Madden NFL 25 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

[Steve_OS]

Kotaku's Owen Good sends word that Madden NFL 25 could include actual NFL referees. If they are adding some focus on the referees, let's hope they are working on the penalties in general, pass interference being first on the list. (Although I have seen a few more this year...)

EA Sports plans to include real-life NFL referees in Madden NFL 14, according to two different sources close to the NFL Referees Association. One of them said the officials' facial features have been scanned into the game, with an eye toward making their calls and explanations a part of the broadcast presentation for next year's game.

What are you hoping to see come out of this?

This is just a rumor for now, so let's keep the discussion on penalties (and not "WHY ARE THEY WORKING ON REFEREES WHEN THEY HAVE SO MANY OTHER ISSUES...")

[roadman]

Re: Madden NFL 14 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

I'm with Steve on this one, I'd like to see more penalties called in the DPI area, though, there has been some called on the CPU this year.

I'd like to see defensive holding after the 5 yd rule on receivers, too.

Need to see Ed Hoculai's big guns too.

[RyanMoody21]

Re: Madden NFL 14 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

Well one really good thing would be if they got him to turn around. Not sure I have had a call made this year where the ref faces the camera.

[Jarodd21]

Re: Madden NFL 14 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

Yeah if they are bringing in the actual refs they definitely need to focus on getting the penalties to work correctly..

[SECElit3]

I am sorry Steve... I know you wanted to keep in on topic, but this post nearly caused me bodily harm from laughing so hard. It may just be pure frustration or something, but I was literally rolling on the floor in tears. Hahaha

It will be nice to see a pass interference called from time to time though.

[homeycool]

Re: Madden NFL 14 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

The option to challenge different aspects of a play on every play would be nice.

Also I want to see flags on the field when there has been a penalty, maybe blue bean bags when there is a turnover. How about multiple penalties on the same play?

Lastly, if a ref has to throw two flags, if he used his hat on the second one, that would be pretty cool to see.

While all of these are just little extras that shouldn't be priorities, they would add to the immersion and replication of what we see on Sundays (and Thursdays, Mondays, and Saturdays at the end of the year).

[Big FN Deal]

Re: Madden NFL 14 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

I almost got excited about this because my mind immediately went to this bodes well for penalties. However, thank you to Owen Good for keeping me grounded in reality.

"It's unlikely the officials themselves would have any influence on a game, such as in how plays or penalties are called. Sports video games that allow for variable officiating (that is, not uniformly governed by the game's engine or AI sliders) use fictitious officials, such as MLB the Show. Here, actual NFL officials would likely be a presentational element, and a presence for the new booth team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms to comment on next year."

In that quote is a link that completely blew my mind about MLB The Show and again makes me realize I do not have unreasonable expectations for what Madden SHOULD be at this point.

"And yet every single time I've started a Season or Road to the Show campaign in MLB The Show, I've selected the variable plate umpiring. The feature's been a part of the game since MLB 07 The Show and I've used it ever since. I've also turned on check-swing appeals and the potential to get hosed on that call, just as Washington's Matt Capps was in Houston earlier this week. I've taken a completely closed, controlled environment that is incapable of incorrectly officiating an objective result and willingly introduced the chance that I'd lose a game when a stingy umpire won't give the obvious strike three." http://kotaku.com/5556304/the-expans...ht-strike-zone

Like so many other things concerning Madden and EA Tiburon, this will likely be another wasted opportunity to add substance while simultaneously having flash to appeal to the masses. Refs performing realistically in a video game is likely not considered "fun" but this will likely lead to something like a hidden all referee team and sadly, I am not joking. SMMFH

[daniel77733]

Re: Madden NFL 14 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

Will there be a referee mode? You know, where we can play as the referee and screw teams out of wins? Or better yet, hold out until the NFL pays us but since there's no replacement officials in the game, you cant play the game at all. LMFAO.

[splff3000]

Re: Madden NFL 14 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

Yeah if they are bringing in the actual refs they definitely need to focus on getting the penalties to work correctly..

And focus on getting the refs to face the right direction... LMAO!! **sigh** EA Tiburon you crack me up.

[TreFacTor]

Re: Madden NFL 14 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

What I would like to happen:

See refs get in the way, knocked down, pulling players apart after a pile up, separating smack talking players.

EVERY NFL penalty represented in the game.

Replays showing the penalty focusing on who the penalty was called on with corresponding commentary

Replays after every turnover or scoring play (like in the NFL )

Coaches yelling at officials

Players and refs pointing to the first down in the right direction.


What I think will happen.....absolutely nothing. There probably won't be any discernible difference like BigFnDeal said this will be a wasted opportunity for more immersion.

[epsilonomega]

Re: Madden NFL 14 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

Pretty sure Ed Hochuli was already in Madden 06 or 07. Hardly a new or innovative feature.

[MattIntellect]

Re: Madden NFL 14 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

Pretty sure Ed Hochuli was already in Madden 06 or 07. Hardly a new or innovative feature.

Yes he was, but I think that the key difference in this article lies within the plurality of the word "referees." Not a single referee will have his face scanned, but as the article suggests, the entire officiating crew.

It would be nice to have different refs for different games, and their calls vary due to their differences in judgement. However, I think that the main goal for having the real refs in the game is to add substance to the commentary.

[epsilonomega]

Re: Madden NFL 14 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

Yes he was, but I think that the key difference in this article lies within the plurality of the word "referees." Not a single referee will have his face scanned, but as the article suggests, the entire officiating crew.

It would be nice to have different refs for different games, and their calls vary due to their differences in judgement. However, I think that the main goal for having the real refs in the game is to add substance to the commentary.

Yeah, I very seriously doubt that the different refs would provide varying judgments/penalty calling styles like it was Fire Pro Wrestling. I don't think EA is that clever. I definitely know that the NFL wouldn't allow/encourage a perception that certain refs call this way and another calls that way.

It'd be exactly what we have now except a ref would be chosen randomly at the start of the game but with some half-assed recorded, awkwardly thrown together lines like they have the commentators do.

[prey2god]

Re: Madden NFL 14 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

They need to fix the actual assisted tackle stats before implementing anything else.

Just saying.

[prey2god]

Re: Madden NFL 14 to Include Actual NFL Referees?

and quite honestly, i'll consider never playing Madden again if they bring up some new gimmick like "Be a ref mode".

That would make me ill