Madden 13: Why the Football Series Is Getting Stale

The best-selling video game series in this country has just come out with this year's installment of the franchise. Madden 13 is on the shelves, and for a quick $60 (or $50 if you're interested in one of the "used" copies already available on Amazon), you can immerse yourself in the world of the greatest digital football simulation ever created.

Yet before you go spending your hard-earned cash it's worth considering this fact: Madden has been a great game for a long time, and by that I mean, it was about as great in 2009 as it is now. 

This game truly just does not change that much from year to year. I have to be honest and say that I don't understand the kind of work and process that goes into producing that kind of video game every year. However, I also believe that the amount of money you pay for what on most games would be a free patch release on Xbox live is a little bit outrageous.

Here's the dilemma: The game is better than its predecessors, but the improvements are marginal at best and the look and feel of the game just doesn't seem like anything different than the years before. When you unwrap the box and put a shinny new $60 disc into your gaming system, you shouldn't be met with a feeling of familiarity.

Rather, you should be met with interest, anticipation and excitement. With the Madden series over the past few years, we've instead been met with the same tired song we've had on repeat since 2009.

In my humble opinion, that is an extremely poor business model and won't serve EA Sports well in the long run. Sure, they will be able to sell games in the short term. Most people buy the Madden game every year without even waiting for a review.

Though I would sooner bet my $60 that within the next five years or so, the Madden franchise is going to tread a path of steep decline and will ultimately have to be taken over by a new team of creative people, or be replaced entirely by a game produced from another company. 

For what it's worth, here are a couple straightforward assessments of this game and its pros and cons. Just to be fair, one sees Madden 13 favorably, the other does not.

GameSpot Review

http://www.gamespot.com/madden-nfl-13/

IGN Review

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/08/24/madden-nfl-13-review