So, what would it take?

[mdgoalie37]

I think I would need to find major, major issues and then have all of the EA people disappear off the boards. That would anger me to no end.

That said I don't really believe either one of these things will happen.

[BobbyColtrane]

how many people that hate madden bought it last year?

i was one of the few who backed up my mouth and never bought it. i played it for about 2 minutes at gamestop and realized i didn't want it.

i bet most of the ppl who threaten to not buy it and never say anything good about the game buy it anyway.

i will buy it this year, it looks improved.

[trick02]

The only time i didnt buy madden was when 2k5 came out, but since it got cut do to the licence agreement i learned to deal with what madden doesnt have for what it does. I love the constant roster updates and the patches. Even if 2K some how came back i wouldnt be able to play another football game unless it had the ability to import rosters since i spend just as much time on ncaa as i do madden. The game keeps getting better and every year they take steps to improve such as there presents in the forum this year. Every1 can hate on madden its easy to pick apart ne game nothing comes out perfect.

[cdon2k]

I am not putting too much on 09 because Phil only got control of the game half way through the year. Ian had previously began starting a positive movement with 08, but when phil and ian get a full year on the game we may see a return to last gen greatness.

But here's the BIG question, do we want last gen greatness? Follow me for a second, lets say all goes as planned and Phil and Ian get the game playing like last gen, lets say by 2010 or 2011, is this enough? Short of gang tackles and the old gen feel, where's the innovation? I, as much as anyone cannot wait for Madden's return to greatness, but even if we get back there, it will still just be Madden and not the evolution path of that "other game".

Sorry for the negativity, just had to ask.

[ODogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by cdon2k

I am not putting too much on 09 because Phil only got control of the game half way through the year. Ian had previously began starting a positive movement with 08, but when phil and ian get a full year on the game we may see a return to last gen greatness. But here's the BIG question, do we want last gen greatness? Follow me for a second, lets say all goes as planned and Phil and Ian get the game playing like last gen, lets say by 2010 or 2011, is this enough? Short of gang tackles and the old gen feel, where's the innovation? I, as much as anyone cannot wait for Madden's return to greatness, but even if we get back there, it will still just be Madden and not the evolution path of that "other game". Sorry for the negativity, just had to ask.

I want a great next-gen game, i'm not focused on making it like last-gen. Sure some of the last-gen things need to be in the next-gen to make it great but it doesn't have to, nor should it, try to just copy the old-gen games. That would be outrageous.

[yamabushi]

Quote:

Madden 08 sold 5.6 Million copy's about 4 million of those consumers don't know anything about the bugs, glitch's, and shortcomings of the title. Go to a Madden release event and ask people if they know about the 3 DL pinch crash glitch. They are going to say what glitch because they don't even know they exist.

As always, sales do not equal qaulity.

Quote:

Madden 09 is going to do very well in sales this year it should at least do 6 Million copy's if not 7. The have succeeded in making the game more accessible to the causal gamer or to the football fan that doesn't buy Madden. I'm sure Madden will put up a larger chunk of the consumer base this year.

How so? the game controls the same as it has for years and years.

Quote:

What you are asking for just isn't going to happen Madden would have to be Alone in the Dark for your future to take place. It's going to get better ratings than it did last year I'll put money on that.

Of course they will. The review ratings for madden have been and always will be questionable at best, EA press releases at worst (see: next gen '06)

Quote:

We all believe the hype if your an NFL football fan you can't help it. It's a part of the process when was the community as a whole not hyped about an upcoming Madden game? Never

Not true in the least.

Quote:

Madden 09 will ship and people will find a couple of broken plays, bugs, glitch's, etc.... Just like every other year you can't avoid these things its a part of this industry.

again not true, I play plenty of games that ship complete and in no need of a patch.

Quote:

Even if we all don't buy the game it won't change anything we only make up about 10 to 20% of Maddens consumer base. With that we have more control over the game than the other 80 or 90%.

Dont underestimate yourself, we all see what a drop in sales last year has done. (dont fool yourselves, if not for the sales drop EA/tiburon would be no where near these boards)

[Flamehead]

A couple quick observations:

1) Many (not all) people who came to hate Madden, especially with '08, did so because they bought '08, not in spite of it. Meaning, I believe they came to believe the pre-release hype that '08 was finally going to the first good next-gen version of Madden, only to have it come crashing down on them when it became painfully obvious that EA performed what was tantamount to zero quality control on that title.

After playing through it for about a week and experiencing the many bugs, I said "you've got to be kidding me", and went back to Madden on the old xbox and NFL2K5 for my fix. Heretofore, I've noticed a groundswell of negativity toward Madden because of the increasing impatience with not only a sub-par next-gen experience, but one that was bug-riddled as well.

2) I also believe that sales will increase but not because of the attempt to "reach out" to casual gamers, but because people will get word that the game has improved (or looks to be improved given what Ian has shared with us), and this will result in higher sales because more people will be willing to finally give next-gen Madden a chance (instead of, say, buying the old xbox version of '09).

All IMHO, of course. Not trying to win a debate or anything, just my own personal, casual observations.

[Jistic]

Some of you guys overlook a demographic that I see more and more.

We all believe that all the guys that aren't "hardcore" like us will buy it every year cuz they aren't "sim" gamers.

I got news for ya. I know more and more guys that I and you would not consider "hard core" that tell me that Madden is the same game every year, don't think the graphics improved that much from 07 to 08 etc. I tell 'em, "Man you should see the improved gang tacking this year", and tell them I'm getting '09.

They tell me that it looks the same and are passing. One guy I work with told me he hasn't bought it in years and says it's because it's still basically the same game.

I think it's wrong to just assume the "sheep" will all buy it because it has a new cover and gimmick.