Madden NFL 15 News Post

Madden NFL 15 Gauntlet Mode Teaches You How to Play Football, Get Better at Madden

08:56 AM - July 11, 2014 by jpdavis82

EA Sports released a brief Madden NFL 15 video featuring the new Gauntlet mode yesterday. A couple of sites have posted their previews this morning. If any more show up, this post will be updated.

Madden NFL 15 Wants You To Be A Student Of The Game (Game Informer)

Quote:


	The Skills Trainer mode features 48 new drills, but beyond teaching you the controls of the game, they go deeper to teach you core football concepts like recognizing defenses. "When we playtested," says designer Danny Doeberling, "we found out that people call cover 2 defense, people call a smash route. They have no idea what that actually is. So, we're actually taking them through how to recognize a cover 2 defense. And once you actually see it on the field, we'll have you attack that. When you're calling different pass plays, what actually makes up a pass play? What's a cross? Outs? We basically teach you the foundation of the coverages, and we also [teach you] the most common pass concepts. We basically teach you football." Accordingly, there are also drills in the mode where you call red zone plays, for instance.

Madden NFL 15 wants to teach you about football to make you a better Madden player (Polygon)

Quote:


	As Cam and I crafted this vision to take the game toward 'more realistic and more authentic,' what we realized is, if we don't teach people how football works, they're never going to understand this game," Dickson continued. "That's really why the Skills Trainer mode was developed, is because I basically pitched that we need a tutorial system if we're going to keep going in a realistic, authentic direction.

Game: Madden NFL 15Reader Score: 6.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 42 - View All

Madden NFL 15 Videos

Member Comments

# 41 K_GUN @ 07/12/14 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CM Hooe


	It's not just the younger demographic that's a potential new customer for the game. The average gamer is about 30 years old. Take out handheld devices such as the iPhone and that number jumps to 37 years. Madden at best sells single-digit millions of units a year, whereas more successful console games such as Grand Theft Auto V have sold as many as 30 million units worldwide. There are plenty enough potential customers for Madden of all ages who just flat-out do not know how to play football to justify this feature for any age group.

wow....sans the phones & the avg gamer age is 37?!?!

sweet...for once I'm "above average" at something (43)

# 42 coke hogan @ 07/12/14 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mars5541


	I found myself doing this with UFC after one week . Until I gave up and traded it in On topic I need something like this. Haven't bought madden in years

which ufc did u buy?
did u not try a demo or renting the game first?
doing any of those two things would save u time.
did u try the tutorial?

in this day and age of renting and demos, no one should be making bad buying decisions. at the same time it's easier said than done. lol.

# 43 mestevo @ 07/12/14 12:52 PM

Demos only go so far with games that have multiple modes like sports games.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

# 44 DNMHIII @ 07/12/14 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CM Hooe


	It's not just the younger demographic that's a potential new customer for the game. The average gamer is about 30 years old. Take out handheld devices such as the iPhone and that number jumps to 37 years. Madden at best sells single-digit millions of units a year, whereas more successful console games such as Grand Theft Auto V have sold as many as 30 million units worldwide. There are plenty enough potential customers for Madden of all ages who just flat-out do not know how to play football to justify this feature for any age group.

My point was that creating an arcade type mode with silly games to teach people football is perfect for targeting children not adults. I don't see 30+ gamers buying Madden and investing much time in that mode, but children may actually only play that mode because it might be funner for them than calling plays and trying to play full games without all the arcade style stuff they might be used to in other games they play.

I addition, adults that do invest time in that mode to get them comfortable/hooked on football might be as disappointed as a lot of us that the players just don't move properly/react properly/look properly and the game just feels flat and boring after one release and never buy it again.

I just think EA has a great opportunity to build the success of their title with a solid long term approach that targets children or adults not familiar with football skills and at the same time continue to improve the quality of the game. Based On the entire last gen cycle I feel like the Madden direction at times has been extremely questionable and if you look at the advancement/progression in quality made to actual gameplay over the course of the entire last gen through the first release of next gen it's completely laughable IMO.

# 45 FBall Life @ 07/12/14 01:49 PM

They're trying to teach people how to play football when their own players in the game can't even play their positions properly?

# 46 CM Hooe @ 07/12/14 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNMHIII


	My point was that creating an arcade type mode with silly games to teach people football is perfect for targeting children not adults. I don't see 30+ gamers buying Madden and investing much time in that mode, but children may actually only play that mode because it might be funner for them than calling plays and trying to play full games without all the arcade style stuff they might be used to in other games they play.

You're missing the point, though. People - of any and all ages - buy video games to have fun. Fun doesn't require realism. A look at the most popular video games released is proof positive of that.

These boss battles people keep harping on - which are only one component of this gauntlet mode, not the entire thing - they're designed to be fun video game challenges, absent any real-life context. Nothing more, nothing less.

Quote:


	In addition, adults that do invest time in that mode to get them comfortable/hooked on football might be as disappointed as a lot of us that the players just don't move properly/react properly/look properly and the game just feels flat and boring after one release and never buy it again.

Speculative at best. Equally valid speculation - said adults come to value Madden as an interactive football teaching tool - the only one that will exist come August, as far as I know - and buy it year after year to make sure they are keeping up with the latest strategies and trends in the game and to increase their knowledge base.

# 47 ozzy57 @ 07/12/14 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CM Hooe


	This feature is not about you, or for that matter anyone on Operation Sports. It's about the people who haven't yet played Madden NFL at all.

I understand what they are trying to do the problem is most people tend to just play a quick game at first and often never want to go through tutorials. I know some people who just look for the first cheap TE streak no huddle glitch and that's it. I don't know what is going to be in this mode all the way through but if they are "trying for a realistic game" then they definitely need to tell new users not to get discouraged and abandon the run game when they get stopped for a loss of yards or only get 2-3 yards on a couple runs.

# 48 MajorSupreme @ 07/12/14 02:28 PM

Remember when we had paper guides that came in the cases?

# 49 yardz23 @ 07/12/14 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big FN Deal


	I haven't read all the posts ITT so it's possible others have touched on this, are the lessons complimented with applicable gameplay changes to CFM/Play Now/Online in Madden 15 or is this the first step to teach gamers these things, then at some point have them required for success in gameplay for other modes? I'm asking that as a serious question too, while I wouldn't agree with that design choice, I could still follow its' logic.

Gauntlet mode will have lots of specific special moves training to get players comfortable with the controls. But most importantly, for me anyway, is that it will show you step by step what reads to make to discern what coverage the D is in, and what to audible from there.

I think I know a lot about football, but I guess I know nothing about defense. That'll help a lot.

When it comes to head to head matches, I think strategy and countering tactics (ie the "chess match element" in football) should be 75% of the battle, and stick skills during the play should make up the other 25.

# 50 kehlis @ 07/12/14 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khaliib


	Really, another renamed feature.

What was the previous name of this feature? I don't ever remember it in a previous Madden.

Quote:

Originally Posted by khaliib


	If it's about those that have not played at all, why even post it on a Sporting Gaming Forum for feedback to be given? Everyone that has a profile and is posting on this site has had some type of experience with Madden. So to me the topic is concerning the OS Community because feedback is being invited.

Huh? EA didn't post it anywhere and invite feedback. Another poster, just like you simply posted it and now it's a discussion. Am I missing something?

# 51 oneamongthefence @ 07/12/14 03:39 PM

This sounds like a lot of fun especially if it's similar to last gens mini camp drills. I played those a ton even outside of Franchise Mode. Hopefully they continue to expand on this to include players and schemes. Differences in different defensive formations, what players do better in which scheme, etc for CFM. I would like to be able to hand a controller to someone who has no knowledge of football and let Madden explain how football is played. Not just the controls.

# 52 CM Hooe @ 07/12/14 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bucky60


	Are you trying to tell "me" what "fun" means to "me"?

No. I was speaking in the general case. I never mentioned you. I'm not sure how you could have possibly interpreted my statement as an affront.

Quote:


	"Fun" is very subjective. I only find "Fun" in a sports video game if and only if it is based on realism.

Yes, fun is subjective. For you, "fun" requires realism. Based on the popularity of dozens of other games in sci-fi, high fantasy, medieval, and steampunk settings, plenty of other people do not share that definition.

# 53 Skyboxer @ 07/12/14 07:15 PM

Looking forward to trying it out. I'm off for 2 days after release so that works out great.
Good addition to the game.

# 54 juduking @ 07/12/14 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kehlis


	What was the previous name of this feature? I don't ever remember it in a previous Madden. Huh? EA didn't post it anywhere and invite feedback. Another poster, just like you simply posted it and now it's a discussion. Am I missing something?

The previous Madden feature he is referring to is called Skills trainer. It is in Madden 25 next gen. You get MUT cards for getting gold on each drill. It teaches you how to use the control schemes of the game and some football basics. This "New" gauntlet mode is a more fleshed out version with a voice actor on top of it. Its nothing new to Madden

# 55 jbd345 @ 07/12/14 07:47 PM

At least they are taking steps to teach the "casual gamer" about the game and have a more realistic approach to it. We don't know if this mode is implemented in cfm in anyway yet so you don't have to use it if you choose not to.

# 56 juduking @ 07/12/14 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CM Hooe


	Skills Trainer existed in Madden 25 to teach the user the game's control scheme, especially the new ballcarrier move controls. Where it falls short is actually teaching players football strategy, a fault which this year's iteration seeks to rectify.

Keep tooting that horn brother. You are the exact type of gamer that EA and Tiburon loves because they can just shovel incremental improvements down our throats and call it a day. I do respect your opinion, I just fail to see the light of honest improvement from Tiburon when they have a very nasty track record that proves otherwise.

# 57 jbd345 @ 07/12/14 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juduking


	Keep tooting that horn brother. You are the exact type of gamer that EA and Tiburon loves because they can just shovel incremental improvements down our throats and call it a day. I do respect your opinion, I just fail to see the light of honest improvement from Tiburon when they have a very nasty track record that proves otherwise.

How is trying to teach gamers football strategy not honest improvement?

# 58 yardz23 @ 07/12/14 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbd345


	How is trying to teach gamers football strategy not honest improvement?

I agree with you.

If this pans out, the result could be more player's favoring a Sim style of gameplay and not rely on those straight cheese plays they find on YouTube.

# 59 roadman @ 07/12/14 09:02 PM

If people have fun with this, all the power to them.

If not, the mode will be skipped and not seen again.

Options, right?

Heck, a few years ago Mascot Mode showed up in NCAA. Not something for me, but my 11 year old at the time thought it was the cats meow and played it non-stop.

Did we get our moneys worth? Yes.

I'll judge for myself when it's time.

# 60 JaymeeAwesome @ 07/12/14 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juduking


	The previous Madden feature he is referring to is called Skills trainer. It is in Madden 25 next gen. You get MUT cards for getting gold on each drill. It teaches you how to use the control schemes of the game and some football basics. This "New" gauntlet mode is a more fleshed out version with a voice actor on top of it. Its nothing new to Madden

That voice actor is Carolina's Cam Newton.

« Previous 1 234 5 Next »

More Links

Madden NFL 15 Gauntlet Mode Teaches You How to Play Football, Get Better at Madden