Made a small change this week...

[Ian_Cummings]

I set weapon icons and any/all other graphical options all to off by default (like the weapons, icon hints, big pre-play controls menu, etc). So now when you play Madden 'out of the box', it looks ultra clean and pristine. To everyone I showed, they sort of breathed a sigh of relief when looking at it...just "pure football" again. The only thing you see is the score bug (which has been redesigned from 09 btw and I think pretty much everyone will dig it).

But before we ship it like that...what do you guys think? Do you prefer it that way? Do you use the pre-play menu? For our mass amount of buyers, do you think they need the helpers like the icons, weapons, pre-play menu, etc?

[Unmasked]

Re: Made a small change this week...

I think the majority of the people that buy Madden need the helpers. For us who don't want them on, we can take them off ourselves. I think more people prefer the icons on than off.

[Cdenz]

Re: Made a small change this week...

I like weapons off

[LBzrule]

Re: Made a small change this week...

I set weapon icons and any/all other graphical options all to off by default (like the weapons, icon hints, big pre-play controls menu, etc). So now when you play Madden 'out of the box', it looks ultra clean and pristine. To everyone I showed, they sort of breathed a sigh of relief when looking at it...just "pure football" again. The only thing you see is the score bug (which has been redesigned from 09 btw and I think pretty much everyone will dig it).

But before we ship it like that...what do you guys think? Do you prefer it that way? Do you use the pre-play menu? For our mass amount of buyers, do you think they need the helpers like the icons, weapons, pre-play menu, etc?

With the weapon icons, I think you will do fine without them. You did fine without them in the past. Unless you are going to program specific abilities and attach it to weapon icons so that players with certain icons have special animation sets, I just think the game would look alot cleaner without all of that stuff in there.

[ch46647]

Re: Made a small change this week...

To answer your question, NO the masses do not need this. The weapons and all that in my opinion should have never even been done to begin with, its all pretty much just eye candy. I started playing Madden when I was about 8 in "91". Madden never had any of that back then and thats when you guys were building the dynasty that Madden has become today.

[BigDuke]

Re: Made a small change this week...

Leave them off. The only thing I ever look at pre-play is the coaches view toggle that shows the play I've called.

[ch46647]

Re: Made a small change this week...

On a side not Ian I know you mentioned on your twitter about a possible update Sunday to combat "The Show" demo. That demo has gotten higher praise then I have ever seen any sports game get (Untill Madden 10...Hopefully). I was just wondering if your have made your decision yet on giving us more info? Thanks!

[Chi Dynasty12]

Re: Made a small change this week...

GREAT IDEA, They make everything look fake.

[Herky]

Re: Made a small change this week...

Off is my preference. It looks cartoonish when they are on.

[Tyrant8RDFL]

Re: Made a small change this week...

I like your decision to clean it up. Like you said its back to Football.

Just make a notation in the manual for those that need help or aids in the game how they can access it.

Again nice decision.

[SmashMan]

Re: Made a small change this week...

Of the options given, the only one I really use is the pre-play menu, because sometimes I just forget certain buttons and analog flicks. That being said, having them off by default is better. Maybe if you keep the same types of loading screens, throw up a "Need preplay help? Want to see which players are 'weapons'? Turn these on in the options tab in the pause menu." type of thing so if the casual people want it, they can easily find it.

[roadman]

Re: Made a small change this week...

Weapons icons off, please.

I use the coach view as well and once in a while I'll use pre-play controls.

However; you could put the pre-play controls in the book as usual and have a clean screen except for the score and other presentation items.

[Sausage]

Re: Made a small change this week...

I like the preplay menu NCAA uses, its nice, small, and neat. What makes Maddens so terrible is the fact it actually includes how to snap the ball, fake snap, and other stuff that should just be in the manual.

[Boucher]

Re: Made a small change this week...

Ian ill leave you with this quote

"Everything you see on sunday you will see in madden"

that was a paraphrase

[countryboy]

Re: Made a small change this week...

I prefer off.

Two things:

1: I liked the weapon icons shown for the sole purpose of identifying a specific defensive player. If there is a way that you can identify him without the icon, I'm all for it.

2) Could it be possible to tying the pre-play menus on/off to the skill level chosen? Say for Rookie/Pro they are on and for All-Pro/All-Madden they are automatically off? Or if you had a choice of say like Hardcore/Casual or something along those lines.

Just my .02.

Love the ideaology of "pure football".