The FIFA and Madden situation on Switch just feels... strange?

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

The Switch is a very popular console that has sold now, in less than three years, significantly more than the Xbox One has in its lifetime. FIFA and Madden are extremely popular game franchises that don't really push technical specs to their limits or do things that couldn't be on last gen systems. And yet Madden isn't on the Switch and FIFA is a pure roster update each year with no additional resources put into it.

I don't want this to come off as port begging and I try to never do this with PS4 downports as there could be a lot of asset concerns and technical concerns for downporting and the games may not be as popular but these two just feel... very strange financially. I mean, you would think the NFL would encourage EA to at least try to see if Madden would sell well on this big Switch audience.

Call of Duty I get (especially with how much development fuckery is going on with the series), Assassin's Creed I absolutely get, Cyberpunk I obviously get... FIFA and Madden ignoring the Switch just feels super odd though.

 

[cw_sasuke]

It's not strange, it's EA.

 

[ngower]

EA re-released a game with no updates except to the roster and had the audacity to charge full price.

Their attitudes towards the Switch are gross.

 

[Jahranimo]

To EA it's business as usual.

 

[Deleted member 36708]

It feels like how AAA third parties have treated Nintendo console since Wii.

 

[mindsale]

Less work to port from PS4 to XOne than to Switch perhaps.

 

[tutomos]

Maybe EA determines that the real cash cows like Ulitmate Team won't work on the Switch.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

It feels like how AAA third parties have treated Nintendo console since Wii.

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Bethesda and Activision release plenty of games on Switch, IDK.

 

[cw_sasuke]

Maybe EA determines that the real cash cows like Ulitmate Team won't work on the Switch.

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Except that they are on Switch - buy offering a version that doesn't offer feature parity with other versions obv. gonna limit it sales potential.

EA wants to be treated like Kings on Switch when all they offer is subpar content lol.

 

[Jiraiya]

Tell Nintendo to make a system more in line with Microsoft and Sony.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Tell Nintendo to make a system more in line with Microsoft and Sony.

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I do not think FIFA and Madden are pushing boundaries of technology.

 

[MrMegaPhoenix]

I always assumed Fifa was a contract thing. Madden isn't, so they can avoid systems along with Nhl and Nba live.

I'd assume EA just doesn't see the point to make modified engines and put more money into downgrading their games for "ok" sales.

I don't think it's odd, I just think in the era of modern development, you are going to miss out on more games if you don't have a system at least comparable to the PlayStation on the market

 

[Jiraiya]

I do not think FIFA and Madden are pushing boundaries of technology.

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It doesn't take a boundary pushing game to push the switch though.

 

[hussien-11]

Tell Nintendo to make a system more in line with Microsoft and Sony.

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It is a successful platform on its own. and they are aggressive on mobile which is not in line with Sony or Microsoft.

I think not releasing Madden on the best selling device in the NA market is a wasted opportunity, but what can you say, they have their reasons.

 

[LinkSlayer64]

Switch also limits amounts of purchases on the eShop per month, no? This would limit microtransaction revenue, or was that the wiiu?

 

[tutomos]

Except that they are on Switch - buy offering a version that doesn't offer feature parity with other versions obv. gonna limit it sales potential.

EA wants to be treated like Kings on Switch when all they offer is subpar content lol.

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EA wants to make money first and foremost. They are not leaving money on the table unless the Switch isn't pulling its weight.

 

[cw_sasuke]

EA wants to make money first and foremost. They are not leaving money on the table unless the Switch isn't pulling its weight.

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The only one not pulling it's weight is EA with lackluster ports and support.

 

[tutomos]

The only one not pulling it's weight is EA with lackluster ports and support.

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EA made 1 billion from microtransactions last quarter. Does the Switch offer that kind of environment for EA to pull similar numbers as they can with the PS4? I doubt it. EA is just making business decisions that makes sense at this point.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

EA made 1 billion from microtransactions last quarter. Does the Switch offer that kind of environment for EA to pull similar numbers as EA can with the PS4? I doubt it. EA is just making business decisions that makes sense at this point.

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It probably couldn't make a billion, but it's weird EA seemingly can't find a port studio to port Madden to the Switch.

Probably can hit a million sales which isn't nothing.

 

[Jiraiya]

It is a successful platform on its own. and they are aggressive on mobile which is not in line with Sony or Microsoft.

I think not releasing Madden on the best selling device in the NA market is a wasted opportunity, but what can you say, they have their reasons.

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I don't think mobile takes the same resources as the consoles. I also think mobile phones cover more area than switches.

 

[Deleted member 7462]

FIFA 17 was ultimately such a disappointing product that I gave up on FIFA on Switch almost immediately.

Meanwhile, we can't even get Konami to give Switch at least one PES. All my football sims are locked to console (or PC because FM Touch is not a good enough replacement for fully-featured FM).

It's not great! Sim sports is one of my favorite genres, maybe my favorite genre (on some days, at least), and all I have on this console that I actually like is NBA 2K.

I've got high hopes for the MLB: The Show ports that are coming, though.

 

[Deleted member 19702]

Anyone doubting Switch's potential at this point is just out of their mind or trolls. EA has an obvious political agenda against Nintendo, there's no other reasonable explanation to justify their stand.

 

[tutomos]

Anyone doubting Switch's potential at this point is just out of their mind or trolls. EA has an obvious political agenda against Nintendo, there's no other reasonable explanation to justify their stand.

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Not true. If that's the case then Ubi not releasing past or upcoming Rainbow Six, Watch Dog, The Division etc. on the Switch must also be some kind of agenda.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Not true. If that's the case then Ubi not releasing past or upcoming Rainbow Six, Watch Dog, The Division etc. on the Switch must also be some kind of agenda.

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Those games are pretty demanding, Madden and FIFA are not.

Anthem not being on the Switch: Yeah
Battlefield 5 not being on the Switch: Of course

Madden not being on the Switch: What the fuck

 

[cw_sasuke]

EA made 1 billion from microtransactions last quarter. Does the Switch offer that kind of environment for EA to pull similar numbers as they can with the PS4? I doubt it. EA is just making business decisions that makes sense at this point.

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They wouldn't make that kind of money on PS4 if they kept releasing gimped versions on that plattform and nothing but roster updates since 2014 - it's common sense.
Expecting the same kind of output on Switch when these aren't willing to invest in making the versions comparable isn't realistic.

 

[Mobu]

It doesn't take a boundary pushing game to push the switch though.

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not a problem for nba2k

 

[Puroresu_kid]

The thing is they say many people own ps4/xbox and switch so what do they think will happen when those people have an option of full fifa experience or some severely watered down version on switch?

People don't even have the incentive to double dip.

 

[Deleted member 3017]

Not true. If that's the case then Ubi not releasing past or upcoming Rainbow Six, Watch Dog, The Division etc. on the Switch must also be some kind of agenda.

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The reason you aren't hearing people complain about Ubi's Switch support, despite many titles from the publisher skipping the platform, is because Ubi actually brings relevant software to the system. EA has a number of titles, like Ubisoft, that would make sense for the device.

EA apparently has a number of remasters coming in the near future. It'll be interesting to see if they target Switch as well. There's really no reasonable....reason why they shouldn't come to the platform.

 

[tutomos]

They wouldn't make that kind of money on PS4 if they kept releasing gimped versions on that plattform and nothing but roster updates since 2014 - it's common sense.
Expecting the same kind of output on Switch when these aren't willing to invest in making the versions comparable isn't realistic.

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I actually see the opposite that EA is actually trying, unlike other publishers. It's either a gimped version or no version at all.

 

[Jiraiya]

not a problem for nba2k

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2k runs at half the frames and doesn't need to account for 22 on field players and stadiums with 60 thousand seats.

 

[tutomos]

The reason you aren't hearing people complain about Ubi's Switch support, despite many titles from the publisher skipping the platform, is because Ubi actually brings relevant software to the system. EA has a number of titles, like Ubisoft, that would make sense for the device.

EA apparently has a number of remasters coming in the near future. It'll be interesting to see if they target Switch as well. There's really no reasonable....reason why they shouldn't come to the platform.

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Remasters are reasonable to complain about. Games that rely on digital/dlc revenues not so much.

 

[Champion]

People who think there's some agenda when certain games don't end up on certain platforms is so weird to me. Do you really think a publisher is going to pass up bringing software to a platform if they believe there's an audience for it and enough money to be made to justify development?

Stop it. You sound ridiculous.

 

[Deleted member 19702]

Not true. If that's the case then Ubi not releasing past or upcoming Rainbow Six, Watch Dog, The Division etc. on the Switch must also be some kind of agenda.

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Except Ubi is somehow supporting Switch. They brought Assassin's Creed, Rayman, Starlink, Child of Light, South Park, Trials Rising, Gods & Monsters, etc.. It's not even comparable to EA who's not even trying and their support is a joke.

 

[Deleted member 3017]

Remasters are reasonable to complain about. Games that rely on digital/dlc revenues not so much.

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There are many microtransaction-laden games on Switch. Nintendo has absolutely no problem with those games existing on their systems. If that's the reason Madden isn't on Switch, I'd be surprised.

 

[404LinkNotFound]

There are many microtransaction-laden games on Switch. Nintendo has absolutely no problem with those games existing on their systems. If that's the reason Madden isn't on Switch, I'd be surprised.

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sometimes I wonder if the people who say these things even own a switch

 

[Piscus]

I always laugh and smh when threads like these come up... and then people come in to defend the big companies.

The absence of EA (and Capcom and whomever else) on the Switch is stupid, plain and simple. Can't see how anyone can call it a good thing.

 

[fiendcode]

Switch also limits amounts of purchases on the eShop per month, no? This would limit microtransaction revenue, or was that the wiiu?

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No? No Nintendo system has ever limited digital purchases, why would they?

 

[tutomos]

Except Ubi is somehow supporting Switch. They brought Assassin's Creed, Rayman,, Child of Light, South Park, Trials Rising, Gods & Monsters, etc.. It's not even comparable to EA who's not even trying and their support is a joke.

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All of them are single players games, and that's no coincidence.

There are many microtransaction-laden games on Switch. Nintendo has absolutely no problem with those games existing on their systems. If that's the reason Madden isn't on Switch, I'd be surprised.

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Same reason why the biggest console game, GTA V isn't on the Switch. The real cash cow is GTA Online instead of just selling copies of the game.

 

[Deleted member 3017]

Same reason why the biggest console game, GTA V isn't on the Switch. The real cash cow is GTA Online instead of just selling copies of the game.

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....did you even read my post

GTA V is currently around 70gb on PS4 (and continues to grow in size), that's a far more likely reason for its absence on Switch. Again, Nintendo has absolutely zero issues with games like GTA Online existing on their platform. Multiple games driven by in-game purchases / microtransactions currently exist on the system.

 

[Deleted member 19702]

All of them are single players games, and that's no coincidence.

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What about Fortnite and NBA 2K? I want to hear your explanation, if you don't mind.

 

[Deleted member 42484]

Keep in mind, EA struggles to put good games on other consoles too.

EA struggles to make good games, period.

 

[FrakEarth]

Do Microsoft and Sony get a cut of Ultimate Team spending on Xbox and PS4?

I'm just curious.. obviously Nintendo are happy to let Epic sell V-Bucks, other companies are doing it, I've got a Rocket Pass for Rocket League..

I can well believe that online revenues might be a reason they'd stay away but part of me wonders if maybe they tried to strong-arm Nintendo to take a lower cut or no cut at all or something and they weren't having it. It would explain a lot.

As said in the other thread about EA, I'm also wondering if they just think that because it's a portable hybrid - they believe (possibly with good reason) a lot of users play offline and therefore can't spend the mega money on their online services etc.

The withdrawal of their business in the Wii U years did seem like a tangible effort to harm Nintendo's business - I wouldn't be surprised if they had hoped it would work as well as it did when they did the same to Sega... Maybe they just don't *want* to have to factor Nintendo in to their strategy

 

[legend166]

People who think there's some agenda when certain games don't end up on certain platforms is so weird to me. Do you really think a publisher is going to pass up bringing software to a platform if they believe there's an audience for it and enough money to be made to justify development?

Stop it. You sound ridiculous.

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There's a heap more that goes into a decision than just "can this make money." Corporations are not full of robots that always make the 'best' decision. Corporations make bad decisions all the time, even ones that make lots of money.

FIFA entries on Switch prior to the Legacy edition were most likely selling over 1 million each (based on data we have from Japan and reasonable assumptions using eShop placements and rankings in European countries). It would be incredibly surprising if EA couldn't make a profit from selling FIFA games on Switch based on those sales.

I think it's a mixture of a lot of things:

- EA and Nintendo obviously have a very poor working relationship (inset unprecedented partnership here), so it would be silly to say there's no impact of personal biases here
- EA sees any money spent on a Switch version as an opportunity cost they could spend elsewhere - better to put money into further increasing the addictive nature of FUT because the margins on selling virtual card packs are ridiculously high compared to the margins on selling a copy of the game
- The Switch isn't as conducive to the GaaS path that EA wants to go down with pretty much all its software compared to the other platforms, so they think why bother

 

[Champion]

There's a heap more that goes into a decision than just "can this make money." Corporations are not full of robots that always make the 'best' decision. Corporations make bad decisions all the time, even ones that make lots of money.

FIFA entries on Switch prior to the Legacy edition were most likely selling over 1 million each (based on data we have from Japan and reasonable assumptions using eShop placements and rankings in European countries). It would be incredibly surprising if EA couldn't make a profit from selling FIFA games on Switch based on those sales.

I think it's a mixture of a lot of things:

- EA and Nintendo obviously have a very poor working relationship (inset unprecedented partnership here), so it would be silly to say there's no impact of personal biases here
- EA sees any money spent on a Switch version as an opportunity cost they could spend elsewhere - better to put money into further increasing the addictive nature of FUT because the margins on selling virtual card packs are ridiculously high compared to the margins on selling a copy of the game
- The Switch isn't as conducive to the GaaS path that EA wants to go down with pretty much all its software compared to the other platforms, so they think why bother

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I'm sure they've ran the numbers internally like all publishers do as seen by their statements. Maybe 1 million isn't enough to pull R&D off of software from other platforms? I dont know. WHatever it is, they clearly don't see the platform as an integral part of their business plan. It is what it is.

However, it is weird to me that ppl will throw their software under the bus then complain about the lack of support. Pick a side and stay on it.

 

[Deleted member 3017]

I'm sure they've ran the numbers internally like all publishers do as seen by their statements. Maybe 1 million isn't enough to pull R&D off of software from other platforms? I dont know. WHatever it is, they clearly don't see the platform as an integral part of their business plan. It is what it is.

However, it is weird to me that ppl will throw their software under the bus then complain about the lack of support. Pick a side and stay on it.

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I have no interest in Madden or The Sims but I still think it's odd those titles aren't on the platform. It's quite possible to have these two viewpoints at the same time.

The flaw in your argument is acting as if corporations aren't run by human beings. Human beings are flawed and can make flawed decisions. That's not to say EA's management are making the wrong decisions here, but you seem to discount even the possibility that they are, hence your problem with this type of discussion taking place.

 

[SnowHawk]

EA probably thinks the switch is someone's second console and why would someone buy fifa on the switch when they would most likely will buy it on the ps4 or xbox. They don't think the cost of porting the full game to the switch worth it.

 

[Basileus777]

I do not think FIFA and Madden are pushing boundaries of technology.

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Well you should think again.

The idea that modern sports games can more easily be ported to low end systems than other AAA games isn't really supported by anything. The annualized nature of these games actually makes development more of a hassle. These games generally come out hot on their native platforms, and you'd need a timely release for a port to matter, you can't just Bethesda it and release a port years later.

 

[Champion]

I have no interest in Madden or The Sims but I still think it's odd those titles aren't on the platform. It's quite possible to have these two viewpoints at the same time.

The flaw in your argument is acting as if corporations aren't run by human beings. Human beings are flawed and can make flawed decisions. That's not to say EA's management are making the wrong decisions here, but you seem to discount even the possibility that they are, hence your problem with this type of discussion taking place.

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I think they're aware of the bolded and that's why they aren't supporting the platform. And why complain about it if there's no interest in purchasing their software? I'm not specifically calling you out, but referring to Switch owners in general.

Both of these companies have shown that they can thrive without the other. I personally think that's okay.

 

[Deleted member 3017]

I think they're aware of the bolded and that's why they aren't supporting the platform. And why complain about it if there's no interest in purchasing their software? I'm not specicifally calling you out but Switch owners in general.

Both of these companies have shown that they can thrive without the other. I personally think that's okay.

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Your last two sentences are absolutely true and I actually think it's a great thing.

Your first sentence is weird though. There are many Switch users who would fall under the demographics of players that would be interested in Madden and/or The Sims.

 

[skeezx]

their reasoning is probably the cross section of people who play fifa and madden who play on switch probably have a ps4/pc/xbox anyway, and will likely drift toward the latter

not that they're correct in that assumption for sake of perspective madden just now became a thing again on PC, so not necessarily an "anti nintendo" initiative