Operation Sports Forums - Is Madden dying?

I believe that it is dying a slow death. I'm a serious Madden player who has been playing since Madden came out on the Ps2. Back then, everyone bought Madden and played it all year long. Now, much less people buy the game and even less people play it all year long. The reason I believe it is dying is because of fear of glitches and exploits. It has bred a mindset to always go with the simple fix; rather than moving the game forward, the developers deal with problems in flawed unrealistic ways. One of the biggest perceived problems by many players is players using unrealistic quarter and dime defenses to match big offensive sets to run down the run, but if the blocking scheme worked realistically - this wouldn't be an issue. Right now, a DB can take on a 300 LB offensive lineman and will simply get blocked when in reality, if the 300 LB offensive lineman can get into the DB - that lineman will blow him up and move on. In the real NFL, very few LBs can take on O-lineman without giving ground. Adding realism to the blocking would go a long way in building the brand. The way that it will probably be "fixed" is to not allow players to audible from smaller defenses (like quarter and dime) to bigger defenses, like 3-4, 4-3, or 4-6. The 2nd fix is easier, but it doesn't add to the depth or realism of the game. Each installment of Madden needs to blow our minds in order for the brand to thrive like it has in the past. The way to make it right is to revamp the blocking system so players can win or lose in that battle - meaning great blockers will take out smaller defenders and move to block another defender - while smaller, weaker blockers will also get beaten easily by stronger defenders. If this is implemented, it will no longer be advantageous to have a WR at FB in running situations as the WR won't be able to hold up in the run game. It will bring the game to new depths of realism.

I find it funny when players rip Madden 11 and then talk about how ideally wonderful NBA 2K11 is. I find it funny because NBA 2K11 is a tremendously flawed game. In NBA 2K11, an offensive player can just dribble the ball directly in front of a defender who is actively trying to steal the ball without making any attempt to protect the ball - and the defender still won't steal it quickly. The reason 2K seems to get a pass is because its a newer game to most players and that makes players more forgiving. Stop with how great 2K is. It's flawed too. The topics seem relatively unrelated, but its something that's irked me. <End Rant>

The way to save the Madden franchise from a slow death is to blow players minds. The only way to do that is to add new levels of depth and realism with each installment. Fixing the blocking would make the game exponentially more realistic. Adding gameplay depth is easy as well. First of all, scrap the defensive assist. Make A (or X for Ps3) the defensive break down button. Users should hit it half as early as they would to hitstick - meaning the breakdown isn't immediate, but it does setup fast. After the breakdown, at impact - users have a few choices. They can move the L stick to a side to try to ride ballcarrier to other defenders or out of bounds. Hitting down tries to fight the ballcarrier back. Holding up uses the safe route and just rides the ballcarrier down, which is a good choice in one-on-one situations and in a mismatch. Hitting A (or X on Ps3) again wraps the legs. It's a good option if the player isn't moving at full speed. Hitting Y (or triangle on Ps3) goes up high, which is good for setting up gang tackles - to possibly go after the ball to force turnovers. Knowing the personnel is key, as you don't want to try to power tackle a big RB with a CB. You wouldn't need to use the break down button to hitstick, but you can use it to recover from a missed hitstick if the ballcarrier doesn't make space right away.

Fix the blocking and tackling and everything else will fall into place. These enhancements would bring the game to new heaights in terms of depth and realism - and would blow our minds again.

With the impending NFL lockout hanging over Madden 2012, the Madden community needs the best game that EA can put together in order to survive and get back to the success enjoyed in the past.
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Here's what I want added...

I want bigger blockers to knock down smaller defenders and to move on to block other defenders. I want bigger defenders to blow up smaller blockers so they can make big plays. It would establish more realism in balance within the game.

I also want a deeper tackling system implemented. Here's what I would like to see...

Scrap the defensive assist button. Replace it with a break down button for a new tackling system. The break down button need to be pressed before tackling without a hitstick. It takes about half the time that a hitstick does and offers increased agility over a yard to a yard and a half of ground (depending upon who the defender is).

Break Down Button - A
L Stick Left or Right - ride ballcarrier to a side
L Stick Down - fight ballcarrier back
L Stick Up - ride ballcarrier down
A Button again - wrap legs
Y Button - hold ballcarrier up (good for gang tackling)

If you miss a hitstick, you can still access the break down animations as long as the ballcarrier doesn't immediately create space between him and the defender.

Any feedback would be appreciated.