The NFL kicked-off this weekend (Has anyone ever noticed how big of a pun "kicked-off" is in this context? It's used all the time, and never once has anyone acknowledged this super-pun - until now.). RGIII seems to be the real deal, the real Peyton Manning has been returned to us, and the longest "low-altitude" field goal of all time was kicked. I didn't watch any of it. I was busy watching the other football yesterday, but I'll no doubt tune in tonight to watch my Beloved Bengals play the football equivalent of bloody vomit for three hours.
I'm getting off topic, sorry.
The point is that Madden NFL 13 is selling even better than last year. Through the first seven days it's been in stores, "sell-through" for Madden NFL 13 is up 8 whole percentage points over last year, while the total number of discs sold is 1.65 million (these are based on internal estimates). EA says those are the highest sales numbers of this console generation.
Also according to EA, there was a 31 percent increase in online games played over last year (24 million games have been played), and on Labor Day alone, 3,000 games of Madden 13 were started EVERY SINGLE MINUTE. That's a lot.
Madden NFL 13 is available right now on the Xbox 360 and PS3. To learn more, follow the jump.
MADDEN NFL 13 CONTINUES HISTORIC START;
RECORD SELL-THROUGH AND FAN ENGAGEMENT HIGHLIGHT WEEK ONE
Sell-Through Up 8% in First Seven Days for New Record on HD Console Generation
Madden NFL 13 Games Played and DAU at Their Highest Rates Ever Recorded
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - September 6, 2012 – Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: EA) announced today that Madden NFL 13 continues its record-setting launch performance with new records for both sales and fan engagement through its first seven days at retail (Aug. 28-Sept. 3). Based on internal estimates, sell-through for Madden NFL 13 was up 8 percent year-over-year on HD platforms with more than 1.65M units sold in Week One to mark its best start ever on this console generation. Last week, EA announced that Madden NFL 13 had set a new Day One record on HD consoles as well.
Fans also continued to play Madden NFL 13 in record numbers. In the first week following retail launch, there was a 31 percent increase in the number of online games played year over year with more than 24M contests recorded. That’s the equivalent of a staggering 47,000 NFL regular seasons in just seven days, and, on Labor Day alone, an average of 3,000 Madden NFL 13 games were started every minute.
In addition, Daily Average User (DAU) rates on HD consoles have increased 14 percent over last year, shattering previous franchise records.
“We’re thrilled to see the great momentum continuing on Madden NFL 13,” said Andrew Wilson, Executive Vice President of EA SPORTS. “The overwhelming feedback is that this is the best Madden NFL game in a generation. Fans are competing in record numbers, and we expect that type of engagement to only grow with the start of the NFL regular season last night, as fans connect with their favorite teams and players through our game.”
“We have seen strong demand for Madden NFL 13 leading up to launch and through its first week on store shelves,” said Bob McKenzie, SVP of Merchandising, GameStop. “Critic reviews are strong and the buzz from the Madden fan base is more robust than I’ve ever seen. We’ve seen this consumer momentum sustain throughout week one and we expect it to continue into the fall and holiday season.”
Among the additional notable accomplishments for Madden NFL 13 in its first week at retail:
There were more than 1.4M fans who connected online last week.
There were more than 702K unique visitors to the enhanced Madden Ultimate Team mode. Fans opened more than 2.6M packs and competed in more than 2.2M challenges.
There were more than 1.3M unique visitors to Madden NFL Facebook page and 450K Madden mentions on Twitter.
Madden NFL 13 on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system delivers physics you can feel on every play, and will connect you to the NFL and other fans like never before. Powered by the all-new Infinity Engine, every impact on the field is more intense; every battle is more authentic; and no two plays will every look or feel the same. With Connected Careers you'll build your legacy as a player or coach within a completely new and fully connected universe, accessible on and off the console. With deep new gameplay innovation, social integration, and an overhaul of the audio and visual presentation, Madden NFL 13 is the biggest game-changer in the history of the franchise.
Madden NFL 13 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon. Madden NFL 13 is now available and retails for $59.99 on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. Madden NFL 13 is also available for $49.99 on the Nintendo Wii™ console, and $39.99 on PlayStation® Vita System. To learn more about Madden NFL 13, visit
http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl.
All player participation has been facilitated by National Football League Players Incorporated, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association.
EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and Fight Night boxing.
For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit
www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones, tablets and social networks. EA has more than 220 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.
In fiscal 2012, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.1 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield™ and Mass Effect™.
EA SPORTS, SSX, The Sims and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Mass Effect is a trademark of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. Battlefield is a trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. John Madden, NFL, FIFA, NHL, NBA, NCAA, Tiger Woods, and PGA TOUR are trademarks of their respective owners and used with permission. Twitter is a registered trademark of Twitter, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. KINECT, Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo.
Officially Licensed Product of NFL PLAYERS Incorporated.
