Madden NFL 25 News Post

Madden Sales Down Significantly This Year

10:33 AM - September 6, 2013 by RaychelSnr

It appears, on the surface at least, fans are no longer happy with the Madden status quo.

EA Sports reported sales of just over 1 million copies of Madden in its first week on store shelves. While EA was touting the success of Madden NFL 25, those sales numbers are down significantly from last year's number of 1.65 million in the same time span, a nearly 40% drop in sales.

The obvious culprit does seem to be many gamers are holding out for next-gen Madden, which makes a lot of sense. However, with incentive programs to upgrade to the next-gen game around and being touted by EA, it also does seem a large chunk of consumers simply are tired of Madden's current form and waiting for something new.

This puts even more pressure on the next-gen product to deliver a new and unique experience to the series, as fans are likely looking for that with the new game. However, for a year at least, it is likely the next-gen version of Madden will be a huge seller when the new consoles hit store shelves in mid to late November.

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Member Comments

# 161 bkrich83 @ 09/15/13 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afrikan


	anyone else secretly dreadfully anticipating the news... NFL (caves in) and extends its contract with EA for another 5+ years? I'll say this though, kjcheezhead makes a good point. You have to think the NFL is not happy about the sales. If another company, who can spend with EA, stepped forward and promised the NFL that it could have close to 15 mil sales like its Call Of Duty Franchise...yes I'm talking about Activision....would the NFL chance it? Since there has been only one NFL console game yearly for a while now...I wonder if the NFL would feel that it can make these yearly EA Sports Madden sales, based of the NFL brand name alone...and that there are alot of extra potential sales that can from a company as large as Activision. (imagine all the XPs after each completion and TDs...lol..jk) sorry if the post comes off all weird, I'm battling the stomach bug and feeling light headed.

Why would the NFL really care? They got their money. From what I read they don't get paid by unit moved. It's a flat rate. And why would any company even attempt to match EA and throw their hat in the ring?

I'd love to see more titles but let's be realistic in the scenarios that are plausible.

# 162 gr18 @ 09/15/13 11:32 AM

It's easier to represent the sport of baseball in a videogame than football.Madden vs.Mlb2k,I'd call it a draw.It's as if they knew they lost to The Show for ps3 and figured 360 users had no other choice anyway.

Now I wouldn't have doubts about a 2k football product because 2k8 was obviously a better playing football game with so many limitations bestowed upon it because of the license.Not to say there aren't people that would prefer EA's brand of football just as I'm sure there's a few people that may actually prefer 2k baseball to The Show.

# 163 yankeesgiants @ 09/15/13 04:19 PM

I think its a combinations of things all coming together at once. I think most people buy a max of 2 games at a time. One of those games is going to be GTA. That leaves you with a 4 way split between Madden, FIFA, NBA 2K or NHL as the other game since they are all released within 35 days of each other. The other thing to consider is the patch. By the time a patch is released, you will most likely be a month away from next gen madden. May as well wait it out. PS3 owners have no $50 rebate, that is another reason to wait it out. Personally, I think madden 25 is the best effort since Madden 05. With that said, there is no incentive to buy the ps3 version when you consider the issues above. I'll wait until black Friday to buy the ps4 version.

# 164 kjcheezhead @ 09/15/13 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkrich83


	Did you really try to excuse that abortion of a baseball series? There is none. I like the 2k guys as well (some are actual friends ) but I won't blindly defend their work. MLB series was awful.

You completely missed the point. 2k baseball was a bad game. I pointed out reasons the company that delivered NBA 2k and NFL 2k made such a bad game compared to the Show.

It's the same reason Madden was so terrible from 06-09. So much was going to the license, it cut into development funds. If it wasn't for MUT and online pass and years of development, Madden would still be the garbage it started out as.(not that it got much better imo but that's a matter of taste)

Bottom line, exclusive licenses can be game killers. In order for a company to pay for it and turn enough profits to make share holders happy, development funds get gutted. The end result is 2k baseball, and madden.

# 165 je_2512 @ 09/16/13 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkrich83


	If you say so. And talk about a game not supported by its developers. More realistic than Madden? That's certainly debatable. The things people will say. Lol.

Bit full of yourself, aren't ya'?? You just come across as a weed the way you respond to any opinion that doesn't agree with yours. Again, what you're stating is only opinion...nothing factual about it.

And yeah, as hard as it may be for YOU to believe, MLB IS a better representation of baseball than Madden is of football, IN MY OPINION! GASP!!!

# 166 je_2512 @ 09/16/13 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afrikan


	anyone else secretly dreadfully anticipating the news... NFL (caves in) and extends its contract with EA for another 5+ years? I'll say this though, kjcheezhead makes a good point. You have to think the NFL is not happy about the sales. If another company, who can spend with EA, stepped forward and promised the NFL that it could have close to 15 mil sales like its Call Of Duty Franchise...yes I'm talking about Activision....would the NFL chance it? Since there has been only one NFL console game yearly for a while now...I wonder if the NFL would feel that it can make these yearly EA Sports Madden sales, based of the NFL brand name alone...and that there are alot of extra potential sales that can from a company as large as Activision. (imagine all the XPs after each completion and TDs...lol..jk) sorry if the post comes off all weird, I'm battling the stomach bug and feeling light headed.

Unfortunately, I don't think the NFL cares at ALL about Madden sales...they got their money from the license, so Madden could tank horribly, and it wouldn't matter to the NFL.

# 167 Multi @ 09/16/13 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by je_2512


	Unfortunately, I don't think the NFL cares at ALL about Madden sales...they got their money from the license, so Madden could tank horribly, and it wouldn't matter to the NFL.

Yes, but the sales matter to EA, which in turn affect how highly they value the license. It still works out as money for the NFL.

# 168 je_2512 @ 09/17/13 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Multi


	Yes, but the sales matter to EA, which in turn affect how highly they value the license. It still works out as money for the NFL.

But, let's be honest here, IF another company came out and competed against what Madden currently offers, do you think Madden would sell as well as it does now?? And THAT'S the angle EA is looking at it from, and it is also WHY this license mess started to begin with. 2K was really onto something with 2k5 football, EA saw the writing on the wall, and eliminated the competition, rather than improve their product.

# 169 Smoke6 @ 09/17/13 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by je_2512


	But, let's be honest here, IF another company came out and competed against what Madden currently offers, do you think Madden would sell as well as it does now?? And THAT'S the angle EA is looking at it from, and it is also WHY this license mess started to begin with. 2K was really onto something with 2k5 football, EA saw the writing on the wall, and eliminated the competition, rather than improve their product.

Man i agree with this soo much that it hurts reading it.

EA knew they couldnt compete feature wise nor gameplay wise with a developer whose heart and souls goes into their games. EA knows its in for a NBA LIVE scenario where madden wont be available for a while as it re-assesses their devs studios or whatnot to give gamers what they want like they should have yrs ago.

Im not liking madden 25 at all and only play to keep my league going and thats it. No competing online anymore with randoms or friends, I just dont care and if nex gen version is the same i will be on the wait and see list from here on out!

# 170 yankeesgiants @ 09/17/13 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by je_2512


	But, let's be honest here, IF another company came out and competed against what Madden currently offers, do you think Madden would sell as well as it does now?? And THAT'S the angle EA is looking at it from, and it is also WHY this license mess started to begin with. 2K was really onto something with 2k5 football, EA saw the writing on the wall, and eliminated the competition, rather than improve their product.

The NFL decided to make it exclusive, it went up for bid and EA won. BTW if you have not noticed, the NFL makes everything exclusive.

Sunday Ticket is exclusive to Direct TV
New Era has the exclusive rights draft day caps
Nike has the exclusive rights to uniforms
Madden NFL is exclusive to EA

# 171 roadman @ 09/17/13 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yankeesgiants


	The NFL decided to make it exclusive, it went up for bid and EA won. BTW if you have not noticed, the NFL makes everything exclusive. Sunday Ticket is exclusive to Direct TV New Era has the exclusive rights draft day caps Nike has the exclusive rights to uniforms Madden NFL is exclusive to EA

Before anyone else chimes in, (yes, been down this road before) I don't need Directv to watch football, I don't need Nike to buy a Packer jersey, but we need Madden to play a NFL video game because there is not another NFL video game.

And, you'll get a debate whether EA went with the exclusive or the NFL did.

That part doesn't bother me, takes two to tangle.

What bothers me and others, there isn't competion for another game.

The NFL is just as much to blame with their business practices.

# 172 killacam96 @ 09/17/13 01:05 PM

as you continue to play the game

# 173 kjcheezhead @ 09/17/13 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by killacam96


	as you continue to play the game

Sales are down 600,000 and GTA 5 just released. I'm guessing there will be a lot of used madden on gamestop shelves this week and a drop in madden activity online.

The point of this thread is that sales were already down. There are less people continuing to play Madden this year.

# 174 roadman @ 09/17/13 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjcheezhead


	Sales are down 600,000 and GTA 5 just released. I'm guessing there will be a lot of used madden on gamestop shelves this week and a drop in madden activity online. The point of this thread is that sales were already down. There are less people continuing to play Madden this year.

This is probably abnormal, but no one in the family wants GTA. One college and one HS aged boys.

Not sure why, either.

# 175 BigDaddyHolmes @ 09/17/13 01:24 PM

I didn't buy this years game, because to be direct, it was a terrible game. Sure, a lot of old features put back in, and that is great, but the gameplay just looks terrible at this point. it looks like players are missing frames when they move (it isn't smooth at all). The animations look terrible. The infinity engine still wonky at times as well. There is no attention to detail, and it still looks the same as it has for years in many area's. Post play is laughable. Players still all go into that odd zombie walk as soon as the tackle/whistle is made(and do they think we don't notice the horrible frame skip animations here? They all do it at the same time, nobody actually plays through the ball after a tackle). That alone is so ugly in a 2013 release.

I will look at next gen, but unless it just knocks me off my feet with a demo, I will be passing. At some point we have to wise up. We can't buy madden just because we been buying it for years, or EA will continue to give us a mediocre game.

My advice is if you haven't bought Madden, don't. If you just have to get it, buy it used and don't buy the online pass. We got to talk with our wallets guys. Nothing else is getting through.

# 176 kjcheezhead @ 09/17/13 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadman


	This is probably abnormal, but no one in the family wants GTA. One college and one HS aged boys. Not sure why, either.

Definitely abnormal. I paid off my preorder last week and the gamestop clerk told me they had over 300 pre orders just at their location. GTA V may be the top selling game of the year.

# 177 roadman @ 09/17/13 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjcheezhead


	Definitely abnormal. I paid off my preorder last week and the gamestop clerk told me they had over 300 pre orders just at their location. GTA V may be the top selling game of the year.

Eh, could be an age thing, who knows. Last time it was in the house and the oldest was 13 and the youngest was 9 on the computer.

Maybe that has something to do with it.

Who knows? The decision is their's to make.

# 178 kjcheezhead @ 09/17/13 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadman


	Eh, could be an age thing, who knows. Last time it was in the house and the oldest was 13 and the youngest was 9 on the computer. Maybe that has something to do with it. Who knows? The decision is their's to make.

Yeah who knows. They are the perfect demographic. I just picked up my copy at 6pm after work and the line was still 30 people deep. All guys between 20 and 40 years old and 2 moms getting their kids copy. They said the line for midnight release wrapped around the store, 30 feet along the front of the store and then wrapped around another 50 feet to the back. It rivaled a black Friday event.

# 179 bkrich83 @ 09/17/13 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by je_2512


	Bit full of yourself, aren't ya'?? You just come across as a weed the way you respond to any opinion that doesn't agree with yours. Again, what you're stating is only opinion...nothing factual about it. And yeah, as hard as it may be for YOU to believe, MLB IS a better representation of baseball than Madden is of football, IN MY OPINION! GASP!!!

Yeah, I am the one full of myself. Yet my opinion bothers you this much?

Take your own advice.

Considering your take on MLB2k, I'll take your opinion with a grain of salt.

# 180 thesubmittedone @ 09/18/13 12:39 AM

First time in over ten years that I didn't buy the new NFL video game that came out. First time in ten years.

Can't believe it. Can't believe that Madden has made me so disillusioned with video game football that something I've looked forward to every year since I can remember is now this insignificant.

It's heart breaking.

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