NCAA 2010 early anticipation thread

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 1:26 pm

Murph wrote:
sportdan30 wrote:This is the first year that I have not even been remotely tempted to purchase NCAA Football. I think part of it is that I'm getting tired of the seemingly same ol same ol and other part of me is I'm tiring of certain video games all together. This game is a rental.
My feelings exactly. I've been playing a little BF: 1943, but other than that, I'm completely bored with gaming at the moment. Maybe it's just a slump.

On the plus side, I've been a total gym rat lately, working on the fitness.

Nice to hear I'm not alone. I've started reading for the first time in several years and am enjoying it more than gaming. I'm still having fun with The Show and FNR4, but games in general don't have that pull like they used to.

I'm sorry, but I just can't forgive a series like NCAA FB that has basically the same presentation year in and year out. The commentary is the same recycled crap. It feels robotic and canned. And now I read the atmosphere lacks what college football should feel like. I feel as though these developers don't truly understand what gamers are looking for. Why regress rather than improve on a positive? When I say improve on a positive, I'm talking about improving on the presentation and atmosphere from years ago!

So, we read that the gameplay is relatively the same with added touches. To me, that isn't good enough. These added touches are usually released via a patch anyways during the year. The OS review made a commment, as well as many OS posters about an inevitable patch. Already? Sheesh. It's almost not worth buying a game on release date anymore because you know a patch is forthcoming. Maybe I'm just frustrated, or maybe I'm starting to agree with others that say developers need a two year cycle to really improve upon these games.

Either way, I'll rent because the demo was quite disappointing.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 1:38 pm

GTHobbes wrote:Hopefully, Madden will find a way to get some more playable camera angles patched in and that will do the trick.

Not going to happen. Why would they give you significant new features via a free patch when they can dangle it for next year's version?

They're not going to fix the online franchise limitations with no salary cap, even though it's been known for months before release.

Ratchet down your expectations.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 1:40 pm

GTHobbes wrote: At this point, I'm going to take a flyer and save my $63.59. Fight Night 4 will hold me over til Madden just fine. Hopefully, that game won't disappoint.

I wish I had the will power, I didn't like the demo. I know Madden is going to be better then this cause I've seen it and it's July and football isn't even in my mind. But I am an addict and I bought it at lunch thanks to their being a GS next to Jimmy Johns.

I'm so ashamed.

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 2:08 pm

I think I'm going to give it awhile. Might purchase it when the season begins, might not. I'm having fun with what I have right now, anyway, and would feel like I was 'obligated' to play it right now, anyway. I tend to get the 'day one' jitters like alot of others here, and then buyer's remorse later. I'm holding off....

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 2:25 pm

Teal wrote:I have to admit to being a little concerned about the alluded-to lack of 'atmosphere'. Atmosphere, for me, makes up about 75% of why I want to play a game. I want the pageantry, the fluff, all the extra 'oomph' on top of core gameplay. I'd like to see a full 'College Gameday' preshow. Full ESPN integration. Seems to me that EA just secured the license to keep everyone else away from it, not to actually use it.
I just don't know. Last year's game was great (after the patches), but it still languished on the shelf after the season was over. I'm afraid all of 'em will. This might be the year I actually buy Madden and skip NCAA...or I may pass on both. I would kinda like to see an 'arcade' version of the sport that isn't as extreme as a Blitz...more along the line of Bigs 2. Great atmosphere, fun gameplay that I don't have to pretend to take seriously.

Me too Teal. I still play NCAA 06 and 07 on the PS2 for that very same reason. Since EA has moved their college pigskin games to the PS360 it feels like your playing the game in a Library. Nothing about the game gets me pumped for the College hell raising that it tries to emulate every Saturday. At least it can be found on the Xbox and PS2.

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:29 pm

Well, my dumb ass stopped by the GS to cancel my preorder....and I wound up buying the damned thing. BUT...I'm carrying it back to the store. After messing with it for a game and a quarter, I'm...bored. It's not that it's bad, it's just the same damned game that I've seen since forever. I'm officially on the 'no more exclusives' bandwagon. I'd like to see what a 2K sports can do with the NCAA license, or hell, anyone else. Competition is the only thing that's likely to get EA off it's ass and stop handing out these 'updates' every year.

grtwhtsk · Post by **grtwhtsk** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:39 pm

Teal wrote:Well, my dumb ass stopped by the GS to cancel my preorder....and I wound up buying the damned thing. BUT...I'm carrying it back to the store. After messing with it for a game and a quarter, I'm...bored. It's not that it's bad, it's just the same damned game that I've seen since forever. I'm officially on the 'no more exclusives' bandwagon. I'd like to see what a 2K sports can do with the NCAA license, or hell, anyone else. Competition is the only thing that's likely to get EA off it's ass and stop handing out these 'updates' every year.

Jason, your GS lets you return opened games? Mine used too, but not anymore.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:48 pm

Game Stop has a "do not like" policy only on used games. I think you have seven days if I'm not mistaken. Might be worth waiting a couple weeks on this game (seeing that it's not even college footbal season and we'll most likely see a patch) and picking it up used. Then, you can return it if you don't like it.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:07 pm

It has a $40 trade in value towards Madden. So it's good for that at least.

GTHobbes · Post by **GTHobbes** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:30 pm

Teal wrote:I'm officially on the 'no more exclusives' bandwagon.

Welcome aboard, Teal!

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:31 pm

I only played the PS3 version for 1 1/2 hours but I'm pretty much in total agreement with the OS review at this point. The gameplay is improved and I like it for the most part. There are still a ton of picks on default AA, but the interception returns seem toned down. I haven't seen a fumble yet. However, the presentation is horrible and those crowd chants are indeed the worst in a videogame since NES.

On a good note, the graphics and animations are much better than the demo.

Got it at TRU for $50 with the preferred customer coupon I had so with a $40 trade in I won't regret the purchase.

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:24 pm

grtwhtsk wrote:
Teal wrote:Well, my dumb ass stopped by the GS to cancel my preorder....and I wound up buying the damned thing. BUT...I'm carrying it back to the store. After messing with it for a game and a quarter, I'm...bored. It's not that it's bad, it's just the same damned game that I've seen since forever. I'm officially on the 'no more exclusives' bandwagon. I'd like to see what a 2K sports can do with the NCAA license, or hell, anyone else. Competition is the only thing that's likely to get EA off it's ass and stop handing out these 'updates' every year.
Jason, your GS lets you return opened games? Mine used too, but not anymore.

Well, I kinda know people who know people, so to speak...

Actually I am to my local GS what Norm is to Cheers...and that's not necessarily a good thing.

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:28 pm

I for one am really, really enjoying it. Of course, I liked last years game despite its quirks and had a lot of great online games with friends with it, too. And maybe it's just that I don't play them all that much (not like those real multiplayer games I like), and so I'm ready for some football, but I'm really digging it so far. Tons of fun!

I'm digging the road to glory action as a QB, and it's nice to have some zippy gameplay without the thinking - sort of like a much better practice mode. It alleviates most of what grinds me down playing v. CPU, so we'll see. I never seem to finish the careers, but they're fun to start!

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:33 pm

Well it's official...Teal has the worst willpower on the board.

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:48 pm

I only played 2 games of the Road to Glory mode as a QB at lunch, and I immediately saw differences compared to last year. For example, I had a WR running a downfield route where he got outside the corner and I lobbed it to his outside shoulder. He hauled in a glorious over-the-shoulder catch with perfect ball placement.

A few times I chucked it with the pass rush closing in and had the ball sail wildly or flutter to the turf.

I LOVE the vibration based on how close the rush is. I don't have to watch both receivers and the pass rush...great simulation of just feeling it. If they had that before, I never recall it.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but it felt very, very good to me. The running backs even found the proper gaps and fought for yards instead of constantly leaving me in 3rd and 13 every other series.

Maybe the "real" game is the same ol' same ol', but most of my time was in the Campus Legend mode before, and actually having a running game, combined with smarter play calls and much more refined on-field action (through a whopping TWO games, of course) made it feel much better than I remember.

Maybe I'll see horrible things tonight or in the next week/month, but it didn't feel like NCAA 9.1 to me in my limited play time with RtG mode.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:49 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:Well it's official...Teal has the worst willpower on the board.

Back in the day Teal once was on his way to break up with a girlfriend and ended up proposing. True story.

hellbent · Post by **hellbent** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:16 pm

TCrouch wrote:Maybe I'll see horrible things tonight or in the next week/month, but it didn't feel like NCAA 9.1 to me in my limited play time with RtG mode.

Ditto - in limited playtime thus far (picked it up despite feeling lukewarm about the demo) it isn't even fair to compare the demo to the final product.

Gameplay on default AA is light years better than 09 or the demo in pretty much every phase of the game. Run blocking in particular is much improved, with blocks finally being made downfield as well as at the line.

User control feels much tighter also, both on offense and defense.

Penalties are called far more frequently, both against the user and the CPU.

Setting the D-Line to jump the snap automatically is awesome - now I can play a position other than DE and still generate a reasonable pass rush.

The biggest improvements have been to the passing game. The most important changes to me were:

- Receivers come back to make the catch on the occasional badly thrown pass.

- There ARE actually some badly thrown passes - usually the result of the QB being under pressure- and some of them actually miss players altogether.

- INTs are toned way down. Haven't thrown one yet that wasn't actually a bad read by me.

- Most importantly, the rocket packing LBs appear to be gone (at least on AA). Putting touch on the ball and air under your pass finally means something again.

Overall, pretty solid so far and worth a launch day buy for me, at least. I certainly did not enjoy 07-09 even half as much when I first spun them up, so hopefully the wheels won't fall off with extended playtime.

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:25 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:Well it's official...Teal has the worst willpower on the board.

Yes, yes I do...

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:26 pm

ScoopBrady wrote:
dbdynsty25 wrote:Well it's official...Teal has the worst willpower on the board.
Back in the day Teal once was on his way to break up with a girlfriend and ended up proposing. True story.

Not far from it, actually...

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:33 pm

Worst.Demo.Ever

So far, I'm glad I bought the game. It seems much improved over last year in just about every way.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:50 pm

hellbent wrote:
TCrouch wrote:Maybe I'll see horrible things tonight or in the next week/month, but it didn't feel like NCAA 9.1 to me in my limited play time with RtG mode.
Ditto - in limited playtime thus far (picked it up despite feeling lukewarm about the demo) it isn't even fair to compare the demo to the final product.

Gameplay on default AA is light years better than 09 or the demo in pretty much every phase of the game. Run blocking in particular is much improved, with blocks finally being made downfield as well as at the line.

User control feels much tighter also, both on offense and defense.

Penalties are called far more frequently, both against the user and the CPU.

Setting the D-Line to jump the snap automatically is awesome - now I can play a position other than DE and still generate a reasonable pass rush.

The biggest improvements have been to the passing game. The most important changes to me were:

- Receivers come back to make the catch on the occasional badly thrown pass.

- There ARE actually some badly thrown passes - usually the result of the QB being under pressure- and some of them actually miss players altogether.

- INTs are toned way down. Haven't thrown one yet that wasn't actually a bad read by me.

- Most importantly, the rocket packing LBs appear to be gone (at least on AA). Putting touch on the ball and air under your pass finally means something again.

Overall, pretty solid so far and worth a launch day buy for me, at least. I certainly did not enjoy 07-09 even half as much when I first spun them up, so hopefully the wheels won't fall off with extended playtime.

I hope they address long balls on fly routes where the CB jumps and knocks it down. Probably not...but here's hoping.

toonarmy · Post by **toonarmy** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 11:55 pm

I said last week I had no intention of buying this since I hated the demo. However, after reading a bunch of impressions at OS for the past couple days I decided to get a copy this morning. The diehards seemed to think the ai was ramped up, so I figured I should give it a try and if I did not like it I could ebay it. I have played about 9 hours today. This is a really fun game. The demo does not even feel like the same game as the final product. Why EA would release such a bad demo is beyond me. I am doing the Road to Glory mainly so far as a QB. I am 4 games into my freshman season. It's a nice mode that is a good break from the typical dynasty stuff. It's also not bad to look at Erin Andrews break in from time to time and give progress reports. The season showdown area looks like it may be ok. It's kind of fun to get points during online and offline games for things like tackles, sportsmanship, game planning, etc. Minor? Yes. Still a fun side thing to do for your favorite school.

The main thing that is going to make me miss a lot of sleep due to playing NCAA over the next several days is the AI improvement. The CPU is a lot craftier in its playcalling now. I have seen all sorts of stuff from the CPU I have never seen before in terms of intelligence. The CPU defense also seems to be a bit better than in the past. The games do not get stale, as there is more variety than ever. Overall, I am very pleasantly surprised at the quality of NCAA Football 10. Once a set of named rosters is out I will begin a dynasty. For now, I will do the Road to Glory, exhibitions, and look into the team builder feature.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:08 am

I'm really enjoying the PSP version. The AI's defense is very tenacious even on varsity. It takes mixing it up to move the ball. One thing the game does not lack is atmosphere as has been noted in the PS360 versions.

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:45 am

How do you get the $40 credit towards madden? Was that if you reserved a copy of Ncaa?

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:51 am

Very enthused to read the early reviews. Looking forward now to hopefully picking up a rental later this week.