Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by rooney8

captain buzzkill.

Ok, I won't go down the same road, I'll take the higher one.

When topics like this come up, my business experience overrides my video gaming experience.

None of us knows exactly what EA does in the board room. All I know is the President of EA wasn't happy with the direction of sales with Madden 10 addressing the stockholders last year. If the low stock price and the declining sales of Madden keep continuing, EA may keep reducing the resources to each of their games, not just Madden.

[grunt]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

Ok, I won't go down the same road, I'll take the higher one. When topics like this come up, my business experience overrides my video gaming experience. None of us knows exactly what EA does in the board room. All I know is the President of EA wasn't happy with the direction of sales with Madden 10 addressing the stockholders last year. If the low stock price and the declining sales of Madden keep continuing, EA may keep reducing the resources to each of their games, not just Madden.

Then EA would effectively kill the Madden franchise.

[robbiedizzle]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bull_Dozer

Not surprising. I didn't buy madden 11, and I won't buy another madden until franchise mode is completely redone.

Same here with me

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by grunt

Then EA would effectively kill the Madden franchise.

If the pattern continues to happen, it could happen in the future.

[rooney8]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

Ok, I won't go down the same road, I'll take the higher one. When topics like this come up, my business experience overrides my video gaming experience. None of us knows exactly what EA does in the board room. All I know is the President of EA wasn't happy with the direction of sales with Madden 10 addressing the stockholders last year. If the low stock price and the declining sales of Madden keep continuing, EA may keep reducing the resources to each of their games, not just Madden.

Sorry if it didn't come across as such but was just a joke at how most are celebrating Madden selling badly and you correctly pointing out how M10 recovered after a slow start.
I agree bad sales doesn't mean more investment but definately neither do good sales. Going by Fifa and Nhl low sales are often the kick in the pants needed. However Madden is a different kettle of fish as they already made their biggest investment with the exclusive license. I don't know bad sales will lead to a more sim game but I just think it is more likely to lead to a change with the license, Ea's approach, just something.

[Mr.Scarface]

Quote: Originally Posted by bigsmallwood

Maybe the 5.4 Metacritic USER score for the game will help people understand why....or how about the fact that Madden has not progressed? Let's be honest here 2K basketball sells....Modern Warfare 2 sold big....Even though $60 is a lot to pay for a game, if Madden was high quality, it would sell....trust me. Watch what happens next...

2k11 will not sell anywhere near Madden....Why? Because it is basketball. Plus...it has competition. All basketball titles and hockey titles....combined still won't come close to Madden sales...in the end.

[Lerxt]

When they marketed gameflow as a main feature, as a gamer that has owned a madden game in every year that one has existed, I was insulted. They repackaged the "ask madden" feature and promoted it as something new. I realize that the gameplanning aspect of that feature is different than the ask madden feature, but it just seemed like they assuming that I'm stupid or something.

When you compare the NFL video game experience to almost every other video game sporting experience (NBA, MLB, NHL, Soccer, Tennis) madden just doesn't even compare in terms of replicating that sport in a realistic way. Until madden does this, in any economic climate, their sales will be flat. When the economy is bad, people don't stop buying altogether, they just stop buying things that aren't necessities. If Madden was as good as the Show at replicating the NFL experience, more people would include madden in their list of necessities (even though we all know that necessity is a relative term!). In fact, they now have the reputation, even with gamers who wouldn't play football for 5 seconds, as a franchise that puts the same product out year to year. They need several years of blowing the consumer away with upgrades and realism.

My brother-in-law, the ultimate casual gamer, who never touches franchise by the way, still boasts of the fact that madden is as real as it gets. Realism is the term surrounding their games. Hell, the "It's in the game" phrase used to be longer. "If it's in the game, it's in the game!". Realism. I think, to an extent, they have gotten away from realism in favor of catch-phrase features that are removed within 36 months.

In a recession, people return to buying quality products. They tend to not waste their money. I'm not saying Madden 11 is a waste of money, but I bet some people are choosing to spend their video gaming dollars on a more quality experience.

[marktg30]

Quote: Originally Posted by Legend Killer

Honestly the economy has alot to do with game sales been down.

It has a little to do with it. Gaming has weathered the recession better than ANYTHING else... Besides maybe pron and cigarettes.