Madden 10 for Wii sold only 67K copies in August, EA calls overall sales 'discouraging'
by Randy Nelson 
{ Sep 10th 2009 at 9:45PM } 
We first caught wind that an imperfect storm was brewing for this season's Madden offering shortly after kickoff in mid-August. Now we know that not only has Madden 10 for Wii been sacked at retail, but EA is less than happy with the performance of the franchise as a whole thus far in '09.
IndustryGamers received word from NPD that Madden NFL 10 for Wii -- a game touted as being rebuilt from the ground up for Nintendo's console this year, in part to improve sales -- sold only 67,000 copies in the month of August. In comparison, the PS2 version sold 160K copies, with the Xbox 360 SKU selling the best at 928K. This time last year, the Wii installment of Madden 09 sold ... just about 116K copies.
In the same afternoon, Bloomberg reported that EA CEO John Ricitiello emailed his employees a memo that stated, in part, "It is discouraging that one of our highest-rated and best-marketed Madden titles in years is facing strong headwinds." Ricitiello clearly wasn't faulting quality, but rather downward industry sales trends which he admitted "present a challenge." That may be the case, but it doesn't explain the Wii version's shockingly low sales, especially for a franchise that's about as mainstream as they come.
Source -- Madden Wii Sells Just 67K Copies [IndustryGamers]
Source -- Electronic Arts Says 'Madden,' Industry Sales Drop [Bloomberg]
IndustryGamers received word from NPD that Madden NFL 10 for Wii -- a game touted as being rebuilt from the ground up for Nintendo's console this year, in part to improve sales -- sold only 67,000 copies in the month of August. In comparison, the PS2 version sold 160K copies, with the Xbox 360 SKU selling the best at 928K. This time last year, the Wii installment of Madden 09 sold ... just about 116K copies.
In the same afternoon, Bloomberg reported that EA CEO John Ricitiello emailed his employees a memo that stated, in part, "It is discouraging that one of our highest-rated and best-marketed Madden titles in years is facing strong headwinds." Ricitiello clearly wasn't faulting quality, but rather downward industry sales trends which he admitted "present a challenge." That may be the case, but it doesn't explain the Wii version's shockingly low sales, especially for a franchise that's about as mainstream as they come.
Source -- Madden Wii Sells Just 67K Copies [IndustryGamers]
Source -- Electronic Arts Says 'Madden,' Industry Sales Drop [Bloomberg]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Rollins @ Sep 10th 2009 9:47PM
That picture makes me sad. :( FEEL BETTER, PASSING PLAY.
Rollins @ Sep 10th 2009 9:48PM
Uh...running play. Shit.
Kain @ Sep 10th 2009 10:23PM
Anyone who has a Wii as their primary game console, is obviously not going to be hardcore, and certainly not the demographic to play madden let alone buy games for a console that sold because of price and the fad of motion control you get tired of in a week!
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Sep 10th 2009 10:33PM
@Kain
Your comment has nothing to do with Rollins'.
Your attempt at getting attention has failed.
Wait, I've just given your comment attention.
Well played.
RANDOM G [King of the Scribblenauts][Sweatshop Retiree] @ Sep 10th 2009 11:24PM
Way to be original, Kain. I've only seen that opinion posted about a billion times.
Trolls are so unimaginative these days.
Extinction @ Sep 11th 2009 3:27AM
That's cause it's the same game as last year!
Football doesn't change
ballistic3188 @ Sep 11th 2009 4:19AM
I know. the play call is wrong. you need to call an audible for a up the gut run play in stead of the swing they are in passing defense with only 3 d-linemen.
samfish [is sad there is no Gene in Tats v Cap =( ] @ Sep 11th 2009 8:52AM
Madden is "hardcore" now?
baby sea tuna @ Sep 11th 2009 9:46AM
Actually, Madden is the most hardcore game I've ever attempted to play. No, seriously. Why do you think it's the only game some people play? It takes years just to remember what all the buttons do!
baby sea tuna @ Sep 11th 2009 9:47AM
Actually, Madden is the most hardcore game I've ever attempted to play. No, seriously. Why do you think it's the only game some people play? It takes years just to remember what all the buttons do!
baby sea tuna @ Sep 11th 2009 9:48AM
God dammit!
T @ Sep 10th 2009 9:49PM
Perhaps in these tight economic times...people can't justify spending $60 for a roster update. It could be the same reason music game sales are dropping. People can't justify a $60 "expansion" when there's all that DLC to pick and choose over time.
Also, that picture is AWESOME.
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Sep 10th 2009 9:53PM
People always use the economy as an excuse.
If you were willing to pay for these features before the recession than you're f*cked.
If anything all the economy has done is prevent us from being ass-backwards with our spending. I commend the Republicans for helping us fail less by failing.
CowDawg08 @ Sep 10th 2009 9:57PM
The economy may not help, but the game sold plenty on other consoles. The real issue is that the Wii is not sports game friendly. At least not the type of friendly that most Madden players want. The graphics are last gen at best, the game is super dumbed down and the controls are awkward.
That is the reason for the poor WiiMadden sales. They never will, but if they didn't make a Madden for Wii next year, I think we will all be better served.
Mr Khan @ Sep 10th 2009 10:15PM
Well, they already have given up on NCAA Football on Wii (no version this year, and apparently it goes unmissed), so it's not entirely unforeseeable.
mcatrage @ Sep 10th 2009 10:30PM
Yeah those 360 numbers are sure telling me that.
johnnynumber5 @ Sep 11th 2009 12:30AM
To be honest the perception may be that this years Madden is just another roster update but it's truly the best Madden game ever. I love what they did with the franchise this year.
ill trooper @ Sep 11th 2009 2:04AM
No, it's because this game is just not fun for seven-year-olds.
Slaziman @ Sep 11th 2009 2:26AM
I think the Wii just doesn't have the demographics that would buy Madden, I mean the Wii's demographic is basically hardcore gamers that still love Ninty, kids, and older people (and girls perhaps). Who plays Madden? Frat boys and young men in general. Those guys wouldn't be caught dead with a Wii as their only console.
Apollo @ Sep 10th 2009 9:54PM
LOL, took me about 10 minutes to realize that strategy was actually a sad face.
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Sep 10th 2009 9:56PM
It's a sad face?
I thought it was a penis overshooting it's target.
Apollo @ Sep 10th 2009 9:57PM
A Penis with one ball?
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Sep 10th 2009 10:00PM
The penis said "I'll sell my left nut if Madden doesn't do well on the Wii".
tmacairjordan87 @ Sep 10th 2009 9:56PM
People are finally realizing that the HD versions are much better I guess, or as good as a yearly update can be...
[ArchiGamer] @ Sep 10th 2009 10:06PM
I'd go with update thing. Why buy something you already have?
Mr Khan @ Sep 10th 2009 10:08PM
You act like the sales were ever close, though. First month sales were always horrible by comparison.
embassy @ Sep 10th 2009 11:45PM
As much as I may rag on the Madden franchise for it's "roster update" mentality, and as much as them having an exlcusive license pisses me off -- Madden 10 is one damn good football game.
Phil @ Sep 10th 2009 9:56PM
Maybe people are tired of putting up with EA Sports bullshit of releasing yearly sports games?
Or maybe people are getting bored of sports games altogether?
BigD145 @ Sep 11th 2009 12:55AM
Or? I think you forgot the "and."
Phil @ Sep 11th 2009 2:04AM
Yeah, and might have been better suiting...
Like everyone else is saying, not everyone wants a 60 dollar roster update. If EA put out a 40 dollar downloadable version of Madden, not ONLY would that probably sell more, but it 'might' cut back on production costs...
Just a thought.
SoulBlade @ Sep 10th 2009 9:57PM
maybe people who got the Wii version in 09 thought it sucked and didn't see the need to get 10. they might have also seen the 360 / PS3 version and decided it was time to get another console. i doubt anybody would get the Wii version when they had one of the other consoles.
kojo87 @ Sep 11th 2009 12:00AM
while i am no fan of Madden games, my brother has owned everyone on Gamecube or Wii for since Madden 2002 UNTIL NOW. people who want to play Madden do not want stupid cartoons for players. sure its Wii and all but realize your target market. this game genre demands the utmost realism. isn't that fairly obvious?
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 10th 2009 9:58PM
Welll Madden sales will most likely keep falling....too many people dont see a real reason to have to buy it EVERY year...hell Its people still playing Madden 09 online loyally...
as for the Wii Sales...thats damn sad....I wonder how many Sold on the PSP?
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Sep 10th 2009 10:04PM
Who cares how it sold on the PSP?
I like the PSP and all, plan to get a PSPgo the day they ship, but why would anyone give a shit about Madden sales on a handheld?
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 10th 2009 10:07PM
I was curious because of the Wii numbers.....curious if it sold more...that would be funny as hell
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Sep 10th 2009 10:09PM
Would have made more sense to compare it to the Nintendo DS.
Unless you're trying to fan the flames of fanboy hatred.
draco @ Sep 10th 2009 10:29PM
I would like to see the PS3 numbers
PSP vs Wii makes more sense due to the gameplay difference, PSP is traditional DS is not.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 11th 2009 6:18AM
except for there IS no DS Version....or am I lyin??
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Sep 11th 2009 5:13PM
Uhh... There IS a DS version.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 11th 2009 6:17PM
there is?? post a link...I checked numerous sites such as Amazon, GameFly Gamestop and couldnt find it
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 11th 2009 6:22PM
hell you clowns that downvoted me did you even bother to check!?!?
The OFFICIAL SITE says NOTHING about a DS version
http://www.ea.com/games/madden-nfl-10
[ArchiGamer] @ Sep 10th 2009 10:01PM
Does this mean that soon people will realize that Guitar Hero ads nothing as well?
Bradwart @ Sep 10th 2009 10:09PM
Judging from the fact that Activision is so confident about GH 5's sales they're bundling GH: VH with it, I think we're reaching this point.
captainprotonx @ Sep 11th 2009 1:52PM
I came to this realization with Guitar Hero III.
BlazeKing @ Sep 10th 2009 10:09PM
I'm sorry EA, Wii do not want that shit.
Danny @ Sep 11th 2009 6:17PM
Well thats simple, because they didnt include wifi multiplayer with wii speak. If they did, EVERYONE would buy it!
Bradwart @ Sep 10th 2009 10:10PM
It's because it's on the Wii and doesn't have the word "Wii xxx" or 'Nintendo' anywhere on it.
LeChuck @ Sep 10th 2009 10:10PM
The funny thing is this failed so miserably because they tried to do something different. In their attempt to cater the game to Wii it wasn't Madden enough for Madden fans, and non-fans weren't interested to begin with. They'd have been better off doing the usual Madden "same as last year + 1" and releasing this built-for-Wii game without the Madden name.
Mr Khan @ Sep 10th 2009 10:13PM
The issue is that they're having a hard time breaking madden out into the mass market, and in doing so, they are continually alienating the core madden base. It seems to me like their best move would be to quietly release a Wii port of the PS2 version with shoe-horned controls. Certainly not something i would advise for Wii development, but trying to make it different, trying to adapt it for the different console, has only been bad for them
Though it does bear pointing out that Wii game sales are never as front-loaded as other consoles. Certainly the Wii version is never going to get near the other version's sales, but but it will end at a healthier position. The problem is that the sales are still pathetic against the vast userbase, and there's precious little that's more mainstream than football.
Solace @ Sep 10th 2009 10:16PM
PS2 > Wii