EA Sports – Page 4

EA Sports Grows A Brain – Releases Manuals In PDF!

In one of the more shocking moments of this iteration of Madden, EA Sports has released manuals in PDF format!

There are manuals for Connected Careers as well as the regular game manuals for the 360 and PS3.

Here are the links!

Madden 13 Demo Arrives – NTTV Has You Covered!

Finding the demo can sometimes be the most annoying experience. This video will walk you through the quick journey to find one of the most impressive sports gaming demos to date.

We are currently uploading the first tutorial for Madden 13 noobs. It is based around the ‘Demo’ version of the game, but you should be ready to hit the digital gridiron on August 28th!

Madden 13 – All Running Back Ratings Released

Once again, the hype machine has released their little bit of digital crack to the Madden masses! Come and get it!

TEAM	First Name	Last Name	Overall	Speed	Acceleration	Strength	Trucking	Elusiveness
Jaguars	Maurice	Jones-Drew	97	94	95	79	85	93
Vikings	Adrian	Peterson	97	96	97	84	87	97
Texans	Arian	Foster	96	92	96	79	96	92
Eagles	LeSean	McCoy	95	93	97	65	68	99
Ravens	Ray	Rice	95	91	97	84	75	93
Bears	Matt	Forte	93	92	93	73	78	90
Ravens	Vonta	Leach	92	69	80	84	74	40
Niners	Frank	Gore	92	91	90	78	89	78
Rams	Steven	Jackson	92	86	87	85	94	67
Jaguars	Greg	Jones	91	78	80	82	88	44
Chiefs	Jamaal	Charles	91	97	97	59	62	96
Falcons	Michael	Turner	91	86	90	85	98	74
Raiders	Darren	McFadden	91	97	95	74	94	78
Seahawks	Marshawn	Lynch	90	90	88	84	98	74
Titans	Chris	Johnson	90	99	98	66	55	86
Panthers	Mike	Tolbert	89	84	89	82	96	64
Seahawks	Michael	Robinson	89	79	84	80	85	57
Bills	Fred	Jackson	89	90	91	77	82	94
Saints	Darren	Sproles	89	94	98	55	40	93
Giants	Ahmad	Bradshaw	88	92	96	68	76	89
Chargers	Ryan	Mathews	87	92	91	74	92	81
Packers	John	Kuhn	86	79	83	77	89	48
Steelers	Rashard	Mendenhall	86	89	91	79	92	65
Broncos	Willis	McGahee	85	86	85	83	93	58
Cardinals	Beanie	Wells	85	89	87	81	96	74
Raiders	Marcel	Reece	84	90	92	77	65	60
Dolphins	Reggie	Bush	84	95	97	58	55	94
Panthers	Jonathan	Stewart	84	90	91	78	93	65
Panthers	DeAngelo	Williams	84	93	93	65	49	86
Texans	Ben	Tate	84	90	92	73	89	72
Bears	Michael	Bush	83	86	87	81	94	65
Browns	Trent	Richardson	83	90	96	85	95	76
Chiefs	Peyton	Hillis	83	85	86	83	93	58
Cowboys	DeMarco	Murray	83	94	93	74	88	78
Saints	Jed	Collins	82	75	76	72	71	48
Bengals	BenJarvus	Green-Ellis	82	82	84	79	94	65
Jets	Shonn	Greene	82	86	91	79	93	62
Saints	Pierre	Thomas	82	88	90	75	86	63
Chargers	Le’Ron	McClain	81	78	81	80	87	44
Cowboys	Felix	Jones	81	96	94	64	60	86
Niners	Brandon	Jacobs	81	86	80	87	97	61
Lions	Jahvid	Best	81	97	95	59	58	85
Bills	C.J.	Spiller	80	95	96	61	51	91
Bucs	LeGarrette	Blount	79	85	86	85	97	64
Redskins	Roy	Helu Jr.	79	93	96	64	68	85
Saints	Mark	Ingram	79	85	91	74	87	67
Jets	John	Conner	78	72	81	77	75	45
Colts	Donald	Brown	78	91	86	73	83	68
Lions	Kevin	Smith	78	88	90	75	69	79
Patriots	Danny	Woodhead	78	92	94	52	41	91
Niners	Bruce	Miller	77	75	82	77	66	35
Texans	James	Casey	77	82	86	68	79	44
Bengals	Bernard	Scott	77	93	92	65	68	88
Chargers	Ronnie	Brown	77	88	85	71	73	78
Packers	James	Starks	77	90	87	69	82	74
Patriots	Joseph	Addai	77	88	91	64	55	77
Redskins	Tim	Hightower	77	86	86	77	87	59
Saints	Chris	Ivory	77	88	85	77	92	71
Steelers	Isaac	Redman	77	86	90	82	94	65
Bengals	Chris	Pressley	76	70	75	77	77	44
Cowboys	Lawrence	Vickers	76	73	80	81	84	40
Steelers	David	Johnson	76	75	77	81	69	55
Broncos	Knowshon	Moreno	76	86	93	66	66	77
Bucs	Doug	Martin	76	87	95	83	84	75
Vikings	Jerome	Felton	75	73	76	80	70	50
Niners	Kendall	Hunter	75	91	96	58	67	88
Lions	Jerome	Harrison	75	90	91	60	43	85
Patriots	Stevan	Ridley	75	86	92	78	93	69
Seahawks	Leon	Washington	75	95	94	62	53	87
Vikings	Toby	Gerhart	75	85	81	78	89	55
Bills	Corey	McIntyre	74	75	74	85	70	28
Chargers	Jacob	Hester	74	83	87	70	75	51
Giants	Henry	Hynoski	74	69	75	84	74	46
Jaguars	Brock	Bolen	74	72	76	68	73	45
Redskins	Darrel	Young	74	73	75	78	86	45
Cardinals	LaRod	Stephens-Howling	74	94	95	49	37	90
Chiefs	Dexter	McCluster	74	92	95	47	40	90
Dolphins	Daniel	Thomas	74	84	88	76	87	78
Falcons	Jason	Snelling	74	81	86	84	92	49
Falcons	Jacquizz	Rodgers	74	84	97	54	42	91
Giants	David	Wilson	74	94	90	65	74	88
Jaguars	Rashad	Jennings	74	84	87	78	89	60
Raiders	Mike	Goodson	74	93	95	54	54	91
Bengals	Brian	Leonard	73	80	84	74	83	55
Cardinals	Ryan	Williams	73	87	94	68	85	77
Colts	Mewelde	Moore	73	87	91	60	62	82
Niners	LaMichael	James	73	92	97	52	53	93
Jets	Joe	McKnight	73	93	95	59	52	91
Patriots	Shane	Vereen	73	90	86	58	62	81
Redskins	Evan	Royster	73	82	89	72	84	53
Titans	Javon	Ringer	73	87	94	67	68	76
Texans	Justin	Forsett	73	90	93	65	49	88
Bills	Tashard	Choice	72	87	89	65	60	74
Browns	Montario	Hardesty	72	84	87	72	84	62
Dolphins	Steve	Slaton	72	93	93	63	52	85
Eagles	Dion	Lewis	72	85	91	59	65	88
Lions	Mikel	Leshoure	72	85	93	75	87	56
Cardinals	Anthony	Sherman	71	80	75	78	58	55
Patriots	Spencer	Larsen	71	72	75	78	55	20
Broncos	Lance	Ball	71	85	86	71	84	65
Browns	Chris	Ogbonnaya	71	85	88	74	85	61
Browns	Brandon	Jackson	71	88	91	63	52	82
Colts	Delone	Carter	71	85	88	75	92	65
Browns	Owen	Marecic	70	73	77	76	78	25
Jaguars	Naufahu	Tahi	70	76	81	84	71	38
Patriots	Tony	Fiammetta	70	82	74	77	78	50
Ravens	Anthony	Allen	70	84	82	77	92	54
Falcons	Mike	Cox	69	70	72	85	68	40
Bears	Kahlil	Bell	69	85	90	68	72	82
Cowboys	Phillip	Tanner	69	86	90	73	85	66
Dolphins	Lamar	Miller	69	94	96	58	55	81
Jaguars	Montell	Owens	69	84	87	77	82	52
Lions	Keiland	Williams	69	83	85	74	85	56
Rams	Isaiah	Pead	69	92	92	60	64	78
Ravens	Bernard	Pierce	69	88	91	62	77	69
Dolphins	Charles	Clay	68	81	88	68	81	55
Saints	Korey	Hall	68	74	79	75	72	50
Bengals	Daniel	Herron	68	83	89	73	75	75
Broncos	Ronnie	Hillman	68	90	91	53	55	92
Chargers	Curtis	Brinkley	68	87	89	65	63	80
Colts	Deji	Karim	68	90	93	67	72	81
Niners	Anthony	Dixon	68	83	84	79	90	45
Packers	Alex	Green	68	87	91	72	84	65
Raiders	Taiwan	Jones	68	97	96	56	64	86
Seahawks	Kregg	Lumpkin	68	87	89	65	62	81
Bucs	Erik	Lorig	67	68	75	81	72	25
Texans	Moran	Norris	67	65	74	83	70	38
Cardinals	Alfonso	Smith	67	93	87	64	68	78
Niners	Rock	Cartwright	67	82	88	78	85	35
Jaguars	DuJuan	Harris	67	93	95	59	62	87
Ravens	Damien	Berry	67	83	87	76	87	64
Seahawks	Robert	Turbin	67	87	91	83	85	76
Steelers	Jonathan	Dwyer	67	87	78	79	93	59
Bears	Tyler	Clutts	66	69	74	76	74	37
Cowboys	Shaun	Chapas	66	69	82	78	75	40
Bills	Johnny	White	66	86	89	70	83	66
Chiefs	Cyrus	Gray	66	92	93	64	53	79
Broncos	Chris	Gronkowski	65	73	76	67	69	56
Chiefs	Shane	Bannon	65	72	74	69	76	43
Raiders	Owen	Schmitt	65	73	72	84	88	50
Raiders	Manase	Tonga	65	71	74	75	77	45
Rams	Brit	Miller	65	76	75	75	72	44
Broncos	Jeremiah	Johnson	65	86	92	65	62	82
Eagles	Chris	Polk	65	88	77	62	85	49
Jaguars	Jalen	Parmele	65	82	86	71	84	55
Titans	Jamie	Harper	65	85	91	75	81	62
Browns	Eddie	Williams	64	77	81	66	73	72
Jets	Josh	Baker	64	78	83	73	72	33
Vikings	Rhett	Ellison	64	74	75	63	53	55
Bears	Armando	Allen	64	83	91	63	63	77
Bucs	Michael	Smith	64	95	94	72	77	73
Cardinals	Javarris	James	64	81	85	72	83	52
Chiefs	Nate	Eachus	64	84	81	75	70	80
Chiefs	Shaun	Draughn	64	79	84	68	63	77
Colts	Vick	Ballard	64	85	89	74	88	62
Panthers	Josh	Vaughan	64	82	86	75	85	55
Redskins	Alfred	Morris	64	81	83	65	89	57
Steelers	Chris	Rainey	64	94	97	48	44	92
Vikings	Lex	Hilliard	64	80	82	83	86	55
Browns	Brad	Smelley	63	73	69	75	77	38
Eagles	Stanley	Havili	63	80	84	68	79	54
Patriots	Eric	Kettani	63	82	78	68	77	39
Titans	Quinn	Johnson	63	70	75	67	70	30
Bengals	Aaron	Brown	63	95	94	59	49	87
Bucs	Mossis	Madu	63	86	87	55	64	83
Colts	Darren	Evans	63	86	82	78	87	49
Cowboys	Lance	Dunbar	63	87	90	48	55	80
Eagles	Bryce	Brown	63	92	86	71	87	63
Giants	Da’Rel	Scott	63	96	94	62	65	69
Giants	D.J.	Ware	63	84	86	71	83	55
Panthers	Armond	Smith	63	94	95	58	45	85
Rams	Chase	Reynolds	63	84	79	62	66	81
Rams	Daryl	Richardson	63	89	95	53	48	85
Seahawks	Tyrell	Sutton	63	88	92	64	65	80
Steelers	John	Clay	63	78	82	84	93	49
Bengals	Cedric	Peerman	62	91	84	75	52	79
Chargers	Edwin	Baker	62	88	82	75	85	52
Falcons	Dimitri	Nance	62	82	89	72	85	64
Niners	Jewel	Hampton	62	85	87	79	83	56
Giants	Andre	Brown	62	87	79	78	86	50
Jets	Bilal	Powell	62	86	87	74	82	61
Packers	Brandon	Saine	62	93	95	69	81	48
Patriots	Brandon	Bolden	62	86	80	73	81	47
Ravens	Bobby	Rainey	62	86	90	72	61	75
Steelers	Baron	Batch	62	86	85	67	74	66
Vikings	Jordan	Todman	62	94	90	58	64	73
Bears	Evan	Rodriguez	61	83	75	62	67	54
Bucs	Cody	Johnson	61	78	85	82	82	44
Falcons	Bradie	Ewing	61	76	73	59	56	45
Broncos	Mario	Fannin	61	94	86	69	85	63
Browns	Adonis	Thomas	61	89	93	54	37	86
Cardinals	William	Powell	61	85	87	63	74	71
Jets	Terrance	Ganaway	61	84	86	73	87	65
Titans	Herb	Donaldson	61	81	84	77	80	54
Titans	Darius	Reynaud	61	89	91	48	46	45
Texans	Davin	Meggett	61	87	91	74	73	68
Raiders	Lonyae	Miller	60	90	88	72	86	57
Saints	Travaris	Cadet	60	82	85	61	78	52
Bengals	James	Develin	59	73	74	76	77	37
Jets	Fui	Vakapuna	59	73	69	78	74	44
Panthers	Richie	Brockel	59	67	77	72	76	42
Packers	Marc	Tyler	59	79	82	69	87	43
Broncos	Austin	Sylvester	58	73	77	74	67	25
Packers	Jon	Hoese	58	72	82	69	74	45
Vikings	Ryan	D’Imperio	58	69	74	75	55	20
Bears	Harvey	Unga	58	74	75	76	86	44
Lions	Joique	Bell	58	85	84	75	85	50
Lions	James	Bryant	57	77	74	73	73	42
Vikings	Matt	Asiata	57	77	83	69	80	42
Bears	Alvester	Alexander	57	93	95	62	51	70
Cowboys	Darrell	Scott	57	81	84	70	85	47
Falcons	Antone	Smith	57	92	94	49	37	83
Jaguars	Richard	Murphy	56	83	84	64	55	75
Colts	Kyle	Miller	55	76	74	62	63	44
Texans	Derrell	Smith	52	75	85	67	66	37

Madden-ing: How Finding Madden ’93 In My Parents’ Garage Made Me Re-Think EA Sports and the Direction of the Madden Franchise

20 years ago I was a nine year-old sports fanatic. I was lucky enough to get a Sega Genesis for Christmas in 1992. After playing many great games like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 I was still hoping to have a chance to play a sports game. Eventually, my mom and dad came home with a copy of John Madden Football ’93. It was a gift for my 10th birthday and I cherished it. I had played the same game while visiting my cousins in Georgia on a trip to the Citrus Bowl where I saw Garrison Hearst run over my beloved Buckeyes in Orlando. It had hooked me from the first snap.

After years of asking for Tecmo Bowl for Christmas I had found a game of ‘real’ football. You had to run ‘up’ the screen and call all sorts of different plays. There was a manual that seemed to be 1000 pages long with player ratings and explanations of how to play every facet of the game. I digress, my play-style was far from what many in the hardcore community would call ‘sim’… but dammit, I had a blast! I could circle the field 3 times with Thurman Thomas before either getting tackled or scoring a touchdown. So yes, before we get into the nitty gritty of this reflection – there are some incredibly arcade-like things about JMF93.

During my most recent visit with my parents we started going through some of the things I had packed away in the garage after getting married seven years ago (August 27). In the process, I uncovered a bunch of old memorabilia and video games – including my Sega Collection with JMF93. As I opened it up after years of storage and checked out the manual and case I was floored with how advanced this game was back in 1992 and perhaps more-so… how unimpressive the title has been in its growth during this generation of consoles. That is where we will pick up the remainder of this article.

Why John Madden Football ’93 Is Better Than This Generation of Madden

Back Cover Game Features

Anytime you get a new game, the first thing you do is look at the back cover. In this case, it is no different. Upon finding JMF93 I took a look at some of the features in this game… and I was impressed.

Madden93 Back of Case Cropped — Back Cover Features – How A Game Puffs Its Chest

“Buffalo’s No Huddle offense makes Washington scramble in the snow.”After seeing this quote, I started to think about some of the things the Madden development team has been championing over the last couple of years. Teams playing like their real life counterparts and other such pursuits that sound great to anyone looking to have a great experience against their teams rival or the like. Yet, how does this get so much coverage when almost 20 years ago – it was already in the game. Granted, this is a small version of what we have now but the fact is that this is nothing new and even what we have tends to be broken from a logic perspective.

“Which four-time champion will dominate?” The next part of our back cover reveal is focusing on something similar to what we have this year – All Time Players and Teams. This is one of those interesting things we commented in July when relating the inclusion of ‘Legendary Players’ for Madden 13 to All Pro Football 2K8. In fact, if you want to go back 20 years, you will see that there are “8 Greatest-Ever Teams” that include teams such as the ’85 Bears, ’78 Steelers, ’84 49ers and more. It tends to make us scratch our heads and wonder how original some of these ideas are or consider the notion that they have a tendency to recycle some of these old features as the games find new audiences. It is a fine idea, but it seems somewhat off-base to call the inclusion of legendary teams or players anything but an expected inclusion at this point – rather than a ‘new feature’.

“Head butts, Clothesline Tackles and Shoestring catches”You would think that some of the animations from old games would make their way into future games with ease. Well, clothesline tackles haven’t been included in Madden in almost a decade. Head butts have gone the way of the Dodo with the NFL becoming more of a police-force trying to censor away the natural violence of their televised sport so Madden can stay rated-E… for the children.

Did You Know You Could Challenge Rulings In John Madden Football ’93?

There are a lot of things that Madden has that don’t really work well when it comes to actual in-game performance. One of the things that people complain about almost every year is challenging calls on the field. In JMF93 you could actually overturn penalties (see the picture to the right). While this was limited to Head-to-Head games, it is still something to look back and snicker about because it probably worked better than the current system ‘works’.

Player Ratings Were Better 20 Years Ago, Kind of.

Another thing I noticed when browsing through the 79 PAGE manual was the listing of player ratings. When you take a look at some of the ratings you might laugh, but most of the ratings when taken into further consideration come across as pretty fair and downright decent. If you take a look at the pages we scanned you will see two teams with drastically different talent levels – Cleveland and Dallas.

Ratings have become some of the more contentious sticking points in Madden over the past 12+ years. If you take a closer look at the ratings in JMF93 you will notice a few things.

– They are simplistic

– They are smaller (on a scale of 0-15 rather than 0-99)

– They are brutally honest

– They are somewhat wonky

For instance, Cleveland’s starting QB (Bernie Kosar) was given a Passing Range rating of 11 and a Passing Accuracy rating of 12. He was a very slow QB when it came to running and scrambling and he was given a Speed Rating of only 4. The interesting rating that is included is a Scrambling Rating… Kosar also had a 4. His back-up on the other hand was given some rather strange ratings. He was given a Passing Range rating of 0… yes… ZERO and then a Pass Accuracy rating of only 4 with SPD and Scrambling of 3.

If you look at the other page you will see one of the greatest running backs of all time has almost top ratings in every meaningful category. Emmitt Smith was given 15s in Speed, Agility and Break Tackle with a 4 in Hands or ‘Catching’. If you take a look at the ratings given to the running backs for the Browns you would think that their players were taken out of a tar pit with Speed Ratings of 7 and 8. Kevin Mack (#34) was actually a FB and had a 12 SPD rating. So, it wasn’t a complete loss for the Browns.

This Article Isn’t Meant To Trash On Madden Football

Before any Madden fanboys (see our earlier post if you don’t know what that means) read this article, please take into account that we are giving honest opinions based on evidence from actual games. Also, it should be considered that we do realize that Madden 93 is clearly graphically inferior and definitely has issues with player movement when compared to current Madden games. Again, this article isn’t stating that people will enjoy Madden 93 more than Madden 10, 11, 12 or even 13, but it does put current Madden games ‘on the spot’ when it comes to pursuing greatness and innovation.

We want Madden to be great. We want it to be able to make us turn off a game on Sunday because our digital experience on a console is more enjoyable. We want to see pass interference and hard hits across the middle. We want to see head butts, shoe string catches and even an ambulance come onto the field as Colt McCoy asks where he is. We want better football on our consoles and hope that this can invigorate people to be more critical while still being professional. You are allowed to be upset, but please remember that this is all in an effort to make people think about the past so we can improve the future. Even if it means looking into the past and wondering what the hell is going on with current game development.

Making Madden Better – Volume 1 – Ending Games

No matter which form of entertainment you choose – gaming, movies or books, if the ending is bad you will consider it either a waste of your time or sit there for a minute wondering if that really is all that happens.

Madden has a few issues in this department and no where is it more noticeable than at the end of a big game. We are starting a new series of videos dedicated to helping make Madden a better experience. These are primarily meant to catch the eyes of developers at Tiburon; however, if you have other suggestions for things we haven’t covered please comment below, send us a message on YouTube or email us at officialnoobtubetv@gmail.com.

Again, the content we provide is meant to be used as constructive criticism in order to improve the game. There is no reason to point fingers or say anything in an unprofessional manner. You will get nowhere fast if you think bashing something or someone will make it or them change.

Keep hitting that F5 key as NoobTubeTV is starting to grow more popular we will be posting more often.

EA Game Changers – The Gaming Equivalent of Congressmen (With Advice On How To Interact In Your Online Communities)

Over the past couple years we have seen tremendous growth from EA Sports’ Madden Franchise. Some people like to attribute this growing quality to the inclusion of what EA Sports is calling Game Changers from the EA Gaming Community. A few days ago NoobTubeTV covered some of the biggest issues between non-Game Changers and the Game Changers on an interactive level through forums, Twitter, etc.

After scouring message-boards/forums, news and fan sites (many of which are owned by Game Changers) it is evident that they care deeply about the product they have all but devoted their lives to playing. It is impressive to see many of these sites talk about the intricacies and details that are either present or missing from some titles. These dedicated gamers eventually gained such a large audience or member-base that their opinions were held in high regard by EA.

When they first made their trips down to EA to visit the studio and get a first glimpse of the game they were pretty limited in what they got to see. It was all but a finished game and they got to give some feedback but anything else was off the table until at least the next year.

This year, the Game Changers got a few chances to visit EA Sports and watch as the game made it through Alpha and Beta stages. They also got to give input and suggestions. In the process of these visits they aren’t allowed to divulge any information that EA doesn’t give them permission to express to the public.

BlagoCubs — Power (even a little) can make people change for the worst.

This puts Game Changers into a de-facto position of power. For many of them, it is something they take with humility. For others, it seems to be going to their heads and it is starting to leave a sour taste in the minds of many community members. The issue at hand is that many of these valued members of the community are given a ‘a longer leash’ and sometimes no leash at all (especially on their own personal sites). You will find that some (a minority really) of the ‘premier’ community leaders (aka Game Changers) choose to take things personally and/or respond to commoners in a rather snarky fashion that would often equate to a warning or ban from forums. This is a problem that was really bound to happen as it isn’t dissimilar from people voted into political offices of power. They are given power and then they exploit it with little or no recourse to the people they are supposedly representing.

It is important for all of our readers to remember a few things when it comes to taking an active role in the games and game communities in which you are involved. Below are some pointers for how to better represent yourself and your views when taking an active role in forums.

Be Polite and Professional – many sites have TOS (Terms of Service) that spell out how you should act and which types of interaction and comments are allowed.
When In Doubt, DON’T PRESS SEND – If you value your membership in a forum/community and you get angry or annoyed with a fellow member or even the game in general you need to think before you submit some sort of choice words.
Choose Your Words Carefully – It is vital that a member doesn’t call anyone out or put them on blast by pointing fingers. This is often how digital fights of words begin and you better bet on community leaders getting the benefit of the doubt over a common user such as yourself.
Don’t Be A Troll – If your mission is to go and instigate other members of the community, you might as well refrain from registering from the site to begin with… but who are we kidding?… You are probably getting ready to submit a rude comment here on NoobTubeTV. The real problem you will find is that by doing that (on here, at least) your comment will be approved and then it will be responded to in a polite and professional manner – therefore making you look foolish. Again… don’t be a troll.

Community Involvement Doesn’t Equal Community Development

In recent years EA Sports and some other publishers and game developers have started inviting select members of their hardcore gaming community and fanbase to come in and check out their game and give opinions and critiques as well as simply get a chance to play the game in its early build. For the many people that don’t get a chance to visit places like EA Tiburon for Madden over the course of a game’s development cycle it is easy to think they might do a better job than those going down to Orlando. There are a few things to consider before you let your mind run wild with envy if you aren’t among the invitees for Community Day (as they call it at EA). As well, if you are among the lucky few – it will behoove you to pay attention as well.

Before we proceed, it is important to view one of the interactions from OperationSports. This is between a non-Community Day participant and a Madden Community Day Participant –

Illustrator76 – “This was a great analogy sir, and I agree with what you’re saying. But I disagree with it as well, lol. Actually, I only disagree with the bolded part as it applies to Madden. I just feel like people need to remember why they are at the CD in the first place. Just because EA employees feed you, show you pictures of their kids, their peg leg, etc… that shouldn’t change your reason for being down there, or what you intend to say. Now, it may change HOW you say what you say, but it shouldn’t at all change WHAT you say.”

And the reply –

rgiles36 – “Just to offer a response, are you suggesting that people do forget the reason why they’re down there? And if so, what evidence is there that people go to Tiburon and don’t critique while in the studio?”

MY DIRECT RESPONSE

This is kind of a Catch-22 because there is no evidence that anyone can give that wasn’t there and the people that can give that evidence won’t likely speak freely about anything truly negative as it wouldn’t be beneficial if they wanted to keep getting a trip to Orlando.

I think it would be best practice for those that aren’t going to Community Day to remember that those invited are invited as guests and it is usually customary of a guest to show proper respect and gratitude toward their host(s).

If you go to someone’s house for dinner and the dinner tastes crappy – you (probably) wouldn’t stand up and yell “This tastes like sh*t!”.
However, if your guest stops eating after the first bite and says “This tastes like sh*t!” – you should feel slightly more inclined to either agree with them or give your two cents… otherwise, you hack down what you have been fed and you go home to a nice bottle of Pepto-Bismol.

MY MESSAGE FOR COMMUNITY DAY INVITEES AND PARTICIPANTS

You have to keep in mind that a majority of hardcore fans have no idea about what their favorite game is going to look, play or feel like until they pull it out of the DVD case on release day. Chances are good that you will be criticized by an ignorant public because they believe that you have an inside track… because you do. There is a certain level of responsibility that you have when it comes to being a sought-after member of the gaming community and you have to remember that while you have confidentiality clauses and other issues to worry about – you are still in a position of power among people in the community.

Also, as it is widely known among active members of the gaming community itself each person making the trip to Orlando must sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) that legally prevents them from divulging any information about the game or development of the game without prior approval of the studio/company.

Be that as it may, any person that is invited to a Community Day needs to remember that they were once among the commoners. While there are rules they must follow, there is also a responsibility for them to be a conduit that other people in the community can utilize to further the overall mission – making the game better. In my view, Community Day participants have done an excellent job over the last few years and their efforts are much appreciated.

THE BOTTOM LINE
The bottom line is that when you bring in anyone to critique your product you are trying to get some feelers for what could be tweaked. If the people being invited to give advice or suggestions were better at developing the game than the actual employees they would probably have a job offer to work at the studio. (Keep in mind, this has actually happened in some cases with EA Sports and Madden)

There is a vast difference between being asked for your opinion and being asked for your help on any project. For the most part, when people are invited out of the community to check out a game (of any sort) it is in a capacity of giving opinions and feedback but not much else.

Going to a community day is like helping someone hang a picture. The developers picked the spot on the wall, put the nail in and they standing there holding the picture and asking you, “Does this look straight?”.

It is good to remember that people like Josh Looman pay close attention to forums and Twitter when it comes to community suggestions. Not just those from Community Day.

IN CONCLUSION

The main message here is that you must understand that people invited to give suggestions at Community Day are not there as developers. They are there strictly on the basis of being valued consultants (at most). They give opinions and they give suggestions when they are asked. They give feedback and might even take some notes in order to give a detailed list that is comparable to proof-reading. However, in the end it is up to the developer to take these suggestions and use them or ignore them.

So, before you accuse Community Day participants of ‘not doing their job’ or tell non-participants to ‘provide evidence’ that you know they don’t have – remember that this entire process is in the spirit of consulting at most.

Madden 13 – Connected Careers and Franchise Mode Questions Answered

It has been just over a month sense E3 and there are still people waiting to hear more details about Franchise Mode/Connected Careers in Madden 13. There are a few things we can deduce from details that have either been given to the community straight up or through videos that leave you to draw some conclusions. Not to mention the fact that some of the good people that were invited to Community Day at EA Tiburon have given a lot of great feedback.

This is one of the biggest changes for Madden in years. The issue we are facing is that the details have become rather muddled.

Here is a list of answers and a few thoughts (after the facts) so you can have your questions answered.

Is Franchise Mode dead?

In name, yes. In practice, no. Franchise Mode still exists and it will be under the selection of being a ‘Coach’ – you will still have the same control over your team, etc. Also, you will have the ability to get fired as a coach. Everything you have been able to do in Franchise Mode in the past – you can still do in Madden 13.

What about Superstar Mode?

Superstar Mode is still around. You will ‘Be A Player’ and in the process you will only control yourself. You will get to choose plays as a QB, etc.

Legends, what’s the deal?

Legends (Coaches and Players like John Madden and Barry Sanders) are not coming into Connected Careers as 99 OVR versions of themselves. Their presence in Connected Careers is also up to you as the main user to turn them on or off (off is default as of E3).

How does XP work for Connected Careers?

XP is a two tier process –

1– You have to earn it through performance and milestones. However, you won’t be able to earn more XP if you cheat or run up the score on the CPU. (IE – If your goal is a 300 yard passing game in week three for 1000 XP and you pass for 900 yards, you still only get 1000 XP)

2– Leveling up costs increase as your ratings get higher. You will earn XP as you accomplish certain goals, but as you try to make your player either faster, stronger or simply better all-around you will see ratings cost more as you go. (IE – The cost to go from 85 to 86 SPD as a QB could cost you 6000 XP, but the cost to go from 86 to 87 SPD could cost you 7000 XP, etc.)

Do Coaches Matter?

Not really. Coaches simply get put into one of four levels. You can grow your created coach into a ‘Level 4’ but it really doesn’t mean anything. (Unfortunate)

Do player ratings change depending on a team’s scheme?

Yes, there are finally ratings that dynamically change to reflect the player’s overall value to your team or coach and what type of offense or defense you run. A 6’3″ 349 lb DE won’t be valued highly by a 4-3 Defensive Team, etc. This doesn’t mean his ability ratings ‘change’ but his displayed OVR and value to your team will be.

Can I make existing players retire if I control them?

No, you technically ‘stop’ using them. However, if you have a created player and retire they will be removed from the game.

Can I still control all 32 teams?

No, you can only control one team or player at a time.

Is Connected Careers Online or Offline?

It is both. If you hate playing against people online you don’t have to worry about it.

Can more than one person play a Connected Career on the same console?

No.

Can Commissioners kick people out of the league?

Yes

Is there online Auto-Pilot?

Yes.

Can Online Connected Careers have different roles?

Depending on your settings, you can make it so everyone has to be a QB, Coach RB, etc. It is totally up to the commissioner.

Can I play on the same team as a friend in Online CC?

No.

More to come! Stay tuned to NoobTubeTV as Madden gets closer.
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A few quick thoughts…

Madden 13 is really depending on Connected Careers being a high quality experience. There are a few things that it seems EA still needs to figure out for coaches especially.

In NFL Head Coach you would be able to say one of a few different things to your players at key moments. This added immersion and actually made coaches important. As well, the idea of a player fitting into a team’s scheme… it should be a coach’s scheme, not a team’s scheme. The Browns have switched coaches so many times in the last decade that the players change as often because they don’t fit what the coach wants to do and how his staff prefers to approach the game.

Making people earn XP to increase abilities is a great attempt to make the game a bit more involved and honest. By removing the ‘Potential’ rating you are now pretty much in charge of proving that a player is as good as you think and they will have to earn every bit of that OVR Rating you think they deserve. The nice part is that it is all on you to do this.

The overall closed nature of Connected Careers is a good thing for this year, but next year it needs to be opened up. There is a danger in allowing people to mess with time paradoxes, true simulation and that little thing called the game’s actual coding. This is something that can be improved upon with a more open approach in the future. Let the ~~beta testers~~ gamers mess with all sorts of things so EA can figure out the issues and fix them rather than avoid them because they are scared of problems with freezing and system crashes, etc.

All things said, Connected Careers is starting to look like a great mode for Madden fans that want to have a nice experience in growing a team or a player as they see fit. Even with some limitations that make you scratch your head.

Madden 13 ‘Legends’ – I Think I Played This Game Before

Madden 13 is coming to your console with Legendary Players. If you are excited about this – more power to you.

On the other hand, you could pop in a game that is five years old tomorrow and use quite a few of the same players such as the great Reggie White.

It isn’t really a question of whether or not Madden or 2K Football is better. It really is apples and oranges when you start comparing how the games play and other nuances that are too numerous to discuss in this article.

However, the real issue at hand is that EA Tiburon is putting this ‘feature’ in a game and almost acting like it is an original idea. 2K Sports (out of desperation) to please their hardcore football fans and with a feeble attempt to jump into the football gaming foray early on in this generation of consoles tried to grab a foothold with the inclusion of legends such as the aforementioned – Reggie White. As well, they had players you can see here on 2K’s website.

APF_COVERPS3CASE_507 — The Original ‘Legends Game’ can be had for cheap. You will be amazed with the gameplay and animations that might not even be in Madden this year… or ever.

The issue at hand also makes the controversial Connected Careers Mode a little more strange in that it allows these legendary players (Barry Sanders, Ronnie Lott, Troy Aikman, etc.) as well as Legendary Coaches! It is puzzling that they can’t allow people to do something like edit rosters, but they can allow legendary players onto their teams.

To compound the confusion there is also another vital question that needs to be asked –

Since when does the coach matter in Madden football?

Legendary Coaches is also a nice enough feature (and one that isn’t in APF2K8) but coaches have never mattered in Madden NFL. You could have gone to the Super Bowl with Romeo Crennel’s ‘I’m Thinkin’ Arbys Cleveland Browns All Stars’ and it wouldn’t matter a bit. Your coach means nothing in Madden and that has always been the case.

Madden 13 is on par to impress with their usual growth this year, but the inclusion of legends and marketing of their presence in Connected Careers (as well as Ultimate Team) is something that makes a lot of people look at EA with confusion and wonder if they will ever understand that gimmicks (especially those that have been done by another company) don’t sell games or make their game more enticing. They are cheapening the ‘experience’ and making it feel more and more like it should be Downloadable Content to mess around with like a toy from a Happy Meal and then forgotten forever in the annals of Epic Sports Gaming Fails.

If you want a great game with classic players that requires a more simulation approach than Madden, please follow our link to a bargain of a fantastic football game!

All Pro Football 2K8

Madden 13 – Why Connected Careers Could Be A Great Direction For Madden

While there have been a lot of detractors (yours truly included) coming out against EA’s decision to keep roster editing out of Madden 13’s Connected Careers Mode, there are some things to consider before you decide to hate it entirely.

There is something behind not having control of every aspect of rosters once you start a franchise mode or dynasty. The biggest (most obvious) downfall is if the coding for progression and regression is bad (see Madden 09, 10, 11, etc.). However, if the coding and player development is good (see the possibilities for Madden 13’s new XP system) you might have one heck of a deep career mode that will allow you to truly develop players and teams as you feel they should.

Dawson Edited — If you edit Phil Dawson to have 99 Kick Power and Accuracy you should have to pay for it. In Madden 13 you have to earn it rather than change it.

In Madden 12, they opened up player editing during Franchise Mode and it was/is awesome. However, the downfall is that you have to really find a way to be honest about your edits and then make sure that you do the same thing for other players and teams across the board. If your player did well but didn’t progress as you feel he should have, you had the ability to make sure his ratings went up as they’should have’. The problem with this is that it can ruin the longevity of a Franchise Mode when you have a team that becomes too good either because you edited them that way or you are just great at using the fastest players in the game.

It is nice to develop a great team, but it is even nicer when you have to spend points and be honest with how you go about it. If you want to make Brandon Weeden have 99 SPD, you will have to spend a ton of points to do so. While this seems unrealistic, ask yourself how much more realistic it would be if you simply went in and edited him to be that way. It wouldn’t be realistic at all and you are now stuck looking at Madden 13’s lack of player editing from a more honest perspective.

The main problem with Madden’s Franchise Mode in-particular has never really been in progression/regression anyway. The issue that is the most obvious is the way players and draft picks are valued. A player might come in and do an amazing job out of the blue (Matt Cassel for Tom Brady in 2009 is one example). He then went on to get a big contract offer from the Chiefs where he has been average/above average at best. The moral of the story is that Madden hasn’t ever really taken this into account. The player’s value has always been based around his ratings (OVR mostly) and that isn’t how business is always done in the NFL (unless your name is Al Davis (RIP)).

For Connected Careers to work as it should, there needs to be a better value system for players that forces teams to have to make decisions on whether or not the player will work in their Franchise and system.

This is the next aspect that has never been in Madden…. Do players FIT THE SYSTEM?

TooFatForTheTeam — Stop wondering why the Browns seem so slow, even on the line. Granted, they are supposed to fit the system… although, they don’t seem to know what system it is. (Go Browns!)

More goes into how a player is chosen for a team other than ‘Is he qualified?’

The Patriots and Bill Belichick drafted a player out of Ohio State that played more rugby than football. They also picked up Danny Woodhead and made him into a valuable part of their team (and he is only 5’8″ 195lbs).

There are other examples such as different defensive schemes such as the 3-4 and 4-3 that require different styles, sizes and speeds for defensive linemen and linebackers. There are certain offensive schemes that don’t require a receiver to be fast as long as he can run good routes and catch the ball (West Coast).

Do you think someone like Tim Tebow would succeed outside of Denver if he had to take every snap from the center rather than playing college-style?

If you run a 3-4 offense and need fast, athletic linebackers the last person you want to look for is going to be an average speed 6’5″ 270 lbs… you will most likely want to look for a fast and lean 6’3″ 240 lb mean S.O.B. that doesn’t care about anything other than ripping faces off of QBs.

Every position is important, but in Madden that doesn’t seem to be the case. Again, say what you want about real-time physics and other improvements. Those are needed and extremely valuable, but when it comes down to longevity for their most vaunted mode and biggest overhaul in years EA needs to make sure that more than just ratings truly matter.

If you aren’t football savvy here is a quick example:

Two people are applying for a car sales job.

The first person is fresh out of college with a degree in marketing and experience working a retail sales job part-time. They have a good, confident attitude to eventually work at the corporate level and maybe someday head up a department or possibly their own company.

The second person graduated from high school and then spent two years at a community college. They have a strong personality and make you feel like you have known them forever. They are also from the region and have strong ties to the area.

Who gets the job? The second person gets the job. Why? Because they fit the system.