Saturday, July 18, 2009
(All apologies to Tiger Woods – but your game used to launch in late August).
With this in mind, here are five big questions about the crop of summer and fall releases.
1 – Can NBA Live, NHL 2k and PES narrow the gap and challenge their rivals?
In each case above, the rival in question is the undisputed champion for their sport, and has held the title for the past several seasons. However year after year they move a little bit closer to challenging NBA 2k, NHL and FIFA respectively. Will this be the year each takes a giant step forward, leap frogging their competition?
Regardless, you can’t argue the benefit of having two titles for each sport competing head to head. Hopefully the NFL and MLB are watching.
2 – Will one of this season’s titles breakthrough and become a truly great game?
Right now there are only two sports video games with a 90 rating on Metacritic – The Show 09 and Forza 2. But a number of games are very close. One of FIFA’s goals this year is to crack a 90 on Metacritic after placing in the high 80s last season. NHL was also just a few points short of cracking 90. And Forza 3 is coming out in late October – hoping to improve upon the great Forza 2.
In each case the games are just a couple of improvements away from crossing over into the elite of all video games. But can each title continue to innovate and improve?
3 – Will gamers take advantage of new web applications, social tools and iPhone applications?
Both NCAA and Madden this year will feature new web applications that tie directly to their gaming. So far NCAA has had more than 100,000 custom teams created online. And Madden will allow you to take your online franchise to the web or an iPhone application.
But will gamers take advantage of these new features en masse? Will people follow their Madden online franchise like they would a Fantasy Football team?
4 – Will NCAA and Madden avoid the perils of a post-patch, game breaking bug?
Sadly over the past couple of years, patches for all sports games have become the norm. As a gamer you almost have to be resigned to the fact the game isn’t going to work right for a couple of weeks after you buy it.
Unfortunately, however, not all bugs are found before the patch hits the street. Both NCAA and Madden have felt the affects of these types of bugs over the past few seasons.
Last year NCAA’s online dynasties were victims of two big bugs that were never fixed: teams weren’t able to talk players out of leaving the program early, and the commissioner’s players didn’t progress correctly.
Two years ago Madden had catastrophic franchise issues that began appearing after the game was patched and past the point of no return.
Will this year be any different? Or will NCAA and Madden's new online features be sabotaged?
5 – Will FIFA drastically improve the most unrealistic “franchise mode” in the business?
FIFA’s success over the past couple of years has really been incredible when you consider how unrealistic the game’s Manager Mode is.
For starters it is completely devoid of the drama and excitement of the transfer market. Players are signed to play for clubs their real life counterparts would never dream of playing for. Stars are scouted way too easy. Exceptional players are available as free transfers and will sign for clubs that aren’t even in the top flight. And when all is said and done its far to easy to take a team from a second or even third division and have them playing in the Champions League within a couple of season.
Take FIFA 09, and completely overhaul the Manager Mode experience to be something akin to Football Manager Light, and you have a sports video game that can rival The Show for top dog.
What are your thoughts? What do you think the answers might prove to be? Chime in and let OS know!
Monday, June 29, 2009
In fact I should have a return column up sometime in the next couple of days taking a look at the 2010 crop of games and asking some questions.
Until there, some random thoughts to fill the remaining hour I have at work before going home and taking part in a little 1 vs. 100 action on Xbox Live ...
- As you might have guess, I'm a big fan of the online franchise announcement for Madden and I actually first got involved with the sports gaming community after the launch of Madden 01 on the PC because of its online franchise.
You just have to wonder where online gaming might be today if that original online franchise was embraced as cutting edge by EA Sports instead of thrown on Island of Misfit Toys. In fact, I was actually told by a former Madden producer online franchise were removed because "nobody played it" and they didn't think that would ever change.
- Speaking of online franchises, if you're looking for online leagues in either Madden or NCAA, head over to Tradition Football.
Last year The Tradition was the first online dynasty formed literally minutes after the feature was announced for NCAA 09. Right now there are more than 10 NCAA leagues of various styles awaiting the release of NCAA 10, a 32-team Madden league and a 32-team NCAA Release Day tournament in the works.
- Every year I wonder why people spend so much time picking apart demos. I can see doing so for a much anticipated, AAA title we've been waiting on for three years. Or even a game like Facebreaker - where you didn't know what to expect before it came out.
But for an annual sports title? If you repeatedly play a new version year after year you're going to be looking for nuiances - and those nuiances are likely to be different in the retail version of the game anyway.
- FIFA 10? Online Manager Mode? Purty Puh-leeze?
- The new Ghostbusters video game is awesome. I can't remember literally laughing out loud at a video game before.
- It isn't often the manager of your team is openly ridiculed on national television, like Manager Jerry Manuel was last night. It's never a good sign when your decisions put Joe Morgan and Steve Phillips in a position to be the voice of reason.
Manuel's lunacy, however, did result in a great moment when Jeter smirked at K-Rod, almost saying "WTF are you doing throwing that pitch? You know who's on deck right?"
- In the long run, USA's loss to Brazil might be beneficial. I think the US team went into the clubhouse, realized the gravity of what was going on and made the cardinal sin of playing not to lose. It also didn't help that one of the best teams in the world went into the clubhouse and likely worked themselves into a frenzy.
But the US team now knows two things. First, they can hang with the world's elite soccer national soccer teams. It doesn't get much better than Spain and Brazil. Second, they don't ever want to feel like they did at the end of the match on Sunday, knowing they played good enough to win but let it slip through their fingers.
Monday, May 4, 2009
1 - Matthew Stafford
2 - Jason Smith
3 - Tyson Jackson
4 - Aaron Curry
5 - Mark Sanchez
6 - Andre Smith
7 - Darrius Heyward-Bey
8 - Eugene Monroe
9 - B.J. Raji
10 - Michael Crabtree
11 - Aaron Maybin
12 - Knowshon Moreno
13 - Brian Orakpo
14 - Malcolm Jenkins
15 - Brian Cushing
16 - Larry English
19 - Jeremy Maclin
20 - Brandon Pettigrew
25 - Vontae Davis
29 - Hakeem Nicks
30 - Kenny Britt
34 - Patrick Chung
43 - Everette Brown
44 - Pat White
I also have done three Madden 09 cards ...
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Last week, I sat down with Phil Frazier, a long-time producer at EA Sports, and checked out the latest Madden 10 build. While I did not get a chance to grab the controller and start dissecting the game myself, Phil Frazier did demo many of the new on-the-field Madden 10 features for me.
However, before getting to those features, I must mention that on Monday I wrote that the unofficial theme for NCAA Football 10 will be customization. Well, when it comes to Madden 10 I believe the theme will be "immersion." From the first moment you put the game in your console to the moment you take the field, immersion will be the goal.
When the game is loading, you are immediately brought into a football state of mind as you watch a down marker count from one to four. The opening screen features Larry Fitzgerald diving and reaching for the pylon while sub-menus bounce around the stadium.
And, perhaps taking a hint from our article last season about how loading screens no longer contain useful information, this year’s Madden highlights players and their ratings as you wait to take the field.
Pro-Tak
On the field, most of Madden’s improvements center around a new animation technology called Pro-Tak.
Marketing jargon? Sure. But when Pro-Tak is flexing its muscles, you can see the difference it is making. At the heart of Pro-Tak is the ability to control players on the field through contact with other players, while also having the ability to shape how the player you are controlling will respond to that contact.
For instance, Pro-Tak is what makes the new gang tackling feature in Madden work. This year you are able to have up to nine players on the field involved in the tackle –- both offensive and defensive players.
Four Bills versus one Jet. Wonder who's going to win ...
For the first time, you will see running backs like Brandon Jacobs move a pile of defenders forward, tight ends run up to the back of a pile and throw their shoulder into it to push it up field, and an entire flock of linebackers converging on the ball carrier at the same time.
You will now also have the ability to initiate a tackle with one defender before switching to another defender to finish the job.
Pro-Tak is also working hard in every passing situation because it is the cornerstone of pass rushing defenders, blocking lineman and the quarterback. For example, Pro-Tak appears to have finally slain suction blocking and the dreaded 15-yard drop back. Animations between offensive and defensive linemen are much more fluid and lifelike –- with the war not being won simply by offensive linemen making contact.
... Not the Jet.
For pass rushers, this means no more button and trigger mashing to use one of a couple moves in your bag of tricks. Instead you will be able to use the right stick to steer your player through contact with the offensive line.
This steering is what kills the 15-yard drop back. If you drop back more than a couple of yards, you are giving the defenders an ideal angle to push through the offensive linemen, get on their outside shoulder and bull rush right to the point of attack.
For quarterbacks, Pro-Tak allows you to better feel the pressure coming at you and also trigger animations that try to avoid the rush. In the past, I think we all witnessed situations where the QB dodged a sack via some kind of miracle animation that we would be lucky to ever see again.
This year, those random animations are gone, and instead you control your QB's ability to shuffle left, right and up in the pocket with the right stick. The QB is able to truly slide around the pocket like Tom Brady (pre-knee injury) before throwing downfield.
Madden is also utilizing a vibrating controller so you can sense where the pressure is coming from. If you are getting heavy pressure from the right, you will feel it. If you have time but are getting a bit of pressure from the left, the joystick will vibrate a touch.
The Little Things
Perhaps taking a page from MLB: The Show, Madden 10 is also looking to focus more on the little details that have sometimes been overlooked in the past -– basically keeping the "if it's in the game" mantra in mind at all times.
When the ball is fumbled in certain situations, a number of players will dive on the loose ball and it will change hands in the pile numerous times. While it was not ready during my demo, in the final version of the game there will be a button mashing mini-game to decide who gets the ball - with the button needing to be hit changing throughout the sequence.
According to Frazier, these piles are going to be special, rare situations with most fumbles playing out similar to years past. But in certain circumstances you're going to see all hell break loose fighting for the football.
The emotion of the moment is captured as well, with referees pulling guys off the pile before emphatically pointing in one direction or the other.
A detail like Ben Roethlisberger's "7" appearing right on the yellow line of his helmet instead of on the side of it is important to the Madden developers. As Phil said to me, Big Ben is somebody’s favorite player, and the developers really want to make sure Madden lives up to the expectations of that fan –- getting every nuance correct if they can.
Madden 10 has a new, more streamlined playcalling screen.
The entire referee crew will now also be on the field. Now, while they do not have collision detection, you will still see them getting run over.
Defensive assignments are also back in the game. Once again, you will be able to take a defensive back or other defender and have him follow another player on the field -- no matter where he lines up.
Other Tidbits and Thoughts
- The graphics and lighting in Madden 10 are top notch. I thought NCAA and Madden 09 looked pretty good, and what I saw of NCAA 10 was on par with its 09 siblings. Still, Madden 10 is noticeable upgrade when compared to last year’s titles and even NCAA Football 10.
- The development team certainly seems to get what gamers are looking for and, perhaps more importantly, have the backing to go out and make a football game for true football fans. The true test will come when you get your hands on the controller and take the game for a whir. Nevertheless, from the limited on-the-field action I saw, the game appeared to be hitting on all cylinders.
- QBs have had their accuracy ratings changed. Instead of having one accuracy rating, they now have three ratings for long, medium and short passes. So, the Chad Penningtons of the world will no longer throw a good deep ball simply because they have a high accuracy rating. It will be interesting to see how this impacts the noodle-armed slingers like Pennington.
- There are no more weapons.
- Player ratings have been rebalanced. The aim is for the elite players in the league to truly feel superior to the rest of the players out there.
- During replays, when moving the camera around, you will now have a much better sense of depth since the game will focus on your target and blur out what is behind it -- similar to focusing on an item with a camera. This is something MLB: The Show did really well, and Madden’s system is just as impressive.
- Team-specific sidelines have been added. Everything on the sideline looks a lot more realistic than it has in the past.
- Super Bowl patches appear on a team's uniforms.
- Phil Frazier and other members of the Madden team hinted that they have a few more announcements in store for E3.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
So far I have a few cards done, and will be looking to add more this week.
To add the card, first right click and "Save Image As ..." and save it to your computer. Then go to your Operation Sports arena, click "Edit Your Card," and us the upload option. The card is sized perfectly to fit on the OS Arena page.
If you have a request please let me know here and I'll do my best to take care of it.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Posted on April 10, 2009 at 12:23 PM.
It certainly is refreshing to see EA Sports embracing the online franchise and dynasty, especially considering this is a company that removed online franchises from Madden on the PC a few years back because “nobody played it.”So in the interest of helping EA deliver online franchises people will love, here are some tips from the point of view of a long time Madden commissioner and NCAA Online Dynasty aficionado.
1 – Make sure everything works.
It goes without saying, but a lot of online dynasties in NCAA died last year because of a bug in the off-season – making it impossible to keep your best players from leaving early or transferring without some serious elbow grease by the league commissioner.
This particular bug really made you wonder if anybody at EA even tried to simulate an online franchise before shipping the game.
And you can’t have a long lasting dynasty when nobody wants to be the commissioner because their players won’t progress.
2 – Allow smaller, flexible leagues, with the rest of the teams computer controlled.
This speaks more to Madden than NCAA (since its NCAA's lead Madden should be following). It is just damn near impossible to find 32 guys who can get along for anything more than a few weeks.
Sooner or later you are going to have personalities clash and arguments erupt over what is considered fair and what is considered cheating.
The NCAA Online Dynasty model is much better – a flexible number of players up to 12, arranged in whatever way they see fit. And other teams computer controlled.
3 – Online fantasy draft please.
Allowing a league in Madden the option of having an online fantasy draft will help distribute talent across the league and limit the advantage some teams have coming out of the gate.
Otherwise, you’ll have fistfights over teams like the Patriots.
4 – Exported rosters for online pickup games.
This is a feature that is always overlooked and one that people would love – having the option to export their team from an online franchise/dynasty and then use it for pickup games online or offline.
The ability to practice in the franchise is nice, but folks like to play with their teams against others and get a feel for their players – especially after the off-season when they have new players and draftees to try out.
5 – Import rosters in Madden or NCAA 11.
At some point this became part of the Ten Commandments of Sports Gaming: once a new version of the game comes out, you needed to scrap your old team and start over.
In online franchises and dynasties this is particularly disheartening, since players are dealing with draft picks and recruits they would love to see graduate or retire some day.
So give us the option to import the rosters from one edition of Madden or NCAA to the next edition.
What do you think? What are some items on your online dynasty/franchise wishlist?
817 Forum Posts
23 Blog Entries
364 News/Blog Comments
1 Reader Score Votes
59 Friends
15 Chalkboard Messages
67 Screenshots
20 Videos
66,750 Arena Visits
BlyGilmore's Blog Categories
BlyGilmore's Xbox 360 Gamercard
More
BlyGilmore's Friends
Recent Visitors
The last 10 visitor(s) to this Arena were:
BlyGilmore's Arena has had 66,750 visits
- CarryTheWeight
- jcalexand3
- ju1092
- kriston
- MrDhWhat
- muttcope
- rexis
- St. Francisco
- TexanWolverine
- The Police
BlyGilmore's Arena has had 66,750 visits
Working...
