Madden NFL 11 Blog: E3 Feature Announcement and Career Modes Update

[datboitex8]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

Didn't they start from scratch with Madden 06 ?

yes they did LOL

[PBlast]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

I agree with everyone who recognizes this as GREAT news. They said they fixed the stats, added a few new features, newer player models, this stuff alone is enough for me to buy it. The highlight of this should be that we are getting a new Franchise Mode! How can you not be pumped?

[roadman]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

What do you think all of these wishlist forums/threads are for? They didn't listen the past 5 years.

And maybe you need to put those list wish together over there in the comments section. We don't know how often they peruse/lurk here.

Now, personally, I don't use franchise mode, but I do feel bad for others that do.

I just don't have the time anymore.

[adembroski]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

EDIT: I've decided against this post for the time being. Anybody who's quoted it, please delete, I'll probably repost later, but I want to wait.

[XtremeDunkz]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

Instead of crying about it, pitch them your ideas.

isn't that what we have been doing since madden 06?

This one really hurts, so they added NOTHING to offline or online franchise? This may have sealed it for me, I don't think I will be buying this year. And I am not one to complain, I have bought this game every year since 2001. But they continue to just ignore what is already in the game for the new flashy big thing. Oh wow so they are adding OTP, who wants to bet that will be half assed and then ignored for the next 5 years?

For Madden 12, all I want them to do, is finish offline franchise, finish online franchise, finish superstar, and finish OTP. That will get the hardcore fans back. But I guess this is going to be a long year...

[Chiefsfan881129]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

Are you ****ing kidding me?

Franchise is LITERALLY the only reason I play Madden. I hate Online play. Way to neglect franchise guys on next gen for like 6 years in a row...

This killed all my hope for Madden 11. Its a no buy for me. I won't even waste money to rent it- I'll try at someone's house or something

yeah right to all the people who will say they are not buying madden 11 cuase of no franchise improvements i got news for you

i'll see you all on madden 11

as we goes tru this every year but yet people still buy it so i wont beileve anyone who says they wont buy it

see ya in auguest!

[at23steelers]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

I guess this is what Adembroski meant when he said that he was dissapointed until he realized what was going on. (They are re-building things from the ground up piece by piece)

My problem is they had an entire year to focus mainly on presentation and gameplay. So far we have heard about locomotion, Gus johnson, catch de-bugging tool, crowd chants, and run blocking as the main re-writes for this year. I am very happy they fixed those things but if they had ALL year to focus on gameplay and presentation shouldnt they have MUCH more stuff?

We should have a full broadcast presentation (like NCAA), full half-time and postgame shows, PROGRESSIVE LIGHTING, WR/DB interaction, true pocket forming, ratings that matter, upgraded tackling and pro-tak, etc etc.

Maybe a lot of these things will come out at E3 but so far it just seems like they havent been doing much at all considering they put almost all their focus on presentation and gameplay....

Most of those that you mentioned aren't new features but improving the old ones. So, hopefully they announced all the new features, and like you said, during E3 talk about how they improved some of the old features.

[PBlast]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

And now ya'll know why I was so sour when I first got back from E3. This is the entire reason.

That said, as I've said before, I think they're doing the right thing, and let me tell you why.

(for the record, #1 is educated speculation. This is what I think is going on, it's opinion, but I think the evidence in the theory's favor speaks for itself. #2 is fact, it absolutely is a big reason for the lack of upgrades in this area)

#1. Game play has to be the priority. While a high percentage of players play franchise mode, a high percentage of players play online, etc.. every player is effected by gameplay. It is the core of the game. The complete removal of locomotion and run blocking to be totally rewritten and readded was not a small task by any means.

Some of you may remember when i said the locomotion was not the only thing inspired by FIFA. I believe the entire approach this year is inspired by how FIFA transformed itself from something that barely resembled soccer into one of the best sim-games in the world- by very deliberately rewriting the entire game, piece by piece, over a couple of seasons. Welcome to Year 1 of this process.

#2. Imagine completely rewriting Franchise mode, or even significantly upgrading it, only to have all of your work undone by a lockout and a new labor agreement. It did not make sense to redo franchise mode in light of the likely lockout and the definite changes in the CBA. We know nothing about what direction these negotiations are going to take us, and for them to spend a year even porting Head Coach's career mode over and have it utterly outdated and have to spend yet another year rebuilding it would be utter stupidity.

So, that leaves two questions. A.) Is EA doing the right thing, making us wait? B.) Should we (franchise focused people) still buy M11?

A.) I think so. Judging by the paths NHL and FIFA took, Madden is doing the right thing to bring the game back to where it should be. My experience with the new blocking assignments tells me they're definitely capable of capturing this sport. At the cost of some features in M11, the future is very bright.

B.) That's entirely up to you. I will, because the gameplay upgrades are enough for me to warrant the purchase.

It's nice to see so many of you giving them credit for coming out and saying this. I'm thrilled that they finally did as well, but I didn't expect you guys to have as positive a reaction as you have thus far. To those of you who've seen the positives behind this, very big minded of you. To those of you angry... I don't blame you, but trust me, its for the best.

Yep, exactly. This is a great update, I think we're getting closer to having the Madden we always hope for.

[tef]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

So who is organizing the site's official Franchise wishlist?

[cowboykmoney]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

I agree with everyone who recognizes this as GREAT news. They said they fixed the stats, added a few new features, newer player models, this stuff alone is enough for me to buy it. The highlight of this should be that we are getting a new Franchise Mode! How can you not be pumped?

[PolkHigh33]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

Least they have fixed some things, and tuned other areas ..

I've never believed that Franchise needed a huge overhaul, but just a few things fixed, and a few things added .. liking it so far ..

[Blaise]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

I read this and I thank EA for be honest. What their saying is this years franchise mode will get nothing more than a patch job, where as next years will be a whole new beast all together. Again, @ least their honest...

[ch46647]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

And now ya'll know why I was so sour when I first got back from E3. This is the entire reason.

That said, as I've said before, I think they're doing the right thing, and let me tell you why.

(for the record, #1 is educated speculation. This is what I think is going on, it's opinion, but I think the evidence in the theory's favor speaks for itself. #2 is fact, it absolutely is a big reason for the lack of upgrades in this area)

#1. Game play has to be the priority. While a high percentage of players play franchise mode, a high percentage of players play online, etc.. every player is effected by gameplay. It is the core of the game. The complete removal of locomotion and run blocking to be totally rewritten and readded was not a small task by any means.

Some of you may remember when i said the locomotion was not the only thing inspired by FIFA. I believe the entire approach this year is inspired by how FIFA transformed itself from something that barely resembled soccer into one of the best sim-games in the world- by very deliberately rewriting the entire game, piece by piece, over a couple of seasons. Welcome to Year 1 of this process.

#2. Imagine completely rewriting Franchise mode, or even significantly upgrading it, only to have all of your work undone by a lockout and a new labor agreement. It did not make sense to redo franchise mode in light of the likely lockout and the definite changes in the CBA. We know nothing about what direction these negotiations are going to take us, and for them to spend a year even porting Head Coach's career mode over and have it utterly outdated and have to spend yet another year rebuilding it would be utter stupidity.

So, that leaves two questions. A.) Is EA doing the right thing, making us wait? B.) Should we (franchise focused people) still buy M11?

A.) I think so. Judging by the paths NHL and FIFA took, Madden is doing the right thing to bring the game back to where it should be. My experience with the new blocking assignments tells me they're definitely capable of capturing this sport. At the cost of some features in M11, the future is very bright.

B.) That's entirely up to you. I will, because the gameplay upgrades are enough for me to warrant the purchase.

It's nice to see so many of you giving them credit for coming out and saying this. I'm thrilled that they finally did as well, but I didn't expect you guys to have as positive a reaction as you have thus far. To those of you who've seen the positives behind this, very big minded of you. To those of you angry... I don't blame you, but trust me, its for the best.

Adembroski,

I agree with much of what you said there. However, Madden is EA's biggest game and if they focused entirely on gameplay I have no problem with that. From what has been talked about it does not seem that much has even been done to the gameplay. Locomotion (if it works properly, very questionable in early vids) and run blocking are FANTASTIC additions. But are you telling me in EA's biggest franchise focusing almost exclusively on gameplay (hopefully presentation as well but all we have heard about is Gus and crowd chants) and all they can fix is run-blocking, locomotion, and a catch-debuggig tool?

What about the passing game, pass blocking, pocket, WR/DB interaction, tackling and pro-tak, and just overall choppy animations? Shouldnt they have been able to fix (re-write) a majority of this if they were primarily focusing on gameplay?

I know you are a FIFA guy and that game is apparently great, and I am a big fan of the NHL series and that gameplay is PHENOMENAL. The NHL series is adding a ton this year including a new real-time physics based engine. Unless I am wrong the NHL dev team is MUCH smaller then the one working on Madden. Why can these smaller teams accomplish so much more then the biggest SPORTS franchise name in videogames?

[FootballDetails]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

Since we are starting with a clean canvas heading into Madden NFL 12, we want the community to help us shape our direction- starting NOW. Let us know what you’d like to see in Madden career modes in the future.

I'm all for community interaction, but offering suggestions for Madden 12 months before Madden 11 is even released? That doesn't seem right. lol

[Deegeezy]

Re: E3 announcement and career mode update

Thanks for just making my decision firm EA....NCAA it is for me this year.