Madden 2005 or ESPN 2005?

skidmark · Post by **skidmark** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 1:32 pm

kevinpars wrote:If an NFL game starts taking significant time away from NCAA football, that will mean that in my mind it is the best football game ever made.

That is a very good point

I feel like EA has really improved their sim engines over the last 5 years. I used to sim a season of Madden and wonder how the hell a crappy team managed to make the playoffs. Not anymore. If you look at the team attributes, you can make a pretty good guess at how things will finish if you sim a season. But the engine leaves room for upsets. I have found that with Madden i use it more as a GM type game. I setup my roster and sim the season and see how things work out.

Have you actually had success with this? I know their engines have improved drastically as far a statistical results, but a couple of friends and I were trying to run a sim league a year ago (Madden 2003 I believe), and we finally had to abandon it because of the sim engine not being up to par. I've had success in single player management, but not when attempting a multiplayer management mode. No matter how drastically we improved our teams, they continued to play the same as they did beforehand. You just can't replace the sim engine from the old FPS days where the simmed games were actually played.

Kazuya · Post by **Kazuya** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 4:06 pm

I really can't play either game anymore, the deja vu is too overwhelming and I doubt I'll be able to enjoy football games untill the next round of consoles are launched. While the games certainly have evolved over the years (remember the soulless gaze of the players in Madden 2001 and the Hulk Hogan body slam tackles of NFL 2K?) the bottom line is that I've been playing both of these games for 5 years and I've had enough. I'm not blaming anyone, I design software so I know that you can't make a new game in a year's time. VC and EA do the best they can, I have no doubt of that. I've seen others mention skipping a year of each franchise, perhaps that is somethng I should consider. As it stands, I pop in the newest version of the games every year and immediately hit with deja vu and want to play something fresh.

Interestingly enough, I think the deja vu that works against me works in favor of almost everybody else. I just got off the phone with a buddy who is *still* playing Madden... he will keep playing untill the new version untill 2005 comes out and he will gobble that up too. How else can you explain that except that some people actually like the fact that the game stays the same from year to year?

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 4:37 pm

The replayability of either game is as great as you want to make it out to be.

I really learned a couple of playbooks in each but was able to play for months.

And I would say the way I view Madden 2004, which I just recently traded away, is a lot different now than it was back in August and September.

There are a lot of aspects to these games which are apparently until you evolve your game. I didn't get as deep into it as some but you could have learned about various ins and outs, flaws, undocumented "features," etc. if you want to.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 5:11 pm

anchester wrote:hey boom, well said. Glad to know there are others out there that can give my initial post a fair assessment without resorting to the typical insults and sarcasm.

The man copied a 500,000 word essay on the improvements.
He wasted his time.
You cannot make a blind man see.

grtwhtsk · Post by **grtwhtsk** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 5:46 pm

I'll be picking up all 3 football games. NCAA is a given. As for the NFL games, the two for about $70 has sealed that for me. Only time will tell whether I hold on to both NFL games as the season progresses.

bdoughty · Post by **bdoughty** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 6:31 pm

XXXIV wrote:
anchester wrote:hey boom, well said. Glad to know there are others out there that can give my initial post a fair assessment without resorting to the typical insults and sarcasm.

The man copied a 500,000 word essay on the improvements.
He wasted his time.
You cannot make a blind man see.

You also can't make a blind man realize that it was his "only a roster update remark" that lead to the typical "insults and arguments".

All the features, presentation, and "fluff" in the world won't matter to me if the game still plays the same on the field.

I think EA trademarked the word "fluff".... I could have sworn I saw it om the back of TW 2004 for the Xbox.

So let's all do our part and be sure to give Registered Trademark credit here at DSP...

Fluff ™ Electronic Arts

Whoops sorry about the bold type set

bd,
you can quote all of the IGN impressions etc that you want, but haven't we learned from MVP that it really doesn't mean a damn thing? They did the same thing for a full month prior to its release (MVP) with WOW'ing us with all of the great things this game had to offer. We know the general consensus of that game around here.

Funny I recall OS and many other sites doing the same thing with MVP Baseball. MVP 2004 is my favorite baseball game of the bunch. It does not matter to me what the "general consensus" thinks is the best. The "general consensus" does not control my purse strings or enjoyment value. Very few people have NCAA 2005, Madden 2005 and ESPN 2K5. I thought I would quote a source that had more then videos.

You will buy only EA games again this year... ESPN and Sega are the devil.
You will buy only EA games again this year... ESPN and Sega are the devil.
You will buy only EA games again this year... ESPN and Sega are the devil.

Cute sheep, I think I will name him "General Consensus". Or maybe even go with Fluff ™ Electronic Arts.

Boom · Post by **Boom** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 8:23 pm

You're right db. My bad.

All hypocrits please stand up... please stand up.

**EDIT**

Let me give full credit where it is due. In addition to IGN I would like to acknowledge OS, Gamespot and any other website that may have hyped up MVP prior to its release.

db,
For the record, MVP is my favorite baseball game this year as well... for the PC. PS2 and XBOX versions are jacked up out of box.. that's all that can be said about it.

bdoughty · Post by **bdoughty** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 8:32 pm

I am sure DB will be thrilled to know that MVP 2004 PC is your favorite game? If you tell him that you love the Miami Hurricanes he will be your friend forever.

My copy of MVP for the Xbox is working just fine for my tastes, thank you.

Let me give full credit where it is due. In addition to IGN I would like to acknowledge OS, Gamespot and any other website that may have hyped up MVP prior to its release.

I still don't get what all these companies hyping an Electronic Arts Baseball game (including IGN) has to do with IGN hyping ESPN NFL Football? IGN is also hyping Halo 2 and Fable, could they also be doomed? Runs out to gamestop to unreserve copy of Halo 2... Changes to game with no hype...

\

Boom · Post by **Boom** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 8:40 pm

bd..... always a comedian.

Boom · Post by **Boom** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 8:43 pm

You don't get it? Oh may bad.

See, prior to MVP releasing IGN was posting a lot of movies that made the game looking really freaking fantastic. They also posted a gigantic list of all these neat features and other stuff.... i think it's called fluff or something like that according to somebody.. ea even trademarked that term.

Anyway.. this giant list that you posted about ESPN Football 2K5 (from IGN if I remember correctly) seems to resemble the type of hype and praise that they gave to MVP. Again.. mouths are watering for what is surely to be the best game ever released.

bdoughty · Post by **bdoughty** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 9:05 pm

Anyway.. this giant list that you posted about ESPN Football 2K5 (from IGN if I remember correctly) seems to resemble the type of hype and praise that they gave to MVP. Again.. mouths are watering for what is surely to be the best game ever released.

Not to sound redundant but you are forcing my hand. I can make a list like that of any game that IGN is hyping. Halo 2, Fable, GTA San Andreas, Metroid Prime 2, Resident Evil 4, etc. So if I can provide a long list of things in these sequels they will also remind you of MVP 2004? There are many mouths watering over the games right?

All you can do is read it and wait for the game and form an opinion of your own when the game is in your hands. Otherwise you are limited to the opinion of those who have the game. That does not make any previewers opinion right or wrong, just their opinion.

Once again the list was created because the new fish decided to be a funny guy and call ESPN 2K5 a "roster update". Even a die hard Madden fan can see that ESPN has provided more then that, and young blood is living in denial.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 10:32 pm

bdoughty wrote:
Once again the list was created because the new fish decided to be a funny guy and call ESPN 2K5 a "roster update". Even a die hard Madden fan can see that ESPN has provided more then that, and young blood is living in denial.

Yep but..........
This is what happens when you dont read the entire thread and just jump in ...

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 11:49 pm

How the hell did I get dragged into all this?

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:07 am

dbdynsty25 wrote:How the hell did I get dragged into all this?

Cause EA fanqueers hate the Braves

GROGtheNailer · Post by **GROGtheNailer** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:50 am

MVP sucks.

Woot.

bdoughty · Post by **bdoughty** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:54 am

GROGtheNailer wrote:MVP sucks.

Woot.

The game was made by EA Canada... Conincience?

Oh wait I liked the game... Go Canadians!

GROGtheNailer · Post by **GROGtheNailer** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:59 am

After playing MVP I attempted to move to to the U.S. so I could get some of that free health care ....but was shot at and a crack whore stole my wallet so I never made it down there.

bdoughty · Post by **bdoughty** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 2:12 am

GROGtheNailer wrote:After playing MVP I attempted to move to to the U.S. so I could get some of that free health care ....but was shot at and a crack whore stole my wallet so I never made it down there.

Free Health Care? No my friend that is only reserved for people who enter in from the other border. Plus you already have free health care so your cover is blown. You just came down for the hookers and to bring back video games at good ol USA prices, duty free.

GROGtheNailer · Post by **GROGtheNailer** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 2:24 am

Busted.