Franchise Mode Madden 13 - Review of Madden 13

How many of you are out there with your brand new copy of Madden 13 loaded up and looking for Franchise Mode? Well, you can stop looking...it's gone. In a recent interview with Josh Looman, who made the latest changes to Madden, VentureBeat asked about the fan favorite Franchise Mode and what happened to it. Josh replied  "The primary motivation was to create a new, innovative career mode that allowed you to play as any coach or player in the same universe." Yeah, IF YOU ONLY PLAY BY YOURSELF. The new so called "Franchise Mode" in Madden 13 is created for play by only one person at a time, at home, by themselves. Do the powers that be at EA sports think that the only people who play their games are loner losers with no friends? Essentially, Madden 13 has taken away some of the features that fans have enjoyed for years (since 1992 for us) and basically turned this game into a first person shooter.

What makes this even more frustrating is the fact that EA Sports HAD TO HAVE KNOWN the mistake they were making because there is a giant menu item on the front screen that says "Looking for Franchise Mode?" and then it goes on to tell you to go create a coach or something incredibly lame like that - oh, and by the way, the coach has NO control over the roster, and who the hell wants to be a coach anyway? There are many things missing in Madden 13 and the fans are NOT happy. Here is the short list of items that are no longer available:

There is no NFL Draft, fantasy or otherwise. Gone.

You may create ONE player, or at least you can only utilize one created player at a time. What about your friend that comes over to play? He's screwed.

You cannot play the game with friends and save your progress (there is no more Season mode).

You may only play a so called "season" online, all by yourself - as only one person can play in the league per sign on name. LAME. So basically, if you wanted to have a few friends over to play a multi-player season where you could save your progress, you would EACH have to bring your own PS3, you would all have to have SEPARATE IP addresses, and each of you sign on with your unique EA Sports user name. Sounds like a set up that most of us have right? Multiple IP addresses at your house and four or five PS3's laying around? Absolutely, why not. Idiots.

You can no longer edit your own abilities as a created player. You must take the little points that they give you and improve one grueling point at a time. Although this seems fair, as you shouldn't be able to just blast your abilities through the roof, but the point is that sometimes we adjust OTHER players on the rosters because Madden gave them a crap rating and they deserve a few more points in their catching ability, etc. This ability is GONE.

You can no longer import your NCAA players.

In the end, looking back at last year, it's true, everyone was on the message boards complaining about the new passing / throwing motion, etc when Madden 12 first came out, but we got used to it, dealt with it and resumed play as usual. But this year, they have damaged the game beyond repair as many of the modes that players used are just GONE. The Franchise Mode has been in place since the very beginning (it used to be called "Season Mode") and judging from the overwhelming comments around the net right now, EA Sports is going to be forced to put Franchise Mode back in the game in 2014 or lose a LOT of customers. EA needs to understand that even though the new programming director might sit at home alone playing by himself online and he is just thrilled with the new game, but hey dork boy! Some of us have friends, and we like to get together and drink beer and join forces as our favorite teams and take them from the Preseason all the way to the big game over the course of several weeks and months. To us, that was the point of Madden. If we wanted to sit at home alone and play by ourselves online with a little dorky microphone on our heads, arguing with other dorks with microphones on their heads, we would just play Call of Duty. EA Sports has killed the multiplayer element of Madden that has held true for 20 years, great job guys.

On a closing note, if anyone out there can figure out a way (on Madden 13) for multiple players, playing at the same house, on the same team, with players that they have created, on the same PS3, and play an entire season together with all data saved we will personally pay you $100.00 via PayPal - just email us at kansascitynews@gmail.com - good luck!

Franchise Mode Madden 13 Review by KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Kansas City Chiefs - Atlanta Falcons Preview

The Chiefs’ 2012 regular season kicks off this Sunday with a 12:00 p.m. home game against the Atlanta Falcons. Currently, Vegas favors the Falcons by three points.

There is good news and bad news for Chiefs fans entering this game. The good news is that it appears that both Derrick Johnson and Brandon Flowers will be able to play on Sunday. Johnson had injured his ankle, and Flowers has been sidelined with a nagging foot injury before returning to practice on Wednesday and seeing snaps with the first-team defense. Stopping the Falcons without these two players would have been nearly impossible, and if they are close to full-strength, it is a huge boost for Kansas City’s defense.

The bad news is that the Chiefs are still missing several key players for this game. Tamba Hali is serving a one-game suspension, and starting safety Kendrick Lewis is also out. The team has several other players banged up on defense, and as we saw this preseason, the Chiefs’ defensive depth is nearly non-existent. The team cannot allow Matt Ryan to have all day to throw, and Kansas City may have to get a bit creative with their blitz schemes to pressure Ryan and try to force some turnovers.

The game will also serve as a homecoming for legendary tight end Tony Gonzalez, who is likely entering the final season in his hall-of-fame career. Gonzalez was traded to the Falcons in 2009 for a second round pick, which the team used on defensive back and kick returner Javier Arenas. Gonzalez holds the Chief team records in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches, and this will be the first time he has faced his former team.

Atlanta enters this season with huge expectations, and the biggest question mark surrounding the team is whether or not it can take the next step and contend for a championship. The Falcons have lost to the eventual Superbowl champion in the last two playoffs, getting blown out by the Packers two seasons ago and falling 24-2 to the Giants last year. Matt Ryan is a good quarterback, and he is surrounded by talented playmakers. Ryan played very well in the second half of last season, and if he is on against a depleted Chiefs defense, Kansas City might not have much of a chance.

Defensively, the Falcons added four-time pro bowl cornerback Asante Samuel this offseason, pairing him with Brent Grimes and Dunta Robinson to form a dangerous secondary. The Falcons’ biggest question mark on defense will be whether or not it can effective rush the passer and contain the Chiefs’ running game. Atlanta’s front seven may very well determine the outcome of the game.

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Derrick Johnson and Brandon Flowers Expected To Play Sunday

Yesterday we reported that while Derrick Johnson will likely play on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, several other key players were still question marks in regards to their availability. Chiefs fans get even better news today, as it appears star cornerback Brandon Flowers will likely be good to go for week one.

Flowers lined up with the starters in practice yesterday, which is a strong sign that he will be used heavily this Sunday. It is unlikely the Chiefs would use Flowers with the first-string defense this close to its first regular season game if he couldn’t play or would receive limited minutes. Flowers has made some big strides in the past couple of days in his recovery from a foot injury he sustained in late July.

While the Chiefs’ cornerback may be rusty after missing the entire preseason and getting limited practice time, Flowers should still be a big boost for Kansas City’s defense. The Falcons have several dangerous wide receivers, and the Chiefs will be missing Tamba Hali due to his one-game suspension.

Flowers’ return is also big because it appears that Kendrick Lewis will not be on the field Saturday. Asking the secondary to play well without Hali missing one starter is already a tall ordeal, and there is no way the unit would stop Atlanta if both Flowers and Lewis were missing on Sunday. Jalil Brown, who had replaced Flowers in the starting lineup, appears to be banged up as well.

Apart from Lewis, it appears that defensive linemen Anthony Toribio and Allen Bailey will not be able to go Sunday. Their absence means the team will depend on first-round pick Dontari Poe to make a difference for the Chiefs’ defensive line. The experience should benefit Poe, but the Chiefs are starting to get paper-thin in terms of depth. Any more injuries, and the defense may be unable to duplicate the success it enjoyed last season.

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Chiefs Injury Report - Several Key Players Uncertain For Week One

The Chiefs 2012 regular season opener is only four days away, and the team is still waiting to see if they will have several key players available for their matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Cornerback Brandon Flowers, defensive tackle Anthony Toribio, linebacker Derrick Johnson, quarterback Brady Quinn and safety Kendrick Lewis are all uncertain for week one.

It appears that Derrick Johnson has a strong chance to play Sunday, according to head coach Romeo Crennel. The ankle injury Johnson suffered in the team’s final preseason game against the Green Bay Packers appeared to be serious, but the Chiefs’ Pro Bowl linebacker has made great progress this week.

Toribio and Flowers are still major question marks. Toribio is out of a walking boot, but his status is uncertain. If he cannot go, the Chiefs will start this year’s first-round pick, Dontari Poe, at nose tackle. Flowers, the team’s best cornerback, has been battling a foot injury for several weeks.

The least likely to play out of all the injured players is Lewis, who has just started to work out again after sporting a sling for a few weeks due to a shoulder injury suffered in the team’s preseason game against the St. Louis Rams. Crennel mentioned that he doubts Lewis will be ready for week one and his injury could hold him out longer.

Atlanta is a good team, and the absence of any of these players will be a big blow to Kansas City. If Johnson plays, he may have limited mobility, and losing Flowers and Lewis would be a crushing blow to a secondary that is thin on depth. Add in that Pro Bowl pass rusher Tamba Hali is suspended for this game, and suddenly week one doesn’t look very promising for the Chiefs.

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Chiefs Finalize 53 Man Roster and Practice Squad

The Chiefs have finalized their 53 man roster, and recently signed eight of the players they had cut to the practice squad. This means that the team’s roster and depth chart is fully set for the start of the regular season, which begins this Sunday.

After cutting a bevy of young players and veterans, Kansas City recently announced it had signed eight of the players to join the practice squad. The original players signed to the practice squad were:

WR Josh Bellamy

FB Patrick DiMarco

WR Junior Hemingway

DL Jerome Long

OT David Mims

WR Jamar Newsome

OL Lucas Patterson

DB Neiko Thorpe

However, this list was not set in stone, and team has recently made some changes. Hemingway was cut, and Kansas City signed offensive lineman Rich Ranglin. The team is deep at wide receiver and could use some added depth to the offensive line, and Hemmingway found himself as the odd man out. Ranglin has spent the past three seasons in the Arena League, and won the league’s offensive lineman of the year award in 2011 with the Kansas City Command.

There were a few surprises regarding who made the team’s 53 man roster. The team decided to keep four tight ends, which may hint that the Chiefs plan on using a two tight-end set quite a bit this season. The decision to release DiMarco was also interesting, as Kansas City now has no true fullbacks on the roster. DiMarco’s release was likely due to the emergence of Nate Eachus, who ended up making the team as a running back. Eachus saw snaps at fullback in training camp, and ran well as a halfback during the preseason for Kansas City. The Chiefs ended up keeping four other running backs apart from Eachus – Jamaal Charles, Shaun Draughn, Peyton Hillis and Cyrus Gray.

The team also decided to keep third-string quarterback Ricky Stanzi, which has brought the Chiefs some criticism. Many teams only keep two quarterbacks on the active roster, and Stanzi’s inclusion takes up a roster spot that could be used where Kansas City lacks depth. Stanzi did not play well during the preseason, and many feel it is time for the team to cut ties with the former Iowa standout and begin developing another young quarterback.

Defensively, the biggest surprise is likely defensive back Tysyn Hartman, who played his college ball at Kansas State. Hartman’s inclusion means that the team currently has ten defensive backs on its roster. Tamba Hali, who is suspended for week one, does not count against the team’s current 53 man roster, which means the Chiefs will have to release one player when Hali returns. Many feel Hartman may be dropped, and the team will keep nine defensive backs.

Kansas City has placed quarterback Alex Tanney and defensive back De’Quan Menzie on injured reserve. Tanney has a hand injury, while Menzie has been battling a hip injury for several weeks.

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