Madden NFL 11 News Post

Weak Madden Sales Signaling Trouble for Game Industry

01:22 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.'�

Game: Madden NFL 11Reader Score: 6/10 - Vote Now
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# 161 inkcil @ 08/21/10 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerseySuave4


	its not the economy, thats just an easy excuse. If the game is worth it, people will find a way to save $60 if they need to. For someone that has a job, $60 is not a lot of money. For kids that can't afford it, $60 might be a lot to the parent that has to pay for the game or the kid saving the game, but i doubt its whats stopping those kids from buying it and if the game was worth buying then the kid can convince his parent to spend $60 on the game. EA didnt bring it once again and people are finally tired of just spending the money on a game thats not worth it. When their biggest advertising point is quicker games, thats not good.

I agree...Bloomberg Business Week summed this up real nice throughout the month of July. They said what I been saying for at least six months:

Malls still packed? Check.

Restaurants still packed? Check.

Concerts still packed? Check.

New I-phone lines still packed? Check.

Sporting events still packed? Check.

Consoles still flying off the shelves? Check.

Madden 11 selling well? Ummmm....

# 162 boritter @ 08/21/10 06:57 PM

My college roommate and I loved Madden on the PS2. But we have been bummed with the 360 versions and we didn't like the Madden 11 demo. So we decided to stick to NCAA this year.

I'm sure there are thousands of gamers who feel the same way. Madden simply isn't what it used to be.

# 163 spit_bubble @ 08/21/10 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metallicatz


	All the flimsy correlations between lagging sales and supposed "poor quality" are amusing...

All factors go hand in hand. The poor quality of games isn't the only factor, but you are blind if you can't see that it's a factor. You cite this year's versions of EA football as being the best ever, but how long did it take to get there? Previous versions of EA's football games barely even felt like final builds.

The current situation is almost like the perfect storm for an industry collapse, and the only thing keeping it from doing so is consumer interest... But even that last pillar may not be able to hold the weight of it all...

1. The new systems of this generation have required more investment from gamers: a broadband connection to their system, along with an HD TV.

2. The higher cost of developing games for this generation (including: more coding, hardware that is difficult to work with, and the need for patching games) has led to a drop in both the quality and quantity of games.

3. The down economy has a lot of people reconsidering what they spend their money on.

The industry obviously isn't going to disappear any time soon, but the landscape has changed dramatically from even just five years ago, becoming more bleak and desolate. If the industry is smart it will learn from this generation and be grateful it managed to survive.

# 164 green94 @ 08/21/10 08:29 PM

The direction was clear this year on where the Dev team wanted to take this game... the casual gamer. And frankly that makes the most sense considering 90% of its user base is "the casual gamer".

I'm an enjoying the hell out of NCAA this year, first time I've purchased it since the original Xbox (05?). I played the Madden demo and it was the exact same game as last year... and NCAA was so much better IMO.

I really believed in the leadership and direction of where this game was going to go, but obviously somewhere they took a right turn and started appealing to the bigger crowd once again. I can understand it and can't really fault them for it, it is just disappointing to the remaining 10% of us.

# 165 shadthedad @ 08/21/10 08:40 PM

Malcolm Gladwell wrote an excellent book called, "The Tipping Point." More times than not, you can't just look at one reason for a national trend, you have to analyze a series of changes that snowball into an actual movement.

# 166 smoove7 @ 08/21/10 08:55 PM

Lets say that madden got to it and made next years a kick a** game sim wise. What could they do every year after that to keep people wanting more?

If the game had awesome game play which is what we all want, would a roster update be worth 60 bucks then? Because then you would be buying the same game every year (killer game play

) but paying 60 bucks for a roster update.

Do you think people would be fine with killer simulation gameplay and a 60 dollar roster update every year? And if so, for how many years?

# 167 bram73 @ 08/21/10 09:18 PM

Its like dis whether people want to believe it or not madden quit when it signed the deal way back in 05. Because if 2k was still makin football it would be ova. I use to like madden and yes this new madden 11 has a much improved passin game from its brothers but overall this game is not that good. NCAA 11 is pretty good bcuz something feels fresh about it but madden idk its the same o same o and im sick of it. Its like this take the gloves off and go old fashion wit it. Im talkin competition. 2k give up the baseball or wateva and duke it out. EA best hockey game boxing and (soccer game maybe) they also have a finaly decent bball game and a mediocre football game (ncaa is FINALY! GOOD)2k has best NBA bball wud hav best college b ball and would have best football if in action, decent hockey and jus ok but maybe on the rise basebal game and bad boxin game (don king) sony has the best baseball period and with all that said the best thing to do is bring back competition. Sure the sells will take a hit but when one game is proven itself out of all then sells will rise aint like madden didnt sale good when gameday fever etc was around.

# 168 green94 @ 08/21/10 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REDRZA


	Where did you get you figures from? 90% of Madden players are NOT "casual" gamers. Casual gamers, for the most part, don't buy consoles like 360 and PS3. They play web based games, mobile phone games, Wii etc. They don't buy the game each and every year, they don't stand in line for a midnight launch, they don't make up 90% of Madden sales.

Candidly I pulled the number out of thin air... and I should have specified casual as non sim.

Sim gamers are what make up this website and I would think we are a very small percentage of the overall sales year to year.

# 169 green94 @ 08/21/10 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smoove7


	Lets say that madden got to it and made next years a kick a** game sim wise. What could they do every year after that to keep people wanting more? If the game had awesome game play which is what we all want, would a roster update be worth 60 bucks then? Because then you would be buying the same game every year (killer game play ) but paying 60 bucks for a roster update. Do you think people would be fine with killer simulation gameplay and a 60 dollar roster update every year? And if so, for how many years?

Yes, because they would continue to add small things to the game every year to make it worth buying. Look at MLB The Show... every year they add more and more to the game while the main gameplay has stayed in tact.

# 170 mestevo @ 08/21/10 09:57 PM

So this whole article is predicated on pricing? Retailers know millions of people are buying this game over the next couple months and want people to come buy it at their store so that they buy other things there too.

This inference would make more sense if the price adjustments were done by EA.

# 171 stlstudios189 @ 08/21/10 09:58 PM

I think the lack of fresh feel is just a byproduct of the fact that the game is 21 years old. Basketball sales are down, baseball is down, so football is no different

# 172 RumbleCard @ 08/21/10 10:06 PM

Sim sells. The Show. NBA2K series. EA's NHL. Top Spin Tennis. Gran Turismo. UFC Undisputed. FIFA. Fight Night. The list goes on.

Now we can argue how sim like some of these games really are but the intention is to "simulate" the experience and game play.

Anyone who says that sim doesn't fully grasp what consumers want doesn't understand. Consumers want the experience (as realistically as possible). Sim doesn't have to = complicated. Its all in the execution of the game play. Make the game play as close to real life as possible and the game will sell well to casual gamers and the hardcore jockgeeks.

# 173 RGiles36 @ 08/21/10 10:28 PM

Been an interesting thread to read. In fact, I read the entire thing.

I think it's difficult to say who's right/wrong in the back & forth that has transpired. One thing I do know: celebrating bad sales (if they are indeed 'bad') is probably not a great idea. I know some think this opens the door for Madden to become even more sim or that it'll eventually void the exclusive license. Me, I'm not so naive.

The truth is -- depending on who you ask -- Madden has gone into a more sim direction the last two years. I think anyone who makes the case that the hardcore gamer wasn't thought of in the last two years is biased. Even Gameflow which certainly has a more casual appeal has something unique that even this sim gamer can appreciate. My point is that sagging sales could produce the opposite of what some are looking for in this thread.

If enough people at EA think that Madden has gotten a little too hardcore in the last two years (it could happen), we could be looking at a scenario where the game gets back to being more tourney/casual.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rooney8


	As you can all see the numbers from M11 to M10 are bad and to M09 are awful even though M11 had an extra day. So all those (roadman, Only1LT) who needed proof I hope this will satisfy. *Madden11 sales are terrible lets continue to celebrate and hope this will change the arcade approach to sim, sim, sim.*

Ditto above...

# 174 Only1LT @ 08/21/10 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rooney8


	Sarcasim and research fail for you i'm afraid mate. Article FTW. Those numbers for Madden10 are for two days sales and the numbers for Madden11 are for five days sales. “Madden NFL 10” takes the top spot on this week’s worldwide chart, with over 1.25 million units sold in the first two days of release. The platform breakdown is as follows (note this is worldwide figures, but of course the majority of Madden sales occur in the US): Overall, first week Madden sales are down 23% from last year, but much of this difference comes from the fact that Madden 09 released on a Wednesday so had 4 days of sales in the tracking period whereas Madden 10 released on a Friday and only had two. Comparing directly to the first two days of sale last year, Madden is actually only down 12% year on year. As you can all see the numbers from M11 to M10 are bad and to M09 are awful even though M11 had an extra day. So all those (roadman, Only1LT) who needed proof I hope this will satisfy. Madden11 sales are terrible lets continue to celebrate and hope this will change the arcade approach to sim, sim, sim.

Like I said, I have no doubt that the confirmation would come. I have thought long before this article that sales would be down this year. They have been down just about every year. Add in the fact that preorder numbers were down and that there were a ton of deals before the game even released, and things didn't look too rosey.

My point wasn't that sales numbers were going to be good, only that the article never mentioned any specific sales numbers. Just that they thought they would be down based on prices being slashed. Again, I always thought sales would be down and that the confirmation that the article lacked, would be available soon.

And for those wanting to take bets on whether madden 11 will sell more than 10, I will take that action lol. It has nothing to do with this article either. I would have taken that bet months ago.

# 175 Iamantonio704 @ 08/22/10 12:42 AM

Finally! can we get a 2K sports Football game now!

# 176 Cantgetright69 @ 08/22/10 01:22 AM

Thank god.

Now I know for sure that madden 12 will have solid gameplay and a deep franchise mode.

We did it guys we did it!

# 177 Cantgetright69 @ 08/22/10 01:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OctoberRust38


	Go and put your pre-order in right away! Don't be a victim another year, my friend.

lol good post man. So true. This was the first year I didn't rush to buy madden and couldnt be happier with my decision. I wasn't sure if I could withstand the cravings cause i love football so much. But just cause you love football doesn't mean you gotta waste money on a product that makes you angry and frustrated from lack of features and quality gameplay that makes realistic stats.

I feel bad for all the people tweaking sliders trying to get realistic gameplay and stats. Sorry to inform you all but it's not possible. The only way it would be possible is if ea spent time trying to get it themselves. And if its not possible with this current engine then they need to create a new one.

Cause i'm not getting madden again if they use this same engine that never worked.

# 178 btrapp @ 08/22/10 02:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cantgetright69


	lol good post man. So true. This was the first year I didn't rush to buy madden and couldnt be happier with my decision. I wasn't sure if I could withstand the cravings cause i love football so much. But just cause you love football doesn't mean you gotta waste money on a product that makes you angry and frustrated from lack of features and quality gameplay that makes realistic stats. I feel bad for all the people tweaking sliders trying to get realistic gameplay and stats. Sorry to inform you all but it's not possible. The only way it would be possible is if ea spent time trying to get it themselves. And if its not possible with this current engine then they need to create a new one. Cause i'm not getting madden again if they use this same engine that never worked.

The main problem with madden is they have zero competition. I guarantee you if madden actually had a competitor, there games would be infinitely
better. These guys aren't bad programmers, and they know how to make a great football game. They just don't have to.

# 179 mrprice33 @ 08/22/10 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clutch masta


	If i believe it is bias,why are you questioning me?leave it as what i said.Simpler,supposedly Deeper,and Quicker deserves a 9 rating?yea right.I'll give it a 5.5 for trying but the execution 0.I dont want to go anymore with this debate,stay on topic.

I'm sorry, I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to ask you to explain and expound on your post. It's my fault though, as upon further review, it was so eloquently worded and thoughtfully explained that any further discussion of it was rendered moot.

Anyway, to the topic at hand. I think perhaps we should allow a few more weeks of sales to come in before tapdancing on Madden's grave. As others have pointed out, last year's game didn't start off with a huge bang, yet had a long enough tail to outsell its predecessor. There is a distinct possibility that this could happen here, although it is also possible that the game will do less business.

One extra point, too. I really don't think using UFC (which, like I said, went from savior to dud in about 12 months), NBA 2K (which, much like Madden, has a huge bunch of legacy issues that the developers are either unwilling/unable to fix) or Fifa (which has only recently been even remotely playable, though it still doesn't come close to accurately portraying the sport) as examples of "greatness in sports gaming" really works for me.

There has been one series from last gen which has truly innovated this gen, and that's the NHL series. All of the other sports games generally have similar gameplay to their last gen counterparts, particularly those which many people on here like to point to as some great accomplishment in gaming.

If these games are forced to stay on this 12 month release schedule, we'll never see the innovation that other types of titles have. Do you think there could be anything approaching Halo's Forge World in a game made in 12 months? Do you think EA would be able to create basically perfect matchmaking (ala Starcraft 2) in 12 months? As it currently stands, the situation is as I said. There will be a bunch of iterative releases, with the occasional big deal release. Those of you who expect something of a quantum jump from year to year will always be disappointed, as it's basically impossible to do so on such a short window.

# 180 Sort of Irish @ 08/22/10 03:47 AM

...I'm not one hundred percent convinced weak sales will change any future installments of Madden. The franchise will continue to be mediocre until there is a football game that can actually compete. Competition is the only thing I can see that would push EA to make a better game. Sadly I don't think weak sales is necessarily going to change anything.

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