Madden NFL 2010 Gets a Slow Start

[mjhhiv]

If it means anything, many of my friends (who all buy Madden every year) were completely turned off by the demo, and the slow pace of the game. Apparently, the speed of the game was slowed down 5%, and you can really, really tell. Personally, I couldn't even play the damn thing for more than a few minutes without giving up -- it's so much harder to get into than previous iterations of the series that it didn't seem as appealing to people, would be my best guess as to why it isn't selling (aside from the recession, obviously).

I think EA really overestimated their fan base for Madden. The vast majority of Madden fans aren't looking for a simulation. They're looking to chill out, have a few beers, and beat their friends with their favorite team. Not some sort of "this is how the NFL works... like it or not" deal. I'll be buying it regardless (Don't give me that look! Sports Illustrated had a really great offer for a free Madden '10 game!), but I have a hard time believing that I'll be able to adjust to it. Frankly, I can't believe how great the Metacritic score is for this.

 

[mjhhiv]

Anyone who actually plays sports games will know that the differences between each version are usually substantial.

As someone who does play sports games, I'd argue that. There are always changes, but their impact on the game is questionable. This year's Madden game was the most radical change in the series I've seen in a long time, because it fundamentally changed the way the game is meant to be played. In my book, the inclusion of new game modes doesn't really count as a substantial change. Most of the time, these new modes don't even bring anything special to the table, they're just a bullet point on the back of the box.

Sports games don't need to totally redefine themselves every time out, though. MLB 09: The Show was one of the most enjoyable sports games of recent years, and it is for all intents and purposes, the same game as the 08 version. They just polished the hell out of the basic mechanics without attempting to get people excited about some non-feature, like the Madden franchise tends to do.

I like sports games the way they are. If some new forward-thinking dev team decided to shatter my perception of the entire genre, I wouldn't even want that. I am sick of people calling Madden "the same game" -- hey, I buy it every year, and enjoy it for what it is. Well, I usually enjoy it...

 

[DaxStrife]

I'd like to think that after 10 years, the average sports game buyer would be getting smarter and realize this whole thing is a crock. Both parties could save a lot of money and resources if they just found a way to make an upgrade every year, like a DLC or something, instead of a whole new game.

 

[RooksEye]

Doesn't surprise me. I work at a local video game store and on the day it came out, we sold 15 Xbox 360 copies, 8 PS3 copies, and 8 Wii copies. THAT SAME DAY, we got 6 of the 360 copies, 2 Ps3 copies, and 5 of the Wii copies sold back to us. One guy actually wanted a refund. The most common reason; people finally figured out it was the same damn game.