Madden 09 News Post

EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Ship Date and Special Collector’s Edition

02:49 PM - March 27, 2008 by djordan

EA ANNOUNCES MADDEN NFL 09 OFFICIAL SHIP DATE
AND SPECIAL COLLECTOR’S EDITION

Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition,
including NFL Head Coach 09, Available This Summer

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., – March 27, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that Madden NFL 09 will be available in retail stores in North America on August 12, including a special collector’s edition in celebration of the 20th anniversary of one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. The Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition will be the ultimate interactive NFL experience - featuring full versions of both Madden NFL 09 and the all-new NFL Head Coach 09, exclusive classic Madden NFL gameplay, and an extensive library of exclusive bonus video content.

“The Madden NFL franchise has a rich history, and we’re proud to be celebrating it with this definitive video game package,” says Peter Moore, president of EA SPORTS. “Featuring two deep and innovative new standalone games, as well as a host of exclusive bonus content, the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition is the ultimate interactive offering for both long-time Madden NFL fans and anyone who enjoys football on Sundays. I can’t think of a better way to get your NFL fix than to enjoy everything that’s unique about both Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09, and then connecting and sharing content from both.”

Whether you prefer to make your moves on the field, from the sidelines or in the front office, the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition has something for every football fan. Madden NFL 09 will feature the most immersive gameplay, the richest online offerings and the most comprehensive feature depth in the history of the franchise, while NFL Head Coach 09 has been reinvented to provide a unique new NFL experience by allowing fans to be in total control of their favorite franchises. The two games offer unique experiences and then can even interact with one another with gamers being able to import their user-designed plays from NFL Head Coach 09 and put them into Madden NFL 09 to create customized playbooks for complete control on the field.

“Both Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09 are deep and unique gaming experiences that will truly immerse sports fans of all ages, skill levels and playing styles,” says Chris Erb, EA SPORTS director of marketing. “With the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition, we’re bringing two great NFL games together to create the definitive football offering.”

NFL Head Coach 09 provides the complete NFL coaching experience, offering a variety of different ways to control an NFL franchise, on and off the field, in-season and off-season. With strategic game-planning features, NFL Head Coach 09 places gamers in the coach’s seat by allowing gamers to comprehensively scout the opponent, build custom playbooks, and develop a team that will adapt to the philosophy and system of an NFL franchise.

Last year’s Madden NFL 08 was honored with various awards, including the 2007 Game Critics “Best Sports Game” award at last year’s E3 Media and Business Summit, “Best Team Sports Game” from the Spike TV Video Games Awards, “Best Sports Game of the Year” by GameTrailers’ 2007 Game of the Year Awards, GameSpot’s “Best Sports Game” Reader’s Choice Award, and the “Best Sports Games” of 2007 by MSNBC. Over the past 20 years, the Madden NFL franchise has sold over 70 million* copies and has been established as one of the most revered sports video games in the industry. Since 2002, Madden NFL has been the number one selling sports game** each year in North America.

Both Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09 are developed in Orlando, Florida by the award-winning EA Tiburon studio, which also produces NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

Madden NFL 09 will be available for the Xbox 360™ video game system from Microsoft, PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems, Wii™, Nintendo DS™, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and is rated RP by the ESRB. NFL Head Coach 09 is scheduled to ship only as a part of the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition, which, at a suggested retail price of $89.99 for the complete package of Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09 plus additional exclusive bonus content, will ship on the Xbox 360™ and PLAYSTATION®3.

EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

For more information about Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09, please visit www.madden09.com

* Based on internal sales data
** According to the NPD Group

Game: Madden NFL 09Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: NDS / PS2 / PS3 / PSP / Wii / Xbox 360Votes for game: 88 - View All

Madden NFL 09 Videos

Member Comments

# 81 Pared @ 03/28/08 05:27 PM

Genius. Just genius. Didn't see this one coming. All those couch jockeys will pick this up because they can be the "uber" head coach and take their team to the promised land. "Besides, it comes with Madden."

It would be hilarious if playbook importing was somehow bugged and/or had a glitch.

Anyway, I keep coming back in the Madden forum hoping this game will some day be relevant again in my sports gaming... nope, not today...

# 82 Nza @ 03/28/08 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coogrfan


	Why exactly should EA not look at sales numbers to determine what constitutes a "major platform"?

First of all, it's a major platform because of the amount of people who play on it. There are still millions of PC gamers out there, and it's up to EA to sell it to them. If they've failed to do that to an acceptabl level so far, then fine, run away, but when they signed that NFL deal, they signed an obligation to make their exclusive NFL game for all platforms in my view. What they'd be doing is owning full rights for NFL games on the PC, and not releasing it on the PC. So basically us PC gamers are being blacked out. I still can't believe that's legal if it is - I'm almost certain it isn't in Australia anyway (we had a problem once with media companies buying broadcast rights and purposely not showing it).

Secondly, I don't understand how the NFL could agree to this, especially after a year where Madden sales dipped. EA are effectively limiting their reach relative to last year with the removal of PC, and hence the NFL's reach. Madden NFL is now the NFL's product. They make as much money from it thanks to the license after all and it is probably their number 1 promotional tool. Particularly overseas - and going off the community at Football-Freaks.com, there are far more International Madden PC gamers than I've ever seen in Madden Consoles sites like this one. Probably 10 fold. If it's the same reason as why I'm a Madden PC'r, originally it was because, thanks to region issues and late release dates, Madden PC was the only version us gamers outside the US could get on time (if at all). Removing that can't be helping the NFL's International fan cause they seem concentrated on.

Lastly, DS and PSP. Come on now. How many DS copies would really sell? And need I remind everyone that EA agreed to MAC versions of their titles under a year or so ago? This is a joke.

# 83 coogrfan @ 03/28/08 11:40 PM

I understand your frustration, but the plain fact is the pc version doesn't sell well.

Quote:


	BioShock: Best Selling PC Game of August Sep 13, 2007 at 3:24 PM ****** type="text/javascript">%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3 c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%6e% 65%77%73%40%76%65%33%64%2e%63%6f%6d%3f%73%75%62%6a %65%63%74%3d%4e%65%77%73%25%32%30%53%75%62%6d%69%7 3%73%69%6f%6e%22%20%3e%41%6e%64%72%65%77%20%42%75% 72%6e%65%73%3c%2f%1) Bioshock - 2K Games 77,374 2) World Of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Expansion Pack - Vivendi 49,126 3) World Of Warcraft - Vivendi 4) Guild Wars Eye Of The North Expansion Pack - NCsoft 5) Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword Expansion Pack - 2K Games 6) The Sims 2 Deluxe - Electronic Arts 7) Age Of Empires III - Microsoft 8) Madden NFL 2008 - Electronic Arts**

Compare that with the consoles sales numbers for the same period:

Quote:


	1) Madden NFL 08 - Xbox 360 - Electronic Arts 896,592, 2) Madden NFL 08 - Playstation 2 - Electronic Arts 643,617 3) BioShock - Xbox 360 - 2K Games 490,910 4) Madden NFL 08 - Playstation 3 - Electronic Arts 336,189 5) Play With Remote - Wii - Nintendo of America 256,781

http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/34...Game-of-August

It doesn't take a business degree to see why EA decided to pull the plug. They are doing the same to the Xbox version, for pretty much the same reasons.

# 84 Nza @ 03/29/08 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coogrfan


	I understand your frustration, but the plain fact is the pc version doesn't sell well. Compare that with the consoles sales numbers for the same period: http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/34...Game-of-August It doesn't take a business degree to see why EA decided to pull the plug. They are doing the same to the Xbox version, for pretty much the same reasons.

A game that makes the top 10 PC charts isn't sustainable? Come on, that's BS. Madden 08 PC would have still generated MUCH more revenue than it costed EA to make the game. Also, I highly doubt those numbers include EA Digital Download purchases of Madden PC, which going off the FootballFreaks community a considerable percentage opted to do last year. These are figures from game stores.

And as I said, they made a MAC version. Now, it was just the PC version packaged with Emulation software, but the packaging, the retailing, the licensing to get the emulation software etc isn't free, and the MAC version probably sold under 10,000 total copies. The PC probably close to 10x that if not more in total.

And you're meaning to tell me Madden DS sells more than PC? No way. And EA actually more or less make the DS version from the ground up - the PC is a cheap PS2 port.

The Xbox version was pulled because the Xbox is no longer supported by MS.

# 85 Nza @ 03/29/08 01:23 AM

Quote:


	1 1 World Of Warcraft Vivendi New 2 Madden NFL 2008 Electronic Arts 3 3 World Of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Expansion Pack Vivendi 4 4 The Sims 2 Deluxe Electronic Arts 2 5 Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword Expansion Pack 2K Games ( Take 2) 6 6 The Sims 2 Seasons Expansion Pack Electronic Arts 5 7 The Sims 2 H&M Fashion Stuff Expansion Pack Electronic Arts 10 8 Battlefield 2 Electronic Arts 8 9 MS Age Of Empires III Microsoft 9 10 Warcraft III Battle Chest Vivendi

http://www.yougamers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59785

"This list is based on units sold by over thirty channel partners."

Yeah, PC version doesn't sell

Keep in mind, this is a game EA put basically zero extra resources into - they probably ran a conversion script on the finished PS2 code, applied a few patches, and wholla, PC version. #2 on the PC charts may not mean a whole lot compared to consoles, but it's not like it isn't making EA money.

# 86 coogrfan @ 03/29/08 12:59 PM

All right. If EA isn't canceling the pc version because it isn't a money maker, why are they doing so?

# 87 blklightning @ 03/29/08 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jake44np


	EA is smoking crack if they think I am going to spend $90 on two bad games!!

finally, a voice of reason.

what the hell is wrong with you people?

"wah, wah, madden '08 sucks"

"ooh, they just announced madden '09. ima go pre-order it now."

the sheeple have returned.

# 88 Nza @ 03/29/08 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coogrfan


	All right. If EA isn't canceling the pc version because it isn't a money maker, why are they doing so?

Maybe it's not making them enough money by their standards and they'd prefer to reassign the tiny resources they did have designated to PC over to aid their console department. Going off their product these past few years they could use as much help as they can get. Or maybe EA just don't like PC - one of their leading execs said as much (although I'm sure they'll love PC when Spore hits, providing it doesn't require them to actually make any patches anyway). Who knows, all I really know is a platform that has millions of gamers on it deserves to have the US's largest exclusive sporting license covered, or in the least, if EA aren't interested anymore, it deserves to have the NFL license opened for others to take on.

And you know what the really funny thing is? despite EA efforts to do otherwise by just throwing the PS2 version over and calling it a day, 08 PC was the best version last year, and 07 PC the best the year before. I don't think I came across anyone who gave the PC and any other version both a fair go saying otherwise. The PC has so much potential for a football game that even a bastardized version is better than what they've managed to do on the consoles, and yet they seem to think the problem is with the platform, not the fact they don't try to make the PC version special.

Perhaps this will be a blessing in disguise for a truely capable developer to come along. After all, the PC only needs a generic game, the editing communities can do the rest.

# 89 Crimsontide27 @ 03/30/08 06:19 PM

EAs marketing machine is absolutely brilliant.

For the last 6 months all we have been reading is how much a piece of trash madden 08 was and no one was going to blindly purchase 09.

Now...instead of people sticking to the fact they wont buy 09, they are now willing to shell out 90 bucks for it!!!

EA should have its own classes taught in all college of businesses around the world. Pure absolute genius at work there.

Head coach had abysmal sales, so instead of release it seperatly again...and have horrible sales again...they bundle it with Madden...with options Madden should have had in the first place....and BAM!!! 90 bucks.

I certainly agree with other posters in the fact that the Madden AI cant handle hot routes and play changes as it is. The intro to custom made plays will lead to so much cheesing and abusing the AI that it wont even be funny.

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