What Head Coach Could Mean to Console Gaming

[RaychelSnr]

NFL Head Coach 09 is a game which has risen up from the ashes of it's older brother to stand out on it's own as a good game. What will the game mean to console sports gaming in a few years? Is Head Coach 09 the start of a trend or just an aberration? Join our very own Caley Roark as he looks at the potential future implications of a successful text-sim/console game hybrid.

"The first iteration of NFL Head Coach failed to make an impact on console gaming. First, it was released at the end of a generation, a time of transition for gamers who had either moved on to new consoles or were saving up for them. Secondly, it wasn't a well-received game by critics or consumers."

[asu666]

It could mean that features are being held out of Madden so EA can double dip.

[Captain Mallow]

You could never have an online coach vs play mode without ruining the experience for one of the two players. Button mashing and quick reflexes vs scheming and gameplanning can't co-exist in the football videogame world (not in person v person match ups at least). Madden players would feel inhibited and head coach players would see huge drop in realism.

[rudeworld]

I love playing the franchise parts of sports games....... and simming most of the playing part and handling the front office matters most and having a blast doing so....... during the quiet time of the sports video games this year i purchased to text based games 1. football mogul and 2. OOTPBB while one was very weak (football mogul) and the other being very fun as I progressed way into 2050 and the introduction of female ball players and seeing old ones enter the hall of fame and such......
my only wish was that it had actual gameplay to go along with the terrific front office aspect to the game.... hopefully 2Ks next footballer or NBA game will have these featured built in or 2K can release a text based sports game for the 360/PS3

[asu666]

I feel like EA should add an Owner Mode to Madden simular to MLB: The Show's. They had something simular last generation, but it has yet to appear four games into this generation.

By calling plays and signing players you are already essentially doing the activities in Head Coach. EA should just add the depth into Madden and give users the ability to disable it if they want or sim past it. Madden should be an all inclusive NFL experience, not one that requires mulitple products and disc swapping.

They could sell a version like the one that is out now that is the core gameplay experience and Franchise Mode for $60 and sell the pimped out version for $70 or $80. I'll gladly pay the extra money to get a fully feature game on one disc. I think a lot of us would.

[TCF]

You could never have an online coach vs play mode without ruining the experience for one of the two players. Button mashing and quick reflexes vs scheming and gameplanning can't co-exist in the football videogame world (not in person v person match ups at least). Madden players would feel inhibited and head coach players would see huge drop in realism.

i will disagree. it could be done hc vs hc but not player vs hc. that wouldn't make no sense. but i would love to go up against another person who is a head coach and see how well i match up in strategy vs strategy.

# 4 asu666 @ 09/10/08 11:34 AM
I feel like EA should add an Owner Mode to Madden simular to MLB: The Show's. They had something simular last generation, but it has yet to appear four games into this generation.

By calling plays and signing players you are already essentially doing the activities in Head Coach. EA should just add the depth into Madden and give users the ability to disable it if they want or sim past it. Madden should be an all inclusive NFL experience, not one that requires mulitple products and disc swapping

owner mode ruined madden in the last generation. it was completely stupid because you had ot set prices for everything especially when the owner really isn't part of that he just collects the revenues and signs the paychecks for the players. i dont' mind designing plays and helping the gm negotiate a deal with a player. but no way do i want to be part of having to sit figure out the price of hotdogs or whatever.

madden should stick with what it does best be a arcade style game. if they want to incorporate the 2 games then leave HC in its own way if people want to play the franchise otherwise let madden be the arcade and the franchise players have HC.

[asu666]

i will disagree. it could be done hc vs hc but not player vs hc. that wouldn't make no sense. but i would love to go up against another person who is a head coach and see how well i match up in strategy vs strategy.



owner mode ruined madden in the last generation. it was completely stupid because you had ot set prices for everything especially when the owner really isn't part of that he just collects the revenues and signs the paychecks for the players. i dont' mind designing plays and helping the gm negotiate a deal with a player. but no way do i want to be part of having to sit figure out the price of hotdogs or whatever.

madden should stick with what it does best be a arcade style game. if they want to incorporate the 2 games then leave HC in its own way if people want to play the franchise otherwise let madden be the arcade and the franchise players have HC.

The problem here is that there is no game that is a simulation with your approach. HC is not a football game. There is no controlling the players.

EA should put the features in Madden and let cheezers that play 5 minute quarters and turn off the cap so they can sign every superstar to their team do season mode, turn the options off, or sim past them. Without NFL 2K the only option is Madden and EA owes us a complete experience on one disc.

[Captain Mallow]

TCF wrote: "it could be done hc vs hc but not player vs hc. that wouldn't make no sense. but i would love to go up against another person who is a head coach and see how well i match up in strategy vs strategy."

Umm...that's what I wrote in the first place.

[TCF]

The problem here is that there is no game that is a simulation with your approach. HC is not a football game. There is no controlling the players.

EA should put the features in Madden and let cheezers that play 5 minute quarters and turn off the cap so they can sign every superstar to their team do season mode, turn the options off, or sim past them. Without NFL 2K the only option is Madden and EA owes us a complete experience on one disc.

i don't expect to control the players if i am a head coach. nobody should. a coach calls the plays. madden is too much of an arcade game now.

Captain. my bad i misunderstood.

[mercalnd]

Re: What Head Coach Could Mean to Console Gaming

The problem here is that there is no game that is a simulation with your approach. HC is not a football game. There is no controlling the players.

EA should put the features in Madden and let cheezers that play 5 minute quarters and turn off the cap so they can sign every superstar to their team do season mode, turn the options off, or sim past them. Without NFL 2K the only option is Madden and EA owes us a complete experience on one disc.

Have you actually played head coach? There are a lot of things in it that would not translate well into a game like Madden. Important decisions that you have to make in Head Coach would become meaningless in a game where you are controlling the players.

I'm all for Madden getting a better franchise mode but not at the expense of this great game.

[asu666]

i don't expect to control the players if i am a head coach. nobody should. a coach calls the plays. madden is too much of an arcade game now.

Captain. my bad i misunderstood.

I don't expect to control the players in HC. I was trying to convey that Madden is still missing features and now we have two incomplete experiences instead of one that is pretty much fully featured. There is still no current gen game that blends gameplay with crazy depth for sim fans.

[asu666]

Have you actually played head coach? There are a lot of things in it that would not translate well into a game like Madden. Important decisions that you have to make in Head Coach would become meaningless in a game where you are controlling the players.

I'm all for Madden getting a better franchise mode but not at the expense of this great game.

Yes, I've had it since launch. Most of the features in HC would fit right into an Owner Mode in Madden. I'm not saying it would be a 1 to 1 port, but it would be close. I'm glad you are enjoying HC. I've put some hours into it and Madden. Both of them feel incomplete to me, so I just think it was a shame that we have two incomplete experiences when the effort could have been put into adding more depth to Madden.

[CPRoark]

Yes, I've had it since launch. Most of the features in HC would fit right into an Owner Mode in Madden. I'm not saying it would be a 1 to 1 port, but it would be close. I'm glad you are enjoying HC. I've put some hours into it and Madden. Both of them feel incomplete to me, so I just think it was a shame that we have two incomplete experiences when the effort could have been put into adding more depth to Madden.

I agree...you couldn't wholesale drop HC into Madden, but features like the real time trades, draft, and free agency could work. Plus, I think it would be innovative to somehow depict gameplan preparation in Madden. I'm not sure how that would work exactly. Also, I like that players' ratings are fluid, based on what kind of team you are running--that could work.

[SloeyEZ]

Re: What Head Coach Could Mean to Console Gaming

I don't expect to control the players in HC. I was trying to convey that Madden is still missing features and now we have two incomplete experiences instead of one that is pretty much fully featured. There is still no current gen game that blends gameplay with crazy depth for sim fans.

Please explain how HC is an incomplete experience? HC players do not want to control players if that is to what you are referring. HC isn't perfect by all means, but trying to incorporate "features" of HC into Madden and drop HC is not an option us "sim" football coaches want to accept.

So, do whatever you need to do to keep Madden going, but continue to expand on the HC franchise also for us simulators.

[7stringking]

Head Coach is just a patch and some better graphics away from being one of the most enjoyable sports, videogame experiences ever...And I am a serious 2k fanboy who has been EXTREMELY critical of EA in recent years.The people in charge of this game need a raise, and they have my gratitude for creating a great NFL world.