EA Sports Revisiting "Madden" Launch, May Delay Cover Decision
By Eric Fisher, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal
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EA Sports May Not Name Cover
Athlete During Draft Festivities |
EA Sports is re-evaluating its marketing launch plans for the next version of “Madden NFL,” and may not renew its traditional custom of announcing the cover athlete for the popular videogame during NFL Draft weekend in April. "We’re looking at some different [marketing] programs, but nothing is locked in,” said EA Sports President Peter Moore. "Where we’re at now is developing the X, where X is the statement that summarizes everything that’s new about ‘Madden’ and why you should buy it again. What X is I can’t say right now, but it will certainly inform how we go to market." The Madden development team, meanwhile, is prepping a significant rewrite of the game code in preparation for the August retail release -- the second such overhaul in as many years. Changes include a reworking of player ratings and a dramatic enhancement of the graphics and gameplay for the Nintendo Wii version of the game. The company posted strong early results with last week’s release of "3 On 3 NHL Arcade," a $9.99 download-only game release for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 that marks EA Sports’ first game release in which there are no plans for a commensurate physical release of the game. Sales figures were not disclosed, but Moore said “thousands” of people had downloaded the game in the initial days of release. Moore: “This is an interesting test for us, but we’re obviously very bullish on online, downloadable content and finding additional ways to interact with consumers beyond single iterative titles that come out once a year. Expansion packs for owners of the [physical] games are certainly part of that, and is another step in that direction.”
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