Football Manager 25 Canceled In a Refreshing Show of Concern For Quality (arstechnica.com) 22
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica written by Kevin Purdy: There are only two licensed professional sports games included in Wikipedia's "List of video games notable for negative reception." Do not be fooled, however: WWE 2K20 and eFootball 2022 are just the outliers, arriving so poorly crafted as to cause notable outcry and an actual change to development plans. Most licensed professional sports games come out yearly, whether fully baked, notably improved, or not, and fans who have few other options to play with their favorite intellectual property learn to make do with them.
Not so with fans of Football Manager, a series that can be traced back in some form to 1992 that has released a game almost every year, minus one ownership shift in the early 2000s. Sports Interactive, the company behind the franchise, released a statement on Thursday (in British time) that says that "following extensive internal discussions and careful consideration," Football Manager 25 is canceled. The game was "too far away from the standards you deserve," so they are focusing on the 2026 version. [...]
The developer's statement notes that preorder customers are getting refunds. Answering a question that has always been obvious to fans but never publishers, the company notes that, no, Football Manager 2024 will not get an update with the new season's players and data. The company says it is looking to extend the 2024 version's presence on subscription platforms, like Xbox's Game Pass, and will "provide an update on this in due course." Fans eager to build out their dynasty team and end up with Bukayo Saka may be disappointed to miss out this year. But a developer with big ambitions to meaningfully improve and rethink a long-running franchise deserves some consideration amid the consternation.
Not so with fans of Football Manager, a series that can be traced back in some form to 1992 that has released a game almost every year, minus one ownership shift in the early 2000s. Sports Interactive, the company behind the franchise, released a statement on Thursday (in British time) that says that "following extensive internal discussions and careful consideration," Football Manager 25 is canceled. The game was "too far away from the standards you deserve," so they are focusing on the 2026 version. [...]
The developer's statement notes that preorder customers are getting refunds. Answering a question that has always been obvious to fans but never publishers, the company notes that, no, Football Manager 2024 will not get an update with the new season's players and data. The company says it is looking to extend the 2024 version's presence on subscription platforms, like Xbox's Game Pass, and will "provide an update on this in due course." Fans eager to build out their dynasty team and end up with Bukayo Saka may be disappointed to miss out this year. But a developer with big ambitions to meaningfully improve and rethink a long-running franchise deserves some consideration amid the consternation.
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That list is incomplete (Score:3)
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Sounds like people will complain about anything and everything. I bought Madden 17, played it for 5 years. Loved it. Bought Madden 23. Been playing it for two years. Still love it and it did have some notable, but minor, improvements over Madden 17. I suspect in another year or so, I'll buy the next Madden and will be perfectly happy with the minor changes and a new roster.
In fact, I'd buy a new Madden every few years just for the new roster and the rest of the game could stay the same. The current renditio
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Personally things like "updating the banners from previous year to current year" seems like a baseline level of what you would expect from a yearly sequel. And that it's not being done is indictive of a culture of entitled laziness on the part of the devs.
I wouldn't necessarily place that on the devs. I'm sure some devs at EA put that on a list of changes to do but were told by execs to work on "new and innovative microtransactions" instead.
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I could waste my money on whatever I want. That's the cool thing about earning your own money and spending it how you want. I've no doubt you spend some of your money in a way that other's would call foolish.
If I can spend $100 or less and get 100s of hours of entertainment, then I say "TAKE MY MONEY!!!"
The fact that Madden seems to keep selling a new game every year means they found a via business model that many of us are just fine with. Don't like it? Don't buy the new version. It's just a video game.
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The fact that Madden seems to keep selling a new game every year means they found a via business model that many of us are just fine with. Don't like it? Don't buy the new version. It's just a video game.
Translation: I can complain about people complaining about a game. Only I have the right to complain.
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Nah, freedom of speech. We can all complain about everything. It's one of those right's we still retain, for now. I'd even argue your right to complain about me complaining. Totally your right.
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But they do have the right to complain and I can definitely complain about the complaint. And who knows. Maybe the complainers will affect some positive change.
Also, I said I bought Madden 17, then Madden 23. So 6 years and I probably buy Madden next fall to update my roster. It will be fun to see my new QB on the field. Honestly, if I was an online player and a bit more into NFL then I am now, it would be worth buying the game every year. Since I don't play online, I'm good with every few years. I mean, no
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So what exactly are these people bitching about?
Google: "Problems with Madden" [reddit.com]. Things removed from Madden [reddit.com] There are videos. There are many, many posts.
Your entire post is "I don't have any problems with it in the way I play; therefore no one could have any problems with it." Did it not occur to you that you may not represent everyone? But let me ask you a question: If EA cannot be bothered replace graphics from year to year so that "Madden [Previous Year]" does not show up many, many times, that's not a quality issue?
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You are likely talking to the wrong person here, because graphics in video games have been 100% amazing to me for the past decade. I don't even own a 4k screen as I'm perfectly happy with what's offered.
Since I don't buy every year, by the time I do get a new version of the game, it always does have new graphics anyway.
I hope everyone that complains loud enough also boycotts and maybe EA will do better. I'm sorry everyone else is unhappy and yet keeps buying the game anyway. Maybe don't do that if you don't
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You are likely talking to the wrong person here, because graphics in video games have been 100% amazing to me for the past decade. I don't even own a 4k screen as I'm perfectly happy with what's offered.
And you missed the entire point. EA cannot be bothered to replace graphics files from year to year is the complaint, not the graphics files are not 4K.
Since I don't buy every year, by the time I do get a new version of the game, it always does have new graphics anyway.
Again missed the point. Also you are admitting that since it does not affect you at all, somehow it cannot possibly affect other people that are not you.
I hope everyone that complains loud enough also boycotts and maybe EA will do better. I'm sorry everyone else is unhappy and yet keeps buying the game anyway. Maybe don't do that if you don't think it's good enough for your money. That's your choice. 100%. It's your money.
Perhaps you should admit that it does affect everyone else but you before you complain about other people complaining.
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Yep. I must be the ONLY person this doesn't affect but some how, some way, a new Madden is released every year. I don't even buy it every year. More like every 3-5 years.
So clearly, all the people upset are still buying the game. Why would EA bother to change when the vast majority of Madden players keep buying the new game?
So okay. Madden is shit. EA is shit. This is what you want to hear/read, right? Okay, 100% agree, EA do better. You are shit EA and Madden is shit. Apparently people like buying SHIT!!!
T
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Yep. I must be the ONLY person this doesn't affect but some how, some way, a new Madden is released every year. I don't even buy it every year. More like every 3-5 years.
Your first post is how it doesn't affect you therefore NO ONE else is affected. You wrote that. I did not. Also you specifically said you have not purchased Madden in EIGHT years but somehow it escapes you that people have issues with OTHER versions of Madden that you do not have. You. You. You.
So clearly, all the people upset are still buying the game. Why would EA bother to change when the vast majority of Madden players keep buying the new game?
SOME people are buying the game. Not ALL people. Why is everything in your world so binary?
So okay. Madden is shit. EA is shit. This is what you want to hear/read, right? Okay, 100% agree, EA do better. You are shit EA and Madden is shit. Apparently people like buying SHIT!!!,
No what I want you to do is admit that some people have issues with Madden that you were not aware because of your complete