The Antagonist has 9 chronicles

1. Another Year, Another Madden
   

   Player Chronicle -- Posted on Aug 06 2008

   It’s that time of the year again. Football fans salivate at the mouth waiting for their next installment of Madden Football to be put onto store shelves. Madden has been one of the largest game franchises ever and it continues its own success year after year. Since the twenty year anniversary of this franchise is among us, I am here to examine the series and see what makes it tick.
   
   The Madden series got its start in 1988 with the first ever installment of the series that featured the famous NFL broadcaster John Madden. The game was very limited due to the power of gaming systems, allowing only 6 players for each team on the field at once. How far we have come. Throughout the years, Madden has evolved, adding sometimes minor or major changes to thing such as graphics, physics and gameplay. With the impending release of Madden NFL 09 on the horizon, I have one question. Do these tweaks and changes to the Madden series justify a new game every year? Right now you are either think one of two things. Either hell yes, or hell no.
   
   It seems that there are two categories of Madden players. The kind that will by the game year in and year out just to get those small gameplay changes like controlling a lead blocker in a running play or the updates rosters, and then there are the players who choose to wait 3 or 4 years before purchasing a new instalment. I myself fall into the latter.
   
   To me, it seems that every year, a new Madden game is put out, but it is too familiar to last year’s game to warrant a purchase. When a game developer decides to make a sequel to a game, to me, there had better be some significant improvements over the previous one. This is where the Madden series falls short to me. Every year it seems that the developer maybe tweaks the graphics and adds one gameplay mechanic. These mechanics have included, hit stick, lead blocker and QB vision. These minor changes do not create a whole new gaming experience. I find it very hard to recognize the reasons behind some peoples decisions to purchase this game year in and year out, with such little changes to the game. I guess this comes hand in hand with making a game that needs to be re-made every year for the new season. The developers do not have the time required to make a completely new experience. This forces me to pose the question. Should Madden be published every year? Most of you who are avid Madden players will say yes it should so we can have crisper looking visuals and the new season’s roster updates. But to me, with the small difference graphics makes from year to year, couldn’t the same effect be made with just releasing a roster update at the beginning of each year and instead release a new game every 2 years.
   There is one thing for sure, Madden gamers will rejoice when the game finally hits shelves on August 12th 2008, and the series will continue for many more years.

   
   

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The Antagonist has 2 comment s on this chronicle.

1. The Antagonist
   Posted On Aug 07 2008

   Actually I am going to pick this one up, because that last one I purchased was Madden 05

2. BEN
   Posted On Aug 06 2008

   I hear you on this for sure man. Although I don't play it enough, it's a game I like to get each year unfortunately, haha. They should give you a discount if you trade your old game in for the new version...or better yet, make it an XBL update...but we all know that will never happen?!
   
   I'm looking forward to this installment especially, because of our GoG League that I'm hoping fills out. I think it would be alot of fun to have a league game each week with fellow GoG members!
   
   Are you going to pick 2009 up? I thought I saw you in that league, but not sure...