Madden for PC Cancelled!!! Is Live Next?!?!

[Lynsanity]

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/02/ea-sc ... -09-on-pc/

American Football fans will have to turn to one of of their consoles or portables to get their next Madden fix, as Peter Moore has revealed EA's cancellation of Madden '09 on PC, citing "serious business challenges" in releasing sports titles on home computers.

The title will still appear on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, DS and PSP, leaving PC Madden fans feeling a bit left out. Moore notes that Madden '09 is not the only PC title receiving the axe, and that it represents a larger decision by EA Sports to cut back on their number of PC releases. It's unknown if EA will continue to release future versions of Madden on the PC, or if this is the end of Madden on the PC altogether. Luckily, gamers can still experience the latest iteration of EA's flagship sports franchise on a plethora of platforms. Just not on the computer.

[Lynsanity]

While not directly NBA Live related, I think this probably qualifies, as Madden is the #1 Sports Brand, while NBA Live is probably 3rd after Tiger Woods. If Madden is not coming back for the 09 season, I am almost certain NBA Live will not be coming back either.

[Andrew]

It's certainly NBA Live related since you bring up the question of NBA Live 09 PC, so no worries there. For future reference, editing your previous post is preferable to double posting. Thanks.

It's somewhat worrying news but my understanding is that there will be a PC version of NBA Live until we hear otherwise, which hopefully won't be the case.

[Lynsanity]

Sorry, Andrew. I will do that next time. I am very hopeful that it does come out next year. Then again, I could see them skipping a year and upgrading to the Next Generation Engine (Ps3/360).

[Andrew]

Anything is possible, I'd have mixed feelings about the PC version skipping a year though. If it meant the instalment would be better then great, I have a 360 so I can get my fix that way (or I suppose I could always keep playing my 06 Dynasty) but I still prefer the PC for all the modding we're capable of so I wouldn't like to see PC users go without either.

I guess it's a question that will be answered in time. Until we hear otherwise though, it seems safe enough to assume there'll be a PC version of Live.

[Patr1ck]

I was just about to make this thread. The thing that jumps out at me is that Madden is still going to be released to ps2. While I can understand that since it is probably their best selling sports game, I sense bad things could happen for PC Live users in 09.

My thoughts about the possibilities of Live PC's future-

-It is not released, and no future release is planned.

-It is released and ported from the PS2, once again. It is worse then the previous version....again.

-We get 360 port, Pinoys cry about higher system specs. Activity at the NLSC hits record levels after the games release and dies down after a month when most of everyone realizes it's the same flatchested bitch who thinks she's hot now that she has implants.

-We get a 360 port, everybodies loins explode at it's awesomeness. Game sells 1,000 copies while 50,000 claim to be playing it, and for some reason can't install the official patch correctly.

-EA buys Take Two and EA Sports releases NBA Live 2k9. Gamers revel in 2k's gameplay with EA's graphics and commentary.

Here's an idea for EA on PC games if they stop releasing some sports games for the platform. Create a base-game which is modifiable with downloadable content. $40 for the base game, $10-20 for dlc. That way they wouldn't have to develop an entire game each year for pc, and save on retail distribution costs. It wouldn't need an official license, which would save more money.

[benji]

IIRC, Madden has never performed well on the PC. Live gets different covers for overseas, Madden wouldn't even sell there. The PC market in Europe is a much larger share than here in the States.

EA's problem is they want a one-console, one-company future, and so they've abandoned their PC roots over the years. We shouldn't concern EA in-house production, with EA publishing (Crysis, Battlefield, etc.).

[deihatein]

.

My thoughts about the possibilities of Live PC's future-

-It is not released, and no future release is planned.

-It is released and ported from the PS2, once again. It is worse then the previous version....again.

-We get 360 port, Pinoys cry about higher system specs.

-We get a 360 port, everybodies loins explode at it's awesomeness. Game sells 1,000 copies while 50,000 claim to be playing it, and for some reason can't install the official patch correctly.

I would lol at the bold word but i found it funny anyway . Maybe because that is the truth here in the Philippines, we really cant afford a great computer(but some of us can).

But everything Pdub said on the Live PC future is true specially about the PC version being ported again the PS2, if that the case then why do that anyway? Then the game gonna suck again and many people will gonna get angry of EA. On the fourth part i know what he is trying to tell there because it not allowed to talk it here in the forum

[Metsis]

To be totally truthfully honest about this situation for NBA Live for the PC. If it is another PS2 version, I don't want to see it. It's just gonna be the same crap rolled in the same package with the some new shit that makes the game even more horrible than before.

PC can handle a next gen port... We deserve better. We deserve a port from the next gen consoles. If Live 09 is another port from PS2, I'm not buying it.

I'm done with the PC version from PS2 now, next please! Or better yet, make Live for the PC from scratch, now that would be a keeper...

[Andrew]

Madden's popularity overseas, past PC sales and questions of users being willing to upgrade their systems for a 360 port if necessary are probably the main "business challenges" Peter Moore is alluding to but I do wonder how high piracy is on that list as well. As Pdub pointed out, it seems to have run rampant with NBA Live 08 PC. We've always had people asking for cracks, CD keys and the like but it feels like there's been an increase in that this year.

If NBA Live 08 PC had been a PS2 port that featured as many 360 features as feasible (updated Dynasty Mode, some signature shots and Go To Moves), didn't have numerous bugs that rendered the game unplayable for a lot of longtime players and addressed some of the issues in recent years (unrealistic stats, position domination, etc), it would still have been inferior to the 360 version but perhaps it would have been at least satisfactory. That's probably not going to happen as long as it's a PS2 port though, so the best we can hope for in my opinion is a 360 port seeing as the PC version is well past being a priority. It wouldn't be perfect, but it should be a noteworthy improvement.

[benji]

Piracy is a strawman for developers to blame their personal failures on.

http://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/po ... tid=303512

I can't imagine it costing EA more to port the 360 version than to pay HB Studios to do the PS2 game and port it.

[Andrew]

I didn't mean that it was the main factor or even a significant one but if that's the common view developers hold, maybe it's perceived to be a "business challenge" when it comes to the PC market.

[benji]

It's a stupid one. A port cost is far lower than making a game ground-up, on the PC there is no licensing fee, the PC version is basically free money.

If I make a game, and port it to PC. Half a million people buy it, and I make $20 million in revenue. Three million people pirate it and I don't make anything from them.

If I make game, and don't port it to PC, nobody buys it and nobody pirates it, and I make nothing from anyone.

Claiming I'm losing $120 million on the first one because those three million people pirate it is misleading. It assumes all of those people will buy it. And to claim I'd be better off to not do a port because people will pirate it only stands up if the port costs more than the extra sales I'll get from the port.

EA's problem is technology, and their own capabilities to turn their engine into one that scales. I have no worries about the first one, time will take care of it, the latter I have some big doubts about.

[Retrolock]

Hey, I made the same thread much earlier, I wonder who deleted it? They probably thought it was an April Fool's joke.

As for me, I have a fairly high end PC, and I'm a Pinoy lol. What pisses me off is the half assed console ports we get, and I love my Nba live. I've been buying the legit one for 3 years straight, except for this year because Nba Live 08 made me sad.

@Andrew, dont hold back if you find out that there will be no Nba Live 09, please let us know asap. You probably can't do anything about it if they discontinue the PC version anyway. I hope I'm wrong though.

[Andrew]

I wouldn't hold back such news but there's been no announcement regarding the cancellation of NBA Live 09 for the PC so as far as I know, it's coming out for the PC as in years past (with the exception of NBA Live 2002). As far as me being able to do anything about it, beyond community based stuff along the lines of petitions, fan feedback and explaining our reasons for wanting a PC version, there isn't much I can do as it's not my call to make.

[fjccommish]

"Madden's popularity overseas, past PC sales and questions of users being willing to upgrade their systems for a 360 port if necessary are probably the main "business challenges""

Who has to upgrade? Anyone with a three year old computer, or one that now costs about $500 can handle a 360 port.

[Andrew]

People who haven't updated their computer in the last three years, I guess. I don't think it would be a huge problem, I'm just throwing it out there as a possible issue Peter Moore might have been alluding to there.

[JWL3]

I vow to never buy another EA title in my life ever again. I will only download whatever garbage they put out there, not so much to play it, but to redistribute it via to.rent files so that EA loses as much money as possible, leading to their bankruptcy.

Go ahead Andrew...ban me for suggesting this. I am so fed up with this company it is beyond belief.