Discouraging news regarding Madden 08 online play
August 6, 2007 by pastapadre
With the recent debacle that was the complete online experience for NCAA Football 08 came the concern that much of those problems would carry over to Madden 08 as well. Previously I have gone into detail of how numerous aspects of online for NCAA were causing an inordinate level of frustration as well as how reviewers practically ignored those issues.
So with the history of EA Sports titles greatly lacking in online options and performance and coming off of the NCAA release it was obvious why many would be hesitant to expect much better with Madden. Unfortunately it seems that much of those concerns have been realized.
Granted this is only after one online game, and it hasn't even been officially released, but many of the details that are brought up were either done with intent or would seem incredibly unlikely to simply be a coincidence after what has been realized playing NCAA online.
Fred at SportsGamer has posted his first online impressions and responded to a couple questions on my part. Continue through to read summarized observations.
No alternate jerseys online or variable weather
The game was laggy
There is no Live Opponent feature and no sign of another way to use custom rosters or created stadiums online has been found. This is despite a producer talking about this feature in a recent video.
Not enough time to choose plays on defense. Only gives you 7 seconds like with NCAA. The new play call screen makes this even worse
Play call screen button lag and depth chart lag are apparent such as they were in NCAA
When the offensive user zooms the camera out it freezes the defensive user from switching the player they are controlling or making defensive adjustments
Now there have been some cool additions to online including playing for trophies and challenging calls. Yet if the surrounding aspects of the game are this frustrating they really aren't going to matter that much.
The lag patch that was released on the 360 for Madden 07 a few months after the game had been out completely cleared up the distance based lag that had plagued EA Sports titles for years. Now that it may be returning is crushing even just to imagine. Some of the other problems were evident in NCAA so those weren't as much of a surprise to hear. As upset as I was over the effort for NCAA, that was a game I had only intended to play for a month. Madden is a game I look to play for a solid five.
Hopefully some of these issues can be addressed immediately. However even a potential patch does little to make me feel better about the situation. My patience with the deficient online aspect in these games has all but evaporated.
I guess my hopes of offline setting carrying over to online are the least of the concerns. YOU’RE A JOKE EA! I have played 50 games on 2k8 without one problem; how can EA not have the most important part of NEXT GEN football squared away. Well at least it will get good reviews because you set hotdog prices in owners mode and you can play some computer generated superstar…..what that has to do with football I don’t know. If this is true the reviews should be horrible!
No I can tell you what the reviews will read like. They’ll be similar to NCAA’s. This is what I’m expecting to read.
“Online play is solid but there are still no online leagues”
2k fanboi sigh
Even with the online instability Madden is a far superior game to the product that 2k has out this year. It isn’t even up for debate.
You won’t hear “online play is solid” in my review. If it sucks, i’ll tell you it sucks. lol. And from the one game I played it sucks. To be fair I’d like to play someone else to see for sure.
Yeah I know you will. But look at those NCAA reviews, the IGNs, Gamespots, 1Ups, and TeamXboxs of the world don’t put any effort into reviewing online play. As opposed to them you will have actually played online to test it out lol.
Normally a report on one game wouldn’t worry me this much. But since it all sounds so familiar after NCAA, its hard for me to believe its all just a coincidence.
“2k fanboi sigh
Even with the online instability Madden is a far superior game to the product that 2k has out this year. It isn’t even up for debate.”
Your kidding right. For the record I will buy both. Online is what should define NEXT GEN football…period! I guess you like setting beer and popcorn prices or building a stadium. For football players everywhere…who cares about this garbage.
I’m sorry but I really don’t are about online play. I don’t play online that much, I honestly don’t have the time. I’m just that Owner mode is back, and that the gameplay has been improved. I can understand why some people would be upset about the online, but I’m still very excited about the game.
well number 1 you don’t set beer and popcorn prices in this year’s game. Number 2 building a stadium is a pretty neat feature for some. Call it garbage if you want but just remember it’s your opinion. Number 3, I’m glad i don’t play online. To say it should DEFINE next-gen is a bit over the top.
“Your kidding right. For the record I will buy both. Online is what should define NEXT GEN football…period! I guess you like setting beer and popcorn prices or building a stadium. For football players everywhere…who cares about this garbage.”
I’m not kidding at all, Madden is by far the superior product this year. 2k8 was even bettered by NCAA 08 in terms of football gameplay and quality. Someone has already set you straight on the details of owner mode and as for football players ONLY caring about online play then why didn’t they save time on development and put out Madden Online 08 and just have Play Now and Online Play.
IMO one of the worst things about Madden is the online play. Mostly due to the people you encounter on there either being cheese whores, using racism and obsenities in their trash talk, and the overall experience is pretty underwhelming.
Sigh. There’s no comparing 2K8 and NCAA 08- they’re not even in the same hemisphere. The actual game engine for the 2K game is so far beyond even the new and improved Tiburon engine that it’s not even funny. I could go down the list of things that 2K does right and NCAA does wrong, but I’m not going to bother. Suffice to say, it’s a long list.
As for online play, EA seriously needs to let the FIFA team do all their online coding. Both FIFA and UEFA played with absolutely no lag right from the get-go. Every other EA next-gen title has been virtually unplayable online. As for APF 2K8, it’s been smooth as silk online.
Well since the game is ready to ship soon they need to make these issues top priority and get a solid patch out there upon the release date for everyone to download.
Did RAC let tiburon know about these issues?
“Sigh. There’s no comparing 2K8 and NCAA 08- they’re not even in the same hemisphere. The actual game engine for the 2K game is so far beyond even the new and improved Tiburon engine that it’s not even funny. I could go down the list of things that 2K does right and NCAA does wrong, but I’m not going to bother. Suffice to say, it’s a long list.”
I would be intereted in seeing that list. Unless you’re that big of a 2K fan, there’s no reason for you to think that 2K has a better engine than EA. No way…
well number 1 you don’t set beer and popcorn prices in this year’s game. Number 2 building a stadium is a pretty neat feature for some. Call it garbage if you want but just remember it’s your opinion. Number 3, I’m glad i don’t play online. To say it should DEFINE next-gen is a bit over the top.
Thank you! I don’t think that next-gen is defined by online play. I personally could care less for online play. I believe that great graphics and amazing gameplay is what defines a true next-gen experience. And Madden 08 seems like it will provide both.
Joe-Boy- I play both games and, come the 14th, I’ll be playing Madden as well. But the difference between 2K8 and the EA engine is as great as the difference between Winning Eleven and FIFA, if not more so. Off the top of my head, here are things that 2K8 does that the Tiburon engine can’t touch:
-OL/DL interaction, including having defensive moves that actually work
-Proper physics in their gang tackling
-An actual, honest to goodness pass pocket formed by defensive ends rushing upfield instead of straight into the OT
-Proper defensive zone spacing
-Highly variable arc and proper speed on passes, allowing balls to be dropped over linebackers and beneath safeties
-Play action passes that don’t result in your being sacked before doing the fake
-Defensive AI that flows and pursues properly
-Defensive front shifting and shells
Those are just the basic X and O things. What really boosts the 2K engine into a different stratosphere is the way that individual players are modeled, and the quality of the animations that allow for that modeling. The game does a great job of showing how different players play the same position differently. No game has ever been able to make your choice of quarterback meaningful in any way other than scrambling ability, but in 2K8, you can readily tell the difference between Elway, Marino and Unitas, just to name three. Go into practice mode with the same set of receivers and throw the same patterns with the different quarterbacks- Unitas will consistently make the mid-level throw with the accuracy to allow the receiver to catch it in stride. Elway, when making those same throws won’t have the same level of accuracy, and you’ll see the receiver have to make adjustments. Throw the deep ball with Marino and it will come out of his hand very quickly, but not with the same velocity that Elway gets on his throw. That level of detail exists for players at every single position, not just quarterback.
Go spend an hour in practice mode using different quarterbacks and receivers in 2K8 and then go check out NCAA, where everything from the dropback animations to the releases to the velocity and accuracy of the passes is completely generic. (And it looks to be the same for Madden, judging from the pre-release videos.)
There’s really no comparison.
WOW. I guess I will have to play on PS2 AGAIN this year. You know that take two is loving this news.
“well number 1 you don’t set beer and popcorn prices in this year’s game. Number 2 building a stadium is a pretty neat feature for some. Call it garbage if you want but just remember it’s your opinion. Number 3, I’m glad i don’t play online. To say it should DEFINE next-gen is a bit over the top.
Thank you! I don’t think that next-gen is defined by online play. I personally could care less for online play. I believe that great graphics and amazing gameplay is what defines a true next-gen experience. And Madden 08 seems like it will provide both.”
Yea building a stadium is a neat feature that has nothing to do with football. Isnt there a Sim game or a roller coaster building game you may enjoy. Having all these non-football modes and features mean nothing if you cant play football. How any of you can excuse EA not having great online play for a SPORTS game is absurd. Sport is about competing and football is about the X’s and O’s. But the comments made here is why Madden will always be what it is, designed for a wide audience, while the actual football falls short.
“Having all these non-football modes and features mean nothing if you cant play football. How any of you can excuse EA not having great online play for a SPORTS game is absurd. Sport is about competing and football is about the X’s and O’s. But the comments made here is why Madden will always be what it is, designed for a wide audience, while the actual football falls short.”
there’s no lag offline, you can play football with these various modes just fine.
Maybe they should have stuck to exhibition games or 1 lackluster season mode. Yah that would have been swell
“Maybe they should have stuck to exhibition games or 1 lackluster season mode. Yah that would have been swell”
I am not defending 2k8 I am upset with Madden. But not having a good online experience is just as bad if not worse then a bad franchise mode. How long has this game had franchise mode, sure doesnt sound next gen to me. The bigger question is why cant they get online right? If you dont play online fine….but Next Gen is playing online leagues, with online drafts, in a game that is solid and void of glitches.
Yea building a stadium is a neat feature that has nothing to do with football. Isnt there a Sim game or a roller coaster building game you may enjoy. Having all these non-football modes and features mean nothing if you cant play football. How any of you can excuse EA not having great online play for a SPORTS game is absurd. Sport is about competing and football is about the X’s and O’s. But the comments made here is why Madden will always be what it is, designed for a wide audience, while the actual football falls short.
Firt off, I’m not saying that the game having crapy online play is a good thing. Nor am I saying that EA shouldn’t have made it better. All i’m saying is that I don’t care about online play. I enjoy the game of football whether it’s against the CPU on All-Madden or against friends on the same system. I don’t are for online because people cheat too much. I’m not saying that building stadiums and stuff define a football game. Like I said above, great GAMEPLAY and GRAPHICS do. I’m just happy that the game will play well and be fun. Online or offline.
“Next Gen is playing online leagues, with online drafts, in a game that is solid and void of glitches.”
That’s YOUR definition of next-gen… Besides, there’s no such thing as game that’s “void of glitches”.
Well I doubt any game will be void of glitches, but I can understand where you are coming from. The thing is though that they had the creation features and owner mode BEFORE next gen came out and people, like me, had a ton of fun with that before online play had even a major console consideration. Getting these features is a very positive thing for adding back to the fun experience of the past but improving upon it. I don’t design my stadium just say oh look i made a stadium. I play games in them too so I think it certainly is apart of the football experience.
Guys hark on sports titles already for being nothing more than rehashes, so taking those out and limiting focus on like two aspects of play would only increase this belief.
But i definitely understand that online play should be an important aspect. There really is no excuse for it being so poor at this point. I just don’t agree with the non-football modes meaning nothing
Right. I agree with you on the fact that online play should definitely be an important aspect of the game. However, I don’t believe that it’s the only aspect that defines a true “next-gen” experience. I also agree with you that the “non-football” modes are important to many folks out there (myself included). And to the guy who said that I should be playing a Sim game or Rollercoaster building game, well that’s just very ignorant of you to be so closed minded.
“That’s YOUR definition of next-gen… Besides, there’s no such thing as game that’s “void of glitches”.”
And there never will be as long as EA keeps heading down this road. It’s my def because online is the future of gaming and there is so much that could be done online. IMO the hard core football gamer, the guy that enjoys the X’s and O’s, a person who tries to identify another teams weakness wants online gameplay fixed. You dont get that playing the cpu. And I am not attacking that you dont know or enjoy the actual game because I am sure you do. But the point of my post is my frustration that they focuse on the wrong aspects of a football game when create a stadium is done better then online. But Madden has become a game that is average at alot of different things to please a wide audience.
Gentlemen you are both right. I agree that the game is about competition and bieng able to play competetition on the road makes you a better player. In my situation I Have moved away from my friends (relocated by job) and now can only play them online. We had an online season last year on the PS2 with uploading a merging the league. That only worked half the time. On the other hand before online was an option I used to build my own franchise set my prices and create stadiums to keep my replay value high. I used to truly be an EA fanboy! You could not tell me anything because back in the day they truly cared for us the consumer the games were amazing. But now, For a company that I have been giving money to since EA Hockey on the Sega Genesis 1990. I have actually by myself given them over $3600.00 for all the title I have bought, Road Rash Series Jungle Strike Series, Madden, NHL FIFA(that I no longer can get into) NBA live formerly Lakers vs. Celtics ( I now play NBA2k series)
multiple that by a million people and EA has maded tons and I mean tons of money from us the consumer. I own a PS3 not a 360 because I hate mean hate Microsoft. But for them not to care to get both games to run perfectly at 60 FPS is truly unacceptable. My eyes have been opened and EA is now just an organization that can put together a product that all us consumers will buy just because of their former reputation From me (Old school) to the new school people that have their parents buy the game for them. I personally like the way Madden Plays better than the NFL2k series but the above comments about how quarterbacks play in that game are truly magnificent and also receivers will fall or the quarteback will just throw an errant pass. is truly if it is in the game its in the Game. I will buy Madden and I will try my best to enjoy it at 30FPS but if it does not run well next year I will not buy it. This is just my two cents
Well to be fair, different people work on different aspects of the game. Someone who works on create-a-stadium isn’t part of the online team. Just because someone works on Madden doesn’t mean they are qualified or would help in specific areas other than the ones they’re focusing on.
I do find the whole stadium topic in the comments amusing just because someone would criticize having more options in a game, maybe cause APF was pretty much empty of them. Then they go back to playing in stadiums with giant birds or demons and animatronic rhinos lol.
Well this is yet again lame on the part of ea. I thought leaving refs off the field or not putting nets behind the goal posts. Or how about the collision detection. Like a guy saied before madden still laks in all the areas 2k shines.
Hey, is the stat tracking on Madden as bad as NCAA for 360?!!?? This is the most overlooked aspect of these games. I just turned in all my PS2 gear for the next gen Madden hype and after getting online on NCAA I noticed all they track is your record, you player level, and your DNF. What about yards per game, etc. I cant find anything that shows actually stats. Is Madden online going to be the same? How can I get a good scouting report on a guy when all I know is his record is 10-2?????
“I do find the whole stadium topic in the comments amusing just because someone would criticize having more options in a game, maybe cause APF was pretty much empty of them. Then they go back to playing in stadiums with giant birds or demons and animatronic rhinos lol”
My criticizing Madden for having all kinds of options has nothing to do with 2k8’s lack of them. My frustration comes from spending 60 dollars on a football game that I can create a stadium, design uniforms, and play owner but I cant go online and PLAY FOOTBALL! As far as different folks working on different aspects thats fine but more attention, money, talent , need to be assigned to online play. And yes the stadiums are absurd in 2k8.
EA is a joke. I have to admit that they have better graphics than 2K, but gameplay is very important especially online.
I bet if you played an online game on MADDNEN 08 and some how you were disconnected for no apparent reason, just out of the blue MY OPPONENT AND I WILL GET A LOSS.
I’m saving my money for CAll OF DUTY 4.
MADDEN IS A GREAT GAME. BUT IF WE ALL WERE TO STRIKE AND NOT PURCHASE MADDEN 08, MADDEN 09 WILL BE THE BEST GAME IN THE WORLD KNOWN TO MAD.
EA COULD MAKE THE GAME ITS ABSOLUTE BEST, BUT THEY ADD ONE FEATURE EVERY YEAR. JUST MAKE THE BEST MADDEN POSSIBLE AND EVERY YEAR UPDATE OUR ROSTERS!!!!!!
That is the dumbest thing Ive ever heard All the money they make and even the Lobby lags thats horrible I can get online in mototstorm No problem and that game plays perfect with Twelve people and i cant ever change my D without lag or get kicked offline STEP UP EA OR STEP OFF AND LET 2K HAVE ANOTHER CRACK AT THE NFL…
AND WHAT HAPPEND TO THE REP LEVEL???????? I WANNA KNOW IF THE SCRUB IM PLAYIN IS A QUITER OR A CHEATER, AND THE ONLINE CLUBS COME ON EA I PAYED $600 BUCKS I SHOULD BE ABLE TO VIDEO CHAT AND SMELL THE GRASS FOR THAT!!!!!!!
The rep level is still there, at least its on NCAA 08. But there is no stat tracking. Does anyone know if there is solid stat tracking on Madden 08, because will turn around and buy Madden 08 and a PS2 instead.
Madden has the NFL license, 2k Fanboiz weep.
/lol
Dub C!
Comon Dub, we know how important the price of popcorn can be! hhahahaha
Fix online, the whole point of next gen has always been that they boast about online superiority… yet they cant even play a lag free game.
Hey, I was also wondering about the stat tracking online on Madden 08???? NCAA online stats ARE REDICULOUS!
this is the third year on next and online play is still gonna be weak…thats pretty gay. will thier be scouting reports online like in the originol xbox days. see your oppenents last 10 games…what team they use. after you get done with a game in ncaa you cant even see your opp rank afterwards. it doesnt seem next gen at all.
some of you should play the game before you get your panties in a bunch, I have 2k8 and it is way behind Madden.
Year after year we look forward to Madden…Thinking they will “finally” get things right. But no, we get a combination of the old-gen Madden games with a slight next-gen flare. I really wish EA and Madden would define the term “next-gen” for all of us again, because I really don’t know what the word means anymore. Madden 08 is touting the “Build a Stadium feature” as if it were the first time it had been in the game…NEWS FLASH! It’s an extremely old feature that only the the 14 and under kids really get a kick out of. Things are not looking good for Madden 08 this season. And to those that think All-Pro Football is better then Madden? You can have the greatest graphics in the world and the best gameplay, but if all you get to do is play with legends, all i have to say is…big fuckin deal. 2K was obviously too poor financially and too stupid to buy out EA, so now they are stuck with the likes of Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott.
Well ALLstar28,
EA screwed us all with the buy out! It sure isnt the same playing legends and generics but it does have its positives. You see diiferent make up of teams online. I can only imagine how many Pat cheesers there will be online, if there is an online. I have to disagree with your comment about gameplay, it mea.ns everything
doodle is just disrespectful to EA. so what if it has a lack of recievers
hey dis is jammal dude but sorry about doodle i was reading some one elses i enjoy madden VERY MUCH
doodle the roaler coaster game is called THRILLVILLE not that im a game nerd but ive played it before
any way lets make this comment thing a chat the aim or something srry ive made so many comments
doodle seems like the one thats most like me with opinions about madden 08
im a redskin fan. sigh, still sa about the loss of our best defensiveplayer: Sean Taylor
Sad, sad, sad about the loss of sean taylor
YEAAAA i was just playin an online ranked madden game and the other opponet played with a made up team with all the great players in the nfl for example his recievers were terrel owens steve smith chad johnson and randy moss
and then his rbs were lt and reggie bush this is very dissappointing
The online play in madden gets so old. everyone cheats too much. its not even fun. its hard to go from playing against friends that are tough and winning, to playing online and getting routed every game. i actually played a game the other day and took a lead (7 points). After that the opponent messaged me that he/she was gonna use cheats and glitches now. they then proceded to whoop me to oblivion. WTF??????
Yeah how about EA fix their f****n code so people don’t feel robbed playing online against a****s year after year….
MY MADDEN ROCKS EVERY THING ON THE GAME IS THE S…!!!
MY MADDEN ROCKS
BUT ONLY O8 ROCKS IT IS ALWAYS A YEAR LATE LIKE 07 INSTEAD OF O8 O7 IS FUN BUT THEY NEED TO HAVE A O8 GAME ONLINE…