EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector’s Edition

[Kevin26385]

Re: (PR) EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Official Ship Date and Special Collector’s Editio

So instead of just adding in a playbook editor that people have been asking to be included in the game for the last 5 years, they make it part of NFL Head Coach and essentially charge you $30 to edit playbooks? Should I assume that this means that EA will put no effort into redesigning the playbooks themselves again this year?

Watching people design all these money plays with the playbook editor that the AI can't possibly keep up with will be tons of fun. The AI can't handle the standard plays in Madden properly now, let alone when people start making their own. Yeah cheese!!

What about the Owner mode funtions of the franchise? Are those basically going to be removed and moved into the Head Coach game? If I want to manage my team, will I have to have the Collectors Edition?

For $90 the game better be fantastic on the field and have way better presentation than ever before. Already sounds like they are working on other stuff (coach integration) that doesn't really effect gameplay.

Classic Madden would be cool if it actually had classic rosters. Old Madden games with current rosters is wack. I'd rather just play the originals.

How about you look up some of the games features, it has a right to be a stand alone game..and EA just did us a favor

[MildlyPsycho]

What the hell? This company confuses me so much. Why release these too titles at the same time? And with that they force consumers to buy something that they might not really want.

And what is classic Madden gameplay? Is that Madden '95? That is what I want. An updated roster version of that game.

[jake44np]

Re: EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector's Edition

EA is smoking crack if they think I am going to spend $90 on two bad games!!

[eDotd]

Re: EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector's Edition

Last year’s Madden NFL 08 was honored with various awards, including the 2007 Game Critics “Best Sports Game” award at last year’s E3 Media and Business Summit, “Best Team Sports Game” from the Spike TV Video Games Awards, “Best Sports Game of the Year” by GameTrailers’ 2007 Game of the Year Awards, GameSpot’s “Best Sports Game” Reader’s Choice Award, and the “Best Sports Games” of 2007 by MSNBC. Over the past 20 years, the Madden NFL franchise has sold over 70 million* copies and has been established as one of the most revered sports video games in the industry. Since 2002, Madden NFL has been the number one selling sports game** each year in North America.

Wow, is that true? If so that's a shame.

Also the head coach play book importing sounds pretty cool.

[CPRoark]

Re: (PR) EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Official Ship Date and Special Collector’s Editio

How about you look up some of the games features, it has a right to be a stand alone game..and EA just did us a favor

As I see it, that's the problem: Head Coach should be a stand alone game. This "deal" is only good for those who were already planning to buy Madden and who may have been interested in HC09. As it is, it's forcing those of us who were only ever interested in HC09 to either buy an extremely expensive collector's edition or not play the game.

As disappointed as I've been by "next-gen" Madden's, I'm leaning toward not buying. That or wait till Gamestop starts selling unbundled used versions at $50 a piece.

[coogrfan]

Re: EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector's Edition

What the hell? This company confuses me so much. Why release these too titles at the same time? And with that they force consumers to buy something that they might not really want.

I'm 99.9% certain that there will be a non-collector's version of Madden as well.

And what is classic Madden gameplay? Is that Madden '95? That is what I want. An updated roster version of that game.

It's a nostalgia trip for us old-timers, it isn't like you would be paying extra for it.

[Kevin26385]

Re: (PR) EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Official Ship Date and Special Collector’s Editio



Things like this have me very excited for the presentation part of the game. That looks like Adam Shefter in Full 3D giving you his news.

I seriously cannot wait to see if they combined the NFL Network into the game, or ESPN or both.

Maybe NFL head coach is powered by the NFL Network and maybe Madden is powered by the ESPN Network.

[jake44np]

Re: (PR) EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Official Ship Date and Special Collector’s Editio

There is no way I am spending $90 on this, I couldnt stand Madden or NFL Head Coach last year.

[ewto16]

Re: (PR) EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Official Ship Date and Special Collector’s Editio

How about you look up some of the games features, it has a right to be a stand alone game..and EA just did us a favor

Cool, I just did that. Here is what I saw and think.

Coach Clipboard - Wow, neat name for a menu system that I'll use throught the game. Color me terribly unimpressed.

Team Campuses - Probably 1 - 6 different models that all just have different skins applied to them to make them match your team. In no way will they resemble the actual campus of the team. Sounds like a graphically intense way to tell me if it is sunny, windy, raining, or snowing. Based on previous iterations of Madden, these conditions will be meaningless anyway.

Approval Rating - This is the point of the game. Get a high approval rating. Coach well and the CPO Owner will approve. Seems simple enough, though not really groundbreaking.

Career Starting Point - Again, this was in last years game. Wow, I can recreate the most recent draft. Nice feature I guess, but nothing new.

Active sideline - This sounds pretty neat. Little cutscenes for certain actions your coach will take. Only 300 though. Not a whole lot, and after seeing your kicker start to warm-up for the 10th time, you will probably skip it. Doesn't effect gameplay. Would be REALLY cool if this was just in Madden

In game Play Creator - Playbook editor that should have been in Madden already. The AI can't handle the little shifts that you make manually in the game already. I can only imagine the exploits that can be created with this.

Defining Moments - Fancy name for scoring certain parts of the game for your approval rating. Shouldn't the game do this anyway? If you always make a bonehead call with the game on the line, shouldn't your approval rating go down?

Bah, I got tired of listing all these, but you can see that most of them are just window dressing or fancy names that are a bullet point for something that should just be standard. There are a ton of off-season features (future draft pick trades, CPU Trades, Live bidding for free agents, expanded rosters, etc.)that people have been asking for in Madden for years that they included in this instead. Should have put them in Madden first.

In fact the NFLHC web site is polite enough to remind us that people have been asking for these features to be included in Madden forever, but put them here instead.

If you truly beleive that EA would rather do you a "favor" and sell you a game for $30 bucks, instead of making more money off it by selling it for $60 and offering the same integration with Madden, then you are truly the type of sucker that EA is looking to get to buy this version of the game.

[jfsolo]

Re: (PR) EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Official Ship Date and Special Collector’s Editio

People who only want Head Coach should be seriously pissed. They have to pay over 95 bucks just to get it.

[DLaren]

Re: EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector's Edition

EA ANNOUNCES MADDEN NFL 09 OFFICIAL SHIP DATE

AND SPECIAL COLLECTOR’S EDITION

The Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition will be the ultimate interactive NFL experience - featuring full versions of both Madden NFL 09 and the all-new NFL Head Coach 09, exclusive classic Madden NFL gameplay, and an extensive library of exclusive bonus video content (for $89.99).

I'm conflicted, on one hand I'm mildly disappointed because I had hoped to play NFL Headcoach this spring and all throughout summer, then switch to Madden in the fall; like I did the first time Headcoach came out. So it's unfortunate that I won't be able to dive into that game for another six months. (Oh Lawd )

On the other hand I'm happy that the total package is going to sell for $89.99 because I'll essentially only have to pay about $30 for Headcoach (instead of $60 had it sold seperately), and on top of that I get Madden'09, probably a classic version of Madden'99, and a bunch of bonus content...So ultimately I'm satisfied with this package representing Maddens 20th Anniversary celebration.

[JIMIHEMMY]

Re: (PR) EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Official Ship Date and Special Collector’s Editio

I would think that EA will change their minds and eventually sell NFLHC as a standalone.

On another note, since we do not know what the features are yet for Madden, why don't we wait before we talk down on it and see what they have to offer?

You never know....play editor just might be in Madden too. If they told us everything now, the boards would be filled with 'I can't wait' and "Why wait so long' posts.....

[ewto16]

Re: (PR) EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Official Ship Date and Special Collector’s Editio

You understand that is all just glossy presentation, right? It doesn't effect gameplay at all. If the simulation aspect is terrible and the actual process of doing things is tedious, like last year, then the presentation doesn't matter.

Similar to how Madden looks pretty good, but everyone hates it because it plays like crap. It is like having a Lambo that doesn't run parked in your driveway. Looks nice, but doesn't do anything for you.

I'd be all over Madden actually having some actual NFL Network or ESPN presentation though.

Things like this have me very excited for the presentation part of the game. That looks like Adam Shefter in Full 3D giving you his news.

I seriously cannot wait to see if they combined the NFL Network into the game, or ESPN or both.

Maybe NFL head coach is powered by the NFL Network and maybe Madden is powered by the ESPN Network.

[Kevin26385]

Re: (PR) EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Official Ship Date and Special Collector’s Editio

You understand that is all just glossy presentation, right? It doesn't effect gameplay at all. If the simulation aspect is terrible and the actual process of doing things is tedious, like last year, then the presentation doesn't matter.

Similar to how Madden looks pretty good, but everyone hates it because it plays like crap. It is like having a Lambo that doesn't run parked in your driveway. Looks nice, but doesn't do anything for you.

I'd be all over Madden actually having some actual NFL Network or ESPN presentation though.

Ever play ESPN NFL 2k5, the game was not perfect at all but presentation helps quite a bit. You can overlook gameplay elements if you feel like you are playing a nationally telivised game.

Presentation just makes the game feel more authentic, with halftime reports and the graphics it is cosmetic, yet it can make the game much better.

And honestly if they were to just add announcers it would make the game a lot better, considering I feel like I am playing madden 08 and noone is watching because I barely hear the radio

[ewto16]

Re: (PR) EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Official Ship Date and Special Collector’s Editio

Ever play ESPN NFL 2k5, the game was not perfect at all but presentation helps quite a bit. You can overlook gameplay elements if you feel like you are playing a nationally telivised game.

Presentation just makes the game feel more authentic, with halftime reports and the graphics it is cosmetic, yet it can make the game much better.

And honestly if they were to just add announcers it would make the game a lot better, considering I feel like I am playing madden 08 and noone is watching because I barely hear the radio

Actually, I just bought NFL 2K5 the other day because everyone talks about how cool it is. I'm looking forward to playing it.

I agree that presentation is key and make the game a lot better. However, I felt that Madden 08 was so bad, that adding new announcers and some presentation to the same Madden 08 will not satisfy me.

Right now, it looks like the focus is strictly on presentation. Maybe we will know more later.