Can’t we all just get along?
Better yet, couldn’t EA make things less prickly between MUT players and franchise mode folks?
Madden players are divided into three main categories.
There are some sub-categories within these profiles, but they’re mostly hardcore Ultimate Team players, online head-to-head players, and diehard franchise mode users.
You’ll probably never convert strictly MUT players to franchise mode, and it’s an equally challenging flip vice versa. That said, some elements within the game cross over–besides the core gameplay.
The most significant piece and point of contention is the inclusion of legends.
EA has a pretty healthy and attractive list of legends incorporated in MUT, but unfortunately, none of those legends are available for offline use or in rosters for franchise mode players.
Roster makers often make historic rosters with their versions of legends like Deion Sanders, Joe Montana, Randy Moss, and Michael Vick (the most recent legend dangled in front of users on the main menu only to be kept exclusively in MUT).
Still, those user creations aren’t quite as cool as the ones that are scanned or expertly crafted by EA’s art team.
How close can roster makers come to creating realistic-looking versions of these legends?
Based on the limited number of template faces available and with no way to sculpt a created player’s face, you’re limited to simply trying to find a guy with the right skin complexion.
Why would EA not follow 2K and Sony San Diego Studio’s lead and allow every legend that appears in their respective collector modes to be available for offline use?
In NBA 2K, every legend in MyTeam is on an All-Time or classic team roster. In MLB The Show, each legend in Diamond Dynasty is on one of the fictional legends’ teams or in the free agent pool.
Perhaps even more inexplicable, EA’s NHL franchise has the legends from HUT available in their base game.
Madden is the only major American sports video game franchise that locks its legends in its collector mode. The only logical reason for this exclusivity is rooted in a philosophy that suggests making the legends available in the base game would devalue them in MUT.
Essentially, EA seems to believe that keeping Vick and other legends exclusive to MUT will entice players into playing the collector mode–even if they would rather play franchise.
I hope this isn’t the thought process, as tying a consumer’s hands has never been my favorite approach. It’s also a significant overreaction.
I’ve played thousands of hours of collector modes in sports games, and the most influential concept in these modes is power.
Users want the most powerful cards; by powerful, I mean the ones that give them the best chance to win online games against other users.
Whether they are legends or not, those cards are the most significant factor in grinding, pack purchases, and microtransaction spending.
Keeping legends away from the base game isn’t positively impacting the bottom line. MUT users who crave power will still go hard for a good Vick card, even if he’s available to offline franchise mode users.
If there is some gating, it would make more sense for offline users to be able to unlock legends within MUT for use in the base game. Ideally, users could have the option to unlock the legends through gameplay or via purchase.
With this system, wouldn’t everyone get what they want? Wouldn’t EA still monetize the legends they’ve paid to sign?
Wouldn’t MUT users still have the greatest players in NFL history available as rewards? And wouldn’t franchise users have an extra piece to add to their virtual football experience?
It makes too much sense not to be a thing at some point.
