Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

[tarek]

I still go back to NFL Head Coach 09 every now and then but it’s getting harder and harder to do so with my aging PS3. However, to this day it is probably the best NFL game I’ve ever played.

Madden is tailored to playing, getting online, MUT, etc. I’m not discounting any of those modes, but there is still a huge community that wants to play this game in pure franchise mode, in a sports management and coaching sense.

I can’t imagine the investment would be huge for EA, they already have game engines, they would just need to revamp franchise to be more enduring, immersive and tailored to a sports management audience.

I didn’t buy Madden 19, and on the fence with Madden 20, and that is purely because I get bored of the franchise mode within half a season.

Please EA, being back the NFL Head Coach series.

[ijumpedthegun]

Re: Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

I'd love to see this. I still periodically go back and play Head Coach, although it is getting harder since the consoles are aging (if a coach hire has too many bidders, my game always crashes).

It won't happen for a few reasons. One is that Head Coach used a similar system to Madden in terms of on-the-field action, but there were some AI differences. Additionally, the menus, trade and draft logic, FA bidding, schemes, etc. meant that the game was actually pretty different than Madden. Doing something with that level of depth would require a fairly significant resources investment.

Which brings me to my next point, which absolutely breaks my heart--Head Coach didn't sell that well. It's a top 5 all-time game for me, but most people just weren't interested in a Madden game that didn't let them work the sticks themselves. I'd happily pay $100-200 for a really well-done, deep, and modern NFL Head Coach, but I'm afraid we'll never ever see it.

[Darth Aegis]

Re: Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

I think I remember reading that it stunk as far as sales go. Probably one of the main reasons why it was never made again. I never was into that type of game, but my buddies loved it.

[AmericasTeam1]

Re: Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

I'd rather just see a head coach style franchise mode in madden and I'd be more than happy.

[DeuceDouglas]

Re: Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

It wouldn't sell well without gameplay. Not being able to play games is going to be an absolute non-starter for even some of the most hardcore franchise players, myself included. It would be a net loss from the beginning.

[Cnada]

Re: Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

Owner mode is on survival mode as it is. Not really touched since Josh Looman created it.

I would like to see a paid expansion pack that could bring in more money for EA and therefore expand it every year like UT

[CujoMatty]

Re: Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

NFL head coach should be Madden CFM but you play the games instead of watching them.

[therealsmallville]

Re: Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

I'd happily pay $20 or $30 for a "Head Coach" add on for DLC. Could be treated like an expansion pack for Madden. In fact, as this would be a way to monetize franchise every year, I'm kind of shocked this isn't something they do already. But I'm a weirdo who would also buy franchise stuff like '10 had...I recall purchasing a retirement package that allowed you to keep 2 players in the league from retiring every season (I kept Favre around until he was about 52 lol). I'd pay for all kinds of stuff like that for DLC.

But I wouldn't buy a standallone game without the gameplay.


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[Ueauvan]

Re: Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

I loved HC06 on and HC09 on PS3, i bought the PS3 just for that and NCAA 14. I can create 3 man under in 3-3-5 which used to in a prior madden. in fact there are so many defensive plays been ripped out because defence isnt sexy.

[Rayzaa]

Re: Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

It wouldn't sell well without gameplay. Not being able to play games is going to be an absolute non-starter for even some of the most hardcore franchise players, myself included. It would be a net loss from the beginning.

Agree, id never buy a game i could only just watch and never be able to play. They should just let you have a better coach mode in Madden.

[canes21]

Re: Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

It didn't sell well enough for EA the first time around. There is really nothing more to it. Other games on PC that are text sims or similar to it are able to keep being produced because they are very low in development cost and are made for that niche and don't expect much. EA is not 5 buddies in Colorado spending their free time to make a football coaching text sim. They are going to pump resources into whatever game they make, so it needs to be something that will sell well and is not for a small niche of people. Hence why anything they've made in the past that could be profitable if done right was just scrapped all together(college baseball, Head Coach, etc.).

EA is only looking to produce/develop games that have big audiences that they can justify throwing money at.

[TheGentlemanGhost]

Re: Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

I simply couldn’t bring myself to buy a separate game mode for regular price. At times I wonder if they think since the sales were low, it meant fans don’t want these kind of details in Madden...?

But if they just implement those things into CFM, that’d be even better.


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[jfsolo]

Re: Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

Head Coach not selling was a 1-2 punch to the Sim Franchise heads. Not only did that series get cancelled, but the lesson they took from it's failure seems to be that Franchise folk don't want the hardcore football elements in Madden either. I roll with what we have, but it hurts to the core to not have all the HC goodness in Madden right now.

[DatsunDimer]

Re: Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

I'd happily pay $20 or $30 for a "Head Coach" add on for DLC. Could be treated like an expansion pack for Madden. In fact, as this would be a way to monetize franchise every year, I'm kind of shocked this isn't something they do already. But I'm a weirdo who would also buy franchise stuff like '10 had...I recall purchasing a retirement package that allowed you to keep 2 players in the league from retiring every season (I kept Favre around until he was about 52 lol). I'd pay for all kinds of stuff like that for DLC.

But I wouldn't buy a standallone game without the gameplay.

I feel bad admitting that I would also pay the $29.99 cost of DLC if they could bring in features more in line with "hardcore" Franchise fans. FOW for instance should be all of nothing (overalls should be hidden as well for all draft picks), but I think they don't want to upset the casual fan so they make sure it is only for star and above. No real risk of ever cutting that player. The DLC could really be the hardcore owner mode. Expansion, stadium builder, full scouting departments, full coaching staffs, prospect storytelling throughout the season, NFL combine, NFL Draft presentation, and sliders/tendencies for everything would be great too. Mixing in gameplay elements would create some issues I am sure, but that would be a nice addition.

This should all be in the base game and I get that, but DLC could justify having a true dedicated team for Franchise that would hopefully have more creative freedom. I know this will never happen at EA but I think it would be a fair compromise to justify the resources.

[Dice]

Re: Why doesn’t EA invest in bringing back NFL Head Coach alongside Madden?

Head Coach 09 was a great game! I prefer that type of game style. And I know that they'll never bring that game back but just fix coach mode on the current game where it is a TRUE coach mode like NCAA 14. That's all I'm asking for.