Madden Sales Down 18%

[JO_75]

I came across this looking on the OS Forums and just thought I post this.

http://www.operationsports.com/news/456647/madden-sales-down-18-y-o-y-in-october/

[quote]an 18% drop was far more than I ever expected, that's nearly a 1/5 cut in top-line revenue from one of EA's biggest franchises on a Y-o-Y basis. If the trend continues, Madden sales could end up down substantially with the all-important Winter Shopping Season approaching.

There is a lot of speculation as to why sales have slowed so much so fast, but I believe the reasons are the same now as I initially thought back then: [b]consumers aren't impressed with the direction of the Madden series with so many other options for them to partake in.[/b] The longevity of the game is definitely in question and the word of mouth factor seems to be non-existent this year.[/quote]

I think the bold part about consumers not being happy with the direction of Madden pretty much sums up why sales are down. EA has ignored Franchise Mode and paid more attention to other aspects of the game that could have been done but not made top priority. You guys think that with Madden 12 suppose to be "The Year of Franchise" where they will finally tweak Franchise Mode after years of ignoring that mode that people will be more happy with 12 or will people just give up on Madden & EA?

[theFRANCHISE]

I agree that Franchise Mode is probably the biggest reason for this drop. Although online gaming is a big component, Franchise Mode is still the most-played component in the game next to Exhibition Mode.

It's gotten to the point where, if you really think about it, Franchise Mode has been stagnant for over a decade since all you really do is play through 30 seasons and that's it. There's no tangible rewards for playing. Perhaps you could unlock classic and alternate uniforms through Franchise Mode? Maybe historic stadiums? Hall of Fame players for use in Exhibition and Fantasy Drafts? Or, at the very least, if you won't reward the players for playing Franchise Mode, at least make the mode's presentation seem tangibly enough like an NFL broadcast. The Extra Point was a great concept but lacked in execution. Still a step in the right direction, though.

There's probably so many other improvements I could think of to Franchise Mode, and that's not even including better contract and trade logic.

[EnVy_CaLiBeR]

Yeah I agree. Franchise has always been second thing played to me other than online. They change nothing in Franchise and it really gets old so no surprise in the drop. I'll continue to play. I'm very competitive when it comes to online.

[Shawn`]

Good, I'm glad I'm not the only one realizing how little Madden does when it comes to year-to-year progression.

Hopefully this will make them put some more effort in Madden 12

[Bltravens]

Its because Madden tried too hard to bring in casual gamers, so guys like us who are on an NFL teams board constantly talking football, this game seems elementary. No RFAs, no training camp, no combine to get a feel for prospects, no senior bowl, no position specific scouting (ie a player like Suggs should be scouted for his 3-4 ability and 4-3 ability). Hell theres not even a consistency rating in the game to make players play to a realistic simulation of how they actually do. You can turn Yamon Figurs into a HOF if you wanted.

[AwakenTheDemon]

My biggest gripe with Franchise is that EA owns the ESPN license, and well, we see how well they use it with Madden. I mean, NFL 2K5 used the ESPN license perfectly in it's season mode. On the other hand, EA seems to ignore it when it comes to Madden and only sparingly use it with NCAA Football.

Overhaul the presentation, both in game and in franchise mode. If they really want to be ambitious, try to recreate Sunday Countdown for franchise mode (although I wouldn't mind if they left Cris and Key out heh). Then take the concept of The Extra Point and remake it with ESPN flair for the weekly review. At very least, bring the ESPN use into the game with statistic overlays during the game, make it interesting. The in game presentation for Madden has a generic feel to it, which hurts even more when you know they're basically sitting on ESPN.

Maybe call me ambitious, but with the gameplay improvements they made, they need to start addressing the Presentation and Franchise mode to avoid the moniker of just a yearly roster update.

[NinjaTurtle]

This is a good sign, hopefully now there will be some major redevelopments in Madden 12.

[H8R]

I'll continue to buy them but I must agree, it hasnt aged gracefully.

[BloodRaven]

NBA 2K11 (2K) vs NBA Elite 11 (EA) tells you all you need to know about these two companies.

[Bltravens]

[quote name='BloodRaven' timestamp='1290614080' post='549836']
NBA 2K11 (2K) vs NBA Elite 11 (EA) tells you all you need to know about these two companies.
[/quote]
2K11 is the one with Jordan in it right? I heard that game is siiiiiiiick

[flaccopoe]

[quote name='JO_75' timestamp='1290271803' post='545463']
I came across this looking on the OS Forums and just thought I post this.

http://www.operationsports.com/news/456647/madden-sales-down-18-y-o-y-in-october/



I think the bold part about consumers not being happy with the direction of Madden pretty much sums up why sales are down. EA has ignored Franchise Mode and paid more attention to other aspects of the game that could have been done but not made top priority. You guys think that with Madden 12 suppose to be "The Year of Franchise" where they will finally tweak Franchise Mode after years of ignoring that mode that people will be more happy with 12 or will people just give up on Madden & EA?
[/quote]

I know a bunch of people who still play the last Mdden game because they don't want to spend another $60 on a remake.

[MagicianCamille]

Didn't buy Madden this year. They offer nothing to a single-player franchise guy like me, the same old flawed crap every year. They've taken away more features since 2005 than they've added. Also, Superstar mode needs a lot more to it than just a calendar and a "crib".

[D_UP]

I don't even play my madden 11, I play my madden 10. 11 was such a let down.

[BloodRaven]

I wont be buying Madden again.

[Bltravens]

[quote name='BloodRaven' timestamp='1292483937' post='577063']
I wont be buying Madden again.
[/quote]
Ill be in that boat when Lewis and Reed are gone. Playing with those two HOF'ers makes it bearable for me.

[XxSizzleXx]

[quote name='BloodRaven' timestamp='1290614080' post='549836']
NBA 2K11 (2K) vs NBA Elite 11 (EA) tells you all you need to know about these two companies.
[/quote]

Can't say much else for other than sports games though. EA blows them away in non sports games.

[Jamal]

This doesn't surprise me one bit. When your biggest improvement is automatic play-calling (which I don't use anyways), you will probably lose sales.

Hopefully this means, they will actually make some real improvements next year.

[rheebrosinc]

haha, glad I didn't buy Madden 11.

[ryan23945]

superstar mode has changed, cornerback camera used to be sideline ish right behind cb, now its a far away angle, i was pissed