NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

[Scott]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

Well there goes my anticipation of NCAA

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

I don't think people hate EA, if they did they wouldn't have any reason to even be in this forum. I think it is mainly that a lot of us have in the past had some of our best gaming experiences playing EA football games in the era where they were constantly pushing the envelope in terms of innovation with their football games to make them more realistic, in recent years we have been disappointed because the games have lacked the qualities that previous titles did that really engaged us.

We were used to every year being able to be excited about the new football games from EA and having them deliver a package that brought us a ton of enjoyment. I can't forget that upgrade between 2001 on the PS1 and 2002 on the PS2. That is probably the ultimate example of my expectations being exceeded.

Many of the efforts of last-gen were fantastic and I feel those games really did achieve a lot in terms of being a football simulation. To me it's more like I know that they are capable of making the kind of game that we all want, because they have before, but for some reason they keep taking steps backwards which is very frustrating to those of us who have enjoyed the series for so long.

[Russell_SCEA]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

it the must buy game of the year EA would not have had them take them down.

Again you don't get it for better or for worse those previews are only going to reach the hardcore gamer. Not the casual gamer that is 90% of their consumer base not the hardcore guy. To many people fail to realize this FACT we aren't as important as we think we are. The moment you realize this the easier this process becomes.

[MassNole]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

Again you don't get it for better or for worse those previews are only going to reach the hardcore gamer. Not the casual gamer that is 90% of their consumer base not the hardcore guy. To many people fail to realize this FACT we aren't as important as we think we are. The moment you realize this the easier this process becomes.

Okay, so when I was a moderator at NCAA Strategies (then called Utopia) I must have imagined EA sending the owner of the forum a message basically stating if they weren't more favorable to EA then EA wouldn't provide them with an advance copy of the game.

[coogrfan]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

I don't think people hate EA, if they did they wouldn't have any reason to even be in this forum.

Where the heck have you been for the last five years?

[eaglesfan27]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

Again you don't get it for better or for worse those previews are only going to reach the hardcore gamer. Not the casual gamer that is 90% of their consumer base not the hardcore guy. To many people fail to realize this FACT we aren't as important as we think we are. The moment you realize this the easier this process becomes.

If they keep having close to double digit percentage sales losses, that is going to have some effect on the suits at the top. It has happened with Madden in previous years and it will happen with NCAA if they keep losing the hard core gamers..

Also, great post, Bad-Philanthropy.

[SidVish]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

Well there goes my anticipation of NCAA

Yeah pretty much but I thought they would at least tone down a few of the glaring issues. Hopefully, the sliders actually work this year because I'm not going to play the NBA Jam edition of NCAA football again. I swear if they just switched the coding for punting and incompletions with int ret for td and qb ai I'd be happy as all hell.

[mercalnd]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

What I'd like to know is if it's truly a matter of EA not wanting negative impressions out there, how does pushing them back a week help?

I'm not pleased about some of the things I've read in these impressions but I think somesome of you are just seeing conspiracies all the time when it comes ot EA.

This doesn't add up to me. Now, if a week from now the articles are reposted but all the negative stuff is gone then you guys will have a point but until then EA gains nothing by delaying negative impressions by a week.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

Where the heck have you been for the last five years?

They really just hate EA? They aren't just angry because they want them to make better games?

[SidVish]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

Okay, so when I was a moderator at NCAA Strategies (then called Utopia) I must have imagined EA sending the owner of the forum a message basically stating if they weren't more favorable to EA then EA wouldn't provide them with an advance copy of the game.

[umd]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

They really just hate EA? They aren't just angry because they want them to make better games?

nope - EVERYone around who criticizes EA criticizes them because of the exclusive license. At least that's what some (BK comes to mind he should chime in any minute) says about everything - regardless of sport.

Even though NCAA hasn't had competition in a million years. And no, that horrendous steaming pile of a college football game 2k produced does not count.

Everything comes back to NFL 2k around here if you don't like the way EA is developing ANY franchise. Everyone who says anything negative about any EA franchise is obviously an EA *****. It's the ultimate argument fall back.

[Russell_SCEA]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

Okay, so when I was a moderator at NCAA Strategies (then called Utopia) I must have imagined EA sending the owner of the forum a message basically stating if they weren't more favorable to EA then EA wouldn't provide them with an advance copy of the game.

That doesn't mean anything dude sorry to break it to you EA has one of the best marketing teams in the game business they are not going to burn any bridges no matter how small. Now in no way am I saying they don't care about us that would be the furthest from the truth of the matter. I can remember the hated lead producer of Madden making a visit to last years community day just to get our feedback and talk to us on his off day, and I have ticket stubs and plenty of pictures from the 08 ESPY awards to remind me of that.

I have had countless conversations with the powers that be on this subject its just the way it is with those two games. Last year all the major review sites game Madden the highest ratings since its next gen inception which articles do you think reached the most people. The ones from IGN, and Gamestop or the negative ones from the hardcore sites? Even then you are still only reaching a small demographic in the grand scheme of things.

Over 80% of the people who are going to buy GTA next Tuesday know nothing about it in comparison to the gamers who frequent sites like Kotaku, IGN, and Gamestop. Its the nature of this beast wither you choose to accept it or not is another story.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

Here's the thing I don't understand about what appears to be the direction of the game this year based on the impressions we've been given. There is an unrealistic emphasis on big plays and scoring. Basically the game seems to be built to play more like a Sportscenter highlight package than an actual game of football.

Now I don't know if this is the Peter Moore effect or what, but does anyone remember one of the NCAA producers stating that something like 80% of their customers play dynasty mode? Now I would think that a person who is into playing dynasty mode is at least a little bit more serious about college football in general and would prefer a more realistic game. So my question is, who are they really making the game for? Is there an untapped consumer base they are going for?

[MassNole]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

So if EA doesn't care about these sites, why would they threaten to take away advance copies if they don't get favorable treatment on the message boards.

Oddly enough this was for NCAA 2005, arguably the worst game they've ever put out.

[Russell_SCEA]

Re: NCAA Football 09 Official First Look: NCAA Strategies

Here's the thing I don't understand about what appears to be the direction of the game this year based on the impressions we've been given. There is an unrealistic emphasis on big plays and scoring. Basically the game seems to be built to play more like a Sportscenter highlight package than an actual game of football.

Now I don't know if this is the Peter Moore effect or what, but does anyone remember one of the NCAA producers stating that something like 80% of their customers play dynasty mode? Now I would think that a person who is into playing dynasty mode is at least a little bit more serious about college football in general and would prefer a more realistic game. So my question is, who are they really making the game for? Is there an untapped consumer base they are going for?

Bingo They way they see it and I totally agree with them on this point is that college football and pro football have fan bases many millions over what their games do in sales on any given year. They want to tap into that base the guy who watches football on Saturdays and Sundays heck he may even be a season ticket holder but he doesn't buy NCAA and Madden. That kid enrolled at GT who goes to every home game but doesn't buy NCAA because its to hard. Hence Peter Moore talking about making the game "more accessible".

So if EA doesn't care about these sites, why would they threaten to take away advance copies if they don't get favorable treatment on the message boards.

Oddly enough this was for NCAA 2005, arguably the worst game they've ever put out.

I'm done you don't get it, who said they don't care about these sites. Did you just not read the above post.

Now in no way am I saying they don't care about us that would be the furthest from the truth of the matter. I can remember the hated lead producer of Madden making a visit to last years community day just to get our feedback and talk to us on his off day, and I have ticket stubs and plenty of pictures from the 08 ESPY awards to remind me of that.