‘Madden 20’ Wishlist: Ten Features That Need To Be In The Game

If you enjoyed Madden 19, that’s great; but anyone that tries to argue it’s even close to being a realistic, simulation football game is lying to themselves. This might be an exercise in futility considering what we have seen from EA over the past 15 years, but these are ten features/changes that would greatly improve the outlook of Madden 20.

 

10. GM option in Franchise Mode

This should be the easiest thing in the world to put in the game, and something that I’m sure the vast majority of football fans would want. Currently, the only options in franchise mode are owner, coach, and player, but doesn’t everyone dream of being an NFL general manager? Allow us to sign players, run the draft, negotiate trades, hire coaches, and more—but with real implications, including the possibility of getting fired if expectations aren’t met. Plus, I think a nice touch would be adding different apparel for your character (similar to what NBA 2K used to do in MyGM), as it feels much more realistic to have an assortment of suits, ties, sweaters, shoes, etc.

 

9. Dynamic ratings in MUT

Don’t worry, there is only one Ultimate Team feature that makes the list, because the mode gets too much attention as it is. That said, dynamic ratings would be a game-changer, and if EA were smart, they would realize it adds longevity to MUT—and in turn, more revenue. Right now, “core” cards available at the game’s release are simply watered-down versions of everyone in the league, but they should be replaced by dynamic cards that have their overalls match and change in accordance with roster updates. This is something the NFL should get behind, too, as playing the market would reward smart football fans, leading to more viewers on Sunday, Monday night, and Thursday night during the season. You can read more about dynamic ratings here.

 

8. Player badges

Ratings like speed, strength, catching, tackle, etc. can only go so far in making players feel realistic in a video game, but adding badges would create a more accurate depiction of NFL stars. For example, Aaron Rodgers might have quarterback badges for “Back Shoulder Specialist” (throws perfect backs shoulder passes), “Cadence Champ” (high chance of drawing defense offsides on hard counts), and “Laser Arm” (fits passes into tight windows with frozen ropes) to separate him from other quarterbacks in the game. There would also be personality badges like “Dirty Player” (higher chance of personal fouls/ejections) and “Primetime” (ratings boost in night games) that add realism to Madden.

 

7. Realistic contracts

Basically, free agency is broken in Franchise Mode, as the logic in the game seems to be that there is no logic. Overall, negotiations need to be more complex, with loyalty, team location, past performance, injury history, locker room culture, scheme, relationships with others on the roster, and—of course—money all coming into play.

 

6. Press conferences

As things currently stand, Franchise Mode has absolutely no depth, and I’m truly jealous of anyone that’s able to get through a full season without realizing how pointless/repetitive it is. Adding press conferences—and not just a preseason question about expectations on a simple screen with a few cliché answers—for whatever role you choose would obviously create some variation for what is now just alternating between games and practices. As a GM, for example, answers would potentially have an impact on the locker room, coaching staff, ownership, the media, and executives from other teams.

 

5. Deep Career Mode

To be frank, Career Mode is a complete joke in Madden, and it has been for years. First of all, why is there no draft process? We shouldn’t be able to choose our draft status and team; instead, users should go through workouts and interviews to determine their draft stock. Also, choosing our play style and being stuck with the ratings that come with it is just dumb. Why do all mobile quarterbacks have cannon arms and limited agility, for example? It’s actually tough to put into words how little sense it makes, but EA is able to go bare bones and focus on the money-making MUT unfortunately. Career Mode should have unique gameplay, impactful decisions, and something similar to ESPN NFL 2K5’s “The Crib”—all of which you can read more about in this breakdown.

 

4. Offensive/Defensive Coordinators

Like the option to be a general manager, this is something simple that EA should’ve included in the game a long, long time ago. Coordinators can have a huge impact on a team, and the absence of them in Madden is inexcusable, especially for Franchise Mode. As a GM/owner taking over an operation, shouldn’t we have the choice of hiring an OC or DC from another team to be the franchise’s head coach? It is very annoying to be stuck with a head coach you don’t want, or worse, having to hire a generic character, but adding coordinators to the game would eliminate that. We should also have the option to work our way from position coach, to coordinator, to head coach if we so choose.

 

3. Revamped presentation

The league is clearly comfortable with EA having the exclusive license to make NFL games, so why haven’t they found a way to include real-life broadcast teams from CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, or NFL Network? Ideally, all the top network duos would be in Madden 20, but at the very least, they could keep the current booth of Brandin Gaudin and Charles Davis (who works for FOX) and change the graphics for each game. If not, can we get some holiday updates on the generic EA scoreboard for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas games?

 

2. Dynamic weather

EA already has the weather engine from their Battlefield series to get this done, so I’m cautiously optimistic. Fans just want realistic snow that can variate from flurries to a blizzard, clouds that turn to rain, swirling winds, evolving sunshine/shadows, and more weather factors that happen every week in the NFL. No matter how seemingly insignificant it might be (especially early in the season), small things can go a long way. In Franchise Mode, there should be a weather forecast before every game that allows us to customize our player or coach with the appropriate gear. Oh, and can we please get consistent cold-weather games (i.e. long sleeves, hand warmers, seeing the breath of players) without snow?

 

1. Improved gameplay

Madden gameplay needs a complete overhaul to be a true football simulation, but I have some simple fixes that would be a start. For one, passing should be a timing-based system similar to NBA 2K’s shot meter, as it would create natural inaccuracies rather than random inaccuracies that plague the game and are left entirely up to chance (or some would argue: predetermination). Also, more skill can be added to catching by changing the button depending on the situation (for example, a wide-open player would still need to simply hit Y/triangle, but a contested catch on the boundary might see an LB/L1 popup for users to make the play). There should also be more negative outcomes for defenders leaving their assignment, and we should see guys get burnt or blown up for getting caught flat-footed. The most important thing is improved AI, and until that’s fixed, Madden will be nothing more than a puffed-up arcade game.