Madden overcharged gamers by up to $925 million

I hate the Madden series for destroying football games on the console, but they didn't 'hike' the price to $60. Every game company decided to set the standard at $60 for the next gen games. Is is worth it...probably not. But all the companies did this, not just EA.

"Ultra wrote:

I hate the Madden series for destroying football games on the console, but they didn't 'hike' the price to $60. Every game company decided to set the standard at $60 for the next gen games. Is is worth it...probably not. But all the companies did this, not just EA.

Have you ever watched the credits of one of these $60 games and see the **** load amount of people it takes to create these games? I'd say $60 is pretty good in order to pay all of those salaries and still turn a profit.

"Firesole wrote:

Have you ever watched the credits of one of these $60 games and see the **** load amount of people it takes to create these games? I'd say $60 is pretty good in order to pay all of those salaries and still turn a profit.

Yeah, because they work so hard at repackaging the previous year's game as new.

Madden '09 was the worst Madden I've played. I might have played 3 exibition games (even that might be a generous estimation) before I said the hell with it.

I'm definitely not buying it again this year.

Pachter said this was bull**** a few days ago didnt he?

"Firesole wrote:

Have you ever watched the credits of one of these $60 games and see the **** load amount of people it takes to create these games? I'd say $60 is pretty good in order to pay all of those salaries and still turn a profit.

I disagree. Those people were all still getting paid and turning a profit when games were $50.

"Ultra wrote:

I disagree. Those people were all still getting paid and turning a profit when games were $50.

Not to mention, most of those people are also on dev teams for 3-4 other titles in progress

here's the thing i was talking about

http://www.gamespot.com/news/blogs/sidebar/909182374/26960049/economist-analyst-spar-over-cost-of-madden-nfl-exclusivity.html

"FaninPatsyLand wrote:

Yeah, because they work so hard at repackaging the previous year's game as new.

Madden '09 was the worst Madden I've played. I might have played 3 exibition games (even that might be a generous estimation) before I said the hell with it.

I'm definitely not buying it again this year.

Pretty much agree here on everything said.

Regardless of who's bickering the Madden games put out every year (and EA Sports games in general) aren't worth another $60 every year with the minimal improvements they give. If the games were already close to perfect I could see minimal improvements as they would not have much room to improve but clearly the Madden series is nowhere near perfect and they could make much better changes than they do every year. If EA ever gets to the almost perfect stage I can excuse them for putting out the same stuff every year with a few improvements but until then I won't be plopping down $60 for them (just wait for the bargain bins).

"Ultra wrote:

I disagree. Those people were all still getting paid and turning a profit when games were $50.

Considering those games had nothing to do with HD, I don't see an issue.

Seems like many don't have an appreciation for the work that goes into video games and that amazes me. Makes me wonder how many of you guys know how much work goes into media-related stuff in general. All those credits in the movies? They all have a certain job and they aren't there for nothing.

If you guys knew half the work that these guys did, I doubt you'd be bitching at them so much. They're not athletes, they aren't getting paid millions to do this.

"GridIronKing34 wrote:

Considering those games had nothing to do with HD, I don't see an issue.

Seems like many don't have an appreciation for the work that goes into video games and that amazes me. Makes me wonder how many of you guys know how much work goes into media-related stuff in general. All those credits in the movies? They all have a certain job and they aren't there for nothing.

If you guys knew half the work that these guys did, I doubt you'd be bitching at them so much. They're not athletes, they aren't getting paid millions to do this.

Hello....they get paid to do what they do.We show our appreciation by paying there salaries numb nuts. If the game sucks, or is EXACTLY the same game you released a yr prior, of course people are going to go nuts about it. 60 bucks yearly times oh lets say a million copies sold and I'm sure its more then that comes to alot of frickin money. Every other sports franchise based game that has stayed relavant has adapted to what the buyers have said was wrong with the games, or have evolved over time. Madden updates your roster and throws in meaningless celabrations.

i paid 60 bucks for kid nikki in 1986, and 70 for tommy lasorda baseball in 1989.

i really cant complain about where game prices have gone in the last 20 years, compared to other markets.

"BIG E wrote:

Hello....they get paid to do what they do.We show our appreciation by paying there salaries numb nuts. If the game sucks, or is EXACTLY the same game you released a yr prior, of course people are going to go nuts about it. 60 bucks yearly times oh lets say a million copies sold and I'm sure its more then that comes to alot of frickin money. Every other sports franchise based game that has stayed relavant has adapted to what the buyers have said was wrong with the games, or have evolved over time. Madden updates your roster and throws in meaningless celabrations.

It's never the exactly same game, that's a hefty exaggeration.

Buying something and showing appreciation is two different things. I might buy something, but that doesn't mean I appreciate who made it.

60 bucks for a million copies is a lot of money if a hundred people or so splits it all. But take into account that the company (Wal Mart, Best Buy) selling it gets a cut then take into consideration that advertising costs money too... Packaging, printing, so on.. so forth. A whole bunch of little things that most people don't think about...

I'm sorry, but I find it silly to tell someone that the people who create Madden each year just update the rosters and throw in meaningless celebrations... It's insulting to those people and I think if you guys knew the amount of work that went into something like this... you'd change your tune.

Exactly. The price of making a game has gone up by 20%. Nintendo 64 games were 60 bucks as well.

I am honestly surprised that games are still under $100. Looks like they are going for volume in making their money back

"Firesole wrote:

Have you ever watched the credits of one of these $60 games and see the **** load amount of people it takes to create these games? I'd say $60 is pretty good in order to pay all of those salaries and still turn a profit.

Even if you are copying the same template year after year.

"Medieval954 wrote:

It's worth noting that Pachter and MacKie-Mason used different sources for their sales numbers. Pachter based his Madden sales figures on the industry-tracking NPD Group's data, while MacKie-Mason used worldwide sales figures from the publicly accessible VGChartz.

:sidelol:

Yeah I laughed when they read that.

The NPD Group receives its data directly from retailers and extrapolates to account for non-participants like Wal-Mart, while VGChartz divines its estimates based on polls of gamers, retailers, and publishers; historical sales trends of similar games; and fluctuation of resale prices.

What a joke.

"FaninPatsyLand wrote:

Yeah, because they work so hard at repackaging the previous year's game as new.

Madden '09 was the worst Madden I've played. I might have played 3 exibition games (even that might be a generous estimation) before I said the hell with it.

I'm definitely not buying it again this year.

My comment about $60 being fair was meant towards good games, original games. I didnt really explain that I was referring to regular games, not just the Madden ones.

I despise EA and the Madden series now. And definitely the last few Madden games were not worth the $60.
Posted via Mobile Device

"BIG E wrote:

Hello....they get paid to do what they do.We show our appreciation by paying there salaries numb nuts. If the game sucks, or is EXACTLY the same game you released a yr prior, of course people are going to go nuts about it. 60 bucks yearly times oh lets say a million copies sold and I'm sure its more then that comes to alot of frickin money. Every other sports franchise based game that has stayed relavant has adapted to what the buyers have said was wrong with the games, or have evolved over time. Madden updates your roster and throws in meaningless celabrations.

But you know all of this going into the purchase, so who's fault is it?

"Dol-Fan Dupree wrote:

Exactly. The price of making a game has gone up by 20%. Nintendo 64 games were 60 bucks as well.

I am honestly surprised that games are still under $100. Looks like they are going for volume in making their money back

They are headed that way in the UK. I am fine with $60 games (and I rarely even pay that much).

I think the question here isn't about games being overpriced now but that Madden games are overpriced for what they give you every year.

Also I don't quite see the argument that the Madden developers, programmers, etc. are under appreciated. I say this because how much work are they doing compared to these same sort of people creating a new game from the ground up. I have to imagine that a lot of the code or what not is carried over from year to year and only a few things are added in for EA Sports games like Madden. Whereas developers/programmers for an entirely new game have to build from the ground up, putting in a lot more work. Sorry but I just don't see pinning awards on EA for giving me basically the equivalent of add-on content every year and calling it a new game. Do I think they should be paid for their work...yes...but do I think their work is as worthy of a $60 price tag as say the same people who created Uncharted, Little Big Planet, Gears of War, etc...the answer is no.

I understand I may totally misunderstand the industry and be way off base and if so please correct me, but from what I've seen $60 every year for an EA Sports game is too much.

"sking29 wrote:

I think the question here isn't about games being overpriced now but that Madden games are overpriced for what they give you every year.

Also I don't quite see the argument that the Madden developers, programmers, etc. are under appreciated. I say this because how much work are they doing compared to these same sort of people creating a new game from the ground up. I have to imagine that a lot of the code or what not is carried over from year to year and only a few things are added in for EA Sports games like Madden. Whereas developers/programmers for an entirely new game have to build from the ground up, putting in a lot more work. Sorry but I just don't see pinning awards on EA for giving me basically the equivalent of add-on content every year and calling it a new game. Do I think they should be paid for their work...yes...but do I think their work is as worthy of a $60 price tag as say the same people who created Uncharted, Little Big Planet, Gears of War, etc...the answer is no.

I understand I may totally misunderstand the industry and be way off base and if so please correct me, but from what I've seen $60 every year for an EA Sports game is too much.

By that sentiment no sports game (and possibly no sequel) is ever worth $60 if it had a predecessor on the same console.

"Stitches wrote:

By that sentiment no sports game (and possibly no sequel) is ever worth $60 if it had a predecessor on the same console.

No not true, its all about content. As I also wrote, EA Sports games basically have basically add-on content every year but don't really up the bar.

If EA drastically improved things or added things that really added to gameplay like most sequels do then I could pay $60. Plus sports games are way different than other types of games in what they can improve (no story lines, etc) but EA still falls short here. Like I said in my first post in this thread if Madden was almost perfect I could understand only improving small things every year but that's not currently the case.

I see your argument and it makes a lot of sense but EA's laziness to up things every year doesn't warrant $60 plus tax from me, when I can spend that same money on a sequel that actually works to be a different or better game like anything in the God of War series.

For me its simple, EA hasn't yet done enough for me to buy say Madden 08 and Madden 09 at full price. $60 is a lot to spend on something I have basically been playing for the last year.

"sking29 wrote:

No not true, its all about content. As I also wrote, EA Sports games basically have basically add-on content every year but don't really up the bar.

If EA drastically improved things or added things that really added to gameplay like most sequels do then I could pay $60. Plus sports games are way different than other types of games in what they can improve (no story lines, etc) but EA still falls short here. Like I said in my first post in this thread if Madden was almost perfect I could understand only improving small things every year but that's not currently the case.

I see your argument and it makes a lot of sense but EA's laziness to up things every year doesn't warrant $60 plus tax from me, when I can spend that same money on a sequel that actually works to be a different or better game like anything in the God of War series.

For me its simple, EA hasn't yet done enough for me to buy say Madden 08 and Madden 09 at full price. $60 is a lot to spend on something I have basically been playing for the last year.

So 2k is absolved with all their sports games? How about the makers of PES? And Sony with the Show? (Guitar Hero and Rock Band for that matter)

You said it yourself, there is no "story" like most other games. There can't be this massive overhaul without starting from scratch, and when you have to put out a game every year, there are certain limitations as to how much you can alter within that time frame.

This is not a final fantasy that gets 4-5 years to produce.

Sports games are only relevant during season. You want them to "up the bar" every single year, but that's just unrealistic unless you have more than one dev. house like COD.

So if Madden (for example) was perfect $60 would be a reasonable price year after year with only updated rosters? That goes completely against what you are arguing, since so many people currently complain about it being "the same game with updated rosters."

How about just saying you will never be satisfied with what they put out?

I really can't see how you say they have done nothing that added to the gameplay either. I must have completely missed the online franchise in Madden 07.

"Stitches wrote:

So 2k is absolved with all their sports games? How about the makers of PES? And Sony with the Show? (Guitar Hero and Rock Band for that matter)

You said it yourself, there is no "story" like most other games. There can't be this massive overhaul without starting from scratch, and when you have to put out a game every year, there are certain limitations as to how much you can alter within that time frame.

This is not a final fantasy that gets 4-5 years to produce.

Sports games are only relevant during season. You want them to "up the bar" every single year, but that's just unrealistic unless you have more than one dev. house like COD.

So if Madden (for example) was perfect $60 would be a reasonable price year after year with only updated rosters? That goes completely against what you are arguing, since so many people currently complain about it being "the same game with updated rosters."

How about just saying you will never be satisfied with what they put out?

I really can't see how you say they have done nothing that added to the gameplay either. I must have completely missed the online franchise in Madden 07.

Are you reading everything I am saying? I am not saying they add nothing but rather nothing amazing or rather nothing worth $60 every year (wow they added an online franchise that didn't even work-remember the league all of us PS3 owners started last year? how far did that go?).

Also my argument is that yes eventually sports games can only evolve so far, to a basically perfect level. However Madden doesn't strive for that perfection they don't try to add great features and even if they do they usually fall flat. They are not trying to be perfect and that is what gets me...why should I pay $60 for a game that doesn't even try to reach its full potential? Once EA does reach that near perfect level then like I said incremental improvements will be more acceptable. Then yes my argument will fall apart and I will have to pay for roster updates and other updates if I so choose.

I guess my argument is really for a flawed game to not even try that hard every year and still push a $60 price tag just because they know sports fans will buy I disagree with. At least make a much better game and ask people to shell out $60 for it. Maybe my argument in the end boils down to are any sports games worth $60 if they are almost the same every year? Then I guess your argument wins out but for me to support EA who doesn't try hard enough and ask the same price as companies that do, I refuse to buy them at full price until they make that one great game (then I'll go back to my theory of not buying sports games every year). :lol:

Also why do people mod their systems if all games are worth $60? :up::shifty:

for $5M in development costs EA can pay 100 people $50K per year. And yet the players still steer more like cars than like people. Running the ball up the middle is retarded. Offensive lineman never push their man out of the way, the simply lock on and stand still, creating a wall. The runner must steer around every player or he will get stuck behind a lineman. Or if you get to close to a defender it will trigger a magnet tackle. The game is completely unrealistic in so many ways i couldnt possibly name them all. Basically, its 22 robots running around performing random animations. Instead of 22 players who interact and the outcome is decided by the laws of physics. Momentum, leverage, and acceleration are completely ignored in Madden, while BS features like ProTak are added to capture the attention of the average joe who is easily convinced that the new editino will be more realistic than ever. Madden basically sells their updates for $60 per year. No one can stop them because the NFL gave them all the power. I think official licensing agreements cross the boundaries of monoploy laws because eliminate their competition and change the balance of supply and demand to cripple the market. This creates a weaker product.