NFL License

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by wheelman990

This is only IF Madden continues to do well. What happens if people just get tired of the same old Madden? I personally think it's happened a little already. Sure, there are still millions of people buying the game, but lets be honest...with the exclusive there numbers should have improved vastly since 2005 IMO. What happens if EA's game doesn't sell, and then nobody wants a piece of the pie at or near the NFL's asking price? Like I said, if you have no promises or contracts insuring you get a multiple year deal....then why committ at all? It's risky. Develope a new series only to loose the license a year or two down the road when EA could once again get a exclusive? No thx

Well, if people were tired of the old Madden, things would have changed over the last 7 years, but they haven't, have they?

It's a lot of what if's in your equation.

We can only go by absolutes at this time, not hoping, wishing , etc.... and one of the absolutes is Madden is still selling. If it becomes a point where there sales drop off drastically, then we have something to discuss.

I think the Senator above me nailed it.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by ABR173rd

I think the main issues everyone has could be resolved by simply not pre-ordering Madden next year. If every member at OS that usually buys Madden-(Most Preorder) could hold off on pre-ordering the game, that alone could force EA into a position to either release a better product or at-least take the core fan base seriously. Most people would not be able to just not purchase the game, numbers will decline but not big enough numbers soon enough to invoke change. When the "Suits" at EA get the pre-order numbers and realize they are down dramatically from the previous year, that would at least send a message. I would still have purchased Madden this year, just not have pre-ordered it if wasn't for the promos going on. With the way technology is these days it would be to easy for us as consumers to make a small adjustment to our yearly Madden spending habit by delaying it a week. Just a thought.

I see you point, but I don't think 200 people at OS would put a dent in pre-orders. Our area at GS had 450 pre-orders and half of them were expected at midnight.

There are millions of people who don't peruse message boards that purchase Madden on a yearly basis. I talk to a lot of them standing in line each year.

[ABR173rd]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

I see you point, but I don't think 200 people at OS would put a dent in pre-orders. Our area at GS had 450 pre-orders and half of them were expected at midnight. There are millions of people who don't peruse message boards that purchase Madden on a yearly basis. I talk to a lot of them standing in line each year.

Yeah I agree, but its a start. If those 200 people have Facebook or Twitter they could pass the message along. Most people that play Madden have at least one friend that plays. You wouldn't have to convince anyone to not purchase the game. Just don't pre-order it. The ousting of Egypt's ruling class was facilitated via twitter.

I would also like to preface this with the following. I have no issue with the Dev team and I would assume there are tons of tweaks and changes to game play that they would love to implement. EA isn't going to lose the License for the NFL anytime soon. My impression is that the lack of time , funds, or resources to implement and make major changes to Madden are made by people way above the Dev teams pay grade. The only way to really get suits to re-evaluate their outlook on the Madden franchise is hit them where it hurts.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by ABR173rd

Yeah I agree, but its a start. If those 200 people have Facebook or Twitter they could pass the message along. Most people that play Madden have at least one friend that plays. You wouldn't have to convince anyone to not purchase the game. Just don't pre-order it. The ousting of Egypt's ruling class was facilitated via twitter. I would also like to preface this with the following. I have no issue with the Dev team and I would assume there are tons of tweaks and changes to game play that they would love to implement. EA isn't going to lose the License for the NFL anytime soon. My impression is that the lack of time , funds, or resources to implement and make major changes to Madden are made by people way above the Dev teams pay grade. The only way to really get suits to re-evaluate their outlook on the Madden franchise is hit them where it hurts.

I agree with you on the front end, but if you are going to purchase the game anyway, what's the difference if you purchase the game at midnight or one week later? I get the pre-order sales, but the bottom line is, if you don't pre-order the game and pick it up either during the first week or the next week, it still adds to EA's bottom line on the back end. They look at those numbers too.

[Pandetta]

Quote: Originally Posted by wheelman990

This is only IF Madden continues to do well. What happens if people just get tired of the same old Madden? I personally think it's happened a little already. Sure, there are still millions of people buying the game, but lets be honest...with the exclusive there numbers should have improved vastly since 2005 IMO. What happens if EA's game doesn't sell, and then nobody wants a piece of the pie at or near the NFL's asking price? Like I said, if you have no promises or contracts insuring you get a multiple year deal....then why committ at all? It's risky. Develope a new series only to loose the license a year or two down the road when EA could once again get a exclusive? No thx

Sales spiked significantly for M12 (along the lines of 25-30% to open - which is beyond all expectations), so I don't think there is too much danger of that.

[pinksheets]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pandetta

Sales spiked significantly for M12 (along the lines of 25-30% to open - which is beyond all expectations), so I don't think there is too much danger of that.

All thanks to the exclusive license, which is exactly EA's intention. The NFL is a booming business, even with Madden disappointing year in and year out, people are going to buy a football game, and EA has the only game in town. It's the same way with movie licensed games. They can put together a mediocre offering without fear, because the license moves the product.

I think OS members will be having this discussion for years, along with the countless threads about broken features and confusion over how such glaring errors got through any sort of testing. It's unfortunate, but nothing we can do, Transformers games, etc. will continue to sell, also, regardless of quality.

[BlackJackRabbit]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pandetta

Sales spiked significantly for M12 (along the lines of 25-30% to open - which is beyond all expectations), so I don't think there is too much danger of that.

I think that had more to do with the hype that the end of the lockout ( and subsequent free agency period) created rather than the quality of Madden 12.

[ABR173rd]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

I agree with you on the front end, but if you are going to purchase the game anyway, what's the difference if you purchase the game at midnight or one week later? I get the pre-order sales, but the bottom line is, if you don't pre-order the game and pick it up either during the first week or the next week, it still adds to EA's bottom line on the back end. They look at those numbers too.

Lol, yeah I'm being realistic. A ton of people on here every year say their not purchasing Madden the following year while only a small portion actually follow through. I know myself I will still purchase it at some point next year. I do feel they need a nudge and an easy way to at least get their attention would be holding out on a day one buy.

They also seemed to have spent a good amount of time and money on pushing Madden this year. More than likely that trend will continue next year so after wasting all that ad money to only see pre-order numbers down would definitely get someones attention.