350,000 Played Madden NFL 10 Online Once, Then Never Went Online Again

[stux]

Roster Update.

[stux]

A better indication would be how many people purchased the game and how many play online regularly.

That would be a more important number to me. You know this is some information they are aware of as well.

[Valdarez]

Quote: Originally Posted by Only1LT

Online gaming isn't the way of the future, it's the way of the right now.

They want to get you online, because they can make more $$$ that way. They make $$$ from Madden Ultimate Team, they can make money from online advertisements (huge untapped revenue stream there). They WANT the casual fan to get online, they want those revenue streams. One thing I'll say about Peter Moore, he's turned EA Sports from a gaming company, into a business company. So far the results for the gamer are an extremely mixed bag.

[Rocky]

Quote: Originally Posted by Only1LT

I know you meant this comment in the context of Madden, but let's not go overboard here. One of the biggest selling games of all time was Modern Warfare 2. Yes I know that it is listed as THE best selling game of all time, but they use the total dollar amount as the measuring stick and since games cost more than they used to, it actually didn't sell as many copies as some older, less expensive games. Kind of like how Avatar has the top box office title without them factoring in increased ticket prices and the fact that IMAX 3D is even more than a regular movie ticket today, but I digress. The fact is that most top games today have competitive online at the forefront. Don't confuse these numbers with people not caring about playing Madden online. Plenty do. Even more would if Madden was a better game, so I don't think that they are focusing attention in the wrong area. Like it or not, online is where it is at. Period.

No. Evidently not. If it was where it's at, than a large part of Madden's mantra this year wouldn't be dedicated help to getting gamers to stay online.

Like I said, the top selling online games are subject to 2 or 3 genres. Sports games online have a nice niche, but to alot of people, sports games have been about winning the championship with your favorite team...and have been that way for 25 years.

[Only1LT]

Quote: Originally Posted by Valdarez

They want to get you online, because they can make more $$$ that way. They make $$$ from Madden Ultimate Team, they can make money from online advertisements (huge untapped revenue stream there). They WANT the casual fan to get online, they want those revenue streams. One thing I'll say about Peter Moore, he's turned EA Sports from a gaming company, into a business company. So far the results for the gamer are an extremely mixed bag.

True and not true. There is a difference between going online and playing online.

I think that more of the offline players would be more interested in the online downloadable content. It is mostly geared towards franchise players and would be of little interest to an avid online gamer.

I think they focus on online because they see that online games sell more copies than offline games generally. Not that they don't want to get online content dollars, but to say that this is why they want their game to be an online powerhouse is only partially the truth.

Afterall, the amount of people that buy map packs for a shooter like COD is only a fraction of the number of people that buy the game. Extra money never hurts, but it is the online component that moves the games, more than the online content that they sell that lines their pockets.

[Only1LT]

Quote: Originally Posted by Rocky

No. Evidently not. If it was where it's at, than a large part of Madden's mantra this year wouldn't be dedicated help to getting gamers to stay online. Like I said, the top selling online games are subject to 2 or 3 genres. Sports games online have a nice niche, but to alot of people, sports games have been about winning the championship with your favorite team...and have been that way for 25 years.

Again, don't confuse people not playing a game online, with the quality of the product. There are many games in the genres that are known for being online that people don't play online because the game just isn't any good. Haze is a shooter. You won't find anyone playing it online. Are you telling me that's because people don't like to play shooters online?

No matter what you think, online IS where the videogame market is trending. That goes for all genres. You can choose not to believe that if you want. Ask yourself this though. If no one wants to play Madden online, why is this the first time we are hearing this stat?

If they build it, they will come.

[sois]

Quote: Originally Posted by Only1LT

Again, don't confuse people not playing a game online, with the quality of the product. There are many games in the genres that are known for being online that people don't play online because the game just isn't any good. Haze is a shooter. You won't find anyone playing it online. Are you telling me that's because people don't like to play shooters online? No matter what you think, online IS where the videogame market is trending. That goes for all genres. You can choose not to believe that if you want. Ask yourself this though. If no one wants to play Madden online, why is this the first time we are hearing this stat? If they build it, they will come.

I disagree. Football fans want simulation. If they didn't, Madden arcade would be flooded with players.

Online, you don't get simulation due to the nature of the beast. Time constraints, anonymity, glitches, ragequits ... etc ruin the simulation experience.

Online will never work for football. I will never play simulation football online again unless there is a guarantee I'm not throwing an hour down the drain against someone who will just glitch disconnect me and give me a loss and not save any of my stats.

The only option now is to join a league which requires commitment and skill. For a casual simulation gamer, online is a wasteland and will always be.

EDIT: This isn't a Madden specific issue. I got the same crap on APF. I want sim football, but I am a casual gamer. I don't want to master the sticks. Offline is what I want.

[Critical Kills]

sois - I completely disagree, online will always be better than offline despite the cheesers due to the fact that we are so far away from ever having AI that can effectively mimic a human being's playcalling and play style. Offline you don't get the true nature of the beast IMO UNLESS you are playing a friend who is sitting beside you.

The issues you speak of are not flaws in the online experience, it's a flaw in the people that you are playing. You do not have to join a league to play others in a simulation style, you simply have to take some time to find friends who play sim style and add them to your friends list. You're at OS, there are a wealth of them here.