NCAA Football 10: What Would You Change?

Last year, for the first time in my sports gaming life, I spent more time with Madden than I did with NCAA Football. As a dyed-in-the-wool college football fan, this was big for me. In years past, I would play Madden religiously for a few days after it was released but inevitably head back to NCAA Football. Part of my preference had to do with the appeal of the teams and the collegiate atmosphere itself--I simply prefer college ball to the NFL. Beyond that, however, there has been a lot to like about the NCAA Football series over the years: the deep single-player dynasty mode, the extensive playbooks, and, of course, online dynasty.

So what changed in 2009? First of all, Madden NFL 10's gameplay went through a reinvention of sorts last year--one that I felt was quite successful. Perhaps no change had a bigger impact on my enjoyment of the game than the slightly slower gameplay speed, which made Madden 10 feel closer to the sport we all watch on Sundays than anything I'd played in a long time.

By contrast, so much about NCAA Football 10 rubbed me the wrong way. The utterly useless Season Showdown (a feature that seemed determined to make you see as many Coke Zero ads as possible), the questionable microtransactions, the Campus Legend plus Erin Andrews Road to Glory Mode, and gameplay speed that, when compared to the gritty realistic pace of Madden, felt hectic and antiquated. Despite cool additions like Team Builder, the whole thing fell flat for me.

So what will NCAA Football play like in 2010 (and beyond)? Perhaps you can have a say in that. In a post on the EA Sports forums, NCAA Football designer Russ Kiniry is asking for fans of the series to let the development team know what they want from NCAA Football 11's gameplay. Should the team implement Madden 10 features like Pro-Tak and the slower game speed into NCAA 11? How can NCAA-specific features like setup plays, defensive keys, and game planning be improved this year? What else should be part of the gridiron experience in NCAA 11 that hasn't been there before?

EA is clearly paying attention, so let your voice be heard in the thread or in the comments below.