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I had this set up as an article, but I messed up the formatting on it 
It was next to impossible to fix up but I was able to salvage it and copy & paste it into a thread.
On April 13th, Ian Cummings made a post to the Insideblog about the importance of an early community day. Two members of the VSN community were invited to take part in the Madden 2010 Community Day at EA Sports Tiburon studios in Orlando, Florida.
The two members in attendance were Adembroski and Dave whom are both active on the VSN Forums. We asked them some questions on their experience at the community day for Madden 2010 and they were happy to answer.
It was next to impossible to fix up but I was able to salvage it and copy & paste it into a thread. On April 13th, Ian Cummings made a post to the Insideblog about the importance of an early community day. Two members of the VSN community were invited to take part in the Madden 2010 Community Day at EA Sports Tiburon studios in Orlando, Florida.
The two members in attendance were Adembroski and Dave whom are both active on the VSN Forums. We asked them some questions on their experience at the community day for Madden 2010 and they were happy to answer.
Adembroski
1.) Why were you specifically invited to the EA Sports Madden 10 community day event? What feedback did EA believe you had that could contribute to the game?
Adembroski: I got the impression that I was specifically brought in to cover franchise mode, but I ended up focusing on a lot of aspects of offensive gameplay, such as the offensive line and the new pocket. I'm an ex-coach, so I was particularly attentive to this aspect.I really expected to put a lot of time and effort into finding issues in franchise mode. I was able to look at stats, draft logic, progression, and draft class balance, and found them greatly improved in every respect, but I definitely had some thoughts on how to improve it.
I think I'm safe, since Josh Looman has already mentioned it on OS- there were some progression issues with guys not declining enough and younger players progressing entirely too much.
2.) What was the most enjoyable part of your trip to the EA studios?
Adembroski: Playing the game, shockingly enough. It's not Madden 09 II, I guarantee you that. It's immeasurably better in virtually every respect. There are still tuning issues, and a few animation problems, but the framework is there for something great, and I can't wait to see the final product.Honestly, and this is hard for me to say, I haven't been able to play Head Coach since I played it. I just want another crack at Madden 10!
3.) How did the development team respond to your criticisms of the game?
Adembroski: I was really surprised at how business like Ian was. You see him in videos and he kind of looks like your average college kid, but I've never been more convinced he's the right man for the job. So focused, so determined. As LBzrule said, it's one thing to read his words on a forum, it's quite another to see him in action; his passion and professional pride really shines through.His enthusiasm really rubs off on everyone else. We could see it now they interacted with us. On two instances, we saw things fixed and uploaded to our dev-kits on the spot directly from our feedback.
4.) Any funny moments from the trip you want to comment on?
Adembroski: Anything involving Kane was funny. Between his over-the-top trash talk when playing head to head, doing a forward flip into the ball pit, and being goaded into professing his undying love for Ian Cummings (caught on video by the EA Sports Live team!), it was difficult to take much of anything seriously when he was in the room.
Of course, The Watcher wins moment-of-the-trip award for when he whipped out NFL 2k5 and told Ian and Phil flat out, "If Madden can’t beat this, I’m going to be playing this at the end of the night"
5.) Who was the most gung-ho person that was invited to the event?
Adembroski: The Watcher, no doubt. A skeptic to the end. While he ended up liking the game quite a bit, but is still worried that what we suggested wont get taken seriously or they simply wont have time.I think we all came in with similar aims. I laid my frustrations on Ian very early on in his forum ventures, and his responses too me gave me a lot of confidence. Others, not so much. I think Kane and I were the only one's expecting to be impressed.
6.) The EA studios are really cool, what did you believe to be the most cool thing about being there?
Adembroski: I'm from Fargo, ND, man. We just had a record flood with a blizzard hitting in the middle of it. The best part was everything outside. It was 75-80 degrees the whole time, and it was heaven for me.I think my favorite thing about the studio in general was the outdoor break area. Plants and stone walkways, a fountain... just really pleasant, like a small park.
7.) On a scale of 1-10 (10 being most), how excited are you Madden 10?
Adembroski: I could say 10 without hyperbole but that would be mostly because of the New Game thing and the fact that I only had one day with it. I temper myself and look at it realistically, then I'd say I get about an 8. I haven't been above a 3 since '06
8.) What team are you going to run with in Madden 10?
Adembroski: Always, my 'Niners. I love the Cards too, but I can't start playing them until I've matched Pittsburgh's hardware again.
1.) Why were you specifically invited to the EA Sports Madden 10 community day event? What feedback did EA believe you had that could contribute to the game?
Adembroski: I got the impression that I was specifically brought in to cover franchise mode, but I ended up focusing on a lot of aspects of offensive gameplay, such as the offensive line and the new pocket. I'm an ex-coach, so I was particularly attentive to this aspect.I really expected to put a lot of time and effort into finding issues in franchise mode. I was able to look at stats, draft logic, progression, and draft class balance, and found them greatly improved in every respect, but I definitely had some thoughts on how to improve it.
I think I'm safe, since Josh Looman has already mentioned it on OS- there were some progression issues with guys not declining enough and younger players progressing entirely too much.
2.) What was the most enjoyable part of your trip to the EA studios?
Adembroski: Playing the game, shockingly enough. It's not Madden 09 II, I guarantee you that. It's immeasurably better in virtually every respect. There are still tuning issues, and a few animation problems, but the framework is there for something great, and I can't wait to see the final product.Honestly, and this is hard for me to say, I haven't been able to play Head Coach since I played it. I just want another crack at Madden 10!
3.) How did the development team respond to your criticisms of the game?
Adembroski: I was really surprised at how business like Ian was. You see him in videos and he kind of looks like your average college kid, but I've never been more convinced he's the right man for the job. So focused, so determined. As LBzrule said, it's one thing to read his words on a forum, it's quite another to see him in action; his passion and professional pride really shines through.His enthusiasm really rubs off on everyone else. We could see it now they interacted with us. On two instances, we saw things fixed and uploaded to our dev-kits on the spot directly from our feedback.
4.) Any funny moments from the trip you want to comment on?
Adembroski: Anything involving Kane was funny. Between his over-the-top trash talk when playing head to head, doing a forward flip into the ball pit, and being goaded into professing his undying love for Ian Cummings (caught on video by the EA Sports Live team!), it was difficult to take much of anything seriously when he was in the room.
Of course, The Watcher wins moment-of-the-trip award for when he whipped out NFL 2k5 and told Ian and Phil flat out, "If Madden can’t beat this, I’m going to be playing this at the end of the night"
5.) Who was the most gung-ho person that was invited to the event?
Adembroski: The Watcher, no doubt. A skeptic to the end. While he ended up liking the game quite a bit, but is still worried that what we suggested wont get taken seriously or they simply wont have time.I think we all came in with similar aims. I laid my frustrations on Ian very early on in his forum ventures, and his responses too me gave me a lot of confidence. Others, not so much. I think Kane and I were the only one's expecting to be impressed.
6.) The EA studios are really cool, what did you believe to be the most cool thing about being there?
Adembroski: I'm from Fargo, ND, man. We just had a record flood with a blizzard hitting in the middle of it. The best part was everything outside. It was 75-80 degrees the whole time, and it was heaven for me.I think my favorite thing about the studio in general was the outdoor break area. Plants and stone walkways, a fountain... just really pleasant, like a small park.
7.) On a scale of 1-10 (10 being most), how excited are you Madden 10?
Adembroski: I could say 10 without hyperbole but that would be mostly because of the New Game thing and the fact that I only had one day with it. I temper myself and look at it realistically, then I'd say I get about an 8. I haven't been above a 3 since '06
8.) What team are you going to run with in Madden 10?
Adembroski: Always, my 'Niners. I love the Cards too, but I can't start playing them until I've matched Pittsburgh's hardware again.
Dave
1.) Why were you specifically invited to the EA Sports Madden 10 community day event? What feedback did EA believe you had that could contribute to the game?
Dave: A post at OS that caught Ian Cummings' eye and attracted a ton of replies. It was essentially me whining about how I lost my love for Madden and video game football, something I never thought could happen.I think Ian also wanted an older perspective. I definitely brought a different generation to the table where Madden is concerned.
2.) What was the most enjoyable part of your trip to the EA studios?
Dave: Our day of testing the game was a blast. There were a number of interesting characters in the group of eight. Playing Madden for 12-15 hours straight is certainly an experience. I probably did it for Madden 04 when I first got online, but I certainly haven't done it since.
3.) How did the development team respond to your criticisms of the game?
Dave: I honestly believe they're trying. They listened to our concerns. One of the issues they face is when they try to fix one problem, they could create five others. There's one thing I'd love to point out, but I'd probably be breaking the non-disclosure agreement, so I can't.
4.) Any funny moments from the trip you want to comment on?
Dave: The $58 cab ride from the airport to our hotel. Some of us paid it, others paid $2 for a municipal bus ride that last about 90 minutes through Orlando. It was funny to hear who did the cab and who did the bus.
On our way out, we split into groups of four to split the cab costs. I got a grand total of three hours sleep that night. Went to bed at 2:30 a.m., got up at 5:30 a.m. I went to Las Vegas from Orlando. Very, very, very long day.
Another funny part was at the beginning of the testing day when one of the eight guys (I think LBrulez) pulled out a copy of NFL2k5 and said if Madden 10 sucked, he was putting 2k5 in his 360. He didn't. (Of course the fact that they were development kits and wouldn't play his 2k5 disc anyway didn't help )
5.) Who was the most gung-ho person that was invited to the event?
Dave: This one guy from OS, kane699, kept going nuts about correct facemasks and equipment. It was kinda weird, because he wasn't a nerd in any way. He wasn't as cool as yours truly, but who really can be ... and you get my drift. Adembroski from VSN was also quite gung-ho.
6.) The EA studios are really cool, what did you believe to be the most cool thing about being there?
Dave: I had already been to a community event at EA Canada in Vancouver and that facility kicks Tiburon's ass. Nothing about the Orlando facility really impressed me that much after seeing their facility in Vancouver.
7.) On a scale of 1-10 (10 being most), how excited are you Madden 10?
Dave: An 8. This, in my opinion, is not a revolutionary Madden ... but the right one for the times. Like most of you guys, I would prefer to see the final build before I make up my mind ... but I think this development team has the right attitude and they are listening to us, regardless of what the skeptics may think.
8.) What team are you going to run with in Madden 2010?
Dave: Philadelphia Eagles 90% of the time, Buffalo Bills 8% of the time, all the other teams (except NFC East teams, Tampa Bay and Oakland) the other 2%. I hope that was specific enough for you.
Thanks for reading, and big thanks to Dave/Adem for answering these questions!
1.) Why were you specifically invited to the EA Sports Madden 10 community day event? What feedback did EA believe you had that could contribute to the game?
Dave: A post at OS that caught Ian Cummings' eye and attracted a ton of replies. It was essentially me whining about how I lost my love for Madden and video game football, something I never thought could happen.I think Ian also wanted an older perspective. I definitely brought a different generation to the table where Madden is concerned.
2.) What was the most enjoyable part of your trip to the EA studios?
Dave: Our day of testing the game was a blast. There were a number of interesting characters in the group of eight. Playing Madden for 12-15 hours straight is certainly an experience. I probably did it for Madden 04 when I first got online, but I certainly haven't done it since.
3.) How did the development team respond to your criticisms of the game?
Dave: I honestly believe they're trying. They listened to our concerns. One of the issues they face is when they try to fix one problem, they could create five others. There's one thing I'd love to point out, but I'd probably be breaking the non-disclosure agreement, so I can't.
4.) Any funny moments from the trip you want to comment on?
Dave: The $58 cab ride from the airport to our hotel. Some of us paid it, others paid $2 for a municipal bus ride that last about 90 minutes through Orlando. It was funny to hear who did the cab and who did the bus.
On our way out, we split into groups of four to split the cab costs. I got a grand total of three hours sleep that night. Went to bed at 2:30 a.m., got up at 5:30 a.m. I went to Las Vegas from Orlando. Very, very, very long day.
Another funny part was at the beginning of the testing day when one of the eight guys (I think LBrulez) pulled out a copy of NFL2k5 and said if Madden 10 sucked, he was putting 2k5 in his 360. He didn't. (Of course the fact that they were development kits and wouldn't play his 2k5 disc anyway didn't help )
5.) Who was the most gung-ho person that was invited to the event?
Dave: This one guy from OS, kane699, kept going nuts about correct facemasks and equipment. It was kinda weird, because he wasn't a nerd in any way. He wasn't as cool as yours truly, but who really can be ... and you get my drift. Adembroski from VSN was also quite gung-ho.
6.) The EA studios are really cool, what did you believe to be the most cool thing about being there?
Dave: I had already been to a community event at EA Canada in Vancouver and that facility kicks Tiburon's ass. Nothing about the Orlando facility really impressed me that much after seeing their facility in Vancouver.
7.) On a scale of 1-10 (10 being most), how excited are you Madden 10?
Dave: An 8. This, in my opinion, is not a revolutionary Madden ... but the right one for the times. Like most of you guys, I would prefer to see the final build before I make up my mind ... but I think this development team has the right attitude and they are listening to us, regardless of what the skeptics may think.
8.) What team are you going to run with in Madden 2010?
Dave: Philadelphia Eagles 90% of the time, Buffalo Bills 8% of the time, all the other teams (except NFC East teams, Tampa Bay and Oakland) the other 2%. I hope that was specific enough for you.
Thanks for reading, and big thanks to Dave/Adem for answering these questions!
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