Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

[SoxFan01605]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

There is a HUGE problem with dropped passes.. i'm not even making this up..
Audible your WR to an out route and atleast 85 % of the time the WR will DROP THE PASS ....I'm saying WIDE OPEN , nobody around him , he'll drop the pass. I had a sequence where Steve Smith dropped 3 straight wide open passes...




Oh well it is a demo but still something to note

I haven't had that happen like that, but there are plenty of people who mention this. Hopefully it's not an issue upon release...

[jp7588]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

I had a few drops when I was playing earlier, nothing too consistent or NCAA 05ish. I think there are certain situations that are more problematic than others. about 80% of the passes I threw to someone out of the backfield were either dropped or they did a weird catch animation and didn't come close to touching the ball. Most of the drops by receivers were by Smith and Manningham and were on short routes when I threw bullets. I did feel like there were maybe a few too many of those but nothing too crazy.

[DrUrsus]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

[QUOTE=ab2c4;2038558069][QUOTE=Radioactiveman;2038558046]

I never feel in control in Madden. It is like you just hit the controls and hope the right animation pops up. I can't describe it really.

After reading that, that reminded me of another thing. I never really felt like I was in control of my players. Then again, that some what of goes with my point when I said the players felt very "light".

The NCAA PS3 demo felt that way; unresponsive and light. The 360 version was a totally different animal. That is why I ended up buying the 360 version of NCAA 09.

[DrUrsus]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

Odd thing PS3 demo

Had a false start, and the tackle stood up and walked back near the HB. However no one else moved, and "X" wasn't working. so I called audlible and the lineman ran back to his spot and I was able to hike the ball with no penalty.

Great demo, really can't wait to play

Yes, it happened to me tonight, and I didn't even play much. I hope this glitch doesn't make the final game. I had to audible to finally get him to go back to the OL. He threw his hands up in disgust then walked off just like you said.

Is it just me, or are you guys sick and tired of that same old animation of the OL throwing up there hands in disgust even before the referee says its a false start. In real life, you would give the impression of guilt before you are accused. EA sure has some stupid stuff these days. I swear a 12 year old mind is designing their games anymore.

I guess the PS2/Xbox days may be destined to be Maddens/NCAAs glory days. Not commenting on the demo, since its just a demo, but next gen just doesn't have that feel that the last gen had. The graphics on the Demo and NCAA 09 are very nice however.

[DrUrsus]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

this is the dumbest idea for a demo ever...

Yes, come on and let us just play some football at least like the NCAA demo for God's sake. Gimmicky. Surprised they didn't make us play with mascots.

[Vince]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

yeah, just give me a quarter man geez. I can't even play on D!!!

[mrprice33]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

they should let us edit sliders like on the nba live demo...

oh wait...



/throws helmet sticker on keyboard

[unisol_us]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

Well I finally played the demo. Took the IQ test got All pro pass and run offense and Pro and rookie Defense.

I just bought a PS3 in May and I had no idea what to expect when I played sports games on next gen. All of my past Madden games have been on the PC, but i have played the ps2 version alot. From the VERY limited knowledge of Madden on next gen I was very skeptical about the quality of the EA sports games. All I really can remember from the previous next gen Maddens is the horrible PA announcer. With that being said, I must say I think this game should bring me many hours of relaxation(or anger if I keep losing online) I tried the NCAA demo and for some reason, I did not really take the time to figure out why, I just did not get a good vibe from it. But when I played this game the fun factor just felt alive.

I really don't nit pick video games(I'll leave that to others) what I really want is to spend an hour or two having fun and this game will do that for me. If there were more presentation added, then this game would be pretty solid! If the game had more presentation factors between plays and other things to look at while playing it would slow the whole "FEEL" of the game down just a little bit without having to really slow anything down if that makes any sense.

I think with this new developer community interaction feature, next year's game will be even better. I for one will enjoy playing this game with a franchise and I will also enjoy getting my butt kicked online by some 13 year old. Oh and yea by the way there is Head Coach also. This truly is a great time to be a sports video game fan. Like the old days when SEGA first came out.

[kellkasey]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

I feel like the players are HUGE and the playing surface is MINIATURE.

I feel like I'm playing in some sort of Thunderdome and the year is 2020. Anyone else feel like you're playing with large robots as opposed to humans?

It just feels very futuristic and arcade-like. Graphics and animations all over the place. Not a big fan of the new play-calling screen/layout. I love the quick subs/quick formations idea but the futuristic look of the screen (colors and template) doesnt work for me.

Camera angle when passing is odd. Can't get used to it yet.

[Miles_Yuhas]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

As we already know, the amount we get to play in the demo is a joke, but from what you can the adjusting Madden IQ is an amazing feature and I think will keep the gameplay vs. the CPU from getting stale.

The graphics are amazing.

[Smokez4DAyz]

Great DEMO, it DEMONSTRATES the game, you don't think EA was gonna let you play a vs match demo with all these new features? anyway about the demo:

Madden IQ test: I gotta 576, all madden offense, all pro run d, all pro pass d, I didn't really like the passing one, I'm way better on the field than that holozone. I didn't see its useful ness until my buddy tried and he got 525. I like that feature and I'll be playing that alot.

Madden Moment: How can you not like this? Madden finally looks next gen. It really blew my high the first time I saw all the flashing lights and shine on the helmets, the stadium looks insane! It feels alive. My first play I tried to go up the gut, and the patriots flew into my backfield like someone dropped their contract back there! Funny. Game Over. I go again, I apply some of my NCAA 09 tactics, seeing how the plays are exactly the same. I get the first down, then I call Gun Normal Wr Drag (my staple), fire it deep to Plax, and the collission that ensued was on of the biggest hits I'd ever seen! Harrison exploded into a leaping Plax like a cannonball on a tall building. I notice Eli has a Great Arm this year, and the camera pans out the further your receivers go down field. If you want to let a bomb go, you need time and the qb has to step back and step in, pull his arm back and fire, that take alot of time. I completed a catch and run for a big td and the screen shook like when Marcus Fenix from Gears of War is 'roadie running', pure hotness! It felt like the ground was shaking from the crowd's approval of the big play. I beat the Pats on that drive over and over again. Plax is a beast. So is Steve Smith and Moss. Subs is a great addition, damn the subs are right on the screen! and replays and stats! damn again! Running the ball has weighted feel to it, i got some good runs off, but due to the challenge, you're not gonna run on this drive, you have to score. Anotha thing, the Pats are ruthless, how times did they call engage eight? alot, very aggressive.
My beefs? the Madden A.I is still tuned to the play you pick, forcing you to ALWAYS audible or adjust your pass plays or run direction, its getting frustrating that on run plays linebackers shoot gaps and try to hit you for a loss but on pass plays out of the same formation, Linebackers are zone coveraging exactly where you pass plays are suppossed to go, I've hated it for 20 years now, and I still hate, but thats love hate, because I've fooled the madden a.i for years, its just that with more tech, the madden a.i is feeling more 'cheatish' if thats a word. For 20 minutes I threw pure ints, lmao, trying to feel out the madden, about 7 picks. you call a run, they blitz, you call a screen, their in man, you call a pass, they stand right where you don't want them, not fair at all. although i use the gmen online, I'm a Jets fan, and I love beating the pats online, so I love this madden moment, it lets me practice against the 'smartest' defense in madden, SD or OAK may have the fastest defense, but the pats and the 3/4 have the smartest defense, its a good selection to get you ready for madden. i could go on and on, but I still have a ncaa dynasty and madden demo to play, gotta go.
'Dayz

[ITSFAVRENOTFARVE]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

I played the demo (My Madden IQ was 666). Looking forward to the final version

[adembroski]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

I played the demo (My Madden IQ was 666). Looking forward to the final version

... I, I dunno, drop a pass next time... I don't think I'd want that score. Happen to be an ASU or Duke fan?

Anyways; my impressions.

I've put in a good hour with it. Nice thing about the demo is it gives you a pretty damn good taste of offense since you can basically play indefinitely.

I severely dislike the Madden IQ system. The drills are not sufficient to judge anyone's skill level, the skill levels are way to broad to accurately tune the game. Difficulty takes precedent over realism, and that truly sucks. Now, when I acquire an elite group of wide receivers and a great quarterback, I'm going to be penalized for good team management? I'm not sure I'm down with that. If I have a **** team, I'll have my skill level lowered to off set that. This is not cool. So, I'm pretty sure I'll toss the Madden IQ settings out the window and customize as best I can.

As for the game... graphically, it's a mixed bag. The stadium seems really small to me. The player models are outstanding. Grass texture is nice, but it's too busy. It doesn't seem to lose detail at a distance and thus it's constantly this weird mix of black and green and it kind of annoys me to an extent.

Blocking is a mixed bag. I've seen really nice protection, and I've seen disorganized clumps of players gathered in front of the quarterback. In the running game it's a bit better, but there always seems to be someone breaking free. One might attribute this to the Patriots defensive playbook (which looks great from the perspective of the opposing QB) and it's myriad of looks and blitz schemes.

In the passing game, I found my biggest gripe. The Superman DBs are back with a vengeance. 5-9 cornerbacks who are able to leap Plaxico Burress in a single bound. And of course, Plaxico decides (perhaps wisely, considering the otherworldly athletic prowess of the DBs) he's best off laying out for passes in traffic rather than going up for them. I can't seem to figure out the logic in how a computer controlled receiver decides how to go for a ball.

For the 20th year in a row, EA has neglected to incorporate physics 101, as the ball still travels in a perfect arch, coming down at the mirror angle as it left the QBs hand (or kickers foot, which is an even bigger issue). This allows cornerbacks who are beaten by 2 yards on fade routes to simply leap in the air and tip the ball away. Drives me nuts, but... the CPU Knockdown slider should take care of it... oh, wait... ****.

Excuse me, I really don't wanna be snide. Consider that directed at David Ortiz.

A LOT of tipped balls at the line. Maybe more realistic than I've experienced with the franchise, but I guess I don't have a real firm grip on how often this happens in real life. I know I experienced about 5, but I don't know if I ran 120 plays or 500 plays to be honest. So it could have been overdone, could have been just right. Wasn't too few, I know that.

The selling point--- control. I don't know. I'm going to have to get used to the game before i can even start to think about that. Honestly, at this point, I can't tell the difference because the game is just moving too fast for me to react to the fact that I'm being tackled and make a move. I know the tackles are FAR more context sensitive. I was really impressed with this--- if I got tackled immediately after hitting spin, the resulting animation would make it clear the computer knew I hit that button. Meaning even in failure, you can see what you were trying to do. Doesn't have a direct impact on game play, but it makes you feel a lot more in control.

I need to run more to get accustom too it. I haven't run much at all. I'm not really in love with the Giants playbook (feels way too much like the Notre Dame playbook, and I was hoping for something a bit different to play around with).

Anyways, there ya go. Some impressions. Compared to the demos and short time I had with previous NextGen Maddens, this is no doubt the best... I mean NO DOUBT, but my reference point is PC and PS2, and I'm not sure it's there.

[jyoung]

Re: Madden 09 Demo Released, Impressions Here

I scored a TD with about 0:27 left.

Then I kicked the extra point, lined up for an onside kick, recovered it, and was greeted with the following message:

"YOU HAVE FAILED THE CHALLENGE! RETRY?"

Nice to see that EA can't even put a demo out without having some bugs in it.

[Rimfro]

Exactly. He's not referring to one on one coverage, he's saying he hates the way a CB 15 yards down field running stride for stride with a reciever on a fly route can magically turn around and persue the ball the moment u throw it in the flat to a HB on that exact same side. Been a problem with Madden for years. But, in defense of EA, it only plagues the upper difficulties to make it challenging, and I think it's tied to the defense awareness. So adjusting that slider may help. EA's gonna have to take a look at 2K football and see what they did to remedy this.

I love how some of you 2k5 fanboys have put this game on a pedestal, its not the perfect football experience that you all make it out to be. The best thing about that game was the fact that it was only $20. It had iffy animation, a lot of pass plays ended in jump balls. You had to charge jukes and spin moves. The presentation was sick, but that game is old news. If you want to play an old, budget football title, be my guest, but quit whining about Madden and comparing it to some out dated, non-conformists football dream. If 2k5 is so great, why aren't you playing it instead of posting on here about how "bad" Madden is? I have been let down the last few years by Madden, but with the scale of these stadiums and the animation in this title, I couldn't help but get a little giddy. Oh yeah, Madden 05 was leaps and bounds more fun to play than 2k5. I had both, but I couldn't get a single football fan I know to play it.

First person football? What a joke. The secondary coverage in that game is a joke, as well as the player models. They all had arms down to their ankles and were lankier than Wilt the Stilt. I won't get into how lame the quarterback play was, the a.i. didn't realize that Vick was a mobile QB. And the much touted Cribs feature? I'm not into doll houses, so the only person who got any use out of that was my little sister, she said it was an awesome football feature, and truly showed how sim 2k5 was.

Madden looks to be back on track, so if you don't want to play, don't, but please quit shoving this 2k did this and 2k did that garbage down my throat. You 2k5 fans should have a convention.