Madden NFL 25 News Post

Madden to Feature Uniform Fashion Critic in its Fake Twitter Feed

03:17 PM - March 18, 2013 by RaychelSnr

You read that right.

Paul Lukas, aka @UniWatch on Twitter, will be a new addition in Madden NFL 25 when it hits store shelves this fall. Lukas is best known for his work of obsessively looking at the aesthetics of sports, and has a popular blog covering sports fashion and more.

"One of the higher-ups from EA Sports, who says he's a big Uni Watch fan, got in touch with me about 10 days ago and invited me to participate," Lukas wrote on Thursday. "It sounded like fun, so I said yes."

While in the big picture, this is a relatively minuscule addition to the game (and completely irrelevant to people more interested in gameplay) it certainly is interesting that EA is growing their list of faux 'tweeters' within the game. It's likely there are no other connections to other features with Lukas' inclusion within the game. [Kotaku]

Game: Madden NFL 25Reader Score: 5/10 - Vote Now
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Member Comments

# 21 roadman @ 03/18/13 08:00 PM

Eh, this news isn't for me, but I'm not about to pooh-pah it because I'm sure there are people that do enjoy this news, just not for me.

I'll wait till the cover athlete to roll out(sometime in April) before I get too excited.

# 22 kjcheezhead @ 03/18/13 10:06 PM

It's clear to me that EA and I are not even on the same planet when it comes to what should and shouldn't be in a football game. All I can do is laugh with everyone else.

NO ONE finds this news the least bit exciting, or even interesting, except the guy that just got a new job. No one.

# 23 Flabbergast @ 03/18/13 10:12 PM

Why are people upset about this? EA just added a guy to the twitter feed. I'm sure that this didn't take anything away from all the other new features. Nothing really to get mad about.

# 24 LowerWolf @ 03/18/13 10:16 PM

I wonder what uniforms they'll intentionally mess up, just to have something to put in the Twitter feed.

I kid, sort of.

# 25 tril @ 03/19/13 12:27 AM

@BIG FN DEAL !!!!^^LOL!!!!

# 26 ManiacMatt1782 @ 03/19/13 09:43 AM

I really wish certain game play elements like O-line and D-line deficiencies were being given this attention instead. Upgrades to fake twitter can't be what the casual gamer wants? Is it, It sure as heck isn't what the hardcore football fan wants.

# 27 mestevo @ 03/19/13 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ManiacMatt1782


	I really wish certain game play elements like O-line and D-line deficiencies were being given this attention instead. Upgrades to fake twitter can't be what the casual gamer wants? Is it, It sure as heck isn't what the hardcore football fan wants.

Why does it have to be one or the other?

You realize this news is coming from the blogger, not Tiburon, right?

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

# 28 cuttingteeth @ 03/19/13 10:26 AM

1. I do hope this foreshadows an amazing, new uniform editor or create-a-team revamping. I'll give them a pass, if this is the case.

2. In real life, we are to expect the new logo changes for Jaguars and Vikings and the soon-to-come unveiling of the revamped Miami Dolphins logo and uniforms completely.

3. I had a nightmare about the money they have to pay Lukas for his name and likeness in the game on top of how much time it takes to code the scripting for his tweets, as well as the fact that they must spend/waste more time making sure his tweets are under 140 characters...because, hey, you know that there's no better way to get your news about details compared to heavily short-hand-scripted opinions.

4. Later in the dream, George Takei kept singing "Rob Gronkowski Style" with the Gangnam Style music and hot chicks dancing behind him.

5. I'm now awake, and sadly the worst part of my dream is likely the truth.

# 29 mestevo @ 03/19/13 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerseySuave4


	IMO Twitter is much better than Facebook. Most people i'm friends with don't really waste their time with Facebook anymore so nobody I give a s*** about post anything on Facebook. With Twitter you communicate with athletes, writers, celebs, etc. I've had back & forth conversations with Bomani Jones on different things, i've had Scott Hall reply to my stuff, Tatanka and I had a back & forth about old school wrestling stuff. Where else would I have the chance to interact with these people? And then on top of that you get the news before you get it anywhere else. As soon as something breaking happens it's on twitter. You find out who is meeting with who, who signed where before the story comes out on ESPN or somewhere else. I'd have no problem with the twitter aspect of Mort of Schefter breaking injury or free agency news. But uniwatch is pointless unless you can edit the uniforms throughout a franchise or whatever they're calling that game mode.

Facebook is by it's own nature exclusive, so unless you are friends with people actively using it then it's fairly useless aside from fan pages and their games. For parents, people with families on it, friends and family out of state, Facebook is nearly priceless - and that's just one of a few use cases.

Like the comments about Twitter though, couldn't agree more. The key with additions like this as well as real twitter is saturation. Put too much in and give us options. Beat writers for all 32 teams with their own spin on the team you're currently controlling/playing for, as well as the national pundits and stuff like this uniwatch guy. Want more or less? Need the ability to opt into my favorite teams - or all of them - and the same ability to trim the fat, only follow my local team reporter and Schefter for example. Default to a specific setup, provide options for more for those that want it.

# 30 tfctillidie @ 03/19/13 04:28 PM

How much value does anyone really find in the Twitter?

They are canned responses. Quite often repeated over time, even multiple times in the same draft.

They aren't real responses to the game events, at all. Just generic auto replies when certain parameters are met...and because they aren't real, they sometimes don't make sense.

The feature really only provides "real time updates" to anyone following the base account for your league, but that could have been accomplished in other manners, likely more effective manners.

# 31 juggalotusx @ 03/19/13 04:30 PM

Get your head out of your ars EA, Fix the friggin gameplay issues before adding more junk to the madden games......

# 32 cuttingteeth @ 03/19/13 04:45 PM

You like twitter? Great. You like facebook or myspace or tumblr instead? Awesome. Not a single thing about them makes football gameplay any better, though.

As for who you talk to online...that's amazing, too...but I hope you don't find out they're related to Manti Te'o's dead girlfriend.

# 33 CM Hooe @ 03/19/13 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cuttingteeth


	You like twitter? Great. You like facebook or myspace or tumblr instead? Awesome. Not a single thing about them makes football gameplay any better, though.

Who said this feature had anything to do with football gameplay? It's a minor addition to completely separate minor feature in a separate major gameplay mode developed and managed by an entirely different and separate development studio (CCM is developed at EA Austin, football gameplay is developed at EA Tiburon) .

The extreme backlash to this, and the Twitter feature in general, is dumbfounding to me. It has no bearing as to whether the game gets better on the field.

# 34 CPRoark @ 03/19/13 05:16 PM

For you guys (understandably) laughing at the idea of a "uniform fashion critic," you really should check out Paul's blog, at uni-watch.com. It's really more than that...he breaks down history of sports equipment, often breaks uniform changes, and features fan and pro redesigns of uniforms/logos. I'm a daily reader, and usually his stuff is fantastic.

If you are interested in graphic design or sports history, I'd easily recommend it.

# 35 sonnyleesmith @ 03/19/13 06:22 PM

First off, I love Uniwatch. Secondly, although I don't see why Paul Lukas was added to the stable of fake twitter accts, I presume the increasing popularity of athletic aesthetics and its role in generating revenue for the NFL, is the reason for his presence. Paul is a small cog in the machine.

# 36 CM Hooe @ 03/19/13 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bucky60


	What's dumbfounding and baffling to me is that EA Auatin (CCM) decides that adding insignificant and meaningless things like twitter fashion instead of significant CORE NFL features like accurate roster mechanics, including practice squads, waiver wires, contract restructuring, etc. Adding things like twitter fashion takes resources away from adding important features. What's dumbfounding to me is you not understanding why there is all t his backlash.

When did a Twitter feed mutually exclusive from any additional roster mechanics? What's preventing EA Austin from doing both?

Further, how is the Twitter feed, ostensibly a bite-sized news feed with the intention of informing the player of league-goings on and immersing the player into a virtual football world, a "waste of resources" and "meaningless"? Yes, it's obviously EA taking advantage of something popular to further promote their game, but it's a justifiable use of said piece of something popular.

Quote:


	Accurate roster mechanics, and so many other things, should have been added long ago. And if resources that go into things like twitter fashion went into significant NFL features, we would have accurate NFL roster mechanics by now.

It's a matter of priorities; the game is going to come out every twelve months regardless what we want, and the development team must prioritize what's important and work on those things they deem important. I would venture to guess that, particularly in the context of building a new mode from the ground up as was the case with Connected Careers mode, keeping the player informed about the goings-on of a digital league and immersed in its universe are pretty important, more important than minor roster features such as waivers (players on waivers revert to free agents after a short length of time) or practice squad (practice squad players never get to play unless they are called up and they can be signed away by other clubs, they might as well be free agents).

# 37 mestevo @ 03/19/13 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Segagendude


	Should've brought back the radio show instead of this Twitter nonsense.

One of the few things worse than reading something repetitive is listening to something repetitive.

Also takes quite a bit more resources.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

# 38 roadman @ 03/19/13 09:05 PM

Eh, Tony Bruno show subjective, I didn't like it, his voice was nausuating to me.

Twitter is the updated version of radio, not that I'm gung ho on twitter feeds, either.

# 39 ManiacMatt1782 @ 03/19/13 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mestevo


	Why does it have to be one or the other? You realize this news is coming from the blogger, not Tiburon, right? Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

It's been 10 years and Oline diline interactions are still behind the curve. Resources are being spent on programming this, and not focusing on giving us line play that works correctly and doesnt have false glitches to balance the offense like forcing blockers to willfully disengage once the speed burst button is pressed. Instead of having blockers just go out and find there man, or having a blocker get beat and pushed backward to blow up the play, Instead of just whiffing on a block to indicate failure. It is discouraging to people who want to see the gameplay move forward to see this kind of news. The news may not be directly from tiburon, but this is something they showed off to someone. this is what they deem important to show someone. To me it speaks volumes about where the franchise is headed.

# 40 ManiacMatt1782 @ 03/19/13 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CM Hooe


	When did a Twitter feed mutually exclusive from any additional roster mechanics? What's preventing EA Austin from doing both? Further, how is the Twitter feed, ostensibly a bite-sized news feed with the intention of informing the player of league-goings on and immersing the player into a virtual football world, a "waste of resources" and "meaningless"? Yes, it's obviously EA taking advantage of something popular to further promote their game, but it's a justifiable use of said piece of something popular. It's a matter of priorities; the game is going to come out every twelve months regardless what we want, and the development team must prioritize what's important and work on those things they deem important. I would venture to guess that, particularly in the context of building a new mode from the ground up as was the case with Connected Careers mode, keeping the player informed about the goings-on of a digital league and immersed in its universe are pretty important, more important than minor roster features such as waivers (players on waivers revert to free agents after a short length of time) or practice squad (practice squad players never get to play unless they are called up and they can be signed away by other clubs, they might as well be free agents).

I see what you are saying, but I disagree. Using actual twitter to get feedback from fans, and customer base. Good use of resources. Spending more than 10 minutes making fake twitters for your game modes is wasting resources. I understand twitter is popular. And it's devlopers should use it as a tool. But putting Fake twitter in the game is a complete waste of time and energy. You aren't gonna sell an extra thousand copies this year because "they gonna tweet about your uni's" I don't see it. As I said complete waste of time and resources, on something that will have minimal effect on their bottom line.

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Madden to Feature Uniform Fashion Critic in its Fake Twitter Feed