State of Madden Petition

[Scorp83]

I don't know if there's a game forum on here, but if it is...then please move this to it.

 

But for those that play Madden, the state of this game is in horrible hands. EA has become complacent & many of us in the Madden community are trying to have our voices heard. The NFL owners will vote whether to decide to extend EA's contract on May 28th, hopefully we get enough signings before then.

 

There's a lot of developers that would love to make a NFL Simulation game, but because of this exclusivity deal... it prevents anyone from doing so. 

 

If you want to help...please sign the petition.

 

Thank in Advance! 

 

Petition · NFL: Cancel NFL exclusivity deal for Simfootball games · Change.org
https://www.change.org/p/nfl-cancel-nfl-exclusivity-deal-for-simfootball-games

[MJS]

I think there is a Madden thread already that this would fit nicely into.

[GreggTX]

The problem with Madden is that it ISN'T a simulation game. It's an arcade game for kids that like bells and whistles and that have short attention spans. The same numerous, glaring shortcomings persist year after year while they focus on adding BS that adds nothing to the quality of the game. I sometimes wonder if they hired a bunch of 5 year olds to design the game. I want to play as the coach, not as a finger flipper.

 

EA desperately needs a serious competitor. Isn't competition what the NFL is all about?

Edited May 26, 2020 by GreggTX

[PromoTheRobot]

8 hours ago, Scorp83 said:

I don't know if there's a game forum on here, but if it is...then please move this to it.

 

But for those that play Madden, the state of this game is in horrible hands. EA has become complacent & many of us in the Madden community are trying to have our voices heard. The NFL owners will vote whether to decide to extend EA's contract on May 28th, hopefully we get enough signings before then.

 

There's a lot of developers that would love to make a NFL Simulation game, but because of this exclusivity deal... it prevents anyone from doing so. 

 

If you want to help...please sign the petition.

 

Thank in Advance! 

 

Petition · NFL: Cancel NFL exclusivity deal for Simfootball games · Change.org
https://www.change.org/p/nfl-cancel-nfl-exclusivity-deal-for-simfootball-games

 

Nothing prevents a game designer from creating a good football game. You just can't use NFL players or imagery. 

[Mr. K]

3 minutes ago, GreggTX said:

The problem with Madden is that it ISN'T a simulation game. It's an arcade game for kids that like bells and whistles and that have short attention spans. The same numerous, glaring shortcomings persist year after year while they focus on adding BS that adds nothing to the quality of the game. I sometimes wonder if they hired a bunch of 5 year olds to design the game. I want to play as the coach, not as a finger flipper.

 

They actually make a Coach game a handful of years ago(still offer coach modes I bet), I dont think it did very well. If you dont like the game play something else I dont need to sign a petition because I can't get more than 10 kills in C.O.D.

[CodeMonkey]

19 minutes ago, GreggTX said:

The problem with Madden is that it ISN'T a simulation game. It's an arcade game for kids that like bells and whistles and that have short attention spans. The same numerous, glaring shortcomings persist year after year while they focus on adding BS that adds nothing to the quality of the game. I sometimes wonder if they hired a bunch of 5 year olds to design the game. I want to play as the coach, not as a finger flipper.

 

EA desperately needs a serious competitor. Isn't competition what the NFL is all about?

No, the NFL is about money.  Until this exclusivity deal gets to the point they think they could be making more some other way, do not expect anything to change much.  Online petitions make poeple feel better, but really have little to no impact.  This is a business decision and only a business decision. 

15 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Nothing prevents a game designer from creating a good football game. You just can't use NFL players or imagery. 

But at the same time, NFL teams and players etc. is what draws most to the game I believe.

Edited May 26, 2020 by CodeMonkey

[Mark80]

5 minutes ago, CodeMonkey said:

No, the NFL is about money.  Until this exclusivity deal gets to the point they think they could be making more, do not expect anything to change much.  Online petitions make poeple feel better, but really have little to no impact.  This is a business decision and only a business decision. 

 

This.  The NFL doesn't give a crap about an online petition.  They decision will be solely based on how they think they will be able to make the most money.

 

And honestly, Madden is pretty damn good.  There are tons of game play setting and sliders to adjust to make it simulation type football if thats what you want.  People are just too lazy to mess with them.  Stay off MUT and online head to head and just play with friends or online sim leagues.  That's where it is at.

Edited May 26, 2020 by Mark80

[Brennan Huff]

Don’t buy the new game. I mean why would anyone keep buying it? The most important thing to me is updated rosters and you don’t need the most current game for that..

[mjd1001]

I don't play video games much anymore....a large part of that is that the only ones I did play were the sports games and games like madden just, well, I can't really get into at all.

 

The simulation point I agree with.  There just wasn't much accuracy. Try to 'play out' a season, cpu vs cpu (or even part of a Season) and the results were awful.  Not much difference between QB stats....the Pats with Brady in his prime would go 11-5 one season and then 6-8 another.  Virtual no-name players end up being near the top of the league in rushing, star DE might end up the season with 3 or 4 sacks.  Once again, this isn't using the 'sim' mode..but when playing the games out....but that is what I care about...knowing I get an accurate representation of football when playing the games out.

 

Then the minor issue I have is the animation. Sure, the graphics LOOK good but after all these years, can't they get the animations correct?  Balls seem to fly through the air way too fast, and the direction changes and acceleration/deceleration of players is just pretty bad.  I know its a video game, but it seems like there has been very little improvement over the past decade on this aspect of it.

 

In all honest the game is probably a lot better than what was available years ago....but I just wish someone would find a way to make the game 'accurate' where the player ratings would/could lead to realistic stats and results.

Edited May 26, 2020 by mjd1001

[KD in CA]

3 hours ago, Mark80 said:

The NFL doesn't give a crap about an online petition. 

 

Nobody gives a crap about online petitions.  They are the adult equivalent of a four year old throwing a temper tantrum.

 

18 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Then the minor issue I have is the animation. Sure, the graphics LOOK good but after all these years, can't they get the animations correct?  Balls seem to fly through the air way too fast, and the direction changes and acceleration/deceleration of players is just pretty bad.  I know its a video game, but it seems like there has been very little improvement over the past decade on this aspect of it.

 

In all honest the game is probably a lot better than what was available years ago....but I just wish someone would find a way to make the game 'accurate' where the player ratings would/could lead to realistic stats and results.

 

Any software company needs to prioritize its investments in product development.  I'd guess that EA has a fairly robust process to measure ROI against its product roadmap. 

Simply put, the 'bells and whistles' probably generates more sales for less product dev cost than fundamentally improving the underlying gameplay.

[Bangarang]

Lol 118 people have signed the petition. I’m sure EA is real nervous..

[mjd1001]

10 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

Lol 118 people have signed the petition. I’m sure EA is real nervous..

Something wrong with the page.  Everytime you click on the link...it resets the number of signatures to 99 or 100 and then it slowly rises as you watch it.  First time I clicked on it it said 100 and then by the time I l closed the page it was at about 115.  Then I clicked on it again a few mintues later..and it said 99....but 60 seconds later it said 124.  I just refreshed the page now and it went down to 95, but then slowly started rising again.

[BillsFan17]

4 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Nothing prevents a game designer from creating a good football game. You just can't use NFL players or imagery. 

Thats exactly what stops them. They understand the product without the NFL likeness would not do overly well.

[marky]

I like what Skate did. It feels like skateboarding. Does holding the up button feel like you just ran a 50 yard sprint?

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

2 hours ago, Brennan Huff said:

Don’t buy the new game. I mean why would anyone keep buying it? The most important thing to me is updated rosters and you don’t need the most current game for that..

really? On mine updates stop coming at the end of that respective season. 

Edited May 26, 2020 by Over 29 years of fanhood

[DCOrange]

18 minutes ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

really? On mine updates stop coming at the end of that respective season. 

They've added the ability to upload and download rosters, draft classes, slider settings, etc. You won't get an official roster from EA for the 2020-21 season in Madden 20, but I guarantee someone will take the ratings in Madden 21 and upload them into a Madden 20 roster for people to download.

[Maybe Someday]

40 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

They've added the ability to upload and download rosters, draft classes, slider settings, etc. You won't get an official roster from EA for the 2020-21 season in Madden 20, but I guarantee someone will take the ratings in Madden 21 and upload them into a Madden 20 roster for people to download.

 

100% accurate. I bet you can download a roster now that has all the draft picks and FA signings updated. You just won't have the current schedule or updated uniforms. 

 

Good luck OP but imo EA isn't going anywhere. An online petition means nothing to them or the NFL. People aren't going to stop buying the game until another one comes along that is better and that probably won't happen unless they can use the real players and logos. 

[BillsFan17]

47 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

They've added the ability to upload and download rosters, draft classes, slider settings, etc. You won't get an official roster from EA for the 2020-21 season in Madden 20, but I guarantee someone will take the ratings in Madden 21 and upload them into a Madden 20 roster for people to download.

Someone did and its pretty effin awesome to be honest that someone took the time do it. 

[somnus00]

I remember the old NFL 2k games. I liked them so much more than Madden.

 

I don't play video games anymore, but if the 2k series was allowed to come back (i.e. madden loses exclusivity deal) I'd seriously consider getting back into gaming.

[DCOrange]

24 minutes ago, Maybe Someday said:

 

100% accurate. I bet you can download a roster now that has all the draft picks and FA signings updated. You just won't have the current schedule or updated uniforms. 

 

Good luck OP but imo EA isn't going anywhere. An online petition means nothing to them or the NFL. People aren't going to stop buying the game until another one comes along that is better and that probably won't happen unless they can use the real players and logos. 

Yeah, I'm 100% sure you can download a roster now like you're mentioning. I hate what EA has done to pretty much all of their games in recent years, but allowing people to upload/download stuff was a huge breakthrough. I haven't messed around with it in Madden nearly as much as I have in NBA 2K, but if the roster/draft class creation in Madden gets to where it is in 2K, it'll be an absolute game-changer. Being able to download a 1990 roster to play a franchise with Kelly, Thurman, etc., downloading a 1991, 92, 93, etc. draft class to basically recreate history...it'll be awesome if it takes off (and it may have already, I don't know) in Madden the way it has in 2K.

[Buffalo716]

2 hours ago, DCOrange said:

They've added the ability to upload and download rosters, draft classes, slider settings, etc. You won't get an official roster from EA for the 2020-21 season in Madden 20, but I guarantee someone will take the ratings in Madden 21 and upload them into a Madden 20 roster for people to download.

 

2 hours ago, Maybe Someday said:

 

100% accurate. I bet you can download a roster now that has all the draft picks and FA signings updated. You just won't have the current schedule or updated uniforms. 

 

Good luck OP but imo EA isn't going anywhere. An online petition means nothing to them or the NFL. People aren't going to stop buying the game until another one comes along that is better and that probably won't happen unless they can use the real players and logos. 

You can already download next year's draft class in a Madden franchise

 

I have and while it's not perfect, it is nice to see all the rooks and such

 

And I honestly don't think gameplay is that bad, I've been playing for over 20 years and once you get the hang of each version I think it plays real well for the most part

[Maybe Someday]

1 hour ago, DCOrange said:

Yeah, I'm 100% sure you can download a roster now like you're mentioning. I hate what EA has done to pretty much all of their games in recent years, but allowing people to upload/download stuff was a huge breakthrough. I haven't messed around with it in Madden nearly as much as I have in NBA 2K, but if the roster/draft class creation in Madden gets to where it is in 2K, it'll be an absolute game-changer. Being able to download a 1990 roster to play a franchise with Kelly, Thurman, etc., downloading a 1991, 92, 93, etc. draft class to basically recreate history...it'll be awesome if it takes off (and it may have already, I don't know) in Madden the way it has in 2K.

 

What you can download depends on what others have created. Some are good but some are ridiculously bad.

 

Someone usually recreates the tecmo super bowl rosters each year which is the 1990 season so I've played that. I never checked to see if someone created the 1991 draft. That would be interesting. 

 

You can customize gameplay and player ability in so many ways now so I'd think anyone can get the experience they're looking for. You have to mess with the sliders until you find your sweet spot. If you leave those at default settings the game is unplayable. 

[Maybe Someday]

2 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

 

You can already download next year's draft class in a Madden franchise

 

I have and while it's not perfect, it is nice to see all the rooks and such

 

And I honestly don't think gameplay is that bad, I've been playing for over 20 years and once you get the hang of each version I think it plays real well for the most part

I wasn't trying to say I thought gameplay was bad, I'm 20 year vet myself lol. 

 

My thought on EA is that they will pay the NFL more to be exclusive than any upstart can pay to use players/teams. Without the ability to use those, a new game will never dent Madden. Doesnt matter how good the game play is. A game with better graphics and gameplay than madden but using XFL or Arena will not sell even close to Madden. That's the experience for I would assume a lot of people. I play with the Bills only. For years it was the only way for me to see them win. 

[DCOrange]

8 minutes ago, Maybe Someday said:

 

What you can download depends on what others have created. Some are good but some are ridiculously bad.

 

Someone usually recreates the tecmo super bowl rosters each year which is the 1990 season so I've played that. I never checked to see if someone created the 1991 draft. That would be interesting. 

 

You can customize gameplay and player ability in so many ways now so I'd think anyone can get the experience they're looking for. You have to mess with the sliders until you find your sweet spot. If you leave those at default settings the game is unplayable. 

The gameplay itself is pretty solid with the right sliders as long as you're not trying to exploit everything. It's pretty difficult to get certain players to play like themselves though (offline) and if you want to take it online you're obviously relying on finding the right community of people to play against. I really enjoyed the online league I used to play in. I wish EA would create a deeper franchise mode to improve the immersion though. They've taken so many features out of the game over the years to make the mode more accessible/simpler for everyone while sacrificing the options and little things that make it a worthwhile experience for me personally. It's frustrating as a consumer to see that EA basically sacrificed the deep franchise mode to create one simpler mode while 2K for example makes theirs accessible/simple but also includes options to give you the deeper experience that people like me are looking for.

 

But having said that, I can recognize that the on-field product has gotten better in particular the last two years for Madden. It's still behind the old 2K football games in a handful of areas, but it at least feels like a significant upgrade over earlier PS4 Madden games now.

1 minute ago, Maybe Someday said:

I wasn't trying to say I thought gameplay was bad, I'm 20 year vet myself lol. 

 

My thought on EA is that they will pay the NFL more to be exclusive than any upstart can pay to use players/teams. Without the ability to use those, a new game will never dent Madden. Doesnt matter how good the game play is. A game with better graphics and gameplay than madden but using XFL or Arena will not sell even close to Madden. That's the experience for I would assume a lot of people. I play with the Bills only. For years it was the only way for me to see them win. 

 

Yeah, I agree with all that. I am kinda curious what the sales are for a game like Super Mega Baseball for example though. It's been successful enough that they've continued publishing new versions of the game; it makes me wonder if a company like 2K could publish a generic football game with all the customization options you could ever want and sell well enough to be profitable. I know I would personally buy it in a heartbeat. Seems like 2K is most likely headed towards creating an NFL Playgrounds game though which probably won't interest me.

[Buffalo716]

3 minutes ago, Maybe Someday said:

I wasn't trying to say I thought gameplay was bad, I'm 20 year vet myself lol. 

 

My thought on EA is that they will pay the NFL more to be exclusive than any upstart can pay to use players/teams. Without the ability to use those, a new game will never dent Madden. Doesnt matter how good the game play is. A game with better graphics and gameplay than madden but using XFL or Arena will not sell even close to Madden. That's the experience for I would assume a lot of people. I play with the Bills only. For years it was the only way for me to see them win. 

Yeah I'm one of those people when I play online versus, I exclusively use the bills

 

And I wasn't signaling you out about the bad gameplay, just two people complaining about it

 

I got so good back in the day using the bad bills that it made me an expert Madden player lol when I had a little time back in the day I've been ranked top 100-200 at stints  in online versus because I just didn't lose lol

[mjd1001]

Interesting video where a guy shows some madden videos of problems with the game.....animations to make the game 'look' good cause players to do the wrong thing....players with very low run block and strength ratings being able to seal off the edge against much higher rated defender with ease.....the offensive line almost always pushing the D-line 2 yards down the field on 'dive' plays...etc.

 

 

[without a drought]

8 hours ago, Bangarang said:

Lol 118 people have signed the petition. I’m sure EA is real nervous..

But I did hear that over half are outraged.

 

 

[May Day 10]

Im really dying for a realistic NFL Franchise simulation/sandbox game on the PC and mobile device.  I have been playing OOTP Baseball and it is amazing.  You dont "play" at all, but you can manage if you want.  

 

I actually found it as I was digging around for an NFL product.  They dont exist, and I guess it is from the Madden agreement.  That is a shame.  

[mjd1001]

21 minutes ago, May Day 10 said:

Im really dying for a realistic NFL Franchise simulation/sandbox game on the PC and mobile device.  I have been playing OOTP Baseball and it is amazing.  You dont "play" at all, but you can manage if you want.  

 

I actually found it as I was digging around for an NFL product.  They dont exist, and I guess it is from the Madden agreement.  That is a shame.  

Have you ever looked into Front office Football 8?

 

Its probably the closest thing to a football version of OOTP.

[The Dean]

People are petitioning to make Madden the 51st State?

 

Sorry, I only read the topic title.

[KD in CA]

On 5/27/2020 at 9:05 PM, The Dean said:

People are petitioning to make Madden the 51st State?

 

Sorry, I only read the topic title.

 

Apparently there's some debate about Madden's representation in Congress.

[The Real Buffalo Joe]

The worst part about the exclusivity contract was the effect it had on baseball. MVP 05 was the greatest baseball game ever made. Top ten sports games for sure. But after EA signed this with the NFL, 2k sports signed one with MLB. MVP made a few more games with college teams, but they didn't sell, so they stopped making it. RBI Baseball is garbage. The show sucked for a while, but has finally gotten pretty good, but not MVP levels. 

 

Madden barely changes lately. I usually just buy the version that's a year or two old. Same game with outdated rosters for like $10 or less.

On 5/27/2020 at 11:05 PM, The Dean said:

People are petitioning to make Madden the 51st State?

 

Sorry, I only read the topic title.

 

On 5/29/2020 at 1:44 PM, KD in CA said:

 

Apparently there's some debate about Madden's representation in Congress.

Didn't you idiots learn anything in middle school science class? The state of Madden. Water, Liquid, Madden, and Gas.