When it comes to video game franchises with numerous entries, one of the most important things that the developer must do is ensure that each entry has something fresh, fun, and unique to capture the hearts and minds of players. That might sound simple, but it’s not always something developers do. An excellent example comes from sports games. Due to their nature, developers like Electronic Arts and 2K are happy to give “small updates” to each new iteration, improve the graphics when possible, and then sell it at full price. Unfortunately, that has backfired many times, and it could have some big implications for this year’s Madden 24.
The beloved football franchise has sold many millions of copies over the years. Still, the complaints about the series have grown louder with each version because there are barely any new elements to the gameplay, modes, etc. There have been years where they go “bigger” to please fans, but with them trying to get a title out every year, there’s only so much they can do.
That leads to many problems, as players of the game’s current iteration will tell you. The latest title has had game-breaking bugs that have made players very angry. One such issue was when an official update was put into the game, and players lost the franchise they had built up.
Not a good thing to have in an established franchise. As such, Insider Gaming and others are reporting that EA is going full-tilt to ensure that this doesn’t happen again with the next entry. One person who is allegedly close to the development team noted:
“EA has big plans for Madden 24 and the management of the game knows how big of a year it is. Not just for the game, but for their future in their positions.”
If you’re confused about what they mean by that, they refer to how some people will lose their jobs if the game is launched in a bug-filled state. But, of course, that could also happen if the game underperforms and doesn’t get the critical and fan praise that EA desires.
So what are the things that EA could do to make the next football game better? It’s hard to say, as franchise fans have plenty of ideas. New modes would definitely bring something fresh. But they’d have to be meaningful ones.
The biggest thing is to not simply do the “bare bones approach” as they’ve done in the past. That will only make gamers angry.
