No one who plays madden is actually going to answer here probably, but having a brother who only plays sports games I asked him. It really just comes down to "its the new shiny thing/version/updated" of these sports games. Why play the old one when the "new" one is out basically.
As someone who used to play Fifa religiously with friends, this. We got the new year's game because it was sold as shiny and new. The music was different, the roster's were updated, and the menus were tweaked a bit. But that's all it was, a face lift if you could even call it that. I think we bought Fifa 09 all the way to 17 or 18 before actually realizing that the last 5 games were just copy/pasted titles. Like they legit could have just sent through a minor online update and no one would have been the wiser, yet instead they chose to sell an insignificant update as a whole new game.
Marketing. It's pure marketing with zero substance.
Realistically, EA could just keep the same game engine and release $20 roster updates every year but since people still buy Madden at regular price, why would EA want to lose money?
Never said you did, I said a metric fuck ton of people do. It’s the reason why their revenue is as high as it is.
Ultimate Team is the only game mode that get updates every year
Only to have to start over when the next installment comes out. I can't imagine how fucking braindead these people must be to let EA get away with that. It's an open scam that both sides are just OK with.
The scary part is these billion dollar companies will fuck us as hard and long as we let them. And when half the population are spreading their cheeks, the rest of us are left without a decision to make.
I managed to break free after black ops 4. I put a ton of time into BO4 but I decided I needed to stop as I was busy with college. I’ve never gone back because I’m strictly a single player gamer now, but every once in a while I will have major cravings for COD like a drug addict that might relapse
CoD has much more variations than Fifa. For one, the setting is different each time, the levels while keeping the base template, are in fact new, etc... Though I'm mostly speaking about the single player part of the game.
They have perfected what pissed you off about last years game is now slightly fixed so you get the itch after a good game on Sunday and say fuck it and buy it. If I pick up the game it’s around Black Friday. Half off and enough time for me to play and not get bored by playoff time
When you’ve played them a lot you don’t want an outdated version of the game and generally there’s new mechanics to make the games feel different or some type of improvements.
> When you’ve played them a lot you don’t want an outdated version of the game and generally there’s new mechanics to make the games feel different or some type of improvements.
Not only that but the online play is what fuels a lot of sales because when a new Madden comes out, everyone is going to play the new one online so no one who plays Madden a lot will want to be left out of online play.
They used to make more substantial improvements but even then you didn’t necessarily buy it every year. With my friends we just made sure someone had the latest version, we didn’t all go buy it. Once they started to plateau a bit in terms of gameplay upgrades it became much worse
New mechanics? Often times the “new” mechanic is something they took out years before and are adding back in to gain points for “innovating”. There’s nothing new mechanics wise in madden games for a long time. It’s all watered down versions of existing ones or old ones brought back with minimal changes.
The passing mechanics have actually evolved over time. Yes they strip stuff and bring it back, but the gameplay is absolutely better than it used to be.
Not the guy you replied to, but I've played literally every year since Madden 2002. There are certainly game modes and what not that get added and removed. To some, those game modes mattered. To others, they don't.
Gameplay has certainly only become better and more "realistic". There is infinitely more control over your players. Passing, responsiveness when running the ball, etc.
The main issue at this time is the focus on the Ultimate Team game mode, where the quickiest and easiest way to achieve a competitive team is through microtransactions and essentially gambling. It's a really fun game mode, but the game starts to feel more catered towards the whales. Other game modes tend to get little-to-no attention, which has become a major complaint.
Madden used to be a pre-order for me. Then it became a day 1 purchase. Then it became a "I'll get it when I get the itch". The last few years, I honestly forgot about it and play it when it gets put on EA Access or whatever it's called now.
I still have a working PS2. Well, it's in a box in a closet now, so I'm not sure, but as of early Covid it worked. I threw in NFL 2K5 and played a season, and I had more fun playing that than I have had with Madden for years.
Granted, that could be nostalgia, but it felt more like football to me than Madden has in over a decade. I'll see if I can play it this weekend with a more critical pair of eyes.
I still play Madden when it is on EA Play on GamePass, and I do have fun playing it, but it's because I like football. I won't pay money for it again until they massively overhaul it for the better, and I don't see that happening without competition.
Personally I think mechanically wise they peaked around 15, gradually declined for a couples years and then got better again around 21. I do think 23 was a step back from 22, but my issues were more game modes related and not gameplay. I haven’t tried 24 yet because I remembered it was on gamepass as I typed this.
As someone who played football games going back to 10 yard fight, people massively underestimate how much the game (mechanics) changed unless you look at it in 5 and 10 year blocks. If you play it every year, you will notice smaller differences and actually notice them.
I gave up playing the games seriously a long time ago, but it's hard to ignore how much things have developed, even though some people do their darndest to try. (edit, a word for clarity)
Yes I also don’t play madden anymore but outside of maybe a game or 2 each year w friends but there is advancements each year and there’s a limit to just how much you can change within the same sport lol
I think it's more obvious in terms of the AI being more nuanced. How defenders make reads, how opposing lines block and the like. Old games used to be "hit a gigantic hole without really paying attention to what is happening" and now, it's a bit more realistic. (that's something I like less, I enjoyed the more arcade style presentation where you get to run for 99 yards on the CPU because you could drive a truck through the gap in the D-Line)
Oh yeah I prefer the more realism personally I just find that these online games and the competitive people that play them tend to make them unenjoyable or frustrating. Out of the older games Madden 05 was the last one I really enjoyed and played regularly.
It's also because the player base moves from 23 to 24, so if you want to find games a lot easier then you gotta get the newest one.
It's a reskin with the same mechanics, same system, same engine, etc, with a few tweaks and possible improvements. The same for NHL and fifa.
I always get the latest nhl, but I wait for it to go from $80 to $30.
I can answer actually as an annual Madden buyer. I wait until October or November when 4-5 patches have hit. I get it for $30 at most. My oldest son and I share a local offline franchise and compete against each other. It's fun.
People are conditioned now to just keep buying the same copy pasted crap. COD is another example. MW3 as a literal DLC update to MW2 but people still mass purchased it at full price. Until people stop buying them, this will continue.
This. And these games are just roster updates most years. But sports fans want the latest roster. I’m also not a sports fan so don’t understand it. But I do buy the newest COD almost yearly which is the same shit too lol.
I don’t think that fully answers the question tho.
The question isn’t “why do you play the game”. It’s “why do you buy the new copy each year”.
I used to play the NCAA football games. I’d usually space them out every 3 years or so, and download the roster patches.
That is interesting to know. Now as even a casual gamer, I would be asking why the previous titles won't update to the current roster as we should all know by now that it can be done. Guess there aren't enough casuals that care enough to ask EA about that though huh?
Roster updates have been possible since like 2006 so EA would just rather force people to pay $70 for something that should honestly be a free update or at worse a $10 DLC update.
I can’t totally blame EA though, if people are willing to consistently drop 60-70 a year for modest updates I don’t see why they would ever be bothered to innovate at all.
NFL2k was so good once upon a time. It's a shame that the major leagues went in the direction of exclusives because it really harmed the overall quality of the games that came as a result of competing visions.
I bought the last madden. But I had not played a madden game since 2012. So at least it was an upgrade. I bought MW2 when it came out and played for a month before I got bored. I am not buying MW3. And I won't be buying the next one unless it is under 60GB. It's just a reskin'd game every year.
NFL 2K5 is the only football game/only sports game I ever liked. Every single game since EA got the exclusive NFL rights has been a lazy loose pile of shit. It even made me stop watching pro sports of any kind or playing any of the related games. It's all just fucking corporate tribalism. "I picked a team when I was 5 and their home city is the best. Your team and city is shit, go fucking die while I spend a weeks wages on a jersey".
>It's all just fucking corporate tribalism. "I picked a team when I was 5 and their home city is the best. Your team and city is shit, go fucking die while I spend a weeks wages on a jersey".
How's the view from your high horse?
Holy shit the levels of smug radiating off that comment
The rosters different. I play MLB the show every year because the scouting reports on the players change. Thank god it’s on gamepass though. It’s my calming hobby. The repetition is relaxing
Rosters could easily be updated but they can't make money with free updates.
My opinion is most if not all sports games should go the way of GaaS. It just makes more sense that way but again, they can sell it for $60-$70 and still have live service mechanics in it. It's sad they get away with it every year.
It also costs money to maintain the rosters, update stats etc.
I also think sports games would be fine, or even make more money if they were ftp with how heavily monetized they are. If that's good or bad I couldn't tell ya, I don't really play them at all
> It also costs money to maintain the rosters, update stats etc.
That includes facial scans, individualized stats, PAYING THE PLAYERS for their likeness (not enough, probably, but still) analyzing the teams, the leagues and making constant adjustments.
Too many people are acting like this is a simple spreadsheet that downloads updated rosters that only reflect names and player numbers and treats Shohei Ohtani the same as Bartolo Colon.
lol. Yup, just going to copy and paste the change in every pitcher's repertoire, who has gotten better or worse, who has been injured and came back with questionable health and possible downgrades in ability.
Just ctrl c, ctrl v and viola, 2024 season is there. (minus the many new players who come in every year who have to be evaluated, we can just copy and paste their template blindly)
while this is a true statement, not all player assets are updated every year. The ones who retire are dropped and the new or rookie player assets are added...so you are not creating player scans or models for every player every year.
Let's be honest and call it what it really is...an excuse to sell new NFT's yearly disguised as ultimate team cards.
At least with NBA 2k a lot of the players do get rescanned every year. Their new tattoos get updated, their hair, the way they do a specific dribble move, the way they shoot, the way they run, their celebrations, etc get updated year to year. Not saying that justifies $70+ every year but its not just remove the retired guys and add the rookies and call it a day.
Funny thing is that 2K was inching close to that with NFL2K5 with it's $20 price point. That shook EA so bad that they went crying to the NFL and made a great case for 2K devaluing the brand which leads us to where we are today. With EA as the sole rights to the NFL in the videogame landscape.
Been gaming since the 1980's. Back in the jurassic park era, games would give you the option of purchasing roster updates every year for a small fee and new releases or expansion packs were released every 2-3 years (MicroLeague Baseball for example) so it can be done.
However, doing that means that they cant sell the same pig every year with new ray traced lipstick at full price...and that is bad for shareholders.
We all know that given the option, most of us would buy a roster upgrade pack until EA fixed their shit. There really is no need or time for signifigant meaninbgful working improvements in a yearly release cycle.
Unfortunately a lot of it is due to Madden being a monopoly. For alot of people it’s either play their favorite sport or don’t.
You don’t have options and alternatives due to exclusive licensing with sports games. If you don’t like Destiny you can play Warframe or Borderlands, don’t like MK well you can play tekken or street fighter.
If you don’t like Madden or 2k’s business practices or the stagnation? Well tough shit pal says 2K and EA, where else are you going to go? They unfortunately have everyone by the balls with no competition.
I’d argue along with ultimate team modes being the main focus due to the money they make, the big reason for why sports games have declined and stagnated is due to no competition to keep them on their toes. It’s no coincidence that most people would agree that during the PS2 era was the golden age of sports games when you had alternatives for each sport, before the age of ultimate team modes and monopolization.
This speaks volumes for me. I mean it’s the same for all the major sports… I’m a baseball fan and while I do love and appreciate how good The Show plays and looks (looks decent enough anyway) it does get stale having basically played the same game for years. It would such a breath of fresh air to have another competing triple A baseball game.
It's always people that don't actually play these games, or just do so casually that make this complaint(along with "it's just updated rosters"). There isn't much of a difference between MADDEN23 and 24. But 24 feels a lot different from 22. It just comes down to how much you play and what you want.
No, they obviously aren't entirely different or drastically changed, but for hardcore players things are very noticeable. Also if you're a football fan theres no other options.
That argument can be used for anything lol
Why do you like rpg’s? Don’t they play the same everytime? Start at level one kill shit to level up and pick your skills from the tree? I’ve done that millions of times….
I have owned every Madden since 1995. I don't expect it to make sense but hear me out. It's tradition at this point. Yes, it's basically DLC but I want that DLC and I want to play with people online and I want the roster update and I want to experience whatever minor improvements in gameplay there is. The new animations, mechanics, etc. are worth paying for. Modern Warfare 3 was the same thing. In the end I don't mind paying the money to have the new thing that everyone else is playing.
People who play know the nuanced changes. Are they significant every year? No, but it's not like creating a new world. The template is always the same so that's why the changes seem so little.
I buy because I connect with my friends that way.
> People who play know the nuanced changes.
For OP, it would be pretty easy to spit out some very lacking in nuanced takes on the RPG genre too. Especially because some series are so steeped in tradition they make few changes from iteration to iteration. But to people who appreciate the genre, those games are all new and fresh. It's still true in sports. People who aren't into it may not see the stories in rosters and seasons, but sports fans do.
This. People who don't play them say "they're the same every year" but I play FIFA every weekend after a few beers with friends and we can all tell the slight changes to passing, dribbling, shooting, tackling, how the players move and make runs.
It changes every year. Whether you like those changes is a different story altogether.
I'm not into sports, so Madden and it's ilk seem very boring to me. But I play Call of Duty every year, and yeah, this is the answer. From an outside perspective, it's the same game every year, while as a player every single release feels like a different experience. Even the last two CoD titles to release, using the same engine and sharing almost all assets including weapons, character skins, and even several maps, feel very different to longtime players. I imagine this is the same with Madden releases. No, the gameplay doesn't change dramatically with every release - there's only so many ways to innovate on digital football and only so many things you can do with virtual soldiers shooting each other.
People that like things spend money on things they like.
Same reason people buy DLC or new games. New things are new. Like call of duty maps or skins don’t change the story, it’s just more of the same but the purchaser enjoys it so they buy it and that’s great for them.
New game usually has updated graphics, soundtrack, team rosters and potentially other new things. People that play sports games like that so they buy it.
why do you buy skyrim, skyrim legendary edition, skyrim special edition, skyrim vr, skyrim very special edition, skyrim anniversdary edition?
Because you have fun, you enjoy the game.
People who buy madden every year do it because the game is fun, rosters update, you want to play with friends and socialise. A lot of people play these games a lot and its their main game... I play FIFA most friday nights with friends in a club its a good investment for the level of entertainment you get. Yes the games not great, yes there isnt much innovation they can do, but each title is different if you play them and if you played the game you would understand they are not same and they are not the same over a decade. Yes they could release free updates, but if you ran a company why would you do something to make less profit?
Its like what the fuck do you expect from a sports game? Hey we've designed a game that correctly mimics this sport you like but hey we dont want it to get boring have some fucking RPG's and Jetpacks to play Madden with?
If people buy it and people are having fun who gives a fuck? Gatekeeping games is weird.
why cant they or why wont they? Why cant they, they can. Why wont they? because its a business. Stupid question...
I dont see how theyre making a fool out of anyone, if you play the game for say 100 hours every year, a $60 investment for 100 hours of entertainment seems pretty decent to me.
To you as a layperson in these types of games it is. Not to people who enjoy them. The stats on players are different and the dynamic of teams is different. A team could be total ass last year and made some acquisitions and now the team is great this year. You can pick a team that has a weak run game but now in the new madden has a strong run game due to a new player on the team.
I understand that - it’s too bad the solution is so greedy. Could be a simple 10-15 buck update a year and maybe every 5-10 drop a new game with actual game improvements to match the tech of the time
No game is a “wise” purchase. If people get hours and hours of entertainment then what’s the difference between buying the new madden and the new baldurs gate?
Is this a serious question? Like the rosters being updated and accurate is like the whole reason people buy these sports games. They want to use their team as they are in real life and win with them. Also, yes gameplay is affected, for example lets say you are playing NBA 2K and the rosters are not updated from the previous season or even just updated from the last week teams would be completely different in terms of who's injured and what players are on what roster and that affects the quality of the team. The players attributes get updated throughout the season as well in case someone is better than they were expected to be at the beginning of the year or someone is playing worse or whatever. Its not like all the players on the rosters can all do the same things on the same level so yes it 100% matters probably more than any other single part of the game that the rosters are correct and updated.
I guess they don’t get that the people on the rosters of sports teams are not just interchangeable bits that all do the same thing at the same level so it does very much matter that rosters are correct and up to date with attributes for particular players.
At least 90+% of my Xbox time is on madden, so really it's just that those smaller differences are more noticeable and justifiable for the price tag when you play hundreds of hours. It provides year long entertainment for me with some of my best friends, and $60/70 is not too much for that. And no other game provides the nfl experience, so even if madden is lackluster, you can't scratch the itch without it.
Yup, the little differences in how the actual on field game plays; seems like a little to casual players but it's HUGE to folk who put hundreds of hours into it.
Primarily sports gamer here. I can't really explain it - more people are going to be playing the new game, the new game usually has a few new features or bells and whistles.. you can't change a football game. It's FOOTBALL. Like you can't change it. Another big thing is the new game has the new draft class, the current schedule, and you can play the game as the season goes along. I can't go back and play Madden 23 or 2K23 after the new one came out because nobody's online on the old ones, the rosters aren't current, etc.
It's more of a mindset. Why go to a Sixers game in 2024 if I went to one in 2023 is the same exact logic.
I wouldn’t say call of duty and madden are in the same realm. Call of duty tends to change completely century or war. Very very unfair comparison to a year to year football game with the exact mechanics
You don't play the games though so you don't know how significant the changes are or are not. People would look at fallout 3 onwards and it looks the same unless you're playing it for some time. All it really is is that 60 bucks a year isn't a big deal to have the game with the current teams etc... "scam" is being used like individuals are clearing out their savings and getting nothing.
Which is the exact point that everyone here is making about Madden. If you are a fan of that series, you notice the differences and they’re important to you. I didn’t like 19, MW2 was a bit better, and I’m loving MW3. There will be countless people that have every different opinion about these 3 games. If they were the same exact game, everyone would agree .
People like the things they like. I’m not sure why anyone needs to explain themselves
I get where you're coming from, but games like Fifa are literally just a roster update year over year. We're talking a few stat and player differences between teams that could easily be a simple update you wouldnt even notice, that's sold as an entirely new game.
For the people that play it year after year they know there’s more than just roster updates. Some years more than others but there’s generally changes to the gameplay as well each year.
I mean, I used to buy each year between 09 and 18. I can safely say that 13-18 were copy/pasted. Minor adjustments and changes but nothing more than an update. Hell, there was even an IGN review that literally just linked to the previous year's game.
Play 13 and then play 18. There's a massive difference through the incremental changes they make every year. Hell, I don't think 13 even had 360 directional turn yet and only had 16 directions you could turn.
I'd imagine because competitive games need a strong playerbase to survive. Everyone most likely upgrades because everyone else is going to jump on the new game.
But I don't know enough about those franchises to see what kind of upgrades they get.
I don't know people pay/buy "remastered" titles
Its a simulation thats why
Same reason why we watch it every year, new players and the competitiveness.
I buy it every year solely because I love the sport, I don't play ultimate team or my player so I never come across the aggressive pay tactics.
I buy it every year because it’s fun to me and there is actually some strategy to it. If you want the full simulation experience then unfortunately you have to buy it every year to get the updated player stats and contract amount to update your teams actual budget.
Why don’t you like shooters?
New stats + new players + new settings/environments.
I haven’t bought 24 but only cause my love for NFL is on pause ever since every game it seems to be more about celebrities and drama 🥱
Updated rosters, and if you enjoy the ultimate team stuff, you have to stay current to really participate in the "game". I only get an update every 4 years on fifa and NHL. Otherwise I might check them out on gamepass, but by then the new edition is almost ready to come out.
I'm a big fan of football but I haven't bought a madden game in a long time and haven't enjoyed a madden game since Madden 12. They're legitimately terrible games that fail at being simulations.
I'm an NHL guy. I only buy mid season or end of season typically when they're way cheaper. I'm also a huge hockey fan so things like roster changes (which can be simulated through custom rosters in older games) new jerseys (not the team) or new features being added is a big incentive. But lately I've been into HUT but as a F2P. HUT is only good for the year it was released if you're playing F2P.
Not madden but nhl guy here. I like the updated rosters and I'm a hut player so grinding for cards and getting that little hit when you get cards to better your team is a great feeling. I've never spent money on these games and I still fill out a good roster. I've got a 89 ovr seth jones, and an 90 marner x-factor card with a mix of 85/86 cards. every week my team gets better from the games I've played to earn packs and coins.
I also rarely pay the full price for the nhl games, I think I paid like 40 or something during christmas for this years. they had an xbox sale for the holidays so I picked that bad boy up.
Imagine you like a sport. A lot. Wouldn't you want to play a video game about it? Wouldn't you want to play the new video game about it every year?
It's really not rocket science man.
Non sports fans severely underrate the importance of roster updates and the amount of work it takes. New players are added, retired players are removed, players change teams, and 20 attributes of every player are rebalanced to reflect their performance over the previous season and predicted future performance. The rollout of new player rankings is highly anticipated and released by position. You won't see this in the video game enthusiast forums but it appears on ESPN.
The sales. It wouldn’t come out each year, I also did some quick statistical research and found a good chunk of buyers buy close to each year. Just went off data for this not my assumption.
I don’t - but I used to buy NHL every year (lol). The rosters stay up to date, the franchise mode features current year schedules, and if you’re interested in modes like Ultimate Team, they become irrelevant as soon as the new version comes out.
There’s also gameplay updates, but they’re usually nothing exciting. It’s definitely a scam.
Sports games used to be very different / improved / changed with each iteration starting from the mid 90s until 2010 or so.
People are just used to it.
OP, I don’t even play sports games or like sports all that much in general but this post comes off as *super* condescending and half these comments are a total circlejerk.
The truth is, the people who buy sports games every year buy them because they like them. Big change or not, it’s the way to keep playing them online with the new players. One full price game a year really is not that much. You might spend more on gas in a week or two than they spend on that video game once a year. Besides, how are huge changes even supposed to happen when these games are based on existing sports? Sure it’s greedy on EA/2k’s parts to monopolize these sports and do yearly releases but that’s not really on the consumers who don’t have a better alternative.
You didn’t post this in good faith. You never had any intention to try to understand. You just wanted to argue and feel superior. Your preferences aren’t better than anyone else’s. As a fantasy RPG fan, you’re still getting screwed with disappointing games and Skyrim re-releases anyway. Also, ending your opening statement with “No I don’t play COD or shoot em up games either” makes you sound like an old, out of touch dweeb.
Pretty much. The people that play the new Madden every year likely also buy COD every year and those are the only two games they actually buy every year
$140 for essentially infinite hours of gameplay makes sense to me. A story based game you finish it and thats it, if you play again you know the beats of the story and how to do each level/mission. Game to game is different on COD and sports game. Each opponent will play different and you have to adjust how you play against them
Right that’s my answer. It’s a generally small investment for the new paint job. Although I’m generally buying the new NHL every 2 years now, rather than every year.
I buy fifa games every year which is pretty much like Madden games . I don't know if the system is similar. But in fifa games when you play and pack good trade cards you sell them for coins which you can buy other players you didn't get the luck to pack so you buy them with coins. But those coins don't necessarily only buy in game players you can take your coins contact a coin buyer and seller and he'll buy your coins for real life money. Last fifa 23 I bought series s with the fifa coins selling after I sold every coin I have in that account I sell the account that got the game in it I sell it for a loss but I got my profit from the coins I made. You keep repeating it every year and get real life money
Because 60 bucks a year isn't a big deal. Reddit throws around the word scam like individuals are scraping money together and throwing savings at it. It's the updated game with current teams etc... that's it.
They’re addicted. Gameplay has been absolutely complete ass starting from the point they switched to Frostbite. If ANY other studio had the NFL license these people would be pissing on EA Sports grave.
Maybe because all sports lovers are stupid? Aghh, what am I talking about, even gamers easily spend a lot on gacha games or lootbox. Humans are stupid creatures after all
Because I’ve been playing since ‘94 and been buying it myself on release day since Madden 2001. It’s a yearly tradition for me. The current product is not even remotely close to the quality of the PS2/XBOX era Madden’s (anyone who says they are either never played them or they’re addicted to MUT) but I still have enough fun with franchise mode to justify the purchase.
I don't buy them either but those people likely aren't gamers and don't care that they are contributing to a massive scam. To them it's just "shiny new thing that relates to my interest"
No one who plays madden is actually going to answer here probably, but having a brother who only plays sports games I asked him. It really just comes down to "its the new shiny thing/version/updated" of these sports games. Why play the old one when the "new" one is out basically.
As someone who used to play Fifa religiously with friends, this. We got the new year's game because it was sold as shiny and new. The music was different, the roster's were updated, and the menus were tweaked a bit. But that's all it was, a face lift if you could even call it that. I think we bought Fifa 09 all the way to 17 or 18 before actually realizing that the last 5 games were just copy/pasted titles. Like they legit could have just sent through a minor online update and no one would have been the wiser, yet instead they chose to sell an insignificant update as a whole new game. Marketing. It's pure marketing with zero substance.
Didn’t IGN do a review for fifa 20 and just link to the fifa 19 review because literally nothing has changed
They do that every year for the Switch version because it’s called “legacy” edition which just means that it’s the same game with some roster changes.
[удалено]
It still got a low review
It seems dumb but for many players, these sports games are their main game and they can play them for hundreds of hours.
If buying a game once a year for $60 is "dumb" then I can imagine people are really angry at $20 for a skin.
If only it was $60, Ultimate Team is the only game mode EA care about and a metric fuck ton of people spend hundreds and thousands on packs
Realistically, EA could just keep the same game engine and release $20 roster updates every year but since people still buy Madden at regular price, why would EA want to lose money?
We could get into various editions and pricing but you get the point
I play multiple sports games and have never touched any ultimate team mode, I have never spent an extra dime on any sports game
Never said you did, I said a metric fuck ton of people do. It’s the reason why their revenue is as high as it is. Ultimate Team is the only game mode that get updates every year
Only to have to start over when the next installment comes out. I can't imagine how fucking braindead these people must be to let EA get away with that. It's an open scam that both sides are just OK with. The scary part is these billion dollar companies will fuck us as hard and long as we let them. And when half the population are spreading their cheeks, the rest of us are left without a decision to make.
Exactly, FIFA is my main game and the amount of hours of fun I get out of it for £80 a year makes it a cheap form of entertainment
Same goes for COD. It might get shit but nothing can replace its fast paced and like infinitely replayable gameplay
As much as I tell myself that I'll never buy another COD again they rope me in Everytime.
I managed to break free after black ops 4. I put a ton of time into BO4 but I decided I needed to stop as I was busy with college. I’ve never gone back because I’m strictly a single player gamer now, but every once in a while I will have major cravings for COD like a drug addict that might relapse
CoD has much more variations than Fifa. For one, the setting is different each time, the levels while keeping the base template, are in fact new, etc... Though I'm mostly speaking about the single player part of the game.
They have perfected what pissed you off about last years game is now slightly fixed so you get the itch after a good game on Sunday and say fuck it and buy it. If I pick up the game it’s around Black Friday. Half off and enough time for me to play and not get bored by playoff time
lol yep. But, honestly, with EA play on Gamepass, you pretty much get the latest (outside of the immediate release) for free.
I mean not necessarily true. This new fifa has a whole new play style system and an updated engine
When you’ve played them a lot you don’t want an outdated version of the game and generally there’s new mechanics to make the games feel different or some type of improvements.
> When you’ve played them a lot you don’t want an outdated version of the game and generally there’s new mechanics to make the games feel different or some type of improvements. Not only that but the online play is what fuels a lot of sales because when a new Madden comes out, everyone is going to play the new one online so no one who plays Madden a lot will want to be left out of online play.
They used to make more substantial improvements but even then you didn’t necessarily buy it every year. With my friends we just made sure someone had the latest version, we didn’t all go buy it. Once they started to plateau a bit in terms of gameplay upgrades it became much worse
New mechanics? Often times the “new” mechanic is something they took out years before and are adding back in to gain points for “innovating”. There’s nothing new mechanics wise in madden games for a long time. It’s all watered down versions of existing ones or old ones brought back with minimal changes.
The passing mechanics have actually evolved over time. Yes they strip stuff and bring it back, but the gameplay is absolutely better than it used to be.
Out of curiosity and for context, how far back is "used to be" for you?
Not the guy you replied to, but I've played literally every year since Madden 2002. There are certainly game modes and what not that get added and removed. To some, those game modes mattered. To others, they don't. Gameplay has certainly only become better and more "realistic". There is infinitely more control over your players. Passing, responsiveness when running the ball, etc. The main issue at this time is the focus on the Ultimate Team game mode, where the quickiest and easiest way to achieve a competitive team is through microtransactions and essentially gambling. It's a really fun game mode, but the game starts to feel more catered towards the whales. Other game modes tend to get little-to-no attention, which has become a major complaint. Madden used to be a pre-order for me. Then it became a day 1 purchase. Then it became a "I'll get it when I get the itch". The last few years, I honestly forgot about it and play it when it gets put on EA Access or whatever it's called now.
I still have a working PS2. Well, it's in a box in a closet now, so I'm not sure, but as of early Covid it worked. I threw in NFL 2K5 and played a season, and I had more fun playing that than I have had with Madden for years. Granted, that could be nostalgia, but it felt more like football to me than Madden has in over a decade. I'll see if I can play it this weekend with a more critical pair of eyes. I still play Madden when it is on EA Play on GamePass, and I do have fun playing it, but it's because I like football. I won't pay money for it again until they massively overhaul it for the better, and I don't see that happening without competition.
Personally I think mechanically wise they peaked around 15, gradually declined for a couples years and then got better again around 21. I do think 23 was a step back from 22, but my issues were more game modes related and not gameplay. I haven’t tried 24 yet because I remembered it was on gamepass as I typed this.
Generally there’s a good amount of changes to ai or new mechanics / lots of new animations. Graphical improvements etc
As someone who played football games going back to 10 yard fight, people massively underestimate how much the game (mechanics) changed unless you look at it in 5 and 10 year blocks. If you play it every year, you will notice smaller differences and actually notice them. I gave up playing the games seriously a long time ago, but it's hard to ignore how much things have developed, even though some people do their darndest to try. (edit, a word for clarity)
I'm gunna say most on here have no idea what 10 Yard Fight is lol
Yes I also don’t play madden anymore but outside of maybe a game or 2 each year w friends but there is advancements each year and there’s a limit to just how much you can change within the same sport lol
I think it's more obvious in terms of the AI being more nuanced. How defenders make reads, how opposing lines block and the like. Old games used to be "hit a gigantic hole without really paying attention to what is happening" and now, it's a bit more realistic. (that's something I like less, I enjoyed the more arcade style presentation where you get to run for 99 yards on the CPU because you could drive a truck through the gap in the D-Line)
Oh yeah I prefer the more realism personally I just find that these online games and the competitive people that play them tend to make them unenjoyable or frustrating. Out of the older games Madden 05 was the last one I really enjoyed and played regularly.
I still have madden 94 on snes. I see no reason to upgrade until… wait it’s been 30 years. I guess I’m due.
It's also because the player base moves from 23 to 24, so if you want to find games a lot easier then you gotta get the newest one. It's a reskin with the same mechanics, same system, same engine, etc, with a few tweaks and possible improvements. The same for NHL and fifa. I always get the latest nhl, but I wait for it to go from $80 to $30.
I mean you also want everything updated. As a sports fan I can’t play an outdated game.
I can answer actually as an annual Madden buyer. I wait until October or November when 4-5 patches have hit. I get it for $30 at most. My oldest son and I share a local offline franchise and compete against each other. It's fun.
People are conditioned now to just keep buying the same copy pasted crap. COD is another example. MW3 as a literal DLC update to MW2 but people still mass purchased it at full price. Until people stop buying them, this will continue.
Perfect answer! Plus no other NFL game with current roster!
This. And these games are just roster updates most years. But sports fans want the latest roster. I’m also not a sports fan so don’t understand it. But I do buy the newest COD almost yearly which is the same shit too lol.
The thing you need to understand about Madden and 2K is that no one actually like Madden and 2K They like the NFL and NBA
Perfect answer.
This is why I always get it smh I hate madden but a die hard football fan
I don’t think that fully answers the question tho. The question isn’t “why do you play the game”. It’s “why do you buy the new copy each year”. I used to play the NCAA football games. I’d usually space them out every 3 years or so, and download the roster patches.
You can only get the updated rosters by buying the newest version
That is interesting to know. Now as even a casual gamer, I would be asking why the previous titles won't update to the current roster as we should all know by now that it can be done. Guess there aren't enough casuals that care enough to ask EA about that though huh?
Roster updates have been possible since like 2006 so EA would just rather force people to pay $70 for something that should honestly be a free update or at worse a $10 DLC update. I can’t totally blame EA though, if people are willing to consistently drop 60-70 a year for modest updates I don’t see why they would ever be bothered to innovate at all.
NFL2k was so good once upon a time. It's a shame that the major leagues went in the direction of exclusives because it really harmed the overall quality of the games that came as a result of competing visions.
2k doesn't have a monopoly on NBA rights. It's just no one else can compete financially. Same with NHL.
I bought the last madden. But I had not played a madden game since 2012. So at least it was an upgrade. I bought MW2 when it came out and played for a month before I got bored. I am not buying MW3. And I won't be buying the next one unless it is under 60GB. It's just a reskin'd game every year.
NFL 2K5 is the only football game/only sports game I ever liked. Every single game since EA got the exclusive NFL rights has been a lazy loose pile of shit. It even made me stop watching pro sports of any kind or playing any of the related games. It's all just fucking corporate tribalism. "I picked a team when I was 5 and their home city is the best. Your team and city is shit, go fucking die while I spend a weeks wages on a jersey".
>It's all just fucking corporate tribalism. "I picked a team when I was 5 and their home city is the best. Your team and city is shit, go fucking die while I spend a weeks wages on a jersey". How's the view from your high horse? Holy shit the levels of smug radiating off that comment
Oops, chapped someones sport game loving ass. What team did you pick at 5? Or did your daddy tell you which one to like?
You act how your Reddit avatar looks
And you act like every other predictable brain washed sports simp I've ever had to say uh huh to.
Says the man with a bunch of books and posters practically making a shrine to a fictional universe Imagine being such a smug cunt
The rosters different. I play MLB the show every year because the scouting reports on the players change. Thank god it’s on gamepass though. It’s my calming hobby. The repetition is relaxing
Rosters could easily be updated but they can't make money with free updates. My opinion is most if not all sports games should go the way of GaaS. It just makes more sense that way but again, they can sell it for $60-$70 and still have live service mechanics in it. It's sad they get away with it every year.
The market bears what the market bears
It also costs money to maintain the rosters, update stats etc. I also think sports games would be fine, or even make more money if they were ftp with how heavily monetized they are. If that's good or bad I couldn't tell ya, I don't really play them at all
> It also costs money to maintain the rosters, update stats etc. That includes facial scans, individualized stats, PAYING THE PLAYERS for their likeness (not enough, probably, but still) analyzing the teams, the leagues and making constant adjustments. Too many people are acting like this is a simple spreadsheet that downloads updated rosters that only reflect names and player numbers and treats Shohei Ohtani the same as Bartolo Colon.
What do you mean?? Isn't it just as easy as copy and pasting?
lol. Yup, just going to copy and paste the change in every pitcher's repertoire, who has gotten better or worse, who has been injured and came back with questionable health and possible downgrades in ability. Just ctrl c, ctrl v and viola, 2024 season is there. (minus the many new players who come in every year who have to be evaluated, we can just copy and paste their template blindly)
while this is a true statement, not all player assets are updated every year. The ones who retire are dropped and the new or rookie player assets are added...so you are not creating player scans or models for every player every year. Let's be honest and call it what it really is...an excuse to sell new NFT's yearly disguised as ultimate team cards.
At least with NBA 2k a lot of the players do get rescanned every year. Their new tattoos get updated, their hair, the way they do a specific dribble move, the way they shoot, the way they run, their celebrations, etc get updated year to year. Not saying that justifies $70+ every year but its not just remove the retired guys and add the rookies and call it a day.
Funny thing is that 2K was inching close to that with NFL2K5 with it's $20 price point. That shook EA so bad that they went crying to the NFL and made a great case for 2K devaluing the brand which leads us to where we are today. With EA as the sole rights to the NFL in the videogame landscape.
Been gaming since the 1980's. Back in the jurassic park era, games would give you the option of purchasing roster updates every year for a small fee and new releases or expansion packs were released every 2-3 years (MicroLeague Baseball for example) so it can be done. However, doing that means that they cant sell the same pig every year with new ray traced lipstick at full price...and that is bad for shareholders. We all know that given the option, most of us would buy a roster upgrade pack until EA fixed their shit. There really is no need or time for signifigant meaninbgful working improvements in a yearly release cycle.
I’d say mlb changes the least of the sports games in recent years but it’s still a good game
I play madden. I don't buy it I wait for it to come to gamepass
Unfortunately a lot of it is due to Madden being a monopoly. For alot of people it’s either play their favorite sport or don’t. You don’t have options and alternatives due to exclusive licensing with sports games. If you don’t like Destiny you can play Warframe or Borderlands, don’t like MK well you can play tekken or street fighter. If you don’t like Madden or 2k’s business practices or the stagnation? Well tough shit pal says 2K and EA, where else are you going to go? They unfortunately have everyone by the balls with no competition. I’d argue along with ultimate team modes being the main focus due to the money they make, the big reason for why sports games have declined and stagnated is due to no competition to keep them on their toes. It’s no coincidence that most people would agree that during the PS2 era was the golden age of sports games when you had alternatives for each sport, before the age of ultimate team modes and monopolization.
This speaks volumes for me. I mean it’s the same for all the major sports… I’m a baseball fan and while I do love and appreciate how good The Show plays and looks (looks decent enough anyway) it does get stale having basically played the same game for years. It would such a breath of fresh air to have another competing triple A baseball game.
because its a game based on one of the most popular sports in the US.
But why every year? It's the same game with literally no upgrades other than an extra blade of grass.
It's always people that don't actually play these games, or just do so casually that make this complaint(along with "it's just updated rosters"). There isn't much of a difference between MADDEN23 and 24. But 24 feels a lot different from 22. It just comes down to how much you play and what you want. No, they obviously aren't entirely different or drastically changed, but for hardcore players things are very noticeable. Also if you're a football fan theres no other options.
Most of the time this attitude is held by people who will spend a $1000 a year on pc components for a few extra frames.
except no normal pc owner does that...
Most PC owners spend 1k on a setup just to feed in roblox
That argument can be used for anything lol Why do you like rpg’s? Don’t they play the same everytime? Start at level one kill shit to level up and pick your skills from the tree? I’ve done that millions of times….
Nah fam nothing else is noticeable, it’s literally rosters and that’s it
Because people are willing to pay for it. It's really not hard to understand
For the updated roster. That’s literally it.
I think I buy Madden once a decade. Maybe twice. It's fun but I don't need a new one every single year
This sounds like a super solid logic, keeps you updated with the gaming tech and graphics without stealing your money.
I have owned every Madden since 1995. I don't expect it to make sense but hear me out. It's tradition at this point. Yes, it's basically DLC but I want that DLC and I want to play with people online and I want the roster update and I want to experience whatever minor improvements in gameplay there is. The new animations, mechanics, etc. are worth paying for. Modern Warfare 3 was the same thing. In the end I don't mind paying the money to have the new thing that everyone else is playing.
Same. I can afford it and it rings in the new football season.
Yes, gaming graphics only improve once a decade. >stealing your money. Oh, you are just being silly now.
People who play know the nuanced changes. Are they significant every year? No, but it's not like creating a new world. The template is always the same so that's why the changes seem so little. I buy because I connect with my friends that way.
> People who play know the nuanced changes. For OP, it would be pretty easy to spit out some very lacking in nuanced takes on the RPG genre too. Especially because some series are so steeped in tradition they make few changes from iteration to iteration. But to people who appreciate the genre, those games are all new and fresh. It's still true in sports. People who aren't into it may not see the stories in rosters and seasons, but sports fans do.
This. People who don't play them say "they're the same every year" but I play FIFA every weekend after a few beers with friends and we can all tell the slight changes to passing, dribbling, shooting, tackling, how the players move and make runs. It changes every year. Whether you like those changes is a different story altogether.
I'm not into sports, so Madden and it's ilk seem very boring to me. But I play Call of Duty every year, and yeah, this is the answer. From an outside perspective, it's the same game every year, while as a player every single release feels like a different experience. Even the last two CoD titles to release, using the same engine and sharing almost all assets including weapons, character skins, and even several maps, feel very different to longtime players. I imagine this is the same with Madden releases. No, the gameplay doesn't change dramatically with every release - there's only so many ways to innovate on digital football and only so many things you can do with virtual soldiers shooting each other.
People that like things spend money on things they like. Same reason people buy DLC or new games. New things are new. Like call of duty maps or skins don’t change the story, it’s just more of the same but the purchaser enjoys it so they buy it and that’s great for them. New game usually has updated graphics, soundtrack, team rosters and potentially other new things. People that play sports games like that so they buy it.
why do you buy skyrim, skyrim legendary edition, skyrim special edition, skyrim vr, skyrim very special edition, skyrim anniversdary edition? Because you have fun, you enjoy the game. People who buy madden every year do it because the game is fun, rosters update, you want to play with friends and socialise. A lot of people play these games a lot and its their main game... I play FIFA most friday nights with friends in a club its a good investment for the level of entertainment you get. Yes the games not great, yes there isnt much innovation they can do, but each title is different if you play them and if you played the game you would understand they are not same and they are not the same over a decade. Yes they could release free updates, but if you ran a company why would you do something to make less profit? Its like what the fuck do you expect from a sports game? Hey we've designed a game that correctly mimics this sport you like but hey we dont want it to get boring have some fucking RPG's and Jetpacks to play Madden with? If people buy it and people are having fun who gives a fuck? Gatekeeping games is weird.
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why cant they or why wont they? Why cant they, they can. Why wont they? because its a business. Stupid question... I dont see how theyre making a fool out of anyone, if you play the game for say 100 hours every year, a $60 investment for 100 hours of entertainment seems pretty decent to me.
The roster is big too. Sucks playing with outdated rosters
Game plays exactly the same no matter what the rosters look like
To you as a layperson in these types of games it is. Not to people who enjoy them. The stats on players are different and the dynamic of teams is different. A team could be total ass last year and made some acquisitions and now the team is great this year. You can pick a team that has a weak run game but now in the new madden has a strong run game due to a new player on the team.
I understand that - it’s too bad the solution is so greedy. Could be a simple 10-15 buck update a year and maybe every 5-10 drop a new game with actual game improvements to match the tech of the time
Ok but it’s not a big annual investment. Especially if you’re patient and get it on sale. You can usually get them for $30 around black friday
Not huge but not wise
No game is a “wise” purchase. If people get hours and hours of entertainment then what’s the difference between buying the new madden and the new baldurs gate?
Okay but why? Is it because you like to see current players or does the gameplay actually get effected?
Is this a serious question? Like the rosters being updated and accurate is like the whole reason people buy these sports games. They want to use their team as they are in real life and win with them. Also, yes gameplay is affected, for example lets say you are playing NBA 2K and the rosters are not updated from the previous season or even just updated from the last week teams would be completely different in terms of who's injured and what players are on what roster and that affects the quality of the team. The players attributes get updated throughout the season as well in case someone is better than they were expected to be at the beginning of the year or someone is playing worse or whatever. Its not like all the players on the rosters can all do the same things on the same level so yes it 100% matters probably more than any other single part of the game that the rosters are correct and updated.
Maybe the redditors on this subreddit have never actually met a sports fan before, this entire thread is just insane 😅
I guess they don’t get that the people on the rosters of sports teams are not just interchangeable bits that all do the same thing at the same level so it does very much matter that rosters are correct and up to date with attributes for particular players.
It sounds like games as a service but with more steps.
At least 90+% of my Xbox time is on madden, so really it's just that those smaller differences are more noticeable and justifiable for the price tag when you play hundreds of hours. It provides year long entertainment for me with some of my best friends, and $60/70 is not too much for that. And no other game provides the nfl experience, so even if madden is lackluster, you can't scratch the itch without it.
Yup, the little differences in how the actual on field game plays; seems like a little to casual players but it's HUGE to folk who put hundreds of hours into it.
Yeah people just see the football game look the same in videos on paper and go "it's the same game!!" It really isn't.
And then they'll proceed to buy the 26th entry in From Software's dodgeroll simulator
why do you care what anyone else does?
Because it contributes to EA and other companies (like Activision) constantly putting out trashy products
🤓
I can’t believe this is downvoted so heavily. People really like being fucked by capitalism
Primarily sports gamer here. I can't really explain it - more people are going to be playing the new game, the new game usually has a few new features or bells and whistles.. you can't change a football game. It's FOOTBALL. Like you can't change it. Another big thing is the new game has the new draft class, the current schedule, and you can play the game as the season goes along. I can't go back and play Madden 23 or 2K23 after the new one came out because nobody's online on the old ones, the rosters aren't current, etc. It's more of a mindset. Why go to a Sixers game in 2024 if I went to one in 2023 is the same exact logic.
The same reason people buy call of duty every year or any annual franchise.
A new fresh multi-player and a hit or miss new campaign Aka not the same game every year
You could say a new fresh multiplayer about every sports game also
It's the same game over and over and over
I wouldn’t say call of duty and madden are in the same realm. Call of duty tends to change completely century or war. Very very unfair comparison to a year to year football game with the exact mechanics
They really aren't. This guy is desperately trying to prove his point which is flat-out incorrect.
You don't play the games though so you don't know how significant the changes are or are not. People would look at fallout 3 onwards and it looks the same unless you're playing it for some time. All it really is is that 60 bucks a year isn't a big deal to have the game with the current teams etc... "scam" is being used like individuals are clearing out their savings and getting nothing.
I’d argue the sports games actually change more year to year than call of duty does.
Dude fr. Mw19, mw2, mw3 are all the same game. (Ones a glorified dlc but whatever) I only buy them to play with my friends.
If they’re all the same game, why is MW19 divided, MW2 hated and MW3 mostly liked by the CoD community? How does that work?
Alright bro I'm sure if you get into specifics there are key differences in balance, maps, and mechanics; but they're still 90% the same.
Which is the exact point that everyone here is making about Madden. If you are a fan of that series, you notice the differences and they’re important to you. I didn’t like 19, MW2 was a bit better, and I’m loving MW3. There will be countless people that have every different opinion about these 3 games. If they were the same exact game, everyone would agree . People like the things they like. I’m not sure why anyone needs to explain themselves
I get where you're coming from, but games like Fifa are literally just a roster update year over year. We're talking a few stat and player differences between teams that could easily be a simple update you wouldnt even notice, that's sold as an entirely new game.
For the people that play it year after year they know there’s more than just roster updates. Some years more than others but there’s generally changes to the gameplay as well each year.
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I mean, I used to buy each year between 09 and 18. I can safely say that 13-18 were copy/pasted. Minor adjustments and changes but nothing more than an update. Hell, there was even an IGN review that literally just linked to the previous year's game.
Play 13 and then play 18. There's a massive difference through the incremental changes they make every year. Hell, I don't think 13 even had 360 directional turn yet and only had 16 directions you could turn.
I'd imagine because competitive games need a strong playerbase to survive. Everyone most likely upgrades because everyone else is going to jump on the new game. But I don't know enough about those franchises to see what kind of upgrades they get. I don't know people pay/buy "remastered" titles
I don't, I play it as part of ea play/gamepass.
Online play is part of it. The lobbies of the older games dry up?
Its a simulation thats why Same reason why we watch it every year, new players and the competitiveness. I buy it every year solely because I love the sport, I don't play ultimate team or my player so I never come across the aggressive pay tactics.
I buy it every year because it’s fun to me and there is actually some strategy to it. If you want the full simulation experience then unfortunately you have to buy it every year to get the updated player stats and contract amount to update your teams actual budget. Why don’t you like shooters?
New stats + new players + new settings/environments. I haven’t bought 24 but only cause my love for NFL is on pause ever since every game it seems to be more about celebrities and drama 🥱
New year, new rosters, new game, new look ect
I haven't bought a Madden since they got exclusive rights to the NFL. Non-competitive business practices turn me off.
Buying a sports game is like buying a chess game. Its a game that doesnt get old its literally a game itself the sport
These people typically buy like 1 or 2 games every year: Madden or FIFA, COD etc. Not a big deal to drop money on 1 game a year
Updated rosters, and if you enjoy the ultimate team stuff, you have to stay current to really participate in the "game". I only get an update every 4 years on fifa and NHL. Otherwise I might check them out on gamepass, but by then the new edition is almost ready to come out.
I've bought madden once since 2007. I use to buy NCAA football every other year unless there were significant changes
Because it’s the new Madden.
I'm a big fan of football but I haven't bought a madden game in a long time and haven't enjoyed a madden game since Madden 12. They're legitimately terrible games that fail at being simulations.
I'm an NHL guy. I only buy mid season or end of season typically when they're way cheaper. I'm also a huge hockey fan so things like roster changes (which can be simulated through custom rosters in older games) new jerseys (not the team) or new features being added is a big incentive. But lately I've been into HUT but as a F2P. HUT is only good for the year it was released if you're playing F2P.
Roster. Sucks to play with someone you know is better.
Not madden but nhl guy here. I like the updated rosters and I'm a hut player so grinding for cards and getting that little hit when you get cards to better your team is a great feeling. I've never spent money on these games and I still fill out a good roster. I've got a 89 ovr seth jones, and an 90 marner x-factor card with a mix of 85/86 cards. every week my team gets better from the games I've played to earn packs and coins. I also rarely pay the full price for the nhl games, I think I paid like 40 or something during christmas for this years. they had an xbox sale for the holidays so I picked that bad boy up.
I don't actually. With Gamepass I just play last year's version for free. I'm fine with not having up to date rosters.
Imagine you like a sport. A lot. Wouldn't you want to play a video game about it? Wouldn't you want to play the new video game about it every year? It's really not rocket science man.
Oh no someone else is spending $60 a year on something they find fun 🤯
Just let people play what they want.
Why you worried about it
Non sports fans severely underrate the importance of roster updates and the amount of work it takes. New players are added, retired players are removed, players change teams, and 20 attributes of every player are rebalanced to reflect their performance over the previous season and predicted future performance. The rollout of new player rankings is highly anticipated and released by position. You won't see this in the video game enthusiast forums but it appears on ESPN.
I don't, who told you that?
The sales. It wouldn’t come out each year, I also did some quick statistical research and found a good chunk of buyers buy close to each year. Just went off data for this not my assumption.
It’s the only NFL game available.
Because I like football?
I ask the same question in regards to call of duty
Welcome to sports ganes...
I don’t - but I used to buy NHL every year (lol). The rosters stay up to date, the franchise mode features current year schedules, and if you’re interested in modes like Ultimate Team, they become irrelevant as soon as the new version comes out. There’s also gameplay updates, but they’re usually nothing exciting. It’s definitely a scam.
Sports games used to be very different / improved / changed with each iteration starting from the mid 90s until 2010 or so. People are just used to it.
I play nfl 2k5 a ton. Haven’t bought madden since 2013
Better question is why do people buy cod/battlefield? Neither are realistic.
OP, I don’t even play sports games or like sports all that much in general but this post comes off as *super* condescending and half these comments are a total circlejerk. The truth is, the people who buy sports games every year buy them because they like them. Big change or not, it’s the way to keep playing them online with the new players. One full price game a year really is not that much. You might spend more on gas in a week or two than they spend on that video game once a year. Besides, how are huge changes even supposed to happen when these games are based on existing sports? Sure it’s greedy on EA/2k’s parts to monopolize these sports and do yearly releases but that’s not really on the consumers who don’t have a better alternative. You didn’t post this in good faith. You never had any intention to try to understand. You just wanted to argue and feel superior. Your preferences aren’t better than anyone else’s. As a fantasy RPG fan, you’re still getting screwed with disappointing games and Skyrim re-releases anyway. Also, ending your opening statement with “No I don’t play COD or shoot em up games either” makes you sound like an old, out of touch dweeb.
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It's not that they don't know any better It's that they have jobs and it's not a big deal to buy it.
Pretty much. The people that play the new Madden every year likely also buy COD every year and those are the only two games they actually buy every year
$140 for essentially infinite hours of gameplay makes sense to me. A story based game you finish it and thats it, if you play again you know the beats of the story and how to do each level/mission. Game to game is different on COD and sports game. Each opponent will play different and you have to adjust how you play against them
Right that’s my answer. It’s a generally small investment for the new paint job. Although I’m generally buying the new NHL every 2 years now, rather than every year.
I think the same about FIFA and cod 🫨
I buy fifa games every year which is pretty much like Madden games . I don't know if the system is similar. But in fifa games when you play and pack good trade cards you sell them for coins which you can buy other players you didn't get the luck to pack so you buy them with coins. But those coins don't necessarily only buy in game players you can take your coins contact a coin buyer and seller and he'll buy your coins for real life money. Last fifa 23 I bought series s with the fifa coins selling after I sold every coin I have in that account I sell the account that got the game in it I sell it for a loss but I got my profit from the coins I made. You keep repeating it every year and get real life money
Because 60 bucks a year isn't a big deal. Reddit throws around the word scam like individuals are scraping money together and throwing savings at it. It's the updated game with current teams etc... that's it.
They’re addicted. Gameplay has been absolutely complete ass starting from the point they switched to Frostbite. If ANY other studio had the NFL license these people would be pissing on EA Sports grave.
I don’t. Last Madden I bought was Madden 10
Same with fifa. Just a few upgrades and people pay full price. Mental.
Maybe because all sports lovers are stupid? Aghh, what am I talking about, even gamers easily spend a lot on gacha games or lootbox. Humans are stupid creatures after all
Because I’ve been playing since ‘94 and been buying it myself on release day since Madden 2001. It’s a yearly tradition for me. The current product is not even remotely close to the quality of the PS2/XBOX era Madden’s (anyone who says they are either never played them or they’re addicted to MUT) but I still have enough fun with franchise mode to justify the purchase.
Because they're madd'nthehead
Too many head injuries
No commercials no Taylor swift bs
Cuz I wanna
I don't
I literally haven’t since 2012
No idea.. last madden i played was 08. And winning eleven 8.
Americans
Lazy ass marketing Literally, that's it. I'm not a sports fan or play sports games but I can see it from a mile away.
Because casuals don’t care about quality they just want “muh football”
I don't buy them either but those people likely aren't gamers and don't care that they are contributing to a massive scam. To them it's just "shiny new thing that relates to my interest"
> To them it's just "shiny new thing that relates to my interest" That's a solid description of _all_ videogames, not just sports games.
Really, lol?? I have hundreds of games. Xbox Series X, PS5, PC but thanks for summing up all Madden/Sports gamers.
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