EA's NFL Head Coach

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:16 am

Not sure how much interest that this game is going to generate, but I am pretty excited about it, especially after reading this preview at IGN. I really like the sound of this game and I think I'm actually more excited about this one than I am about Madden 07.

http://xbox.ign.com/articles/699/699404p1.html

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:25 am

I've been keeping an eye on this one as well. I always said a game like FOF with the graphics of Madden would be like crack.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:27 am

I like it already:

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:58 am

Leebo33 wrote:I like it already:

You sure about that??? It's an EA cover, your coach is now going to go down for the season with gout, or malaria or something...

Kazuya · Post by **Kazuya** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:00 pm

Better wrap that cover in *two* shrinkwraps!

sfz_T-car · Post by **sfz_T-car** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:27 pm

I'm hoping for the best but it took EA many tries to get their soccer management titles into a playable state. I suppose it helps that they have a viable Madden franchise engine to build on, so it's not like they're starting from scratch. Hopefully, interest will be high enough for a US Football game that EA will commit the necessary long term dev resources to it.

It would suck if they released it only to drop it like FOF2 (or whatever the EA e-release version was called) or F1 Manager.

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:56 pm

I am very curious. Back-compat and a reduced price would seal the deal, really. I wouldn't be able to resist!

I did see a few screens. One I saw made it seem they were using the Madden sim engine: rushing yards for both teams were about 20 total, pass yards between the two, about 170 total. I sure hope it's not as screwed up as the sim engine in Madden 360, where feature backs were averaging 12 to 15 carries a game at most.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 5:13 pm

sfz_T-car wrote:I'm hoping for the best but it took EA many tries to get their soccer management titles into a playable state.

Playable - after about 7 iterations, just about. And that's after basing the thing on a German football management game, not developing it from scratch.

Good or realistic - nope. Not even close.

sfz_T-car · Post by **sfz_T-car** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 5:51 pm

davet010 wrote:
sfz_T-car wrote:I'm hoping for the best but it took EA many tries to get their soccer management titles into a playable state.
Playable - after about 7 iterations, just about. And that's after basing the thing on a German football management game, not developing it from scratch.

Good or realistic - nope. Not even close.

Yeah, that's my concern. Little bugs in the game stats, trading AI or financial model can totally kill a management sim. The margin for error is much smaller than an action based game, where an inaccurate game can still be fun. I don't think I even made it to Halloween of season #1 with the first version of EA's FIFA Manager game (the one w/ Bobby Robson as the coverboy).

A game like SimCity or Railroad Tycoon can get away with a higher degree of abstraction than a football (pick round or oval) management sim, because the sports gamer is so familiar with what makes sense in the real-life event.

Bill_Abner · Post by **Bill_Abner** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 5:56 pm

A huge, huge concern is the publisher. EA Sports and hardcore simulation doesn't really go hand in hand. I'd love for this to be great because the marriage between text sim and graphics package is long overdue -- but the skepticism glasses are firmly in place until the game gives me reason to take them off.

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 2:06 am

Leebo33 wrote:I like it already:

Does this mean the game will play conservative in big games and hoping the refs to bail you out

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 8:32 am

Inuyasha wrote:
Leebo33 wrote:I like it already:

Does this mean the game will play conservative in big games and hoping the refs to bail you out

Sure, but you won't be able to unlock the "Chuck Noll" or "NE Head Coach" XBL achievements if you play that way. However, you will still be able to unlock the "coach your hometown team for 2 decades, be a local legend loved by millions, have a job for life, make tens of millions of dollars, NFL Hall of Fame" achievement.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:11 pm

And lets face it, if i hit keys at random or when under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs, i couldn't do a worse job as head coach than some of the idiots who held the reins at Cincinnati during the 90s, or be a worse owner than the Bidwells.

Plus, in contrast to my FM2006 antics...I can't be relegated either.

Zlax45 · Post by **Zlax45** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:22 pm

I have a wait and see approach with this game..I like what I see but EA sometimes is supect with new stuff but NCAA MVP Baseball is a very solid game and Godfather is very good too.

laurenskye · Post by **laurenskye** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 10:07 am

davet010 wrote:And lets face it, if i hit keys at random or when under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs, i couldn't do a worse job as head coach than some of the idiots who held the reins at Cincinnati during the 90s, or be a worse owner than the Bidwells.

Plus, in contrast to my FM2006 antics...I can't be relegated either.

How about the Fords.
One playoff win in 50 years says it all .

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:42 am

Trailer and a video are up. I might be the only one excited about this game, but the more I read and see i think the initial offering is going to be decent.

Now all I need is a game like OOTP to put an MVP graphics engine on a manage only baseball game and I'll be happy.

http://www.easports.com/nflheadcoach/th ... dia=videos

sfz_T-car · Post by **sfz_T-car** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:59 am

I'm stoked about the next OOTP because Sports Interactive is involved this time. Previous OOTP games have been deep but have been lacking in immersiveness and UI. These are two departments where SI's CM/FM games have been excellent.

The graphics engine is more important to a football management sim than for baseball because the playcalling elements are more important. I'm not patient enough to slow sim a 162 game baseball season.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:50 pm

sfz_T-car wrote:I'm stoked about the next OOTP because Sports Interactive is involved this time. Previous OOTP games have been deep but have been lacking in immersiveness and UI. These are two departments where SI's CM/FM games have been excellent.

The graphics engine is more important to a football management sim than for baseball because the playcalling elements are more important. I'm not patient enough to slow sim a 162 game baseball season.

While I hear what your saying, I still think back to Microleague baseball, I literally played probably over a thousand hours of that game. I can't get into text sims anymore, something happened to me

I still think a graphical / management based game has a market, so i still hold out hope for the next Microleague.

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:52 pm

Danimal wrote:Trailer and a video are up. I might be the only one excited about this game, but the more I read and see i think the initial offering is going to be decent.

Now all I need is a game like OOTP to put an MVP graphics engine on a manage only baseball game and I'll be happy.

http://www.easports.com/nflheadcoach/th ... dia=videos

You're not the only one. I may be more excited about this game than I am about Madden. I love the concept of the game and if they pull it off, it will definitely get more time than Madden will for me.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 6:45 pm

Badgun wrote:
Danimal wrote:Trailer and a video are up. I might be the only one excited about this game, but the more I read and see i think the initial offering is going to be decent.

Now all I need is a game like OOTP to put an MVP graphics engine on a manage only baseball game and I'll be happy.

http://www.easports.com/nflheadcoach/th ... dia=videos
You're not the only one. I may be more excited about this game than I am about Madden. I love the concept of the game and if they pull it off, it will definitely get more time than Madden will for me.

I wouldn't even buy Madden if this game is as good as it looks and sounds. Watching those two new clips really make me want this game even more.

Talk about forgetting what day it is... this game could really have an immersion level.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Tue May 02, 2006 3:10 pm

New Screens up at IGN, this link is to the PC, they posted new shots for all 3 versions

http://media.pc.ign.com/media/776/776738/imgs_1.html

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Tue May 02, 2006 3:25 pm

MizzouRah wrote:
Badgun wrote:
Danimal wrote:Trailer and a video are up. I might be the only one excited about this game, but the more I read and see i think the initial offering is going to be decent.

Now all I need is a game like OOTP to put an MVP graphics engine on a manage only baseball game and I'll be happy.

http://www.easports.com/nflheadcoach/th ... dia=videos
You're not the only one. I may be more excited about this game than I am about Madden. I love the concept of the game and if they pull it off, it will definitely get more time than Madden will for me.
I wouldn't even buy Madden if this game is as good as it looks and sounds. Watching those two new clips really make me want this game even more.

Talk about forgetting what day it is... this game could really have an immersion level.

As is the experience from EA's soccer management game. All you are getting is Madden in coach mode. So if you hate the Madden engine...

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Tue May 02, 2006 3:35 pm

JRod wrote: As is the experience from EA's soccer management screens. All you are getting is Madden in coach mode. So if you hate the Madden engine...

Perhaps you should read a little something on the game before commenting. I have no idea if this game will be good or suck, but what I've read is pretty encouraging and certainly doesn't sound anything like madden's coach mode.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue May 02, 2006 3:44 pm

Badgun wrote:
Danimal wrote:Trailer and a video are up. I might be the only one excited about this game, but the more I read and see i think the initial offering is going to be decent.

Now all I need is a game like OOTP to put an MVP graphics engine on a manage only baseball game and I'll be happy.

http://www.easports.com/nflheadcoach/th ... dia=videos
You're not the only one. I may be more excited about this game than I am about Madden. I love the concept of the game and if they pull it off, it will definitely get more time than Madden will for me.

I'm in the same boat, Bad. If NickChew or others release 2006 rosters for NFL 2K5, the two-pronged animal of that game and EA's Head Coach will more than satisfy my virtual football jones this fall.

Take care,
PK

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Tue May 02, 2006 3:53 pm

JRod wrote:
MizzouRah wrote:
Badgun wrote: You're not the only one. I may be more excited about this game than I am about Madden. I love the concept of the game and if they pull it off, it will definitely get more time than Madden will for me.
I wouldn't even buy Madden if this game is as good as it looks and sounds. Watching those two new clips really make me want this game even more.

Talk about forgetting what day it is... this game could really have an immersion level.
As is the experience from EA's soccer management screens. All you are getting is Madden in coach mode. So if you hate the Madden engine...

I have no issues with the Madden engine, although I really liked NFL 2k5. That being said, Madden in coach mode, but with a sim style coaching game is exactly what I've been looking for since FPS Football '97