Well, you're exactly right. That's what I'm saying too. They've simply proven, year in & year out that, ONE GREAT, ALL INCLUSIVE, PLEASE EVERYONE, HAVE EVERYTHING game is NOT going to happen. The REASON it's not gonna happen is because they THINK that they can. The reason this game continues to have so many issues, misrepresentations, A(not so)I that doesn't adjust, etc., is because the designers are given this incredibly ridiculous assignment to create a product that embodies EVERYTHING! Problem with that is, all the different aspects that are supposed to attract & please all the different crowds...conflicts with each other. And, due to content/space restrictions, packing in sooo many different bells & whistles forsakes space that could be used to include the work and substance required to transform the current version of this game into what most "NFL" football fans need to see & experience to feel like it's ONE GREAT GAME.
On a completely different disc, without some of the "scientifically exact" interpretations of "NFL" football, you have the world at your feet to create the ONE GREAT GAME for the "Fictional" football fan.
There simply can't be any "effective" focus because the current goal to to have "everything" in there & to have "effective" focus, you must dedicate your attention and effort in ONE direction. As long as EA is trying to produce the "EVERYTHING" game, "NOTHING" will ever be as good as it COULD be.
I say, STOP trying to focus on everything. Stop trying to market a product that "has it all". That's not what we want anyway. The ones that want a dedicated NFL game don't want to play with the likes of the FICTIONAL footballers anyway. So why the need to have it all in one product??? Ahhh...the "overhead" word comes to mind. PROFIT margin is another ugly thing we don't want to admit because it sounds selfish and it doesn't paint EA in a consumer conscious shade, does it?
We are a society of choice. Not to give us that choice is as close to communism as it gets. Ouch! That doesn't sound patriotic either & what's considered the most patriotic sport in the nation? I know...I'm ranting. I'll stop.
Focus on ONE game! Exactly what you say. ONE game. FOOTBALL. If there is a considerate market for "arcade"& casual gamers, have another department focus on that ONE game. I think "arcade" & "casual" gamers can fit under one roof. The result would be ONE GREAT GAME for the "NFL" football crowd & ONE GREAT GAME for the "FICTIONAL" football crowd. Win & Win. There wouldn't be a point where we find that we are "settling" for anything. The quality of EACH game would be superior to any that we've seen in years because the Devs from each product was able to dedicate their entire soul & focus to that ONE specific game that was tailored to its respective demographic. So, I agree completely with that. We do indeed want just ONE GREAT GAME. It's simply a matter of choice. What kind a gamer are you? Well here ya go! The Best Football Game for "YOU"! What's wrong with that? Heck, you might even find that some consumers would cross lines and own BOTH! WHOA! What a concept. Optimizing product quality AND mulitplying potential sales. On THAT day, EA wouldn't need to pay for any exclusive rights because they would be the "ELITE" of BOTH gaming crowds and would still dominate the market. Another win?