E-5: EA Sports Madden Franchise must learn from Crash Bandicoot

More and more news is coming out regarding EA’s alleged commitment to improving the long dormant “Franchise Mode” in their annual release of Madden. Back in July, after backlash from longtime fans regarding the lack of attention given by the developers to the classic game mode, EA came out to make sure fans knew they were heard, and vowed that things would change.

An update from Executive Producer Seann Graddy pic.twitter.com/RFpco0KNH1

— Madden NFL 21 (@EAMaddenNFL) July 2, 2020

However, the initial announcements were met with skepticism. For years, EA has placed heavy focus on their Madden Ultimate Team mode, which is more reminiscent of a gacha mobile game than anything. Also, EA is unveiling an all-new game mode called “The Yard,” which has several similarities to the classic NFL Street franchise made by the same company.

“We wanted to create a new way for players to express themselves and take on small-sided football in an arcade-style experience that’s completely new to Madden,” Seann Graddy, Madden NFL’s executive producer, said in a statement. “Players will delve into all-new gameplay on mobile and on consoles that will bring to life the backyard football that NFL players and fans grew up loving, where the rules are relaxed, and you can win with attitude.”

It’s undeniable that their focus on newer game modes and of course their Madden Ultimate Team has been remarkably profitable to EA over the years. And it isn’t limited to Madden either.

According to their financial reports back in May 2020, EA numbers broke personal records in the year 2020. Through their Ultimate Team modes across all their sports franchise titles – which of course includes Madden as well as FIFA – EA generated a total of $1.49 billion dollars, which is a $120 million increase on last year’s revenue total of $1.37 billion.

But it’s that incredible profit margin that has fans of Franchise mode believing that no matter what the developers say, there will never be a truly increased emphasis on Franchise mode again. Several cuts to Franchise mode have been made over the years in order to give resources to the luck and mission-based gameplay that Ultimate Team offers. Legendary players such as Dan Marino and Randy Moss are relegated exclusively to these modes, while Franchise mode is forced to make players haphazardly create their own versions of the same characters.

There is a reason that many fans of the classic game mode yearn for the days of old. It isn’t merely out of a sense of nostalgia, it’s because they want to see the old mode evolve and immerse them in a realistic experience that hasn’t been seen since the Nintendo GameCube or PlayStation 2 generation of consoles.

It’s time for Madden to take a page out of an old platforming mascot’s playbook, and reignite the fanbase’s passion by revitalizing their past glory.

Get an in-depth look at the first new #CrashBandicoot game in over a decade, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time! ⏰Learn about new gameplay mechanics, new playable characters, and awesome new ways to play in Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s about Time. Available October 2, 2020. pic.twitter.com/96TaNAG22t

— Crash Bandicoot (@CrashBandicoot) August 6, 2020

Every gamer out there knows Crash Bandicoot. Even if they didn’t know about him when they were kids, with the remakes of the original trilogy as well as Crash’s original (and best) kart-racing experience, you would have to be living under a rock to still not have at least heard of him. Now, the success of the N. Sane Trilogy has brought a full revitalization of the IP to the forefront, as Crash prepares to debut his first brand new game since 2008.

Much of the renewed success of Crash Bandicoot comes solely from a place of passion from both fans and developers, who wanted to ensure that Crash’s comeback would be successful by tapping into what made him great back when he first debuted. And it worked.

The remake of the first three original games – which released in July 2017 – sold over 10 million units by February 2019, with even more undoubtedly being sold since that time. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled quickly surpassed even those numbers, breaking a franchise record upon launch as it sold over half a million digital copies upon its release in June 2019.

Those numbers cannot be denied. And unlike Madden, which always seems to leave at least one large portion of the fanbase unsatisfied, Crash Bandicoot has been met with almost universal approval and praise around the world.

If there’s one thing the world of gaming has shown, it’s that nostalgia is a very powerful tool to generate sales. Activision put Crash Bandicoot into hibernation after his last attempt to make a game in 2008 met with underwhelming results to say the least. But that game had strayed so far from Crash’s roots, it was hard to tell that it was even a Crash game to begin with. That is where things went awry.

The time has come for Madden to go back in time and use what fans loved so dearly about the old games and update them for a new generation. Bring back the Position Battles in Preseason so that there’s a point to playing in them. Reinstate the ability to have certain retired players become members of the coaching staff if the player so desires. And yes, bring back the Team Builder/Create-a-Team function that has not been seen since Madden 08.

The best way to introduce new features is to also give players something familiar to lure them in. Madden Franchise mode has so many old and forgotten features that could easily be brought back if the developers chose to. Already, EA has come out with specific future plans for improving Franchise mode post-launch, which includes gameplay tweaks for a more enjoyable experience. However, what they truly need to do, is to simply go back to the past and bring it to the present.

If they listen to the fans’ specific desires, much like Crash Bandicoot did, there’s no doubt fans will be saying “Woah!” again in no time.