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**fossen** · 07-29-2010, 09:51 AM

Re: The Strategy Pad's Dirty Little Secret That EA Doesn't Want You To Know

Originally posted by cdon2k

New blog about the REAL reason behind the strategy pad. Also included, more about the strategy pad controversy.

http://www.operationsports.com/cdon2...t-you-to-know/

I don't really get how "being usable for new players" is a dirty little secret.

It's been the case for years that Madden's audience has become more and more limited as it's complexity grows. There are a lot of NFL fans that it can't reach because of the UI learning curve. In order to have a healthy game that's not dwindling into irrelevance, Madden needs to accomodate new players each and every year.

**frankstallone83** · 07-29-2010, 09:55 AM

Re: The Strategy Pad's Dirty Little Secret That EA Doesn't Want You To Know

sounds plausible to me.

**ODogg** · 07-29-2010, 09:58 AM

Re: The Strategy Pad's Dirty Little Secret That EA Doesn't Want You To Know

I think it's a combination of both: the need to defeat online cheesers and dumbing down the game for noobs.

**joec63** · 07-29-2010, 09:59 AM

Re: The Strategy Pad's Dirty Little Secret That EA Doesn't Want You To Know

[quote=fossen;2041392474]I don't really get how "being usable for new players" is a dirty little secret.

Me either...I would be curious to see how many of Madden's core players, not people who peruse these and other forums, actually use audibles. I would bet a majority don't. EA should cater to the general audience of Madden because if you don't innnovate you can't grow. But also realize and plan for the harcore gamer crowd which is the most vocal.

**ryan36** · 07-29-2010, 09:59 AM

Re: The Strategy Pad's Dirty Little Secret That EA Doesn't Want You To Know

yeah this is about as secret as the sky being blue, water being wet, me being overweight, and my girlfriend needing to shut the hell up...

Seriously though, anything that makes controls easier in any game should be encouraged. Who wants to fight the controls?

**jamaster14** · 07-29-2010, 10:04 AM

Re: The Strategy Pad's Dirty Little Secret That EA Doesn't Want You To Know

Originally posted by fossen

I don't really get how "being usable for new players" is a dirty little secret.

It's been the case for years that Madden's audience has become more and more limited as it's complexity grows. There are a lot of NFL fans that it can't reach because of the UI learning curve. In order to have a healthy game that's not dwindling into irrelevance, Madden needs to accomodate new players each and every year.

right and i understand this and am fine with it. but it could all be easily fixed and everyoen could be made happy just by having 2 sets of controls...

make your "new user friendly" control the default, and have an option to switch to classic controls.

why is this so hard to do? why, basically since going to nextgen has there been this new wave were it isnt ok to give us multiple options? several camera angles... several controller configurations

why is this bad?

**slick589** · 07-29-2010, 10:07 AM

Re: The Strategy Pad's Dirty Little Secret That EA Doesn't Want You To Know

Originally posted by jamaster14

right and i understand this and am fine with it. but it could all be easily fixed and everyoen could be made happy just by having 2 sets of controls...

make your "new user friendly" control the default, and have an option to switch to classic controls.

why is this so hard to do? why, basically since going to nextgen has there been this new wave were it isnt ok to give us multiple options? several camera angles... several controller configurations

why is this bad?

have no alt controls been confirmed?

**petersondagreat** · 07-29-2010, 10:12 AM

Re: The Strategy Pad's Dirty Little Secret That EA Doesn't Want You To Know

So ea thinks we are afraid of change that has got to be the dumbest thing ive heard. They need to make the game right and stop worrying about "NEW PLAYERS" if the new guys really enjoy football games THEY WILL LEARN AS THEY GO. When I got COD 4 after it had been out for a while I HAD TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY not hope they switched the game around for me because i was a noob. I can understand backbreaker doing something like this because they have no real hardcore fan base as they are a new game, but madden has been around for years and it seems to me that they should worry more about the hardcore guys instead of new players. I wouldnt mind the strategy pad if there was something new about it that would justify the change but its the same thing but a different layout NO BUENO! This frustrates me beyond belief because the game is so close IMO and they do this SMDH!! plus TOO MANY BROKEN TACKLES!!!!! just had to add that

**cdon2k** · 07-29-2010, 10:22 AM

Re: The Strategy Pad's Dirty Little Secret That EA Doesn't Want You To Know

I wrote the blog. Too many people are getting caught up in the semantics... dirty little secret ewww....

The real discovery here is the reason WHY they changed the pre snap adjustments in the first place. So many are asking WHY and are really frustrated right now. I am not really against what they are doing as a whole, but if we know WHY they are doing things, maybe people will understand more and form a better opinion on the whole thing.

**ryan36** · 07-29-2010, 10:25 AM

Re: The Strategy Pad's Dirty Little Secret That EA Doesn't Want You To Know

Lol it's not much of a discovery either. They're trying to get more business. Newer business younger business. That's all... maybe cut down some cheese in the process, because online unranked was no fun last year at all

**frankstallone83** · 07-29-2010, 10:30 AM

Re: The Strategy Pad's Dirty Little Secret That EA Doesn't Want You To Know

Originally posted by petersondagreat

So ea thinks we are afraid of change that has got to be the dumbest thing ive heard. They need to make the game right and stop worrying about "NEW PLAYERS" if the new guys really enjoy football games THEY WILL LEARN AS THEY GO. When I got COD 4 after it had been out for a while I HAD TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY not hope they switched the game around for me because i was a noob. I can understand backbreaker doing something like this because they have no real hardcore fan base as they are a new game, but madden has been around for years and it seems to me that they should worry more about the hardcore guys instead of new players. I wouldnt mind the strategy pad if there was something new about it that would justify the change but its the same thing but a different layout NO BUENO! This frustrates me beyond belief because the game is so close IMO and they do this SMDH!! plus TOO MANY BROKEN TACKLES!!!!! just had to add that

Great point. And what "casual gamers" even have a ps3 or 360? I thought casual gamers played wii.

**TNT713** · 07-29-2010, 10:49 AM

Re: The Strategy Pad's Dirty Little Secret That EA Doesn't Want You To Know

I'll admit, I'm not familiar with the new commands and haven't gotten used to the new location of my home for adjustments. I'll also say the strategy pad isn't frustrating me (yet).

On the note that the game changes to prevent online cheese... I don't think this was the impetus. Guys who 'cheese' online aren't going to stop because a function moves 2 inches to the left. If anything, they will be the FIRST to adjust to the new systems because of the time and effort they dedicate to making several adjustments QUICKLY.

The other thought, that the move is meant to make buttons less toxic makes tons more sense. I have a handful of friends that REFUSE to play Madden because it's so complicated. They don't know what to press, and would rather press nothing than make a mistake. Moving adjustments to the strategy pad makes sense for them...

In the meantime, having the strategy pad on the D-Pad pre-snap, means the L1/LB, R1/RB, and Triangle/Y buttons are free for other functions in newer versions... But that would make buttons toxic again for noobs.

Later

**ODogg** · 07-29-2010, 10:53 AM

Re: The Strategy Pad's Dirty Little Secret That EA Doesn't Want You To Know

TNT - the whole point about the cheesers is that the system does NOT work quickly. As I've stated many times, it's not about moving the commands 2 inches to the left, it's not even about memorizing the new system, it's about the extra button presses required, the lag on the commands and the xbox 360 poor control on the digital pad.

And as you stated, they aren't going to map those buttons to anything else. That'd be completely going against the original intention of moving them to everything in the first place. I don't know why anyone would even suggest that.

Maybe the best solution is to keep the strategy pad *AND* add the old commands back and just have it BOTH WAYS.

**ryan36** · 07-29-2010, 10:56 AM

Re: The Strategy Pad's Dirty Little Secret That EA Doesn't Want You To Know

Originally posted by frankstallone83

Great point. And what "casual gamers" even have a ps3 or 360? I thought casual gamers played wii.

...I consider myself a casual gamer. I don't notice half the stuff people bitch about on here, truly. I just like the info, needle in a haystack-esque as my search sometimes see. I play ps3.

...But I also have a very big shiny long hard standing up on my table wee....

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