Madden NFL 11

by Electronic Arts

Product Features

• Experience Madden NFL redefined online as well as a new level of excitement with revamped audio presentation, from the booth and the field
• All-new GameFlow playcall system puts you inside the helmet of an NFL quarterback like never before, allowing you to execute authentic NFL game plans one play at a time
• Play games in half the time with an all-new playcall system, as you experience the drama and excitement of a full game in less than 30 minutes
• All-new Dual Stick Control drastically reduces button dependency for the ball carrier by mapping key moves to the right and left sticks
• New Coaching Tips automatically pause the game at critical points to help explain each situation as it unfolds

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002I0J4FW
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches ; 3.8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: August 10, 2010
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #22 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

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  Video Games > PlayStation 3 > Sports > Football

Product Description

Platform: PLAYSTATION 3

Amazon.com Product Description

Madden NFL 11 is the 22nd version of EA Sports' classic video game football franchise. Featuring cover athlete Drew Brees, Super Bowl XLIV MVP and quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, Madden NFL 11 incorporates a blend of simpler, quicker and deeper new features with time-tested classic features expected from a game in the Madden franchise. Features included in the PlayStation 3 version include Franchise mode, All-new GameFlow playcall system, dual stick control, extensive online functionality and more. The Madden NFL franchise regenerated for PS3. View larger. A Simpler, Quicker and Deeper Madden Madden NFL 11 redefines the way you experience the game of football. Simpler: from 350 plays down to 1, the all-new GameFlow system puts you in the helmet of an NFL quarterback, to execute an authentic, situational game plan, one play at a time. Quicker: with 60-minute game times reduced to 30, spend more time on the field and less in the playbook. Same drama, half the time. Deeper: Madden NFL 11 is feature-rich, with improved animations and control options, enhanced online functionality, and new broadcast and audio presentation that delivers the NFL experience fans have come to expect. Key Game Features From 350 Plays Down to 1 – The all-new GameFlow playcall system puts you inside the helmet of an NFL quarterback like never before, allowing you to execute authentic NFL game plans one play at a time. Add a new level of strategy by customizing your own offensive and defensive game plans, or have plays based on your favorite team’s real-life tendencies called for you. Play Games in Half the Time – With an all-new playcall system, spend less time in the huddle and more time on the field as you experience the drama and excitement of a full game in less than 30 minutes. Don’t Just Play, Feel It – All-new Dual Stick Control drastically reduces button dependency for the ball carrier by mapping key moves to the right and left sticks. Run through holes, break tackles, and explode in the open field with a more fluid, intuitive, and responsive running system. All-new locomotion provides true acceleration and deceleration, plus natural planting and cutting, while delivering the authentic-feeling Madden NFL to date. Play, Learn, Win – Rookies can enjoy success quicker than ever before. New Coaching Tips automatically pause the game at critical points to help explain each situation as it unfolds. A revamped playcall system draws player routes on the field as in-game coach’s audio provides helpful hints to better execute the play. Redefining Madden NFL Online – Last year we gave you Online Franchise and Online Co-op, now Madden NFL 11 delivers an all-new game mode that will change the online experience yet again. See It. Hear It. Feel It. – Experience a new level of excitement with revamped audio presentation. From the booth to the field, Madden NFL 11 brings gameday to your living room like never before. Additional Screenshots: Customized playcalling. View larger. See it, hear it, feel it. View larger. Action on-field and off-field View larger. Play, learn, and win. View larger.

Product Description

Madden NFL 11 PS3

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Madden 11: First Impressions and Important Info, August 10, 2010

By	spirestar - See all my reviews

Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Madden NFL 11 (Video Game)

This review was created a few hours after I got Madden 11 for the sake of getting crucial info out to consumers as quickly as possible. It will be edited and maintained as the game changes and more information becomes clear as I increase my familiarity with the product.



****ORIGINAL REVIEW BEGINS HERE: As a professional software tester and avid (read: hardcore) Madden gamer, I feel that there are some things that Amazon customers should be aware of before making the purchase. This will focus only on gameplay (especially as pertains to online), not commentary or other add-ons that can enhance or take away from the experience.

This edition of Madden is great for new players, but it will leave the old-timers like myself somewhat confused and angry that our old controls are gone. The new Gameflow playcalling is utterly useless to experienced Madden players (it is optional, thankfully), but casual gamers will find the game immediately more accessible.

The biggest difference is the Strategy Pad. Hot routes, audibles, defensive assignments, etc are now accessed through a top level menu by hitting the cross pad. This is a huge problem for hardcore Maddenites because it means that we have to press more buttons to do the same amount of adjustments that we did in Madden 10. More time spent adjusting means less ability for preplay setup, and those precious fractions of a second mean the difference between running a complicated scheme and a vanilla defense.

The good news is that the old controls are being patched in, hopefully by September, to appease those of us carrying pitchforks and torches.

The turbo button has been taken away (default setting, can be changed) in favor of encouraging a two-stick control method for runners. The right stick controls the upper body, the left stick controls the lower body. It isn't as intuitive as EA would have you think, but it isn't terrible, either. The old button controls also exist. The runner is easier to control now and running is very smooth.

OFFENSE:
The offense has a lot of power in comparison to last year's installation. Defenses, due to less adjustment time and a few tweaks to offensive performance (that needed to be made -- more on this in a second), are on their heels from the get-go. There is an exception to this, and that will be mentioned later as well in the DEFENSE section of this review. In any case, Wide Receiver performance is greatly improved. No longer does the wideout run uncontrollably in the wrong direction after catching a comeback or screen pass. Rocket Catches are also laughably easy (casual gamer note -- Rocket Catches are when the receiver spins, jumps, and catches the ball in an earlier point of its trajectory than he would by default). The running game is also harder to defend, it seems, especially against "stud" backs like Peterson and Johnson.

DEFENSE:
Harder to play, softer coverages in every way than Madden 10 (especially zone), unless the following is taken advantage of. This is a glitch, and will almost certainly be patched because it is a gaping hole in the AI. The offensive line does not "see" spies. If the defense manually puts someone on QB spy and blitzes with them, interior linemen do not pick them up. Executed properly, QBs cannot get out of their auto-drop before being slammed to the ground. Even max-protect with RBs does not work to counter this if the defensive player knows a certain trick (that will remain unmentioned here -- I don't want to contribute to more abuse of the glitch). This version of Madden is made to shift the balance of power to the offense, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is comparatively harder to play great defense in 11 than it was in 10.


Overall: Once the game is patched, I think it will be good for everyone and may earn another star or even two. As-is, there are some severe issues that remove some of the depth that hardcore Madden fans enjoy. Madden 11 is checkers instead of chess, but I do hold out some hope that the desired depth will be added via patch.

EDITS:

(8/26 note: Edits will be posted at the top of the EDITS section now to keep the relevant information closer to the top. In addition, if anyone does not find this review helpful, please leave me a quick note in the comments section and I will address the issue ASAP).


***8/26 Edit 3***
Run blocking, especially out of I, Strong, and Weak formations, needs to be patched but has not been addressed in any press release by EA. The lead blocker (a fullback, usually) will often get through the first level of defenders on interior running plays and simply stop without attempting to block anyone. This usually occurs after adjusting blocking in the direction of the run. As a note to players, interior runs are far more effective unless your opponent has no idea how to stop sweeps, and this is probably as it should be.

***Second Edit***
EA has released an announcement that they will be patching the QB spy glitch, tweaking pass defense to make it stronger, and improving Play Action blocking. If they do this, the game will be significantly improved (8/23/2010)

***FIRST EDIT***
Another major issue is the required auto-dropback for QB's in Shotgun formations. You cannot control the QB for about one second after he has the ball in his hands. I assume this is to discourage what may have been considered (by EA) "abuse of QB scrambling." It's very difficult to see how this adds to the gameplay, however, as it severely limits quick throws/WR screen effectiveness and causes the QB to be a sitting duck.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect, still fun, August 16, 2010

By	Bill G. - See all my reviews

Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Madden NFL 11 (Video Game)

Against what appears to be the tide of public opinion among users (as opposed to yes-men reviewers) I paid full price for the new iteration.I am not a hard core gamer, so little glitches that irritate some do not bother me all that much, but I felt compelled to share some thoughts. I am playing exclusively Franchise vs. CPU, so I can't speak to online issues.

The appearance of the game is nicely done, although I don't see any significant improvement there from Madden 10.I do like the two-stick running. Once I got used to it, I did feel like I had more control, and the running is more realistic. Unlike one reviewer I read, once you get the hang of it I do find it to be somewhat intuitive. Overall, I think the running is much more lifelike and a big improvement from last year. The other thing I noticed about the game (and NCAA 11) which I kinda like is that when you are tackling you had better be in position or the guy is gone.I played several games where the RB just runs through the line and goes--once for 98 yards on 3rd down. That made me a little cranky. It seems like the RB's will break a lot more tackles than in the last version, which I found hugely frustrating as I am still getting used to play. I am a big Rams fan, and granted they suck, but I mean I played against Adrian Peterson and he was tossing would be tacklers aside like Superman. I get that he's Adrian Peterson, but I also got abused by some third string RB for Tampa in a pre-season game. I didn't bring anyone down until the third contact.It was as frustrating as it is to be a Rams fan in real life.

The "Strategy Pad" is abysmally stupid and inefficient. It makes me really wonder what the people at EA are thinking about when they make these totally unnecessary changes. This thing adds nothing to gameplay. It's kind of a huge FU to those of us who have been supporting the game over the years. I am not that great on the controls, but in my opinion it takes twice as long to make adjustments. I was playing Jets v. Pats the other day against the CPU and was getting torched by Wes Welker. I went to double team him and could literally not get it done before the ball was snapped, like, 8 plays in a row, and EVERY play was a pass to a wide open Welker--I kid you not, every play until they scored. I almost threw the six-axis thru the screen.Pretty infuriating. Which brings me to my next criticism. Gameflow, IMO, is useless for anyone who has played the game before. I was trying it out in this game, and it never occurred to my brilliant coaching staff to double team Welker. I couldnt tell who my personnel were, and on offense they call the same plays over and over again. At first I thought it was a cool idea to "be in the helmet" and have the coaches talking to you. But, oh my, the stupid things they say. "OK, lets run it up the middle and hopefully the blocking will be there...Ok, take a five-step drop and hit your receiver"--you know, stuff the coaches really say. Once, on defense the coach tells me to watch out that I don't get torched long down the sideline, and guess what happened? Anyway I played the Jets/Pats over without Gameflow, and found it to be pretty enjoyable. The other thing I noticed is that offense is way too easy and defense way to hard. I played all weekend and every game was 38-35, 42-30, etc. And I echo what someone else said about the CPU making superhuman comebacks in the third quarter.

And who the heck is Gus Johnson? I never heard of him, but what a dork. He sounds on some of the play by play like he's trying to be a cross between John Wayne and Rod Serling. And great commentary. My QB drops back, and Gus says (in this really excited voice) "IT's A PASS!!!". Like, no S#@% Sherlock. I dont know why something so simple as reasonably intelligent commentary just seems to elude EA.

Having said all that,I must admit I find these failings do not really significantly diminish my enjoyment of the game play. If you can get past some of this stuff, it is highly entertaining. It should come with a gift card for anger management class though.

EDIT-have played a number of games and I have discovered that with a little slider tweaking, you can make the gameplay not so heavily offense-oriented and much, much more enjoyable. Check out the forums at [...]

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Two steps forward, one step back, August 10, 2010

By	M. Fulkerson (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Madden NFL 11 (Video Game)

The Madden football series is still the best football experience you can have in a video game. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Madden 2011, and in fact, there are several aspects that are better than ever. I don't look for huge evolutionary leaps forward each year in the Madden franchise as I simply like to play with the updated rosters. If you don't mind shelling out your hard-earned cash for a few simple improvements and all the glory of a fresh new roster, then you'll be pleased. If you're looking for huge innovations in the Madden franchise, you may want to stay away.

First of all, the improvements that have been made this year are pretty damn good, and almost every improvement lies in the gameplay which is exactly where they should be. One of the most annoying parts of the Madden franchise in the past has been sloppy player movements and somewhat sluggish controls on offense. For instance, in past Maddens when a player is catching a pass in the backfield, your player would run backwards, sprint out of bounds, or just stall for a second until he got gang tackled. It was highly annoying when you were 4th and 2, you'd throw a screen pass to a wide open running back, he would catch it, and then start running backwards for a step or two, or just head straight out of bounds. This sort of thing would never happen in a real game, and Madden 2011 has thankfully addressed this problem. The flow of the game is very smooth, and when you throw a pass to someone on the run, they will catch it and not lose stride. Also, there is just a general smoothness in the player movements that hasn't existed before. Running, blocking, catching, throwing, and jumping are all very fluid and intuitive, and your player only goes in the direction you tell him to. This sounds elementary, I know, but anyone who has played Madden in the past knows that sometimes your players would not run in the direction you told them to!

Another great aspect of Madden 2011 is virtually everything is an option. Everything to injuries, to commentary, to whether or not you want to fight for a fumble, to coaching options, etc. You can customize your game anyway you want to, and it makes it far more enjoyable. Additionally, the graphics are simply superb. I thought last year's graphics were great, but there were definitely some animations that needed some major polishing. For instance, in Madden 2010, one of the funniest animations was the quarterbacks on the phone talking to their coaches in the booth, and for the most part, the guys looked just like they do in real life. However, if you ever played as Carson Palmer you will know that his animation looked like a bulldog with a 60 pound head who just chewed on a bumblebee. It was NOT flattering. For the most part, all of the players look like themselves in fine detail.

Something else that I'm extremely glad EA got rid of from the 2010 edition are the referee conferences. They were SO inane and SO boring, and they have completely removed them this year. There is nothing more annoying than when you're playing defense, and you have the offense at 4th and 23, they throw a 6 yard pass, and the referee's bunch together to discuss whether the receiver kept both feet in bounds. Err, does it matter?? It really slowed the 2010 edition down, and we are spared that nonsense this year. Another great addition are the receivers dragging their feet to try and stay inbounds. In the past, the receivers would just blindly run their routes, and if that meant they had to run 20 yards out of bounds they would do it. It was silly, and 2011 has corrected that problem.

The things that annoy me about this game are, thankfully, options as well, but they do detract just enough from the gameplay to merit a mention.

One of the worst gimmicks that the Madden franchise has ever thought up is the new "Gameflow" option. And make no mistake about it, "Gameflow" is an OPTION. Lest anyone think you HAVE to play with "Gameflow", you absolutely do not. Basically, "Gameflow" lets you pre-choose your plays, and the computer will select a few plays that will supposedly work on any given situation in a game. It's a poor man's gimmick, and any self-respecting football fan who knows anything about the game will simply scoff at using it. It's a clear attempt from EA to reach out to those who are basically clueless about the game of football, and "Gameflow" is one step away from just letting the computer play for you. You have an extremely limited amount of control with "Gameflow" which takes away from what makes the game of football great: complete and total unpredictability. I suppose people who know nothing about football might appreciate it, but why would someone who knows nothing about football play Madden? Considering that "Gameflow" is pretty much the only major new addition to the series this year, I would say it's an epic fail.

Another weird gimmick on EA's part is the option to speed up your games. On the back of the game case it says "experience all of the drama of full games in as little as 30 minutes". And, why is that something we'd want to do? The entire reason football fans play Madden is for its realism. Cutting the game in half wouldn't enhance the drama, it would simply cut the game in half, no more no less. I'm not sure why this would be a selling point. I guess EA is pandering to the ADD-addled masses by making the game scream by faster than ever.

Another annoying aspect of Madden this year is something that has always been a problem with the series, and it's a bummer that they chose not to correct it along with the other old annoyances that HAVE been corrected. For some reason, in the game of Madden, if you get a big point lead on the opposing team they will move hell and high water in the third quarter to come back and destroy you. It only happens in the third quarter, but it's so obvious I feel like it warrants a mention. For instance, when I play the computer, and I enter halftime with a 28-7 lead, the computer will jump 10 feet in the air to intercept passes, moonwalk sideways 30 yards at a time to make an interception, and skillfully build brick walls with its defensive line in order to give my running back a 4 yard loss on every play. It's very unrealistic, and the computer's defense can get very ghost-like with its players simply moving the earth to bury your offense. The AI level has always been a tricky thing in Madden, and it still seems kind of off.

The most irritating thing, by FAR, about Madden 2011 is the absolutely DREADFUL commentary from Gus Johnson. There has been some bad commentary with Madden in the past, but this is simply the worst ever. For those of your who don't recognize the name, he's the dope who screeched into the microphone last year during that terrible Bengals/Broncos game when Brandon Stokely scored on that total luck pass at the end of the game. It was the most boring game of all time, and he made it extra bad with his wailing and yelling. He does the same thing here in Madden 2011, and all I can say is thank GOD the commentary is optional. I like Chris Collingworth's commentary, so it's a bummer that he is drowned out by Johnson's foolishness.

In the end, Madden 2011 is nothing remarkably special, but it's still the best option out there. People buy these games to play with the updated rosters and stay updated with the NFL, and in that respect this series never disappoints. Any true fan of Madden knows that they aren't going to get a game that is vastly different from the last incarnation, and that's just fine for us. I've bought every edition of Madden for ten years now, and just like the last ten games I give Madden 2011 four stars. Each year EA comes at you with a gimmick, and if that kind of thing is important to you, you'll probably be disappointed. If you're smart enough to ignore these gimmicks, and have made yourself acquainted with the Madden franchise over the years, you already know you'll be playing it each and every day until the next installment is released. That's called consistency, my friends, and knowing that, I am happy to be a repeat customer.

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