What's everyones stance on the 2K vs EA debate?

[Theov]

The NFL's endorsed monopoly has allowed NFL video games to whither. The NFL was mad at NFL 2k at one point, for cutting their prices below what the NFL considered the minimum threshold to establish elite brand credibility. The NFL doesn't allow anything to exist with their brand that isn't marked up considerably. <--- that's one story I've read as to why the NFL settled on an EA monopoly.

Either way the bleak lack of competition and a captured audience has brought it down quite a bit. I do think Madden for a long time was an incredible educational tool, and a wealth of ways to play. I think the NFL under appreciated the role of video games in developing an even more entrenched audience. In many ways football ratings peaked in the mid 2000s through 2015, and a lot of that had to do with people who played Madden being in their 20s and having time to watch loads of football. I'm older now and can't even make all the time for the Cowboys. With the Madden/EA decay, I think the NFL is losing out on that long running pipeline of fans. There are many factors that led to the ratings decay in 2016-2020, and in 2021 they are finally rebounding a bit. But I do think the halcyon days of TV ratings were the 90s-2015ish, and a lot of that was driven by video games.

I remember being a kid c1995 playing Madden on PC, developing my own plays, and using a keyboard.

Madden offers quite a bit over say, Temco Bowl, but I wonder if EA ever realized that. Without John Madden around, to be a powerful personality and set very high standards, it all just seems to have fallen apart.

yeah I noticed this too.
The Madden04-08 rosters, I might know most of the players, who is good, who is not good. Who are the special players on the team etc.

I have followed the NFL ever since, but most players, I have no idea who they are. Especially the less-broadcast teams or the teams that I don't watch a lot. (as a Steelers fan, I watch more AFC North than NFC for example).

If Madden were really good, I'd probably know most players on most teams.

I think the NFL is underestimating this aspect. Madden is a big part of investment in the NFL. If Madden is utter shit, then that rubs off to the NFL.

[MikeWest502]

I think NFL GameDay had better game play than Madden. Also, FPS Football had over 200 stat categories and career mode when Madden didn't. FPS Football's playbook editor was the best playbook editor to ever exist in any football video game.

[BUS36]

I agree with MikeWest502... I played FPS before and it had alot more than Madden. Now the early days of Madden it was great you could make leagues and play them with 4,8,10,12 0r 16 teams..I remember having made the USFL teams back them. MuscleMike was then the guru. Now I can say I look at M08 as still one of the best games. Nowadays, I play more M22 & M20 graphics are much better, I don't care for all of the other stuff that is in the game like MUT, Face of Franchise and Yard.
I did get pretty good on some of the graphics for M08(like helmets, player portraits... thanks to rogerjinx and MikeWest502.
I just reloaded the base M08 back on my P, and do some USFL2020 helmets, logos and endzone art.

[MikeWest502]

Thank's for that BUS36. You are one of my favorite modders here too. And a great friend. If it weren't for the Sega Console, John Madden Football would not have taken off to be a good game. Back in 91/92 EA made John Madden Football II for the PC. It was a total flop. The graphics were terrible, the gameplay was miserable. The game's animations suffered from the spirit tackle syndrome. The players could not jump, but only raise their arms in the air. There was no franchise or career play. On the flip side FPS Football Pro was game of the year. It broke through with the player animation wrap tackles that looked and played like a tackle is supposed to be. Later voted 11th best video game of all time during that era.

The Sega Console saved Madden football. There was another really sweet concept football game called Quarterback Attack staring Mike Ditka. It was amazingly fun. You played from the first person view of the QB. If you search youtube, you'll find some gameplay footage. Also please take a look at what FPS Football had on youtube as well.

I firmly believe that the only way EA Madden Football got the excclusive rights to have real life players in their game, was due to John Madden's participation. His Madden Football II didn't have the real NFL players. And when EA came back to PC with Madden 98, it too was awful and didn't compare to NFL Gameday or other football games on the market. The notoriety that Madden football got was only because it was Madden's name, but it was no competition to the other football games out. Like I said before, it wasn't the best game in town. For a long time it was the only game football gamers had to chose.

Fans gave Madden football a try because they loved and respected John Madden. I know I did. We had to settle for it as other choices were slowly removed from the table of video football games.