Absolutely. Across the board, Visual Concepts was sharper and more innovative. They were the ones who brought the ESPN presentation into the games, which was so awesome EA felt pressured to buy the ESPN relationship alongside the NFL. The physics simulation in the NFL2k series was light years ahead of Madden - one could even argue it's still better, twenty years later. A testament to just how much the EA NFL game is a pile of duct tape slapped on the same old crap. And it wasn't just the NFL game. NCAA College Hoops, the NCAA 2K football series, NFL 2K series, NHL 2K series -- all better, I would argue. And EA's only response was to buy the rights to the NFL and ESPN so they could lock VC out of it. Cowards. I've despised EA ever since.