Matthew Marquez The History of Video Game Design Prof. Henry Lowood March 18, 2003 If it’s in the game, it’s in the game! The Evolution of Madden Football: Electronic Arts Sports is the current leader in football video games with an 85% share of the market [gameinfowire.com], largely due to the continued success of the John Madden Football Series. Since it’s first release in 1989 on the Apple II, Madden Football has consistently topped competitors on every gaming platform. Last year’s edition, Madden NFL 2002, sold over 4 million units on seven different platforms while the entire series has sold over 25 million units since 1989 [EA Press Release 236]. Madden Football has achieved a reputation and market share few video game franchises can ever hope to attain, and has spawned numerous competitors at every step of its evolution. How has Madden remained so competitive 14 years after its initial release? Obviously Madden Football has consistently brought innovative new features and gaming concepts onto the virtual playing field, and by looking at the sometimes gradual and sometimes drastic changes in the series, a clear trend towards increased realism emerges. Madden games have pushed the designs of realistic player animations and behavior, NFL based play calling systems, and most recently and certainly most exciting is the now ubiquitous franchise mode where gamers can take their chosen team through dozens of seasons - cutting, trading, and drafting players to their hearts’ content. In addition to its own innovations, perhaps the Madden series owes its continued popularity to the successful integration of its competitors’ greatest advances. Without taking inspiration from predecessors like Accolade’s 4th and Inches, Tecmo Bowl, and 1TV Sports Football and borrowing new game concepts from the more recent Front Page Sports: Football Series, it is hard to believe that Madden Football would still be able to compete against younger franchises. Successful adaptations and a continued emphasis on realism have been the hallmarks of the Madden franchise and explains why the evolution of the Madden series can be seen as the evolution of the entire football genre in the 1990s and one pointing towards exciting new frontiers for the future of football gaming. The Story So Far… Atari Football was neither pretty nor realistic (courtesy of Hist. Of Football) In the late 1970s and the 1980s, simple, and unrealistic games dominated the football market. One of the first efforts in the genre was Atari’s Football, available for the Atari 2600. The game, released in 1978, disappointed fans with its crude graphics and unreliable game play. The entire presentation hardly resembled the game of football as each team fielded only three players (as opposed to the eleven players used in the NFL) and the field itself was devoid of end zones and goal posts [History of Football]. Atari Football left a lot to be desired and Atari’s biggest competitor, Intellivision, set out to one up it with its own 1980 NFL Football. Intellivision’s NFL Football sported a whopping five players per team and a game field that actually included yard markers. Beyond the technical and stylistic improvements, NFL Football also offered a deeper play calling system with nine offensive and defensive formations [History of Football]. More and more football games entered the market in the next several years and yet none of them possessed the necessary 2The 1987 4th and Inches (from Hist. Of Football) processing power to inject more realism into the genre until Accolade’s 4th and Inches began defining the model that Madden Football would processing power to inject more realism into the genre until Accolade’s 4perfect. th and Inches began defining the model that Madden Football would perfect. The Birth of Real Football Games The Birth of Real Football Games Built for the Commodore 64, 4th and Inches represented a vision, albeit an extremely simplified vision, of what Madden Football would become. Released in 1987, it was the first football game offering control over eleven players on each side of the ball. The play calling system became more realistic as well with the addition of specific plays available through different offensive and defensive formations. The refreshing variety of plays enabled gamers to use real football strategy on their virtual fields; sweeps, draws, curls, and bombs were just a few of the weapons at gamers’ disposal [History of Football]. Still, 4 and Inches lathe processing power to make the most of its superior and more realistic design and plagued with slow action and flickering graphics. But where 4 and Inches failed, Tecmo Bowl continued developing the game concepts that would becoBuilt for the Commodore 64, 4thcked was thme essential to Madden Football’s success. thhes, ed a permission to place the names of real NFL players into Tecmo Bowl. This move not only thcked was thme essential to Madden Football’s success. thhes, ed a permission to place the names of real NFL players into Tecmo Bowl. This move not only th and Inches represented a vision, albeit an extremely simplified vision, of what Madden Football would become. Released in 1987, it was the first football game offering control over eleven players on each side of the ball. The play calling system became more realistic as well with the addition of specific plays available through different offensive and defensive formations. The refreshing variety of plays enabled gamers to use real football strategy on their virtual fields; sweeps, draws, curls, and bombs were just a few of the weapons at gamers’ disposal [History of Football]. Still, 4 and Inches lathe processing power to make the most of its superior and more realistic design and plagued with slow action and flickering graphics. But where 4 and Inches failed, Tecmo Bowl continued developing the game concepts that would becoNFL Football featured improved graphics (From Hist. Of Football)Although Tecmo Bowl did not offer as much realistic game play as 4 and Incit did offer one extremely powerful innovation: real player names. Tecmo attainlicensing agreement with the NFL Player’s Association (NFLPA) and received Although Tecmo Bowl did not offer as much realistic game play as 4 and Incit did offer one extremely powerful innovation: real player names. Tecmo attainlicensing agreement with the NFL Player’s Association
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