Is Madden's 30 fps performance on PS3 hurting Sony? Two analysts have very differing opinions on how EA's football game might be affecting public view of the PS3. UBS analyst Ben Schachter noted that: "given Madden's popularity and the volume of this debate, we think this is a more meaningful negative for Sony than investors might realize, as it gives gamers just one more reason not to buy a PS3 this year following the slip of GTA IV. It is a positive for MSFT."
However, Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter disagrees. In a statement to GameDaily BIZ, he comments: "There are obviously PS3 games that look fantastic (have you played Resistance, Motorstorm, or seen Call of Duty 4?). It's not an issue with the PS3 ... Eventually (as in next year), EA will figure it out, and nobody will care."
Microsoft has been heavily promoting Madden 2008 for Xbox 360, hoping it becomes the console of choice for what is a yearly bestseller. However, Pachter is frustrated that media that calls attention to the Madden debacle hasn't focused on something he thinks is a far bigger concern: "One would think that stupid analysts would be writing about the 360 warranty issue, and how people will avoid that box until they can be assured that they won't see the 'three red rings of death.'" Those are fighting words!














Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
8-17-2007 @ 8:51PM
Kspraydad said...
I've been a SONY user since PS1 (PS1/2/PSP) and due to monetary contraints have looked at the 360 over the last year vs. the PS3.
The number 1 reason I haven't jumped ship is that I do not trust Xbox's reliablity and warranty or not it isn't worth the hassle to me to deal with faulty goods.
I'll be playing Madden 09 on a PS3 I guess (since that is when I think I'll be able to afford one/justify one)
MS could have done so much better if it had machines that didn't fail. Imagine what 1.5 billion (at least) wasted on repairs/warranty extentions could have bought in terms of exclusives to Xbox.
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8-17-2007 @ 8:58PM
Shori said...
I agree that it's being blown way out of proportion. PS3 sales of the game have been just as healthy as the Xbox 360 and PS2 versions in locations I've seen.
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8-17-2007 @ 9:00PM
Titty Pink said...
I played the 360 version and the same dumb defenses and Vick's ability to drop back 30 yards and hit a guy 20 yards past the line of scrimmage persist, not to mention a host of other things that will keep me from buying this year's installment. 60 fps or not, its STILL mediocre at best...
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8-17-2007 @ 9:18PM
John said...
This is an interesting debate, because as fanboys we're well-informed, and we consider the problem to be EA's, based on, as one analyst mentioned, the shining great ps3 games that are only ps3.
But this sort of comparison tends to make news, tends to make headlines, and the average consumer is going to see those headlines.
And, as the analyst also pointed out-- why didn't the other analyst bring up the profoundly strange dying 360 phenomenon?
I assure you that Microsoft is using every ounce of their influence on the mediawaves to keep the facts down and the hype up.
Notice that whenever a port comes out, there is this competition, a dual-screen version of a game made originally on 360 then ported incompetently to ps3 (remember EA's fight game?)
If there is not a side-by-side comparison of Dirt, then we'll know that something is up.
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8-17-2007 @ 9:26PM
never$$hort said...
They act like everyone plays Madden or something, I for one hate sports games in general(excluding racing & fighting games)those are only games I dont play, I havent played sports games since NBA Jam... So I wouldnt call this a life or death situation for the PS3. I have a feeling M$ is behind publicizing this retardedness to draw attention away from thier negative press which is much more life or death, LITERALLY...
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8-17-2007 @ 9:58PM
bababooey said...
Wow, No xbots commenting on this yet....soon very soon.. I love my PS3, and would probably not have gotten it if it did not have blue ray. I will not be getting this game, I love sports game but will not support EA on this one.
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8-17-2007 @ 10:09PM
gorephuzz said...
@5 You act like because YOU dont play madden that noone else does. Madden is one of the highest selling games for any system every year.
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8-17-2007 @ 10:27PM
Gunegune said...
I don't think most people care about how many frames per second the game runs (if they even have TVs that will display at 60fps). Most will, play it just because it's Madden. Heck, most people won't even play it on the next-gen (which I guess would now be current-gen) systems.
I don't care much anyway. I'll just go play football outside at a frame rate as high as my brain will interpret.
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8-17-2007 @ 10:41PM
Mick said...
It has a 3 year warranty now for the RROD! And as far as it not being written about, Please!
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8-17-2007 @ 11:17PM
hoffer said...
The 360 is definitely not reliable. I'm on my third. At least they have a good warranty and repair service. I've had no problems with them.
I watched The 1up Show a little bit ago. They showed side by side video of the two Madden's. It was glaringly obvious the PS3 version was inferior. The video was of guys running down the field. The white lines on the field looked to skip and stutter on the PS3, but where smooth on the 360.
I don't really care. I don't play sports games.
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8-17-2007 @ 11:18PM
mccomber said...
The people who make Madden a hit aren't the sort of people that pay attention to what the framerate of a title is. They are the people that go to the store and buy the games they want, reviews, specs and comparisons be damned.
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8-17-2007 @ 11:40PM
Bluebrake said...
Schachter and Pachter? Who's naming these analysts?
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8-18-2007 @ 12:02AM
Matt B said...
EA is not getting my money this year for Madden. And I've bought it every year on the PC since Madden 2000 at launch. Been in the same leagues for years all the way til now. It's a roster update and is the same engine they have used for the past 3 years with some animation adjustments.
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8-18-2007 @ 12:11AM
Andy said...
I would have got Madden if EA threw PS3 owners a bone.
>
Take advantage of the extra space, include 30 more music tracks or highlite reels from last season.
>
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8-18-2007 @ 12:14AM
THE said...
to be honest, its EA. lazy simple as that. im from the UK, but got completely addicted to the madden. but owning both the ps3 and 360, ps3 in the long run is my choice, but fine i would be worried if lets say, a 'good' development team had this issue, but its EA people, im not even sure what the fuss is about.
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8-18-2007 @ 12:58AM
Darkdrium777 said...
LMAO Bluebrake :D
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8-18-2007 @ 1:16AM
AG said...
Wow..this website is full of retard writers...Madden's 30FPS for PS3 won't make me not buy a PS3. It will make me NOT BUY MADDEN.
I'm still buying a PS3 for all the other games that are already of the PS3 family and going to be of the PS3 family. I am a 21 year old gamer. I live on old school rules; buy games worth the dollar. Madden for PS3 isn't. Madden 2007 period was garbage for NEXT GEN.
It tells me EA SPORTS SUCKS. Like how luckily NBA 2K7 was the only game for PS3. It showed me that people were right about 2K sports being the better sports games. Thats why EA SPORTS is adding all the "extra new stuff" to their games. Because they suck so bad, that people jumped ship before they sank.
Screw EA sports and Madden.
Now I'm just going to play NBA 2K8, NHL 2K8, Winning 11: Pro Evo Soccer 2008, and any other sports games that come out of 2K sports. Hopefully they will make a nice boxing game with all the boxers in the world in it, including MIKE TYSON, GEORGE FORMAN, and Other great fighters from around the world.
And again, ONE GAME doesn't help sell systems, PS3 still has all the games of 360, we didn't lose any games (exclusives isn't losing the game itself idiots), we are having plenty more, we are getting new exclusives from major developers, so believe me, EA SPORTS can stick to XBOX 360. I won't ever touch either POOR PIECE OF GRADE A GARBAGE QUALITY games or system.
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8-18-2007 @ 2:28AM
Doug said...
This has been an interesting issue.
My brother (who is also my roommate) is one of the biggest PS3 fans out there. But he bought Madden to run on my 360 instead of getting the PS3 version because of its smoother video. I doubt this trend will continue, but if this were to keep happening with other sports titles (that's what he plays) I could see him jumping ship on the PS3. Between that and Guitar Hero II he spends at least as much time on my 360 as he does on his PS3 now (since his GH2 doesn't play right on the PS3). One game may not be a problem for the PS3, but IF (and it's a big unlikely IF) this type of thing was to become the norm instead of an exception, Sony would have a small problem on their hands.
To the person who commented above that 60 fps isn't enough.... I'm afraid that's all you're going to get out of an SD/HDTV for a long time to come. The 120Hz models don't count, because they still only take a 60Hz signal.
And contrary to what some may believe, not all 360s die. I have a launch console and its still working just fine.
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8-18-2007 @ 2:51AM
gerg said...
EA just sucks, as we all know. I owned a 360 until I had two RROD issues, then sold the refurb on ebay, and bought a PS3 last Saturday. The best hardware purchase I've ever made. For one, I only owned a PS2 for a very short time and missed out on a lot of games last gen, and I cannot tell you how long it's been since I'd seen the intro movie to FFVII. I love my PS3 and now that I have it, with HDMI, there is NO way I would ever give it up. 30 FPS be damned, actually being able to play a game is worth so much more than a top notch framerate. I'm going with Pachter on this one, I will buy another 360 when the new chipsets are on the shelves, but will continue to get all multiplatform games on PS3 so I can have that peace of mind knowing that if my 360 breaks, I'll have games to play. The Wii only goes so far, you know.
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8-18-2007 @ 5:10AM
Josh said...
I dont think that this will hurt ps3 sales at all really. People that care enough to know about the framerate difference are probably big enough gamers to own a ps3 for other games anyways, and I have a feeling that the average joe consumer that likes to get madden to play with his buddies wont know/care about the difference. I havent seen either being played, but I am sure that the game is quite playable at 30fps, the developers are trying to sell a decent game after all, no matter which system its on. I could be wrong,I'm not into sports games and have never owned one. Well besides blades of steel on the NES. fun game
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