• EA to Update Uniforms in NCAA Football 13 Throughout the Year?

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    gschwendt
    Published on 04-14-2012 07:18 PM
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    According to a recent article from Game Informer that covered much of the same information we'd heard previously on Sights and Sounds, it appears as though that the NCAA Football 13 development is looking at ways to deliver uniforms to the game throughout the year. Here's a quote from the article:

    "Schools use of multiple alternate uniforms (like Nike's Pro Combat unis) are great for the fans, but it creates a moving target for EA Tiburon as it attempts to keep up with an unveiling process shrouded in secrecy by the schools. Although the day-one disc includes some of the alternate uniforms being used in the upcoming season, the development team is still considering the right way to deliver the unannounced jerseys. EA wouldn't clarify whether it plans to sell these as paid-DLC or release them via free updates."

    Last year saw a multitude of teams that released new uniforms throughout the season. As pictured above, Maryland surprised everyone with their 'Pride' uniform in week 1. Then, tradition-rich Notre Dame and Michigan, both of whom hadn't updated their helmets in many years, each unveiled new uniforms for their "under-the-lights" matchup. In all of these cases, fans were asking "when can I use those in the game?" and they never received an answer for NCAA Football 12. However it sounds as though EA is working to change that in some manner.

    Time will tell how they plan to deliver this and as well what exactly might be updated. What do you think of the idea? Would you pay for uniforms that are unveiled by the schools after the game is launched?
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    2. NCAA Football 13
    Comments 172 Comments
    1. coogrfan's Avatar
      coogrfan - 04-14-2012, 07:32 PM
      Absolutely, provided the cost was reasonable ($5 max).
    1. morsdraconis's Avatar
      morsdraconis - 04-14-2012, 07:34 PM
      No freakin' way. You people and your hardon for uniform perfection kill me.
    1. Deuce's Avatar
      Deuce - 04-14-2012, 07:50 PM
      I'm not someone who would purchase uni's but it's a good idea on EA's part. ...1000's of people will pay money to get the newest uniform. That's the reason we keep seeing new uniforms. It's good for business.


      Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    1. I OU a Beatn's Avatar
      I OU a Beatn - 04-14-2012, 07:50 PM
      No way. I'm not against the idea, though.
    1. Paakaa10's Avatar
      Paakaa10 - 04-14-2012, 07:59 PM
      I'm one of those... uniform people (as I'm sure mors would say, or worse haha)... so it really did bug me last year to, for example, not have Oklahoma State's new uniform set in the game and be stuck playing in their old set. Being able to have details like this updated over the course of the season would be really great.

      That said, if these uniforms are on-disc at launch and just get unlocked later on because a team didn't unveil them until later and didn't want EA spilling the beans? I wouldn't want to pay for those. Uniforms which come as a surprise and need to be added post-release I could understand buying, but anything which was accomplished in the normal development cycle should be free (in my humble opinion).
    1. baseballplyrmvp's Avatar
      baseballplyrmvp - 04-14-2012, 08:20 PM
      i could see them doing this kinda like how ncaa basketball did a couple of years ago, with those dynamic update things they released every week or so. depending on how much control they have over how each team plays in real life, this could tie into how the cpu calls plays in the game (run/pass ratios, % of passes that are shotgun/under center/pistol/play action, % of runs being inside/outside, defensive blitz %'s, etc).

      anything that can keep the game fresh, i'm all for, even if it is purely for dress up purposes.
    1. Tarhead10's Avatar
      Tarhead10 - 04-14-2012, 08:34 PM
      I would definitely go for it.... Seems that updated material just adds to the realism of the game....
    1. CLW's Avatar
      CLW - 04-14-2012, 08:42 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by morsdraconis View Post
      No freakin' way. You people and your hardon for uniform perfection kill me.


      Also I'll be PISSED if EA updates the title for DLC for some stupid/ugly uniform while some HUGE AI flaw that will undoubtedly be in the game on launch remains unpatched/not fixed.
    1. I OU a Beatn's Avatar
      I OU a Beatn - 04-14-2012, 09:03 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by Paakaa10 View Post
      That said, if these uniforms are on-disc at launch and just get unlocked later on because a team didn't unveil them until later and didn't want EA spilling the beans? I wouldn't want to pay for those. Uniforms which come as a surprise and need to be added post-release I could understand buying, but anything which was accomplished in the normal development cycle should be free (in my humble opinion).
      If you go by the current trend in gaming, they will be on the disc and you'll get charged for them anyway. There's a bunch of companies doing that now.
    1. JeffHCross's Avatar
      JeffHCross - 04-14-2012, 09:39 PM
      I would be unlikely to pay for it, unless it was something like the awesome Air Force uniforms in 2011. But if the alternative is having no way to get the new uniforms, I support the idea of paid DLC for uniform updates.

      Quote Originally Posted by CLW View Post
      Also I'll be PISSED if EA updates the title for DLC for some stupid/ugly uniform while some HUGE AI flaw that will undoubtedly be in the game on launch remains unpatched/not fixed.
      Though, of course, the people responsible for the "stupid/ugly uniform" and the ones responsible for the "HUGE AI flaw" are completely different. The complexity level is also without compare.

      Quote Originally Posted by I OU a Beatn View Post
      If you go by the current trend in gaming, they will be on the disc and you'll get charged for them anyway. There's a bunch of companies doing that now.
      Mass Effect 3 being the well-discussed example, though what was on-disc wasn't nearly the complete DLC, so that debate was a little bit misconstrued.

      NHL has set the precedence, at least within EA, of putting known alternatives on-disc and including a code for them to be unlocked once they're announced. I would think Tiburon would follow that lead, when possible, though unannounced alternatives (like the article seems to be primarily talking about) would be a different ballgame.
    1. NatureBoy's Avatar
      NatureBoy - 04-14-2012, 10:02 PM
      I am a huge uniform nut and I think it's a great idea. I couldn't tell you how many times guys over on the EA SPORTS forums last year were asking for the new uniforms gschwendt mentioned in his opening post. I would like to go one step further and see classic old school uniforms be offered via DLC. It would be a win win for everyone involved. Unifom junkies like myself would be happy and i'm sure the extra revenue that offering these items would put a smile on the faces at EA Sports.

      This is coming from a guy who hates to purchase anything extra via DLC and gripes and complains when he does. Everyone has a weakness and uniforms are mine. If you aren't into this sort of thing, it wouldn't be a big deal to you. Having extra uniforms to chose from throughout the season who go a long way into keeping the game fresh in the minds of gamers IMO. And I highly doubt the guys who are in charge of uniforms are the ones who would cause a bug/glitch in the game. Unfortunately, these types of things happen in all games, not just NCAA Football.
    1. JeffHCross's Avatar
      JeffHCross - 04-14-2012, 10:06 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by NatureBoy View Post
      I would like to go one step further and see classic old school uniforms be offered via DLC.
      I asked about this last year. The dev I asked was interested, but I got the sense that this, like practically everything else, would have to be approved by the school in question. So cases like Ohio State's older uniforms being from a different company would probably nullify that (in my opinion, that's not something we discussed). In cases where a school has had the same deal for a while, that might be more doable (also IMO).
    1. CLW's Avatar
      CLW - 04-14-2012, 10:19 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by JeffHCross View Post
      Though, of course, the people responsible for the "stupid/ugly uniform" and the ones responsible for the "HUGE AI flaw" are completely different. The complexity level is also without compare.
      Yes but #1 it shows where EA's priorities lie and #2 its a matter of resources. IMHO EA should spend more $/time/effort/resources on things like gameplay over DLC/uniforms/dreads/etc....
    1. jaymo76's Avatar
      jaymo76 - 04-14-2012, 11:09 PM
      Love DLC but tired of paying EXTRA for it. Video games today nickle and dime you way too much.
    1. JeffHCross's Avatar
      JeffHCross - 04-14-2012, 11:21 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by CLW View Post
      Yes but #1 it shows where EA's priorities lie and #2 its a matter of resources. IMHO EA should spend more $/time/effort/resources on things like gameplay over DLC/uniforms/dreads/etc....
      True, but it's not always a simple question of throwing more money at a problem. And the money for hundreds of art assets like uniforms may not even cover one significant bug.

      You are right overall though.
    1. xMrHitStickx904's Avatar
      xMrHitStickx904 - 04-15-2012, 01:28 AM
      I can see it now : Perfect uniforms, but I'll pump fake one way & the entire defense shifts the opposite way.
    1. SmoothPancakes's Avatar
      SmoothPancakes - 04-15-2012, 12:48 PM
      Well, I know someone who will be very happy at all the potential additional dress-up chances.
    1. Jayrah's Avatar
      Jayrah - 04-15-2012, 01:08 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by CLW View Post
      Yes but #1 it shows where EA's priorities lie and #2 its a matter of resources. IMHO EA should spend more $/time/effort/resources on things like gameplay over DLC/uniforms/dreads/etc....
      The problem with an opinion is... that it is 1 opinion. It's nullified by 1 opposing opinion (if the subject in question is not fact) and I don't agree that the team should spend more resources on gameplay.

      Here's my reasoning: If I understand everything I hear on these podcasts and webcasts and blogs from EA correctly, then $ is not the issue of most of the gameplay items, it's time! You can not fix everything in gameplay at the same time, there's a progression. Everything you change affects another area of the game, so you have to change them in systematical order to get the best desired results with the least issue somewhere else. If you fix multiple gameplay problems at the same time based on old engines/issues, then you'll have to fix many things multiple times because the fix you made in one area simply isn't the same problem now that the other area is "fixed".

      On the other hand, things like uniforms, lighting, degradation, crowd updates, stadium updates, front end dynasty updates etc, can all be done simultaneously. That means they won't take as much overall time to complete and they can use their resources as efficiently as we could hope for to make the game look as good as possible. And that is SUPER IMPORTANT to me and many others. Say they did somehow take away the graphics teams and put all their resources into gameplay, maybe You could play in an empty stadium with a dirt field and some sound effects if the gameplay were updated as much as it possibly be, but I don't work like that. I need aesthetics, I need emotion, I need the energy of what a real game looks like when I watch it on tv, I need the players to be updated so that they don't all look the same, as much as I need it to play better.

      I know that's just my opinion, but that's the thing about opinions. EA's priorities lie in providing the best game they can for everyone. So on topic, I love the idea of DLC over not having the uniforms in game. I probably wouldn't buy them unless they affected my team/conference though. The other issue I have for uniform updates, is that if I play online I probably won't get to use them and that's been a huge issue for me. I hate, HAte, HATE that we can't do the simple choosing of an opposing cpu team jersey in OD. It drives me nuts when teams come out in the same uniform every time you play them, especially when they have several alternates. I would at least like to see a "random" setting for jersey selection from the cpu, so that we aren't guaranteed the same uniform from year to year.
    1. NatureBoy's Avatar
      NatureBoy - 04-15-2012, 01:36 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by JeffHCross View Post
      I asked about this last year. The dev I asked was interested, but I got the sense that this, like practically everything else, would have to be approved by the school in question. So cases like Ohio State's older uniforms being from a different company would probably nullify that (in my opinion, that's not something we discussed). In cases where a school has had the same deal for a while, that might be more doable (also IMO).
      Good point Jeff. I didn't even think about that issue coming into play. I'm sure if a team is signed with Nike, for example, that company wouldn't approve of them wearing another companies uniforms from years gone by. That pretty much rules out any uniforms from the 1980's to the present I would guess.

      I wonder if older uniforms from say, the 50's, 60's or 70's is a possibility before everyone became tied down to uniform and shoe contracts? Like you already mentioned, the schools would have to give final approval. If there were enough money to be made from it, they may be more interested in the idea. I've seen pics from uniforms South Carolina has wore over the years I would like to see added if at all possible.

      If throwback uniforms are out of the question, I would love to see classic helmets added to the mix. I would think that each school would own the rights to all of their old helmet designs from the past. All of this is just a pipe dream of mine I guess.
    1. kindella2's Avatar
      kindella2 - 04-16-2012, 08:24 AM
      I would love it if they did this. But i already know the politics of them having to contact the school and getting approval DURING the season. Probably not going to happen but we can wish. But im not paying for what should BE IN THE GAME!
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