Love/Hate with Madden 12 - thescoop's Blog

thescoop's Blog

Love/Hate with Madden 12

Posted on September 7, 2011 at 01:34 PM.

First off let me start by saying I do enjoy Madden 12. I think it is a fun game that I am enjoy a lot right now. But that being said I don't feel they did enough to keep up the strides made with Madden 11. There are still areas that need a lot of improvement. I'll outline a few:

1. The presentation is better than before and appears to be moving in the right direction but it still isn't there. EA needs to seriously do something about the commentary. I know some have said that will be addressed next year and it well should be. When games like The Show (I know it has gotten stale, but still light years ahead of Madden) and the NBA 2K series can get the little things in, why can't Madden? The bar has been set extremely high by the other sports games out there and Madden, as well as NCAA, seems to be dragging far behind. It is high time for this to change. EA actually added the Bears/Bucs London game to dynasty mode but the announcers don't even know this game isn't being played in Tampa. That type of laziness is just plain sad.

2. Stop removing features unless it is the worthless Superstar Mode. Enough of giving us something and then taking it away. The fight for the ball feature was something I turned off the mini game, but liked the animation for it. In real football fumbles aren't always known who recovered it right away. A lot of times we must wait for the pile to be uncovered to see who has it. That was in and yet removed. Also, where are formation subs this year? Maybe they are there and I've overlooked them due to the horrible change in menu system, but I can't find them. For teams with two good running backs this is a must have feature that should NEVER have disappeared. There isn't one good reason for them to vanish. The weekly show that has been in the last two Madden and the halftime show have also both disappeared. Neither were great, but should have been improved on instead of just both being pulled.

3. Why don't the crowds understand what game they are at? I mean really now. If Green Bay is hosting a playoff game, the crowd knows it and it is gonna be crazy loud. It won't feel the same as a week 3 home game. Why can't Madden seem to understand this. Again, other sports games do, but Madden keeps lagging behind.

4. The scouting system is a true waste of time. I mean really, I need to know how strong the stud corner's arm is or how well that quarterback is covering in a zone? It really didn't do anything to add to the draft this year. I like the idea, but again, lazy in execution on EA's part. I stopped scouting anyone after the first season because I got nothing out of it. That's a shame.

5. Deep passes need to overhauled. In NCAA, I can throw a lob pass and hit my receiver in stride. In Madden, I aways under throw the receiver unless it is a bullet pass. If my receiver has a step, lob pass should work. It appears that the lob pass needs to be worked on.

6. Please, please, please, just drop the Superstar mode. No one plays it. I never improves. I just takes up space that could be used for many other true game improvements. It is well overdue to just move on this this isn't mode many play nor that EA actually cares to do any real work on.

7. While I think this year's version has some of the best presentation I've seen, it still needs some improvements. The biggest will be in terms of things like showing the celebrations when scoring. Sure we get some great cut shots of the quarterbacks putting their arms in the airs, but all too often we cut away from the dancing and fun stuff. Let us see that because that is part of the NFL. If TO starts dancing, let us see it.

8. DO NOT give in to the few that think a more arcade approach is the way Madden needs to be headed. I needs to dive right into the realism. Going more arcade is what killed the NBA Live series. I know I've seen a few people argue that is the direction Madden should go, but not if it wants to remain something I purchase.

9. I hate the kicking meter. I like NCAA's better. Madden's just doesn't feel right. I can't place it but I don't like it. And before someones says it is because I suck at it, I almost always hit it perfect. I just don't I like it.

10. I know I mentioned the weekly show and halftime shows being pulled, but this deals with bringing them back bigger and better than before. EA needs to go and use that ESPN license for this one. Maybe one of them should pick up NFL 2k5 and just see what the 2k team did back then. I was never a big fan of 2k5, but those are areas that Madden still needs to get to. It really is a shame they haven't figured that one out yet.

I'm sure there are others that will pop in my head as I go on, but for now I'll leave it to you fill in more. Again, I do like Madden 12. I am enjoying the game, but I do feel its heart and soul are lacking. Those are a few of my ideas to get them back.

Comments

# 1 Jimbo68 @ Sep 7

Sounds good to me! Such little progress this year. Saving my money for good quality beer instead.

# 2 poloelite @ Sep 7

You're dead on. They removed formation subs that I can tell, vision cone, the weapons system, owner functions in franchise and weekly shows. For the life of me I can't understand why they just can't get commentary right or make a more compelling franchise mode. Give us better menus, more cut scenes, scouting that has the depth of recruiting in NCAA, NFL Draft on ESPN, NFL TV maybe do an offseason show, add personalities to players (like 2k) and make practice mode in franchise actually improve players.

# 3 South318 @ Sep 7

I agree with everything you posted. What I fail to understand is how the devs for Madden are okay with getting complaints year after year. I can't recall the last time gamers were satisfied with the presentations. A lot features that are added to Madden 12, existed in Madden 08...then taken away and introduced to us again.

# 4 thescoop @ Sep 7

I hear you, South. I do like the game a lot, but it kills me it isn't the game it should be. And there is never an excuse to remove features. The formation subs is the one that kills me the most. I mean we begged and pleaded to get them back only to have them stripped back out two years later? The devs owe us some answers here. There is NO reason they could give that actually would be a GOOD reason.

# 5 Dazraz @ Sep 8

I can't disagree with anything you say. That said I am enjoying Madden more than I have for quite some time.

# 6 thegr8jonl @ Sep 8

the formation sub menu is,press rb at playcall screen ...has been for at least 2 yrs

# 7 thegr8jonl @ Sep 8

also the bomb pass is now pressure sensitive...use the persicion pass mechanics to point up, and press as hard or soft sa you want on player icon to get desired effect,ie long lob or short bullet

# 8 thegr8jonl @ Sep 8

I have to say that this years Madden has been far more enjoyable the the last few offerings....That being said there are mjor steps still 2 be taken...The commentary is at an all time low for any game in the industry and simply is unforgivable to be put on the market with such glaring and distinguishable problems...such as calling any reciever who makes a big play a quarteback and constantly giving players new names such as Julian Thomas for Julius Jones...I think gus's inflections occur at all the wrong places and the other guy,thats what hes reffered 2 in my house, sounds monotonal, bored 2 the bone, non interesting and

# 9 DaggerSwagger @ Sep 8

as long as you guys continue to "scratch that itch" every yr. in August you all will get what ea puts out for madden. why change anything if ppl continue to buy madden with little to no improvements and/or no competition?

# 10 Cnyce86 @ Sep 8

"That type of laziness is just plain sad" well said. there so far behind its not funny just pure laziness!!!!!

# 11 wcwecw75 @ Sep 9

i totaly agree! thats what happens when its a manopoly! no other company to compete with! the eclusive license killed video game football forever, unless they do like the mlb and nba have done for years,let to companys make a game, until that happens the madden franchise will remain status quo!

# 12 Stikskillz @ Sep 10

When 2K comes back to football gaming, Madden is dead.

# 13 bmj2k7 @ Sep 13

As soon as Madden 13 launches the exclusive deal is up, so EA and 2K can fights for trhe football rights, and 2K can sow EA a thing or two about quality sports games. After EA canceled 2K6 they just copied what was on 2K6 for the next 2-3 years with nothing really new from them, so they didn't really have any work to do. Now 2K can come back and show then how it's done, and that might just kill EA bc Madden sales always bring in money even if it sucls, without that EA may have to stop buying companies, and actually shut some down and make quality products!

# 14 thescoop @ Sep 13

I disagree that once 2k, if 2k, gets back into football Madden is dead. There are still a lot of people that like Madden and a lot of people that never really liked 2k football. I liked a lot of what 2k did, but I liked Madden better in 05 fight. Plus, Madden isn't a bad game. If we were talking Madden a few years ago when this generations consoles had just come out I'd maybe agree with that.

What 2k will do is make Madden better. People seem to forget that both games were good in the 05 sports year. 2k was the smarter of the two in the fact things like presentation and mario running were finally fixed. And who could forget the price drop of 2k? That alone was one of the smartest moves I've ever seen in sports gaming. It was the first year I actually bought TWO football games. I would not have even looked at 2k if not for the price. And it was good. I may have still liked Madden more, most likely because it was what I knew, but I couldn't deny that this game was great.

Both games that year were trying to push the other one. That's what we need. We don't need Madden to die. We need at least two games so that they keep pushing each other. Madden's problem is the fact no one else is around to push them to innovate. If 2k comes back and Madden dies, then in a few years we'd see the same thing out of 2k.

Remember a few years ago NHL 2k was by far the better series. EA's NHL wasn't even close. But EA had to push itself to make it into one of the best games out there. Same thing with FIFA vs PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER, because EA had someone to battle with the games got better. Madden doesn't have that.

2k is king in basketball right now. That isn't up for a debate. So EA is trying to change things up completely so it can be back in the game. The type of innovation we may see wouldn't happen if it wasn't for the other guy being around. This year (and because of the game got canned) there will be no EA basketball, but 2k knows they'll be back so don't expect any drop off. But if they knew EA was done they'd get lazy too. Look at MLB 2k if you don't believe me. They only have someone to battle on PS3 and clearly that isn't enough to make them work hard. So 2k isn't above being lazy if they don't have someone to push them.

I want 2k back because it being around makes everyone better. Madden this year was a lot closer to being what I wanted, but in the end it fell short due to the fact no one else is around to push them. We need two good companies making football games. Then we'll at least get two great games, but we might get one true classic and one really good game. That is what I'm hoping for. Madden doesn't need to die, it just needs to be pushed.