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 Staff Roundtable #1 : Madden or NCAA
| Introduction |
| In the return of our roundtable discussions, we chat about the merits of Madden 08 and NCAA 08. |
| Madden vs NCAA ? |
AndyP : I have been playing Madden for twice as long as I've been playing NCAA. That said, in recent years I've come to enjoy NCAA just slightly more than Madden for a few reasons. First, there's something of a novelty in having so many teams to play with and stadiums to play in. There's also the mutltitude of bowl games, a custom schedule, recruiting and so much to dig deep into. Then there's the slightly more expansive gameplay - running options, crazy passing and the variety in skill level of the players around the conferences make it more of a variety to play. They've also added a bunch of features, like homefield advantage and player composure that really added something which I enjoyed.
Josemne : This is a tough one for me, because I follow the NFL alot, I mean ALOT, more then the College game. I actually have alot of beefs with the college game, mainly due to the BCS. But when it comes to playing it, I enjoy NCAA more. When I was younger I only played NFL games also, so its quite the turn around for me. I think it has to do with the constant turn over of players and having to plan out who needs to be replaced and when, were I need upgrading, can I get better recruits, should I go with a tougher schedule. I think this bring you into the game more the Madden could ever do, its not the games fault necessarily as its the nature of the league.
Another factor for me, is that I ussually start NCAA with a small school (my almamater FAU) and that is quite a challenge to make them good. Specially due to all the offseason things I mentioned above. With Madden, its not that hard to become competitive quickly, once you have a good core of players you can pretty much keep them together for long enough to either loose interest or its relativelly easy to ge a FA. So the competition factor goes away pretty quick with Madden.
Blotto : This is also a hard one for me because getting a copy of NCAA outside of the US has been a major problem (so much so I had to buy a NTSC Xbox and now a 360 so I could play NCAA online) The money ive spent of getting imported consoles still shocks me to this day. No pain No gain eh?
I started playing Madden on the Amiga 500 (doubt it many people here would know what an Amiga is) probably back in 92 or 93 and have been hooked ever since. I made the regular progression to PC where I still have the box for Madden 2000 that I dug up yesterday - I should get a photo with me with the box) to PS1, PS2, Xbox and now the Xbox 360.
My love for Madden took me as far to being on Madden Nation on ESPN. While my overall experience on the show was rather a letdown it was interesting to see for an outsider (me being from Australia) to see how fanatical the Madden brand has become in the US. I got to live that lifestyle for a month and get beaten by these guys in the same process tongue.gif.
Over the past 3 or 4 years my football game of choice has been NCAA. There is something so satisfying about the recruiting process and building a football program at your favourite school that keeps me coming back for more. In Madden if you get an injury (which is hardly ever) you just hit Free Agency and pickup someone equivilant to the guy you lost. In NCAA you dont have that freedom. Your starting QB gets injured, bye bye season unless you have a very good backup waiting in the wings. Im lucky to play 3 or more seasons in Madden's franchise now as I find it becomes too boring and easy but NCAA's dynasty mode is my drug of choice between the months of July and Feburary. Recruiting and building relationships with your potential recruits looks to be fantastic in NCAA 08... I cant wait.......
This year in NCAA should be interesting at Georgia Tech with no Calvin Johnson.....
Seminole Dynasty : This one is not hard for me at all. I'm a huge NCAA and college football fan. Being a college football fan drew me to the 1st college football video games growing up. I had every one of them. Seeing FSU on the game was a huge draw. I don't have that allegiance to teams in the NFL so I don't have the same draw to Madden.
I'm not big on a player being on one team one season and then going where the money is the next. In college, for the most part, you have a guy come in and he is with that team for 3 to 4 years. He is always a Seminole, Tiger, Gamecock, etc. You can't say the same about a guy being a Cowboy or a Dolphin. Both Madden and NCAA capture the game well, but for me NCAA is the draw.
Austinwolv : NCAA is a no-brainer. The varying types of offenses and defenses that two teams pit against each other, the trick plays, utilizing what talent you have or don't have, the continuing need to recruit and attract players versus just purely paying them (I'm sure some are snickering at that, but you know the rules), and the atmosphere is what makes NCAA the better game and more fun. In addition, most people can identify with a college program that they grew up next to, followed from early on, or even attended.
The players are more closey tied to you, and it is more likely that you knew some of them compared to the larger-than-life NFL teams and players. The NCAA players go to classes with you and share a lot of the same experiences, not to mention the intensity and passion that both players and fans have during games where every game really does matter.
NCAA is more about the program and the team and those that contribute to it versus just another stop for a player on a contract.
Damon : I have to go with what I have seen and that is NCAA. That may change next month but for now I have NCAA 08 and pending any problems or major bugs it's the best football game for the Next Gen consoles to date. The controls are tight and for the first time they feel very close if not right on with the control I felt when playing on the PS2 and Xbox. The player models are the best ever and actually show the real figure of the players. Madden will need to come with better collision detection and more polished gang tackling and I think it will be the winner in the long run. That is if Madden has the same tight controls that NCAA has. Only time will tell but I think we are in for a treat with NCAA 08. |
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