Madden NFL 11 Screenshots and First Details (IGN)

[cdon2k]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Screenshots and First Details (IGN)

Because it's been like that for the last 5 yrs. I actually think his whole post was spot on.

Not to be negative, but I thought the post by "loosthemoos" was common knowledge. If you're here at OS, and have been following Madden on next gen, then most of this stuff is obvious.

[Bgamer90]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Screenshots and First Details (IGN)

Because it's been like that for the last 5 yrs. I actually think his whole post was spot on.

I actually liked his post too but again, how can you tell the direction that madden 11 will go in when all we've heard so far is the new pass debug system and other details that were minor?

Also, if anything, if you feel that the features said about madden 10 didn't work 100% like they were stated and/or were minor, I don't know how you feel like it has been that way just for the last 5 years.

If anything, I think one would feel the same about the last gen versions too during their time.

[Rocky]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Screenshots and First Details (IGN)

A minor gripe.

The football is still way too big. Really hurts the game aesthetically, imo.

[Bgamer90]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Screenshots and First Details (IGN)

A minor gripe.

The football is still way too big. Really hurts the game aesthetically, imo.

If it's the same issue as before, it's either have the ball too big or have very noticeable clipping.

I'll take the former.

[Rocky]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Screenshots and First Details (IGN)

If it's the same issue as before, it's either have the ball too big or have very noticeable clipping.

I'll take the former.

I know that...it still would be nice if they looked into alleviating the issue however.

[Bgamer90]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Screenshots and First Details (IGN)

I know that...it still would be nice if they looked into alleviating the issue however.

Yeah it would be though I personally don't really notice it when playing.

It would make for better pics.

[Nadal]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Screenshots and First Details (IGN)

Pretty much looks like Madden NFL 10 to me. I don't like the way the players seem to be moving in the second picture or Austin's glee-stricken face in the first.

IGN's way of describing "The Catch Debugging Tool" sounds awfully like how they talked about Madden NFL 10's gimmick, "Pro-Tak".

Also - what the hell is up with the ball, guys? Seriously? I mean, I don't like to look like a negative Nancy, but these dev guys told us that they would definitely tweak the ball for Madden NFL 11 and that they couldn't with Madden NFL 10 because they'd have to re-do a lot of animations.

Well, at this point in time it seems that they may have gotten lazy, kept the ball the same, and then piled on new animations on top of a fat, fuzzy, bland looking ball. There should be no excuses as to why the ball is too big this time, because it has been a known issue since the first screens of Madden NFL 10 (more than a year ago) were given to us.

But, I pretty much agree with everything that has been said. Yes, it is early, however it's never too early to be worried - ESPECIALLY about a game with Madden's track record.

If the animations look the same or even only fractionally improved over last year's game, as well as presentation and graphics, then this will be the most disappointing Madden since Madden NFL 06 for the 360. And damn, that was disappointing.

[Tick32]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Screenshots and First Details (IGN)

Only thing i see bad in the pics and they could fix this way b4 launch. Is no1 is looking at the ball looking at the ball. If they are supposed to have awareness. in real life u keep eyes on ball. Also that piggy back animation is in the game agn. Its kinda pointless snd they should take that out. In real life if the DB jumped on a recievers back, and deflected the ball. He would still try to reach out atleast to snag the ball. Also the majority of the time it would happen right after a swat miss and guy would turn in mid air and that animation would occur. Cant cry much tho cuz its too early, but I'm worried.

[prettyrik]

Anyone want to place a bet on #33 for the colts just defied gravity by jumping in the air then turning while air born and defending the pass?

I was thinking the samething when I seen that screenshot. Honestly I feel this is the same promise year after year after year after year. It gets redundant seriously. I think some heavy game testing needs to be done on Madden by all types of gamers. Hardcore, casual players, die heart nfl fans, kids, newbies, and etc. To see if this game is honestly is playing the way it was intended to be played out of the box. Patches/Upddates should be for minor cosmetic issues and roster changes not essential core gameplay function/issues. Gameplay should be PRIORITY #1!

[Bgamer90]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Screenshots and First Details (IGN)

.

IGN's way of describing "The Catch Debugging Tool" sounds awfully like how they talked about Madden NFL 10's gimmick, "Pro-Tak".

Am I the only one that felt that pro-tak wasn't a gimmick?

Tackles felt much different compared to how they did previously in Madden games to me.

Am I just different lol?

[CardsFan52]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Screenshots and First Details (IGN)

I was thinking the samething when I seen that screenshot. Honestly I feel this is the same promise year after year after year after year. It gets redundant seriously. I think some heavy game testing needs to be done on Madden by all types of gamers. Hardcore, casual players, die heart nfl fans, kids, newbies, and etc. To see if this game is honestly is playing the way it was intended to be played out of the box. Patches/Upddates should be for minor cosmetic issues and roster changes not essential core gameplay function/issues. Gameplay should be PRIORITY #1!

110% agreed, Hopefully Ian can go in depth about this horrible animation because everyone is tires of seeing it. Loose the "faith catch" and the "piggy back swat and tackle" animations please.

[prettyrik]

Underwhelming.

The game is at a crossroads this year in many ways.

I am sure that Ian is expected to produce a product that INCREASES sales year-over-year and that alone creates an enormous amount of inertia that is tough to overcome in any corporate setting (for the youngsters on this forum, pray you never have to learn the inner working of a large conglomerate/corporation like EA). I feel badly for him because it really is the ultimate no-win scenario. Change too much and alienate the "base" of customers and casual game buyers who routinely buy Madden every year. Change too little and you piss off the hard core crowd who always buys the game and always complains about its lack of depth and changes by October 1st each year. Its like trying to make porridge for Goldie-locks without any idea of what she would define as "just right".

On the other hand, a lot of the quotes are starting to sound canned and repeated year after year. This has been true for a long time, but it becomes jarringly so when it is the same person making the annual statements and promising the same fixes as the previous 2 games. Ian is in year 3 of a job that really should not have more than a 2-year public shelf-life.

David Ortiz suffered from many personal attacks and some that were partially justified, but the visceral hate he engendered at the end of his tenure was IMO due to staying on too long in a stagnant franchise.

Madden is going to be Madden. There will be a few things done better, a few things left 100% the same from games as old as 2006 and a few things promised that don't "get into the game though we REALLY wanted that one this year". This is all part of the annual cycle, nearly as predictable as spring thunderstorms and summer sun.

A brief recap:

2006 --> crap game, should have been killed and did so much harm to the series in terms of not meeting even basic expectations that it truly has poisoned the well for the entire series on current gen hardware...

2007 --> better than 2006, but still FAR short of "next-gen" expectations. EA got some credit for making the game playable initially, but glitches came in torrents and the game was generally a big disappointment on the 360 and in its PS3 debut.

2008 --> still progressing over 2006 and 2007, but not at a pace that satisfied many of the game's hardcore fans...worth noting - the 2006 game was done on a very compressed timeline to coincide with the release of the XB360 (November 2005) and THAT decision led to a similar compressed timeline on 2007 (released August 2006). Madden 2008 was truly the first game on this generation to get a full 12 months in development - from September 2006 to August 2007.

2009 --> anger was already boiling over in the fan base for not having a "classic" Madden to play on the PS3 and XB360. In the previous generations, by the 4th title - say Madden NFL 2004 on PS2 or Madden NFL '94 on PS1 - Madden had hit new series highs and won a ton of approval. To date that is still missing this time around...

2010 --> a truly decent Madden in many, many respects; but by this time the "Hate-Madden-is-cool" bandwagon was at full speed and circling the building with sign-waving zealots.

The common thread though all of these releases has been a carefully controlled media circus that starts in the spring and hits a peak with the release of NCAA in July and 4 weeks later culminates in the "new" Madden. Between now and then, about 5,000 times people will say "its still early...wait until 'x,y,z' " and another 5,000 retorts will say "yeah, but what about 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 or 2010?" The long and the short of it is that if you expect too much change in any single Madden then you simply have not been paying attention to the Madden Cycle very well or you are still new to the series.

Madden 11 will satisfy some and disappoint others, but what personally disappoints me is that Backbreaker shows a real attempt to change the perspective of how we play video football and introduces Euphoria-based unique tackles (in place of canned animations) and the only talk out of Orlando is about superficial and following the usual script. It will be enough to trounce Backbreaker in sales for certain, but not in originality and that counts for a lot.

Another year and another Madden that gets incrementally better when most people want something revolutionary every 12 months.

Well said!!!! Bravo!!!!! You captured the essesnce of what has been going on these past 4-5 years and why people feel the way they do about Madden whether pro Madden or not. Ian Cummings does have a job I honestly do admit that, but he knew what he was getting into when he took the job as Lead Designer.

[N@X_WiZaRD]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Screenshots and First Details (IGN)

Not broken, just not what some folks want. But theres no need for them to get so upset.

(at N@x_Wizard)

I beg to differ. I think the animation system actually is broken, or at the very least severely deficient.

I mean, how is it that EA adds hundreds of new animations to the game every year, and yet, we still see the same stiff movement (particularly DB/WR interactions and RB running) that's plagued Madden since 06.

The problem isn't the animations. Yet everyone on this forum continuously barks out the same fix to Ian every year.

"Get rid of this animation"

"Add this animation"

"Make this animation look more realistic"

We're all missing the point! They are modeled after REAL movement with REAL actors. They can't be anymore realistic! The problem is that these realistic movements are plugged into a system that transitions them in an unrealistic way. And until Ian and the crew find a way to make a system that more organically presents their realistic mo-cap, we'll see the same crap.

EA's patented blending technology IS the problem.

[Segagendude]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Screenshots and First Details (IGN)

Last year:
I was pumped to see refs measuring for the first down. I didn't know though that there were only two scenes, and after a handful of games, I'd know the outcome already...

I was pumped to hear refs would get together and discuss TD's. I didn't know that I couldn't skip the scene, and that it happens waaaay too often.

I was pumped to see that cutscene shown at E3 of Romo being patted on the shoulder while on the phone after a big play. I have yet to see that scene in the game...

I was pumped to hear of FINALLY getting a halftime show. I didn't know it would be extrememly generic and stripped down.

I was pumped about Pro-Tak. It's not bad, but not that great either...


So forgive me if this time around I'm not breathless with anticipation.

[SomeStrangeSin]

Re: Madden NFL 11 Screenshots and First Details (IGN)

Im actually happy the graphics didnt change much that just means they spent more time on gameplay and other features (hopefully) maybe a 65/35 split I hope for. But yea once i get my hands on the demo of backbreaker and madden 11 ill make my decision... I really need a football game this year