John Madden Rips Into Developers Early in Development, Didn't Like 7 on 7 (NSFW)

[Steve_OS]

I'm not sure how big of an impact John Madden has on the Madden series nowadays, but he sure did have an impact early in the development process when Trip Hawkins was still there.

Check out what he said to the developers when he was shown an early version of the game. Quotes were found in the book All Your Base Are Belong To Us: How Fifty Years of Videogames Conquered Pop Culture by Harold Goldberg.

"In a chapter detailing how Trip Hawkins started Electronic Arts, it mentions that Trip dreamed of making high art that would have players crying. At some point that took a back seat to EA’s true calling: being the biggest sports game maker in the world. Early on the company paid big money to sports legends to give authenticity to their games, and when Trip decided to make the definitive football game, he enlisted legendary Oakland Raiders coach and commercial pitchman John Madden to be the (giant) face of the game. When the developers showed Madden an early version of the game that could only display seven players per team, John wasn’t shy about sharing what he thought.

“**** that and **** you people. Either we do it ****in’ right or we don’t ****in’ do it at all.” The team was pretty shocked to hear him saying things he’d normally keep confined to the locker room, but it ultimately pushed the team to get their football game as close to perfect as possible. They toiled for years, even as some in the company wanted to cancel the seemingly unending project, and when it finally did launch it created a dynasty that will probably exist as long as people throw footballs and the NFL gives exclusive contracts."

Source - Harold Goldberg's book is filled with game development anecdotes worth sharing (Gamesradar)

[PantherBeast_OS]

Re: John Madden Rips Into Developers Early in Development, Didn't Like 7 on 7 (NSFW)

Man you got to love John Madden and the way he got things done back then. I don't blame Madden one bit for using that kind of language back then to get the Madden crew to make his game close to been real as possible. John said if his name was going to be on the cover of a game like this. Then the game should feel and play close to real football as it can. Good for John for he said back then. Maybe John needs to do it again for todays crew to get them really moving like they did back then.

[rspencer86]

That is an interesting story... might have to pick up that book.

[videlsports]

I'm glad he did that.. Just like the other posters says it's time for him todoit again.

[Philliezfinest]

He need to give dat speech again lol

[wildinkc]

This is a great book to read. I just finished it a couple of week ago. Very informative of the gaming industry. It was pretty cool reading about how the game developing company's were in the 80's like how I think it was Atari who worked out of an old skating rink. It was really cool. I could not put this book down.

[wildinkc]

oops I mean I could not put my kindle down.

[CKA15]

He need to give dat speech again lol

He really does

[acts238shaun]

He need to give dat speech again lol

I know thats right

[Dazraz]

Great read. I doubt JM gets so passionate about the game now. I doubt even he can't get the big boys at EA to listen anymore.

[Aggies7]

And that is why the game still has his name on it folks. Hopefully that will quiet the folks who say I wish they would just take Maddens name off it. For that they should put Madden back on the cover next year.

[K_GUN]

Re: John Madden Rips Into Developers Early in Development, Didn't Like 7 on 7 (NSFW)

I wonder if those would be his words when seeing skating LB's

[Only1LT]

Re: John Madden Rips Into Developers Early in Development, Didn't Like 7 on 7 (NSFW)

I wonder if those would be his words when seeing skating LB's

Lol

Character minimum

[Only1LT]

Re: John Madden Rips Into Developers Early in Development, Didn't Like 7 on 7 (NSFW)

And that is why the game still has his name on it folks. Hopefully that will quiet the folks who say I wish they would just take Maddens name off it. For that they should put Madden back on the cover next year.

His name is on the game today, for the exact reason why they sought him out in the first place. Not for his Football acumen, but to capitalize on name recognition.

Madden isn't the mega broadcast star that he was, but his name on the game is etched in pop culture consciousness.

It has very little to do with any benefit of the input that he might bring.

[blklightning]

Re: John Madden Rips Into Developers Early in Development, Didn't Like 7 on 7 (NSFW)

And that is why the game still has his name on it folks. Hopefully that will quiet the folks who say I wish they would just take Maddens name off it. For that they should put Madden back on the cover next year.

why? the game is a shadow of its former self. if i were madden, i'd get out of the contract to get my name off the box. then again, his paycheck is probably good enough to warrant sidestepping this moral landmine.