EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector’s Edition

[coogrfan]

Re: EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector’s Edition

I understand your frustration, but the plain fact is the pc version doesn't sell well.

BioShock: Best Selling PC Game of August

Sep 13, 2007 at 3:24 PM

<script type="text/javascript">%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%7 4%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c% 74%6f%3a%6e%65%77%73%40%76%65%33%64%2e%63%6f%6d%3f %73%75%62%6a%65%63%74%3d%4e%65%77%73%25%32%30%53%7 5%62%6d%69%73%73%69%6f%6e%22%20%3e%41%6e%64%72%65% 77%20%42%75%72%6e%65%73%3c%2f%</script>1) Bioshock - 2K Games 77,374
2) World Of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Expansion Pack - Vivendi 49,126
3) World Of Warcraft - Vivendi
4) Guild Wars Eye Of The North Expansion Pack - NCsoft
5) Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword Expansion Pack - 2K Games
6) The Sims 2 Deluxe - Electronic Arts
7) Age Of Empires III - Microsoft
8) Madden NFL 2008 - Electronic Arts

Compare that with the consoles sales numbers for the same period:

1) Madden NFL 08 - Xbox 360 - Electronic Arts 896,592,
2) Madden NFL 08 - Playstation 2 - Electronic Arts 643,617
3) BioShock - Xbox 360 - 2K Games 490,910
4) Madden NFL 08 - Playstation 3 - Electronic Arts 336,189
5) Play With Remote - Wii - Nintendo of America 256,781

http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/34...Game-of-August

It doesn't take a business degree to see why EA decided to pull the plug. They are doing the same to the Xbox version, for pretty much the same reasons.

[Flamehead]

Re: EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector’s Edition

I somehow get the feeling this is just an attempt for them to be able to say that they sold more copies of Madden than if it was by itself. Instead of making the game better, their focus is on marketing, as usual. And yes packaging is marketing.

I'm sure we'll be able to pick up individual copies of HC on ebay though. That's what I'll do.

I don't even care about Madden anymore.

I agree 100%. I just can't take an unknown leap of faith in Madden anymore. The lack of quality control these past few years left a bad taste in my mouth. I'd rather wait to see what the consensus is first before deciding if it's even worth a purchase.

HC for me on ebay as well.

[Nza]

Re: EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector’s Edition

I understand your frustration, but the plain fact is the pc version doesn't sell well.

Compare that with the consoles sales numbers for the same period:

http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/34271/BioShock-Best-Selling-PC-Game-of-August

It doesn't take a business degree to see why EA decided to pull the plug. They are doing the same to the Xbox version, for pretty much the same reasons.

A game that makes the top 10 PC charts isn't sustainable? Come on, that's BS. Madden 08 PC would have still generated MUCH more revenue than it costed EA to make the game. Also, I highly doubt those numbers include EA Digital Download purchases of Madden PC, which going off the FootballFreaks community a considerable percentage opted to do last year. These are figures from game stores.

And as I said, they made a MAC version. Now, it was just the PC version packaged with Emulation software, but the packaging, the retailing, the licensing to get the emulation software etc isn't free, and the MAC version probably sold under 10,000 total copies. The PC probably close to 10x that if not more in total.

And you're meaning to tell me Madden DS sells more than PC? No way. And EA actually more or less make the DS version from the ground up - the PC is a cheap PS2 port.

The Xbox version was pulled because the Xbox is no longer supported by MS.

[Nza]

Re: EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector’s Edition

1 1 World Of Warcraft Vivendi
New 2 Madden NFL 2008 Electronic Arts
3 3 World Of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Expansion Pack Vivendi
4 4 The Sims 2 Deluxe Electronic Arts
2 5 Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword Expansion Pack 2K Games ( Take 2)
6 6 The Sims 2 Seasons Expansion Pack Electronic Arts
5 7 The Sims 2 H&M Fashion Stuff Expansion Pack Electronic Arts
10 8 Battlefield 2 Electronic Arts
8 9 MS Age Of Empires III Microsoft
9 10 Warcraft III Battle Chest Vivendi

http://www.yougamers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59785

"This list is based on units sold by over thirty channel partners."

Yeah, PC version doesn't sell Keep in mind, this is a game EA put basically zero extra resources into - they probably ran a conversion script on the finished PS2 code, applied a few patches, and wholla, PC version. #2 on the PC charts may not mean a whole lot compared to consoles, but it's not like it isn't making EA money.

[coogrfan]

Re: EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector’s Edition

All right. If EA isn't canceling the pc version because it isn't a money maker, why are they doing so?

[blklightning]

Re: EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector's Edition

EA is smoking crack if they think I am going to spend $90 on two bad games!!

finally, a voice of reason.

what the hell is wrong with you people?

"wah, wah, madden '08 sucks"

"ooh, they just announced madden '09. ima go pre-order it now."

the sheeple have returned.

[Nza]

Re: EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector’s Edition

All right. If EA isn't canceling the pc version because it isn't a money maker, why are they doing so?

Maybe it's not making them enough money by their standards and they'd prefer to reassign the tiny resources they did have designated to PC over to aid their console department. Going off their product these past few years they could use as much help as they can get. Or maybe EA just don't like PC - one of their leading execs said as much (although I'm sure they'll love PC when Spore hits, providing it doesn't require them to actually make any patches anyway). Who knows, all I really know is a platform that has millions of gamers on it deserves to have the US's largest exclusive sporting license covered, or in the least, if EA aren't interested anymore, it deserves to have the NFL license opened for others to take on.

And you know what the really funny thing is? despite EA efforts to do otherwise by just throwing the PS2 version over and calling it a day, 08 PC was the best version last year, and 07 PC the best the year before. I don't think I came across anyone who gave the PC and any other version both a fair go saying otherwise. The PC has so much potential for a football game that even a bastardized version is better than what they've managed to do on the consoles, and yet they seem to think the problem is with the platform, not the fact they don't try to make the PC version special.

Perhaps this will be a blessing in disguise for a truely capable developer to come along. After all, the PC only needs a generic game, the editing communities can do the rest.

[Crimsontide27]

Re: EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector’s Edition

EAs marketing machine is absolutely brilliant.

For the last 6 months all we have been reading is how much a piece of trash madden 08 was and no one was going to blindly purchase 09.

Now...instead of people sticking to the fact they wont buy 09, they are now willing to shell out 90 bucks for it!!!

EA should have its own classes taught in all college of businesses around the world. Pure absolute genius at work there.

Head coach had abysmal sales, so instead of release it seperatly again...and have horrible sales again...they bundle it with Madden...with options Madden should have had in the first place....and BAM!!! 90 bucks.

I certainly agree with other posters in the fact that the Madden AI cant handle hot routes and play changes as it is. The intro to custom made plays will lead to so much cheesing and abusing the AI that it wont even be funny.