is what motivated me to start this thread. And NFL2K5 is playing the better game of football.

[Paytonsplace]

Quote: Originally Posted by bigjake62505

I believe that competition = innovation. Some will say that it does not or it makes no difference. They have a right to have a opinion no matter how wrong it is. All you have to do is play EA's NHL, NBA, and soccer games and you will be blown away with the features and innovations in those games. Why? Because 2K and other makers of games are making good games also (PES). Go out and get College hoops 2k8 and ncaa basketball and play those games. If you can honestly say that NCAA is better than College hoops 2k8 well more power too you. Now what game do we have to choose from, NCAA which is plain horrible. Its not only EA look at 2k's baseball. It is completely horrible. That game is so bad that I sold my 360 just to play the show this year and I would do it again if I had to (HUGE baseball fan). I hope backbreaker does come out just to get some competition.

You are right. The 3rd part MLB exclusive killed 2K Baseball. That series has gone down steadily. I'll be buying a PS3 in March just for "The Show".

[bears5122]

The state of football gaming is improving. I think it hit rock bottom last year and this year's game is making some nice strides.

It's still miles behind other sports. Games like FIFA, NHL, The Show, and NBA 2K are superior for their sports. Football is probably the worst sport on the next gen console at the moment which is sad because it is the most popular. I'd much rather have Madden at the level the NHL series is at.

[Paytonsplace]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sandman42

Seriously? You're telling me that if you ran EA and had that money to spend, that you would decline getting exclusive rights from the NFL?

I was responding to a poster that was blaming the NFL for the exclusive. My post was also blaming EA. I'm not EA. Their interests are not mine. Nor do they share my interests as a consumer. And it is still a matter of debate as to whether that was a good business decision. Madden sales have been slipping and not only for this year. I imagine this is why we are seeing Madden for Iphone, DLC for money and "Chompetition".

[GTheorenHobbes]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sandman42

Seriously? You're telling me that if you ran EA and had that money to spend, that you would decline getting exclusive rights from the NFL?

Where did you get the impression that EA "had that money to spend"? The last I saw, EA was reporting a BILLION dollar loss and laying off a bunch of employees.

Seems to me that, in scooping up the exclusive in order to kill off the competition, EA was spending money it DIDN'T have. Now that the economy has gone south AND Madden's sales have declined for the fifth straight year, it'll be interesting to see what happens.

EA and the NFL can't sit back and continue to watch sales go over the cliff forever.