Madden 09 online play gets first piece of disappointing news

by pastapadre
Posted April 22nd, 2008 at 8:33 pm

Madden 09 producer Phil Frazier is continuing to answer questions in the game’s official forum. The most notable piece of info to come out since the set of news I posted on earlier is that variable weather will not be found online. Hearing that doesn’t bring about much confidence that other much needed online enhancements will be coming this year.

Weather will not be available online. It’s clear that many of you are interested in this functionality so it’s already on my growing list of features from the community. Honestly, I’d prefer if we solved the online lag issues before we worry about weather. We will be featuring the live weather feed in Madden 09.

Well so much for the hope that online play was going to be taken seriously for once. That great looking screenshot from the other day? You’ll never experience it in an online game. Seems unlikely then that even night games will be in then. It would also mean that online franchise (if added this year) would have no weather or night games which would ruin part of that whole experience. Get ready for a bunch of stale ideal weather games yet again if you play online at all.

Granted it seems to be asking a bit much for these necessary options to be added when they haven’t even gotten the game to run lag-free or avoid high rates of disconnects yet. However EA Canada’s recent releases (NBA Live, NHL, FIFA) have brought about vastly improved online performance along with added modes and options. Will depth charts transfer online so people don’t have to set them before every game? Will you be able to choose the stadium that is played in? Will alternate uniforms be selectable? Will unranked games be tracked at all? Will there be any form of co-op play? All seem even more unlikely after hearing that variable weather hasn’t made it in this year. Disappointing to say the least.

Hey, but field goal nets have been added to the game (thankfully) so now that one can be scratched off the easy complaint list.

Tags:

coogrfan

[quote comment="18688"][quote comment="18570"]

I have no particular desire to play a game that glorifies criminals, but thanks sooooo much for your input.[/quote]

Lol but you support a school for grade fixing:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/football/ncaa/08/19/houston/index.html

[quote comment="18573"]EA has it’s priorities straight here, imo. Variable weather is a mere extra, online lag is a game killer.

Seriously, would you guys really have been happier with last year’s online experience if it had included snow or rain?[/quote]

[quote comment="fillychez aka Phil Frazier @ EA"]
Weather – This is looking awesome this year. I’ve already asked marketing if we can show what a snow game looks like via screenshot. I hope to be able to release a screenshot of snow games very soon. [/quote]

Seems like weather was a priority for them. And then they release a snow pict. Yep great priority, only to turn around and say:

{quote comment=”"]
Weather will not be available online. It’s clear that many of you are interested in this functionality so it’s already on my growing list of features from the community. Honestly, I’d prefer if we solved the online lag issues before we worry about weather. We will be featuring the live weather feed in Madden 09.[/quote]

Now EA’s tryna save face…and try to do something with weather online due to the bad reception.[/quote]

1. Are you seriously equating the sort of brutality seen in the GTA games with an alleged textbook selling scandal?

2. To me it sounds to me like Frazier is attempting to be responsive to the wishes of the online community. I fail to see how that can be interpreted as a bad thing.
Da Birthday Boy

Announcers and cover athlete announcement are tomorrow. Weather will be online.
Da Birthday Boy

Announcers and cover athlete announcement are tomorrow. Weather will be online.
Da Birthday Boy

Announcers and cover athlete announcement are tomorrow. Weather will be online.
http://www.nflfans360.com/ Xtremedunkz

[quote comment="18748"]Announcers and cover athlete announcement are tomorrow. Weather will be online.[/quote]

you REALLY have to stop sounding like you know everything. You are wrong more times than not. Phil said he would talk to the team about any possible way they could get weather online but he isn’t promising anything.
http://www.nflfans360.com/ Xtremedunkz

[quote comment="18748"]Announcers and cover athlete announcement are tomorrow. Weather will be online.[/quote]

you REALLY have to stop sounding like you know everything. You are wrong more times than not. Phil said he would talk to the team about any possible way they could get weather online but he isn’t promising anything.
http://www.nflfans360.com Xtremedunkz

[quote comment="18748"]Announcers and cover athlete announcement are tomorrow. Weather will be online.[/quote]

you REALLY have to stop sounding like you know everything. You are wrong more times than not. Phil said he would talk to the team about any possible way they could get weather online but he isn’t promising anything.
make money easy

Good job. I’m definitely going to bookmark you!