Ex-Madden director Ian Cummings explains why modern Madden/CFB feel so scripted and animation-based compared to the PS2 games. Full interview coming soon!
ESPN NFL 2K5 had a weekly show in Franchise Mode with Chris Berman going over highlights of games you didn't even play, Trey Wingo going over free agent signings, injuries, and the playoff picture, and Mel Kiper going over rising draft prospects... #BringBackNFL2K
This is the Halftime Show in ESPN NFL 2K5, a game from 2004. EA has never come close to matching this, and they've had the exclusive sim NFL license for 20 years now... #BringBackNFL2K#BringBackCompetition
In ESPN NFL 2K5, stadiums had their accurate licensed sponsors. In Madden 25, stadiums are filled with generic ones like "Mr Fizz". Just a tiny little detail I noticed #BringBackNFL2K#BringBackCompetition
It's crazy what EA can do when the exclusive NFL license is in jeopardy. It's a low bar, but this looks like it could be the best Madden since the PS3 days. We'll see...
Fixing ESPN is easy: negotiate with Google and stfu, make SportsCenter and highlights a major focus again, cover all sports (even ones not on the network like NASCAR), get more analysts that break down Xs and Os, and embrace 90s-2000s nostalgia and sports history again.