Madden Sales Down 18% Y-o-Y in October

[Dazraz]

Madden 11 doesn't do many things badly. It's just that it doesn't do one single thing great.

With each generation of consoles we get the same old routine. An awful stripped down first release followed by subsequent versions receiving upgrades that have often been seen on earlier console releases.

Never has the Madden series been ground breaking. Look what 2K have done with the NBA franchise & Sony likewise with their MLB game. EA have never come close to either of those games, not just with Madden, but any of their titles.

The sad result in this fall in sales is that the response from the EA Boardroom God's will be a negative one. We won't see the required big push from EA to take the franchise where it needs to go. Instead they will just tighten the purse strings further & release another game with some fancy slogans but little change.

We are unlikely to see a jaw dropping NFL game unless EA lose the exclusivity of the license. 2K are surely waiting in the wings to get the rights & they have already proven what they are capable of doing in this genre.

[PVarck31]

Quote: Originally Posted by mestevo

This is probably the furthest from the truth. Madden sales are probably close to flat if anything on the current consoles, combined with DLC and whatnot they are almost certainly getting more per purchased copy than ever before. Meanwhile there were reports like these that were conveniently skipped over... http://news.softpedia.com/news/NPD-S...t-155922.shtml http://gamertvnetwork.com/index.php/...t/article/1135 http://www.gameseyeview.com/2010/09/...-august-sales/ http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/...bies-dominate/ Relative to other games in the lame new NPD reports Madden is where it was expected, but don't let that get in the way of pointing out the 1 liner of negativity out of context with no real data so it can actually be understood from this month's NPD. People will see the flashy headline and assume the above though, that's for sure. Criticize people for using vgchartz, but then putting stuff like this out there, in addition to linking to the pretty much debunked previous article, what's that about credibility?

I don't see how this is just a flashy headline. This is a real sales trend. It has to be given attention. When a cash cow is down in sales its newsworthy.

As far as questioning Chris' credibility, you are bordering on being out of line. He didn't skip over anything. He mentions that Madden had strong sales in August.

[Amoo316]

Quote: Originally Posted by mestevo

This is probably the furthest from the truth. Madden sales are probably close to flat if anything on the current consoles, combined with DLC and whatnot they are almost certainly getting more per purchased copy than ever before. Meanwhile there were reports like these that were conveniently skipped over... http://news.softpedia.com/news/NPD-S...t-155922.shtml http://gamertvnetwork.com/index.php/...t/article/1135 http://www.gameseyeview.com/2010/09/...-august-sales/ http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/...bies-dominate/ Relative to other games in the lame new NPD reports Madden is where it was expected, but don't let that get in the way of pointing out the 1 liner of negativity out of context with no real data so it can actually be understood from this month's NPD. People will see the flashy headline and assume the above though, that's for sure. Criticize people for using vgchartz, but then putting stuff like this out there, in addition to linking to the pretty much debunked previous article, what's that about credibility?

I know you're doing your best to feverishly defend your position here but the reality of the situation is that nobody really cares what the numbers say. We are all sitting here saying we don't like the direction of the franchise and have stopped buying it or traded it early with no future intent to buy. If you're too dense to realize that the impressions in this thread are more important than any of the numbers presented then maybe you need to find a job in marketing if you don't already have one.

[grunt]

Quote: Originally Posted by mestevo

This is probably the furthest from the truth. Madden sales are probably close to flat if anything on the current consoles, combined with DLC and whatnot they are almost certainly getting more per purchased copy than ever before. Meanwhile there were reports like these that were conveniently skipped over... http://news.softpedia.com/news/NPD-S...t-155922.shtml http://gamertvnetwork.com/index.php/...t/article/1135 http://www.gameseyeview.com/2010/09/...-august-sales/ http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/...bies-dominate/ Relative to other games in the lame new NPD reports Madden is where it was expected, but don't let that get in the way of pointing out the 1 liner of negativity out of context with no real data so it can actually be understood from this month's NPD. People will see the flashy headline and assume the above though, that's for sure. Criticize people for using vgchartz, but then putting stuff like this out there, in addition to linking to the pretty much debunked previous article, what's that about credibility?

If the sales of Madden are flat? Flat was last generation or year to year? If Madden is flat from last gen then the ultra expensive NFL license would significantly eat into their bottom line. If Madden sales are flat year to year then there a concern from flat to decline while Call of Duty is breaking records all over the place and is in better position to have a strong Christmas season without reducing their price.

Do you have the numbers for Madden DLC?

Madden sales are strong in August..wow..who would have guessed.

Did you disagree with the rest of my post? I didn't say Madden is dead but is dying? The sales are flat or are sales flatlining.

[PikeJR23]

Quick and simple solution: Hire the ppl who worked on NFL 2k5...it may take two years for them to completely change the game to something that resembles sim football but I would prefer that over their current direction. All they have to do is look at the success of NBA 2k11.

[Rambo1986]

this is good news for me, since i am boycotting Madden.

[JBH3]

Quote: Originally Posted by ryan36

What amazes me is how they could let this stuff go for so long. Add more devs, and get it right. It's OBVIOUS what sports gamers want, and have always wanted... Simple math: (ANY of the best selling titles over history) + (copy them)= success

It would seem to me that MLB The Show and NBA2K does not exist to EA. They are on their own program...unfortunately...

[Armor and Sword]

I know I speak for a lot of Madden players here when I say that if they just give us an immersive offline franchise and better presentation we would be doing cartwheels.

Believe it or not there are hardcore sports gamers (yeah I am hardcore or I would not be posting here) who are really enjoying Madden 2011 and are just craving for that great franchise mode.

We don't have to reinvent the wheel. It feels like Madden and it certainly plays like Madden. It is the best playing Madden since (2005/2007 PS2) offline. Online we all know is a joke. Online sports gaming in general is a joke if your sim/realistic style player. I already learned a long time ago...stay offline with my sports games.

I hope 2K does get a chance to make another NFL game then we can get the choice we all want. And all this bashing of Madden can end. I am not saying Madden 2011 is a fantastic game. Far from it when you compare it to the gems like NBA2K11, NHL 2011, NCAA 2011 and MLB The Show, However there are a ton of us who have made it work for better or worse because we love our NFL football, and instead of throwing my arms up about gameplay issues and the lack of a deep immersive franchise mode I have found a way to throughly enjoy the game (great sliders, game plans for the cpu, house rules for franchise, controlling all 32 teams). Yes I want them to hear our crys for that franchise we deserve as being long time hard core buyers of Madden. There was a time they did (2005-2007). But what the heck happened when they went new gen?

Sorry so many can't get this game to play the way they want. But it is quite apparent that Madden will never ever meet the high expectations of those who expect a 2K like football game.

Madden has never played like 2K and never will. I don't understand the thought process of gamers who feel they have ever strived for that approach! Madden has felt and looked the same since the 2000 version first hit PS2 and it has sold like gangbusters for almost a decade. They were doing something right. Yes the sales have been dropping, but I think that is a combination of a lot of factors.

1) Many more gaming choices and the evolution of other sports titles, FPS, platform games, Wii etc.

2) The aging core buying base of Madden fans and hard core sports gamers in general (guys grow up and stop playing video games or play very little). We are dinosaurs everyone. Do you really think the youth of today would keep paper stats? Play Strato matic? The only kids that will are mine and those that pass that sports gaming history to their kids. There are not many of us around anymore.

3) The game has not changed enough for a segment (fair enough I agree it has seen little baby steps of improvement).


So as far the gameplay issue which is the hot topic on this thread......it is what it is...it has always been like this...so what do you expect? It is not really changing they way you want it to. I happen to think the game plays better than it ever has. It took them 5 years (yes 5 years is a long time) but they finally got the running game feeling really good and I enjoy that aspect of the game a ton. They finally got the true pocket forming for the QB. They made a lot of those improvements...finally. Stuff that was already in another NFL game we know about.

The part that has a lot of Madden fans upset (me included) is the step back it has taken in it's franchise mode on the new gen.

Fix that aspect and the complanits and cries will drop 10 fold.