Thoughts On A Madden Subscription Model?

[Hooe]

Not sure if this has been previously discussed, but nothing relevant is coming up when I search.

Jumping straight to the question: how would you react to the idea of Madden abandoning the yearly boxed release and instead offering only a single disc / download which is routinely upgraded and patched regularly over the course of several years, similar to an MMO?

Assume the following for this hypothetical subscription service for this question:

• it's economically viable for EA to go this route; whether they financially can do this isn't what I am asking here
• you are a consumer who intends to purchase Madden; i.e. the quality of Madden as it currently exists isn't up for debate here, rather just the method of distribution and the means of sending game upgrades to the player
• there is a one-time cost for purchasing the initial software and a monthly fee for using the service, similar to an MMO
• the initial software which will be built upon over time is Madden NFL 25 (whatever that may be)
• roster updates are offered with the same frequency during the season and regularly during the offseason (including daily for the first week of the free agency period and weekly during the preseason)
• MUT has the same level of support it does right now with regard to cards, promotions, etc.
• minor new features are peppered into the game in throughout the year, a la the addition of fantasy draft into CCM for Madden NFL 13 with a title update this past year
• major system upgrades (ex. Infinity Engine addition, other "back of the box features") are still most likely to release in August, but are liable to appear at any given time
• game patches, tuning adjustments, and bugfixes are liable to release at any time during the calendar year; software support does not end after the Super Bowl
• assume some sort of throw-in from the NFL, maybe a month-long trial of NFL Game Rewind with each new subscription and/or renewal

Would you buy into a system like this for Madden? What, if any, additional concessions / adjustments related to this conversion would you want to see to sell you on such a change? To be clear, I'm not looking for responses such as "foot planting or I'm not buying Madden" or "bring back franchise mode or I'm not buying Madden", I'm simply interested in the means of distribution here.

[SageInfinite]

Re: Thoughts On A Madden Subscription Model?

I think it could be decent for sports gaming in general. I don't think it should be monthly all year round tho, maybe a subscription each month during the season, or a flat fee for the whole season. As far as Madden is concerned it'd have to come on long way for me to approve of something like this.

[DUDERMAN]

Re: Thoughts On A Madden Subscription Model?

I would not be thrilled with that method as I like having a physical disc. It may be something that is not needed but I like to hold onto them like I do with my old music cds that I never play anymore. However, just as music CDs have become largely obsolete with digital music services like iTunes, physical video game discs will soon be a thing of the past. From everything I have read, Sony and Microsoft are looking for this next generation of video game retail to become mostly digital. I believe Sony has already said they will be streaming games to the PS4 via their cloud service.

I can see many games switching to a free-to-play, micro-transaction type of model in the next couple years. If EA chooses to go with a monthly fee for Madden, so be it. They won't be the only ones in town to try it.

Some people who grow stale of Madden soon after the football season ends would likely benefit from a monthly license as they would maybe not have to pay the regularly full retail price.

[Grey_Osprey]

Re: Thoughts On A Madden Subscription Model?

I'd be very interested. Obviously it would depend on what the montly/yearly fee was and whether it would require online connection to play the game, basically eliminating offline play entirely (ala the pc game Diablo 3).

On a side note, I've often wondered why game companies HAVE to release a "new" game every year instead of doing as you have proposed. I figured either the "new" release was highly profitable vs the cost of producing it, or they are required to by contract. You'd think eliminating the cost associated with getting the game to stores AND replacing it with a subscription model and periodic downloadable upgrades would be a win win.

[KBLover]

Re: Thoughts On A Madden Subscription Model?

Jumping straight to the question: how would you react to the idea of Madden abandoning the yearly boxed release and instead offering only a single disc / download which is routinely upgraded and patched regularly over the course of several years, similar to an MMO?

Not for me.

If I have to pay $5 a month for a year - then it's $60 anyway. What's the difference?

If it's more than that, I'm paying more than for what the game would cost new each year.

I don't play MMORPGs either. Paying each month to play a game I bought doesn't appeal to me.

[ubernoob]

Except that most MMORPGS don't require a paid subscription now, that's just one of the tiers of play.

Anyways, if they did a PC release like this I'd be in from day one. It would be near impossible to implement though without horrendous DRM, and we know EAs recent track record there.

[Hooe]

Re: Thoughts On A Madden Subscription Model?

Except that most MMORPGS don't require a paid subscription now, that's just one of the tiers of play.

Anyways, if they did a PC release like this I'd be in from day one. It would be near impossible to implement though without horrendous DRM, and we know EAs recent track record there.

That's something I completely forgot about (I obviously don't play many MMOs either). Perhaps Madden could go free-to-play for Play Nown and MUT, but require a fee for CCM and Online Team Play.

Agreed that anything dealing with EA on the PC is a mess right now with regard to DRM. They would have to improve in this area significantly for PC Madden to be an appealing option to this end (to me).

[Cryolemon]

Re: Thoughts On A Madden Subscription Model?

How about instead of a monthly fee, you pay for roster updates and similar stuff? For people who like to keep the rosters up to date it would amount to near enough the same as a monthly fee anyway. Patches etc should still be free.

[KBLover]

Re: Thoughts On A Madden Subscription Model?

How about instead of a monthly fee, you pay for roster updates and similar stuff? For people who like to keep the rosters up to date it would amount to near enough the same as a monthly fee anyway. Patches etc should still be free.

Rosters as DLC at least lets you choose when you want to spend the extra money. Like you said, some could get every update, some might get them at week 1, week 8, and after Super Bowl, after their team or any team makes a big trade or has a big injury and they want to play with that, etc.

That's something I completely forgot about (I obviously don't play many MMOs either). Perhaps Madden could go free-to-play for Play Nown and MUT, but require a fee for CCM and Online Team Play.

Wouldn't like that either because I play CCM exclusively, but offline.

Having to pay for playing a mode on a game I bought doesn't appeal to me either, especially an offline mode.

I'd much rather them allow you to add-on modes you want. Game could come with Play Now on disc and you can buy the modes you want to play as DLC 'expansions'. So I could buy offline CCM for $10 and pay some nominal amount for the CD and call it a day. Then roster updates as I feel the desire as DLC. Madden a la carte.

Of course, it would never happen.

[bucky60]

Re: Thoughts On A Madden Subscription Model?

Why in the world would someone want to pay a monthly subscription fee for a game that should not REQUIRE you to be online to play. MMO's I can understand, but a sports game that you should be able to play by yourself? It would just make Madden that much more inaccessible and expensive. The only way I would even come close to being OK with an monthly subscription fee is if you get a full featured football game that costs no more for the initial cost and 12 months than the $60 we pay now.

Why would I want to pay more and possibly get less. Or pay the same amount and get less unless you pay MORE.

I just don't see this being a good distribution method. Just don't trust EA enough to give us what we are currently getting with other sports games w/o making us pay substantially more.

Just don't get why anyone would think this is a good idea. Maybe, MAYBE, I would not mind if we would get a quality, full featured game that would end up costing the same as we are currently paying. The only way I would not mind.

[Hooe]

Re: Thoughts On A Madden Subscription Model?

Just don't get why anyone would think this is a good idea.

Theoretically, it could be a win-win for EA and their consumers - EA could spin this distribution model into something more profitable than their annual release model (and also eliminate costs by not having to print as many discs), and consumers could reasonably expect more regular support for and upgrades to their software.

I acknowledge that it is hard to consider a thread like this on hypotheticals, and I agree that EA would have to make the subscription model worthwhile and that they'd have to offer features and functionality beyond what we currently have. Throwing ideas against the wall here: if a subscription-based Madden meant we got a true persistent massively multiplayer online mode in Madden - think FIFA Soccer's 11-on-11 online team-up mixed with a deep football MMO like Goal Line Blitz - then I think it could be a very appealing option for players.

[roll2tide]

Re: Thoughts On A Madden Subscription Model?

I would think that this would need to be a flat rate annual fee. That's what the CD is now, essentially. The problem is that, for guys like me who play Madden year round, we are a 12 month expense. If it was a monthly fee then more consumers would cut that expense out around December and probably would not go back to paying for a 6 month old game in Jan/Feb. Yearly fee for full game access should get everything downloaded to your box so you could play offline after that if you desired(ie the game plays even if you lose internet or EA servers crash).

Play now with no player stat tracking and no rankings could be free. A small monthly fee option could be available to Play Now and have the server track your stats and rank you but no CCM and either no or limited MTU access. Monthly members names should be a different color than full purchase players. This would help identify the two sects since it is likely the the short term group would cheese more than the long term group.

I would gladly pay 60$ annually for full purchase access. Costs me the same $--I've already established that I value Madden at $60 anyways--and EA cuts the CD production/shipping costs. They also gain back CD production and shipping time.

I wonder, though, how this would affect their relationships with the gaming stores. Would EA even care? Should they? Would this method effectually kill the Game Stops of the world?

[bucky60]

Re: Thoughts On A Madden Subscription Model?

Theoretically, it could be a win-win for EA and their consumers - EA could spin this distribution model into something more profitable than their annual release model (and also eliminate costs by not having to print as many discs), and consumers could reasonably expect more regular support for and upgrades to their software.

I acknowledge that it is hard to consider a thread like this on hypotheticals, and I agree that EA would have to make the subscription model worthwhile and that they'd have to offer features and functionality beyond what we currently have. Throwing ideas against the wall here: if a subscription-based Madden meant we got a true persistent massively multiplayer online mode in Madden - think FIFA Soccer's 11-on-11 online team-up mixed with a deep football MMO like Goal Line Blitz - then I think it could be a very appealing option for players.

Well, I only do a single player franchise, so I really don't care, want or need online anything, except maybe for original purchase. An Madden MMO would mean nothing to me personally and I'd be forced to play and PAY for a model I just don't care for. Now for online leagues, maybe this would be an OK model. But if I want to pass on Madden for a year or two like I have and keep playing the game for a couple of years, then the price of the game doubles or triples for me if it's a subscription. I'm still on Madden 12.

This would be a win for EA but a massive loss for me. You'd have to have a massive trust in EA/Tib to produce good games, and I just don't have that right now.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: Thoughts On A Madden Subscription Model?

Not paying a monthly fee for no game. That is just absurd. If they want to go strictly digital release, that is all fine and dandy, but I'm only paying the price of the game and that is it. The day EA or any company start charging monthly fees for stuff is the day I stop playing their game.

[MaddenSaints]

Re: Thoughts On A Madden Subscription Model?

I would not like this. I would want a physical disc.