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Offline WindyMan

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Madden Sells Big
« on: August 19, 2004, 06:08:55 AM »
The game's 2005 edition is EA's fastest selling Madden title ever.

EA's Madden NFL 2005 Runs Up the Score


Biggest First Week in 15-Year Franchise History


REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 19, 2004--Electronic Arts today announced that, based on internal data, Madden NFL 2005 sold more than 1.35 million copies at retail stores within the first week, making it the biggest week one launch of a Madden NFL Football game in the franchise's fifteen year history.


"Once again, EA SPORTS has delivered the best football experiences in the market," said EA Vice President of Marketing Todd Sitrin. "Both our Madden NFL 2005 and NCAA Football 2005 games have posted extremely high review scores and the strongest launch sales in the history of their franchises."


"Somehow Madden NFL 2005 outdid itself, after last year's huge launch, this year's was even bigger and better," said GameStop President and Chief Operating Officer Dan DeMatteo. "We spent a lot of time before last week preparing our store managers for the biggest retail event we've had in the past year, it was a great week for GameStop and Madden fans all over the country."


"No other game generates the kind of consumer excitement and traffic that Madden does," said Debbie Mola, Vice President of Merchandising at EB Games. "The passion of the Madden consumer and the anticipation for its launch makes Madden the most unique retail experience of the year."


Based on internal tracking, EA estimates:


-- Madden NFL 2005 had the biggest week one launch in the history of the franchise, selling more than 1.35 million units.


-- NCAA(R) Football 2005 was the #1 selling video game on the PlayStation(R)2 computer system in July 2004.


-- With double digit sell-through percentage increases this year, both Madden NFL 2005 and NCAA Football 2005 are tracking ahead of last year's record volume, when independent data showed they were the number one and number two selling football titles for the year.


-- Within a month of NCAA Football 2005 shipping and with Madden NFL 2005 on store shelves only a few days, EA SPORTS(TM) football titles have registered more than 315,000 new user accounts to play online through the PlayStation 2 console and on Xbox Live(TM).


"The excitement we're seeing over Madden NFL 2005 and NCAA Football 2005 is at an all-time high," added Sitrin. "Yet again EA SPORTS fans are telling us loud and clear that they're fired up for our 2005 roster of games and if Madden NFL Football and NCAA Football aren't enough, NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 2005, NBA LIVE 2005, NHL 2005, FIFA Soccer 2005 and March Madness 2005 all are coming out soon -- delivering all the innovations in gameplay and online features any sports gamer can want.

Steven "WindyMan" Rodriguez
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Offline The Omen

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RE:Madden Sells Big
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2004, 10:47:26 AM »
Quote

Daniel says: Yesterday it was Pokemon, today it's Madden. Why in the world do so many people continue to buy these games year after year when they've barely changed?


Why do so many people assume not enough has changed for the buyers/fans of the game?  I choose to buy it, because it's certainly added enough to an already great game.   It's not as if buying Madden prevents me from buying any other great game.  I love football, and all the seemingly small additions amount to a lot for me , personally.    
"If a man comes to the door of poetry untouched by the madness of the muses, believing that technique alone will make him a great poet, he and his sane compositions never reach perfection, but are utterly eclipsed by the inspired madman." Socrates

Offline Renny

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RE:Madden Sells Big
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2004, 11:49:14 AM »
I think the answer is simply that EA has piggybacked onto the anticipation of the NFL season. It's traditional for fans to buy it. Plus they do add things every year, even if those features may be somewhat half-assed. It gets perfected over time. You might consider that evolutionary approach exploitative of the fanbase. But these same fans won't even give ESPN football a chance at $20. So this is obviously what they want.
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Offline mouse_clicker

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RE:Madden Sells Big
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2004, 12:01:30 PM »
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Why do so many people assume not enough has changed for the buyers/fans of the game? I choose to buy it, because it's certainly added enough to an already great game. It's not as if buying Madden prevents me from buying any other great game. I love football, and all the seemingly small additions amount to a lot for me , personally.


My problem at least is not the lack of updates between installments but rather the double standard by wich the public and media judges such games. When Nintendo releases another Pokemon or Mario Party game everyone complains about how they never add anything and just release what is, in essence, the same game repackaged- reviews reflect this sentiment. However, whenever EA puts out another Madden, with just as few changes and updates, the game is almost universally praised and given exemplary reviews. I don't care if people buy them, obviously Pokemon and Madden sell enormously well- maybe underservedly, in my opinion, but it's a fact that cannot be denied- and if the people buying these games enjoy them that's all that really matters. But I don't see how it's okay for Madden, or really sports games in general, to be released every year with little in the way of improvement but if Nintendo does it it's a sin.
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Offline rholder

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RE:Madden Sells Big
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2004, 03:41:28 PM »
Maybe its just me, but I think EA will have to step it up in the future. Some of my friends buy the game SIMPLY to have the updated rosters each year. But with the advent of online (mostly...) gaming, they are giving the people the ability to update rosters via the net. Unless EA begins innovating more (don't get me wrong, the new defensive playmaker controls rock) each year, I believe the sales will begin to fall off.

/IMO

Offline Bloodworth

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RE: Madden Sells Big
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2004, 05:03:12 PM »
You know it's not so much that the games continue to do well, it's the fact that year after year they do better.   Take Pokemon for instance.  I have Silver and Sapphire and I really don't see a reason to pick up any of the others since they're pretty much the same, but I might get another one in a couple years.  

What blows me away is that so many people continue to buy these games year after year in increasing numbers rather than being satisfied with picking one up every few years since it's essentially the same experience.  Madden makes slightly more sense because of the NFL season, but what's driving the Pokemon sales?  The wireless adaptor?  As cool as catching them all is, starting over to catch them all again seems a bit tedious.
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Offline Ian Sane

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RE: Madden Sells Big
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2004, 05:38:13 PM »
I'm getting tired of stating my opinion on Madden.  To sum it up I hate it, I hate that it's more successful than better innovative games, and I feel EA is/has completely ruined the videogame industry.

As for comparing Pokemon to Madden, hmmmm.  I like Pokemon and I think it gets a raw deal from it's haters.  I consider Madden to be mere product, designed purely for sales, while Pokemon is a legitimate classic game that's been tarnished by and overshadowed by related product (think Pac-Man or Frogger).  Four years ago I would have defended Pokemon because as much as a rip-off the Stadium games and "director's cuts" (Yellow, Crystal) are Pokemon Red/Blue is one of the best and most original games ever and Gold/Silver is an amazing sequel that improves on everything SSBM style.

However in the post-GBA era Pokemon is pretty similar to Madden.  Ruby/Sapphire has LESS features than Gold/Silver, Colosseum had features that were in Stadium removed to make Box, and the new GBA games are remakes.  Though in my opinion Nintendo has been milking all of their franchises a lot lately so naturally Pokemon, which was already pretty milked, has become more repetitive.  Nintendo has to be less sequel-happy period.

Nintendo deserves the criticism they recieve for Pokemon (and Mario Party).  It's just, like mouse_clicker said, bullsh!t that EA doesn't recieve the same criticism.

Offline The Omen

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RE:Madden Sells Big
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2004, 02:55:25 PM »
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As for comparing Pokemon to Madden, hmmmm. I like Pokemon and I think it gets a raw deal from it's haters. I consider Madden to be mere product, designed purely for sales, while Pokemon is a legitimate classic game that's been tarnished by and overshadowed by related product (think Pac-Man or Frogger). Four years ago I would have defended Pokemon because as much as a rip-off the Stadium games and "director's cuts" (Yellow, Crystal) are Pokemon Red/Blue is one of the best and most original games ever and Gold/Silver is an amazing sequel that improves on everything SSBM style.


I have to say, I never complain about people who buy said product.  I don't care what people buy.  I have never complained about Nintendo releasing Mario Party 1000, in fact, I believe I've defended it , look it up.  And heres why. Nobody has all 7? MP's. Noteveryone has every Madden.  The reason the sales go up every year is so easy to decipher, but I'll reveal it.  Madden sells great in year 1995.  The next year, it sells better, and gets great reviews.  Therefore, it sells even better by word of mouth.  Continue on until 2005, where its almost a staple of football fans.  It's basically a given football fans will buy it.  Including me.  Until EA just drops the ball, they have a built in audience.  And frankly, the reason NFL2K/ESPN won't sell as well is because it doesn't have the track record, and seriously, I've played them both extensively over the last 3 years.  And while Sega wins on a few fronts, EA is always better OVERALL.  Thats all there is to it.

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Offline Uncle Rich AiAi

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RE:Madden Sells Big
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2004, 06:13:15 PM »
Quote

Originally posted by: The Omen
Continue on until 2005, where its almost a staple of football fans.  It's basically a given football fans will buy it.

I'm a football fan, and I'm not interested either Madden or ESPN 2k.  I guess there must be something wrong with me.

Offline The Omen

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RE:Madden Sells Big
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2004, 07:36:01 PM »
Quote

Quote

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by: The Omen
Continue on until 2005, where its almost a staple of football fans. It's basically a given football fans will buy it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I'm a football fan, and I'm not interested either Madden or ESPN 2k. I guess there must be something wrong with me.[Q/]

Obviously, there are more fans of football then there are fans of the video games, but anybody who buys Madden is obviously a football fan.
"If a man comes to the door of poetry untouched by the madness of the muses, believing that technique alone will make him a great poet, he and his sane compositions never reach perfection, but are utterly eclipsed by the inspired madman." Socrates

Offline SgtShiversBen

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RE:Madden Sells Big
« Reply #10 on: August 21, 2004, 11:09:17 PM »
Or someone who gets their jollies off by making fun of the horrible animations, the absurd commentators, and the ridiculous sound effects in the game.  Other than that, Madden can go to hell.  Except my retchedly ugly Madden 2002, how I love making fun of your mishaps!!
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Offline joeamis

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RE:Madden Sells Big
« Reply #11 on: August 23, 2004, 04:37:17 PM »
not surprising at all.  #1, the videogame industry is huge now.  #2, it's online for xbox now.  double standard?  no, there is no double standard.  it's all in the heads of fanboys.  As I've said before it's not in the nature of sports games to change drastically.  And when Nintendo releases sports games (in 2-4 year waves, not annually) they have made very little changes at all, and still don't get shat on either.  It's sports games...  they're different...    
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Offline mouse_clicker

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RE:Madden Sells Big
« Reply #12 on: August 23, 2004, 04:45:04 PM »
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not surprising at all. #1, the videogame industry is huge now. #2, it's online for xbox now. double standard? no, there is no double standard. it's all in the heads of fanboys. As I've said before it's not in the nature of sports games to change drastically. And when Nintendo releases sports games (in 2-4 year waves, not annually) they have made very little changes at all, and still don't get shat on either. It's sports games... they're different...


Stop fooling yourself, joe- the nature of sports games don't lend to much change or innovation. There's only so much you can do in a sports game, or really any simulation. Maybe EA isn't to blame for this, but you can't deny the fact that the biggest change to sports games year to year is an updated roster. It's to the point where reviewers are reviewing just the additions, and the scores keep getting higher despite the fact the game is basically the same. The reviews talk about how remarkably refined the game is- of COURSE it's remarkably refined, they've been refining it for nearly a decade. Soul Calibur 2 had everything Soul Calibur had and so much more- so why did it recieve a bunch of 9's when the original got 10's? Going by the Madden principle shouldn't it had been reviewed just as well if not better? Why does Madden deserve continuously higher scores while Nintendo deserves continuously lower scores? Both games follow the same principle yet one is chastised and the other praised- THAT'S what I call a double standard.    
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Offline Selochin

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RE:Madden Sells Big
« Reply #13 on: August 23, 2004, 07:47:38 PM »
Well, you guys have to remember one very important thing: the video game industry is not what it once was. Games aren't just for geeks anymore. Now everyone from Harvard preps to ghetto gangstas play them. If I remember correctly, last year someone released a poll, of which the results showed that something like 24% of gamers buy exclusively sports game. While I can't prove this by any means, I do believe it based on personal experience.  My brother, for instance, plays only Madden. He buys the newest installments every year on launch date and seems happy playing it for a year until the next one releases. He calls himself a "Hardcore Madden Gamer".  

I've gone to this length, Mouse_Clicker, to try to give you all a glimpse into the minds of people like this. The double standard you refer to is definitely there, but people who are like that don't see it. They seem to have lost sight completely of what made video games fun in the first place and are in some sort of weird EA-induced gaming hypnosis.
Nintendo had better have something amazing planned for next generation if it plans to be a serious competitor.

Offline KDR_11k

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RE: Madden Sells Big
« Reply #14 on: August 23, 2004, 10:33:30 PM »
There should always be two reviews for any sequel, one for the people who played the first and want to know the changes, another for people completely new to the series that judges the game on its own merits (or compares it to competing games). After all, I have never played Mario Kart 64 or Soul Calibur, I don't care how much was changed since to me anything the sequel brings to the table is new.

Offline joeamis

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RE:Madden Sells Big
« Reply #15 on: August 24, 2004, 02:19:43 PM »
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Originally posted by: mouse_clicker
Quote


Soul Calibur 2 had everything Soul Calibur had and so much more- so why did it recieve a bunch of 9's when the original got 10's? Going by the Madden principle shouldn't it had been reviewed just as well if not better? Why does Madden deserve continuously higher scores while Nintendo deserves continuously lower scores? Both games follow the same principle yet one is chastised and the other praised- THAT'S what I call a double standard.


Obviously you don't read every review, especially for the sports games.  I used to think there weren't much changes to them at all, until I started reading every review (from multiple magazines and online sources) and I now realize they do alot year to year to make the games different and better.  Soul Calibur 2 got excellent ratings, it did not do alot more than Soul Calibur 1 either.  It was also released almost 3 years after the introduction of the PS2.  While Soul Calibur 1 was a LAUNCH title for the Dreamcast and was done so well it's still regarded as one of the best DC games...  ...  ...  ...

You seem to blatantly ignore the fact that Nintendo's sports games which are released in 2-4 year waves (not annually) don't receive criticism either and they make about the same amount of changes in them that EA does on a yearly basis for there sports games.  Why don't you talk about games EA makes that are not sports games, like MOH, Sim City, NFS, LoR, Bond, etc.  Those games get just as much criticism as any other companies games that are not sports games.

You say there is a double standard because you dislike EA because they make games that don't appeal to you and they're so successful doing it.  Let the hatred go, every successful company in the industry makes the industry stronger.  If games don't appeal to you, it doesn't mean they're garbage.  
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Offline KDR_11k

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RE: Madden Sells Big
« Reply #16 on: August 24, 2004, 10:01:27 PM »
How many sportsgames has Nintendo released more than two versions of? IIRC MKDD got slammed for not being that new.