Latest Madden Developer Podcast Featuring Pastapadre

Kace0

I listened a little earlier today and thought it was really fascinating at times. Great to get a better understanding of the way things work and are looked at by everyone involved.

Anonymous

Man these dudes are some straight up bitches for real!!

I can’t believe people continue to listen to this bullshit and act like they make good points.

Yo Pasta , much props for doing what you do but you know deep down inside these cats are some clowns. All that punk shit they talk from their little desk ain’t amounting to shit but another wack ass game year in and year out. They know got damn well they are bullshitting with online franchise and trade logic/salary cap. I don’t want to hear about their bosses or management or none of that. Physics, enhanced animations, throws on the run etc. could have been fixed by now but they aren’t going to invest any more than they have to as long as they making money. Honestly, as a devotee of capitalism I support EA milking every dime they can out of these chumps who want to pay for some upgrades in Madden Ultimate Team…BUT WHAT I AM AGAINST is focusing entirely on DLC and fucking the fan base that has been loyal for years. These dudes bring the same faggots every year to community day and wonder why they keeep getting the same results?!?! Look up the definition of insanity while you got some time…FEEL ME!!!

oH AND SINCE Y’ALL WANT TO CRACK JOKES ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. I’m 29 years old with a CPA, MBA, and I’m waiting on my letters back from law school so tell me WTF YOU dudes are doing with YOUR time?!?!?

100
- Melr2
  
  AMEN brother. and Merry Chrismas.

Infemous

i am praying you grilled them pasta.

Queefcheese

Serious post. Why did you not ask them why full backs run routes like Wes Welker? You say you dont like to watch replays but I mean come on.

Queefcheese

Serious post. Why did you not ask them why full backs run routes like Wes Welker? You say you dont like to watch replays but I mean come on.

FancyEast

seems like a pretty random thing to expect be brought up in a general podcast.
- Queefcheese
  
  Not really when he was asked what are some general complaints from fans.
  
  Franchise mode sucks
  Their being no point in defense in this game
  FBs running routes like WRs
  WRs who never drop balls dropping them.
  
  I mean come on there are sports games out there now a days like 2k, The Show and they dont feel like robots. When I am playing with Aaron Rodgers it should feel like him not a robot who can drop back 50 yards and launch it to Jennings in the back of the end zone.
  
  They make an arcade style of football game year in and year out and fans dont want that. Simple as that
  - http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/ABLC757UG25E6RN7OECFE57JLA Daniel
    
    Duh? I’ve been complaining about all of the above for almost a decade now, and still, nothing’s been done.
    
    Seriously, theres a “Route Running” rating; there is no reason FB’s should run perfect comeback routes, but they do. Why? Because the engine itself doesn’t have the capacity to run an imperfect route. Arcade gameplay at its finest.
    
    Franchise: enough said. The fact you can trade draft picks, straight up, with an 0-6 team right before the trade deadline shows how braindead the Franchise AI really is. Nevermind that I’ve never actually had to sign a draft pick; after all, just throw insane signing bonuses at Peyton/Brady when they hit free agency
    
    Defense: Doesn’t exist in an arcade game. Points are sexy, lets face it. And EVERYONE knows which plays always work in Madden by now (Do we REALLY need a seperate report on what exactly those plays are? We know already what plays work, because they’ve been around, uncahnged, for over a decade now…)
    
    I view Madden as broken and unfixable short of a new gameplay engine. I’m not even bothering anymore.
    - Queefcheese
      
      Its tough because what Pasta said in the podcast is true. Alot of the old gamers who played back in 03-07 through those years hold hope when they buy these games they will be loads better than the last years version but sadly its been the total opposite.
      
      Madden is broken and they have a lot of work to do till they can return some of that trust to their loyal fans.

Poo Poo McGoo

So that leaves little doubt as to who got Game of the Year.

IonG

if you think hes giving madden the top game of the year i dont see that happening. pasta has been pretty hard on madden all year. they even mention it in the podcast and have him talk more about some of the things hes said about the game.
- Anonymous
  
  NBA 2K11 HAS to get it, not only did it get universal acclaim but Pasta himself loved the game. I’d like to think he has too much credibility to give it to Madden solely because they invited him to the podcast.

Poo Poo McGoo

So that leaves little doubt as to who got Game of the Year.

FancyEast

good podcast. it was good to hear how you express disappointment throughout but obviously its their podcast so its not like you could rip them on it. good listen either way!

FancyEast

good podcast. it was good to hear how you express disappointment throughout but obviously its their podcast so its not like you could rip them on it. good listen either way!

Anonymous

I liked it. I wish you guys would have gotten into MUT a bit, but I know why they didn’t want to broach that subject. It’s their podcast, and they probably got what they wanted out of it.

They want to have serious conversations, but want to avoid controversial subjects, and that’s what they got.

WAT

LOL. “Take a bath in my money.” I swear dude.

Infemous

some nuggets:

what do you see madden 2014 looking like?
Pasta: neutral comment… i don’t know insert joke neutral comment
Every Madden fan: JUST LIKE MADDEN FUCKING 10!

what do we want from madden 2014?
pasta thinks we want more online co-operative play (courtesy of some nice word twisting by Ian), physics and Online Franchise.
I would say he hit on online chise and physics, but really what a lot of people want is what has been promised: anything you see on sunday you will see in madden. physics are a big part of this, but what i want aswell as physics is animations, palette, gravitas, event, weight, emotion etc. physics is the most dominant aspect, but you capture a sunday night game with the sense of occasion and graphics you will have a happy fanbase.

i also want EA to stop short changing us and penny pinching. i want good commentary (sideline reporter anyone?) etc.

Pasta, in general, I understand you were their guest and you are clearly well mannered, but there were some ripe opportunities to rip into them (politely) however you failed the fan base. things regarding new features are controlled by marketing etc. but what we wanted was for you to act as a voice of the fans, instead it sounded like you were lobbying for a job at EA.

Online Pass? clear example of EA and other companies taking money from people who should not have to pay for things. micro transactions of EA coins are BS. if i want to play madden moments live (rare but possible) i don’t want to have to pay for them. why was this not stated?

gameflow? you said you liked (all well and good) however you touched upon but did not make a point of emphasising that most people weren’t entirely against it, but disappointed it was the lead feature and that was considered a priority. gameflow didn’t even come working entirely, and is not revolutionary in any way (ask madden). – i could rant about gameflow so i will stop there

Donny and Ian’s jibes of the community. we invest a lot of PASSION into this game because we love football. to be derided and somewhat slyly mocked for being so pro active about a video game is poor PR on their part and should not have been accepted Pasta. The fact we make their job so easy with a lot of constructive criticism all over blogs and boards should be something they thank us about. to be mocked and have it implied that investing this much energy in other pursuits would do the world better is disappointing. sure there are people who are overly critical and sometimes overly aggressive, however, those guys are easy to syphon out (normally come attached with several exclamation marks) and the more in depth suggestions and criticisms if listened to and ACTED UPON would make madden a much better game.

The excuse about not enough time? it is gutting to hear them single out a criticism (implying laziness) and for you to back down to the challenge. why did you allow them to talk so long about surprise onside kicks? everyone accepts that it is a part of the NFL and SHOULD be in the game, but is likely to be exploited by cheesers online hence it’s omission. what we want to hear about is why modes get neglected, the decision making process and how much their love for the game is made apparent in their work. if you love madden and know it better than anyone else why do so many people say it sucks? why are you allowing marketing to boss you around and make a product you are clearly smart enough to realise is sub standard? is there not any pride in ian and donny? if you develop it, DEVELOP IT. don’t allow a lack of resources or lack of creative control (creative director huh?) to stop you from making a game better.
HOW IN THE WORLD CAN YOU SAY THAT GAMEFLOW IS A MODE THAT WILL MAKE PEOPLE WANT TO BUY THE GAME OVER AN INVESTMENT IN PHYSICS, FRANCHISE AND EVEN ONLINE SERVERS.

Donny states that Madden’s online service should be the best bar none, however there are many DC issues and the fact that a DMZ thing should be done to our router to improve connectivity is absurd. not everyone is an internet geek, but they may be a madden geek.

this post could go on but i have a life and more beneficial things for mankind to do than make some overpaid big-wigs jobs easier.

PEACE

http://pastapadre.com/ pastapadre

Good thoughts, thanks for taking the time to lay them out in a reasonable manner. I can’t fault you for any of those points though I may not agree with them all.

As far as laying into them, I’ve held the game accountable all year long. I took the opportunity to make some points in the podcast but it wasn’t really the right setting to go deeper on those things. Look for an upcoming year-in-review article for Madden 11 that will wrap all of that up. Things like GameFlow being a let down because it was the prime feature was actually discussed though when the I mentioned features made for the hardcore vs casuals and how Madden 11 was more directed at casuals. I don’t think they disagreed with that sentiment either.
- Infemous
  
  i hope so pasta, and thanks for the response, but really it’s hard to trust these guys any more after the lies and half truths given to us the last 2 years.
  
  i still play m11 and enjoy it, but begrudgingly as i know it could be so much better.
  
  hopefully they come up trumps and get a team of people to help donny out with ratings so that he doesn’t anger 90% of football fans with some poor ratings.
  they give us a good game engine with WAY more animations, specifically for defense (such as more contact points seeing as we have to wait 3 or 4 years for Euphoria in Madden)
  consecutive hit tackles and subsequently realistic injuries and such are a big hope for me.
  they said defense is a focus so hopefully it’s a full truth.
  
  things like half baked features frustrate me and the fan base, something you touch on in your video blog review of madden.
  hopefully they either deliver on a promise or don’t make one at all.
  i was irate at the ignoring of franchise for m11, but they promised a NEW ENGINE and a radical overhaul for m12. I want this fulfilled.
  
  again i can write more, but in essence
  i’d like to thank you for the response pasta and would find it interesting if you could just say which bits of my opinion you disagree with. i’m not looking to bash you just to further the discussion. i admire your work and agree you have been vocal throughout the year against madden, but i suppose that falsely lead me to believe you’d directly express it to them in a more ranting manner such as many fans would lol

WAT

This is from the comments that was made in the forum that EA wasn’t bringing in money by putting ads in Madden 11.I started off by saying:
That’s all EA cares about is “revenue.” They’re such pieces of shit i swear. FlagMason Drews and 2 more liked this Like Reply

pastapadre1 day agoin reply to WAT
Welcome to the world of business. Of course that’s what they care about. Like Reply

WAT1 day agoin reply to pastapadre
It’s not WHAT they care about, It’s ALL they care about. Money money money money and more money. “What will put more money in our pocket?” Why dont they make a good game to play for once instead of worrying about money all the time? Just becuase they have an exclusivity deal with the NFL makes it okay for them to sell crap football games? That’s why NBA Elite wasn’t put out becuase they knew that game wasn’t going to make any money for it was a poorly made game with great competition (NBA2K11). All I wanted to see was for them to at least try thier best to make the best football game possible, but i feel that they did not. I really feel i got ripped off 60$ by a big time gaming company. I just have to vent my fustration with this game. I’m just really tired of saying “Maybe next year.” I don’t mind paying 60$ for a game i feel they really tried thier best on. But don’t expect me to be forking over 60 bucks until that day comes. 1 person liked this. Like Reply
WAT1 day agoin reply to WAT
Also I tried to play NFL Head Coach ’09 yesterday and I can’t get past the part where it FREEZES! Is there a recall on this game or a way i can get my money back? I love the way you rip people off EA. Real class act.. Or should I say Class Action Lawsuit? lol. 1 person liked this.

This podcast has proved my point.

WAT

This is from the comments that was made in the forum that EA wasn’t bringing in money by putting ads in Madden 11.I started off by saying:
That’s all EA cares about is “revenue.” They’re such pieces of shit i swear. FlagMason Drews and 2 more liked this Like Reply

pastapadre1 day agoin reply to WAT
Welcome to the world of business. Of course that’s what they care about. Like Reply

WAT1 day agoin reply to pastapadre
It’s not WHAT they care about, It’s ALL they care about. Money money money money and more money. “What will put more money in our pocket?” Why dont they make a good game to play for once instead of worrying about money all the time? Just becuase they have an exclusivity deal with the NFL makes it okay for them to sell crap football games? That’s why NBA Elite wasn’t put out becuase they knew that game wasn’t going to make any money for it was a poorly made game with great competition (NBA2K11). All I wanted to see was for them to at least try thier best to make the best football game possible, but i feel that they did not. I really feel i got ripped off 60$ by a big time gaming company. I just have to vent my fustration with this game. I’m just really tired of saying “Maybe next year.” I don’t mind paying 60$ for a game i feel they really tried thier best on. But don’t expect me to be forking over 60 bucks until that day comes. 1 person liked this. Like Reply
WAT1 day agoin reply to WAT
Also I tried to play NFL Head Coach ’09 yesterday and I can’t get past the part where it FREEZES! Is there a recall on this game or a way i can get my money back? I love the way you rip people off EA. Real class act.. Or should I say Class Action Lawsuit? lol. 1 person liked this.

This podcast has proved my point.

tish

word
tish

word
Melr2

If they keep making Madden year after year like Madden11 then the producers of this joke will be playing online by themselves. I don’t believe for a second that fifty percent of Madden players play online the way they describe. I think most of us play offline franchise and against or buddies off line. Yes, I have played online some, but it just isn’t that great. As for Madden11 I gave up on it after two weeks, so I am not online or offline LOL. As for not enough development time, maybe the EA guys should call Sony(The Show) or Take Two(NBA2K11) for some time management training.

Bobubbz

I think Amen_Ra has said it all. Nothing like a Bra with Knowledge and from the street with degrees. Enough said.

HaloUnion

nice interview

HaloUnion

i think they should find the craziest most hateful person on this site and give him an interview lol.

Giantjedi

I’ve listened to at least 2 of these podcasts and it feels like they talk about the same thing over and over. “We can’t put features in cause we run out of time” and then talk about how everyone hates them. We don’t like you guys for a reason! you practically ruined our favorite video game franchise and turned it into a joke. fucking take time and make a good game instead of throwing out the same trash with shitty features in every year.

Iancumsinpastas

Pasta did you spit or swallow after the interview?

IonG

idiot
IonG

idiot

Poeticdrink2u

Those Tiburon producers should be ashamed of themselves talking about money and resource for their studio. EA Tiburon has the largest budget and resources out there in the gaming industry. Why do you think they can make so many projects and updated games constantly.

EA think they are dealing with kids.

Trony

that doesnt mean they dont have to deal with restrictions and guidelines placed on them from above.
joeyland

Good point, the problem is the “art” has gone out of Electronic Arts, it should re-name itself, Electronic marketing.

Hoss

Good job Pasta. You kept things real in that. I also liked that Ian brought up things you had said before and had you explain further. Shows they arent afraid of criticism when it is given in a productive way.

Denny23

interesting stuff. enjoyed it a lot

Timmy458

I really enjoyed this podcast more than the previous ones. It’s gonna be interesting to see what the Madden team decide to make the main focus of Madden 12.

I for one would like to see new animations (specifically tackling) get some work in Madden 12. Now I didn’t buy Madden 11 due to lack of franchise improvements and cause it looked from gameplay videos I watched a lot like Madden 10. Now I am not going to have a lot of expectations for Madden 12 cause I don’t want to be let down if I was expecting something and it isn’t in the game. But I will wait and see once features and info for Madden 12 start coming out.

Timmy458

I really enjoyed this podcast more than the previous ones. It’s gonna be interesting to see what the Madden team decide to make the main focus of Madden 12.

I for one would like to see new animations (specifically tackling) get some work in Madden 12. Now I didn’t buy Madden 11 due to lack of franchise improvements and cause it looked from gameplay videos I watched a lot like Madden 10. Now I am not going to have a lot of expectations for Madden 12 cause I don’t want to be let down if I was expecting something and it isn’t in the game. But I will wait and see once features and info for Madden 12 start coming out.

Phillipr24

I dont understand why they feel there is a split between online gamers and franchise gamers. If the modes were made equal I would spend more time online I in fact want to play this game online but the experience is so disappointing. These numbers just dont add up as it relates to the decision making process of making Madden. They make it sound like theres no reason to progress just because of these numbers. I dont like the way this is going.

Yosten

I think they were just saying that its hard for them to focus hard on one area cause theyd be leaving half the people out. So they have to find a way to improve everything which is tough in a yearly cycle.
- Humpf
  
  why don’t they just leave online for a year, and then do franchise, then do online for a year and leave franchise… or quite simply MERGE THE TWO. online franchise is the only time i play online (which is often due to 2 day advs) but i play online sometimes and am 9/8.
  when i am not playing online franchise i am playing offline and crying myself to sleep. i hope it is fixed as is online franchise or i will not buy madden 12.
- Humpf
  
  why don’t they just leave online for a year, and then do franchise, then do online for a year and leave franchise… or quite simply MERGE THE TWO. online franchise is the only time i play online (which is often due to 2 day advs) but i play online sometimes and am 9/8.
  when i am not playing online franchise i am playing offline and crying myself to sleep. i hope it is fixed as is online franchise or i will not buy madden 12.
Yosten

I think they were just saying that its hard for them to focus hard on one area cause theyd be leaving half the people out. So they have to find a way to improve everything which is tough in a yearly cycle.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Corey-Ragland/13752595 Corey Ragland

Is it just me or did it in fact sound like Donny and Ian were taking shots at the community? It seemed like they would bash or complain about the Madden community and then immediately say that they still want people to buy the games. I understand that it must be frustrating that no matter what ya do people will complain, but they can also get off their high horse because they’ve earned much of the criticism this year. I get that it is 100% impossible to put Everything in the game in one year, but don’t stand behind the excuse of time when you make the selling point to Madden 11 a feature that NO ONE thought needed to be addressed.

Infemous

thank you. i said this longerhand in my post before and it was not touched upon in the comments until now.

i for one was really offended and i am a madden enthusiast aswell as a musician, student and writer. i find it ridiculous for them to imply that madden fans are geeks who do nothing but rant online.
not only is it poor PR but it is very disappointing on a personal front.

I’d like to see an apology coupled with a more conscientious effort to make a better game.
i’m tired of snooty devs and a lame product.
Infemous

thank you. i said this longerhand in my post before and it was not touched upon in the comments until now.

i for one was really offended and i am a madden enthusiast aswell as a musician, student and writer. i find it ridiculous for them to imply that madden fans are geeks who do nothing but rant online.
not only is it poor PR but it is very disappointing on a personal front.

I’d like to see an apology coupled with a more conscientious effort to make a better game.
i’m tired of snooty devs and a lame product.

Adembroski

“Why didn’t you ask them…”

Hey, uh, guys… Pasta was the one getting interviewed here.

Grown Man KC

Now I’m so glad I didn’t waste my money on madden 11. These two guys are a joke. They don’t have a clue as to what the fanbase wants. People want an in depth franchise mode, better presentation, actual strategy, and gameplay that punish you for doing dumb stuff; like running backwards and throwing the ball deep, or running to one direction and throwing it to the other side of the field.
People don’t play online leagues because its not full featured. Why do you think so many people love online dynasty(ncaa football)?
Its very clear that madden is geared toward the kids and people who don’t know much about football because its essentially been the same game since 07, just with prettier graphics, more presentation.
We really didn’t need a report on which plays are called the most to tell us, or which ones work because the same plays have been money for years. There isn’t any strategy to madden. Just pick a high rated team and run the “money” plays and nano blitz on defense.
Madden just isn’t BALANCED. Its clearly geared toward the casual fanbase and people aren’t stupid. People just want more realism, more penalties, more realistic ratio of injuries, and there being an actual risk to doing things.
- scottyo60
  
  People complain about throwing the ball across the field, but it’s not as uncommon as you think. The Raiders run a throwback and I know of multiple colleges and hs that have throwbacks where te’s or rb’s sneak across down the sidelines after a pa or even a roll out.

Def

Everyone who posted here I agree with you 100%. But all the devs hear is ..Motion control.. 3D..

It’s like screaming at a deaf kid………

Rda03c

That pod-cast was nothing more than an exercise in rhetorical masturbation … good job Ian, Donny and Pasta. I guess the next iteration of this monstrosity will be just as bad if not worse.

Ryan

Guys like yourself need to remember, the opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.

Stop caring, stop listening, stop buying. People who complain and come back for more are likely perfectly fine in EA’s eyes. You’re still informed, you’re still discussing and you’re still likely buying.
- Rda03c
  
  Wrong. I’ve, by-and large, divorced myself from the game, but, as a former [loyal] fan (10+ years), I occasionally have an urge to know what’s going on with a franchise I used to enjoy so much.
  
  I’ve been let down too many times … the last iteration was it for me, I’ve accepted the fact that Ian and Donny wrecked the ship and they have no intention on fixing the hull.
  
  No, Ryan, Madden has lost my contribution to its continued destruction.
  
  It’s just when I listen to what amounts to a rhetorical circle-jerk, with Pasta and the community being used as the faces for Ian’s and Donny’s bukkake party, it’s very disheartening and further drives in the reality that the game I loved for so long in gone. It’s dead. It’s not coming back.
  
  I guess I’m still mourning a little bit.

steelcurtain

Too many little things are left out of the game, the challenge system has been crap for years…really they can’t fix that? I actually like football so much that I have to have madden, I was a big 2k fan but that is gone and my choice is now only madden. I used to always get both games anyway because it was football regardless. They totally jacked the kicking game up and not only a bad meter system they catered to the non hardcore fans by making it easier…which is a joke because I can’t remember that last time I missed a kick in madden until the lag and the new meter…and that includes 50 yard kicks with 100% accuracy. Seriously, I think I should apply for a job with EA, I have ideas that would make the game better…and thats pretty sad when they have a team that works on this stuff.

Online pass doesn’t bother me…I understand they need to support the servers. I don’t play franchise at all…offline or online…I only play online matches vs people…probably at least 1 game a day…sometimes more…all year round.

Not being able to challenge a bs call is horrible and even when it is challengeable…its always a blatant call.

One of my biggest issues is players jumping on their own…please tell them to remove this from the game…why is there a damn button dedicated to jumping/hurdling if the cpu will do it for you….i don’t want to hear about this stupid special move stick where you used to truck now jumps or does what ever the cpu thinks it should. If i go low on a big defender with a smaller db…let the person playing make the decision to jump…I can’t tell you how many times this garbage happens…I’m sure it doesn’t only happen to me. The other situation is WR’s jumping for a ball even when user controlled when they didn’t need to jump…they could have caught it in stride….instead they slow to almost a stop and jump and let the defender catch up.

I don’t expect a perfect game….but fix some of the nonsense that keep madden from been a great game instead of a good game.

On another note…i played the wii version of madden with my son…why don’t they have mini games like that to work on user coverage skills and running game…something that I like very much….and because of it…my 8 year old can actually cover people better than some of the people I play online…I user control everything…as much as the game will permit..this is how it should be…I don’t want to watch the computer do it…other wise whats the point.

Thanks for your time pasta and the blog and podcasts are good stuff…obviously you have a lot of readers and listeners as the comments show…its an area of need in the gaming world.

gflcommish

I don’t want to slam you here Pasta, but I really feel like you soft-balled them in this podcast. What a great opportunity to really relay the sentiments of the fans and I think you somewhat wasted it. Sorry – not trying to be a jerk, but this just felt like an opportunity missed.

http://pastapadre.com/ pastapadre

How so? I expressed some discontent. They asked me to clarify some thoughts I had posted about which weren’t complimentary towards the game even. I wasn’t interviewing them though, so I’m not sure what you would expect.
- Infemous
  
  i think a lot of the community expected you to be the interviewer pasta.
  i know i did.
  
  i think often they gave you leading questions and did not allow you to challenge them too much, as it is a promotional show in the end. however the moments in which you could have gone ‘hard’ on them you failed to, and as such we were left with a mildly insightful podcast and less of a perspective on direction.
  
  the podcasts attack the community too much and are too moany. if they want to avoid getting slammed by fans they should stop putting their names and faces on everything.
  if an insult hurts you so much you can’t make a good game don’t be the guy promising stuff that does not get delivered, or do not name yourself the Ratings Czar unless you know what you are doing.
  
  Peace
- Infemous
  
  i think a lot of the community expected you to be the interviewer pasta.
  i know i did.
  
  i think often they gave you leading questions and did not allow you to challenge them too much, as it is a promotional show in the end. however the moments in which you could have gone ‘hard’ on them you failed to, and as such we were left with a mildly insightful podcast and less of a perspective on direction.
  
  the podcasts attack the community too much and are too moany. if they want to avoid getting slammed by fans they should stop putting their names and faces on everything.
  if an insult hurts you so much you can’t make a good game don’t be the guy promising stuff that does not get delivered, or do not name yourself the Ratings Czar unless you know what you are doing.
  
  Peace

It’s Me Snitches

I feel the same. Very well said.