A preeminent Madden-on-Nintendo scholar dives deep into how EA went from greater than 75 video games on Wii to mainly nothing and perhaps again once more.
Nearly precisely 14 years earlier than the launch of the Nintendo Swap 2, EA’s then-CEO John Riccitiello took the stage at Nintendo’s annual E3 press convention on June 7, 2011 to speak about an unprecedented partnership with Nintendo on their upcoming console, the Wii U. “What Nintendo’s new console delivers speaks on to the gamers of EA Sports activities and EA Video games,” Riccitiello informed the viewers.
He went on to warmly talk about the Wii U, speaking of its potential and transformational nature. He spoke of the colourful way forward for shooters on the Frostbite engine. The ability of an open on-line performance. Group extending past the console to cell, social, and the net. This was, based on Riccitiello, a giant step in EA’s purpose of “altering video games to a factor that you just purchase to a spot that you just go.”
Lower than two years later, Riccitiello stepped down as CEO, forsaking the tattered stays of a attainable partnership with Nintendo as EA wound up being labeled because the Worst Firm in America by a Consumerist ballot in back-to-back years.
From there, EA by no means actually got here again to assist Nintendo platforms in full power even with new management, however over the course of the Nintendo Swap’s life cycle, they slowly began to extra significantly assist Nintendo platforms. That’s seemingly all culminating with Madden’s return to Nintendo platforms after greater than a decade as Madden NFL 26 involves Swap 2 on August 14, 2025.
It’s wild to see how EA went from an organization that usually supported Nintendo consoles with a wide selection of video games to at least one that launched 4 complete video games on Wii U and reportedly despatched again their dev kits for the system earlier than the console’s November 2012 launch. That very same firm confirmed up with a brand new FIFA sport on Swap in 2017, making it appear to be they is perhaps again on this planet of Nintendo. They then proceeded to mail that sport in for years earlier than proving they might really make a comparatively feature-complete soccer sport on Swap with EA Sports activities FC in 2023.
May the promise of EA Sports activities FC and Madden on Swap 2 be the beginning of EA Sports activities being an anticipated and common presence on Nintendo techniques once more? Possibly, however time will inform as a result of I really feel like I’ve been bought this line earlier than.
As of the Wii’s launch in 2006, EA and Nintendo appeared to be in a very good place. Madden NFL 07 was a launch title for the brand new platform, and was proven off at pre-launch occasions. It made use of movement controls and retained loads of what made the Madden sequence beloved. Madden NFL 07 was the primary of greater than 75 video games that EA launched on the Wii.
The unfold of video games was huge. EA Sports activities was extensively represented, with FIFA, Madden, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, and extra. The Sims franchise confirmed up, although primarily within the less-good MySims kind that finally made its option to Swap in 2024. Compromised although usually formidable ports of different video games routinely appeared, with 2007’s The Godfather port being properly obtained and Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 boasting a strong on-line expertise throughout the Wii’s second vacation. Model new franchises even emerged, most notably the Steven Spielberg-produced Increase Blox.
EA was all in on the Wii, and whereas not each single selection was an important one, the attract of the informal success of the system blended with some sturdy gross sales implored the writer to maintain making an attempt. SSX Blur was the 1080 sport on Wii we by no means obtained. Increase Blox and its sequel Bash Social gathering are each incredible motion-dependent experiences. Lifeless House: Extraction was a legitimately good rail shooter. The hit fee wasn’t altogether excessive, however EA took sufficient swings on the plate that quite a lot of their video games turned out sturdy.
They have been even on the forefront of Nintendo’s Wii MotionPlus controller add-on. Wii Sports activities Resort was delayed so EA’s Tiger Woods PGA Tour and Grand Slam Tennis have been there when the peripheral launched. The Tiger Woods video games that made use of MotionPlus have been a few of the finest makes use of of MotionPlus on the console.
Two years after MotionPlus launched, Riccitiello, who had overseen EA throughout almost the whole thing of the Wii period, took the stage at Nintendo’s E3 2011 press convention. He uttered the soon-to-be meme-worthy phrase “unprecedented partnership” after which all of it fell aside.
In some respects, EA learn the tea leaves precisely. The Wii U was a bomb from the outset. The act of primarily shutting down growth on the system earlier than it even got here out may need appeared preposterous on the time. I do know I heard quite a lot of feedback from different main publishers lamenting EA’s swift dismissal of the platform, but when the Ubisofts and Activisions of the world may do it yet again, perhaps they wouldn’t make the dedication to launch Watch Canine and Name of Responsibility: Ghosts on Wii U.
It’s beneficiant to assume EA’s foresight was that preternatural, although. The fact seemingly lies extra within the realm of spite. Throughout that E3 2011 presentation, Riccitiello hinted at a deeper on-line connection on Wii U – one thing that by no means actually got here to fruition even when Miiverse had its moments. Studies trickled out over time that EA wished to combine their Origin service into Nintendo’s on-line. I’ve been capable of corroborate these studies, and whereas getting agency, direct statements on the concept of Origin on Wii U was difficult, right here’s what I used to be capable of piece collectively: Nintendo seemed for somebody to assist them make on-line stronger on Wii U. EA noticed a chance to have a larger management over Nintendo’s on-line. Preliminary conferences have been optimistic, therefore the E3 2011 second. Sooner or later, one firm tried to demand an excessive amount of management, whether or not it was Nintendo being cussed or EA wanting an even bigger piece of retailer gross sales, after which one firm took their ball and went house. All of this predated the Wii U’s 2012 launch and nevertheless it ended, EA as an organization was most likely pissed off at their experiences with Nintendo and in addition have been shut sufficient to the system to see the evident flaws in a brighter gentle. In order that they bailed.
Whereas Nintendo followers will most likely all the time hate EA, the corporate’s frank dismissal of the Wii U after launch was a sensible transfer. It was the subsequent step within the path to their trendy kind, zeroing in on video games as a service throughout online-heavy video games like Star Wars Battlefront and Battlefield in addition to the microtransaction-heavy Final Crew modes of their sports activities video games. Nintendo turned an afterthought as a result of their consoles didn’t match into EA’s technique. We will hate it, however sadly capitalism exists.
So what occurred when a brand new Nintendo console had the potential to be a powerful platform for GaaS and microtransactions? Effectively, EA despatched out a flier in FIFA 18 after which withered away once more. Their flagship engine didn’t appear to play good with Swap initially and after the bitter expertise of the Wii U, why would they instantly hop onto the Swap? Naturally, they have been flawed alongside a wealth of different corporations that solely sheepishly dipped their toe into the Swap waters in 2017.
Because the Swap turned top-of-the-line all-time-selling consoles ever, issues solely form of obtained higher, with the primary fixed being an annual providing to the FIFA gods of lowering high quality resulting from EA’s propensity for Legacy Editions. EA didn’t appear to know what to do with Swap, doling out EA Originals and late remastered ports. Past FIFA, EA solely launched a considerable quantity of video games in a yr as soon as. In 2021, Swap had a late port of Apex Legends and Crops vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville in addition to two neat EA Originals with Knockout Metropolis and Misplaced in Random.
It’s not like EA’s video games have been dangerous. A number of the video games examined the higher limits of what the Swap may deal with. Tales of Kenzara guidelines, even when it didn’t run all that properly on Swap. And Tremendous Mega Baseball 4 is among the biggest baseball video games ever made, even when it didn’t run all that properly on Swap. The 2023 launch of EA Sports activities FC was an unbelievable port that blew the FIFA Swap video games out of the water. Child steps have been made since 2017 that confirmed that EA would possibly really take a Nintendo console significantly once more.
One gargantuan sport remained elusive nevertheless, as Madden – a perennial top-selling sports activities sport – remained off of Nintendo platforms for greater than a decade. That’s altering although, as Madden as a sequence is returning to Nintendo for the primary time since 2012. It would have been a 13-year hole. For some context, the final time Madden hit a Nintendo platform, the primary Avengers film had only recently come out. We’ve handed by a number of MCU phases because the final time a contemporary professional soccer sport launched on Nintendo. Since 2012, Tom Brady has received 4 Tremendous Bowls and he’s additionally been retired for a number of seasons now. The reigning Tremendous Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts was 14 years previous. I may go on, however my phrase it’s been a very long time.
Because the age the place EA launched dozens of video games on Wii, the video games trade has modified and shifted considerably. EA will seemingly by no means be in a spot the place they launch that many video games in a era ever once more. However with a brand new platform, we is perhaps nearing a spot the place Swap 2 is nearer to getting the identical EA video games as Xbox and PlayStation. Proper now, it’s simply beginning with Madden and EA Sports activities FC. Possibly the long run will convey Skate 4 or Mass Impact. I wouldn’t say I’m optimistic for that to occur, however that is essentially the most optimistic I’ve been about that because the Packers received the Tremendous Bowl in 2011. Hopefully with Madden again on Nintendo once more, the Packers can convey one other trophy again to Titletown.
