Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

[rooney8]

Quote: Originally Posted by mrprice33

Keep in mind that there were about twice as many ps2s and xboxes in 2005 than there are 360s and ps3s in 2010. They are capturing roughly the same percentage of gamers in 2010 as they did in 2005. I did the math in another thread we had about this, and I can dig it up if you'd like the raw numbers.

I know the numbers but they can be misleading. 140m+ Ps2 sold but I was on my second and I know people who were on their 3rd. Not saying this gen has caught last gen but the gap isn't as big as the numbers say. Fifa sold 4.5m on Ps2 and xbox in 2005 and 6m in 2010 yet it still is battling it's competition.

[mrprice33]

Quote: Originally Posted by rooney8

I know the numbers but they can be misleading. 140m+ Ps2 sold but I was on my second and I know people who were on their 3rd. Not saying this gen has caught last gen but the gap isn't as big as the numbers say. Fifa sold 4.5m on Ps2 and xbox in 2005 and 6m in 2010 yet it still is battling it's competition.

Couldn't you say the same thing about 360s? I've purchased 4 of them myself.

As to fifa i think it's safe to say that the explosion in popularity of soccer, particularly in the us has contributed to the continued increase in sales.



Sent from my HTC EVO 4G using Tapatalk.

[TheWatcher]

Quote: Originally Posted by rooney8

Slow start shows a loss in hardcore fans.

It's not quite that simple. It's impossible to make that statement definitively for one group especially this early without seeing the numbers broken down categorically (i.e. defined targets). The quarterly and final will speak more to that than the one-week statistic.

Quote: Originally Posted by rooney8

If casuals really do like this game they should recover. I still think less than 4m on 360 and Ps3.

I'd be shocked if it did less than 4 million, but if that does happen heads will roll over there and you'll probably see some faces disappear, it's just a fact of life in business. But the slump with 10 early was much bigger than the hole they're in now with 11, and they pulled out all the stops promotionally to get it back up. When it was all said and done, Madden 10 outsold Madden 09, I can see that happening again.

The only thing relevant are the 3 year totals taken as a whole, because it shows that the overall interest be it hardcore or casual for this game is declining each year and they're needing emergency marketing efforts to get sales back on track (this is something they've actually stated themselves). I feel a big problem is that Tiburon's answer to it in the game isn't working... well, we can all see it's not working. At some point, extended marketing efforts may stop working to save it. For their sake, it better not be this year after what happened last season to reset the course. The powers-that-be are running out of patience based on their public releases in regards to how the sales have been shaping up and how they've had to regain ground.

[kjcheezhead]

Quote: Originally Posted by mrprice33

So because the most realistic elements of this game are offensive, that lessens their import in determining whether or not it's a realistic, hardcore game? Where's the line of demarcation? Is it only 3-4 defense, or is the line somewhere else? It seems to me that the line keeps moving. Run blocking and lineplay used to be a huge sore spot for people and what allegedly held the game back from being as realistic as possible. Now that the run blocking is near perfect and the pass blocking much improved, the target is suddenly the defense. What happens when the 3-4 operates properly? Are we going to move to the kicking game next? And what about after that? I don't see how an honest person could look at the game in 2007-08 and 2010-11 and not say that 10 and 11 show a clear change in priorities from the arcadey tournament player to the much more realistic, simulation game. If you don't like where the series is headed on the field, I'm not sure what to say to you. Certainly the elements that surround the on-field experience need to be improved (I'm not sure that anyone is disputing that) but on the field this is the best simulation Madden of the series by a wide margin, especially after slider adjustments.

I know not everyone will agree, but Madden 11 on the field play moved sideways imo. Run blocking, sideline catching improved no doubt. However pro-tak wasn't touched, broken tackles are much easier even for Darren Sproles types, Locomotion plays to the offenses advantage as well. A step forward for the offense, 2 steps back for the defense. Improving the play on one side of the field and not the other doesn't translate into sim improvements at all.

I didn't even mention how strategy pad slows defensive adjustments down or that ps2 madden had wr shading and individual bump and run that gave the defense some adjustments this game lacks.

I agree Madden 10 moved in the right direction, but Madden 11 took a wrong turn sometime after Ian and co. left the boards.

[mrprice33]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheWatcher

It's not quite that simple. It's impossible to make that statement definitively for one group especially this early without seeing the numbers broken down categorically (i.e. defined targets). The quarterly and final will speak more to that than the one-week statistic. I'd be shocked if it did less than 4 million, but if that does happen heads will roll over there and you'll probably see some faces disappear, it's just a fact of life in business. But the slump with 10 early was much bigger than the hole they're in now with 11, and they pulled out all the stops promotionally to get it back up. When it was all said and done, Madden 10 outsold Madden 09, I can see that happening again. The only thing relevant are the 3 year totals taken as a whole, because it shows that the overall interest be it hardcore or casual for this game is declining each year and they're needing emergency marketing efforts to get sales back on track (this is something they've actually stated themselves). I feel a big problem is that Tiburon's answer to it in the game isn't working... well, we can all see it's not working. At some point, extended marketing efforts may stop working to save it. For their sake, it better not be this year after what happened last season to reset the course. The powers-that-be are running out of patience based on their public releases in regards to how the sales have been shaping up and how they've had to regain ground.

I just hope they don't make the mistake of thinking the popularity of 2008/2009 is an indicator that they should go back to that style of game.



Sent from my HTC EVO 4G using Tapatalk.

[REDRZA]

Quote: Originally Posted by rgiles36

I agree with your sentiments above. But that doesn't change the character of what Madden is. I'll be surprised if it ever becomes a full blown hardcore game. Honestly, though I haven't spent much time with NHL, I wouldn't say it's an inaccessible hardcore game. It can be picked up and played. A few years ago, they apparently did what Madden is starting to do now: become more realistic, add a more simplistic control scheme, etc. I think NHL has set the precedent for what Madden will become (or at least attempt to become). I've said the same things as you as far as the those failed casual-oriented sports games. But I think of Madden as a game that will always try to hit it in the middle.

I agree with alot of what you say about NHL. The fact that you can indeed "pick up and play" has no bearing on how great that game really is though. That's my point about making Madden over the top arcadish (too many broken tackles, poor pass coverage, high scoring, defensive assist, gameflow aka ask madden), theres really no need to "streamline" aka dumb down the game for casuals. Just make a better quality game, as authentic as possible to the NFL, and it will sell.

BTW, NHL's dual stick control wasn't to "streamline" game play, it is actually innovate in that the left stick is skating and the right stick is the hockey stick. So many different maneuvers and actually aiming and shooting is much more realistic this way, and after playing NHL that way, i could never go back to buttons.

[Kudzilla]

Quote: Originally Posted by tommyboii2008

WhooaH!! didnt see that coming.. Nah I'm just playin I saw it coming.. Maybe EA (Sports) will get the message and work harder on their "flagship franchise." I think NHL might be their best game now..

Fifa is the best game EA Sports has ever come up with.

[EmmittSmithx22x]

What they are doing...is obviously driving away fans of the game. Since they continue ewant to cater to people who don't play football games. They get people like us who play the game every year.

I boycotted Madden 08. and came close to boycotting this year. But if the game refuses to improve in ways that we have asked like they did this year. I will not buy Madden 12.