2011/9/14: Xbox 360: Madden NFL 12

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VideoGameCritic
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2011/9/14: Xbox 360: Madden NFL 12

Postby VideoGameCritic » September 14th, 2011, 7:17 pm

I posted my annual Madden review. 
Unlike most other Madden reviews, no BS in this one.
I'd like to hear your comments.

Astroblasted

2011/9/14: Xbox 360: Madden NFL 12

Postby Astroblasted » September 14th, 2011, 8:44 pm

Its the end of the day over here in the Uk.  I am interested to hear your views.  I think that EA have been doing too much of it... Fifa soccer... Tiger woods....etc..

 

I have not got a madden game for years and on the strength of this review it might be years until I buy one again....

 

I am a big fan of the NFL but they need to do more to make it like the NFL.....instead of a cash cow...


txsizzler1
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2011/9/14: Xbox 360: Madden NFL 12

Postby txsizzler1 » September 14th, 2011, 10:32 pm

Sounds like you were being awfully nice giving it a "C" grade. Given its problems, and the fact that EA has had all this time to make continued improvements (which they evidentally failed to do so here), should lower the grade to a D- or F level.

 

Your review was good. The grade should follow, however.

 

 

Ian


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2011/9/14: Xbox 360: Madden NFL 12

Postby JustLikeHeaven1 » September 14th, 2011, 10:48 pm

I agree with txsizzler.  You completely rip this game a new one and then proceed to give it an average grade.  I understand that the basic game isn't broken and you can _technically_ still play a game of virtual football.  However, I felt that, like most reviewers, your end grade is far too kind. So while your review certainly doesn't contain any BS...it falls in line with the rest of the industry in giving this franchise a pass.

If any other company released a game with this minimal upgrades you would have slapped them with a D or F.  Go look at your review for Clayfighter Tournament Edition (SNES).  I would copy the text from that review and change the words Clayfighter to Madden.  

Rev1
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2011/9/14: Xbox 360: Madden NFL 12

Postby Rev1 » September 15th, 2011, 11:06 am

I disagree. I thought his review was very fair and the grade was accurate. Unlike the Clayfighter games (which the original one he gave a D anyways) he has had B, and C reviews for Madden in the past. Even if they copied most of the formula he does his grading on the fun factor. [QUOTE][/QUOTE]Since most of the game was the same it would have been very repetitive for him to heavily focus on the positive aspects of the game, since he's already pointed that out in his previous reviews of the Madden.

JustLikeHeaven1
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2011/9/14: Xbox 360: Madden NFL 12

Postby JustLikeHeaven1 » September 15th, 2011, 11:38 am

[QUOTE=Rev]Since most of the game was the same 
[/QUOTE]

Stop right there...that is exactly the problem.  You are paying $60 for the same game as last year with updated rosters.  I don't think that is worth a "C" grade in my opinion.  To me as a football fan its an absolute slap in the face.  EA Sports doesn't focus on the actual gameplay and sees fit to merely fine tune things while adding extra "features" your average Joe will never use.  That would be fine if the game played as good as ESPN 2K5. but it doesn't.  While the game is more than playable it is fundamentally flawed.  They need to go back and make massive changes to engine...

Rev1
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2011/9/14: Xbox 360: Madden NFL 12

Postby Rev1 » September 15th, 2011, 1:47 pm

Actually yeah, I totally agree with you. I really don't find anything special about Madden these days. It has been reusing the same tired script for years, yet it still sells which is really sad. People seem to just want to pay $60 for an updated roster.

Still, even if a game is just a cheap cash in and is almost exactly the same, whether that is enough to effect the fun factor of a game is entirely up to the person. I personally wouldn't spend $60 on Madden '12 when I can now by '11 for dirt cheap. Still, if he has some fun with the actual game itself (overall), even if it is still an unforgivable rehash, as a reviewer he owes his audience to give it as unbiased of a grade as possible. That means he has to look at the whole picture and whether or not the game is still fun by today's standards. Including not only the people who have played Madden year after year, but also for the people who have never picked up a football game before.

Still, I think the review should be tweaked a bit in order to reflect the grade more accurately. If he really felt like the overall fun factor of the game merited a C there should be a little bit more info on why that is. Even if it was a line explaining that the highlights of the game could be found in other versions.


PacFan

2011/9/14: Xbox 360: Madden NFL 12

Postby PacFan » September 15th, 2011, 2:33 pm

I think the grade is fair. As the Video Game Critic stated using other words it's the only truly NFL game. In my eyes it deserves a letter grade bump on that merit alone. So if I think it's a D rating and you bump it up to a C  because of the NFL endorsement then it sounds about right.


Michael D

2011/9/14: Xbox 360: Madden NFL 12

Postby Michael D » September 15th, 2011, 4:19 pm

[QUOTE=PacFan]

I think the grade is fair. As the Video Game Critic stated using other words it's the only truly NFL game. In my eyes it deserves a letter grade bump on that merit alone. So if I think it's a D rating and you bump it up to a C  because of the NFL endorsement then it sounds about right.

[/QUOTE]

Just because it has an official license doesn't automatically make it better though, and it seems like a defense mechanism to hide disappointment and anger over a lackluster game, much like with movie licensed games (maybe the license is awesome, but would you be giving it a break if it wasn't based on anything?).  I think that, based on what he's saying about this game, it should be a C- or D+, seeing as he didn't really like much of it and doesn't give off the sense that it's average overall.

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2011/9/14: Xbox 360: Madden NFL 12

Postby VideoGameCritic » September 15th, 2011, 5:37 pm

I adhere to a certain philosophy when grading games.  I try to rate the game on its own merits and not knock it down based on previous iterations.  I don't think you can assume that the reader has been playing Madden for years.  I would rather assume he were new to the series.

I remember back in the day EGM gave Super Street Fighter 2 low grades because they felt Capcom was milking the franchise.  They were, but it was still a kick-ass game and their grades look silly in retrospect.

Considering I'm a huge football fan and will probably play Madden more than any other game this year, it would be disingenuous to give it a low grade.  That's not to say I can't take some jabs at EA, which is what I did in the text of the review.

Actually I think my "C" grade is perfect, considering there's no real competition.  By definition, this would almost have to be an average NFL football game.



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