Madden 11 fans playing as many as 7.8 games per session
The biggest draw to this year’s version of Madden is the game’s new GameFlow mode, which reduces the amount of time spent playing a game by half, according to EA. Long-time Madden fans have always wanted improvements to fix the sluggish pace of football matches. But is it working? According to a Raptr report, it’s actually encouraging players to spend more time on each Madden gaming session.
I’m not exactly keen on Madden NFL 11‘s GameFlow mode, because it makes the running of plays way too simplistic for experienced football fans like me to swallow. And while EA has indicated that previously a gamer could spend as much as 15 minutes of a 30 minute game in the menus, I sorta like that planning phase. I mentioned this in my blog post last week.
GameFlow makes games faster, but way too simple.
A recently published report and infographic from Raptr for Madden NFL 11 has shed some light on the gameplay tendencies of players with the new game. What was shocking to me was the stat that indicated the gameplay sessions for Madden 11 have increased 10.8% from Madden 10, which could indicate that players are playing more games and modes.
Via Raptr’s Blog: EA has indicated that previously Maddens would take about 30 minutes to complete a full game. This year, by streamlining the experience, a game can take as little as 15 minutes to complete. So in theory if we saw the average gameplay session length jump about 10.8% this year,it could potentially mean that a gamer could play as many as 7.8 games per session, vs 3.5 games per session last year.
If players are encouraged to check out the game’s massive list of features because the menus are easier to navigate, then I’m all for it. It’s the direction that EA should continue moving with their sports games. There are way too many people I know that don’t play the game’s franchise mode and only use the game to play online.
Raptr Madden Report: Click on image to see full-size.
There are a ton more statistics and factoids in the Raptr Report, so if you are a Madden fan, it’s worth poring over.
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EA is watching you…0_0
Still, this is pretty cool. Maybe they’ll be putting in even greater changes each year after seeing how people play?
That’s interesting, but when will Madden reach the saturation point where they have too many games available? Last time I played a Madden game was back in early 2000′s and for me I haven’t seen anything work paying 60$ annually. It’s good that the fans are playing more and enjoying, but has the series really changed enough?
I’m not a big sports gamer, but why would someone go back to play an old sports game in anticipation of the new one? It’s that like watching rerun’s of last season’s games before the start of the new one?
Haha yeah KC, I guess they see anything done in game when connected to PSN/Xbox live. Not just online games. They said a big reason for gameflow in the first place was because of the data they got showing the average player only called something like 4 different plays a game.
I personally love Gameflow, when they first announced it I was less than thrilled and honestly thought it’d be a load of crap but now I feel gameplanning+gameflow gives the best experience for sim football.
@Obsidian Spire, Doubt it ever will. I’m almost positive half of Madden fans would buy a new game if it just included offically updated rosters each year. A lot of the changes are stuff you have to play to notice, it’ll always be football so it’ll always look similar from the outside. But if you were to play some Madden 2001 then pick up Madden 2011 it’d feel like a whole new game.
Well I personally don’t consider people who only play sports games “Gamers”. When you play a sports game, your saying your too fat and suck to much to actually win at it in real life. I can’t stand it when I see someone talking about their “collection” and it’s all sports games. Yes I know different people like different genres, but when it’s 10 games that all the same repeats every year, I lose all faith in them. I’m beginning to think the same thing of COD players as well, as my first look into the game ending in complete ownage, headaches from team members not even knowing what a trophy/achievement is, NO ONE playing the single campaign, people being so serious “WE GOTTA GO” when you know what’s coming in the level and from where, and people being general dicks of not reviving when a a squad member is down – And Get this, anyone dies and the whole team loses. Real smart Players
Wow, people putting a lot of time in it already. Though I think that they should have it to where Madden comes out every two years and say 12/13 seasons, and just update the game.
Wow Jared, That’s a pretty ignorant statement. Who said these guys ONLY play Madden/other sports games? Also, Ive played Madden since I was 5 or so. I also played football in high school and still enjoyed Madden during that time. So rather you play for real or not has no effect on why someone would like a football video game. If you wanna say “well it’s only high school” then what about the many, many NFL players that are Madden fanatics? They suit up on Sunday and play for millions yet still enjoy the virtual version of the game.
When you play COD are you just admitting you’re too fat and lazy to go join the army for real or what? It’s something totally possible in real life, just like playing football, just give your local recruiter a call.
@Jared I have to disagree with you there. People play these games because they can’t do the real thing?
It’s because these gamers dream of playing in the NBA one day, or the NFL… and playing the videogame is the closest thing they’re going to get to copying that experience. So gotta support my sports gamers out there. Alongside gamers who love fighters and strategy games, I think sports gamers are next on the list for being the most competitive.
@Jared, that seemed to degenerate from your bashing of sports games to bashing of COD. Sure that’s not the real object of your scorn here?
As for more playthroughs in the game, it seems like a promising sign doesn’t it? I mean, isn’t more games played a sign that people are liking it?
@Jared – By that same logic, are people that watch football too fat and suck too much to win at life?
It’s escapist entertainment. If it’s not your cup of tea, then don’t buy it.
@Jared
That’s a very generalizing statement. I don’t know about you but I actually made the cut on my football team in school and I am still in shape now so I would be a contradiction to your statement. Flawed logic but interesting theory.
I don’t know what you’re all griping about, it’s just a game .
@jared stop dying then.