• Madden NFL 18 Unveils Story Mode "Longshot" at EA Play 2017

    During EA Play 2017, Madden NFL 18 revealed "Longshot", the first story mode to be a part of the Madden NFL franchise.

    Longshot is led by an impressive cast: J.R. Lemon (The Night Shift) as Devin Wade, Mahershala Ali (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, House of Cards, Moonlight) as his father Cutter Wade, Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights) as his friend Colt Cruse, and Dan Marino (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective) who will serve as Devin's mentor. It also includes Chad Ochocinco and NFL coaches & players.

    In development for the last four years, the mode will play out as an interactive movie with influence from the Telltale Games series. There is no hub or in-mode interface for users, but rather the player will go straight from cutscene(s) to gameplay. Users will play high school, college, combine, 7v7, et al. but will not play as Wade in an NFL game. Once the mode ends, users will receive rewards and content for use in Madden Ultimate Team.

    Worth noting in the trailer is the inclusion of college football teams, namely the Oregon Ducks and Texas Longhorns. As of this time, it is unknown if additional college teams will be the mode and if the user will be able to spend significant time playing as either.

    (Sidenote: How or why did EA pick these two schools? Neither the Longhorns or Ducks are represented by the Collegiate Licensing Company. Texas left the CLC in 2005 and signed a ten-year deal with 289c Apparel as their official master licensee for retail needs. Oregon signed a seven-year partnership with Fermata Partners to serve as the University’s first-ever trademark licensing agency in 2014. This leads to a series of questions of which we may never know the answer: Did part of the NCAA Football settlement restrict deals between EA & the CLC? Is it easier to reach a deal with schools not part of the CLC? Is there bad blood between EA and the CLC? Does this begin the road towards the return of NCAA Football and college gaming?)

    Continue on to see the Longshot trailer and cast descriptions.



    MEET THE CAST



    DEVIN WADE

    This forgotten college star, played by JR Lemon, returns home to pursue his dreams and find football redemption.




    CUTTER WADE

    Played by Academy Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali, Cutter was once a great athlete who dedicated his life to Devin and their shared passion for football.




    COLT CRUISE

    Played by Scott Porter, this happy-go-lucky jokester is a fiercely loyal friend who cares about Devin’s shot in the NFL as much as his own.




    DAN MARINO

    One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Marino serves as Devin’s mentor who doesn’t always play by the rules.
    This article was originally published in forum thread: Madden NFL 18 Unveils Story Mode "Longshot" at EA Play 2017 started by cdj View original post
    Comments 24 Comments
    1. cdj's Avatar
      cdj -
      Playable combine in the game for first time since Madden 06, per Michael Young on EA Play stream.
    1. CLW's Avatar
      CLW -
      From what I read - you NEVER play an NFL game in this story? Seems odd since its Madden NFL 18.
    1. cdj's Avatar
      cdj -
      Quote Originally Posted by CLW View Post
      From what I read - you NEVER play an NFL game in this story? Seems odd since its Madden NFL 18.
      That is exactly what Game Informer is reporting. Appears you do mini-games, drills, 7-on-7, etc. but it ends once you reach the NFL. Basically, a playable/interactive movie, of sorts.

      Perhaps the mode's biggest risk is that gamers do not get to play Wade in an NFL game. That being said, the league is still present. Gamers get to interface with NFL owners and coaches, and even meet NFL legends like Dan Marino and Chad Ochocinco. Young says that one of his favorite moments of the mode is when Marino tells Wade a gripping story from his playing days. All this leads up to Wade getting drafted by an NFL team.

      After the mode is complete, players recieve content and rewards in Madden's Ultimate Team mode, including solo challenges related to The Longshot, players, uniforms, and coaches.
    1. jaymo76's Avatar
      jaymo76 -
      Quote Originally Posted by cdj View Post
      That is exactly what Game Informer is reporting. Appears you do mini-games, drills, 7-on-7, etc. but it ends once you reach the NFL. Basically, a playable/interactive movie, of sorts.

      Perhaps the mode's biggest risk is that gamers do not get to play Wade in an NFL game. That being said, the league is still present. Gamers get to interface with NFL owners and coaches, and even meet NFL legends like Dan Marino and Chad Ochocinco. Young says that one of his favorite moments of the mode is when Marino tells Wade a gripping story from his playing days. All this leads up to Wade getting drafted by an NFL team.

      After the mode is complete, players recieve content and rewards in Madden's Ultimate Team mode, including solo challenges related to The Longshot, players, uniforms, and coaches.
      Typical Madden/Tiburon shortcomings. They finally do something that could push the immersion to the best it's ever been... and then default to the MUT $$$ making crap. That's terribly disappointing.
    1. bdoughty's Avatar
      bdoughty -
      http://www.gamesradar.com/9-things-y...m-its-creator/

      9 things you have to know about Madden 18’s ‘Longshot’ story mode – direct from its creator

      A few nuggets from the article.

      Our motto for four years has been, ‘it’s a movie you can play.’
      “We really do feel like you’re playing a true campaign mode.
      more in the style of a Telltale game than what you’ve seen in other sports game career modes.
      “We have 45 characters. All ages, genders, races. Kids, women, old men, cowboys boots… stuff you’d never have seen in Madden pre-Frostbite.
      We couldn’t just have scenes with just two people talking; we had to have people in the background doing their jobs, movie-quality blocking, characters that might take a month to make despite being in only one scene. No being cheap, no cutting corners. We’ve got up to 11 cameras in these scenes, and I think people will be shocked by the acting quality and cinematography.”
      “Devin’s father is played by Mahershala Ali, who just won an Academy Award for Moonllight. To me, this story mode having that gravity, and level of actor in it, is mind-blowing.
      “[For it to continue in future years] we have to have success, and the fans have to say they want it. Imagine this is the pilot. If the fans love it, I would love nothing more than to continue these characters. That being said, it was written in a way that this feels like a complete journey, like how Rocky 1 could have been a one-and-done movie. But I do believe Devin and Colt have more stories in them, and I’ve been working on that just in case. You never know.”

      EA has lost their ever loving flipping mind. This article, the comments in it. Move over Francis Ford Coppola.
    1. SmoothPancakes's Avatar
      SmoothPancakes -
      Jesus fucking Christ EA. Just give me a goddamn amazing franchise and player/coach career mode. I don't want to play some dumbass interactive movie and MUT can fuck right off, and EA can fuck right off too for making that whole dumbass mode nothing more than a means to push MUT shit on you as a "reward" at the end.

      Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
    1. Rudy's Avatar
      Rudy -
      Not having played this there may be good things here but my interest is in this is zero. This seems like a waste of resources to me.
    1. jaymo76's Avatar
      jaymo76 -
      •It will be a playable sports movie. That means the character, Devin Wade is the playable character and you’ll play in a pretty linear fashion.
      •Longshot will feature moments from Devin’s pop warner days all the way through college.
      •You actually won’t play a single NFL game in the mode.
      •The story is an origins story that takes place between the NFL combine and NFL draft across a three-month window.
      •The story is a redemption story.
      •The mode is a ‘campaign mode’ but for sports.
      •There’ll be college football games you play in.
      •Devin Wade is a HS QB in Texas football and goes on to play FBS. Now he’s back with his all-heart but under-talented wide receiver best friend named Colt Cruise.
      •The blocking and acting are cinematic in nature.
      •There are multiple endings to the mode, and the choices you make have impacts on which of the endings you see.
      •7-on-7 padless football is featured in the mode.
      •An interactive NFL combine is included. You’ll throw a route tree and take pocket movement drills.
      •Branching dialogue.
      •The mode will include a lot of education on the game of football.
      •Texas 7-on-7 leagues were observed to get the 7-on-7 action right.
      •There will be ultimate team awards available to those who participate in the mode, including Dan Marino.
      •45 characters are included in the story.
      •Devin’s father is played by Mahershala Ali, an Oscar winner.

      http://www.operationsports.com/madde...able-colleges/


      As per the OS post. So there seems to be disagreement on whether you can play college or not. This sounds like you get to play a few scenes.
    1. bdoughty's Avatar
      bdoughty -
      Quote Originally Posted by jaymo76 View Post
      As per the OS post. So there seems to be disagreement on whether you can play college or not. This sounds like you get to play a few scenes.
      Unless you could play exhibition games with the College teams, no thanks.
    1. rufusone's Avatar
      rufusone -
      I have zero interest in this, I never play MUT. I just want to play a good game of NFL football. Man I wish they would put more effort in gameplay and fix things that are still a problem....
    1. cdj's Avatar
      cdj -
      EA with several blogs on the feature, but still no signficant gameplay, CFM, or MUT clips or info as we approach a month before release.


      https://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/...t-scott-porter

      https://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/...gshot-jr-lemon
    1. jaymo76's Avatar
      jaymo76 -
      Quote Originally Posted by cdj View Post
      EA with several blogs on the feature, but still no signficant gameplay, CFM, or MUT clips or info as we approach a month before release.


      https://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/...t-scott-porter

      https://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/...gshot-jr-lemon


      The info out there is pretty much it. The mode will NOT be deep. It's a story telling mode with minimal football. What upsets me more is NO additions to CFM other than adding a draft board. Now that the MADDEN team is a split MADDEN/LIVE team only hurts this game IMO.
    1. cdj's Avatar
      cdj -
      Quote Originally Posted by jaymo76 View Post
      Now that the MADDEN team is a split MADDEN/LIVE team only hurts this game IMO.
      Madden/Live content or Madden/NBA LIVE?

      I've seen people throw around some things in regards to the team on social media that I don't think are quite accurate, unless things have seriously changed at EA in the last year (which I don't think has occurred).
    1. jaymo76's Avatar
      jaymo76 -
      Quote Originally Posted by cdj View Post
      Madden/Live content or Madden/NBA LIVE?

      I've seen people throw around some things in regards to the team on social media that I don't think are quite accurate, unless things have seriously changed at EA in the last year (which I don't think has occurred).
      The article I read at OS stated that the NBA Live team and the Madden team have a merger of sorts to work on common features and help "prop" up live and help madden transition to frostbite. That's according to an OS story anyways.
    1. jaymo76's Avatar
      jaymo76 -
      Quote Originally Posted by cdj View Post
      Madden/Live content or Madden/NBA LIVE?

      I've seen people throw around some things in regards to the team on social media that I don't think are quite accurate, unless things have seriously changed at EA in the last year (which I don't think has occurred).

      http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featur...hise-mode.aspx

      This was a good read.
    1. cdj's Avatar
      cdj -
      That's really interesting. I do not doubt that they've helped the Live team in some regards, but I find it tough to believe they couldn't do more with CFM in M18 given they have a team in Austin that (as I have been told in the past) is basically strictly CFM devoted. I would think it would be engineers pulled from Orlando for Live, not devs from ORL or Austin. From there, I don't get how or why they wouldn't hire additional engineers since Madden has had a great year in sales & digital revenue. Of course, CFM doesn't make post-release money like MUT, so...His statement comes across more as an excuse, IMO.
    1. CLW's Avatar
      CLW -
      So... a month out and we basically have a roster update, this Tell Tale mode and the same game play from last year?

      Looking like another year of Game Fly, easy plat, return.
    1. cdj's Avatar
      cdj -
      Gameplay trailer and blogs coming yet this week according to Rex Dickson on Twitter.

      Between M18, 2K18, and Live 18's lack of info this year thus far, it's been a very weak pre-release cycle for some of the sports titles.
    1. Rudy's Avatar
      Rudy -
      Definitely weak although established franchises like 2K can get away with it. Live needs more help.
    1. CLW's Avatar
      CLW -
      Saw some interesting posts today at other sites saying that EA has stopped Amazon from selling pre-orders of physical copies of their games due to the 20% off and release day delivery with Amazon Prime. Went and checked and sure enough only digital only shows up in the searches.

      Things that make you go hmmmmmmm......