Madden 16: Is Connected Franchise Sacrificing Realism? (Roundtable)

[aholbert32]

Quote: Originally Posted by jmurphy31

I will say this, albeit a small sample size. I teach hs sports marketing with the majority of my students are athletes. 10 years ago all they talked about was video games and how they were doing in their franchise. Some round even take the day off when fifa or NBA 2k came out. Now a lot don't even have a xbox one or ps 4. And those who do are playing games like COD. The ones who play sports games either play head to head or MUT. Not much franchise these days. Even when I talk to them about franchise mode they could really care less about it.

While this is somewhat true, its sort of short sighted.

1) Gamers are much older now. I remember when I was in teens, I never thought I would still be playing video games in my 30's. Now I'm 37 and I own 3 consoles and a portable console. So guys like me who arent online players and love franchise are still around. I'll be playing video game until I'm old so ignoring features I want is silly. Because I'm older, I have significantly more money to spend on luxury items like video games than I did when I was 22 so by ignoring me you are missing out on potential sales.

2) As people get older, they typically have less time to play online. I would love to play in a league but with a wife and a 1yr old I dont have the flexibility to schedule games against guys who have more schedule flexibility than me. Thats why online doesnt appeal.

If EA or other game companies continue to ignore offline gamers and the features we demand, I just wont buy their games and I think there are a ton of people like me. They could potentially lose out on a good amount of revenue.

[ianlast]

Can Madden provide an option to play a Franchise mode similar to what was in Madden 2012 and prior? Or if not that, then a single season mode like what they have in NHL and FIFA?

I suppose I'll wait to hear more, but based on what I know now, I have even less incentive to play Connected Franchise. I don't like how Madden, rather than giving you freedom and customization within their franchise mode, basically forces you to do things a certain way. And not only that, but ties your experience to a progression/XP system that often makes no sense.

Looks like another year of 'Play Now' games and nothing else for my offline Madden experience. Sigh.

[StefJoeHalt]

Quote: Originally Posted by Skyboxer

In a nut she'll for me but first a disclaimer : I enjoyes M15 a lot. Accepted what it was and made the best of it. . Now on to a quick response: Everything trickles down. Franchise in of itself is fine for the most part. The issue is up stream. There's not enough seperation from ok players to great players. Yes we can look at a player and know ok that's Dez.. etc.. but in most cases you can have a player rated 15 points lower shut him down For the most part or at the least still limit major damage. There really isn't any fear about who's on the field you have to defense or who you have to avoid on D. Until there's some REAL player differences and repercussions for fielding certain players and having to look at things other than speed... then everything else is simply just for show. I want to actually have roster management and player personnel matter much more than it does now. That's just 1 aspect of a part of franchise that holds it back. Goals and XP already being discussed. Hope I made sense..

Sky this is huge..what your saying comes back to ratings though..and madden over rating players...I know EA workers have to walk a fine line cause players lose their mind when ratings come out..but they must be reworked..as a whole..which if done correctly can make the mode better


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[Introvese]

I just don't get EA at all. I mean who plays Franchise more hardcore or casual? I would say hardcore plays that mode more. So why continue to add stuff further blurs the line between sim-hardcore/casual. I just don't think EA cares about sim players all that much. They must have data besides sales stating something. I just don't get it.

[ggsimmonds]

Quote: Originally Posted by jmurphy31

Initially EA said by making CFM (combining franchise mode with superstar mode) it would allow them to improve both more each year because they were the same thing. In other words resources didn't have to get split between the 2 modes. I wish they would go back and look at madden 05. It was a pretty solid franchise mode.

One of the selling points was that the old franchise mode was working on old code that made it hard to do anything. So they claimed they rebuilt everything from the ground up and that in the future (this was 3 years ago mind you) they would be able to add a ton of features to CCM.

They have not touched the be a player aspect of the mode at all. I don't think they have made a single improvement in that area.
And I have yet to see anything that illustrates how great CFM is at allowing added features.

I really wish I could be a fly on the wall during the design meetings to see how they come up with this.

[jmurphy31]

Quote: Originally Posted by aholbert32

While this is somewhat true, its sort of short sighted. 1) Gamers are much older now. I remember when I was in teens, I never thought I would still be playing video games in my 30's. Now I'm 37 and I own 3 consoles and a portable console. So guys like me who arent online players and love franchise are still around. I'll be playing video game until I'm old so ignoring features I want is silly. Because I'm older, I have significantly more money to spend on luxury items like video games than I did when I was 22 so by ignoring me you are missing out on potential sales. 2) As people get older, they typically have less time to play online. I would love to play in a league but with a wife and a 1yr old I dont have the flexibility to schedule games against guys who have more schedule flexibility than me. Thats why online doesnt appeal. If EA or other game companies continue to ignore offline gamers and the features we demand, I just wont buy their games and I think there are a ton of people like me. They could potentially lose out on a good amount of revenue.

I hear ya. I tell my class the average video gamer is 33 years old and they are suprise to hear that. I'm 36 with two kids and it's tough to do the online for me as well. I can't tell you how much all these online modes push me further and further away from games.

I mean most story modes in games are short and have no depth to them. With more and more focus on online modes. Just look at moat games achievements list. Now sports games are heading in that direction.

My next biggest fear is Sports games start heading more to the DLC path. Take arkham knight. $60 doesn't get you the whole game. That will cost $100 and that still doesn't give you everything . To do that you would have to preorder at different stores. Or Dead Space where you add to pay for the real ending of the game. And don't get me going on the infinity stuff my kid is hooked on.

Once sports games go that route I may be done.

[sg3751]

I don't get what's wrong with potential based progression, such as in 2k. If you can combine that with playing time, I think it is the best determinant of progression, like in FIFA.

[Lakers24win]

@stayplation82..... But would they make it a focal point in your my GM mode?... I don't mind something like this in a my player time mode.. Not my franchise mode.