EA's "make or break" year is in for a rude awakening. . .

PC, console growth to lag pre-pandemic levels as gamers clock in fewer hours, report says.  Using game market data from Newzoo, they determined:

Personal computing and console gaming revenue growth is expected to remain below pre-pandemic levels through 2026 as gamers record fewer hours of playtime, according to research firm Newzoo.

The layoffs have already begun.  This could be our only hope, if EA is dumb enough to allow their exclusive NFL licensing rights to expire (next up for renewal May 2026, but who's counting).

I'm sure they're still selling plenty of packs, with the renewed focus on sheer laziness and outright greed, however, any hopes of additional COVID-style growth to the gaming sector (and the advertising dollars that accompany this type explosive growth) will have all but dried up.  It's too late to save Madden 2025, whatever they end up calling it, i'm sure it'll be yet another recycled year of nearly identical gameplay, but if we're ever to hope for real change, well... something has got to give.

My opinion: 

The management team seems really confident with their "relationships" at the sporting leagues. They dont seem one bit concerned about losing their rights. 

Not sure who the NFL would go with besides EA Sports.

NBA 2K (which I tried for a split second), did not impress me.

Madden/EA has been cooked. If somehow ya'll missed that.

This thing already broken, only thing keeping Madden in existence is that exclusive rights contract. If people could actually have another option this game is toast. Until the NFL does the right thing or EA slips up, we're just gonna get a continually worsening product mixed with a gaming community that has no shame in exploiting glitches and poor programming....A cesspool I'd love to avoid but sadly, I just love me some football, the team I root for and video games, EA has that market cornered and they honestly do not care about putting out anything of quality

banginghebrew ,

You described the situation perfectly, I agree 100%.

Surgical0ffense,

You are right, EA doesn't seem to be worried at all about losing the  rights.

My question is why is the NFL ( and NFLPA ) comfortable with the such a buggy game, with broken features that are there year after year, and the absolutely terrible customer support of this game.  It represents the NFL brand.  I know the simple answer is money and caring about year after year growth.  I would at least think they would  look at the long term .

The NFL should give out two licenses, one for a real football siimulation and  one for EA.

a) I really don’t like the make or break year thing, internal messaging shouldn’t be read like a promise to us imo. They were going to make money, off of us, any way they could. they never wanted us to enjoy the game, they wanted us to want to give them money, which can coincide, but obviously doesn’t always 

b) the reason the nfl is cool with it is this - you can’t really notice how bad the game gets until you get good at the game and most people in the NFLPA write off everything as just video game stuff and don’t worry about it 

c) the community has its issues, but a lot of the same players would be good even if it was less glitchy. Those players cheese now because it’s the best way to win more games  Eg you win the most games you would if you cheese a lot. If you get rid of cheese, they’ll learn more about football to win more games, because thats what they care about 

to summarize

NFLPA and EA only care about money, not our happiness (which, idk about y’all, isnt tied to this game anyway, it’s tied to like…my family, my partner, my physical health) 

community only cares about winning and they’ll always do it annoyingly, even if the game became realistic

cant wait for the EA fanboys to read this.......ohhhhh wait lol

If they extend their rights I’m going to spontaneously combust

BillGardiner20 said:

The NFL should give out two licenses, one for a real football siimulation and  one for EA.

W idea right here

BillGardiner20 said:

The NFL should give out two licenses, one for a real football siimulation and  one for EA.

This ^^^ 

Remember the  nfl coach game?  Liked that.  And  back in 2003-07  era Madden really was a lot closer to a sim,  with  options to slide towards arcady or sim.

elmango30

"isnt tied to this game anyway, it’s tied to like…my family, my partner, my physical health"  Appreciate this.  Fundamental life lessons that I wish was promoted more.

peatrick said:

PC, console growth to lag pre-pandemic levels as gamers clock in fewer hours, report says.  Using game market data from Newzoo, they determined:

Personal computing and console gaming revenue growth is expected to remain below pre-pandemic levels through 2026 as gamers record fewer hours of playtime, according to research firm Newzoo.

The layoffs have already begun.  This could be our only hope, if EA is dumb enough to allow their exclusive NFL licensing rights to expire (next up for renewal May 2026, but who's counting).

I'm sure they're still selling plenty of packs, with the renewed focus on sheer laziness and outright greed, however, any hopes of additional COVID-style growth to the gaming sector (and the advertising dollars that accompany this type explosive growth) will have all but dried up.  It's too late to save Madden 2025, whatever they end up calling it, i'm sure it'll be yet another recycled year of nearly identical gameplay, but if we're ever to hope for real change, well... something has got to give.

they ain't changing crap, not  this year not next not even when are kids plays the game. EA's "make it or break" year was for their shareholders they want to keep the game running as in we hop on for a minimum 1 hour of the game to engage with the content. EA has been hiring and firing people for years....nothing is getting made of it these "layoffs". they  don't mean nothing when the heads of the table are still there apart of the product. (CLINT.)

and that last paragraph is what they are gonna show to the NFLPA, Commissioner, and all the owners, hell even this last installment of the game  up until the super bowl if they scumbag the explanation.  cause all they care about is MONEY.

so get ready for every NFL person to shake the practice squad O-Lineman's hand with a photo and smile cause it's ain't going no where.

EA's not going to lose the NFL license unless some other publisher comes in and gives the NFL an offer they flat-out can't refuse, or things go so fucking badly for EA that the NFL is forced to notice and reevaluate. Neither is going to happen because no publisher cares about trying and Madden players are some of the dumbest, most immoral people in gaming.

If Madden players were serious about forcing EA to actually make a good product or force the NFL's hand, it would've happened years ago. Yet, here we are, where 90% of the players are always angry at EA, 10% are mindless sycophants who defend EA no matter what, and both groups are filled with morons who spend money on their mom's credit card ad nauseum instead of being smart and just playing the game. 

All it would take for EA to get their head out of their ass is for the players to cut spending by at least half and bully the hell out of anyone who's spending absurd amounts of money on the game every week, including YouTubers and streamers.