As expected, football favorite Madden NFL 10 was the top-selling video game in August, shifting almost two million copies in just over two weeks. But it wasn't all good news for Madden or publisher EA: the Wii version of the game sold a mere 67,000 copies, roughly half of last year's figure.
Nintendo Wii not quite a touchdown.
For a title that was touted as having been rebuilt from the ground up to provide gamers a better experience, that's a disappointing number -- and EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich thinks Madden 09 Wii is to blame.
"I believe many diehard Madden fans, who transitioned from the Playstation 2 to the Wii, made their yearly Madden purchase in 2008 and realized that the Wii could not offer the same experience they have grown accustom to (online play, realistic graphics, in-depth team management)," he told gaming blog Joystiq today. Madden NFL 10's PS2 version -- yes, they're still making them -- outsold the Wii game by more than two to one.
Divnich also laid some of the blame at the Wii's unique control system, wondering if long-time Madden fans were reluctant to switch away from the familiar gamepads of consoles past. Madden fans, he said, "know that Madden cannot offer the same experience on the Wii as it did for the PS2."
Looks like it can’t offer the same experience for EA shareholders, either.
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Posted: 11 Sep 2009
