Madden 2010 News Post

Madden NFL 10 Blog: Player Ratings - A New Philosophy, A New Era

06:53 PM - February 9, 2009 by Ian_Cummings

Hey guys, we thought it would be a perfect time to share something that I am personally very excited about for Madden NFL 10. We took each and every rating in the game (over 50+ player ratings) and scaled them up/down in a way that is now using much more of the scale. I like to describe it around the office like this…”We basically stretched out the ratings.” We want to use more of the numbers so we get a bigger, more noticeable affect in the game.

Let me give you guys an example….in Madden NFL 09 all of the WR’s Route Running ratings ranged from 62-99. In the current Madden NFL 10 build, WR’s now check in from 35-99. To counter this on the defensive side, all CB’s in Madden NFL 09 had a Man Coverage rating which ranged from 64-99. Now in Madden NFL 10, CB’s Man Coverage range is currently 40-99.

Every position and every rating has been re-scaled to expand the range of numbers we are dealing with. The Overall Rating for your average NFL player has dropped. Your Joe Average linebacker who was 80 OVR is now dropped down to 70. The players who were before right on the cusp of 90 in a rating category are now down around 85-88…Meaning, there are fewer superstar players out there. Before, where you could maybe get by throwing to your slot WR who had 93 SPD, with 74 ROUTES, and 77 Catching…now in Madden NFL 10, that guy is going to have like 91 SPD, 60-65 ROUTES and anywhere from 65-70 Catching. Let me tell you, these rating drops make a big difference when that slot rookie WR with 90+ speed now drops every 3rd pass or so, or just simply cannot get open.
The superstars have not been affected however, this is intentional. Peyton is still 99 OVR, Patrick Willis a 99, Larry Fitz is 99, etc. The elite players at rating categories have not been affected either (JaMarcus Russell still has a 98 Throw Power and Chris Johnson still rated 99 Speed). [Side note: One of my personal goals is to have the actual NFL players in Madden NFL 10 look like their real-life counterparts and play to their strengths and weaknesses like never before in a football video game.]

Speaking of the Speed, which is always a hot topic, we made some major changes with the infamous SPD rating as well. To give you a great example, I will again go back to WR and CB. In Madden NFL 09, the WR SPD range was 85-100…CB was 87-99.

In Madden NFL 10, WR SPD range is currently 70-100…CB is currently 75-99. So as you may or may not tell, the SPD range has been pushed down, in our opinions, to better reflect the “sim-gameplay” style that Ian and Phil have been telling you about all winter long. This SPD change has been updated for each position, so it makes a huge game play affect.

Ian and I had a game the other day where Earnest Graham broke one up the middle for a 55 yard touchdown run… and he could not be caught!…E-Grahams’ Madden NFL 10 current SPD rating….80 SPD. That should give you a good sense of what is possible with the new ratings. It’s not all about having the 90+ SPD anymore. On this particular run, Ian’s CB’s got hung up against some blockers and all I had to do was beat one safety and Graham was gone! He had Brandon Jacobs and his 85 SPD breaking some long runs as well. On the flip side of bigger/slower backs, Chris Johnson is absolutely lethal right now. You can actually get him outside with sweeps now and he is a beast to stop. But again, we are constantly tuning the gameplay, we have an entire team dedicated to that and they are some of the best people we have in the building.

So there you have it, player ratings are in for a major overhaul this year and I am really excited already with the impact they are having on the early builds of the game. And rest assured, we are well aware of the outside impacts this will have….Rookies will now come into the league based on the new ranges, NCAA Import guys are being tuned as well…Progression has been accounted for as well to better reflect breakout stars and burned-out former stars. Meaning, we want to have bigger jumps in OVR this year, both positive and negative. That’s all for now, probably gave away too much already!

Would love to hear any feedback about this big new change in the way we do player ratings. I’d be happy to answer any questions regarding the new rating ranges….please no individual ratings questions, not answering those! Stay tuned for more Madden player rating related blogs in the future!

- Donny Moore – Madden NFL 10 Designer

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Member Comments

# 141 ch46647 @ 02/10/09 08:19 AM

Ian, I know you guys are doing a TON to the game right now and I have full confidence that Madden 10 will be like no other football game we have ever seen up to this point. I did just want to drop a quick note to please take a look at the special teams. They are a huge factor in football, and IMHO Madden has been way off in this category.

Special teams consist of some of the most entertaining plays of the season and I would love to see this duplicated. Keep up the great work guys!

# 142 oChaos_Nine @ 02/10/09 08:20 AM

A big concern for me is the addition of ratings. I believe we already have enough catagories so I'm hoping you're not adding more. Just make the ones that are already there count. Also, PLEASE do us a huge favor and group them accordingly to the position. I could care less about my WR's pass blocking footwork, and I shouldn't have to see that before CTH or JMP.

# 143 TheWatcher @ 02/10/09 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcarr


	This is something that I think is a big part of the problem. No offense to Phillip. He is a good QB but people coming on here and complaining about their teams QB getting what should be a pro bowl rating like that is an insult to the player. EA in the past seemed to play to these comments by raising the ratings for every player until they were all really highly rated. Derek Anderson was a great example of this. He had a good season last year but really dropped off at the end and showed some weaknesses to the point where it seemed obvious, to me anyway, that he would drop off this season. Most of the people on NFL network seemed to agree with me as I watched their preseason shows. Tom Brady is another great example. He had one season throwing to Moss and all of a sudden his arm strength is up from low 90s which is to high for him up to being among the top in the league. This had nothing to do with his arm all of a sudden getting stronger. He still has a moderate to even weak arm in terms of strength. He makes up for it with great accuracy and decision making but that doesn't mean his arm is incredibly strong. They also seem to be against the idea of lowering ratings. LT for example has been dropping off for the past couple seasons and has maintained the 99 overall rating. Before this thing about adjusting ratings I would have expected him to be a 99 again this year.

I disagree that Tom Brady's arm is weak. I would've agreed in say 2001 when his arm strength was questionable as a second-year player and he was thin as a twig, but he's worked really hard with specific weight training that targeted his upper body (I saw him in a ESPN special about this) over the years and he can certainly gun it now. He made some really powerful throws last season. I can remember commentators making a few comments last year about how his passes had a lot more velocity on them than they'd seen from him in the past. I'm not sure his throw power rating should be 99, I think 99 is going overboard, but I wouldn't put it below 90.

# 144 TheWatcher @ 02/10/09 08:27 AM

The rating idea sounds great. I just hope that somehow speed doesn't find a way to kill everything else. If a WR that sucks can't get open much or drops passes more, that's a good thing. But when he does catch it and he's able to take it to the house a lot because he's faster than everyone else, that might be whole new problem.

So on top of that, I hope sliders that work make an impact this season as an extra insurance that nothing wacky like that happens.

# 145 DocHolliday @ 02/10/09 08:57 AM

I really think madden would benefit from intriducing something like a high bred between APF and their current rating system.

Leave the stuff you have in now, but also give Star RB's like Forte a "quick Jukes" animation package that only a few have. GiveMike Turner a "Battering Ram" animation package. Give Fitzgerald a "spectacular catch" package along with a "big jump catch" package.

Give Warner his regular rating plus a "Pocket Presence" boost while in the pocket along with a "Quick Release" throwing animation package.

You can go on and on, but the way it was done in APF is just awesome, and mixing it with your current rating (spd, agility, strength, etc) would make it the absolute best of both worlds.

Hell I might even buy the game if you do this

Intil something like this is done (and no "weapons" did not do this) there will never be a major diffence, like on Sundays, between Fitz or Patrick Crayton. Not like there is between Jerry Rice and Ricky Sanders in APF.

# 146 greenegt @ 02/10/09 10:02 AM

Great news. Now teams in game should play even more like their real life counterparts.

# 147 kcarr @ 02/10/09 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheWatcher


	I disagree that Tom Brady's arm is weak. I would've agreed in say 2001 when his arm strength was questionable as a second-year player and he was thin as a twig, but he's worked really hard with specific weight training that targeted his upper body (I saw him in a ESPN special about this) over the years and he can certainly gun it now. He made some really powerful throws last season. I can remember commentators making a few comments last year about how his passes had a lot more velocity on them than they'd seen from him in the past. I'm not sure his throw power rating should be 99, I think 99 is going overboard, but I wouldn't put it below 90.

Yes, he is much stronger than he was back at the start of the decade. However, in the current rating system I wouldn't put him above 94-95 and after this change I would say he should really be closer to 90.

If you expand qbs to a solid amount of the range, say from 30-99, on pass strength where a weaker QB like pennington or brees is colt brennan or whoever is down around 40 or 50 then you have to get away from the idea that anything below 80 or 85 is like unable to play the position and to be good you have to go up to 94 or 95. here ratings around 50 should be able to make most throws. By the time you hit 80 you should be getting good zip on your throws and really be making some powerful throws. By 90 you should have a really good gun. To get to 99 should put you in the ranks of strongers armed quarterback of all time. Therefore any rating solidly above 90 should be a player with a really special arm strength. While I could still see tom having high 90s for accuracy and awareness, I don't see his power being in the truly elite category. More along the lines of a very good rating but below to top.

# 148 gabs485 @ 02/10/09 10:33 AM

Will ratings really matter this time? Last year's game had a lot of ratings that obviously helped the player's overall rating but in my opinion didn't affect the way the game is played. Route Running for receivers, Man vs Zone coverage for defensive backs, are a few examples of ratings that the game doesn't translate into the field.

Take Route Running for instance. There is no way to show the difference between someone who has a 90 route running rating and someone who has a 70 or any other number for that matter. Steve Smith runs routes exactly like Anthony Gonzalez, He might run faster but he runs over the same rail. And It is the same with every player.

If you are implementing ratings such as Route Running in the rating system, It is your duty to translate these visible to the game on the field. Players running on rails should be a thing of last generation, you got the tech to add more variables to it.

Ian, do you think that it would be possible to introduce a route running system that would make route running more intricate? For example, Let's say the receiver is suppose to run a post and break in 15 yards down the field. The higher his rating is the more accurate he will run his route, if he doesn't have good route running skills maybe he breaks 11 yards down the field instead of the 15 yards he was suppose to run therefor increasing the changes of an incomplete pass.

You can go even further, maybe even if you have not so great route running skills but your QB has a great awareness rating along with good accuracy, you've could still be able to have a chance at completing the pass thanks to the QB's skills. Same way around, maybe your QB is not very accurate but your receiver has great route running skills along with great hands, maybe he can adjust to the ball and make a play.

I don't know if It's too late for this but a system similar to what I've had explained would be very good for the passing game. Not to mention that in conjunction with this widening of rating, it would really help distinguish good player from elites.

# 149 BezO @ 02/10/09 10:34 AM

I can't get excited over this until I see it. Speed was too much of a factor up until now, IMO. This sounds to me like it could make things worse, unless...

If you all are implementing realistic momentum, prep steps, plants, ect., this could work. The few speed deamons left have to be controlled by the laws of physics.

My major concern is this: Thinking of good, but slower players and average but speedy players... Asante Samuel, Antrel Rolle types vs Deven Hester, Troy Williamson types for example. How are these match ups being handled? Will we SEE Hester & Williamson running less than spectacular routes... gathering themselves, slower in & out of breaks, telegraphing routes, ect? Will we see Samuel & Rolle quicker out of breaks with less prep steps, being physical, ect?

Will we see realistic footwork? Will we see effective route running, quickness & acceleration ratings? Will the Samuels & Rolles of the world be able to cover the Hesters & Williamsons of the world for the same reasons they do in real life? Will the Anquan Boldins of the league be able to get open against the Tyvon Branch types? Will we see contextual animations?

# 150 kcarr @ 02/10/09 10:50 AM

Another thing they really should have to help with these slower receivers using route running to get open is route based passing. The place where these receivers can really get separation is their cuts. This separation might not last long because the defender has the speed to close but it does last long enough that a well timed throw can still be made with a great deal of success.

# 151 Bodizzy @ 02/10/09 10:50 AM

Sounds like a nice change. If you're basing mediocre, borderline NFL players at ratings under 50 and then situating Pro Bowlers and standouts above 80, for one thing it gives a greater breadth of degree to abilities and attributes. Now if that actually makes a WR's route running ability matter more, then this is perfect. Otherwise you're just creating a greater disparity for the sake of creating a greater disparity. It has to matter.

# 152 ch46647 @ 02/10/09 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian_Cummings_EA


	Great questions guys. I'll defer to Donny on how he envisions us making sure that speed doesn't turn into the "all powerful" rating.

Donny would you care to elaborate?

# 153 TDKing @ 02/10/09 11:20 AM

So your saying ratings are actually going to matter in gameplay.

# 154 AlexBrady @ 02/10/09 11:49 AM

I love this feature but let me say that there are no true 99 worthy players in the NFL currently. Certainly, there are about 6 or 7 elite players but they all have shortcomings.

For example:
Tom Brady: struggles mightily with pressure in his face

Peyton Manning: a choker who is neutralized greatly whenever the pocket collapses

Randy Moss: the weaker the competition the better he plays and vice versa, alligator arms when going over the middle

Demarcus Ware: still bites on play fakes more than he should, struggles to recognize routes in man coverage, tends to drag the ball carrier to the ground rather than driving him into the ground.

Albert Haynesworth: not a factor at all downfield, when he is supposed to hold ground and stay in his gap, he will stand out of his stance which makes it a lot easier to move him, when fatigued he leaves himself vulnerable to cut blocks.

Nnamdi Asomugha: tends to stumble out of his breaks, takes poor angles when playing downhill against the run, can be caught guessing when the receiver is in front of him and he will make a false break.

As you can see, the "perfect player" simply does not exist. Do away with the 99 ratings!

# 155 BezO @ 02/10/09 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wookie48


	How come when it comes to speed, instead of a rating number that varies, why not have an actual 40 time gage how fast a player is. My number one pet peeve is seeing a guy who has the exact same 40 time as another and they both have different speed ratings. this way you can simplify the ratings to a set time overall.

Many veterans avoid being timed in the 40. The times you see listed for them, if any, can be years old.

# 156 Matrix-Monkey @ 02/10/09 12:21 PM

Donny, please don't under rate Chris Horton the SS on the Redskins like you did in HC. =]

# 157 xanmank @ 02/10/09 12:42 PM

Only one other person mentioned it towards the beginning, but I don't know if it was addressed later cuz i skimmed through most of this, but:

Is Potential going to be a rating just like in Head Coach 09?

I really think that would help with fixing progression in franchise mode

# 158 rhombic21 @ 02/10/09 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BezO


	I can't get excited over this until I see it. Speed was too much of a factor up until now, IMO. This sounds to me like it could make things worse, unless... If you all are implementing realistic momentum, prep steps, plants, ect., this could work. The few speed deamons left have to be controlled by the laws of physics. My major concern is this: Thinking of good, but slower players and average but speedy players... Asante Samuel, Antrel Rolle types vs Deven Hester, Troy Williamson types for example. How are these match ups being handled? Will we SEE Hester & Williamson running less than spectacular routes... gathering themselves, slower in & out of breaks, telegraphing routes, ect? Will we see Samuel & Rolle quicker out of breaks with less prep steps, being physical, ect? Will we see realistic footwork? Will we see effective route running, quickness & acceleration ratings? Will the Samuels & Rolles of the world be able to cover the Hesters & Williamsons of the world for the same reasons they do in real life? Will the Anquan Boldins of the league be able to get open against the Tyvon Branch types? Will we see contextual animations?

This is my concern also. It already feels like speed is the only rating that REALLY matters on the game for most positions, and there's a potential that this could make things even worse.

I just don't want to see a game where players with higher speed ratings have gone from simply over-effective, to now being almost unstoppable because there are few players on the other team that can keep up with them. True, players like LT and Adrian Peterson should be very difficult to defend, but I just don't want to see a Tecmo Bowl Bo Jackson type effect here, where you have a handful of guys with elite speed that dominate the entire game.

If you're going to do this, you have to make the weaknesses matter, and you have to make the non-speed related strengths matter. If that happens, then this will be a very good thing.

# 159 scalise89 @ 02/10/09 01:13 PM

Hey guys, all this stuf sounds great...I think it would be great if you could have the players run like they really do, for example, Adrian Peterson, when he is in the open field, he jumps left and right and hops and its insane to watch...in previous madden versions, all the backs seem to have the same chance of breaking an open field tackle...how ever i think Peterson, one on one would be impossible to stop, unless of course TROY POLAMALU was the tackler....also, i think it would be really cool if you could jump over the line of scrimmage with peopel like Polamalu like he did in the playoffs becasue its impossible to stop a QB sneak in the game as it is now. Lastly, the BIGGEST THING i wish is that the side lines look REAL PLEASE....when a runner runs towards them, have the sidlines back up and move and looke like people, not cardboard with all the same animations, it drives me crazy...and the fans, have them real and can we get ESPN presentation...thanks guys, great work you're all doing, can't wait till August!!!

# 160 scalise89 @ 02/10/09 01:18 PM

Another thing...can we stop players arms and stuff from going through some of the players bodies, it drives me crazy and maybe add something where you can dive and just grab onto the players shirt to slow them down and add more realistic running features like have the players run differently when they are fatigued and maybe trip heere and there if they are in a nervous situation over teh middle or a pressure situation....maybe an under pressure rating...have weather actually affect the game more.....improve graphics all around for every part of the game, not just he players, becasue it looks cheesy having real players playing and then the sidelines and fans look like crap....maybe show the announcers to in the press box!

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