No Thread on week 2 Madden sales?

[mrprice33]

After 2 weeks...

Madden NFL 10
360-742,991
PS3-490,272
Total 1,233,263

Madden NFL 11
360-677,401
PS3-566,036
Total-1,243,437

So they are up, if only slightly (it's barely even 1%). The most interesting thing to me, though, is how much better they are doing on PS3 (up 13%), even while they continue to lose 360 customers at nearly the same rate (down almost 9%). Also, second week sales suffered a pretty precipitous dropoff (294,383 for 10 to 254,986 for 11, which has got to be pretty discouraging).

[Paytonsplace]

Re: No Thread on week 2 Madden sales?

If one includes all platforms then the year over year sales are down. The increase in PS3 sales is offset and probably due to a significant decline in PS2 sales. I can't imagine that EA is thrilled with these results especially given that last year's summer numbers were not well received by EA.

This is why I believe the NFL exclusive does not matter. Madden has to compete against games like "Mass Effect 2", "Red Dead Redemption", and pretty soon "Halo:Reach". These are blockbuster games that pretty much define the cutting edge of console gaming. This is why I do believe that ultimately Madden does have competition. Madden must compete for the gamer's time and money weighed against these other options. Indeed back in 2006-2007, the XBOX 360 did not have the number and quality of games available. This has changed significantly. So much so that despite the user base for the XBOX 360 increasing significantly since last year, Madden sales have failed to keep pace, rather they have declined. The sad fact for EA is that when one examines the sales charts over the years, the NFL exclusive did not yield any significant increase in Madden sales. Madden is a pretty stale experience when weighed against these other games.

I've been a fan of Madden since 1991 and a football fan for life, however my gaming time is currently devoted to "Dragon Age" and "Red Dead Redemption". I'll come back to Madden when the game is capable of matching the entertainment value of "Mass Effect 2".

[maddenps2]

Re: No Thread on week 2 Madden sales?

Looks like it's selling great.

[Paytonsplace]

Re: No Thread on week 2 Madden sales?

These are week one sales of a few games. These are the kind of numbers that EA wishes to see for Madden (especially given the hefty cost of the NFL exclusive)

Mass Effect 2 726,800 (360 exclusive)
Red Dead Redemption 698,980 (on 360)
Red Dead Redemption 407,381 (on PS3)
Modern Warfare 2 3,286.959 (xbox 360)

Moreover these games had legs with sales well into the 7 figures at this point. Again my point is that everyone has a certain amount of gaming time. Madden seems to be losing here. Gamers are opting for new and exciting experiences.

The market has spoken.

[stlstudios189]

Re: No Thread on week 2 Madden sales?

that's the thing. These other games are fresh and new because they are. Madden has been yearly since 1991 that in itself shows why sports games are lacking in sales its a "been there done that" kinda thing. However in sports games there is hope look at the NHL model the controls were completly redone and the game feels new and awesome. Madden needs to do the same.

[LiquorLogic]

Re: No Thread on week 2 Madden sales?

If one includes all platforms then the year over year sales are down. The increase in PS3 sales is offset and probably due to a significant decline in PS2 sales. I can't imagine that EA is thrilled with these results especially given that last year's summer numbers were not well received by EA.

This is why I believe the NFL exclusive does not matter. Madden has to compete against games like "Mass Effect 2", "Red Dead Redemption", and pretty soon "Halo:Reach". These are blockbuster games that pretty much define the cutting edge of console gaming. This is why I do believe that ultimately Madden does have competition. Madden must compete for the gamer's time and money weighed against these other options. Indeed back in 2006-2007, the XBOX 360 did not have the number and quality of games available. This has changed significantly. So much so that despite the user base for the XBOX 360 increasing significantly since last year, Madden sales have failed to keep pace, rather they have declined. The sad fact for EA is that when one examines the sales charts over the years, the NFL exclusive did not yield any significant increase in Madden sales. Madden is a pretty stale experience when weighed against these other games.

I've been a fan of Madden since 1991 and a football fan for life, however my gaming time is currently devoted to "Dragon Age" and "Red Dead Redemption". I'll come back to Madden when the game is capable of matching the entertainment value of "Mass Effect 2".

I have to disagree with the bold part of your post. Yes, Madden has to compete with other games, form other genres for sales, but those are for the true casual gamers: the gamers that don't have to have a football game. EA got the exclusive deal to secure the market share of the gamers who love the football and love the NFL. EA loses these customers every year, but they replace them. For every person that gets turned off by Madden, there some 10 year old kid out there than loves football, the NFL and really hasn't known anything else but Madden as he was four years old when 2k5 was out. Those kids are going to want a football video game, and they only choice they have is Madden. This kids don't know what an authentic football game plays like, because they've never seen it, and they're too young to notice unrealistic things in the game. The only way to make them see the light, so to speak, is to give them another, more authentic, game.

[roadman]

Re: No Thread on week 2 Madden sales?

T

The market has spoken.

No, the one year cycle has spoken.

[bxgoods]

Re: No Thread on week 2 Madden sales?

If one includes all platforms then the year over year sales are down. The increase in PS3 sales is offset and probably due to a significant decline in PS2 sales. I can't imagine that EA is thrilled with these results especially given that last year's summer numbers were not well received by EA.

This is why I believe the NFL exclusive does not matter. Madden has to compete against games like "Mass Effect 2", "Red Dead Redemption", and pretty soon "Halo:Reach". These are blockbuster games that pretty much define the cutting edge of console gaming. This is why I do believe that ultimately Madden does have competition. Madden must compete for the gamer's time and money weighed against these other options. Indeed back in 2006-2007, the XBOX 360 did not have the number and quality of games available. This has changed significantly. So much so that despite the user base for the XBOX 360 increasing significantly since last year, Madden sales have failed to keep pace, rather they have declined. The sad fact for EA is that when one examines the sales charts over the years, the NFL exclusive did not yield any significant increase in Madden sales. Madden is a pretty stale experience when weighed against these other games.

I've been a fan of Madden since 1991 and a football fan for life, however my gaming time is currently devoted to "Dragon Age" and "Red Dead Redemption". I'll come back to Madden when the game is capable of matching the entertainment value of "Mass Effect 2".

Those games you listed come out every 2.5-3 years, Madden comes out every year, its not a fair comparison. You should compare Madden Sales to other games that come out yearly.

[rooney8]

Re: No Thread on week 2 Madden sales?

Those games you listed come out every 2.5-3 years, Madden comes out every year, its not a fair comparison. You should compare Madden Sales to other games that come out yearly.

No problem. Fifa, Nhl, Nba2k sales up. Madden sales down.
I hope this give Ian more ammo to try and get a new engine but I would be very surprised at this stage.

[debauchlord]

Re: No Thread on week 2 Madden sales?

No problem. Fifa, Nhl, Nba2k sales up. Madden sales down.
I hope this give Ian more ammo to try and get a new engine but I would be very surprised at this stage.

The way I look at it is that everyone is right to some degree. Madden is indeed competing with other games, the one year redundancy cycle is a negative, and, no one has mentioned this yet, Madden is competing with both gamer TIME and gamer DOLLAR. Maybe the true answer is that if you want an every year game, drop it at 40 bucks. I know, one will quote Activision and MW2 sales figures that a yearly game can succeed end over end...but I am betting that sooner rather than later that bubble will burst (look at the plastic instrument fad). The more casual gamers that flood the market, the less sales franchise games will get. The economy also blows right now, so you have people being more frugal. If you can only get five games this year, Madden would never be one of those five, but it needs to be. Madden just does not provide a good dollar/entertainment value as other games do.

[beastwork]

Re: No Thread on week 2 Madden sales?

ps3 sales are up due to a larger install base i'm sure. more people are upgrading to the ps3 since the price drop last year.

[rooney8]

Re: No Thread on week 2 Madden sales?

The way I look at it is that everyone is right to some degree. Madden is indeed competing with other games, the one year redundancy cycle is a negative, and, no one has mentioned this yet, Madden is competing with both gamer TIME and gamer DOLLAR. Maybe the true answer is that if you want an every year game, drop it at 40 bucks. I know, one will quote Activision and MW2 sales figures that a yearly game can succeed end over end...but I am betting that sooner rather than later that bubble will burst (look at the plastic instrument fad). The more casual gamers that flood the market, the less sales franchise games will get. The economy also blows right now, so you have people being more frugal. If you can only get five games this year, Madden would never be one of those five, but it needs to be. Madden just does not provide a good dollar/entertainment value as other games do.

Yes I agree with everything you said. The economy is affecting Madden but only because it's not very good. Alot of people used to buy every game they wanted but now have to choose and Madden just doesn't give you much reason to buy it.