Only NFL Game This Year Gets Lukewarm Response 400
aendeuryu writes "The first reviews are in for Madden '06, and the reception is underwhelming -- it's scoring an average rating of 79% on gamerankings.com (at the time of this submission). The reviewers on Gamespot (7.8) and 1up.com (9.0) have different takes on the game, but the readership of both sites doesn't (7.4 and 7.8 respectively). Gamespot's criticisms put the game in a less-than-exciting light: the new QB-vision feature adds realism but takes away from basic fun, and (perhaps most damning) the graphics rate a 7 out of 10 on what was supposed to be a next-generation title. Normally, a mediocre game release isn't a big deal, except that, because of EA's negotiated exclusivity deal with the NFL, this is the only NFL title you'll get to play this year. So, what are the players to do?"
Learn a real sport (Score:4, Funny)
Suggestion (Score:5, Funny)
Um...buy a football perhaps?
Easter Egg (Score:5, Funny)
noooooo (Score:1, Funny)
Naked John Madden.
*shudder*
Re:Suggestion (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Suggestion (Score:5, Funny)
It's a boot device!
*boot!*
Re:A non-NFL endorsed game (Score:2, Funny)
http://www.gamespot.com/genesis/sports/mutantleag
Re:So, what are the players to do? (Score:3, Funny)
What are players to do? (Score:1, Funny)
Well then (Score:5, Funny)
After all, if you can't trust a multibillion dollar corporation with no accountability to anyone except their shareholders, who can you trust?
Re:Madden (Score:5, Funny)
Americans seem to love sports where nothing happens. Football has a lot of standing around while the clock is running. Baseball is even worse - football at least celebrates its moments of high action, but baseballs' great feats are all ones where nothing of interest to spectators happens. Imagine a sport where a "perfect game" is one that you could sleep through and not miss a damn thing. Even a home run involves precious little action--and yet it's guaranteed to make the evening highlights!
And it's not just Americans. The British are even worse! British football (okay, soccer) pretends to have more action since there is actually movement on the field for 90 whole minutes, but when you actually distill it down to the highlights, it's clear that almost nothing happens. And cricket - all the excitement of baseball, except the games last several days.
The French once had the right idea with fencing - a couple of guys having at it with swords seems like a good recipe for spectator fun, but for some reason that dropped off the radar. Now their idea of fun is the Tour de France - ie. waiting for hours on a god-forsaken country road for a glimpse of--oh shit! there they go!--and then fighting the crowds for hours trying to get home.
The Japanese, like the French, once had a thing for sports where two guys beat the tar out of each other. But with all the salt throwing and whatnot, specators there eventually turned to baseball for some action, so they clearly lost their way...
I give points to the Canadians for fast-paced, violent games like hockey and lacrosse. On the other hand, the dirty secret of Canadian sport is that the most popular game in the country is curling, so the broken noses and missing teeth is all just an elaborate charade. Ditto for the Aussies and their Aussie rules football--it's just a decoy for the fact that they're all actually playing cricket.
As for the big international events, you have the World Cup (but I've already dissed soccer), Formula 1 (will somebody please pass somebody else? Anyone? Please!???), and the Olympics (which is gradually being taken over by judged sports in which the competitors wear sequins).
Face, people around the world don't much like watching sports, so the successful spectator sports are ones that you don't really have to watch. The real point is to sit around with your buddies for a couple of hours, and drink a few beers. If sports were really that interesting to watch, you'd stay sober and tell your buddies to fuck off 'cuz you're busy.
Re:Madden (Score:2, Funny)