Madden NFL 11 News Post

Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

01:22 PM - August 20, 2010 by RaychelSnr

CNBC has the story on Madden's weak sales numbers and it's impact on the industry as a whole. Sounds like a blog coming from yours truly soon.

Quote:


	Just one week after its flagship franchise hit the streets, EA is already seeing retailers dramatically discount this year�s installment of �Madden NFL�. Amazon, Wal Mart, and GameStop have all dropped the price from $60 to $50. One possible way to interpret that is the 2010 version of the game hasn�t been selling at the same pace as the 2009 version (which, incidentally, failed to match the 2008 numbers). That�s troubling, since EA relies heavily on Madden for up to 10 percent of its annual revenues. Admittedly, there were concerns about this year�s game prior to its launch. Pre-orders were flat and Colin Sebastian, an analyst with Lazard Capital Markets, noted that the 2010 installment was �a �show-me� story � People who are tired of what �Madden� has become are saying �I know some of my fiends are going to pick it up and I�ll see what they have to say first.'�

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Member Comments

# 81 TreyIM2 @ 08/20/10 08:54 PM

While the economy DEFINITELY has left an earmark on retail sales, in general, in the case of Madden, if gamers REALLY wanted to get at Madden because word of mouth was that the game was incredible,gamers would have went out and really spent the money on it. Didn't Modern Warfare 2 break all or some types of records, last year? Weren't we STILL in a recession? Were we even moreso in a recession back then, supposedly, at that?? Bottom line is that people HAD TO HAVE Modern Warfare 2, REGARDLESS of the economy because it was deemed to be THAT GOOD to many. Hell, I even bought the damn game and I have NEVER even owned a CoD game, prior, in my life!!! And guess what? I enjoyed the hell out of it, even at just an offline level. I don't do much online and never even played MW2 online, AT ALL.

My suggestion is that EA just stop BSing and pony up a new engine that the series so rightly deserves which is long overdue. It's obvious that continuing to try to make things work with the current engine code is just not going to get the game to the level where it needs to be (aside from toying with last gen DVDs). EA will probably lose the NFL license at this rate once the financial dept realizes what's going on, if they already haven't. Time to share the love of the NFL license and create competition the way it should have been for many years, now. Obviously, without it, in this case, Madden is suffering because Fifa and NHL have reclaimed their crowns because of comp. and it may even happen, sooner or later, with NBA Elite, which I actually expect to happen.

# 82 roadman @ 08/20/10 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rooney8


	So all those (roadman, Only1LT) who needed proof I hope this will satisfy. Madden11 sales are terrible lets continue to celebrate and hope this will change the arcade approach to sim, sim, sim.

Madden started off sluggish last year and with the start of football and the holiday season it picked itself back up and made a small gain over Madden 9 by the time everything was accounted for.

Continue to celebrate less sales if you want to. Business doesn't work that way if one year doesn't sell well, try to do something else the next year.

It's all about budgets and the bottom line. Less sales and revenue this year, less budget next year for franchise mode and everything else that needs improving.

# 83 kjcheezhead @ 08/20/10 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadman


	Madden started off sluggish last year and with the start of football and the holiday season it picked itself back up and made a small gain over Madden 9 by the time everything was accounted for. Continue to celebrate less sales if you want to. Business doesn't work that way if one year doesn't sell well, try to do something else the next year. It's all about budgets and the bottom line. Less sales and revenue this year, less budget next yearfor franchise mode and everything else that needs improving.

That's what I thought when EA signed the exclusive deal a few years back. They spent all that money getting exclusive licenses for ESPN, NCAA, NFL, AFL....they have nothing left to put into development and the game will end up suffering.

They have plenty of money for improving, they just spend it in the wrong places.

# 84 TDKing @ 08/20/10 09:27 PM

Economy had nothing to do with why I didn't buy it or why my friends haven't bought it, we are older gamers with plenty of cash. My reasons are simple "almost online franchise'" last year and those famous "server side patches"

. Every time I get tempted to pick it up this year I just think back to last year and how excited I was when they anounced Online Franchise then how disappointed I was when I saw what we really got. one other thing, My son who is 15 has a ton of people on his friends list. Normally most are playing madden around this time but guess what out of 100 friends I saw about 3 playing Madded 11.

EA are you really listening to the community??? Guess I'm the one smoking the cigar this year, huh...

# 85 roadman @ 08/20/10 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REDRZA


	Road, you know you and i are cool, but no way this is true. First off, EA Tiburon's M.O. about trying "to do something else the next year" has been to tune and tweak the old, stale, crusty "legacy code" they have been using for years, taking minor steps forward and backward in the process. As for next years budget being less because of this years poor sales. Thats utterly laughable. What about all those years we as Madden fans purchased this game to the tune of record sales, and STILL got the same old code tuned and tweaked the following year? In the good years, the budget wasn't increased. If they arent selling as many games as they used to, as a business eventually you have to INVEST money to make money. It's been a very long time coming, and many of us have been saying it over and over, this game needs new life. They need to build a better, smarter, deeper, more authentic game ground up.

I know what they need game wise.

Companies also give directives from the top on down. If you laid off a lot of people last year, your stock is real low right now and you have declining sales from year to year, they just can't keep pouring tons of resources into negative numbers.(i didn't even include the exclusive license as KJ pointed out)

If you think that EA will keep pouring more and more resources into a declining product area, that's your call.

I will preface this by saying I don't know what goes on behind the board room and EA and Tibouran and I could be wrong.

My business sense and experience tells me that won't happen.

# 86 crayzman @ 08/20/10 09:41 PM

I've bought both Madden and NCAA since 05 up until this year when I didn't buy Madden and definitely have no interest to. Like most other people have said, it's just not worth it because it has become stale. Odds are I'll pick up FIFA when it comes out instead (though maybe not, NHL 11 looks like it could be stuck in my PS3 for a very long time.)

# 87 24 @ 08/20/10 09:42 PM

With EA's stock plummeting and the quality of games (for the most part) on the next gen consoles since they secured the NFL Liscence it is only a matter of time before there exclusive deal gets revoked. not bashing them or anything but it is plain facts if a business is not performing that what company would want to deal with said business exclusively? 2 years ago EA was at 49 dollars a share now they are barely exceeding 15. You can partially blame it on the stock market crash but companies like take two did not experience a 34 point decrease

# 88 jmarcguy @ 08/20/10 10:15 PM

I haven't bought a Madden since 01. No biggie I just liked 2k. I dropped madden in the 90s when Gameday came out. I just assumed I'd come back to it eventually. This yr I got a ps3 so no more 2k5. Wanted to give Madden a try. It's not bad! What bothered me though was how much the game felt like my game in 01!! Even the graphics, though tremendously improved, look similar to the 01 models. There was alot I enjoyed but not enough to justify spending $60! Renting was enough. I want Madden to succeed but I also want choices.

# 89 Sort of Irish @ 08/20/10 10:16 PM

Madden is a lot like HBO's Entourage; I know each episode is going to be full of Hollywood cliches and unnecessary cameos but I still insist on watching. I guess I'm holding onto the slim possibility that something unexpected happens and the series turns itself around.

Same applies to Madden. I bought it this year and didn't really expect much but hoped that maybe, just maybe, the game would make a big leap from it's last installment. It didn't and now I'm left with what is basically Madden '10.

# 90 shadthedad @ 08/20/10 10:36 PM

The sky is not falling for EA sports. If you guys paid any attention to the pre sale promotions; amazon offered a 20 dollar game credit and walmart offered a 20 dollar gift card to anyone who pre ordered madden 11. That let's me know that EA is offering some type of incentive to retailers who sell the most copies....that's it. Contrary to the majority of comments, this year's madden is awesome! And I would dare say it's one of the best Maddens (from a gameplay standpoint of all time). Keep up the good work Ian. Madden 2011 is light years ahead of madden 2009. Don't believe me.... Play 2009 or you tube it.

# 91 PacMan3000 @ 08/20/10 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CYST2000


	I don't think EA will do anything differently. Ian asked them for a new engine when he first started and he was declined. As long as they can put in less money and get a ton out they won't make the game any better.

When did Ian ask for this? News to me.

# 92 Exonerated @ 08/20/10 11:20 PM

Price goes down. Demand goes up.

# 93 SirDrexl @ 08/20/10 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krioniq


	This article has me curious about two things: if video games are due for a price drop across the board if yearly sports games such as Madden might operate better using a subscription model with periodic downloadable title updates and boxed expansion packs, a la World of Warcraft I think that a subscription model in Madden's case would be viable if online leagues were fleshed out a TON. Like, at least on par with the NHL games' online component. That said, if a subscription model does emerge, I hope it doesn't come at the expense of the single-player experience.

I think the problem with a subscription model is that unlike WOW, interest in the game is heavily seasonal. How do you get people to pay in the time between the Super Bowl and preseason? (Unless the fee is high during the season and low in the offseason, that is.)

Maybe it's just that the yearly cycle of games doesn't work in today's world where games are augmented with DLC for months after release. I remember Capcom being criticized for Super Street Fighter IV, which came out a year after SFIV, and they charged $40 for it instead of the $60 EA wants for Madden.

Maybe it is time for a 2-year cycle for the game, which would allow them to really overhaul the graphics and gameplay for each version. There would be DLC for things like roster updates, tweaks, and extra features. You'd pay something like $10 for a roster subscription that would allow you to download updated rosters throughout the season.

# 94 dredre @ 08/20/10 11:35 PM

not a big madden fan but from reading most of the comments looks like ea has 2 take the overall gameplay 2 a wholenother level 2 get people interested again

# 95 spit_bubble @ 08/21/10 12:15 AM

The other factor besides the economy is that games cost too much to make. Even in a good economy we'd probably still see this industry chugging along, having to really grind out a game.

When you have to put hundreds of millions of dollars into a title over the course of multiple years of development it leaves you exposed to too much risk. Naturally what gets sacrificed is the quality of product.

# 96 PRAY IV M3RCY @ 08/21/10 01:27 AM

i laugh everytime i see a Madden commercial on tv.

"NOW PLAY GAMES IN HALF THE TIME"

seriously is this a joke, the biggest feature you have for me is being able to play my games in half the time?

look the e3 showing was lame, the trailer was lame, gameflow looked lame(as a main feature).

the lamest thing of all is having these reviewers rate the game so high.

# 97 PantherBeast_OS @ 08/21/10 01:30 AM

Honestly the economy has alot to do with game sales been down. But truthfully EA needs to do some more things to improve gameplay. The D really needs to be redone and the D Playbooks need to be overhauled. The Pass rush protection needs to be tuned some. The run blocking is good now. But the main thing Ian and company really need to focus on more then anything is franchise mode offline and online together and make it much better then it was back in the ps2 days. Franchise mode is the main thing people are asking for them to work on this coming year aside from tuning other things like the oline and D. But if Ian and company can give us a franchise mode next year that would blow our minds away. Then I think they would see sales increase big time.

# 98 Bull_Dozer @ 08/21/10 01:49 AM

Not surprising. I didn't buy madden 11, and I won't buy another madden until franchise mode is completely redone.

# 99 ghettoqball @ 08/21/10 02:06 AM

Did anybody not see this coming? Maybe EA will get it going next year and give us a quality product.

# 100 rawcorp @ 08/21/10 02:53 AM

EA wants to get these casual gamers, while alienating all the hardcore gamers who count for most of their repeat sales every year.

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