Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

[green94]

Re: Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

Lets say that madden got to it and made next years a kick a** game sim wise. What could they do every year after that to keep people wanting more?

If the game had awesome game play which is what we all want, would a roster update be worth 60 bucks then? Because then you would be buying the same game every year (killer game play ) but paying 60 bucks for a roster update.

Do you think people would be fine with killer simulation gameplay and a 60 dollar roster update every year? And if so, for how many years?

Yes, because they would continue to add small things to the game every year to make it worth buying. Look at MLB The Show... every year they add more and more to the game while the main gameplay has stayed in tact.

[mestevo]

Re: Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

So this whole article is predicated on pricing? Retailers know millions of people are buying this game over the next couple months and want people to come buy it at their store so that they buy other things there too.

This inference would make more sense if the price adjustments were done by EA.

[stlstudios189]

Re: Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

I think the lack of fresh feel is just a byproduct of the fact that the game is 21 years old. Basketball sales are down, baseball is down, so football is no different

[RumbleCard]

Re: Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

Sim sells. The Show. NBA2K series. EA's NHL. Top Spin Tennis. Gran Turismo. UFC Undisputed. FIFA. Fight Night. The list goes on.

Now we can argue how sim like some of these games really are but the intention is to "simulate" the experience and game play.

Anyone who says that sim doesn't fully grasp what consumers want doesn't understand. Consumers want the experience (as realistically as possible). Sim doesn't have to = complicated. Its all in the execution of the game play. Make the game play as close to real life as possible and the game will sell well to casual gamers and the hardcore jockgeeks.

[RGiles36]

Re: Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

Been an interesting thread to read. In fact, I read the entire thing.

I think it's difficult to say who's right/wrong in the back & forth that has transpired. One thing I do know: celebrating bad sales (if they are indeed 'bad') is probably not a great idea. I know some think this opens the door for Madden to become even more sim or that it'll eventually void the exclusive license. Me, I'm not so naive.

The truth is -- depending on who you ask -- Madden has gone into a more sim direction the last two years. I think anyone who makes the case that the hardcore gamer wasn't thought of in the last two years is biased. Even Gameflow which certainly has a more casual appeal has something unique that even this sim gamer can appreciate. My point is that sagging sales could produce the opposite of what some are looking for in this thread.

If enough people at EA think that Madden has gotten a little too hardcore in the last two years (it could happen), we could be looking at a scenario where the game gets back to being more tourney/casual.

As you can all see the numbers from M11 to M10 are bad and to M09 are awful even though M11 had an extra day. So all those (roadman, Only1LT) who needed proof I hope this will satisfy. Madden11 sales are terrible lets continue to celebrate and hope this will change the arcade approach to sim, sim, sim.

Ditto above...

[Only1LT]

Re: Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

Sarcasim and research fail for you i'm afraid mate. Article FTW.
Those numbers for Madden10 are for two days sales and the numbers for Madden11 are for five days sales.

“Madden NFL 10” takes the top spot on this week’s worldwide chart, with over 1.25 million units sold in the first two days of release. The platform breakdown is as follows (note this is worldwide figures, but of course the majority of Madden sales occur in the US):

Overall, first week Madden sales are down 23% from last year, but much of this difference comes from the fact that Madden 09 released on a Wednesday so had 4 days of sales in the tracking period whereas Madden 10 released on a Friday and only had two. Comparing directly to the first two days of sale last year, Madden is actually only down 12% year on year.

As you can all see the numbers from M11 to M10 are bad and to M09 are awful even though M11 had an extra day. So all those (roadman, Only1LT) who needed proof I hope this will satisfy. Madden11 sales are terrible lets continue to celebrate and hope this will change the arcade approach to sim, sim, sim.

Like I said, I have no doubt that the confirmation would come. I have thought long before this article that sales would be down this year. They have been down just about every year. Add in the fact that preorder numbers were down and that there were a ton of deals before the game even released, and things didn't look too rosey.

My point wasn't that sales numbers were going to be good, only that the article never mentioned any specific sales numbers. Just that they thought they would be down based on prices being slashed. Again, I always thought sales would be down and that the confirmation that the article lacked, would be available soon.

And for those wanting to take bets on whether madden 11 will sell more than 10, I will take that action lol. It has nothing to do with this article either. I would have taken that bet months ago.

[Iamantonio704]

Finally! can we get a 2K sports Football game now!

[OctoberRust38]

Re: Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

All the flimsy correlations between lagging sales and supposed "poor quality" are amusing. Madden 11 and NCAA 11 are among the best, if not THE best, football games ever made by EA (or by anybody). The software industry is down across the board, as are numbers for almost every industry based purely on recreation and discretionary income. This is the worst economy since the Great Depression. So yeah....sales will be down. Believe it or not, the VAST majority of Madden buyers don't hang out on message boards whining about video games all day every day trying to pick it apart. Sorry to rain on the haters' parade, but the down economy is pretty much all it amounts to.

Your contribution to the destruction of quality licensed football games is second to none.

EA thanks you for your support

[marktg30]

Re: Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

Finally! can we get a 2K sports Football game now!

What are you talking about?

[OctoberRust38]

Re: Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

What are you talking about?

If the Sales continue to drop, EA will think twice about putting huge amounts of money up front for exclusive license to the NFL.

Madden is an **** fail year after year.

The return of 2K Sports is the only way to save licensed football games this generation of consoles.

[Cantgetright69]

Re: Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

Thank god.

Now I know for sure that madden 12 will have solid gameplay and a deep franchise mode.

We did it guys we did it!

[OctoberRust38]

Re: Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

Thank god.

Now I know for sure that madden 12 will have solid gameplay and a deep franchise mode.

We did it guys we did it!

Go and put your pre-order in right away!

Madden'06 is going to be great! EA will put out pure next-gen game for us

Madden'07 is going to be great! EA knows what needs to be done and improved from Madden'06

Madden'08 will be the best Madden yet

Madden'09 will be the best Madden yet

Madden'10 will be a true next gen football experience and the best Madden ever!

Madden'11 will be the best Madden yet all those mistakes in the previous Maddens will be corrected. I can't wait until its released. Thank you EA for listening to us fans

Don't be a victim another year, my friend.

[Cantgetright69]

Re: Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

Go and put your pre-order in right away!













Don't be a victim another year, my friend.

lol good post man. So true. This was the first year I didn't rush to buy madden and couldnt be happier with my decision. I wasn't sure if I could withstand the cravings cause i love football so much. But just cause you love football doesn't mean you gotta waste money on a product that makes you angry and frustrated from lack of features and quality gameplay that makes realistic stats.

I feel bad for all the people tweaking sliders trying to get realistic gameplay and stats. Sorry to inform you all but it's not possible. The only way it would be possible is if ea spent time trying to get it themselves. And if its not possible with this current engine then they need to create a new one.

Cause i'm not getting madden again if they use this same engine that never worked.

[btrapp]

Re: Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

lol good post man. So true. This was the first year I didn't rush to buy madden and couldnt be happier with my decision. I wasn't sure if I could withstand the cravings cause i love football so much. But just cause you love football doesn't mean you gotta waste money on a product that makes you angry and frustrated from lack of features and quality gameplay that makes realistic stats.

I feel bad for all the people tweaking sliders trying to get realistic gameplay and stats. Sorry to inform you all but it's not possible. The only way it would be possible is if ea spent time trying to get it themselves. And if its not possible with this current engine then they need to create a new one.

Cause i'm not getting madden again if they use this same engine that never worked.

The main problem with madden is they have zero competition. I guarantee you if madden actually had a competitor, there games would be infinitely
better. These guys aren't bad programmers, and they know how to make a great football game. They just don't have to.

[Clutch masta]

If a reviewer believes that the game deserves a 9, where is this supposed bias?

If i believe it is bias,why are you questioning me?leave it as what i said.Simpler,supposedly Deeper,and Quicker deserves a 9 rating?yea right.I'll give it a 5.5 for trying but the execution 0.I dont want to go anymore with this debate,stay on topic.