New interview with the NCAA 07 producers

[CptObvious]

Quote: Originally Posted by ODogg

From reading alot of these comments I sometimes wonder how new to videogames alot of you are judging by your expectations. I've been gaming for about 30 years now and whenever new systems are launched, and this is the launch in consideration of NCAA, then some things about the games are positive and some are negative. In this case it's no different, the 360 NCAA version has it's positives and also it's negatives. Like many of you i'd like ALL of the features from current gen in the 360 version as well but it's just unrealistic to believe that's going to happen for more reasons than one. First of all the teams are different, secondly each system has it's pros and cons and third as has been stated the current gens already are tweaked like you wouldn't believe so the base is there, it's just adding the "icing on the cake" so to speak. Whereas on the next-gen system, the 360 (and no I seriously doubt any PS3 version of 07 will ever appear) has to be built and tweaked with the focus on gameplay. As for the constant erroneous arguement that they put in one feature so they could have put in another feature..such as a mini-game in place of a spring game, well that is flawed thinking because as has been stated OS is not the minority, this is the hardcore footballer site. A mini-game such as bowling will probably be played by a decent portion of the people buying the game, ie the general public, whereas something like a spring game, that we would love, would be completely ignored and passed over by a large portion of the owners of the game, us hardcore footballers excluded. It's just odd for me to see the continued unreailistic narcisstic viewpoint held by alot of posters here that is perpetuated in posts saying "I want...I want...I want" which is fine for wishlists but for criticism of EA is pretty weak considering EA has to look at what the majority wants, not what YOU want. So put aside the tunnel vision and try to see the big picture. As Aholbert said, no one is getting screwed here, both generations of games will have different things to offer.

First Point ... a "new" system.

This argument is tiresome at best, we arent talking vastly new infrastructure here (at least regarding the API used to write the games). While getting the game to efficiently use all 3 cores of the CPU might be a fairly new trick to learn, overall we are still talking about a general PC architecture. The jump from XBOX to 360 is nothing like the jump from PS1 to PS2, or ever PS2 to PS3...the generation gaps are completely different animals. Many devs have publicly stated how much easier teh 360 is, and will be, to program for...is EA any different? And while efficient use of the new hardware may continue to puzzle some devs for awhile...this trully has little to do with what "modes" of play are instituted in said game. What about the new hardware would prevent EA from instituting the new playbooks and a spring game...NOTHING.


Second Point ... this is the "1st" next-gen NCAA.

Come on...these guys are good at what they do...in fact I would venture to say that the NCAA programmers are head and shoulders above the Madden folks when it comes to giving us a pretty good game of football. These guys aren't recent trade school grads, they are not entry level QA testers...these guys are the cream of the crop, at least regarding EA's products. NCAA runs on the Madden engine, this is plain and simple...its not like Madden was written in C, and NCAA has to be written in Pascal or Assembly (these are just examples...). Its the same engine...

Third Point ... the Majority Rules.

Not sure if you picked up on this (OS IS the Minority..which is what you meant to say I believe)...but you contradicted yourself in this argument. It's a bit of a Red Herring, but if EA is going with the "general public" argument, then why aren't the much maligned mini games in the XBOX / PS2 instead of the 360 version. If what you say is true...and EA is simply catering to the vast majority...then why not a flip-flop? Current gen consoles still greatly outnumber next-gen...so why arent the mini-games there instead. The point of the grievances with the mini-games is "why"...and your argument simply doenst answer the question

Fourth Point .... Narcisissm

It's next-gen, and people are expecting way too much? Why can't we at least expect to have a game that includes the functions of the previous gen...is that not what "next-gen" is about. Give me what we had, and surpass it please...why not?

This isn't an anti-EA bash (howdy 2k sports and MLB 2k6...this fist is for you)...I am simply voicing my concerns with the trend we are seeing, EA is a business...and I think they are basing their decisions on what modes go to which version entirely on their bottom line, and while I cannot blame them as that's the key for a biz to stay successful, it doesn't mean I have to be happy with their decisions. You better believe EA is counting on some fringe folks buying at least 2 versions...hell, if only 100 people do it...thats more money for them...It's most certainly a motivating factor in their decision making.

That being said, I cannot wait for July 18th...NCAA 07 on 360 has me excited for sure.

[elprez98]

Quote: Originally Posted by aholbert32

I swear this site kills me...:

You sure do post a lot, though. j/k don't ban me.

But for real, that's the difference in our opinions. I don't believe that its too much to ask for the next generation game to have all of the current generation items plus more. That's why I spent over $400 plus $10 more per game for the new system and more advanced games, otherwise I would have just kept my Xbox.

Probably, being a graduate of a 1-AA football program, the 80 "authentic" stadiums aren't as important to me as say, 100+ new plays, formations and realistic playbooks, or FAMU being in the game.

As a consumer, not a programmer, graphical upgrades from one generation to the next are expected. How am I wrong for not expecting what I already had, plus better graphics, for the extra bucks I have to shell out? By the way, I'm going to buy the game, but I gotta bitch about it, to justify the purchace, ya know?

P.S.-Believe me I don't take offense to much anyone says on boards, so no disclaimer necessary Aholbert.

[elprez98]

Quote: Originally Posted by ODogg

It's just odd for me to see the continued unreailistic narcisstic viewpoint held by alot of posters here that is perpetuated in posts saying "I want...I want...I want" which is fine for wishlists but for criticism of EA is pretty weak considering EA has to look at what the majority wants, not what YOU want. So put aside the tunnel vision and try to see the big picture. As Aholbert said, no one is getting screwed here, both generations of games will have different things to offer.

Who really goes to a wishlist for the next iteration of the game to say," I wish that all of the current features are on next year's game?"

[elprez98]

Quote: Originally Posted by CptObvious

This isn't an anti-EA bash (howdy 2k sports and MLB 2k6...this fist is for you)...I am simply voicing my concerns with the trend we are seeing, EA is a business...and I think they are basing their decisions on what modes go to which version entirely on their bottom line, and while I cannot blame them as that's the key for a biz to stay successful, it doesn't mean I have to be happy with their decisions. You better believe EA is counting on some fringe folks buying at least 2 versions...hell, if only 100 people do it...thats more money for them...It's most certainly a motivating factor in their decision making. That being said, I cannot wait for July 18th...NCAA 07 on 360 has me excited for sure.

My point in a nutshell. Cause like I said, I'll be at the NCAA midnight release just like last year and the year before. But that doesn't mean I have to quietly disagree with their business practices.

[ODogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by CptObvious

First Point ... a "new" system. This argument is tiresome at best, we arent talking vastly new infrastructure here (at least regarding the API used to write the games). While getting the game to efficiently use all 3 cores of the CPU might be a fairly new trick to learn, overall we are still talking about a general PC architecture. The jump from XBOX to 360 is nothing like the jump from PS1 to PS2, or ever PS2 to PS3...the generation gaps are completely different animals. Many devs have publicly stated how much easier teh 360 is, and will be, to program for...is EA any different?

It's still a new NCAA game on a new system that although doesn't have to be built completely from the ground up since it's got Madden's engine still has alot of options to tweak such as....uh..the option comes to mind in consideration of how much different the NCAA is from the NFL.

Quote: Originally Posted by CptObvious

Second Point ... this is the "1st" next-gen NCAA. Come on...these guys are good at what they do...in fact I would venture to say that the NCAA programmers are head and shoulders above the Madden folks when it comes to giving us a pretty good game of football. These guys aren't recent trade school grads, they are not entry level QA testers...these guys are the cream of the crop, at least regarding EA's products. NCAA runs on the Madden engine, this is plain and simple...its not like Madden was written in C, and NCAA has to be written in Pascal or Assembly (these are just examples...). Its the same engine...

Again though, this points back to my 1st point above, new system, new game, not all the extras are going to make it in.

Quote: Originally Posted by CptObvious

Third Point ... the Majority Rules. Not sure if you picked up on this (OS IS the Minority..which is what you meant to say I believe)...but you contradicted yourself in this argument. It's a bit of a Red Herring, but if EA is going with the "general public" argument, then why aren't the much maligned mini games in the XBOX / PS2 instead of the 360 version. If what you say is true...and EA is simply catering to the vast majority...then why not a flip-flop? Current gen consoles still greatly outnumber next-gen...so why arent the mini-games there instead. The point of the grievances with the mini-games is "why"...and your argument simply doenst answer the question

I didn't contradict myself at all. Both current gen and next-gen have their appealing to the majority audience factor. As for why one thing that appeals to the majority is on the system and iisn't on the other that is because EA has different teams working on both but also because EA doesn't want to be accused of simply porting over the current gen to the next-gen and just upping the graphics.

Quote: Originally Posted by CptObvious

Fourth Point .... Narcisissm It's next-gen, and people are expecting way too much? Why can't we at least expect to have a game that includes the functions of the previous gen...is that not what "next-gen" is about. Give me what we had, and surpass it please...why not?

I do agree, I just think people should realize first gen games are never what the system and/or game is capable of. We should see alot of the extras come in on the next go around, for example Madden 07 IMO will have no excuse not to be vastly superior to current gen but NCAA 07 is going to be somewhat barebones because it's the 1st game to come onto the 360. This is not evil EA or anything, this is simply the way consoles and their game developments work and has been for several generations of consoles now.

Quote: Originally Posted by CptObvious

This isn't an anti-EA bash (howdy 2k sports and MLB 2k6...this fist is for you)...I am simply voicing my concerns with the trend we are seeing, EA is a business...and I think they are basing their decisions on what modes go to which version entirely on their bottom line, and while I cannot blame them as that's the key for a biz to stay successful, it doesn't mean I have to be happy with their decisions. You better believe EA is counting on some fringe folks buying at least 2 versions...hell, if only 100 people do it...thats more money for them...It's most certainly a motivating factor in their decision making. That being said, I cannot wait for July 18th...NCAA 07 on 360 has me excited for sure.

I'll agree with you i'm also concerned about how EA has been doing business in respect to the very disappointing first gen games on the 360. I just don't agree with the sentiment EA is somehow sticking it to us by giving the current gen some things and the next-gen not all of them.

[ODogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by elprez98

Who really goes to a wishlist for the next iteration of the game to say," I wish that all of the current features are on next year's game?"

My point is that complaining in threads that you want this or that and throwing a tantrum is not the same as posting it on a wishlist.

[spankdatazz22]

Quote: Originally Posted by russell05

BINGO its a balance the producers of EA wants the game to be perfect but then on the other hand EA wants to SELL MORE GAMES to new consumers and casual gamers. Its a hard thing to try and balance last year SIM guys got their wish with the vision cone but that feature did NOT go over well with the casual gamers so now its off by default. EA is damned if they DO and damned if they DON'T

C'mon now, both sides are making huge assumptions when it comes to "casual" gamers. Most of my friends played Madden less than I did (when the game first came out), yet they were all better at using the cone better than I could. It wasn't perfect in it's implementation, so as such should be an option. I'm not saying this as if it's some definitive statement; just saying that it's hard to say what so-called casual gamers really want.

If EA's going to cater more to these casual gamers, why not NFL Blitz the game up more then making it super-accessible? I can't count the number of times a player like Jamal Lewis is tackled in the open field by a DB and you have someone hurling a controller saying it shouldn't have occurred. Just because people don't take the time to visit videogame football forums doesn't mean they don't understand basic football concepts.

[kneebon5]

OS is there anyway to take from what we say and have an interview with them? We come up with the top 20 Q's we can vote on it, not about the game, but how it is developed and how they reach the idea to cut this or put this in. The time each stadium takes? Get the answers out there, so guy A says 50 plays takes the same time as one stadium, or guy B says spring game is easy to put in the game. (both a and b are me) I think it would be great to find out how ea works, i know they dont have to show us, but to be able to understand why we are not getting this and why we are getting this, and how it all works, that would be great. I dont know how close ea and os are im just a new guy. But i think that type of interview would stop alot of the assumptions that i and alot of other people make. No gameplay q's just development ones. Now how but why. if that makes sense.

Neebs