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[Rorschach]

lol Akers. Didn't the Eagles reach for a kicker because he fucked up and they think he's done? He'll probably be on another team anyway.

 

[CB3]

lol Akers. Didn't the Eagles reach for a kicker because he fucked up and they think he's done? He'll probably be on another team anyway.

he was a free agent and they put the transition tag on him. since that tag might not exist in the new CBA they drafted his future replacement just incase. they didnt wanna be assed out and have to sign Joe Schmoe kicker for the season. id expect him to be back for atleast one year to be honest

 

[BigAT]

The fuck? Are they letting yankeehater set the ratings or something?

 

[CB3]

 

[DMczaf]

http://twitter.com/#!/Shopmaster

Bklynflatbush Flatbush brooklyn
@Shopmaster what about online franchise.... Is it the same as online???
10 hours ago

Shopmaster Shopmaster
@
@Bklynflatbush I can't comment on online franchise mode until EA comes out with that information. That info will be on June 25th I believe.
8 hours ago

Bklynflatbush Flatbush brooklyn
@
@Shopmaster so far,is it better than 11...
4 hours ago
in reply to ↑

@Shopmaster
Shopmaster
@Bklynflatbush Miles ahead of Madden 11.
4 hours ago via web

 

[CB3]

 

[DCX]

Kolb being 85 shows what a farce it is. And Matt Ryan is 90 too.. smh Vick even has 91 speed... Guess we're back to the 99 speed ratings being normal.

<3

DCX

 

[Wellington]

The fuck

 

[Ramirez]

Is he saying OF is miles ahead of 11, or the gameplay in general?

 

[DCX]

The fuck

Don't worry Eli is still 80.

online franchise miles ahead of 11?!?!??!?! OMG


DCX

 

[CB3]

Is he saying OF is miles ahead of 11, or the gameplay in general?

its in reply to the OF comment

 

[Ramirez]

Noice.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

http://twitter.com/#!/Shopmaster

 

[Striker]

Noice.

Come on. How much harder can it be to be above Madden 10/11's OF? I hated 11's more because you couldn't fucking take out Gameflow. You still had gimped Commish settings, no FA, no scouting reports, etc.

Ratings...

Mikell is a fucking 89? :lol
Can't wait to see what overrated rating Antrel Rolle will get. I wager 93.

 

[LiveWire]

More eagles!
Akers 95
Asante 94
DeSean 90
Herramans 90
Peters 89
Mikell 89
McCoy 88

I don't know what's more pathetic, the real-life Redskins only claim to fame being champions of the offseason, or the real-life Eagles only claim to fame being consistently overrated in Madden.

 

[CB3]

I don't know what's more pathetic, the real-life Redskins only claim to fame being champions of the offseason, or the real-life Eagles only claim to fame being consistently overrated in Madden.

its actually Option C. You being pathetic at everything related to football

P.S. Have fun with John Beck this season

 

[Rorschach]

The "better than 11" comment was hours after the OF comment. I think the "can't talk about it" comment was directed at Online Franchise and "miles ahead of 11" was the game in general.

 

[DMczaf]

The "better than 11" comment was hours after the OF comment. I think the "can't talk about it" comment was directed at Online Franchise and "miles ahead of 11" was the game in general.

Even if that's true, he confirms he knows something about Online Franchise and that its part of the Online blog. The fact that it's part of the marketing means its at least going to get something added this year.

Last year, they went out of their way to not even mention the mode.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

The "better than 11" comment was hours after the OF comment. I think the "can't talk about it" comment was directed at Online Franchise and "miles ahead of 11" was the game in general.

yeah now that i read it, clearly he isn't talking about OF specifically.

it just says "can't talk about online franchise."

"so how is the game?"

"clearly better than '11!"

damn.... hopes back down to less than zero. well, NCAA is always there for us.... right rors?

 

[CB3]

Even if that's true, he confirms he knows something about Online Franchise and that its part of the Online blog. The fact that it's part of the marketing means its at least going to get something added this year.

Last year, they went out of their way to not even mention the mode.

this

 

[Rorschach]

Even if that's true, he confirms he knows something about Online Franchise and that its part of the Online blog. The fact that it's part of the marketing means its at least going to get something added this year.

Last year, they went out of their way to not even mention the mode.

Whelp. We'll see come the 25th. I hope there's something big, but I highly doubt it. It sucks seeing them upgrade offline franchise by being able to trade multiple year picks for players and you can't even trade current picks in OnF. They also improved scouting and off-season activities, but there's no such thing in OnF besides ghetto draft. :/

damn.... hopes back down to less than zero. well, NCAA is always there for us.... right rors?

I'll end up making my return to NCAA if nothing comes June 25th.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

I'll end up making my return to NCAA if nothing comes June 25th.

done and done! check your PM's.... friend

 

[Ramirez]

Who are these people that play offline franchise? Playing the cpu is a huge reason why I disliked NCAA's low player count, there's just nothing fun about playing the cpu in any sports game.

Reserve me a spot in NCAA, hopefully my connection doesn't crap the bed this year. No idea why Madden was smooth, but NCAA was near unplayable with input delay.

 

[CB3]

even Superstar mode got a slight upgrade this year. that has not happened in like 4 years. so OF is getting improvements for sure.

 

[Nightz]

Oh hey June 25th is my wedding date. EA better give me a nice online franchise wedding gift. With the stuff posted today, I went from doubtful to cautiously optimistic regarding OF.

 

[DMczaf]

Also, that June 25th was probably a mistake

The Online blog is scheduled for July 25th.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

even Superstar mode got a slight upgrade this year. that has not happened in like 4 years. so OF is getting improvements for sure.

they could start with giving us stats already tracked ON THEIR OWN FUCKING SERVERS instead of having one guy come up with a firefox plugin that will allow us to see the stats. fucking baffling

 

[McNei1y]

damn.... hopes back down to less than zero. well, NCAA is always there for us.... right rors?

soooooo how many teams are in NCAAF dynasty and how do I get in this piece if Madden's franchise blows? (let me get the Terps )


Either way, looks like I'm anticipating for June/July 25th... Hopefully something good.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

soooooo how many teams are in NCAAF dynasty and how do I get in this piece if Madden's franchise blows? (let me get the Terps )


Either way, looks like I'm anticipating for June/July 25th... Hopefully something good.

in years past, it has been a max of 12 people in NCAA. time will tell if they bump that up! we'll have to see what happens by mid july for ncaa and who is interested

 

[Rorschach]

Also, that June 25th was probably a mistake

The Online blog is scheduled for July 25th.

Bah! I thought this guy had insider infoz or something. July was the date I posted earlier. I hope it's June. wtf is the point waiting until July 25th? :| And why don't we know the player caps on NCAA yet? >:| They better have that info for e3!

 

[ph33nix]

P.S. Have fun with John Beck this season

hahahahahahahahahaha

 

[McNei1y]

in years past, it has been a max of 12 people in NCAA. time will tell if they bump that up! we'll have to see what happens by mid july for ncaa and who is interested

Okay cool. I'll make sure to follow the news since I am interested this year if Madden's franchise is crap. Just trying to play with some fellow gaffers on a consistent basis and competitive level.

 

[LukeSmith]

hahahahahahahahahaha

Not so fast, Chad Henne.

 

[Wellington]

http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/videogames/blog/_/name/thegamer/id/6555522

Cut day. Watch a show like "Hard Knocks," and it's the most nerve-racking period in a player's career. With one decision, some kid who has been dominating the gridiron at every level he has ever known finds out whether he's cashing in all his hard work with the NFL or left contemplating life outside the lines and working 9 to 5 like the rest of us. And while cut days are circled on the calendars of every player, coach and hard-core fan, it's one of those moments that gets lost in translation when it comes to NFL video games. I know when I start a franchise in "Madden," most times I simulate right through the preseason because the games really don't matter, and as long as all of my stars remain healthy I can care less about what happens before the season starts because the roster is already set.

But that all changes with "Madden NFL 12." For the first time in franchise history, the game designers have actually increased the roster size to 75 players per team. The ratings for all rookies are locked heading into preseason and every week. A few of the ratings for each rookie are revealed as you play them in preseason and decide whether it's worth it to keep a roster spot open for a hard-charging, late-round pick who might impress on special teams or cut him in favor of an aging veteran who might still have one good season left in the tank.

Keep the rookie and at the end of preseason you'll unlock all of the player's ratings, giving you a good indication of the final numbers if you've found your own potential Tom Brady-like diamond in a draft full of Spergon Wynn-type rough.

"In the past, we had issues with memory in the game and we could only allow 55 players per team," "Madden 12's" senior designer Josh Looman explained. "This limitation gave us problems with injured reserve and didn't enable us to give people roster downloads that were accurate. So we knew that it was imperative that we fixed that, and now our shipped rosters and our roster updates will be expanded.

"But the trick is, as you progress through preseason, now you're forced to make decisions on who to keep. Week 1 you only need to cut five players, but toward the last week you need to cut eight people off your roster, and when it comes down to making that final cut it's a decision that affects your team the rest of the season."

And while expanded rosters definitely change the way you play franchise, it's just one of several huge enhancements made to boost what was fast becoming an otherwise stale feature. I had the chance to sit down with Looman last week to get his thoughts on the biggest franchise game-changers in "Madden 12." Here's what the man behind the mode had to say.

1. Bidding for free agents

Think "NFL Head Coach" with this new feature, as gamers will now enter into a bidding war for players eBay-style, highlighting the players they want and hitting "A" to increase the bid. When all the bidding is over, you sign the player to a contract. "We've added some contracts we've never had before," Looman said. "You can now pick back-loaded contracts or contracts that are pretty flat across the board. This system is so much better in my opinion because the bidding goes by quick and you tend to overpay for guys you really need, just like in real life. It's not like the old days where you had to simulate through 35 days of free agency. Now you're in and out quick in a much more interactive and fun environment."

2. Know your role

From "Fumble Prone" to "Shutdown Corner," football fans can look at any player on the field and sum him up in a couple of words. Old school "Madden" included these player-role attributes, but the feature was inexplicably removed from the game in recent years. "Madden 12" adds these player roles back into the mix to help gamers determine exactly the type of team they are putting out on the field. "Whenever we had a play test with our community, player roles was the one of the most requested features they wanted to see back in the game," Looman said. "No matter what event I was at, at least one guy would pull me aside and say: 'Dude, when are you bringing player roles back.'

"The neat thing is, we not only brought them back, we made them more usable. Now you can pull up a screen and read about every player role that a guy at a certain position can earn, and it explains how they can be earned and lost and what impact they have on the game. Most of these roles do have in-game impact."

New roles include "Playoff Performer" for guys such as Brady, who will now actually play better in the playoffs than he does during the regular season.

Player roles are also now worked into team logic, in which a team with a player marked as "Quarterback of the Future" won't go into the draft and select a quarterback in the first round. It will actually try to build around its young leader. This is also where the role of "Mentor" comes into play. If you keep a veteran "Mentor" on your roster, he'll actually help make the younger players better.

3. Dynamic player performance

As an obsessive franchise gamer, one thing that always bugged me about the mode was that week to week I could make even the most erratic quarterback play consistently good just by my skills on the stick. If a guy was an 86 overall, that's what he was and that's what he played like all season no matter how inconsistent he was in real life. "This is a huge feature this year, as it actually evaluates how a player has been playing each week, taking into account their consistency ratings and their confidence, then it modifies each player's ratings slightly every week before you head into your next game," Looman explained. "Consistency is huge this year in 'Madden,' when it comes to franchise, because if you have a really inconsistent quarterback like Jay Cutler, each week you never know what you're going to get from him, and a lot of it has to do with his confidence. So you might go into a game where Cutler is an 85 overall, you might go into a game where he's a 75 overall or you could go into a game where he's a 90. This really captures the any given Sunday aspect of the NFL. It's no longer a case of every week in franchise, your players all have the same ratings and it never changes. This gives you a fluctuation of ratings with guys getting on hot streaks and cold streaks and really gives you the feeling of everybody being a little different every week. So now if your star player has a good or bad game, it's finally going to translate into next week."

4. Time for change

Ever started a franchise only to find in Year 4 that you wish you would've picked a different team? In the past, that meant deleting your current save file and starting fresh. But in "Madden 12" gamers are finally given the opportunity to change the team they are controlling. "This might not be a major feature, but we have a lot of little things, like the ability to change teams, being able to edit player ratings in franchise, being able to practice in franchise -- these are all just little things that make the mode easier to use," Looman said. "This applies to people who might start the mode with a team like the Patriots, but then they find out that it's a little too easy playing through with such a good team, so then they switch to the Lions and see what it's like to build them up without getting rid of all of the rookies who have already been drafted. We also give you the ability to control all of the teams if you want. It's totally up to you."

5. Future draft picks

One of the biggest disappointments in "Madden" every year is the draft. I love the NFL draft in real life for all of its intrigue and crazy trades. But in "Madden" it's one of the most boring moments in the game. This year, expect that to change because you can finally package future picks in a trade to get the player you're after, meaning there will be a lot more wheeling and dealing at the virtual draft. Combine that with the need to actually scout players at the combine, pro day, and individual workouts to see some of their potential (as opposed to last year, in which the game just gave you a potential rating with no effort) and you'll have a draft that's a lot more challenging and interactive than years past.

Adds Looman: "Now if I'm sitting at 17 but there's nobody that I like, I can trade down and try to build towards a bigger future next year. The addition of future draft picks allows you to play the draft the way you like. You can try and mortgage the future on that one player you know is your future star, or you can trade back and stockpile picks in order to build out your team."

6. All the small things (that aren't so small)

"Madden 12" is the biggest upgrade made to franchise mode since the feature was first introduced. But it's not just expanded rosters and dynamic player performance that gamers will notice. In fact, there are a number of little touches made to the game that really impact the overall value of the mode. Some of these include retuned simulation stats (why are there so many safeties in simulations?); 30 new draft classes including realistic player profiles such as scrambling quarterback to help identify players who fit in various team schemes; progression tuning; and even all-new team re-sign logic in which teams will cut players who aren't performing and address the position need in free agency or the draft.

"We've even added in logic to make every team feel more realistic," Looman said. "If you're watching the draft and the Raiders are on the clock and they are picking between a receiver with good hands or a burner, they'll always pick the speed guy. We've just added so much more authenticity into every little bit we could, I think people are really going to be amazed how realistic the mode has gotten, right down to the way the Raiders draft."

Same shit we already knew. Let's hope some of this shit gets into Online.

 

[Lonestar]

Lets make sure in NCAA, that everyone is in the same division, to lessen the amount of CPU games played.

 

[MWS Natural]

http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/videogames/blog/_/name/thegamer/id/6555522



Same shit we already knew. Let's hope some of this shit gets into Online.

Sounds great but if it's not in the OD then I won't even see any of it. Never been a fan of playing the CPU.

 

[InEffectMode]

Sounds like you guys are heavily considering NCAA. Any hints where I can get some of the month(s) long xbox live codes/discounts from? I've heard/seen people mentioning them on gaf before.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

Sounds like you guys are heavily considering NCAA. Any hints where I can get some of the month(s) long xbox live codes/discounts from? I've heard/seen people mentioning them on gaf before.

ncaa isn't a consideration, it is happening with 100% certainty. we already know NCAA is going to be the real deal, even if they only allow 12 people for the online dynasty.

as far as cheap XBL subs, the cheapest i found was $40 on amazon. ive seen dell and other places with $29.99 subs but they dont come around very often. maybe try ebay?

 

[LukeSmith]

Dynamic player performance sounds like either:

- exposing stats that were already in place given the way players played inconsistently
- foolish randomness that will only be frustrating (cutler should just be a 75, period anyway)

 

[InEffectMode]

ncaa isn't a consideration, it is happening with 100% certainty. we already know NCAA is going to be the real deal, even if they only allow 12 people for the online dynasty.

as far as cheap XBL subs, the cheapest i found was $40 on amazon. ive seen dell and other places with $29.99 subs but they dont come around very often. maybe try ebay?

If I do manage to get a 360 it will be around mid july or august so I'll remember to look around although I have no ebay experience. Thanks. I wish you guys would give psn another go, but I forgot what issues there were-connections?

- foolish randomness that will only be frustrating (cutler should just be a 75, period anyway)

You already know this to be self evident. The real question is how will the mask/tone it down. Been happening for years.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

If I do manage to get a 360 it will be around mid july or august so I'll remember to look around although I have no ebay experience. Thanks. I wish you guys would give psn another go, but I forgot what issues there were-connections?


You already know this to be self evident. The real question is how will the mask/tone it down. Been happening for years.

PSN problems were overblown in my opinion. for me, it wasn't that the online performance was bad, but i honestly hate the PSN interface. my main problems:

1. i go to login to play my opponent but SURPRISE! you need to update. 20 minutes later i can finally get into the game to start the process to play.

2. i don't like the way PSN has buddy lists setup. i can't easily sort through incoming messages vs. messages sent. i don't like the notification method of getting messages. i can't delete all the messages i've received in one easy button press. when i would get a message, then respond, then get another response i would then go into my messages to see that response and have go to through a bunch of messages to figure out which was the response i'm looking for.

other than that it wasn't bad. i prefer the 360 controller over ps3 but it's not a big deal. we also have better prospects of a full online franchise (madden) on 360 because more people have it.

 

[CB3]

Psn is held together by gum and string. The past month just proves what I already knew

 

[DCX]

PSN problems were overblown in my opinion. for me, it wasn't that the online performance was bad, but i honestly hate the PSN interface. my main problems:

1. i go to login to play my opponent but SURPRISE! you need to update. 20 minutes later i can finally get into the game to start the process to play.

2. i don't like the way PSN has buddy lists setup. i can't easily sort through incoming messages vs. messages sent. i don't like the notification method of getting messages. i can't delete all the messages i've received in one easy button press. when i would get a message, then respond, then get another response i would then go into my messages to see that response and have go to through a bunch of messages to figure out which was the response i'm looking for.

other than that it wasn't bad. i prefer the 360 controller over ps3 but it's not a big deal. we also have better prospects of a full online franchise (madden) on 360 because more people have it.

this.

DCX

 

[Wellington]

PSN problems were overblown in my opinion. for me, it wasn't that the online performance was bad, but i honestly hate the PSN interface. my main problems:

1. i go to login to play my opponent but SURPRISE! you need to update. 20 minutes later i can finally get into the game to start the process to play.

2. i don't like the way PSN has buddy lists setup. i can't easily sort through incoming messages vs. messages sent. i don't like the notification method of getting messages. i can't delete all the messages i've received in one easy button press. when i would get a message, then respond, then get another response i would then go into my messages to see that response and have go to through a bunch of messages to figure out which was the response i'm looking for.

other than that it wasn't bad. i prefer the 360 controller over ps3 but it's not a big deal. we also have better prospects of a full online franchise (madden) on 360 because more people have it.

We were on LD that year too right? I think we had to go to lobbies and game rooms rather than directly challenging the other player as well. Not a huge problem but a niusance.

 

[CB3]

We were on LD that year too right? I think we had to go to lobbies and game rooms rather than directly challenging the other player as well. Not a huge problem but a niusance.

Did you go through your Madden 09 notebook for that

 

[DMczaf]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/116/1169273p1.html

NCAA 12 Online Dynasty details. The King is Back.

One of the first "professional" video game articles I ever wrote was bitching about how my alma mater Mizzou's coach was a fat ass in the NCAA games but not in real life. Well, five years after publishing that insightful editorial, EA and Tiburon have responded and given players the ability to create their own coaches from scratch. You can modify looks, set ages and even pick an alma mater. Save these changes, and you can share them with the world and every mode in your game.

That stuff might sound cosmetic, but it plays into the cool changes in Dynasty mode. When you start, you can choose to go be the head coach of whatever school you like, but the real challenge is taking on one of the new offensive or defensive coordinator slots and working your way up to running an entire team. Yes, this year you can be one of the assistant coaches and manage just one side of the ball for entire games. Do well, and the shot at a head coaching job might pop up.

Monitoring how well you're doing comes down to dynamic meters and annual goals. As your boys perform on the field, you're going to be able to see how satisfied your school is with you. That's not entirely new, but the change here is that each goal you're assigned has a different weight. Winning your division is going to mean a lot to a smaller school, but Ohio State's going to want that and a National Championship.

At the end of each season, the coaching carousel pops up and shows who has retired, who has been fired, and who has taken another job. This is your chance to see how things shake down for the school you really want to go to. Your prestige is obviously what schools are looking at when offering you a contract, but if you're alma mater is on the market, it'll be more attracted to you and likely to cut you some slack if your prestige isn't rocking. Similarly, if your coach is getting ancient, don't expect people to be beating down his door with offers.

I was a big fan of online Dynasty last year, and applying these coaching options to a group of friends is what really gets me excited. A Dynasty where we all start out as offensive or defensive coordinators puts a new spin on the competition, but it's far from the only tweak. When you setup a Dynasty, you have control like never before -- you can make and break conferences.

Now, sure, you could customize conferences in NCAA Football 11, but that was really just a swap. You could switch a team out of a given conference, but you had to put another in its place. This year, you can do whatever the hell you want. You can take the Big 12 and drop it down to four teams or go nuts and crank it up to 16. You can set it so that your conference only plays weekday games, name the divisions, and even mess with who gets to go to which bowl. NCAA Football 12 gives you the keys and lets you drive the game wherever you want it to go.

I can't wait to see what this means for my online Dynasty with friends, but there are even more bells and whistles in that vein. Whereas last year I could go on the web at work and recruit players for my console-based team, this year I can go on and simulate games against the computer where I'm actually calling the shots. Rather than have to play the AI when I get home, I can play the game from my work PC -- pick plays and even sub in players. I can watch the on-screen dots (it looks like when you watch a football game on summary on ESPN.com) move down the field during conference calls and make progress for my Dynasty. The league commissioner can even advance the week via the web this year.

I like NCAA Football as a series, but before, I felt like I could skip an iteration of the franchise if I had just bought the last one. I have NCAA Football 11, and there's no doubt I'm getting NCAA Football 12. The changes EA has made this year speak to what I've wanted out of the game for so long -- customization. I can't wait to start an online Dynasty with my best friend and work our way up from lowly offensive coordinators to a National Championship coaches.

Holy shit @ the coaching stuff

 

[Lonestar]

We were on LD that year too right? I think we had to go to lobbies and game rooms rather than directly challenging the other player as well. Not a huge problem but a niusance.

I was thinking that was because, through the game lobbies, you could set up the difficulty and length of quarters, whereas you couldn't in a private invite (stuck with the defaulted options). Something like that.

Now, sure, you could customize conferences in NCAA Football 11, but that was really just a swap. You could switch a team out of a given conference, but you had to put another in its place. This year, you can do whatever the hell you want. You can take the Big 12 and drop it down to four teams or go nuts and crank it up to 16. You can set it so that your conference only plays weekday games, name the divisions, and even mess with who gets to go to which bowl. NCAA Football 12 gives you the keys and lets you drive the game wherever you want it to go.

BRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

 

[LukeSmith]

At the end of each season, the coaching carousel pops up and shows who has retired, who has been fired, and who has taken another job. This is your chance to see how things shake down for the school you really want to go to. Your prestige is obviously what schools are looking at when offering you a contract, but if you're alma mater is on the market, it'll be more attracted to you and likely to cut you some slack if your prestige isn't rocking. Similarly, if your coach is getting ancient, don't expect people to be beating down his door with offers.

What's the over/under on "seasons till DCX is fired?"

3.5?

 

[Lonestar]

What's the over/under on "seasons till DCX is fired?"

3.5?

If he's the defensive coordinator, or recruiter.... <3.5

tOSU's defense went in the crapper fast in 11.

 

[DCX]

If he's the defensive coordinator, or recruiter.... <3.5

tOSU's defense went in the crapper fast in 11.

I have always been poor on defense. In Madden and NCAA. Good enough to beat Luke every other year though

Sounds great! Lets see how Madden online stacks up.

DCX