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As Patrick reported earlier, the $100 console price cuts issued in August by Microsoft and Sony clearly boosted hardware sales for the month. However, the cuts didn't boost game sales as much as many perhaps expected them too. It appears that no one is more aware of this fact than Electronic Arts, which released the latest installment in its cash-cow franchise, Madden, this past month, and saw a noticeable drop in sales over last year's installment.
Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello said in a company email that similar to the continued slowing of overall game sales, sales of the company’s Madden NFL 10 “are down with that trend,” Bloomberg reports. Riccitiello went on to say, “It is discouraging that one of our highest-rated and best-marketed Madden titles in years is facing strong headwinds.”
According to recently released NPD sales figures for August 2009, Madden sold 1.9 million units across five platforms in its first month, around 1.59 million of those for the Xbox 360 (928,000) and the PlayStation 3 (665,000). Certainly nothing to throw a challenge flag at, but considering that Madden NFL 09 sold 2.3 million units in its first month of sale last year, it’s easy to see why Riccitiello would be a bit frustrated.
Still, according to last year’s NPD data, Madden 09 on the 360 and PS3 sold a comparable amount (1.64 million) to this year. In fact, the biggest drops this year came from the PS2 and Wii versions, with PS2 sales dropping by almost 265,000 and Wii sales dropping well over 100,000. So it would seem that pointing the finger at the 360 and PS3 for dragging down Madden sales would be the wrong approach here, since those losses were far less than those seen on other platforms. I guess the bigger question here is: What games did Wii and PS2 owners buy this year instead of Madden?
How many of you bought Madden last year but haven't picked up Madden NFL 10?
Comments are Closed
Comments
Displaying 1–20 of 74
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G4ChuckW
This is the dumbest argument that takes place yearly....Other than small game play functions what updates to football can you make. Its football, the actual game hasn't changed much over so ho much do you expect a sim to change over the years. What innovations to the engine is going to really make the game different...you people are delusional. I feel like they don't need to put out a new one every year and I don't necessarily get the new Madden every year but to say everyone who buys it is buying the same game every year and are stupid for doing so , should realize that you are calling all gamers who buy sequel games or multiple games in the same genre are essentially buying multiple copies of the same game also. All FPS games are essentially the same game with different weapons and slightly varying plot scenarios and don't get me started on Mario...how many times can the princess get snatched...how many times can you jump on a goomba...C'mon
MeisterShane
Maybe they should have but Favre on the cover again.
mrwfuller
I've been playing Madden since 95, and I make it a point not to buy everyone that comes out simply because when they add new features sometimes they miss the mark (QB Vision, we're talking about you). I played the demo for 09 and hated it, I feel like 10 is a much more polished version of 09. They got rid of the weapons icons (thank God) and gave us a much more realistic game. I think the big thing holding back the sales of the greatest version of madden EVER is the paid downloadable content. For years gamers have wanted online franchise, and when we finally get it, there's a fee. Granted the fee only applies if your code that comes with the game has already been used, but EA is nickel and diming us to death here. Years ago, things like attribute boosts for one play or elite training staff were cheat codes. I miss being able to go online and look up cheats for my game just to see what they did. Now those things will cost you. I understand that those are minor downloads that won't enhance the experience, but what about things like maximizing player training during the off season. Whose to say that EA Sports didn't taper the off season progression in order to force players to download some the PDLC? Gamers are already coughing up $60 for the game, now you want MORE money to fully experience it. Bad form, EA Sports, Bad form indeed.
swede7754
Haven't been psyched about a Madden game since 2000. Haven't bought one since 2001 (borrowed from friends after they got bored). Won't buy another Madden game until they put something worth $60 in the game - Yearly updated rosters don't mean squat if the gameplay sucks.
Payne80
I bought metroid prime trilogy instead.
Reese8732
I didn't buy it this year because it's the same game as last year with some new additions. I doing the same thing with Smackdown because it's the same thing. Plus there are far more entertaining games to play. And I liked the NFL2K series more.
Razorjeff
I don't mind that EA puts out a new version of Madden every year. What I DO mind, however, is that they always take out features that people like and replace them with gimmicks. Also, every year there are certain problems that could easily be fixed, but EA continues to ignore them, as if hoping we will buy there game in case this is the year the problem is fixed.
For those of us who enjoy franchise mode, we have lost a lot of franchise features the past few years. This is most likely because they wanted to include those features in the now-defunct NFL Head Coach game.
* We need player morale, and it needs to be based on real factors.
* Offensive line progression screwed since it's always based on pancakes.
* User interface for the draft is horrid and non-intuitive
* Bring back training camp and team practices. Why did EA get rid of them?
* Rosters need to be expanded in preseason, allowing US to make the cuts
* Trades for draft picks still busted. I should not be able to trade a 94 OVR lineman at the age of 37 for the #2 overall pick in the draft.
* Sliders don't effectively work.
* AI running backs will almost never attempt to juke or stiff arm.
* Past features such as the Tony Bruno show and newspapers were popular with many players and should still be an option.
* Default uniforms (Seahawks) are wrong (again) on release, even though they were fine last year. Why the change?
* Releasing the game without a standard broadcast camera view is pathetic, since every version has had one (and this is the same old engine).
I could go on, but you get the point. Overall, the game is enjoyable, but it just gets frustrating seeing so much potential go down the drain because EA wants to sit on its laurels with exclusive NFL rights. No competition means less incentive to put out a better product. The NFL should know that, and rethink the contract extension they gave EA. A bad Madden game ultimately reflects poorly on the NFL.
TreFacTor
Watch this -->> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =DunWUIigyAY, Adam, and Morgan (they gave madden such high marks for crap) especially, and you will see that EA no longer cares what they put out and call a football game the bugs and glitches, along with the striped features from previous versions have the community >>> http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/po sts/list/297759.page <<< as a whole in an up roar! I have joined thee class action suit against EA for this years slap in the face!
BertSaxby
I'll go out on a limb and say it's pricing contributing to sales declines. I think game publishers need to suck it up and realize that $40,$50,$60 titles are not going to fly off the shelves anymore.
realJWade
This year's Madden is so friggin' much better than '09, which I played for less than five hours. But I can see why it's not selling - there are a lot of disappointed fans out there who are fed up with EA and Sports in particular. My best friend has bought Madden every year since it's inception but he skipped it this year in favor of NCAA because he hated '09. And as for Wii sales... I tried Madden '08 out on the Wii, and it was a joke. While motion controls might, at first, seem like a natural fit for a sports game, I think Madden is too complex and the Wii controls too simplistic to make a good match. Stick to tennis and golf. 'Course, the game might have evolved over the last 2 years, but I'm not buying it again, and I suspect many others (about 100,000 or so) feel the same way.
contactone
Why is EA releasing a new game every year? Why not have a side team set up a brand new game engine with all the bells and whistles? Let the new team take a couple years to master that engine and then just updated yearly with rosters and other DLC goodies. Run off that engine for a few years. Just repeat that cycle.
They can work on that game while the regular team does the game for next year.
sukTHEfacc
i am so happy to see that madden is doing worse. that's what they get for conducting a corporate buy out.
making tiny changes each year doesn't cut it anymore. that, plus there's no real world competiti0on to keep things fresh and new.
I hate EA and their corrupt Madden franchise.
I AM SO HAPPY. DOWN WITH MADDEN!
whatever007
I got an idea DON'T PUT OUT A NEW GAME EVERY FREAKIN' YEAR!!! How about some cheap DLC with roster upgrades and new content...I personally haven't bought a EA sports game in years and I'm not going to unless they adopt DLC policy!!
These games shouldn't even be on disc, you should download what you want and upgrade when ever you want.
EntropyMu
I'm one of the people who bought this every year- but didn't this year. It isn't the economy. It's the game. When they switched to the new gen console, they took out much of the things I liked about the game (the details in franchise mode) and made it very animation driven. The game isn't realistic, in order to provide a challenge, the AI basically goes into cheat mode. If I want sketchy AI to provide a challenge, I'll play Mario Kart.
ThaSaltShaker
Waaa, we didn't make as much money as we did last year... waa....!
Nightshade386
Since the numbers are down primarily on the PS2 and Wii side of things, I'm wondering if some of those people are planning on picking it up along with either a new lower priced PS3 or 360 this fall.
philgoodz
madden is doing the same thing(presentation wise) that NFL 2k5 did back then. They r so late. It sucks that they have no competition. It would be awesome to play nfl2K10.
Nightshade386
Actually I bought it this year, but didn't buy it last year. I think this year's game is significantly different than previous iterations of the series due to the Pro-Tak engine. While EA has been selling the Pro-Tak on the gang tackling, there's actually been quite a bit of improvement in amount of realism with the offensive and defensive line play. As someone who consistently uses the DE when I play on defense, it's nice to be able to actually spin off a double team with a well timed swim move. When the play goes behind you, you can actually break and pursue, where in previous years you just kinda "stuck" to your blocker.
duanenia1968
Has anyone considered the economy, and that most gamers just cant afford 60 bucks. This Madden by far is the best, but the timing with the economy wont reflect its awesomeness.
GabeTheReaver
The problem is the game is garbage. The keep taking out all the features that allow you actually play defense. Commit to the pass/run, QB vision are the two big ones. You can't play any defense and people can continually throw into coverage and complete passes. They need a total retool of the game at this point.
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