Suggestions – Page 6

PlayStation Plus or PlayStation Minus?

It has been a long while since NTTV has been updated in any way. So, with that and with the recent milestone of 200,000 views I am happy to be back and filled with excitement for what the next chapter will look like for NTTV. With that said, this first update is one of frustration and dare I say – hope – that something good will happen for PS4/PS+ owners.

As we get ready to enter the best part of the year in gaming (Fall/Autumn) there are a few things to look back on and applaud from the first 2/3 of the year. One of the big things that happened was the improvement of Battlefield 4’s servers and the quality releases of expansions/DLC. BF4 is starting to show far more staying power than Call of Duty these days, and that is a good thing.

However, there are some other aspects of 2014 that have been lacking up to this point. The biggest disappointment so far has been PlayStation Plus for PlayStation 4 owners. While the network is relatively what we expect it to be in terms of solid gaming and online connectivity. The aspect that they introduced a couple years ago of giving free games to PS+ subscribers made me step up to the plate with PS4 and become a subscriber as well. Although they have provided decent games to PS3 owners in the past, the same cannot be said for PS4 owners to this point. The free games with PS+ on PS4 have been rather insulting up to this point.

One of the most infuriating comparisons was in June when PS3 owners of the PS+ service) and got a chance to download NBA 2K14 and Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time for ‘free’. These are major releases that at one point commanded a typical retail price point of $40-60. What did the PS4 owners get? Trine 2 and Shooter Ultimate.

Chances are good that you are asking the same question(s) I asked when I saw these as the games being offered.

“What in the holy hell is Trine 2? When was there ever a Trine ONE? Why are they offering a bunch of garbage indie titles on their new console and great games on their old console?”

Like Frozen – I tried to let it go. However, as a gamer and subscriber to the PS+ ‘service’ I simply can’t do that anymore. The biggest reason behind my spoiled brat ‘gimme gimme gimme’ attitude with free games being offered has come out at this point (because believe me – I know they don’t have to offer jack shiznit if they don’t want to) is because I am starting to think that I bought a luxury sports car with an 8-Track player and crank-down windows when it comes to the PS4/PS+ combination.

There has been little reason for me to have the PS+ service other than playing Battlefield 4 online. I also currently own Fifa 14, MLB 14: The Show and Killzone: Shadow Fall. Perhaps the biggest indicator that Sony has a problem is with their very own AAA titles like Killzone – which they release and then forget about. They should have offered it as a free game with PS+, but instead we are stuck with indie arcade titles like Fez and Stick It To the Man. Are you serious? This is almost so insulting it is funny. Except, I’m not laughing. I am quite pissed off to think that I spent money on a service that is giving me the equivalent of throw away SNES titles and acting like they are doing me a favor.

Sony’s own original idea of offering free games to subscribers has been taken by Microsoft and no is clearly being used to destroy Sony’s ‘service’. It is as if Skynet has simply become Skynet Gold and it is laughing at the old version of a good idea that is clearly out of it’s realm.

Sony, you have a problem. It is about time you start re-evaluating your PlayStation Minus service because you are quickly turning into the laughing stock once again. As for your garbage ‘free’ games that you oh, so graciously present to me and my fellow idiot subscribers – I will download them and I might even play them for three to five minutes. However, I am only downloading them because they are there – not because I want them.

Choosing Your Team In Madden 15 (Post-Draft Edition)

Welcome to the crazy time of year where every Madden gamer is looking forward to Madden 15. With that type of excitement we are going to start covering every team based on their newly drafted and signed rookies. Here is our first release of every team you will want to look into in Madden 15. If you are trying to create a player for CFM we will have a list

Arizona Cardinals – Tight End, Outside Linebacker and Cornerback

The Cardinals lost Karlos Dansby to the Cleveland Browns over the off-season. That said, they could use some help in the LB corps. They did answer some questions at the Quarterback position by taking the project in Logan Thomas from Virginia Tech. He is a big QB with a big arm at 6’6″ 250 lbs. This could be a fun team to rock with if you want to start a CFM around a rookie QB and a team that still needs a couple pieces. You could also look into being the other side of a great defensive backfield with Patrick Peterson and Deon Buchannon.

Atlanta Falcons – Guard, Middle Linebacker, Strong Safety, Tight End and Halfback

Of all the teams in the NFL that needed to fix some things from last year it was the Falcons. They were inexplicably bad and one of their worst areas was in protecting QB, Matt Ryan. Matty Ice now has a much needed Left Tackle in Jake Matthews out of Texas A&M. If you are looking to be their answer at any position you might want to look into being the next great Tight End now that Tony Gonzalez is gone. Atlanta is going to be an interesting team to use as they also have a need at running back. Sure, Jackson and Rodgers are still there – but neither is a long-term answer at the position.

Baltimore Ravens – Outside Linebacker, Wide Receiver, Safety, Tight End and Cornerback

The Ravens are always one of those teams that seems to reload on solid talent every year. With the drafting of Alabama ILB CJ Mosley they have once again tried to find a replacement for Ray Lewis. Using a team like the Ravens is almost always going to give you a solid chance at realistically contending for the Super Bowl. I would even suggest trying to come in and replace Joe Flacco, but with his huge contract and the fact that he is decently rated, that would be a tall task to earn – unless you choose to be an instant starter.

Buffalo Bills – Tight End, Wide Receiver, Cornerback and Safety

Buffalo traded their first round pick for WR, Sammy Watkins. Then they traded away Stevie Johnson to the 49ers. It seems that they are going all in on making these changes with hopes that it is all they will need to do in order to make their way up in the AFC East. They still need help even after drafting CB, Ross Cockrell from Duke. They will also need to ensure that they have depth at WR behind Watkins as they are still relatively thin at the position.

Carolina Panthers – Halfback, Wide Receiver and Free Safety

The same as the last couple years when it comes to Quarterback – don’t think you can come in and start over Cam Newton. However, they just took Kelvin Benjamin at receiver and they might still be looking for someone to replace Steve Smith as their deep threat. The same could go for halfback as the Panthers are in flux at the position. Carolina has a lot of potential in terms of running the team as a coach or owner as they pose many threats on defense and Newton can break any game wide open.

Chicago Bears – Offensive Line, Quarterback, Linebacker and Safety

It isn’t easy to really pick apart the Bears as they always seem to be loaded with talent. However, their offensive line always seems to allow far too many sacks. While that isn’t a position you can choose to be in CFM, it is one that you should look at fixing as coach or owner. In terms of the best position to try to play – coming in and running Cutler out of town might be a bit easier than many believe. If he goes down to another injury it would be the perfect storm needed to take the starting job.

Cincinnati Bengals – Field General Quarterback and Strong Safety

Cincinnati is a team that seems to finally be drafting well. However, they do still have a hole to fill at safety in order to help their outstanding CBs. The other position that seems to be unanswered is QB. Andy Dalton isn’t really the franchise QB that some might think the ginger ninja is and that could become a great opportunity for you to come in and replace him.

If you are looking to run a team – replacing him with newly drafted AJ McCarron would also provide an interesting change of pace with a rather big name in the Queen City.

Cleveland Browns – Wide Receiver, Left Guard, Linebacker and Safety

Johnny Manziel. There I said it – and it still feels kind of dirty to me as a Browns fan that didn’t like Manziel very much. He is going to provide this team (especially in Madden) with a dynamic way of attacking on offense. If you want to come in and play right away it might not be easy to run Manziel out of town. If you are looking for an almost guaranteed spot on the roster you might want to try WR. With Josh Gordon likely being gone for at least the season you could step in and be Manziel’s top target.

Cleveland also now owns the Bills first-round pick in 2015 and that could make for one heck of a nice addition as the owner or coach in the coming seasons.

Dallas Cowboys – Speed Wide Receiver, Balanced Free Safety, Prototype Strong Safety and Quarterback

Dallas needs help and they need it fast. With the loss of DeMarcus Ware to the Broncos you might be looking to be the new OLB. Also there is the chance that Romo could go down at any point and considering the fact that he is 34 and on his way out of his prime – being a QB for the Cowboys seems a bit easier to picture each day.

Denver Broncos – Future QB, Halfback

One of those teams that really doesn’t need much. They were in the Super Bowl for a reason last year – even if they got smashed. You could always try to come in and be the heir-apparent to Peyton Manning or fill the void left by the departure of Knowshon Moreno.

Detroit Lions – Balanced Cornerback, Safety and Possession Wide Receiver

A team that can’t seem to choose a direction and that has been hurting them. Everyone knows that 90% of the passes want to go to Megatron (Johnson). However, you could always be that other threat to really make teams cringe at the idea of facing the Lions’ offense. After that you will see there are still many holes to fill when it comes to defending the pass for this team that has been like swiss cheese in recent years.

Green Bay Packers – Wide Receiver and Cornerback

Green Bay needs to make sure that they can defend the pass as the Lions and Bears are going to be putting that ball in the air during 25% of the Packers schedule every year. Otherwise, you could always try to become Aaron Rodgers’ new favorite target at WR.

Houston Texans – Quarterback, Playmaking Strong Safety

They still don’t have an answer at QB and even with Clowney on their defense the fact is that you need to score points to win. Come into Houston and be the final missing piece they need. You could also decide to train up Tom Savage and use him if you decide to be coach or owner instead.

Indianapolis Colts – Take Your Pick – Runningback, Receiver, Anything but QB

Sure, they made the playoffs. However, Trent Richardson has been terrible and the Colts were fleeced for a first-round pick by the Browns last year in that deal. They need an answer at HB and could use more depth at WR. If you want to come in on defense I recommend rolling as a Linebacker.

Jacksonville Jaguars – Cornerback

They had one of the better drafts in recent memory as they grabbed a lot of talent throughout. This includes good prospects at WR and Storm Johnson to possibly add to the running game. With Bortles you will have what they are hoping will be a franchise QB. They will need some help at Cornerback and that might be your best spot with this team.

Kansas City Chiefs – Field General Quarterback, Receiving Tight End, Run Stopping Strong Safety

If you want to come into a situation where you want to be a starter at QB, KC might be a surprising destination. Alex Smith isn’t a long-term answer and Aaron Murray is a late round pick. They still haven’t filled the void left by Tony Gonzalez at TE and they also need a bit of help for Eric Berry at the other Safety Spot. Wide Receiver is also a wild card for this team.

Miami Dolphins – West Coast QB, Wide Receiver, Receiving Tight End and Safety

They had a lackluster draft and you could really come into this team and be any position you’d like to be. They signed Moreno at HB, but you could always produce and take over. The same goes for Quarterback as Tannehill hasn’t proven to be a franchise QB at this point.

Minnesota Vikings – Cover 2 Middle Linebacker, Safety, Cornerback and Halfback

The Vikings had a decent draft, but Teddy Bridgewater is going to have one hell of a time in the tundra of Minnesota for the next two seasons. Can you be the bigger, stronger QB that they might be looking for? One of the surprising needs could be halfback as Adrian Peterson continues to get injured and age his way into the downslope of his prime. You could be the missing piece they need. Also, their defensive secondary has been terrible in recent years. Being a cornerback might be a great starting job here.

New England Patriots – Tight End, Balanced Runningback, Future QB and Safety

Sure, you won’t take over for Brady this year. But why wouldn’t you want to learn from the best and be his heir apparent. They took Garropolo in the second round, but you could easily step over him in that way. The same could be said for replacing the oft-injured Gronkowski. What else do they need? Maybe a bit of help at safety.

New Orleans Saints – Red Zone Threat Wide Receiver, Run Support Cornerback

Coming in and playing with the receivers in New Orleans is always nice because Drew Brees seems to spread the ball around like Paula Deen spreads butter. This is going to be a dominant team right off the bat to use with the likes of Brandon Cooks adding even more to the vertical game for the Saints.

New York Giants – Receiving Tight End, Balanced Middle Linebacker and Halfback

The Giants are in need of some sort of help at halfback and you could easily come in and take that job during the preseason. If you want a good player to study under and take over for – look no further than Eli Manning who you might be able to take over for in the coming years.

New York Jets – Halfback, Tight End and Quarterback

The Jets always seem to have some uncertainty at the Quarterback position – so feel free to blow it up and take them back to the AFC Title like Mark Sanchez (hopefully without the butt fumble).

Oakland Raiders – Speed Wide Receiver, Prototype Cornerback

A team that may have had one of the best drafts of any team now has a possible future starter at linebacker with Khalil Mack and at quarterback with Derek Carr. They still need some answers at receiver and could use some help at halfback.

Philadelphia Eagles – Receiving Tight End, Prototype OLB, Run Support Strong Safety

The Eagles are primed for a Super Bowl run this year. If you want to come in and join this team you should try to do it as a receiving Tight End or some sort of decent linebacker.

Pittsburgh Steelers – Good Luck… Receiving Tight End, Zone Coverage Cornerback and Halfback

The Steelers are trying to rebuild what seems to be a team that is always solid. Take the chance to be their next halfback in place of LeVeon Bell.

San Diego Chargers – Red Zone Threat Wide Receiver, Run Support Strong Safety, Halfback

It could be fun to take up the Halfback or possibly be the wide receiver that Rivers needs to lead this team through the playoffs for once.

San Francisco 49ers – Outside Linebacker

Try and come in and take over for the injured LB Bowman. Otherwise you are going to have a tough time coming in and taking over any role for a team that is stacked to make a few Super Bowl runs in the next couple years.

Seattle Seahawks – Halfback, Possession Wide Receiver, Outside Linebacker

You aren’t going to join the legion of boom any time soon. However, you could try to come in and take some carries from Lynch. Another possibility would be coming in as a receiver for Russell Wilson.

St. Louis Rams – Balanced Wide Receiver, Outside Linebacker, Man Coverage Cornerback

This team is in need of some sort of true #1 receiver. Outside of that, you could try to come in and replace Bradford in the last year or two of his contract and take over. The Rams had a solid draft with the picking of Tre Mason at HB, but otherwise you might be able to come into the team and take that job as well.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Quarterback, Balanced Defensive End, Cover 2 Middle Linebacker

If there was a team that you could come in and become a dominant quarterback, it might be the Bucs. With Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans drafted from A&M you will have a blast. Also, consider playing linebacker for Lovie Smith.

Tennessee Titans – Strong Arm Quarterback, Possession Wide Receiver, Run Support DB

The Titans let go of Chris Johnson and picked up Bishop Sankey. If you really want to make changes with this team you will want to come in as a quarterback and take advantage of the new players they are trying to plug into the offense. Otherwise, this is a relatively fun and open team to use as a project.

Washington Redskins – Tight End, Possession Receiver, Prototype Safety and Cornerback

This team is once again in flux. However, if you can come in as another WR to help the likes of Garcon and Jackson that could really help spell doom for opposing defenses. The idea of coming in as a tight end might also provide you with ample playing time. The Redskins are in the middle of trying to rebuild a possible playoff caliber squad.

How To Draft In Madden

With the NFL Draft right around the corner and speculation growing on what every team will do once they are on the clock we are going to shift to our only option of NFL Draft Day in gaming.

Madden’s draft and draft presentation has improved over the last few years. Are there some short-comings? Sure. Regardless, today we are going to focus on how to make your team better through the draft in Madden.

First Up Is Scouting. Personally, I am hoping for a drastic change to this in Madden 15 as Madden 25 basically lets you ‘buy’ individual scouting reports for players throughout the season. Here is your best bet for good scouting.

Spread The Love – I am all but convinced that if you put more scouting into one prospect over others that the AI takes that into account and will have a team swipe that player from under your nose. This happened to me with numerous players (and drafts) while running my Browns. Make sure that you are scouting only the initial ‘Grade’ for players in order to make it cheaper (and more realistic) to get an idea of their THP and THA.

Awareness (?) – If you take a look at our last article you will see that awareness is key in terms of how a player performs. One of the things about the AWR rating is that while it almost always makes the player play better – you can also upgrade this rating with relative ease until you get into the 80’s-90’s. I personally make it a house rule to never scout awareness. Why? Because I have always felt that it is a window to the Overall Rating and I never liked knowing it until after the draft.

Position Specific Ratings – This is and should always be the first thing you look at when it comes to any player. Why is it third on this list? Mostly because I feel that the categories above are more holistic in terms of how to look at scouting as a body. When it comes to position specific ratings you can simply check out the article posted for Madden 13 (as we said, not much has changed).

Finally we come to the actual draft.

Write Your Own Big Board Down – For some reason, you can’t rank your favorite players scouted in Madden 25. I can promise that every team in the NFL does this as it is basically the most important aspect of the draft outside of determining your weaknesses/needs. Get a piece of paper and pencil and at the end of the season (after free-agency) go look at your scouting screen. Take the time to write down and RANK your favorite players as they fit your needs. You should take into account where you think they could be taken ahead of you and whether you would want to trade up for them if you must.

Determine Your Needs – As you play through each season you will start to find that certain players might become your favorites. On the other hand, you might start noticing how many times your QB is getting sacked because your Right Guard is such garbage. These are the moments when you need to either write down on your big board (see above) or take a mental note as you enter scouting/the draft. Do you really need that QB? Do you really need another 6’4″ 220lb WR (that seem to over-populate the Madden draft classes)? Decide what you need and stick to that list. If you don’t see anyone of value – trade down.

Trading Down – This used to be a more broken feature of Madden games in the past. Trading down should always be an option if you don’t see a player you truly want/need in the draft. If you think you can take that player only a few picks later you might want to consider trading down. On the other hand, you might want to reconsider how far down you trade if you do see players you want. The way Madden’s drafting logic seems to work it is as if they are reading your mind and that player is always gone just a few picks from your own.

Strike While The Iron Is Hot – One of the biggest lessons I learned in Madden (and in real life) is that if a team likes a certain player and truly wants him on their team – even if he is projected a round later… or two? Take him. Madden is a video game and you should enjoy these risks. There are numerous prospects that are ‘projected’ to go in the 3rd or 4th round that always get taken by the CPU in the 2nd or 3rd round every single draft. If you see ‘Leon Sandcastle and realize that it is the Deion Sanders clone projected to go outside of the first round and you need a CB… Take the guy – please. This will be the same for Jerry Ricecake in Madden 15, I can almost promise this.

Top Needs of Madden Connected Franchise Mode (CFM)

There are all sorts of needs when it comes to Madden from a game-play perspective. As many of you know by now – I almost exclusively play Offline Madden Franchise Mode. There are so many aspects of the NFL that keep us interested all year and today we are going to focus on some of the things that Madden (or any other future football game… Are you listening 2K?) needs in Franchise mode.

Benjamin TD

Player Contracts, Morale and Agents

If you have paid attention to any of the contracts signed by NFL players in the last few years you will see that many of these contracts are not nearly as simple as just throwing out a number and having it accepted or declined. Madden has always had a problem with making contracts too simplified. In that regard it has also made Franchise Mode exceedingly easy from a management perspective. You can always low-ball a player or get someone on the cheap if you know your way around the salary cap. Here are a few ideas on what would make this a bit more realistic and more challenging as you advance through multiple seasons.

Tiered Contracts – We should have the ability to front load or back load contracts for players just like in real life. (NBA 2K has been doing this for years)
Incentive Based – There have been numerous contracts in recent memory laced with performance incentives. (See Ben Tate’s deal with the Browns for an example). This could be something that gamers need to focus on as they are building their teams around specific players. You want that young WR you have made into a superstar to sign an extension? Make it worth his while with money up front and incentives based on performance or staying healthy.
Battling Through Injuries – In this regard I like to see it being somewhat tied to the incentives listed above. If a player tweaks his hamstring or maybe has a sore shoulder and needs to play a certain % of snaps to earn an incentive. A good example of this is the contract of Jason Campbell for the Browns in 2013. He did an admirable job trying to tough it out and play. When it comes to staying healthy and getting paid to play a certain % of the snaps – you bet that is an important aspect for some players.
Morale – Something that never ceases to annoy Madden gamers is the thought that many features have been added and taken away as the wind blows at EA. Morale was in Madden 2005 and played a large role in realism. Players in the NFL have serious egos and morale swings almost daily. In this case, a simple morale bar would be nice to see when it comes to making players happy to be on your team. In that same breath, it should effect their performance as well.
Holdouts – Yet another part of the game that was removed is player holdouts. This happens quite often and has at times caused many teams to lose important players or show them the money they demand in order to stick around. This needs to be back in the game.

Another part of Franchise Mode that has been getting better incrementally over the last couple years is the NFL Draft. As we enter the final week before the NFL Draft (in real life) there are many things that are becoming more apparent when looking at the draft and scouting in Madden.

Big Boards – I’m not talking about the main screen where they have thrown up the top players based on the CPU’s programming. I am talking about as the GM/Coach/Owner making your own Big Board. This could be as simple as taking a lesson from the NCAA Football team when they made a recruiting board for up to 35 players to recruit. In this manner it should be expanded quite a bit (maybe to 50-70 players) so you can work your way through the draft like real teams do.
Measurables and Grades – I am sick of the simple scouting method of paying to find exact ratings. At most there should be grades or maybe a rating range made available through scouting. When it comes to the combine in real life it is the biggest part of the pre-draft experience. I want to see 40 times, bench press reps, interview notes, etc.
Coach Input – If you have seen the movie Draft Day you will know what I am talking about when I refer to Denis Leary’s portrayal of the Browns coach that basically tells the GM he is quitting if he takes a certain player or doesn’t help him fill the missing pieces in the draft to fit his system. This is very important needs to have a greater presence in the game (perhaps Coach Morale as well?)
Scouts – This is something that is desperately needed in Madden for the sake of realism. It would be great to not only streamline the process but also to add some variation to how players are rated based on what qualities that scouts have.

Madden 15 Finally Releases Typical Hype Reel

So, EA Tiburon has finally unleashed the marketing train that they hope will catch football gamers by storm. The best (and worst) part about these trailers is the graphical presentation. What makes it awesome is rather obvious… go ahead and get the “Ehr Mah Gehrdddd! He Looks Realzz!” out of your system. Yes, sure – the faces of players in sports games is cool. We always dreamed about it back when we were playing 8-bit Tecmo Bowl back in the day and now it is finally here… again. Perhaps someone should remind you about the Madden 06 trailer that was complete garbage and meant nothing at all from the graphical or gameplay aspects of the actual game..

Now, another thing to consider is that after you watch the cut-scenes that might seem cool the first four times you play Madden during a game – you will most likely start smashing the A/X button repeatedly to play the actual game and skip the repetitious cut-scenes with “Ehr Mah Gehrdddd! He Looks Realzz!” faces of players. Then, it is back to seeing the back of the offensive players’ helmets and the front of the defenders from about 60 ft away if you use the default camera angle. So, it begs the question… Why do we care about digitized faces with sweat, etc?

There are bigger things for EA to worry about and there are bigger things they need to do to convince people to buy their annual roster update. One of those things is to show the gamers that it is more than simply a roster update (if it is… it probably isn’t). Will we finally have morale in franchise mode? Will the challenge system be worth a damn? Will there maybe be some sort of injury system that makes sense? Dare I ask if they will put in realistic injuries for once? Maybe even *gasp* real-time injuries?

Coverage of Madden is about to start going off the deep end shortly and any/all of the new additions will already be in the process of being finalized. This means that any ‘new’ ideas we might have will have to wait for Madden 16 at the earliest. Outside of the couple hopes I listed above, I have to say that I have a slight hope for Madden 15 this year. While I have yet to decide on a next-gen console, I am hoping to find a reason to get one. Hopefully Madden 15 will actually prove my skeptical nature wrong this year.

But I doubt it.

Top Rookies Gamers Will (Ab)Use In Madden 15

While we still have two weeks until the NFL draft and everything about it is uncertain, it is with almost total certainty that a lot of fans are curious if their team will draft certain players and game-changers. This is quite literal in the case of Madden 15. So, who are the players that will most likely jump up the depth charts and be instant starters? Better yet… Which players are gamers going to trade almost everything to get on their team in Madden 15?
#1 – Johnny Manziel – Face it, Madden is and always has been about speed and Madden 2004 showed that when it comes to having a speedster at QB your team will almost be unstoppable. On top of Manziel being a fast QB and simply running around with him, Madden now has the read option and Manziel will be a monster to deal with in that way as well. The Texas A&M prospect and former Heisman winner will be the most hyped QB since Tebow. The question is – Will Johnny Football suffer the same fate as Touchdown Tebow?

#2 – Dri Archer – He ran a 4.26 40-yard dash in the NFL combine. Who cares if he is only 5’8″? Archer is going to be moved to either starting WR or HB on Madden 15. All you need to do is hot route him in the slot and watch the amazing Madden arcade gameplay do the rest.

#3 – Jadeveon Clowney – This guy is going to be moved to LE and beat RTs in Madden almost every single play. For years Madden has had an issue with terrible blocking and especially on RT/LE interaction. Clowney has the athleticism to take advantage of Madden’s atrocious gameplay. Look for him coming off the edge on almost every passing play in Madden 15.

Madden 15 – Why Haven’t We Heard Anything?

In what seems to be the non-stop world of NFL media coverage, we have yet to hear so much as a peep from EA Sports when it comes to Madden 15. With the draft coming in nearly a month and numerous reports of big changes in free agency – there isn’t even a screen shot of the assumed upcoming title from EA Tiburon.

Does this mean that there is something bigger on the horizon and EA is just playing it ‘close to the chest’? It doesn’t seem like it could be anything else other than that assumption. Madden is the cash cow of EA Sports (perhaps behind FIFA) and it is in need of some serious work when it comes to improving the overall experience of the game in general.

What are you hoping to hear from the football gaming front in the coming months?

Here are a few of the things that Madden needs –

Better Team Management from AI – This seems to be a yearly issue with Madden. Yes, they mostly fixed the ability to steal draft picks from teams (via trades). However, there seems to be a drastic drop-off when it comes to teams making personnel decisions as the years pass in Franchise Mode.

Better Officiating and Foot Detection- I have a feeling I’m not the only one that has played Madden and seen a receiver clearly catch a ball out of bounds and have it ruled (after review) to be a catch. The same goes for catches made in the end-zone and inexplicably, the animations or officiating doesn’t allow the catch. This is an issue that occurs almost every 2-4 games I play.

Better Draft Class Balance – Now that NCAA Football and the importation of draft classes (and the constant problems that presented) is a moot point. We now have to look at the classes designed and wonder why there are WRs created that are 5’8″ with 77 SPD and 67 CTH ratings. For the love of all things unholy – just make the player somewhat less crappy.

Custom Draft Class Creation – As stated above, the current state of draft classes is terrible. The sports gaming community has shown in games like NBA 2K that there are people out there that can put out some amazing effort in this regard and openly share their creations with the community. This would be a huge success if EA simply allowed it.

Smarter Playcalling and Decision Making – This goes without needing explanation for the most part. However, Madden seems to be designed for the casual fans to pick up the game and throw the ball around. It would be nice to finally see the game become challenging in a way that made the gamer (and the AI) to consider all of the match-ups and the game situation before choosing plays or who to focus on for a given moment in a big situation.

Why Difficulty Isn’t The Same As Challenge

After years of playing games from all sorts of genres there is one aspect that determines whether or not a game is truly enjoyable.

Difficulty.

There are many different ways to look at a game (of any sort). Whether you are playing a board game, video game or even a card game – it is always the first question asked. “Is it hard?”

In the case of video games, this is something that is as subjective as any review that can be given. Primarily because there are different settings for most games out there. Sports games even have sliders that allow you to customize different aspects of the CPU/AI and even your own players to make the game more realistic, challenging or even simply more difficult. Other games (like Dark Souls) are built to put the gamer into a submission hold of difficulty. Often, these games are cast to the side as ‘not worth the trouble’. In the case of Dark Souls I must agree. I played the game for a few hours and couldn’t beat the first boss without wanting to shoot my LCD and throw my PC out the window.

I have experienced both sides of gaming when it comes to a game being nearly impossible or simply so easy it is laughable. This is why it is necessary to make the distinction for those of you out there looking for solace. Some games like Madden, NCAA Football and other sports titles have communities that will trash on someone for winning games 50-0 and taking home the championship every year. These slider Nazis are often as bad as any other internet troll when it comes to raining on someone’s gaming parade. This is also why it is necessary for us to understand that making a game more difficult doesn’t mean the same thing as increasing the challenge.

What makes sports games difficult for a noob/novice isn’t the intelligence of the opposing CPU team as much as it is learning the controls and maybe even the basic strategies. Once the complex control schemes are learned the game can become relatively simple. In some cases sports games become far too easy for most gamers. This is where you must turn up the challenge in order to have a better experience. Changing the sliders and even your play-style can make for a more challenging and enjoyable gaming experience.

Other games like Call of Duty have difficulty levels that really do nothing but increase the damage done to the player by enemies. This isn’t so much difficulty as it is a minor change in how ‘challenging’ the game is. What would truly make the game more difficult would be to make it less forgiving when a player dies. Much like Dark Souls makes it almost infuriating to die (because you become weaker) and lose everything (unless you go pick it back up). Call of Duty, Halo, Killzone and virtually every FPS let you save your progress at numerous checkpoints to prevent you from needing to play through the same long sections every time you die.

Some games are just not the preferred style of gamers. Often you will see a rift between fans of Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid. While neither of these games are necessarily more difficult than the other they have different functions and handle differently. It is always going to start with style and preference but in the end a game comes down to complexity. It is in that spirit that Metal Gear is a bit more difficult than Splinter Cell. That isn’t to say that Splinter Cell isn’t challenging or possibly more ‘realistic’ but many gamers decide on these two games based on style rather than challenge.

This isn’t to say that I want my experiences in first person shooters like Call of Duty to be more difficult. I often play those games for a break from my life that can be difficult enough. Perhaps that is why we need to realize that there is a difference in how we should look at our gaming experience and even the experience of others. While some games present us with almost impossible tasks and difficulty others will give us the ability to lay back, hang out and wreak digital carnage all over the place without breaking a sweat… or thinking too much.

Where do you stand? Do you prefer a game to be downright difficult/complex or do you prefer something simply more challenging?

Earning Your Legendary Points In Madden 25

One of the biggest mysteries to sim sports gamers is why they keep buying Madden in the first place. Once you get over that fact and then try to play the only option for video game football you will quickly find yourself asking why your character in Connected Franchise Mode isn’t earning the legendary points you think they should be.

Well, chances are good that you have moved the quarter length up over 7 minutes… It is as simple as that.

After winning the Super Bowl in my first season (I now need to restart with tougher sliders) I noticed that my legendary points for getting into the Hall of Fame and those valued Achievements weren’t adding up. During my second season I decided to mess with the settings before I played in the next Super Bowl. What would you know – moving the quarter length to 7 minutes fixed everything. Suddenly I went from 150 points to over 600!

As I try to find a way to make this into a more sim experience with 7-minute quarters I will say that you should probably set the accelerated clock to nothing lower than the default 20 seconds. It would be nice if EA actually said something (or God forbid, put a notation on the achievement like they once did). While I am enjoying my time with Madden 25 I must say that it gets rather annoying putting up with EA’s endless idiotic decisions and implementations.

Madden 25 – All-Madden Sliders

Now that we have made it into November it is safe to say that most of what will be patched in Madden 25 has been ‘tuned’ and patched by EA.

Here are the official NoobTubeTV Settings for All-Madden Difficulty.

You can also download the sliders from the GamerTag – Outspoknpoet (on Xbox 360)

Skill Level – All Madden

Playcall Style – GameFlow

Quarter Length – 15 Minutes

Accelerated Clock – 13 seconds

Game Speed – Slow

Heat Seeker/Ball Hawk – Both On

Switch Assist – Off

HUMAN (Player Skill)

QBA – 10

PBLK – 0

WRC – 25

RBLK – 3

Fumbles – 25

PassD – 30

INT – 20

PassCov – 25

TAK – 50

CPU SKILL

QBA – 20

PBLK – 25

WRC – 50

RBLK – 50

FUM – 50

PassD – 60

INT – 30

PCOV – 65

TAK – 60

SPECIAL TEAMS (ALL)

FGP – 45

FGA – 30

PPOW – 50

PACC – 100

KOPOW – 45

OTHER SETTINGS

Injuries – 50

Fatigue – 51

SPD Thresh – 15

PENALTIES

Offside – 99

False Start – 50

Holding – 55

Face Mask -54

DPI – 99

OPI – 99

Clipping – 50

INTG – 99

Rough Pass – 53

Rough Kicker – 99