Madden 2005 initial impressions.

Madden is a sore spot with Ill

i've owned every year Madden on any system i've had, since the first John Madden Football. i'm just mad at EA for being lazy and not seriously revamping player models, animations, and physics over the past 5 years since it came out on the PS2; all it's gotten are tweaks and add-ons every year. ANY other game besides this one would be considered an expansion pack and be $20. as you can tell i'm mostly pissed at myself for spending the $50 they charge.

EA is using its incumbency like a bully too. they effectively made MS cancel NFL Fever this year to do XBOX LIVE. Fever was another underdog that tried hard to push videogame football in ways EA doesn't feel it has to. it totally sucks that i can't Read n' Lead (think Maximum Passing but completely open and really well executed) a receiver in a current football game because EA crushed it. the least they could do is try and emulate something like it, add it to Madden. nope. don't have to. because of their 10 year name recognition. totally blows.

Madden is a great game. but it was almost as great 5 years ago. worth the $250 investment EA expects us to make over the years?? all you have to do is see the actual innovation and improvements made in other games like the $20 ESPN to get the answer to that one. IF they don't get cancelled by Madden's name alone.

I think both of these games are good. ESPN has better online play with XBOX. The graphics are tighter in 2k5, but the Madden game play is still good. It's a toss up for me.

2K5 sold about 900,000 units in July, I don't think they're going anywhere.

you talk like every game is supposed to move 900,000 units... that'd still seem to land it in 2nd place for football games... madden will probably end up with 3-4 mill its first month...

its really not that bad.

2K5 sold about 900,000 units in July, I don't think they're going anywhere.

i heard today that this is going to be the last title in the 2k series and the series is going to be totally revamped even though its latest incarnation is a pretty solid game.

Hey skinsfanthruandthru are you the Mad English Dirtbags in the Warpath $$ League?

If so, we missed you during the live draft Sunday night.

what Matty meant was that ESPN sold 900k, so it WON'T get cancelled (go anywhere). i hope he's right.

and i've heard that same 'last one of the series' rumor about Madden, don't know which is true, but innovation of any kind isn't only welcome, it's needed. and i'm not talking about Groundskeeper Mode, or bump mapping whats left of Chris Berman's hair...

Hey skinsfanthruandthru are you the Mad English Dirtbags in the Warpath $$ League?

If so, we missed you during the live draft Sunday night.

nope, not me. I don't have the extra cash to be doing a pay league and it takes the fun out of it for me. I'm already competetive enough but add money to the mix and watch out, lol.

what Matty meant was that ESPN sold 900k, so it WON'T get cancelled (go anywhere). i hope he's right.

and i've heard that same 'last one of the series' rumor about Madden, don't know which is true, but innovation of any kind isn't only welcome, it's needed. and i'm not talking about Groundskeeper Mode, or bump mapping whats left of Chris Berman's hair...
this is the last year with madden's name in the title/game unless he does a complete reversal and signs a new contract. But I have a feeling now that he's with abc(which of course owns espn), there may be a chance, all be it slim, that he'd possibly join up with espn and sega's football title next year.