While this was from a couple of days ago, I thought I would still go ahead and post it.Evening everyone,
I’ve been thinking about an update for some time now and feel like I finally have enough content to provide something interesting.
DemoIt’s been interesting reading some of the early feedback on our DVD demo. So far people seem to be enjoying the game but don’t appreciate the ‘content’. The decision to not release the standard short-quarter demo experience was intentional so let me give some context.
Demos are a tricky business. When done well, they can help sell extra copies of your game. When done poorly, they’ve been proven to hurt sales. For obvious reasons, I’m sure you know which we would prefer. The Madden demos of the past have all been the same, a quarter or short game experience with limited teams and options. Our thought was that this sort of experience was appealing to folks that were likely already planning to buy the game but not to folks that may want something a little different out of a football game.
This year’s demo is built to attract new fans to the Madden universe. This is also why you will see the demo in more locations. We want more people to give our game a shot.
I can imagine the response from the hardcore Madden community would be something like “we don’t give a sh*i*t about any of that, we want to see what the game is REALLY about.” I get that. This is exactly why we did include a short taste of actual gameplay in the demo. With the demo being completed in April, it’s important to know that gameplay at that point is almost always jacked. We were told by countless people in the studio that we should not provide a demo that early in our year because of the typical state of gameplay at that point. We chose a Madden Moment that would allow you to see a short burst of gameplay but also hide the fact that you are playing software that is about 3 months from being done. (and for reference, the last 3 months are when the game really gets good)
The demo being released on 8/1 is modeled just like the DVD demo but features much more polished gameplay. It’s modeled just like the DVD demo because the intent of the demo is the same, to attract folks that may be intimidated by the Madden franchise. It was also the only way to get a demo out before the launch of the game as the ‘flow’ had already been implemented.
We’re already discussing some ideas for 2010 that may satisfy both audiences when it comes to a demo so stay tuned…
Patch FunJust like demos, patches are a tricky subject. I’m definitely of the opinion that we should not rely on patches to ship a game on time. We work really hard to find any and all bugs in the product before we go final. I can tell you with absolute certainty, there’s nobody more disappointed when issues get found than the game team itself.
I’ve been torn when it comes to the subject of discussing the Madden patch. Ian already mentioned that a patch is likely Day 1. We finished the work on the patch earlier this week and it’s on schedule to be available when you pick up the game 8/12 (please keep in mind that this date is not locked). Why patch the game even before it’s out? Well… When NCAA came out, we were keeping track of the feedback on their product. Honestly, we shared some of the issues that were being reported in NCAA (minor gameplay issues). Nothing major in my opinion, but we had just enough time to squeeze in a patch to improve the experience even more. When I thought about it, I just asked myself the basic question, “Why not fix the issues?”
Clearly, we fixed a few things and my hope is that the game will be better for it. We’ll release patch notes closer to the launch of the game but know that we did fix roughly 3 to four gameplay issues that we hope result in a more sim-like and fun experience.
Ian CummingsYou guys all know Ian Cummings pretty well at this point. He’s done a fantastic job of interacting with the community and I look forward to seeing what a full year of this looks like.
With that, I do have a bit of an announcement to make. I’m pretty sure this hasn’t been said so I hope I’m not stating something that’s already known.
Ian Cummings will be leading the design effort for the Madden PS3/360 projects for 2010. Up until this year, Ian has done a fantastic job in leading our gameplay effort so we look forward to seeing what he can do with the entire product. Ian and I both share a similar vision for the game and I look forward to our partnership this next cycle.
We have a very talented Madden team already in place for Madden 2010. So as you prepare for your long nights enjoying Madden NFL 09, know that we want your feedback so it can help shape the future of the franchise. We’re prepared for the excitement on the boards in just 2 weeks.
Keep it up Madden Community. The feedback has been fantastic so far and we are very excited that you all get to experience the game in just a couple of weeks.
Phil
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