I'm Torn

[HighNTight]

As a relative newbie to the SportsMogul universe I have to say that thus far I've been really impressed with the Baseball Mogul product. I stumbled onto the 07 version in BestBuy one day. After reading the box I took the plunge and have been hooked on that ever since.

I'm now jonesing for the football what with fall right around the corner. I'm ready to pull the trigger and lay down some cash for the right product. I've downloaded the Football Mogul demo and liked it fine. However after doing further research, I see that the new version is due out at some point over the next few weeks. I also see where the Anniversary addition of Madden has the NFL Coach game included (I'm aware that the stand alone is coming out in a few weeks as well). I've also tested on the FOF product, but wasn't too interested.

I guess my point is that based on the Baseball product I have the utmost confidence that the Football will be done the right way as well. I'd rather not plunge down the extra cash for the console games, when I know that Clay can put out quality sims on the PC. But at the same time, I'm starting to get the shakes trying to feed my football fix. Thus I'm torn.

I guess my question is 2-fold.

1- If Football Mogul 08 is purchased , will the 09 version be an "update" or patch ? or will that version also have to be purchased? (like the 08 to 09 versions of the baseball product) I seem to remember that the jump from 07 to 08 was a free upgrade...The $20 isn't the issue, I'd just rather not plunk it down now and then have to plunk another $25 in two weeks...

2- Without letting the cat completely out of the bag, is the 09 version going to be released soon (prior to the NFL season)? Or should I look elsewhere?

I'm ready and waiting...

Anyone have any insight or advice ?

[ohms_law]

1- If Football Mogul 08 is purchased , will the 09 version be an "update" or patch ?

No.

[Arctic Blast]

First off, Madden/Head Coach are NOT coming out on PC this year, so if that'sd your only gaming system, I'm afraid that you're SOL.

Well, when it comes to PC football, personally, FOF is my crack (but then, I am a BIG TIME pigskin geek). I tried FM 2007, and really wasn't all that impressed with it. I found it far too limiting, especially when it comes to playcalling. It also doesn't have one of the best features from the BM games, full historical team rosters...it just has the current season's. Now, I don't know what's been added for this year's game, so maybe my disappointments from the past have been corrected.

There ARE some other PC football games on the horizon, but their release date remains a complete and total mystery.

For me, I have an X360, so if Head Coach lives up to the hype (a few sports gaming sites I actually trust are quite impressed with it so far), I'll pick it up when it goes solo. I'm pretty much finished with Madden...last year's was overrated junk, and it sounds like Franchise mode is still hooped this year, as is zone coverage...oh, and the computer is incapable of running the stupid ball.

[Frijolito]

I was just wondering what you mean by the franchise mode is "hooped." Maybe i'm getting old because I have never heard hooped used like that before. I also have never played the new Madden so i'm at a loss....

[Frijolito]

Ok I just googled the term. In the urban dictionary the first definition is:

1) To have figuratively taken it up the ass (the hoop).

I guess i'm even more confused now . Maybe it fits into the title of the thread. Maybe your torn because you've been hooped???

[HighNTight]

I'm aware that Madden/NFL Coach aren't available on the PC, I have a PS3 so that's the debate I"m having. I've also have read glowing reviews on the new NFL Coach. I tried the first version of the game and like most people hated it so I"m a little skeptical on what this one will look like. I'm not into the nuts and bolts of creating plays and managing games. I'm looking for the GM side of the things i.e. salary cap management, contract negotiations, trades, scouting, drafting, hiring/firing coaches, cutting vets etc...So the FOF product was a bit too detailed on the Game Planning, substitution patterns etc for me. I could totally see how guys into that end of it would love it up though.

I keep coming back to the fact the the BM game is so well done, with the same crew working on the football, it HAS to catch up...right? I guess my decision is down to the NFL Coach and FM products. If FM comes out before the Coach then I can make a decision based on the demo, otherwise, I'll have to go with the Coach...

[Arctic Blast]

I'm aware that Madden/NFL Coach aren't available on the PC, I have a PS3 so that's the debate I"m having. I've also have read glowing reviews on the new NFL Coach. I tried the first version of the game and like most people hated it so I"m a little skeptical on what this one will look like. I'm not into the nuts and bolts of creating plays and managing games. I'm looking for the GM side of the things i.e. salary cap management, contract negotiations, trades, scouting, drafting, hiring/firing coaches, cutting vets etc...So the FOF product was a bit too detailed on the Game Planning, substitution patterns etc for me. I could totally see how guys into that end of it would love it up though.

I keep coming back to the fact the the BM game is so well done, with the same crew working on the football, it HAS to catch up...right? I guess my decision is down to the NFL Coach and FM products. If FM comes out before the Coach then I can make a decision based on the demo, otherwise, I'll have to go with the Coach...

Well, if you're in to the management side of things, DEFINITELY skip Madden. From everything I've read, Franchise mode is the same mess it was last year...absolutely nothing has actually been improved with it. (On a side note, though, the guy who headed up this year's Head Coach development team has since been shifted to head up Madden's Franchise team, so maybe they're FINALLY taking it seriously).

For FOF, to be honest, half the time I just play as a GM. I don't actually coach the games, I don't call plays...I just 'auto set' the substitution and playcalling numbers (if you do this, it's based on your coaches ratings/tendencies), and let my coach do the heavy lifting.

I really hope that FM is majorly improved this year because, with no PC Madden this year, thee market is wide open. This year's edition could honestly be that 'Make it or Break it' product year...hit big this year, and you have a shot at a lot of new customers...blow it, and you're done. I would LOVE to see a FM title with historical rosters, say, back to 1960 or so (just picking that date as the typical year used as the beginning of 'Modern Football'...also, that's when the AFL and the Cowboys entered pro football), but the big thing for me is the playbooks. As it stand now, you have...I think it's 20 plays...and that's it. There's no formations, just 20 plays. That just doesn't work. I do recall seeing Clay talking about formations and team playbooks, though, so hopefully I'm remembering that correctly.

filihok : When I said Franchise was hooped, that's just my way of saying it's absolutely broken.

[ohms_law]

Is the PC version of Madden really much of a competitor? I don't know of anyone who's bought it, and the fact that their skipping it this year speaks volumes to me.

[Cthon]

I don't know if the there's an NDA on the FM 2009 beta, but based on the state it's in, it should be out soon, before the end of the month. But that's just me, and in no way relfects what Clay's thinking. He has said on the forums that it will be out before the season starts. So, yeah, I'd wait for it rather than buy 2008.

[Arctic Blast]

Is the PC version of Madden really much of a competitor? I don't know of anyone who's bought it, and the fact that their skipping it this year speaks volumes to me.

Actually, the franchise mode in the PC version worked better than the console version (they're done by 2 different dev teams under the EA umbrella). Actually, part of the problem EA ran in to, though, is that, in terms of graphics and presentation, their PC titles had fallen a few miles behind the console versions. In some cases (NHL series comes to mind), the gameplay was also several editions behind. So, they scrapped a year's worth of PC editions to try and fix things.

[ohms_law]

That's what I mean though. EA Sports is decidedly Console centric and everyone knows it. It's actually somewhat surprising to me that they ever made a PC version of... anything. I just don't see EA Sports titles as being a real competitor in the PC gaming market, but maybe that's just because I've never been interested in their products.

[Arctic Blast]

I think in recent years it's been more of a 'legacy' thing, since they got their start on PC, before they'd done anything for a console.

I dunno...aside from Head Coach, which is very much in the vein of a traditional PC sports simulation, most of their stuff DOES fit better on consoles these days, if for no other reason than they control better with a gamepad. I was blown away by the quality of last year's NHL offering, but aside from that series, I'm basically finished with EA Sports (although, again, this year's Head Coach looks like something I may have to grab when it's released on its own).

[HighNTight]

Well, after reading through some of the EA forums on NFL Coach, I've decided I'm definately going to wait for the FM product and am leaning in that direction. While its pretty common to see the flamers appear right after a new game is released, there are common themes that seem to be emerging.

Also one has to take the track record of said game into question and when that track record is sketchy at best that doesn't bode well for the benefit of the doubt.

So count me as one of the growing crowd waiting for the newest release of FM. Hopefully its sooner rather than later before its available. In the meantime I guess I'll start another dynasty on BM.

[Arctic Blast]

Yep, it looks like there are some weird, weird little bugs in Head Coach. Too bad...it was looking promising for a little while there.

[Clay Dreslough]

FYI, Football Mogul 2009 is now available for purchase by download:

http://www.sportsmogul.com/games/football2k9.html

Should have the demo out within a few days.

I'm the first one to admit that Football Mogul isn't yet as complete as Baseball Mogul. It doesn't track transactions (trades and injuries) for every player. It doesn't have historical play (the option to start before 2008). But this year's version is a lot "tighter" (faster and less buggy).

Building a team through the draft, and then picking the right plays to march down the field and win is very cool -- even without all the details of Baseball Mogul.

At this time I'm not aware of any 'weird little bugs'. But unlike EA, if you report the bug to me, you might get a fix completed within a few days.

Clay