EA reports Madden sales improvement

Electronic Arts has revealed that its internal estimates make this year's edition of Madden NFL the best-selling game for August in the US, across all platforms.

The publisher announced that sales of the game were up 5 per cent year-on-year, with the release of the Ultimate Team mode at launch propelling digital revenue up by 200 per cent.

"Madden NFL 11 is the number one selling game in August, and the game has created enormous enthusiasm in the online community," said Peter Moore, president of EA Sports. "Each day on consoles, fans are playing as many games online as the equivalent of 750 full NFL seasons."

Around 2 million online play sessions have taken place each day on average, with 20 per cent of that time spent in the new three-on-three Online Team mode.

Lazard Capital analyst Colin Sebastian greeted the news carefully, noting that while initial guidance has assumed flat Madden sales, this increase could lead to potential upside - but that August's overall market comparison was "relatively easy" at a 19 per cent decrease, while September would be tougher.

EA meanwhile also announced that its Playfish title, Madden NFL Superstars, has now launched on the Facebook platform.

"The highly celebrated Madden NFL videogame franchise is loved by millions, said Kristian Segerstrale, VP and GM of Playfish. "Madden NFL Superstars is a unique new experience that gives those fans, and tens of millions more, an opportunity to enjoy the excitement of NFL football on Facebook.

"With the start of the NFL season right around the corner, we're looking forward to feedback from the Madden NFL Superstars community to help us create the most authentic and entertaining NFL football experience possible on Facebook."

Madden NFL 10 was released in August last year, and according to NPD numbers sold 1.9 million units in that month alone, putting it in first (Xbox 360), third (PlayStation 3) and sixth (PlayStation 2) on the top ten individual sales chart.