The first name in second reads.
'Madden 10' hype keeps building
Top player rankings prompting pointless debate
Remember the days of Tecmo Bowl? Back when you could pick one of the two running plays, mash some buttons and watch Roger Craig dismantle defenses.
Sports video games -- and gaming in general -- have come a long way since Bo Jackson first blazed on to gaming consoles. Eventually, Tecmo fell to the wayside as the Madden franchise rose to the top of the sports-gaming heap.
But the announcement of Madden 10's top player rankings (and subsequent discussion) has even a Madden-junkie like me thinking that the hype has gotten out of hand.
It starts with the 'unveiling' of the cover athletes, which, along with the obligatory 'curse' talk, makes headlines every year. Then when big games roll around, they're sim'd to see which team the Madden AI pegs (with startling accuracy) as the winner. Then ESPN brought the game to life, incorporating life-sized, digital Madden players into their on-set demonstrations.
Thus, I wasn't totally shocked when ESPN.com debut this year's player rankings as the lead story in their video game section. But then it cropped up in a couple other places too... and then the discussion started:
"woooooooow. Phillip Rivers keeps getting screwed. He has the best year of any QB last year to go along with a great career for someone that young and he gets a fricken 88? First he got screwed out of the pro-bowl and now this. Make him a 94!" -- ADforallday via ESPN.com.
It's one thing that nothing can happen in the football world without the 'fantasy impact' being discussed. I'll admit, I read most of those stories. But at least that's tied -- if only marginally -- to the real life game. But people are sounding-off on the ranking of players' digital counterparts?
Is a less-than-desired ranking really going to keep you from playing as your favorite team? Is it going to keep you from buying the game? Really?
I suppose it's just further proof that we're a football-crazed (or "starved" during the off-season) nation. But unless you're an MLG all-star or plan on taking an extended trip on the Madden Nation bus, these rankings probably won't mean much in the end.
Sports video games -- and gaming in general -- have come a long way since Bo Jackson first blazed on to gaming consoles. Eventually, Tecmo fell to the wayside as the Madden franchise rose to the top of the sports-gaming heap.
But the announcement of Madden 10's top player rankings (and subsequent discussion) has even a Madden-junkie like me thinking that the hype has gotten out of hand.
It starts with the 'unveiling' of the cover athletes, which, along with the obligatory 'curse' talk, makes headlines every year. Then when big games roll around, they're sim'd to see which team the Madden AI pegs (with startling accuracy) as the winner. Then ESPN brought the game to life, incorporating life-sized, digital Madden players into their on-set demonstrations.
Thus, I wasn't totally shocked when ESPN.com debut this year's player rankings as the lead story in their video game section. But then it cropped up in a couple other places too... and then the discussion started:
"woooooooow. Phillip Rivers keeps getting screwed. He has the best year of any QB last year to go along with a great career for someone that young and he gets a fricken 88? First he got screwed out of the pro-bowl and now this. Make him a 94!" -- ADforallday via ESPN.com.
It's one thing that nothing can happen in the football world without the 'fantasy impact' being discussed. I'll admit, I read most of those stories. But at least that's tied -- if only marginally -- to the real life game. But people are sounding-off on the ranking of players' digital counterparts?
Is a less-than-desired ranking really going to keep you from playing as your favorite team? Is it going to keep you from buying the game? Really?
I suppose it's just further proof that we're a football-crazed (or "starved" during the off-season) nation. But unless you're an MLG all-star or plan on taking an extended trip on the Madden Nation bus, these rankings probably won't mean much in the end.
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