350,000 Played Madden NFL 10 Online Once, Then Never Went Online Again

[Only1LT]

Quote: Originally Posted by jeremym480

This. Also, I wonder if this counts people who just went online to get roster's and never played any games online (like me).

It said played once so I doubt it. Besides, unless if you only went online to update rosters once, then it would count more than once.

[Bgamer90]

Quote: Originally Posted by Only1LT

While I agree with what you say about about fair play, I don't think that's it. People have been "cheesing" since the very first Madden went online (think it was 2004 but my memory could have failed me) so it isn't like it is a new phenomena. Everyone has their own opinion of why this might be. My opinion is that 10 just wasn't that great of a game and we may be seeing people finally tiring of the same ol (basically) after 20yrs.

Oh yeah, you can never stop the cheese but I would like options or at least on screen stats which would help me to choose people that play fair.

I don't think that it should be standard for ranked games like it was last gen but there should be an option for it imo (I just want a good number of good games online... could really care less about rankings).

(Oh and the very first Madden that went online was 2003).

[Valdarez]

Are their Trophies / Achievements for playing a game online? If so, that would be another reason. 350k out of 5 million doesn't seem that bad to me.

[Only1LT]

To those that are saying that these numbers are due to roster updates, Kotaku seems to be portraying this as news worthy because it is out of the ordinary. We have had roster updates since the very first online Madden. If it is really due to roster updates, shouldn't the numbers have always looked like this? I'll go even further. Considering that sales have been declining since 2005, shouldn't the numbers in 2005 be even higher?

I seriously doubt this is due to roster updates. If it is then Kotaku wasted all of our time with a nonsensical article. Entirely possible, but I am going to have to say that I lean more towards the side that says that this isn't a roster update number and that something that has to do with negative Madden sentiment is at work here.

[Only1LT]

Quote: Originally Posted by Valdarez

Are their Trophies / Achievements for playing a game online? If so, that would be another reason. 350k out of 5 million doesn't seem that bad to me.

Maybe not, but all 5mil definitely do not play online. If it is more than half, I'd be surprised. That goes for most online games.

[Valdarez]

Quote: Originally Posted by Only1LT

Maybe not, but all 5mil definitely do not play online. If it is more than half, I'd be surprised. That goes for most online games.

Yeah, they said only what, 78% of sales had the ability to go online, so that drops it to 4 million (if we are using 5 million as the base).

After a game is released, most games boil down to the hardcore gamers and then the lobby players who are just playing with friends.

[LoostheMoos]

Improve the online experience, allow people more control over their experience and many would return. Some never will and thats OK too...but the idea that because gamer A is offline only and gamer B is a mix and gamer C is online only that the game itself can't be made better across all areas is a red herring!

(BTW, this is an old, old, old argument around here - the canard that EA can't work on online features AND offline franchise at the same time...can we please drop that meme already? Its like the annual pissing match over gameplay or details like uniforms, equipment, etc.)

How can they improve online? None of this is original, but it would be a good start:

1) Make better lobbies. Seriously. East and West is the best EA can do after 8 years of online games? How about something along the lines of Simulation, Casual, and Freestyle?

2) Allow players a much better rating system of themselves and better access to that info in the match-up screens...I care more about the guy's last 10 than I care about his overall record, but in the match-up screen that is either totally inaccessible or ludicrously difficult to find.

3) Enhance the overall experience online - from the interface (M10's was GOD AWFUL) to the lobbies to the options available to the players

4) Make the "ranked" games comply with the rules for XBL and PSN and then open up everything else in unranked games - and keep score dammit - post the player's overall records for W-L-Q, but use the ranking system to only count ranked games for their calculations.

[lgxjames]

Is it possible that people prefer to play offline..in their franchise??