To EA and Madden Consumers, Madden Is a Success

[RaychelSnr]

I gave myself the unenviable task of defending this generation of Madden and making a case that it has been a success.

Yeah, I am THAT crazy at this point.

But before I explain why I think Madden has been a success, I think it's best to define success. In other words, whose success are we looking at in this case?

If you look at it from EA's point of view, your definition of success would be entirely different from a fan's idea of success. The point of view I will be using changes the tone of my defense, so let me phrase this as best and as clearly as I can in the next paragraph.

The success of the Madden series is based on more people playing Madden year over year because, at that point, both EA and the consumers must be happy -- otherwise the sales would be decreasing.

Read More - To EA and Madden Consumers, Madden Is a Success

[1WEiRDguy]

good article, but you dont mention how their sales "success" has been skewed. Its been said many times before, but without a direct competitor, it is the ONLY product consumers will buy to get their pro football fix. (see Live Elite vs. 2k11) I won't even try to compare it to Backbreaker, but i guess the comparsion is inevitable

Look at BB...without real NFL team names, logos, stadiums, etc...people dismissed it from jump without even playing it. Now the gameplay was NOT the best...i will be the first to say that, but i thought it did have a solid foundation to build upon. But at any rate, most people passed over BB and just waited it out until madden was released.

Just off sales alone, i guess they are somewhat successful b/c they gain profit and in the end thats all that matters.

[Chivers688]

You simply cannot rule a monopoly as a success. There's nothing to compare it to.

You say sales figures are good, but it's possible that another company could have had 5x the amount of sales Madden has if it had been developing over the same time period.
And the gameplay could have been far more advanced than Madden has.

You simply cannot say it is a success without a direct rival to compare it to. Madden has a monopoly, over the NFL video game market.

[lofeazy]

Re: To EA and Madden Consumers -- Madden is a Success

You should be successful when your the only NFL game in town.

[TheCreep]

I like the line "Madden is far from perfect, but not even close to being terrible" . Very true indeed. I'm a simulation head too and I love it.

[St. Chaos]

Lmao... is this article supposed to be a joke or did it just accidentally come out that way?

Let me summarize the reason that Madden's sales havn't fallen flat. In much less time than it took you to try to make a case for Madden being a success.

There are more football fans, and gamers, interested in NFL football on consoles and/or "next-gen" consoles (people moving from past consoles). Madden is the only choice in the matter.

Monopoly does NOT equal success. Not even a little bit.

The "successful formula" you refer to is also a joke. The formula never changes. The formula is foolproof. The formula is, once again, be the only business in town.

If Wal-mart bought out every other grocery store, electronics store, home improvement store, and clothes store in town, I bet everything I own that their formula becomes "successful" too by your standards.

Many of us aren't asking for revolution. We're asking for the very foundation of the game of football not to be broken, gimmick-ridden, or a complete joke. That doesn't take evolution or revolution. That takes implementing things that should have been in place years ago for this to be called a NFL football game. Especially one with such a slogan tied to it as "Everything you see on Sunday..."

Being successful requires some kind of comparison. Madden doesn't have one. If I say Madden is a failure, you couldn't disprove me because there is no comparison.

[roadman]

Eh, I don't consider Madden sales slumping 18% one month a success.

[guaps]

Re: To EA and Madden Consumers -- Madden is a Success

You simply cannot rule a monopoly as a success.

Spot on!

EA being successful when they control the market to an extent that they can keep competitors out isn't really a a great task and hard to define as a success.

As for being a success for the consumers I have to disagree. Without the pressures of competitors getting ahead of them, EA are very slow and conservative about making decisions on new technology/features -- essentially preventing any type of "Creative Destruction" (innovation displacing the old and outdate), and in the end, the Madden consumers ultimately face a "take-it-or-leave-it" choice.

[ManiacMatt1782]

But the only number that matters to EA, is sales figures. If people keep buying a subpar product, then they have no incentive to improve. Make the most money while spending the least. Thats business 101 in a capitalist market.

[EddieV]

Re: To EA and Madden Consumers -- Madden is a Success

Where does the author get that Madden's sales are increasing? Across platforms, Madden used to sell 8 million, now they barely crack 5 million across all platforms. Seems like sales have been on a consistent decline to me.

[statum71]

Yes...there's alot of things I'd like to see better in Madden. Mostly presentation for me.

But you're right...the game is far from terrible.

[ManiacMatt1782]

Statum, I would like to see real offensive line logic, and reading the holes actually mattering. not let me get lucky in a a certain animation that lets me break a 4 man gang tackle that I have absolutely no control of. I could care less about presentation, until fundamental football is done right.

[RaychelSnr]

Where does the author get that Madden's sales are increasing? Across platforms, Madden used to sell 8 million, now they barely crack 5 million across all platforms. Seems like sales have been on a consistent decline to me.

If you find a reliable source with those numbers, I'd be happy to look at them. But from EA's earning's reports and NPD numbers -- Madden has seen sales growth most every 'season'. You can't say that Madden has sold over 8 million units in the past and not provide a source of where you got them -- and if you say VGChartz then just remember they are probably the most unreliable source you could quote. But even there, Madden sold nearly 8 million units total LAST year.

[RaychelSnr]

Eh, I don't consider Madden sales slumping 18% one month a success.

That was a Y-O-Y figure. Totals sales are probably going to end up roughly flat to slightly down. Saying Madden didn't sell well one month and saying it's a failure is roughly equivalent to saying an NFL team has had a bad season for losing two weeks in a row, even though it appears they're playoff bound.

[wyrm187]

Re: To EA and Madden Consumers, Madden Is a Success

I hate when people come on here and bitch and moan about how terrible a game is but I feel passionatley that Madden is just not a good game, or a fun game for that matter. I judge sucess on the other sports titles that are out and how well they represent the sport - The Show is a sucess, it captures the intricacies and the subtelties of the game - it is about attention to detail . .. .nba2k - another phenomonal sports title - madden is not even in the same ball park as these games, pun intended.

I will not buy another madden until the entire game engine is overhauled - because for me it is completely missing, from the way the players move to the core gameplay mechanics - it feels off and it's not even enjoyable. Sucess? with the technology available to them and the other sports titles I mentioned - I would say mediocrity is how I would describe Madden, and that's more credit than I should probably give this disgrace of a football game