Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

[marktg30]

Quote: Originally Posted by shadthedad

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.

Why aren't you comparing it to Madden 10?... Is it because it isn't much better than Madden 10 or is there something I am missing?

[Exonerated]

Price goes down. Demand goes up.

[SirDrexl]

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.

[dredre]

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

[spit_bubble]

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.

[JerseySuave4]

Quote: Originally Posted by markprior22

This is the first year I wasn't even the least bit tempted to buy Madden. I am an offline franchise player and the franchise mode is going to need quite an upgrade to pull me back in.

Same with me. This years Madden offered nothing that had me even remotely interested in buying the game. I'm tired of just buying the game because its Madden like i'm supposed to just trust them just because its Madden, and then go home and play it only to be bored and disappointed after a week and either sell it back or let it collect dust. Thats happened the last 4 years with Madden.

Like you, i'm an offline franchise person and them not doing anything to improve that mode really was the nail in the coffin. The Madden guys just dont seem to get it. They are too concerned about catering to the casual gamer than the hardcore gamer. The casual gamers are the ones that will buy the game just because its Madden and its the only NFL game. The hardcore gamers are the ones that are going to be harder to please and won't be willing to just fork over the money for a game thats not worth it. You saw on these boards alone, a lot of hardcore gamers that were unimpressed with all the info and the demo that decided to pass on it this year.

The Madden guys clearly just dont get it. They advertised and promoted quicker games this year. Their big thing was cutting the time it takes to play a game in half. What they dont realize is that if a game is good enough, the gamers dont mind the game being long because the game is fun to play and the reason you buy the game. And a better way to solve the games taking too long would be to just add In Game Saves so that you can just save your game and come back later to finish it if its taking too long.

MLB the Show can be a long game to play depending on how your game is going but that never bothers me because the game is so good and the actual game is why we even play the game. And if i have to i can fast forward to the next half inning or full inning (like a supersim on Madden) and i can save the game at any point (in game saves).

But the Madden people are trying too hard to cater to online gaming and casual gamers.

[REDRZA]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

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.

My point is, they have NEVER poured "more and more" resources to make this game better. They have cheaped out every year with minor tuning and tweaking of old existing code, a new gimmick or feature, and a roster update and slap the next years digits on the box.

The reason why this game isn't selling like they want it to is because they have not put anything significant into it, and many people are past tired of it and all the excuses that come with it. They have relied upon the rabid fanbase being loyal, and the historical success of years past with the Madden brand name. Those days are in decline and if they want to put this game back on top they are going to have to come strong, sooner or later.

[PRAY IV M3RCY]

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.