Suggestions – Page 5

Metal Gear Solid 5 And The Nuclear Quest(ion)

After beating the known storylines in Metal Gear Solid 5 there are still so many small things to do and accomplish as far as side-ops and further development go. The biggest sticking point for many MGS players is the building/disarming of nuclear weapons in the FOB Resource section of their game.

I have yet to develop a nuke on my own to this point, but that didn’t keep me from reaching 150,000+ Heroism (unlocking the Hero Trophy and therefore making it possible to infiltrate other FOBs that already developed or stole a nuke for their own base). After breaking into the rival FOB last night and stealing their nuke while completing my infiltration I realized a couple things about my status when in possession of a nuke in MGS 5 – I am a huge target when I have a nuke. Now that this game has been out for nearly two months and gamers have been pouring over the details after completing the storyline there are really only two things left to accomplish.

Develop A Nuke/Disarm A Nuke
Develop the remaining items for Venom Snake (I refuse to call our character Big Boss) and the Buddys

This is where the entire basis of the FOB started to make me think that it really becomes meaningless after you have developed every item (including a nuke).

By the time most MGS gamers have earned enough heroism to break into an FOB and steal a nuke they won’t have any reason to break into a non-nuclear FOB. This means that having a nuke isn’t so much a deterrent as it is an invitation to have your FOB jacked with constantly (as long as you possess a nuke that is). The only reason I have been bothering to break into rival FOBs is to steal their minor metal and fuel resources… why? To develop a nuke, get the trophy and dismantle it.

Why dismantle it? Because if someone has played the game enough and is able to break into FOBs – your nuke is as good as gone and your resources have been wasted as a false deterrent. Also, there is no actual use for the nuke other than making it impossible for non-hero rated gamers to raid your FOB. Again, if you have all your weapons developed and have already developed/disarmed a nuke – who cares if someone breaks in and steals the resources you are basically done with?

It would be different if you could use your nuke against someone that has been trolling your FOB (I’m looking at you Crimson157). If we were able to unleash our nuke and totally destroy another user’s FOB this game would become total anarchy and probably lose even more gamers to the coming nuclear aftermath of Fallout 4.

So, to answer the nuclear question as far as MGS 5 goes – Develop and dismantle a nuke to get the trophy. Then focus on developing the rest of your FOB, weapons and such. After that, you can basically focus on trolling the CPU in single player and wasting more time with Metal Gear Online.

Speaking for myself – I plan on getting every trophy for this game and setting it aside for Fallout 4. It really is too bad that Kojima and Co. jacked with our minds and the end of a great franchise so much as to make it downright trivial to develop nukes.

Madden 16 – Settings and Sliders (CFM)

As promised, here are the official NoobTubeTV settings (version 1.0) and sliders for your CFM.

A few things before you dig into these. Yes, I have nerfed the CPU run blocking. This is because I have played against enough players like Jeremy Hill and such that simply run over every tackle attempt that I chose to even it up a bit. I am considering turning CPU Run Block up to 20 as I keep playing, but so far I have been having great games (especially in my second season).

Also, be sure to set the auto-subs before the season if you want to get the proper stats for starters and backups.

I set the quarter length to 12 minutes because 15 was giving me far too many plays and high scores. Setting it at 12 minutes is a great sim experience that will give you about 65 plays per game depending on how quickly you snap the ball, etc.

One final tip… When running the ball you should NEVER hit the sprint button until the play has developed and then speed burst through the hole.

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask!

Settings

Instant Starter – ON

Salary Cap – ON

Skill Level – All Madden

Quarter Length – 12 Minutes

Accelerated Clock – On

Minimum Play Clock – 15 Seconds

Game Speed – Normal

Player Progression – Every 4 Weeks

Coach Firing – On

Gameplay Tuning – Yes

Injury – On

Pre-Existing Injury – OFF

Trade Deadline – On

Trade Type – Enable All

Relocation Settings – Off

League Type – All

Auto Strafe – Off

Heat Seeker – On

Ball Hawk – On

Camera – Standard

On-Field Visual – Off

Def. Tackle Indicator – Off

Kicking Arc – On

Passing Camera – On

CPU Settings (CFM)

All set to OFF besides Game Prep (Game Prep is a complete waste of time)

SLIDERS HUM/CPU

QBA 55/40

Pass Block 50/50

WRC – 50/41

RBK – 53/15

FUM – 45/35

PDR – 75/55

INT – 50/40

PCV – 70/53

TAK – 60/45

Special Teams

FGP – 50

FGA – 50 (If you set this below 50 you will get the terrible accuracy glitch that basically makes your kick arc go crazy)

PPW – 50

PAC – 100 (CPU punters are terrible, EA needs to fix this legacy issue)

KOP – 50

Game Options

Injuries – 55

Fatigue – 60

Min Speed Thresh – 40

Penalties

Offside – 55

False Start – 50

Holding – 40

Def. Hold – 50

Face Mask – 50

Def PI – 50

Off PI – On

Kick Catch – On

Illegal Block – 50

Intentional Ground – On (Doesn’t work either way)

Rough Pass – 50

Rough Kick – On

Running Into – On

Auto-Subs

QB – 50/40

HB – 85/70

WR – 85/70

TE/FB – 80/65

OL – 12/10

DT – 80/65

DE – 80/65

LB – 80/65

CB – 80/70

S – 80/70

Madden 16 – The Scouting Guide For Your CFM

I thought about which part of Madden 16 I would feature first this year and I believe that the biggest improvement to Franchise Mode this year is in the scouting process. They are really trying their best to make you focus on the scheme of your coach and the play-style of each player on your team. While this might still be somewhat wishful thinking in terms of making the game a more ‘true to life experience’ it certainly makes it a bit more challenging and enjoyable to scout players for the upcoming draft.

The one part of scouting and the draft that seems to have been hidden away for some reason is the weekly news keeping you up to date on all the latest college prospect happenings throughout the season. They are still in the game, but they are nowhere near the main page you look at each week. You have to go all the way to the far right tab and look up the league news, etc. It is terribly clunky and I can’t believe they haven’t designed the interface to be a bit more organized. Why there isn’t a page totally dedicated to the upcoming draft with mock drafts and news on draft picks is beyond me. So, with that said – here is a quick guide for scouting.

It’s All About Scheme

If you want to draft players that will come into your team with the highest overall rating possible you need to focus on scouting and drafting according to your coaching schemes and player preferences. You can find all this information under the ‘Coach Section’ in CFM (the same area you find auto-subs, etc.). Take some time before you start your season and certainly before you start scouting (Which begins in Week 3 each regular season). If you are running a 3-4 defense chances are good that you won’t want to draft a 4-3 DE to play DE for your team at the same position (now, if you want to move him to OLB after the draft… well, we will talk about that later.

Invest Heavily in Middle and Late Rounders

Yes, your first round pick is crucial and you need to get it right. However, this is typically one player at a position you know for a fact you want to fill. In this case you know what you are looking for and shouldn’t have to spend your points on first round prospects as your options will hopefully be limited. If there isn’t a can’t-miss prospect for your team in the first round of the draft I would highly suggest shopping your pick during the draft (or even near the trade deadline if your team is looking like a playoff team (no sense in keeping a late 1st round pick when you can trade it for a future 1st and a current 2nd or 3rd Rd. pick for this coming draft.

Use your points to find players at positions you are weak in the middle rounds. There are often some high 70s and low 80s players that fall into the 4th and 5th rounds – you need to uncover their draft stock and be sure to ‘Watch’ them with the Triangle or ‘Y’ button as you scout.

Watching Players (Your Draft Board)

Sure, you still can’t put players into a draftable order for your team, but the new function of ‘Watch’ is a great way to organize the players you uncover as potential goldmines in the draft. This will also be helpful for you as you get past the 2nd Round and see who is falling or who might get snagged by the CPU. Keep in mind!!! The CPU becomes a trade nazi during the draft. You might want to move up a few picks to get a guy you have a feeling might go before you get a chance. The CPU will not take a trade that might happen in the regular season – so don’t be afraid to pull the trigger on one of those players you are watching maybe a round earlier than it suggests (if you think he merits the risk).

Check The News Wire

During the season and just after the Super Bowl it is crucial for you to see which players are featured on the news feed as they are often going to be ‘storyline’ players as well as decent picks to take when you get the chance. There are some other players that will be tremendous busts as well – don’t fall into that trap.

Keep checking back for more tips and suggestions for your Madden 16 CFM. The NoobTubeTV Sliders and Setting will also be uploaded to PS4 servers and shared here shortly!

Tapping Out – My Month With Bloodborne

In case you didn’t catch my recent post about the wondrous world of Yarnham and Bloodborne here it is (50 Shades of Pain).

This is Bloodborne's message to gamers like me. — This is Bloodborne’s message to gamers like me.

Now that you know that I quickly fell in love with Bloodborne and all that the wonderful world had to offer in the ways of a beautiful game and challenging experience. And now, about a month after falling for it – the relationship has ended like a high school romance. I’m not bitter about the game, or even the initial purchase price (as I am currently looking at getting around $35-45 for it on eBay – the auction ends tomorrow). I just realized that I couldn’t bring myself to care about the character in a story that doesn’t really exist in a game that punishes me to the point even Christian Grey is saying ‘That’s effed up.’. In the end, much like high school romances – I knew I was getting sick of this game and didn’t want to pour time into a game that wouldn’t give me as joy as I wanted out of something that I do to enjoy downtime and escape the stress of life. I am looking forward to playing some new games in the meantime and truly can’t wait until Metal Gear Solid 5 – The Phantom Pain is released in September.

I would say I am sad about the fact that I never beat the game if I didn’t know that it basically ends abruptly and throws you back into the fray in ‘New Game Plus’. Basically, you are simply being given another chance to go through the world, get brutalized again and deal with all the same anger issues this game brings – as well as the joy in defeating the tremendous bosses. That is all well and good and I commend those of you that worship this game as a demigod in the current lackluster lineup that is quality PS4 titles.

That said – knowing that the game doesn’t really feel like a rewarding experience when you finish it and you simply repeat it all over again reminds me quite a bit of Super Mario Brothers on NES. When you defeated King Koopa on world 8-4 and thought you beat the game and celebrated the victory – you then get thrown into a ‘New Game Plus’. This new game had black beetles instead of the brown mushroom guys and was more difficult in some ways. I’m sure those of you that love Bloodborne probably played through Mario’s ‘New Game Plus’ as well.

For those of you that think I am backtracking on my love of the game or that I said it belongs in your library… I’m not. It is more about me not being ready to put myself through the ringer to deal with it right now – especially when I can get $45 for it on eBay. In the future, ask yourself a question when you sell or trade your games. Did you get your money out of them? Meaning, I payed $65 for Bloodborne and will get $45 once I sell it. Did I get my $20 of enjoyment? Did I learn a lesson from this high school romance in gaming and the strange girl that my friends were warning me about? Yes… and I have no regrets.

I will say this as a final warning and analogy about Bloodborne.

It is what I imagine it would be like to date a high maintenance model/person (yes, I think there is a difference between the two). He/She/It might be beautiful and amazing to ‘play with’. You might even get addicted to ‘playing’ with them – for awhile. Then their true nature and everything else starts to wear you down. You realize they want you to only play with them and not hang out with other friends like Call of Duty, Battlefield, Injustice, Metal Gear, etc.

Then, you finally work up the nerve to hang out with your other friends and realize that you are being mentally abused by this ‘Medusa Siren’ of gaming in an ocean full of great and fun activites with too many friends to name. Bloodborne is the brat of a super model that some gamers will put up with – I’m not and never will be that gamer.

Bloodborne – 50 Shades of Pain

You are going to die.

That is one of the more intimidating facts of life that most people know to be true but they simply don’t want to confront or think about.

I believe that is one reason Bloodborne (much like its predecessors Demon Souls and Dark Souls 1 & 2) is going to become notorious in the PS4 community rather quickly. The trailers make it look an awful lot like a clone/mash-up of characters from Resident Evil 4, Scythe-play from Dante’s Inferno and the apparently common setting of a steampunk dystopia like The Order 1886 and Dishonored. That is where you can leave the comparisons. This isn’t some sort of button mashing combo adventure game. This is a one battle at a time journey through hell on earth… and as soon as you start to get cocky about your fighting skills – this game will kick you in the ass and curb stomp you back to reality. Welcome to Bloodborne.

Bloodborne™_20150326124713 — Get Used to This Part of the Game.

You Aren’t Ready For A Boss Fight… Deal With It

Most games these days like to baby you along with waypoints and tips on just about everything. Basically making them interactive walkthrough’s rather than any sort of challenging experience. This is something I apparently got used to over the last couple generations of consoles. I had forgotten my roots… NES and Sega games that didn’t give a damn about telling me how to do most things ‘in game’. Bloodborne is much the same. Start by learning the mechanics and nuances of each weapon and item. There are already a few nice wiki guides out there for you to peruse as well.

When you start battling against the townsfolk in this game you will think that it is a waste of time and want to skip to bosses, etc. WRONG! You need to put yourself in the mindset of older RPGs and games that require you to level up. This means grinding out many battles against regular baddies and taking regular trips back to the Hunter’s Dream (basically your safe zone to repair weapons and buy some items – don’t buy blood vials or bullets though… you can get those easily in-game).

Just be patient with your character. Get to know every inch of the city and how every different foe attacks you. You won’t regret it and you will find the game to be a bit easier this way as well.

Bloodborne™_20150326123629 — Meet Lech, my resident badass. He came here to kick ass and chew bubblegum. And he is all out of bubblegum.

You Aren’t Worthy

Don’t get too upset with all the dying. You need to understand that it will happen – sometimes it will happen in insanely unfair ways. My biggest pet-peeve in this game is the weapon clipping through walls and barriers. You aren’t safe behind that pillar – I promise you! I have wanted to throw my controller through my TV so many times over my first few hours of gameplay. I even totally restarted a character just to have a frest start – and it helped. Although, I should have stayed with the Blunderbuss as my side-arm. The pistol is kind of lame in that regard… but it has its fair usage as well.

I thought this game was going to feel more like the button mashing Dante’s Inferno or God of War from the trailers and gameplay. What really got me was the story, setting and general artwork – I saw it and was obsessed with its dark beauty. This game is worth every penny of the $59.99.

Why?

Because it is challenging. It gives you a ridiculous amount of gameplay and adventuring to discover new things. Not to mention it isn’t some crappy annual release like Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, Battlefield or whatever other garbage big companies try to force down our throats as ‘new’ ideas and ‘new’ games.

Go out and buy Bloodborne today. And while you are out… you might want to buy a new controller, a pack of xanax and some Red Bull. Because you will be full of wonderful gamer rage… and you will keep coming back for more.

Happy Hunting.

EDIT – Here is a helpful tip on how to defeat Father Gascoigne.
*Have oil urns and Molotov Cocktails ready

Most people will tell you to get the music box… Yes, that is a nice way to get him to hold his ears in pain and get you some free hits. However, if you want to dispatch this a-hole quickly you will want to use visceral counter-attacks (just as he readies to attack with axe swings have your lock on (Click R-Stick to get the lock on light while looking at him) and shoot him during his wind up. THEN… run up in front of him and press and hold R1. This will shove your weapon through him and cause MAJOR damage.

Once he transforms you will want to douse him with an oil urn and quickly throw a molotov cocktail on him. This will take him down to low health. You can either try another visceral attack or two or the oil urn/molotov combo.

Call of Duty Advanced Warfare Vs. Battlefield Hardline – Is The Battle Over Before It Begins?

Over the past couple years I have been eager to buy-in when it came to Battlefield over Call of Duty.

That has changed.

Say what you want about hating Call of Duty, but this rendering of Kevin Spacey alone made me want to buy the game months ago.

Now that Call of Duty has started to go in a direction that looks closer to Halo multiplayer gameplay than ever I have to give credit where credit is due. They are at least going in a slightly different direction. They have continued to tweak the perk system and showcase the same solid gameplay – albeit arcade(ish). Is there bullet-drop? No. Then again, there aren’t many maps in the history of Call of Duty that would really need to account for that type of simulation. Then again, you should know that going into the annual release of this title.

If you consider the fact that Call of Duty has been able to consistently deliver a blockbuster movie quality story mode since the release of COD4 in 2007 – there aren’t many shooter games that compare. Advanced Warfare looks like it will continue this amazing success with the inclusion of Kevin Spacey as the primary antagonist. As much as I wanted to hate on this game after the disappointment that was Ghosts, I have to admit – Advanced Warfare has made me a believer.

On the other hand, Battlefield Hardline has lost me. I have been a huge fan of Battlefield since Bad Company 2 (especially the Vietnam Map Pack). Battlefield 3 and 4 had me rather addicted to solid relative simulation gameplay (it really isn’t much different from Call of Duty if you are honest with yourself). The problem with Battlefield is that it has become progressively worse in terms of single player campaign and server issues (especially at release).

What are the issues with Hardline?

First – they are trying to make this game feel like Rainbow 6 or Counterstrike. The problem with that is that it is a game called BATTLEFIELD… not Battlezone or Battlebuilding.

Second – The idea that plastering the monicker of ‘Battlefield’ onto this game in order sell units is insulting – albeit, probably true.

Be honest – if this were called Medal of Honor – Hardline would you (or anyone else) buy it? Hell no.

EA has pushed the Battlefield series to become more and more focused on online multiplayer rather than single player and that is fine and good. However, we are now going into our third iteration of a Battlefield title that doesn’t pick up on the intriguing story of the guys in Bad Company. You have to start wondering if Hardline is going to be another throw-away title like Medal of Honor – Advanced Warfighter.

The problem with that is they are now connecting the ‘Battlefield’ name with presumed failure – and that could spell the end for whatever they gained from a terrible year for Call of Duty with Ghosts in 2013/14.

I have bought in when it comes to Call of Duty Advanced Warfare. So much so that I traded in Destiny towards the pre-order (that is a different discussion altogether). Mark my words – Call of Duty Advanced Warfare is going to dominate FPS sales this fall and you are getting ready to see the fall of Battlefield as a respectable series. I don’t wish COD to fall on it’s face, but I do wish Battlefield would actually return to the Bad Company storyline rather than another half-assed Medal of Honor game masquerading as a Battlefield title.

Madden 15 All Pro Sliders 2.0 (For CFM Trophies)

Updated After The October 7 Patch

Difficulty – ALL PRO
Quarters – 7 Mins
Acc Clock – OFF
Game Speed – Normal
Playcall Style – Quick
Ball Hawk – ON
Heatseeker – ON

Player –

QBA – 47
PBK – 48
WRC – 46
RBK – 45
FUM – 48
DPR – 50
INT – 40
PCV – 60
TAK – 50

CPU –

QBA – 46
PBK – 70
WRC – 45
RBK – 48
FUM – 49
DPR – 55
INT – 50
PCV – 55
TAK – 53

Special Teams –

FGP – 48
FGA – 45
PPW – 53
PA – 80
KOP – 53

Game Options –
INJ – 56
FAT – 73
SPD – 45

Penalties –
Offside – 95
False Start – 68
Hold – 51
Face Mask – 51
DPI – 100
OPI – 100
PCI – 50
Clip – 51
INTG – 100
RPAS – 52
RK – 50

AUTO SUBS (IN/OUT)
QB – 95/30
HB – 98/85
WR – 85/60
FB/TE – 90/60
OL – 85/40

DT – 90/75
DE – 90/60
LB – 90/70
CB – 90/60
S – 90/60

Earning and Spending XP In Madden 15

Just like any other sort of currency, you need to save, invest and spend your XP properly if you want your players to develop into juggernauts. In some ways you may also want to spend XP differently on players you know you won’t keep or can’t keep.

Earning XP – You will want to look at each player’s development trait in the ‘Progress Player’ screen before spending lots of points on them. This will largely determine whether or not they will earn more points by performing extraordinarily. Also, there is the ‘Consistency’ rating – this is key in helping players progress if they don’t get a lot of playing time or targets in games. There is something you need to consider and determine on multiple levels before you spend your allotted hours on certain players – Do their expensive ratings warrant future investment?

If you are wanting to upgrade a WR, do you really want to spend XP on one that has 85 SPD? Will it be cost effective to spend money on increasing his SPD? Some may say that it is totally worth it – and that is fair and good. Go for it. However, if you really want to make the process easier you will want to check and upgrade their ‘Development and ‘Consistency’ ratings, respectively.

Upgrading development will increase the amount of XP a player earns for achieving goals in game – this includes obtaining awards, reaching milestones and other performance objectives. Development costs 15,000 XP for each rating (from Slow to Normal to Quick to Superstar) – so keep in mind that it might take a season or two to build your favorite player into a Quick or Superstar Development rating. However, once they are there – they will stay there and that is why it is worth upgrading quickly.

Upgrading consistency will increase the amount of XP your players will earn during weekly training in Game Prep.

Finally, earning XP is as simple (and difficult) as performing well in each game. Once you have the necessary prerequisites (Development and Consistency) upgraded to your liking you will notice far more XP for each player you upgrade.

(Note: I argue that the confidence rating doesn’t matter nearly as much as the actual long-term ratings of players. It could be because confidence simply needs tuned or patched to have a more dramatic effect – but with EA’s track record – I doubt it.)

Spending XP – This is one of the easier things to do once you follow the guide in earning XP. It is entirely dependent on the player’s position and what type of player they are. Here are the best ways to increase the OVR ratings or performance for each position (outside of ‘Consistency’).

(Note – I rarely/never increase player SPD or ACC ratings. They are often too expensive to consider upgrading – and it helps with what little can remain simulation about picking ratings to increase for players in Madden.)

QB – Awareness, Short, Medium and Deep Accuracy, Play Action, Injury and Toughness.

HB – Awareness, Truck, Juke, Stiff Arm, Elusive, Agility, Strength, Injury and Toughness.

FB – Awareness, Run Block, Pass Block, Strength, Injury and Toughness.

WR – Awareness, Catch, Catch In Traffic, Release, Agility, Spectacular Catch, Jump, Injury and Toughness.

TE – Awareness, Catch, Catch In Traffic, Run Block, Release, Spectacular Catch, Jump, Pass Block, Injury and Toughness.

OL – Awareness, Strength, Run Block, Pass Block, Impact Block, Injury and Toughness.

DL – Awareness, Tackle, Pursuit, Finesse and Power Moves, Agility, Injury and Toughness.

LB – Awareness, Tackle, Pursuit, Play Recognition, Finesse and Power Moves, Hit Power, Zone Coverage, Man Coverage, Agility, Injury and Toughness.

CB – Awareness, Man Coverage, Zone Coverage, Play Recognition, Tackle, Agility, Catch, Agility, Injury and Toughness.

S – Awareness, Zone Coverage, Man Coverage, Play Recognition, Tackle, Hit Power, Agility, Catch, Agility, Injury and Toughness.

K/P – Awareness, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy. (Note – Kickers and Punters can’t get injured in Madden… Because EA – well, you know.)

Madden 15 All-Pro Sliders 1.0

After far too many hours of playing Madden 25 and finding that you had to have quarters set to 7 minutes in order to get the proper leveling necessary to obtain the achievements/trophies for created characters in CFM I have created these settings as a base for future editing for the best experience in Madden 15.

Also – if you’d like to participate in the NoobTubeTV Online CFM be sure to hit me up on Twitter (@NoobTubeTV), Facebook, or comment on this post. This is the only location for these settings and they will be updated throughout the coming weeks and months.

NOOBTUBETV CFM SLIDERS

Difficulty – ALL PRO
Quarters – 7 Mins
Acc Clock – OFF
Game Speed – Normal
Playcall Style – Quick
Ball Hawk – ON
Heatseeker – ON

Player –

QBA – 40
PBK – 50
WRC – 43
RBK – 50
FUM – 47
DPR – 50
INT – 40
PCV – 60
TAK – 50

CPU –

QBA – 43
PBK – 100
WRC – 40
RBK – 55
FUM – 48
DPR – 60
INT – 40
PCV – 70
TAK – 50

Special Teams –

FGP – 47
FGA – 45
PPW – 51
PA – 75
KOP – 53

Game Options –
INJ – 57
FAT – 56
SPD – 50

Penalties –
Offside – 94
False Start – 87
Hold – 51
Face Mask – 51
DPI – 100
OPI – 100
PCI – 50
Clip – 50
INTG – 50
RPAS – 50
RK – 50

AUTO SUBS (IN/OUT)
QB – 95/30
HB – 98/85
WR – 85/60
FB/TE – 90/60
OL – 85/40

DT – 90/75
DE – 90/60
LB – 90/70
CB – 90/60
S – 90/60

Madden 15 – The Most Pivotal Madden To Date

As we get closer to the release of Madden 15 it is becoming evident that the PS4/XBone version of the title might be the best evidence of what to expect in the coming console generation as far as Madden games are concerned.

Dick Sherman Doing What He Does Best... Opening his big mouth. — Dick Sherman Doing What He Does Best… Opening his big mouth.

With the 360/PS3 versions of Madden 06 through 09 basically being a throw-away after EA obtained the exclusive license to produce and distribute NFL games it seemed like we’d see real changes once Madden 10 arrived. Thankfully, we did see some pretty nice changes through the effort of Ian Cummings and company. A couple years later, Cummings was gone and Madden fell back into the rut of limited progress.

Madden 25 was a solid title that still suffered from the played out animations and terrible AI in many areas of the game. It became evident that some sort of real change was necessary. The last time Madden saw any sort of direction to make it a truly ground-breaking experience was in Madden 2005 with the hit stick and a focus on defense. It helped to limit what Madden had started to become with the advent of tournament style play that nearly gutted the simulation style that Madden NFL was always supposed to be.

Madden 15 is finally bringing back what has been missing for almost ten years. The focus on defense (even with the obnoxious Dick Sherman on the cover) is something that is more welcome than most simulation football fans can say. Couple that with the news that wind in the game has been fixed and will even move the aiming direction during field goals, new catch animations, better variety in QB throwing, etc. You actually might see a game worth getting excited about.

Why is Madden 15 the most pivotal version of Madden to date?

Because with the new additions and polish put on the PS4/XBone it seems like the Madden developers are finally trying to make it into a real simulation of NFL Football.

As for how realistic the Connected Franchise Mode might be? We will have to wait and see. Keep checking back on NoobTubeTV.com as there will be further updates and reactions to a very busy August-December in gaming.