Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

[CYST2000]

Most people bought the game yearly with anticipation of a new roster seeing as how the gameplay was already fine to most people. Now we buy the game hoping it is better than the year before. When you keep buying a game hoping it is better than the year before and find it is slightly better but broken in different places it is discouraging and makes you bitter for the company that has promised better but delivered the same thing (a broken game).

[gamerkid421]

man ea better bring it next year with madden 12..

[HokieB]

All my friends have dubbed Madden "the same game every year" and stopped buying a while ago. It's not like they are hating on Madden (they aren't passionate enough about it to "hate" on it). They would simply buy Madden every year out of habit, come to realize that it's not that different from the previous year, and simply stop buying it. And terms like Pro-tak, Locomotion, Gameflow, et al have not peeked their interest in the slightest. They'd never really taken issue with the gameplay or anything -- they just got bored with it.

Madden's actually becoming kind of a joke in my circle. "Are you getting the new Madden this year? I heard you can change the color of your shoes!"

[Step2001]

Gameplay is always going to have it's faults. It's Franchise mode that keeps people playing this game. I would think that would cover all sports games.
Playing Franchise mode put's you on the Owner/G.M./Head Coach/Players seat. Everyone wants to take there team to the Super Bowl. That's what it's all about Offline or Online.

Reading allot of write-ups on Madden 11 and untouched Franchise mode was always brought up.

Even people who had not followed the news over the last few months on Madden were let down. Mentioning how they could not wait to get into Franchise mode and start rolling with there team. Then to be told that it was the same as last year, total deflation.

I know the dev team is good, they just need to vbe given the leeway to make the game they want. Because that's the game we all want as supporters of the Madden Franchise.

You build, they'll buy it, Guaranteed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bxgoods]

Its way too early to judge like the article even says itself, I remember they said the same thing last year, and Madden 10 winded up selling more than 09.

[Dollar Theater]

First year since the late 90's I didn't buy Madden. The demo felt flat, and I rented it from Blockbuster, played it twice, and took it back. Same ol, same ol. Hopefully weak sales will force them to revolutionize the product. The FIFA and NHL teams understand that, and that's why their games get better and better, despite already being the best-reviewed sports games available.

[MAzing87]

I'm actually shocked in a way to read this. I always thought that the majority were gamers who bought Madden by tradition, hype machine, the extravagant galas they do for the game, word of mouth, or all of the above. I didn't realize that the people getting fed up or refusing to buy the game was growing at this pace. It's great to see though. Though I don't think EA will do anything, if at all. Not until a very significant low output really dents their pockets. I hope I'm wrong and they focus on putting out a Madden game dedicated to the hardcore faithful that has followed the franchise from the very first game.

[Hooe]

This article has me curious about two things:

• if video games are due for a price drop across the board
• if yearly sports games such as Madden might operate better using a subscription model with periodic downloadable title updates and boxed expansion packs, a la World of Warcraft

I think that a subscription model in Madden's case would be viable if online leagues were fleshed out a TON. Like, at least on par with the NHL games' online component.

That said, if a subscription model does emerge, I hope it doesn't come at the expense of the single-player experience.