Madden sells 1.4 million copies in first week

by Griffin McElroy on Sep 7th 2011 11:16PM

After somewhat disappointing launches for Maddens 10 and 11, first-week sales for Madden NFL 12 seem to have bounced back a bit. USA Today reports that in its first seven days on store shelves, the annual football franchise moved 1.4 million units, a 10 percent increase over last year's opening week.

What could have been the cause of this bump? The incremental changes to the Franchise mode? The improved player animations? The relative beefiness of cover player Peyton Hillis? Some combination of all three? No, no. It's almost certainly the beefiness.

Source: USA Today

Tags: business, ea-sports, madden-nfl-12, microsoft, playstation, ps3, sales, xbox

Reader Comments (57)

:( Why do people still buy these games?

@gonintendo I know

god forbid they enjoy them

Because they like them? That would probably be a good reason.

@Vuvuzelas How about the fact that they release the same goddamn game every year?

@gonintendo

You obviously have great attention to detail. How could people not understand they just changed the title on Madden 92 after a scene like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_138p6uzhUk

@vidguy

Right. And I guess the rules of the game have drastically changed too.

@gonintendo

.. Then don't go purchase it? I don't understand your logic.

Stop crying about it.

@gonintendo Other than some rule and roster changes, it's always the same game as the year before, yet for some reason, PEOPLE ACTUALLY ENJOY IT? HOW CAN THAT BE???

Am I talking about Madden or the actual NFL? Exactly.

People always forget the core audience this game goes after. I only buy Madden every few years, but I have zero reason to hate on any person that buys it year after year.

@gonintendo

"How about the fact that they release the same goddamn game every year?
Reply
"
I bet you still buy the COD games though right?

@gonintendo

I'm not a fan of sport games either. Although, I know a few friends that play and enjoy the sports genera. I believe these games are fun when they are played with a friend where you both like the sport, actively play it at times and have your own favourite teams.

Yes, someone could go outside and play the sport -- and many do that. There are more chances to meet someone that plays both the video game and plays the sport outside.

Now, if someone just plays sports games and doesn't get any activity at all then it's kinda... sad.

I like the people on here saying it's the same game every year, because the game is football is the same. Using that logic, I could say the original Doom is the same game as Battlfield 3, because the act of pointing and shooting someone still hasn't changed.

@gonintendo
You sound like some battlefield fan crying about call of duty.

@YourMomsLover What wrong with people who come to this website who aren't from USA you know lots of people play video games and lots of people speck and read English.

@gonintendo

Except it's not the same game every year. Ppl who play know this because last years game was terrible compared to '10.

@YourMomsLover I would say Kotaku & Joystiq are the 2 largest gaming blogs. They are both US based. So, you think only Americans should be allowed to visit these sites? No, of course not, people from UK, Australia, Canada & all over the world read these sites.

its due to the lockout and how the public is relieved to have football this year, thats all

@Tradio
I agree. I'm more excited than ever for this season. I even joined a fantasy league this year, something i haven't done in five years.

However I'm not excited enough to waste sixty bucks on a clunky, awkward football sim. Yahoo's Fantasy Football is all i need to satiate my gridiron cravings.

It's actually a pretty good game this year, especially after last year's disappointment.

@vidguy As a person who does not follow the Madden series, could you expound for me on what was disappointing in the previous title and the improvements for this year's title?

@nandokun

The reviews out there cover most of it, but for me it's all about the feel/flow of the game. I loved Madden 10 but 11 felt wonky, like I wasn't really in control of my players and there were quite a few bugs. It all seems to be fixed in 12.

Run DMC gonna da team on his back and chalk up another Superb Owl for Sexland

@Vuvuzelas
HAHA Superb Owl will most definitely be my next band name ....if I ever get around to playing Rock Band again.

So, the way I see it. Not all the Madden gamers are naive about the Madden Franchise. Buy the game every two maybe three years, and this just happens to be the year people are finally willing to upgrade. I was a 2K guy I never enjoyed Madden all that much.

@whoswhoo

Another way to do it is to buy every Madden but on a 10-month delay so you get them for $10 or $20.

@whoswhoo Thats how I treat the NCAA Football games, I get one every couple of years. In my eyes there isn't a big enough change to warrant a purchase every year.

Football games? LOL!

@Enigma7ic

Yes, people who happen to like different things than you should be mocked and scorned at every opportunity, as they are obviously horrible people, and are probably one of the following:

- Dumb
- Dudebro
- Nerd
- Fanboy
- PC Elitist
- Part of the Unwashed Console Masses

Did I miss any cliches?

@Sh1fty Where did I mock anyone? Unless you count a game genre as a person?

In other news, the sky is blue and the grass is green.

@JohnicYouth
But are they 10% bluer and greener than the last two years?

Pffft... Madden used to sell that much in 1 week on PS2 alone.

@Co

This is the "next gen" where patches will "fix" any mess ups.

Back then developers tried there damn hardest to make sure a game was as near perfect as possible. Internet made them lazy..

@Co
Back in my day Madden used to hit tin cans with sticks...........and we liked it!

It's business, company makes product, consumer buys game, company makes game with minor touch-ups/additions and consumer buys product. If people buy the games why not make more?

Same goes or TVs,cell phones, etc. Etc. Etc.

And of those 1.4 million 1.2 million cannot unlock the "This is Easy" acheivement/trophy because well their QA sucks.

@Cap Morgan

You do realize that anything QA finds has to be fixed by developers, right?

Stop using QA as a buzz word to complain about things. We'd appreciate it.

Brotastic!

So it's kind of like the last Madden, only... I guess there's no "only."

Impressive.

A friend of mine's reported infuriating buga, though.

@Shadowbender

Bugs. Not buga. That's just silly.

@Shadowbender
BUGA is pretty silly.
http://playgrounddesigns.blogspot.com/2009/04/buga-playground-munich-2005.html

Some of you might hate Madden (I've never personally bought any of them),
but without this series, there would never have been this golden youtube gem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P0yfq2wDvU

Didn't The Sims 3 also sell 1.4 Million copies in it's first week? Weird.

Wow cod haters even trolling madden articles. Amazing.

I was hoping Vick would have been the one on the cover so I could sit back, pop some popcorn, and enjoy the epic Category 5 shit-storm that would have ensued on the Internet and in the media.

@The Joy of Painting w Bob Ross

I expect a FOX news report on this any day now

Interesting, considering this year apparently feels like more of a patch and roster update than ever it is surprising to see this be the year it bounces back. Wondering what that is telling the guys at Tiburon.

Offence was wayyyy overpowered, _most games turned into a shootout, defense was horrible all the way around (zone coverage didnt exist ) and the last Madden had a ton of unbelievable animations. …

Only people who don't know the ins and outs of football say its the same game every year. I've played football majority of my life !nd notice even the smallest details in game.

That's probably EA bull-crap talk. Last year they said it sold 4 million copies, when NPD, Media create and everyone else said it sold 2.1 million.

@SpecBlank

Edit: Overall

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Madden NFL 12

Madden sells 1.4 million copies in first week

Reader Comments (57)

Posted: Sep 7th 2011 11:20PM gonintendo said

Posted: Sep 7th 2011 11:28PM Vuvuzelas said

Posted: Sep 7th 2011 11:31PM The Cole Train said

Posted: Sep 7th 2011 11:51PM gonintendo said

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Posted: Sep 7th 2011 11:28PM vidguy said

Posted: Sep 8th 2011 12:48AM nandokun said

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Posted: Sep 7th 2011 11:31PM whoswhoo said

Posted: Sep 7th 2011 11:39PM vidguy said

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Posted: Sep 7th 2011 11:31PM Enigma7ic said

Posted: Sep 8th 2011 10:25AM Sh1fty said

Posted: Sep 8th 2011 2:23PM Enigma7ic said

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Posted: Sep 8th 2011 10:44AM Mr Numeros said

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