They said we'd love it; they said you could manage your team on the go, from anywhere in the country so long as you were connected to the 3G network; they said they'd “have an app for that.” But when Madden NFL 10 stormed store shelves last month, many overzelaous fans, like me, were left asking “where is it?”
I, like many, began Googling for the answer and we didn't like what we found. Apparently EA Sports' promises were empty ones, at least partially. You see, they claimed they were developing an iPhone application that would allow you to interact with the all new Online Franchise mode in Madden 10, but they neglected to mention that it wasn't going to be ready until a month after the game released.
Well, last week EA made good on their promise and the Madden NFL 10 Online Franchise Companion app hit the iTunes app store, and let me tell you, it was worth the wait.
More after the jump.
Gamers could already log on to easportsworld.com and manage their Online Franchise teams via their Web browser, in fact, many of the readers involved in our GamePro Sports Online Franchise do just that on a daily basis. It's been easy to check the league's message boards, offer trades, adjust your rosters and scout your next opponent with a few clicks of the mouse. All of your transactions and changes take effect the next time you log on to XBL. The only down side we saw in our league was during our fantasy draft, when those unlucky few drafting their team via a Web browser realized the lag between what was happening on XBL and what was happening on their computer screen. Needless to say, those using their PC to draft were a few rounds behind the rest of us.
The companion app for the iPhone is similar to the way the ESPN mobile Web site works and allows the user to accomplish all the same things they could do via XBL or their Web browser. The bonus being you can do it on the go now (though GamePro Sports doesn't endorse Madden 10ing while driving).
The menu system is intuitive and logical. It responds accurately to your touches and has finger flick capabilities. The app did seem to have connectivity issues with the EA servers at first, but those seem to have been resolved, as I've had no problems connecting or managing my team using it this week. While it's current iTunes rating is only 3 ½ stars, it's important to note that nearly half of the 224 ratings are 5-stars at the time of this review. 57 out of the 224 gave it only 1-star but if reviews like this one – “What username and password do you use to login to the friggin app. Tried everything! Please help?!?!?!?!” – are any indication, I think it's a safe bet that it's not the app that is failing.
The Verdict: This app is free so you have nothing to lose, but even if it did cost money, die-hard online Madden fans would be wise to shell out the dollars for it. It takes video gaming and fantasy sports to an entirely new level.
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