Ever since I started playing video games, I have enjoyed NFL video games. In my history, I have gone from NFL Quarterback Club 98 and 99 on the N64 to NFL Fever (on PC and Xbox) to NFL 2K5 (the best ever) to the Madden series. I used to buy Madden games pretty consistently (four in a row in the 2000s), but in the last six years I have only purchased two.
There is a problem with these Madden games, and that problem started in the mid 2000s when Electronic Arts (EA from this point on) bought the sole rights to make NFL games with current teams and player likenesses. EA then was and still is the only maker of NFL video games. However, the quality of their game has dropped significantly over the years.
As I write this, the hashtag #NFLdropEA is the number 3 trending hashtag on Twitter. Players and fans like myself are fed up. Without competition, EA has very little motivation to create a quality game. As long as it's "good enough", what's the point in putting in more effort? As long as it keeps selling and they keep making money, what's the point?
Let me explain the lack in quality briefly. The aspects of Madden which don't generate a steady revenue stream, such as Franchise mode, have been neglected and left as a very low priority to EA. Instead, they have focused on their "Madden Ultimate Team" mode or "MUT" for short. This mode basically requires players to spend real money on acquiring NFL cards/players in order to succeed. Unfortunately, a lot of fans have spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on this one game mode. Why should EA focus on anything else, as long as they're making money?
As a result, franchise mode, create a player, create a team, and other game features have dipped in quality over the years (or gone away entirely). The presentation of the more recent Madden games has now dipped below in quality to ESPN NFL 2K5, which featured a halftime show, a post-game show, and even a weekly recap. Madden has none of that.
It's time for the NFL to end its relationship with EA. I heard the NFL didn't want to partner with 2K sports way back then because the game was only $20, and they didn't want their video game product to be seen as "cheap". Well, now their video game product is seen as a roster update every year, a cash grab, and frankly, poorly made. The game still has many bugs and even spelling/grammar mistakes. EA is a multi-billion dollar company, and they have more bugs in their game than games made by companies with minuscule profits.
I have yet to play a Madden game that has the immersive feel and quality of ESPN NFL 2K5. The NFL needs to wake up and realize that EA has tarnished their league with a very low quality product, and DROP THEM. I will not buy another Madden game until they either have competition, or the NFL cracks down and forces them to create a quality game that focuses on the fans and not on profits. And honestly, I'd rather never buy a Madden game again and patiently await the time when another company can make an NFL game again.
Sunday, August 30, 2020
NFL needs to end it's relationship with EA sooner rather than later
Thursday, August 6, 2020
Some Mariners Thoughts
With the shortened season thanks to COVID-19, I didn't really make a MLB or Mariners prediction post. Actually, I did, but I deleted it after realizing the playoff format had changed, plus the MLB season was in jeopardy at that point.
But with the season a few weeks underway, I'd like to share my thoughts about the Mariners and some players. I'll talk about certain positions as a whole (like the bullpen) and certain individual players (most hitters).
Austin Nola - He's been... ok? His defense has been about average for a catcher, which is about as good as you could hope for given he's barely caught in the major leagues. His offense has been up and down, but he looks like he knows what he's doing. I'd like to see him get some action at other positions just to keep his versatility.
Evan White - The bat is definitely a concern. He strikes out way too much. But, if he learns from his mistake and our hitting coach works with him well enough, Evan can turn it around. We wouldn't have drafted him as high as we did if he couldn't hit. Fortunately, his defense has been outstanding, and he should (already) be in the running for a Gold Glove at first base.
Shed Long - The only way I can describe Shed's play is that it seems like the stage is too big for him. Even without any fans, he seems to struggle under the big lights. He hits worse in "clutch" situations, and I've seen him mishandle many routine groundballs and fielding attempts. He's got the potential to be better for sure, but he needs to get some confidence and get rid of the jitters and just play.
J.P. Crawford - One of the most likable M's position players. His defense at times is so fun to watch. His hitting is a bit inconsistent, but he's done pretty well since he was moved to the leadoff spot. He's one of the few young position players I really have no concerns about for his future. He doesn't have much power, but that wasn't expected when we got him.
Kyle Seager - The veteran. And he has been as good as he possibly could be to start 2020. I think the M's will hold onto him for a few more years. He's one of the faces of the franchise right now. Might as well hold onto him when we try to make a playoff run in a year or two, so long as his play stays at relatively the same level.
Kyle Lewis - There were some "experts" predicting he would struggle to start 2020, but they were clearly wrong. This kid knows how to play. He picked up right where he left off in 2019, and he's done so well that if he keeps this up, he will be one of the front-runners for Rookie of the Year.
Mallex Smith - Just give up on him. His only asset is his speed, which doesn't matter if he never gets on base. He hit close to .300 in Tampa Bay, and let's face it, he will not do that in Seattle. No way. He is done. He's lucky that Jake Fraley isn't with the team, but I think it's time to make that switch.
Dylan Moore - He's looked great to his even later start to 2020. Dylan is just a gamer, and it's fun to see a player that is fast, plays hard, and can play many different positions. I am A-OK with using him as a utility guy for the foreseeable future.
Daniel Vogelbach - My god this guy is useless. He can't hit, he can't field, and he can't run. His bat has struggled since over a year ago. He had a few hot months in the early part of 2019, but ever since then he's looked lost. He generally with either ground out to 2nd base or strikeout. He does take a lot of walks and has a good eye, but if he can't make more solid contact, he will never be a solid contributor for any MLB team.
The rotation - Most have looked really solid, especially as of late. Marco has definitely looked the best. Taijuan has been decent. I have a few concerns for our youngsters Sheffield and Dunn. Graveman looked good at some times before he went on the IL. Yusei has looked pretty solid as well.
The bullpen - One of the major weak points of the team. Thank goodness Bryan Shaw was sent down. I like Carl Edwards Jr. and Matt Magill, but few others. I think we have some bullpen pieces at a lot of levels, and the bad ones we'll let go and the good ones will stick around. The bullpen has nowhere to go but up.
Overall - It's about what I expected. The M's have looked between awful and halfway decent. The hitting has as a whole been average, while the pitching has been one of the worst in baseball. If the pitching can slowly come around, this team will string together some wins. Especially if they get rid some hitters that are dragging the offense down (Mallex, Vogelbach, get Tom Murphy back).
But with the season a few weeks underway, I'd like to share my thoughts about the Mariners and some players. I'll talk about certain positions as a whole (like the bullpen) and certain individual players (most hitters).
Austin Nola - He's been... ok? His defense has been about average for a catcher, which is about as good as you could hope for given he's barely caught in the major leagues. His offense has been up and down, but he looks like he knows what he's doing. I'd like to see him get some action at other positions just to keep his versatility.
Evan White - The bat is definitely a concern. He strikes out way too much. But, if he learns from his mistake and our hitting coach works with him well enough, Evan can turn it around. We wouldn't have drafted him as high as we did if he couldn't hit. Fortunately, his defense has been outstanding, and he should (already) be in the running for a Gold Glove at first base.
Shed Long - The only way I can describe Shed's play is that it seems like the stage is too big for him. Even without any fans, he seems to struggle under the big lights. He hits worse in "clutch" situations, and I've seen him mishandle many routine groundballs and fielding attempts. He's got the potential to be better for sure, but he needs to get some confidence and get rid of the jitters and just play.
J.P. Crawford - One of the most likable M's position players. His defense at times is so fun to watch. His hitting is a bit inconsistent, but he's done pretty well since he was moved to the leadoff spot. He's one of the few young position players I really have no concerns about for his future. He doesn't have much power, but that wasn't expected when we got him.
Kyle Seager - The veteran. And he has been as good as he possibly could be to start 2020. I think the M's will hold onto him for a few more years. He's one of the faces of the franchise right now. Might as well hold onto him when we try to make a playoff run in a year or two, so long as his play stays at relatively the same level.
Kyle Lewis - There were some "experts" predicting he would struggle to start 2020, but they were clearly wrong. This kid knows how to play. He picked up right where he left off in 2019, and he's done so well that if he keeps this up, he will be one of the front-runners for Rookie of the Year.
Mallex Smith - Just give up on him. His only asset is his speed, which doesn't matter if he never gets on base. He hit close to .300 in Tampa Bay, and let's face it, he will not do that in Seattle. No way. He is done. He's lucky that Jake Fraley isn't with the team, but I think it's time to make that switch.
Dylan Moore - He's looked great to his even later start to 2020. Dylan is just a gamer, and it's fun to see a player that is fast, plays hard, and can play many different positions. I am A-OK with using him as a utility guy for the foreseeable future.
Daniel Vogelbach - My god this guy is useless. He can't hit, he can't field, and he can't run. His bat has struggled since over a year ago. He had a few hot months in the early part of 2019, but ever since then he's looked lost. He generally with either ground out to 2nd base or strikeout. He does take a lot of walks and has a good eye, but if he can't make more solid contact, he will never be a solid contributor for any MLB team.
The rotation - Most have looked really solid, especially as of late. Marco has definitely looked the best. Taijuan has been decent. I have a few concerns for our youngsters Sheffield and Dunn. Graveman looked good at some times before he went on the IL. Yusei has looked pretty solid as well.
The bullpen - One of the major weak points of the team. Thank goodness Bryan Shaw was sent down. I like Carl Edwards Jr. and Matt Magill, but few others. I think we have some bullpen pieces at a lot of levels, and the bad ones we'll let go and the good ones will stick around. The bullpen has nowhere to go but up.
Overall - It's about what I expected. The M's have looked between awful and halfway decent. The hitting has as a whole been average, while the pitching has been one of the worst in baseball. If the pitching can slowly come around, this team will string together some wins. Especially if they get rid some hitters that are dragging the offense down (Mallex, Vogelbach, get Tom Murphy back).
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Ten Things I Would Change about Survivor
I have often posted about Survivor here; being a huge fan, why not? I hope to go on the show someday, and I have applied to be on the show. So this post might not look great for me if I ever were to get on Survivor. However, I would hope if anyone from CBS/Survivor sees this, they'd use this as constructive criticism and a way to improve their show.
Don't get me wrong, I love the show, but I nitpicked to find ten things I would change about the show. These ten things aren't in any order, although I will count down from #10. Here they are:
10. Avoid "team reward" challenges, especially when there are an odd number of players
I hate it when, after the merge, Jeff splits the individual players into two teams for a reward challenge. It's as if the crew is saying they don't have enough individual challenge ideas and need to save them for immunity. I could live with these "team reward" challenges, so long as they only happen when there are an even number of players in the game. When they do these types of reward challenges when there are an odd number of players, it leaves one person out with no shot at even competing for reward. Everyone should have a shot. Also, when a single individual wins reward and they pick 1-3 players to go with them, it can have a ripple effect on the game, which adds a layer of complexity in the social game.
9. Go back to the original final tribal council format
One of my favorite parts of each Survivor season is when the jury questions the Final 2 or 3. But with the new "open forum" Final Tribal Council format, it's not as entertaining. It's not as organized, and it can leave a few jurors with little or nothing to say. I would often look forward to the old format to see if certain players would hold a grudge and lash out at the Final 2 or 3. I mean, think about the most entertaining or memorable jury speeches of all time. Have any happened since this change? Nope. Also, I liked how each member of the Final 2 or 3 got to have an opening and closing statement. At some point, they got rid of the closing statements, and then in "Worlds Apart" Season 30, they got rid of opening statements as well. Bring those back!
8. Less advantages
In more recent seasons, there has been an almost crazy amount of advantages. It's to the point where even the most dedicated fans and viewers have a tough time keeping track. I do like immunity idols and the occasional advantage, but when there are so many, the value of them diminishes. Fire Tokens aren't a terrible idea, but the casual viewer cannot be expected to keep track of everyone's Fire Token count. If they absolutely must keep Fire Tokens and a large number of advantages, perhaps display an overlay of advantages/Fire Tokens at certain parts in the show, such as when someone earns Fire Tokens or an advantage, or during the booted person's final confessional.
7. Show a little more of the "survival" aspect
I miss when Survivor showed the players fishing, foraging for food, or building the shelter. They still show a little bit, but I know most fans would like to see more. If anything someone does earns them respect around camp, I feel like we as viewers have a right to see it, even if it's mundane as fishing. For example, Wendell may have won Ghost Island because he did a great job at building shelters, but we never really got to see that. I know they have a lot of other things to fit in, such as challenges, strategy talk, and whatnot, but seeing a bit more of the survival aspect would definitely balance out the show a bit.
6. Film somewhere else besides Fiji
I understand the financial benefits of filming in Fiji for every season, but doing that is becoming extremely repetitive. Survivor filming locations should be like Super Bowl locations: it's okay to use the same location, just not twice (or more) in a row. As I understand, they film two seasons back-to-back, so one idea is that they could film two seasons in Fiji, then next year film two seasons in Nicaragua or somewhere else, then go back to Fiji the following year. If Survivor stays in Fiji, it will die in Fiji.
5. Bring back the auction
One thing I miss is the Survivor auction! I think they stopped it because too many players would sit on their money waiting for an advantage (thanks, cast of Worlds Apart). There are ways around this. They could include hidden advantages at random with different food items. They could have Jeff announce there will not be any advantages and there will be only food. Or if they use Fire Tokens again, they could have a "Fire Tokens Only" auction where you bid on items with Fire Tokens. Just bring back the auction!
4. For the love of God, no more Edge of Extinction
I know they have only used it for two seasons, but the Edge of Extinction has allowed two early boots to make it to the Final Tribal Council, and one of them to win. A huge majority of Survivor fans do not like this twist. In fact, basically any twist that allows a player to return to the game after being voted out is generally not well-received, especially when the earlier boots have an equal or better chance of getting back in to the game. I don't know what their fascination is with bringing back voted out players, but it needs to stop. In my opinion (and a majority of Survivor fans opinions as well), the Edge of Extinction twist really put a damper on "Winners at War".
3. Jeff needs to calm down a bit at challenges
If anyone remembers, Jeff's commentary at challenges was way toned down in earlier seasons compared to what it's been in recent seasons. In fact, in season one, it was non-existent. I enjoy Jeff's commentary at challenges--in doses. I may be in the minority on this one, but I feel like Jeff's commentary has been a bit over the top in recent seasons. I do like when he berates players for struggling as it's pretty funny. But when he says things like "That's how you do it on Survivor!", it makes me roll my eyes. This is something I am honestly really nitpicking at; Jeff is definitely one of the highlights of the show. But Jeff was at his peak with his commentary in seasons 10-20, I'd say.
2. Bring back more physical challenges
I know there are safety risks involved with them, but they are the most entertaining challenges in Survivor history. "Sumo at Sea" is my favorite. But we haven't seen it used since "San Juan Del Sur". I also like "By Any Means Necessary", but we haven't seen the beach/sand version since "Heroes vs. Villains". These challenges are wildly entertaining, and I'd love to see at least "Sumo at Sea" brought back. And maybe come up with new challenge ideas which are fairly physical (but safe).
1. Cast more Survivor fans and "recruit" less players that aren't fans
I love when we see hardcore Survivor fans on the show. They play the game hard and well. When various players are recruited, to either fit a theme or because of their looks, they become cannon fodder, basically. Players that are recruited don't really play the game; they just go along with the flow. And when these players make it to the end, they never have a shot at winning. I'd love to see a season of ONLY hard core fans and perhaps even only fans that have applied multiple times. That would be interesting to see.
If CBS/Survivor even makes a handful of these changes, it will benefit the show in the long run and allow it to continue for many more years. If not, we could see the beginning of the end of one of my favorite television programs of all time. I'd rather the show go out on top than be forced to cancel because of a decline in viewership/production value.
Don't get me wrong, I love the show, but I nitpicked to find ten things I would change about the show. These ten things aren't in any order, although I will count down from #10. Here they are:
10. Avoid "team reward" challenges, especially when there are an odd number of players
I hate it when, after the merge, Jeff splits the individual players into two teams for a reward challenge. It's as if the crew is saying they don't have enough individual challenge ideas and need to save them for immunity. I could live with these "team reward" challenges, so long as they only happen when there are an even number of players in the game. When they do these types of reward challenges when there are an odd number of players, it leaves one person out with no shot at even competing for reward. Everyone should have a shot. Also, when a single individual wins reward and they pick 1-3 players to go with them, it can have a ripple effect on the game, which adds a layer of complexity in the social game.
9. Go back to the original final tribal council format
One of my favorite parts of each Survivor season is when the jury questions the Final 2 or 3. But with the new "open forum" Final Tribal Council format, it's not as entertaining. It's not as organized, and it can leave a few jurors with little or nothing to say. I would often look forward to the old format to see if certain players would hold a grudge and lash out at the Final 2 or 3. I mean, think about the most entertaining or memorable jury speeches of all time. Have any happened since this change? Nope. Also, I liked how each member of the Final 2 or 3 got to have an opening and closing statement. At some point, they got rid of the closing statements, and then in "Worlds Apart" Season 30, they got rid of opening statements as well. Bring those back!
8. Less advantages
In more recent seasons, there has been an almost crazy amount of advantages. It's to the point where even the most dedicated fans and viewers have a tough time keeping track. I do like immunity idols and the occasional advantage, but when there are so many, the value of them diminishes. Fire Tokens aren't a terrible idea, but the casual viewer cannot be expected to keep track of everyone's Fire Token count. If they absolutely must keep Fire Tokens and a large number of advantages, perhaps display an overlay of advantages/Fire Tokens at certain parts in the show, such as when someone earns Fire Tokens or an advantage, or during the booted person's final confessional.
7. Show a little more of the "survival" aspect
I miss when Survivor showed the players fishing, foraging for food, or building the shelter. They still show a little bit, but I know most fans would like to see more. If anything someone does earns them respect around camp, I feel like we as viewers have a right to see it, even if it's mundane as fishing. For example, Wendell may have won Ghost Island because he did a great job at building shelters, but we never really got to see that. I know they have a lot of other things to fit in, such as challenges, strategy talk, and whatnot, but seeing a bit more of the survival aspect would definitely balance out the show a bit.
6. Film somewhere else besides Fiji
I understand the financial benefits of filming in Fiji for every season, but doing that is becoming extremely repetitive. Survivor filming locations should be like Super Bowl locations: it's okay to use the same location, just not twice (or more) in a row. As I understand, they film two seasons back-to-back, so one idea is that they could film two seasons in Fiji, then next year film two seasons in Nicaragua or somewhere else, then go back to Fiji the following year. If Survivor stays in Fiji, it will die in Fiji.
5. Bring back the auction
One thing I miss is the Survivor auction! I think they stopped it because too many players would sit on their money waiting for an advantage (thanks, cast of Worlds Apart). There are ways around this. They could include hidden advantages at random with different food items. They could have Jeff announce there will not be any advantages and there will be only food. Or if they use Fire Tokens again, they could have a "Fire Tokens Only" auction where you bid on items with Fire Tokens. Just bring back the auction!
4. For the love of God, no more Edge of Extinction
I know they have only used it for two seasons, but the Edge of Extinction has allowed two early boots to make it to the Final Tribal Council, and one of them to win. A huge majority of Survivor fans do not like this twist. In fact, basically any twist that allows a player to return to the game after being voted out is generally not well-received, especially when the earlier boots have an equal or better chance of getting back in to the game. I don't know what their fascination is with bringing back voted out players, but it needs to stop. In my opinion (and a majority of Survivor fans opinions as well), the Edge of Extinction twist really put a damper on "Winners at War".
3. Jeff needs to calm down a bit at challenges
If anyone remembers, Jeff's commentary at challenges was way toned down in earlier seasons compared to what it's been in recent seasons. In fact, in season one, it was non-existent. I enjoy Jeff's commentary at challenges--in doses. I may be in the minority on this one, but I feel like Jeff's commentary has been a bit over the top in recent seasons. I do like when he berates players for struggling as it's pretty funny. But when he says things like "That's how you do it on Survivor!", it makes me roll my eyes. This is something I am honestly really nitpicking at; Jeff is definitely one of the highlights of the show. But Jeff was at his peak with his commentary in seasons 10-20, I'd say.
2. Bring back more physical challenges
I know there are safety risks involved with them, but they are the most entertaining challenges in Survivor history. "Sumo at Sea" is my favorite. But we haven't seen it used since "San Juan Del Sur". I also like "By Any Means Necessary", but we haven't seen the beach/sand version since "Heroes vs. Villains". These challenges are wildly entertaining, and I'd love to see at least "Sumo at Sea" brought back. And maybe come up with new challenge ideas which are fairly physical (but safe).
1. Cast more Survivor fans and "recruit" less players that aren't fans
I love when we see hardcore Survivor fans on the show. They play the game hard and well. When various players are recruited, to either fit a theme or because of their looks, they become cannon fodder, basically. Players that are recruited don't really play the game; they just go along with the flow. And when these players make it to the end, they never have a shot at winning. I'd love to see a season of ONLY hard core fans and perhaps even only fans that have applied multiple times. That would be interesting to see.
If CBS/Survivor even makes a handful of these changes, it will benefit the show in the long run and allow it to continue for many more years. If not, we could see the beginning of the end of one of my favorite television programs of all time. I'd rather the show go out on top than be forced to cancel because of a decline in viewership/production value.
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