To EA and Madden Consumers, Madden Is a Success

[charter04]

I'm all for a better Madden game. My copy of Madden 11 is now at Gamestop or someone's house. I thought that I could just play Madden 10 if I want a next gen Madden fix. But, when you look at things from EA's point of view why make drastic changes?

EA has no reason to take that kind of a risk. As long as they sell Madden like they have why make a big change? I wish they would, but for them it may back fire. What if they scaped the whole game and made a totally sim game with a very deep dynasty? What if it sold a lot less. How do we know the majority of those who buy Madden even want those changes? It could be the best game ever and not sell as much.

I hope I'm wrong but I don't see them making the big changes to the game until there is comp.

[KyGamerLT]

Madden fans need to stop buying for a year, it can be done and send a message to EA. I have been a fan fo years but the crap of a game EA put out last year wow. I won't be buying madden 2012, NCAA will have o do it for me.

[RaychelSnr]

Madden fans need to stop buying for a year, it can be done and send a message to EA. I have been a fan fo years but the crap of a game EA put out last year wow. I won't be buying madden 2012, NCAA will have o do it for me.

This is the step I've been recommending for the past year. Everyone who says they don't like the game just needs to not buy it for a year. If the movement gets going and if there are indeed that many people unhappy with the game, then the sales would be down enough to make EA take notice and changes would happen. You basically would be giving up one year of what you'd call a crappy product for the greater good of it. Of course, you could get what seems like a massive movement going and the game could sell more copies than it did the year before -- if that was the case then it'd be a wake up call that you probably aren't in the target market for the game.

[RaychelSnr]

I'm all for a better Madden game. My copy of Madden 11 is now at Gamestop or someone's house. I thought that I could just play Madden 10 if I want a next gen Madden fix. But, when you look at things from EA's point of view why make drastic changes?

EA has no reason to take that kind of a risk. As long as they sell Madden like they have why make a big change? I wish they would, but for them it may back fire. What if they scaped the whole game and made a totally sim game with a very deep dynasty? What if it sold a lot less. How do we know the majority of those who buy Madden even want those changes? It could be the best game ever and not sell as much.

I hope I'm wrong but I don't see them making the big changes to the game until there is comp.

As I eluded to in the article, I think the simple fact is that the game is being made for a certain audience and for better or worse -- that audience might not be hardcore sim/franchise fans like OSers. I'm not sure if that's fully the case or not, because people in this community (the sim gamer one) are probably 15% of the total potential customer base for Madden. Maybe 35% if you want to stretch the definition. Anyone running a smart business will cater towards the other 65% while throwing the 35% a few bones along the way.

Of course, one could make a very compelling argument that the more realistic a game, the better it will eventually sell given the success of titles like NBA 2K and The Show compared to their Peers.

[db56]

The Madden train just keeps rolling along and as long as they can keep making the game easier to play, they can pick up more users than they lose and deem themselves and the game successful..

[khaliib]

As I eluded to in the article, I think the simple fact is that the game is being made for a certain audience and for better or worse -- that audience might not be hardcore sim/franchise fans like OSers. I'm not sure if that's fully the case or not, because people in this community (the sim gamer one) are probably 15% of the total potential customer base for Madden. Maybe 35% if you want to stretch the definition. Anyone running a smart business will cater towards the other 65% while throwing the 35% a few bones along the way.

Of course, one could make a very compelling argument that the more realistic a game, the better it will eventually sell given the success of titles like NBA 2K and The Show compared to their Peers.

If the Sim Player is 15%, I know the thought is not that 65% are casual gamers.
I believe they look at it from an Online vs Offline user, because everything is streamlined towards Online.

Updates must now go through an Online Pass.
Added game features are purchased through Online.
In essence, all the Up-Selling is through Online.

So any business model would follow this pattern instead of Hardcore vs Casual.

What is happening is somebody got excited about the numbers from Online usage for the Shooter Games and is making an error in thinking that Sports Games can/will follow the same type of usage. That's why their Sports Games are being built to work in this area of revenue.

But in doing so, they are putting themselves in a corner because no Sports Game will ever draw Online usage numbers like Shooters. They're just not that type of game.

With timeframes to build shrinking, their push is towards this area of revenue more and more every year.
There's a reason Offline features have not been upgraded to the level of NBA 2k11 and The Show.
Online is were there focus is, period!!!

[KyGamerLT]

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

This is the step I've been recommending for the past year. Everyone who says they don't like the game just needs to not buy it for a year. If the movement gets going and if there are indeed that many people unhappy with the game, then the sales would be down enough to make EA take notice and changes would happen. You basically would be giving up one year of what you'd call a crappy product for the greater good of it. Of course, you could get what seems like a massive movement going and the game could sell more copies than it did the year before -- if that was the case then it'd be a wake up call that you probably aren't in the target market for the game.

I agree something has got to be done, we are the NFL players and madden is the Owner. The way madden is going I think the sales will go down, sooner or later the core that Madden is going after will start to see the BS they push out. I have shown a good amount of people what madden was really about by playing them and since then they haven't bought the game at all.

Madden is just being bought for the name. I think a lot of people know they buy madden for the name and in hopes of it getting better the next year. Does that happen no! Madden is so far behind the other games they make it's sick.

[JerseySuave4]

i no longer consider Madden a success. Its become too stale. Last year was the 1st year since Madden 92 that i didnt buy the game and i didnt miss it one bit. Then again, the 4-5 years prior to last that i did buy the game i would play it for a week or 2 and be bored and never touch it again so it ended up just collecting dust. But they always sucked me back in with hope and buying into the hype only to always be disappointed.

I was looking forward to seeing what they were gonna announce at halftime of the Super Bowl and with the stuff they talked about i gotta say its going to take something huge this year to bring me back because all the focus just seems to be on the wrong things.

Unless Defense is addressed big time to make each defense unique instead of just 4-3 or 3-4 with the same playbooks and styles, i wont both with this game.

[JerseySuave4]

and the only reason this game continues to sell is because of "the shield." Pretty much anything with the NFL associated with it sells well. Football is America's favorite sport, the NFL is the most successful pro sports league around. So just the association with the NFL and with the fact that its the only NFL football video game, is going to make people want to buy it because they want to play a NFL video game each year and its the only one.

[shyvoodoo]

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

For all of you gents that dont like Madden and claim it is broken. I have two key words for you. Subjective opinion. I'm a sim head through and through and I absolutely love the game. Especially Madden/NCAA 11. I can really agree about 06-09 versions. Not so great, but to still be harping on em after 10 and 11. Come on now.

I too would love a new phyics engine and boy oh boy I'm still waiting on decent presentation. Oh and I want my Ion 4d ropo with the correct facemask and u bar too, but claiming Madden is pretty much garbage, you all have lost every last marble. Might wanna find em lol.

What?!?!?!

I mean seriously if you say you are a sim player AND love this game then your not really the sim player you think you are. The thing that broke this game for me is the fact that I would be up by 10 points. There is like 8 or 9 minutes left in the 4th quarter and the computer decides to GO FOR IT ON 4TH DOWN FROM THEIR OWN 10 YARD LINE!!!! I'm like WTF.. I get the stop and now I have 1st and goal... Who in their right mind would do something so stupid while you are still in the game???

Sim players I KNOW are not happy with this game... Like someone said we have supercomputers that can do amazing things... Why do we not have football games that can do day/night transitions already?? The Show does it, heck even Grand Theft Auto does this.. AI that works, presentation, WHERE IS THE NEXT GEN MADDEN!!!!!!!

Ben
Voodoo

[dickey1331]

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

"I'm gonna play the oldies" always cracks me up. Really? You prefer Tecmo Super Bowl over Madden 11? Really?

I love Tecmo Super Bowl. I love some of the old Madden's but come on. For all the things you complain about Madden, the older games had none of them. Tecmo had 8 plays per team. 8 plays! That game was fun as hell back in the day but today it pales in comparison.

The problem is back in the day we gave games a pass because they were fun. People ignored Tecmo Super Bowl's issues because it was fun. We dont give current games that kind of pass. We expect them to be supersims and get upset when they have flaws.

I have a ton of issues with Madden 11 (Special Teams sucks, Broken Gameplanning, Penalties like offsides and PI still broken) and many of these have been issues for years. The reason I'm able to ignore it is because I'm willing to give it the same pass I gave games like Tecmo in the past.

I dont know how anyone could enjoy Tecmo today but hate Madden unless they were holding them to a different standard.

Great post. We always remember older games as being great because we were younger and just wanted to have fun. Is Madden perfect? No but I think its fun and thats all I want out of a video game. I dont care if its Madden, COD or Batman. I just want a fun video game.

[ManiacMatt1782]

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

"I'm gonna play the oldies" always cracks me up. Really? You prefer Tecmo Super Bowl over Madden 11? Really?

I love Tecmo Super Bowl. I love some of the old Madden's but come on. For all the things you complain about Madden, the older games had none of them. Tecmo had 8 plays per team. 8 plays! That game was fun as hell back in the day but today it pales in comparison.

The problem is back in the day we gave games a pass because they were fun. People ignored Tecmo Super Bowl's issues because it was fun. We dont give current games that kind of pass. We expect them to be supersims and get upset when they have flaws.

I have a ton of issues with Madden 11 (Special Teams sucks, Broken Gameplanning, Penalties like offsides and PI still broken) and many of these have been issues for years. The reason I'm able to ignore it is because I'm willing to give it the same pass I gave games like Tecmo in the past.

I dont know how anyone could enjoy Tecmo today but hate Madden unless they were holding them to a different standard.

I agree with you to an extent. The guys who claim tecmo is more sim than madden are grossly exaggerating, however, we as gamers feel a certain kind of way about ea, when the same complaints every year come up. Poor line ai. Suction blocking, defenders who just know the receivers route and cut before the receivers do. And then a guy like Ian Cummings, who no doubt is working hard, but just tells us things we want to hear as far as gameplay fixes go, and really just focus on "back of the box" features like ultimate team. We gamers want the game play fixed first, then give us that extra stuff. We know the tech is there for ea to fix the game. It's up to them to use it and win back more fans.

[LiquorLogic]

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

Of course, one could make a very compelling argument that the more realistic a game, the better it will eventually sell given the success of titles like NBA 2K and The Show compared to their Peers.

Exactly, NBA 2k and the Show kill the argument that the bulk of Madden's audience are "casual" gamers who could care less about the details. For one, all the people lining outside of gamestop at release aren't casual gamers. They're NFL fans that have to have a football game. People want realism, and that fact is proven with by publishers, and developers, who keep trying to deliver more and more realism to get a leg up on their competitors.

NBA Elite was going to be basketball's version of Madden. It was arcadey, unrealistic, unpolished, and you know what else ? It was cancelled.

There could be two reasons as to why Madden has been mediocre. EA has no competitors, so they just put out anything and people will buy it, or, the sources that say Madden sales are slipping, and EA is leaking oil financially, are correct, and EA simply can't increase the development budget for Madden.

[b22gamer]

Did anyone else here enjoy NFL Blitz 2000 more than Madden 06-11? Man, that game was FUN.....

The sad part about all of this is, EA KNOWS the game is terrible. They make it! But what do they care. They are still collecting off casual gamers, all the moms and dads that buy the game for their young ones who dont seem to care about (or understand) the major flaws of this so-called "sim" game, AND my favorite...PRODUCT PLACEMENT. C'mon, really?? You call that presentation??? We all know EA has the money to strip this game to the bare bones and build it from the bottom up, but why would they? If someone makes a billion dollars a year, whats the desire to make 2 billion? you're still filthy rich....The only way EA would take a hint is if their sales numbers dropped considerably, but it will never happen because I feel the average game outweighs the hardcore gamer by a large ratio. Madden 12 better have some huge upgrades, but, by the looks of that "surprise onside kick vid" It looks like another disappointing year for hardcore football sim gamers......

[Rocky]

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

Great post. We always remember older games as being great because we were younger and just wanted to have fun. Is Madden perfect? No but I think its fun and thats all I want out of a video game. I dont care if its Madden, COD or Batman. I just want a fun video game.

Maybe not Tecmo, but there is still a fairly large contigent of people that play Last Gen Madden/NFL2K5 and I can see why. Last gen Madden's fluidity, animations, feature set, and controls are arguably better than it's newer counterpart. In fact, you can make the argument that last gen is better in every aspect besides graphics and playbooks.