Madden 09 Dominates US Sales in August

[xV3L0CiTY]

Quote: Originally Posted by MikeRo72

EA hasn't gotten $1 from me in 3 years and counting. Not until they completely rebuild the Madden engine. It's trash, they simply get their sales off of brand name alone and that will only last so long.

Just wait until John Madden refuses, or passes away. EA will be f'd.

[rudyjuly2]

Quote: Originally Posted by GTheorenHobbes

Think about it, Rudy. Madden used to sell 5 million copies before they had the exclusive. According to the numbers you posted (I haven't verified), they paid $300 million for the exclusive. Their development costs haven't decreased...if anything, they've increased on next gen. And they're not really making any more sales...they've pretty much stayed flat since they've gotten the exclusive. So, they're paying a bunch more money now (development costs PLUS the exclusive license fees) than they used to, and they're not really bringing that much more in. Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see how Madden could NOT be a big cause of their falling profits these last couple of years. To me it seems like a matter of simple math. Again, maybe I'm missing something.

I completely agree that EA will be making less money than they were on Madden. But less money doesn't mean losing money on Madden necessarily. EA chose to make less money to make sure the competition was gone. I'm sure Madden still rakes in the cash.

[Ian_Cummings]

Quote: Originally Posted by GTheorenHobbes

I don't disagree with anything you're saying here. But you're talking about profits (from the Wii) that EA never had. You can't lose profits from Wii sales that weren't there to begin with. I'm just saying that, if EA is paying $60 million a year more now to make Madden (using Rudy's numbers), and sales are relatively flat from where they were 4 years ago, it would seem that some part of that $95 million loss is due to the exclusive. Again, maybe I'm wrong.

Yep, you're wrong.

Just think about it - to post a loss, there has to be more money spent than is earned. Madden obviously doesn't fit in that category...the game is made for less money than is earned. As NYYanks said - it's one of the safest "bets" in EA.

[O-Zoan]

As much as I hate EA for not caring or listening whatsoever to the customers and fans complaint about the glitches and all the bs in the game I still love football and will continue to buy the Madden games

[GTheorenHobbes]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheFuture15

it's one of the safest "bets" in EA.

I appreciate your presence on this board so no disrespect intended, but therein lies the problem. If Madden wasn't such a safe "bet," then maybe we'd have more than 1 playable camera angle by now (perhaps we'd even have a good behind the Defensive Line cam or even a playable Broadcast view). Maybe suction blocking and in-game saves and the ridiculous OL/DL interaction and other well-known deficiencies wouldn't still be part of the discussion when talking about Madden.

On a personal level, good luck turning this franchise around...I was one of the guys who bought the very first Madden on the Sega Genesis (turning many of my college friends away from Tecmo back in the day) and I'd really like to feel good about spending money on a Madden game again. I feel suckered for having bought it this year, when I fell for the hype but cannot make it through a game on 10 minute quarters without being bored to tears. Getting the thread back on topic, I do feel that if you guys can show some of the innovation and improvements that we're seeing out of NHL, FIFA or even Live, you'll see much more than the 2% increase in sales that you got this year. I was one of the 2% this year...but I won't be next year if MAJOR changes aren't made, no matter how badly I want to play a game using the Steelers.

[Jitters_1981]

Quote: Originally Posted by GTheorenHobbes

I appreciate your presence on this board so no disrespect intended, but therein lies the problem. If Madden wasn't such a safe "bet," then maybe we'd have more than 1 playable camera angle by now (perhaps we'd even have a good behind the Defensive Line cam or even a playable Broadcast view). Maybe suction blocking and in-game saves and the ridiculous OL/DL interaction and other well-known deficiencies wouldn't still be part of the discussion when talking about Madden. On a personal level, good luck turning this franchise around...I was one of the guys who bought the very first Madden on the Sega Genesis (turning many of my college friends away from Tecmo back in the day) and I'd really like to feel good about spending money on a Madden game again. I feel suckered for having bought it this year, when I fell for the hype but cannot make it through a game on 10 minute quarters without being bored to tears. Getting the thread back on topic, I do feel that if you guys can show some of the innovation and improvements that we're seeing out of NHL, FIFA or even Live, you'll see much more than the 2% increase in sales that you got this year. I was one of the 2% this year...but I won't be next year if MAJOR changes aren't made, no matter how badly I want to play a game using the Steelers.

What I'm wondering, after playing nhl 09, is how much more they are spending on nhl than madden in terms of development costs. Madden has seemed to just wade on the surface for the past 3 years while nhl has made huge jumps in both creativity and new features and modes (that actually work). It has left me scratching my head why they can do it with nhl and fifa and not seem to do it with Madden. Is madden harder to program than nhl? Is it the competition factor? Is it because NHL isn't as "safe a bet" as madden? I'm not trying to troll or be disrespectful to Ian or anyone else but I would love to get an answer on this?

[Lumalu]

Quote: Originally Posted by GTheorenHobbes

Many of the folks who used to buy 2k still do not buy Madden, as evidenced by the relatively flat sales.

Even if they did buy Madden, sales would of only increased an extra 0.5%.

[Nintari]

Quote: Originally Posted by Lumalu

Even if they did buy Madden, sales would of only increased an extra 0.5%.

Actually, the 2k series has become bigger in death then it was in life. As great as the game was with 2k5, and as big as it's sales were (more than 2 million across the Xbox and PS2), it's only INCREASED in rep since then. It's become sort of a legend among the gaming community like the Dreamcast. If the NFL decided to shock the world and open the doors up to anyone again, I would guarantee you that NFL 2k10 would outsell Madden 2010 unless Madden managed to really bring it.

Whether it's warranted or not, people view 2k as the Jedi to EA's Empire. If it were to rise again, there would be so much hype and talk about them being "saviors" that it would over take Madden, maybe for good unless EA went back to the way they were last gen when they had to compete.