EA Still Owns the NFL License Exclusively

[FBall Life]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

The basis for my opinion: I care about franchise mode more than anything else. A lack of double-team tackling doesn't bother me as much as AI teams drafting only quarterbacks, running backs, left tackles, and defensive ends in the first round, thus allowing me the user to "game" the draft because of predictable and poor programming. A lack of textbook proper run fills doesn't bother me as much as completely opaque player progression logic with zero feedback, thus inhibiting and/or completely stopping my ability to meaningfully develop talent on my roster. A lack of foot planting for all 22 players on the field doesn't bother me as much as a complete absence of franchise mode from a game altogether. I'm less bothered by what the other games are doing that Madden isn't because there are things those old games do poorly / don't do at all which Madden does do. Madden plays well enough on the field for my personal tastes, warts and all, because its career mode options are in my opinion superior to anything else that is currently offered. Finally, maybe I don't care about playing a 100% authentic simulation on the field. What's wrong with my opinion? It's a video game. I play video games to escape from reality and enjoy myself. If I want a simulation, I'll go outside and play pitch-and-catch with my brother.

That's like saying instead of playing a simulation shooter, join the military. Wanna play a simulation racing game? Go join NASCAR instead.

See how that sounds slightly unreasonable...

And if you're not wanting a simulation football game, fine. EA could make settings to accommodate you. Have casual and simulation settings so everyone wins. As for you being fine with an arcadey football game, in this community here at OS, you are undeniably in the minority.

[BezO]

To much trying to understand EA's business for my taste. Consumers don't lack power, they just don't exercise it. Company's respond to stock holders because they speak with their wallet. They don't respect consumers because they don't speak with their wallet. They complain.

I don't know how many "sim" gamers their are, unhappy with Madden, but I'd bet they make up a larger portion of those sales than we care to believe. Look at the drastic reaction by EA when their sales were threatened the last time. They can't play that card any more. If folks spoke with their pockets instead of their fingers, maybe we'd have the game we want. Maybe those 2K programmers would be EA programmers. Who knows?

Quote: Originally Posted by LBzrule

While that constituency might not be concerned, obviously EA is or else they wouldn't be doing interviews with online communities; they wouldn't get their feelings hurt by comments from online folks; they wouldn't invite people from online communities to come play their game early, so on and so forth. So yeah while that group doesn't care, it seems to me that people at tiburon care alot what internet communities think.

Cheap labor.

And of course they care. Where else would they get feedback?

Quote: Originally Posted by LBzrule

Meeh. The problem I have with this argument is that it takes for granted that the NFL did not know the situation in the NFL football gaming market. That is, it takes for granted that the NFL did not know about the competition between the two development houses and how one house was the big name in the market and the other one needed to do something drastic to get market share. Second, the Thomas' were quite clear that this would be the only time that the game would be priced this way, indicating that they were giving people a "superior product" to get market share. Third, it points to the NFL not even looking at 2k5 the game itself and recognizing it as a great product. So in the end, the argument seems to say, the NFL never even looked at the game, they just looked at the 20 tag and said our product has been "cheapened." I think the NFL knew it had a competitive gaming market. I think they knew this would be the only time 2k had the price this way. Lastly, if something sells for a cheap price does that mean a product has been "cheapened" in the sense that it seems to be used here, namely, to degrade? Ehhh one more point, why would the NFL care how much anyone sold the game for when they had already gotten paid? I'd venture to say EA cared more than the NFL did because they had to lower their price and lose money and it pissed them off to no end. I think the big idea for the NFL and EA is that hey, let's cut this off. NFL: If you guys pay us more than we can get from all of these other guys paying us to develop a game, we can make it exclusive. EA: Our development house just got their a$$ beat and those a$$holes over there made us lower the price on our game to compete. We lost money on that. They must be destroyed at all cost. And that last sentence is not far from verbatim. Six to seven months prior to the exclusive license being signed EA's Jeremy Strauser publicly stated, "We are going to destroy the competition." No one knew what he was talking about at that point.

Good car companies do this all the time, and for more than 1 year. Remember Hyundai being a "cheap" car. Their prices are now inline with Honda & Toyota. And they offer one of the best warranties to my knowledge.

[Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by FBall Life

That's like saying instead of paying a simulation shooter, join the military. Wanna play a simulation racing game? Go join NASCAR instead.

I didn't realize my leaving the house to toss a football with my brother was such a profound endeavor...? I don't have to join the military to shoot a gun or join a racing league to drive a car fast, either.

Quote:

And if you're not wanting a simulation football game, fine. EA could make settings to accommodate you. Have casual and simulation settings so everyone wins. As for you being fine with an arcadey football game, in this community here at OS, you are undeniably in the minority.

I don't want Tiburon to change their current approach to a more arcade oriented approach because their current product is one that I enjoy. What exists right now, I am perfectly happy with. I obviously want to have justification to buy the next version, however, thus I want to see improvements year-over-year, particularly in franchise mode. To the extent that Tiburon can make their game more realistic by making improvements, I'm all for it.

Finally, I don't consider Madden an arcade game. It's pretty far removed from NFL Blitz.

[FBall Life]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

I didn't realize my leaving the house to toss a football with my brother was such a profound endeavor...? I don't have to join the military to shoot a gun or join a racing league to drive a car fast, either. I don't want Tiburon to change their current approach to a more arcade oriented approach because their current product is one that I enjoy. What exists right now, I am perfectly happy with. I obviously want to have justification to buy the next version, however, thus I want to see improvements year-over-year, particularly in franchise mode. To the extent that Tiburon can make their game more realistic by making improvements, I'm all for it. Finally, I don't consider Madden an arcade game. It's pretty far removed from NFL Blitz.

1) I can't leave the house right now, drive to my nearest pro stadium, walk onto the field and play 11 vs 11 NFL football in front of a crowd of 90,000. You have to compare one to one. Throwing the ball around in the yard with your brother is not an analog for a simulation of football.

2) You don't have to be Blitz to be an arcade football game. Madden has proven this over the last decade.

[Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by FBall Life

I can't leave the house right now, drive to my nearest pro stadium, walk onto the field and play 11 vs 11 NFL football in front of a crowd of 90,000. You have to compare one to one. Throwing the ball around in the yard with your brother is not an analog for a simulation of football.

True. However, you can play a several video games created with the explicit intent of emulating that experience in video game form, and Madden NFL is one of them. If Madden doesn't meet your quality standards, there are older games which attempted the same task. If those aren't good enough either, I guess you're out of luck? In which case I recommend you find something else to make you happy, given we all know the exclusivity situation.

Quote:

You don't have to be Blitz to be an arcade football game. Madden has proven this over the last decade.

We'll agree to disagree over the classification of Madden. I will say that your opinion is at odds with the developers at this point as to where they classify the Madden, as well as the vast majority of the video game media and the vast majority of the video game playing demographic, all of whom consider consider Madden a simulation sports game. I personally offer more weight to the opinion which came straight from the horse's mouth, they know what they set out to make better than anyone.

[FBall Life]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

True. However, you can play a several video games created with the explicit intent of emulating that experience in video game form, and Madden NFL is one of them. If Madden doesn't meet your quality standards, there are older games which attempted the same task. If those aren't good enough either, I guess you're out of luck? In which case I recommend you find something else to make you happy, given we all know the exclusivity situation. We'll agree to disagree over the classification of Madden. I will say that your opinion is at odds with the developers at this point as to where they classify the Madden, as well as the vast majority of the video game media and the vast majority of the video game playing demographic, all of whom consider consider Madden a simulation sports game. I personally offer more weight to the opinion which came straight from the horse's mouth, they know what they set out to make better than anyone.

1) Madden hasn't met the quality standard of this community in a very long time.

2) You said it yourself in your previous post when you said you didn't want Madden to change from it's Arcade approach. Therefore admitting it is an arcade representation of football.

3) Just because EA says Madden is a simulation doesn't make it so.

[Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by FBall Life

1) Madden hasn't met the quality standard of this community in a very long time.

I'm not sure since when you speak for the community at-large, but the way I see it OS hosts a few dozen Madden online leagues and the site's editorial staff has never scored the game below a 7/10 (with the exception of Madden NFL 06 on XBOX 360, which I did not purchase because I did not think it warranted such). Is Madden perfect? No. Is Madden an enjoyable and fun sports video game? According to this community, the answer has consistently been "yes".

Quote:

2) You said it yourself in your previous post when you said you didn't want Madden to change from it's Arcade approach. Therefore admitting it is an arcade representation of football.

You are the one who keeps using the word "arcade". I never said that. I consider Madden to be a football video game which attempts to emulate the real-life NFL. Notice how I didn't use the word "arcade" there.

The context of my quote was that I care about how well franchise mode is executed moreso than seeing what happens on the field mirror real life 1:1. To repeat myself, things like foot planting don't matter to me if said football game with foot planting offers my games no context. I think Madden is plenty realistic right now, and I'd like to see it continue down this direction because I enjoy games with strategic depth. I'm fine where it is right now, however, and prefer Madden NFL to all other options available at this point.

Quote:

3) Just because EA says Madden is a simulation doesn't make it so.

Ok? Who gets to decide that? You? What are the objective criteria for such a subjective analysis of a sports video game?

[FBall Life]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

I'm not sure since when you speak for the community at-large, but the way I see it OS hosts a few dozen Madden online leagues and the site's editorial staff has never scored the game below a 7/10 (with the exception of Madden NFL 06 on XBOX 360, which I did not purchase because I did not think it warranted such). Is Madden perfect? No. Is Madden an enjoyable and fun sports video game? According to this community, the answer has consistently been "yes". You are the one who keeps using the word "arcade". I never said that. I consider Madden to be a football video game which attempts to emulate the real-life NFL. Notice how I didn't use the word "arcade" there. The context of my quote was that I care about how well franchise mode is executed moreso than seeing what happens on the field mirror real life 1:1. To repeat myself, things like foot planting don't matter to me if said football game with foot planting offers my games no context. I think Madden is plenty realistic right now, and I'd like to see it continue down this direction because I enjoy games with strategic depth. I'm fine where it is right now, however, and prefer Madden NFL to all other options available at this point. Ok? Who gets to decide that? You? What are the objective criteria for such a subjective analysis of a sports video game?

1) The tourney scene does not represent simulation football.

2) Your exact quote used the word arcade. I didn't put that word in your mouth. You did.

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

I don't want Tiburon to change their current approach to a more arcade oriented approach because their current product is one that I enjoy.

EDIT: I misread your quote, my apologies.

3) What do I base my criteria on? History, my friend. It isn't subjective. A decade old game was a better representation of simulation football than Madden 25.