Madden NFL 11 News Post

Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

02:22 PM - August 20, 2010 by RaychelSnr

CNBC has the story on Madden's weak sales numbers and it's impact on the industry as a whole. Sounds like a blog coming from yours truly soon.

Quote:


	Just one week after its flagship franchise hit the streets, EA is already seeing retailers dramatically discount this year�s installment of �Madden NFL�. Amazon, Wal Mart, and GameStop have all dropped the price from $60 to $50. One possible way to interpret that is the 2010 version of the game hasn�t been selling at the same pace as the 2009 version (which, incidentally, failed to match the 2008 numbers). That�s troubling, since EA relies heavily on Madden for up to 10 percent of its annual revenues. Admittedly, there were concerns about this year�s game prior to its launch. Pre-orders were flat and Colin Sebastian, an analyst with Lazard Capital Markets, noted that the 2010 installment was �a �show-me� story � People who are tired of what �Madden� has become are saying �I know some of my fiends are going to pick it up and I�ll see what they have to say first.'�

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Member Comments

# 1 crumpled_heap @ 08/20/10 02:26 PM

maybe ea will realize that we don't want a quicker simpler game, what we want is better line interaction and multi hit tackles

# 2 Dog @ 08/20/10 02:28 PM

maybe this will get them to stop catering to newer madden players because it doesnt look like its working

# 3 tommyboii2008 @ 08/20/10 02:29 PM

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..

# 4 DaReapa @ 08/20/10 02:29 PM

Hopefully this will motivate them to innovate the franchise, being the exclusive holder of the NFL license.

# 5 CYST2000 @ 08/20/10 02:32 PM

I don't think EA will do anything differently. Ian asked them for a new engine when he first started and he was declined. As long as they can put in less money and get a ton out they won't make the game any better.

# 6 markprior22 @ 08/20/10 02:35 PM

This is the first year I wasn't even the least bit tempted to buy Madden. I am an offline franchise player and the franchise mode is going to need quite an upgrade to pull me back in.

# 7 swaldo @ 08/20/10 02:35 PM

Can't blame it on the poor economy - The metacritic user score (5.4) says it all. OUCH!

# 8 T3AMGEIST @ 08/20/10 02:39 PM

NHL wont sell as much as Madden, it might be better but Football is US Sport No1, and sale numbers are everything that counts for EA.

# 9 MelMan1486 @ 08/20/10 02:41 PM

I was one of those "show me" people and as soon as my friend got it I went staight to franchise and realized the game wasn't worth buy imo.

# 10 MelMan1486 @ 08/20/10 02:42 PM

I was one of those "show me" people and as soon as my friend got it I went staight to franchise and realized the game wasn't worth buy imo.

# 11 iAM-IncReDiBLe- @ 08/20/10 02:44 PM

I love the direction madden is going. They are trying their best to make gameplay more important but I feel this will make them try something different that will further alienate the hard core guys. I know one thing, if online franchise next year doesn't have a salary cap I will not be buying it.

# 12 rooney8 @ 08/20/10 02:46 PM

This is what I want to hear as I am hoping it changes EA's approach to the game but as the article says this has been happening every year with the game and it's just lead to getting more and more arcade. I think Peter Moore needs to swallow his pride and admit the targeting casuals was a mistake. Cost them more loyal hardcore fans then it gained casuals.

# 13 charter04 @ 08/20/10 02:50 PM

The Madden team should be taking some pointers from the NCAA team. I know the sales on it aren't great either but I have enjoyed it far more than Madden.

# 14 PH1LLYSFINEST13 @ 08/20/10 02:51 PM

They know what that have to do. We all know and publicly say what is wrong with the game. The defense the tackles the offense. Fix the franchise. I am really hoping for a big jump in the next madden. Personally , I bought all the other EA games and skipped out on madden so lets see what they do next year. Step up EA

# 15 RaychelSnr @ 08/20/10 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flamehead


	Based on the reviews the NHL demo is getting, it certainly looks that way. Meh, I think the author is too eager to produce a cause and effect with Madden sales numbers and what might happen with the game industry in general. How about "Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Madden?" Of course, Peter Moore and Co. will look at this as more evidence that the game needs to be "simplified" further. Much easier to believe you've overcomplicated it rather than produced a game more people are becoming disenchanted with because you're not responding to repeated community requests and instead implementing changes no one asked for.

Game industry sales are down to flat this year overall, depending on your source. That's not a good sign in ANY industry. With one of the yearly staples likely not doing well at all, that's just not good news for the industry as a whole. The guy CNBC quoted is usually pretty good at forecasting these types of things in the gaming industry.

I still think AAA titles will do just fine, but if you have a game like, say, NBA Elite or something just as niche, you'd better hope you have a lot of quality because the sales might not come otherwise. Talked about this on my blog earlier this week:

http://www.operationsports.com/MMChrisS/blog/9575-deteriorating-economy-spells-trouble-for-game-developers/

With us beginning another leg down or recession in an ongoing depression, there has been a secular shift in the economy away from spending on things like games. Just how it is when you are worried about keeping your house, cars, etc. It's not unlike the '30s, Hollywood had to go through a similar situation then.

# 16 DaReapa @ 08/20/10 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flamehead


	Meh, I think the author is too eager to produce a cause and effect with Madden sales numbers and what might happen with the game industry in general. How about "Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Madden?" Of course, Peter Moore and Co. will look at this as more evidence that the game needs to be "simplified" further. Much easier to believe you've overcomplicated it rather than produced a game more people are becoming disenchanted with because you're not responding to repeated community requests and instead implementing changes no one asked for.

Spot on m'man. I haven't purchased a Madden game since Madden 06, and don't see that changing soon. The problem I have with media related articles such as this is that it misleads the general public from the truth that Madden has become (or IMO, has been) a stale franchise surviving off gimmicks and an aggressive marketing campaign.

# 17 RaychelSnr @ 08/20/10 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wco81


	Economy has to have something to do with it. The price cuts will spur sales and that should tell them something.

The economy has a large chunk to do with it.

However, swaldo is right in the basic sense that users aren't up on Madden. But I think the economy is a huge factor in people expecting more bang for their buck, so games are under a bigger microscope. That plus the yearly release game being on for well over a decade basically spells two things: 1)Gamers expect more than what they'll ever get from a yearly release, creating a deadly trap for developers/publishers and 2)People aren't paying $60 for new games that aren't worth it anymore.

# 18 RaychelSnr @ 08/20/10 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NEWYORICAN


	$60.00 + is just too much for a sports video game that dosn't change much. They are going to have to lower their prices on sports games. I say bring it down to $35.00 to $40.00. peace

Lowering prices to $40 and releasing a game every other year would probably be a wash on the ol' corporate balance sheet when DLC is added in as a stopgap measure. Just saying

# 19 CYST2000 @ 08/20/10 03:06 PM

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).

# 20 gamerkid421 @ 08/20/10 03:07 PM

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

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