Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

[PH1LLYSFINEST13]

They know what that have to do. We all know and publicly say what is wrong with the game. The defense the tackles the offense. Fix the franchise. I am really hoping for a big jump in the next madden. Personally , I bought all the other EA games and skipped out on madden so lets see what they do next year. Step up EA

[REDRZA]

Hopefully the masses are tired of the lackluster effort this team has put forth year after year, and also the Peter Moore "casual" direction. Hopefully declining or stagnant sales means a better product for us.

[RaychelSnr]

Quote: Originally Posted by Flamehead

Based on the reviews the NHL demo is getting, it certainly looks that way. Meh, I think the author is too eager to produce a cause and effect with Madden sales numbers and what *might* happen with the game industry in general. How about "Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Madden?" Of course, Peter Moore and Co. will look at this as more evidence that the game needs to be "simplified" further. Much easier to believe you've overcomplicated it rather than produced a game more people are becoming disenchanted with because you're not responding to repeated community requests and instead implementing changes no one asked for.

Game industry sales are down to flat this year overall, depending on your source. That's not a good sign in ANY industry. With one of the yearly staples likely not doing well at all, that's just not good news for the industry as a whole. The guy CNBC quoted is usually pretty good at forecasting these types of things in the gaming industry.

I still think AAA titles will do just fine, but if you have a game like, say, NBA Elite or something just as niche, you'd better hope you have a lot of quality because the sales might not come otherwise. Talked about this on my blog earlier this week:

http://www.operationsports.com/MMChrisS/blog/9575-deteriorating-economy-spells-trouble-for-game-developers/

With us beginning another leg down or recession in an ongoing depression, there has been a secular shift in the economy away from spending on things like games. Just how it is when you are worried about keeping your house, cars, etc. It's not unlike the '30s, Hollywood had to go through a similar situation then.

[DaReapa]

Quote: Originally Posted by Flamehead

Meh, I think the author is too eager to produce a cause and effect with Madden sales numbers and what *might* happen with the game industry in general. How about "Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Madden?" Of course, Peter Moore and Co. will look at this as more evidence that the game needs to be "simplified" further. Much easier to believe you've overcomplicated it rather than produced a game more people are becoming disenchanted with because you're not responding to repeated community requests and instead implementing changes no one asked for.

Spot on m'man. I haven't purchased a Madden game since Madden 06, and don't see that changing soon. The problem I have with media related articles such as this is that it misleads the general public from the truth that Madden has become (or IMO, has been) a stale franchise surviving off gimmicks and an aggressive marketing campaign.

[RaychelSnr]

Quote: Originally Posted by wco81

Economy has to have something to do with it. The price cuts will spur sales and that should tell them something.

The economy has a large chunk to do with it.

However, swaldo is right in the basic sense that users aren't up on Madden. But I think the economy is a huge factor in people expecting more bang for their buck, so games are under a bigger microscope. That plus the yearly release game being on for well over a decade basically spells two things: 1)Gamers expect more than what they'll ever get from a yearly release, creating a deadly trap for developers/publishers and 2)People aren't paying $60 for new games that aren't worth it anymore.

[NEWYORICAN]

$60.00 + is just too much for a sports video game that dosn't change much. They are going to have to lower their prices on sports games. I say bring it down to $35.00 to $40.00.

peace

[RaychelSnr]

Quote: Originally Posted by NEWYORICAN

$60.00 + is just too much for a sports video game that dosn't change much. They are going to have to lower their prices on sports games. I say bring it down to $35.00 to $40.00. peace

Lowering prices to $40 and releasing a game every other year would probably be a wash on the ol' corporate balance sheet when DLC is added in as a stopgap measure. Just saying

[NEWYORICAN]

Quote: Originally Posted by MMChrisS

Lowering prices to $40 and releasing a game every other year would probably be a wash on the ol' corporate balance sheet when DLC is added in as a stopgap measure. Just saying

lol, you got that right MMChirs! good old Corporate greed!!..lol

peace