Frazier is out

[killgod]

http://kotaku.com/5812861/longtime-madden-producer-leaves-the-team

Phil Frazier, a 13-year veteran of EA Sports and the senior producer for the label's flagship Madden NFL title, is leaving the company, Kotaku has learned. Frazier's departure follows by two months that of Ian Cummings, the series' former creative director and himself a 10-year veteran of the project.

Madden NFL 12 is due for release Aug. 30; Frazier's departure comes as the title is in its quality assurance and certification stages.

"We appreciate Phil's 14 years of work on the Madden franchise and recognize he was looking for a new opportunity," EA Sports said in a statement. "Our team is changing to tackle new opportunities and we're confident in the new organizational structure and leadership we have in place."

Kotaku understands that Roy Harvey, the executive producer of NCAA Football will take over as executive producer of Madden. Both titles are produced at the same studio, EA Sports Tiburon.

Kotaku has contacted Frazier for comment.

 

[Aso]

EA needs to fucking shape up.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Lots of guys jumping ship.........this game may not take a nose dive, but I would expect this to effect Madden 13.

I just hope that Madden loses their exclusive deal so we can get another studio or two back to making a game to provide competition with pro rosters.

 

[dope]

I wouldnt think to much of these guys leaving, they've been there for at least a decade each. It could just be them wanting a new challenge, not necessarily EA fucking up. Besides how much worse can madden really get?

 

[dave]

I wouldnt think to much of these guys leaving, they've been there for at least a decade each. It could just be them wanting a new challenge, not necessarily EA fucking up. Besides how much worse can madden really get?

Exactly ... and everyone says NCAA is the better game, and now its leader is in charge of Madden. That can't be a bad thing.

 

[spiker]

People don't usually want to leave good jobs.

 

[Spidey]

People don't usually want to leave good jobs.

While I see your point, thats not necessarily true. Guess it depends on how the person is wired.

Some people enjoy new challenges and grow bored doing the same thing for years even if the job is a good one. I would put myself in that category. Once things at work become monotonous and I am no longer challenged, I stop enjoying the job and start looking at different opportunities internally or externally.

Other people work their ass off to achieve a certain position or job that they covet and are able to stay in that role forever happy as a pig in mud.

Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Hitman]

Ian and Phil are most likely the guys that listen to marketing every year and take good shit out and put stupid shit in then try to sell us those awesome features a few years later as new. Fuck those guys.. I'll be sad if/when Josh Looman leaves since he is the only guy that gives a shit apparently.

 

[killgod]

While I see your point, thats not necessarily true. Guess it depends on how the person is wired.

Some people enjoy new challenges and grow bored doing the same thing for years even if the job is a good one. I would put myself in that category. Once things at work become monotonous and I am no longer challenged, I stop enjoying the job and start looking at different opportunities internally or externally.

Other people work their ass off to achieve a certain position or job that they covet and are able to stay in that role forever happy as a pig in mud.

Different strokes for different folks.

Yeah but nobody who's worked on Madden can say that they conquered the challenge that is making a good Madden game.

In this economy, walking away from the safety net of a 14 year big severance package is a bit risky.

I can't say about Phil, but during the last cycle Ian looked like the most depressed emo kid on the planet. Didn't look like a guy looking for a new challenge, looked like he was utterly defeated.

 

[jms493]

I would not be able to put up with the marketing demands that EA puts on these guys. It seems like it is 6 months of actually working on the game and then 6 months of twitter, youtube, blogs, forums, community events, ect.

I could be wrong, i guess but thats the general feeling i get these days. I personally don't pay attention to any of the marketing BS. I mean you really cant count on reviews for this game, unless there is clearly something broken. Sports games have a very personal flavor to them.

it seems like EA tells them to tweak and add but DONT FUCK ANYTHING UP! Which in turn means dont be creative and decide to change anything. I dont understand why they can't improve on details. I mean MLB the show has SO many little details that makes you say wow! Even APF2K had a lot of little stuff that was cool. Madden doesnt seem to have any of that. WHY? They spend so much time on intros and stadiums which most people skip and on the field you really cant tell so much what stadium your in.....

Off the top of my head next gen madden additions...

1. Online Franchise
2. Pro Tak
3. Gang Tackling
4. Better Graphics
5. Be a PRO Mode
6. Online Team Play

anything else..

 

[spiker]

EA does put marketing and selling points ahead of making a video game. They won't add it if they can't sell it on the back of the box. It kills the creative process of video game making because I equate game making to an art form. Just step back and let the artist do their thing and you'll have a good game to sell. When the suits step in is when it all gets fucked up. In my mind, I see EA as the sweatshop of video game making. Churning out low quality games on a schedule to benefit good sales numbers. I can't hate them for wanting to run a business, but this might help to explain why the dev team for one of the most popular game franchises in history is running for the hills.

 

[jms493]

Just look at Rockstar......you hear very little then about a month before launch they Market the shit out of their game. I mean I know EA Sports games are on a strict schedule but almost every other franchise (NCAA, NHL, and FIFA) have made nice solid improvements. Whats Madden's excuse?

I mean I am sure they are working on GTA 5 but they are not releasing information about it every week on twitter....


Edit....I wonder if Kids these days know who John Madden is?

 

[JBregz]

Kinda glad he's gone.

 

[MrBill]

Yeah but nobody who's worked on Madden can say that they conquered the challenge that is making a good Madden game.

In this economy, walking away from the safety net of a 14 year big severance package is a bit risky.

I can't say about Phil, but during the last cycle Ian looked like the most depressed emo kid on the planet. Didn't look like a guy looking for a new challenge, looked like he was utterly defeated.

This. I think those guys finally realized that it doesn't matter what they want to do with the game, the suits on the top floor are going to keep cutting their development budget and making them put out a product that was basically a roster and stadiums update. They got tired of being the public whipping boys for decisions they had not part of making.

 

[killgod]

This. I think those guys finally realized that it doesn't matter what they want to do with the game, the suits on the top floor are going to keep cutting their development budget and making them put out a product that was basically a roster and stadiums update. They got tired of being the public whipping boys for decisions they had not part of making.

Read Ian's arguments with the nerds in the Frazier thread on OS.

Basically confirms everything you said there. Ian basically says it was marketing that fucked them up and he hated being the scapegoat for them.

 

[Spidey]

Yeah but nobody who's worked on Madden can say that they conquered the challenge that is making a good Madden game.

In this economy, walking away from the safety net of a 14 year big severance package is a bit risky.

I can't say about Phil, but during the last cycle Ian looked like the most depressed emo kid on the planet. Didn't look like a guy looking for a new challenge, looked like he was utterly defeated.

I should have specified I was speaking generally, not specifically regarding Ian or Phil. Honestly, I have no idea what they are going through or thinking. However if I had to guess I would completely agree with you.

 

[spiker]

They got tired of being the public whipping boys for decisions they had not part of making.

Ian basically says it was marketing that fucked them up and he hated being the scapegoat for them.

I completely support this notion. These guys were in a tough situation of being the intermediary between the common fan and the board room. Each group has a conflicting idea of what improvements should be made to the game. At heart, I bet Ian and Phil were fans of the series and it just killed them having to wax poetic about the shit the suits were fucking up.

 

[OnlyOneBeerLeft]

I wouldnt think to much of these guys leaving, they've been there for at least a decade each. It could just be them wanting a new challenge, not necessarily EA fucking up. Besides how much worse can madden really get?

With Looman doing franchise it can only get better, look at how different and improved franchise looks already, we have been demanding these changes for years now and somebody finally did it, his first go around.

Exactly ... and everyone says NCAA is the better game, and now its leader is in charge of Madden. That can't be a bad thing.

It is a great thing, NCAA has awesome Online Dynasty, that team cares about online play and leagues, now hopefully Madden follows and puts out an online franchise that is more than just a list of names and a schedule, maybe some FA, random draft classes, etc.

 

[killgod]

With Looman doing franchise it can only get better, look at how different and improved franchise looks already, we have been demanding these changes for years now and somebody finally did it, his first go around.



It is a great thing, NCAA has awesome Online Dynasty, that team cares about online play and leagues, now hopefully Madden follows and puts out an online franchise that is more than just a list of names and a schedule, maybe some FA, random draft classes, etc.

I don't think it was Looman's decision to make franchise great.

When he made Head Coach 09 and was brought into Madden, everyone figured he'd be making a sick Franchise mode. Instead he was making that shitty fucking MUT mode until they finally decided to make a game with what the regular Madden players want.

He does what he's told to.

 

[OnlyOneBeerLeft]

I don't think it was Looman's decision to make franchise great.

When he made Head Coach 09 and was brought into Madden, everyone figured he'd be making a sick Franchise mode. Instead he was making that shitty fucking MUT mode until they finally decided to make a game with what the regular Madden players want.

He does what he's told to.

I know it wasn't his decision, what I meant by it was that with them allowing him to be the one working franchise it looks lightyears ahead of the past few games