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[ManaByte]

EA's Madden 21 shuns Xbox Series X Smart Delivery upgrade, opting for limited-time offer

EA distances itself from Microsoft's Xbox Series X upgrade program, opting for a limited-time offer until March 31, 2021.

www.windowscentral.com

While Madden NFL 21 commits to free Xbox Series X upgrades, Electronic Arts never explicitly named Smart Delivery support. It appears the publisher distances itself from Microsoft's own program, instead opting for a limited-time upgrade offer, valid until March 31, 2021.

"To receive the offer, players must purchase Madden NFL 21 on Xbox One by December 31, 2020 and upgrade to Xbox Series X by March 31, 2021," the EA site reads. With Microsoft committed to holiday availability for Xbox Series X, Electronic Arts seemingly provides players with just a few months to buy the new console and secure the free next-generation upgrade.

Typical EA

 

[Bryank75]

Wow...how do they have so little self-awareness? Were they not just asking why everyone hates them?

 

[cryptoadam]

Not to disapointing when you consider that sports games are a yearly thing. If your buying the game after March 31'st 2021 the game is probably in bargain bins and you can get it for half price, and within half a year Madden 22 will be coming out.

 

[nikolino840]

Well so Is not a simple resolution patch...

 

[Stuart360]

Wait am i losing my mind or didnt EA literally say yesterday that they were supporting this?.
Anyway i already said some studios will support this, many wont.

 

[oagboghi2]

It's a yearly release, so what?

 

[Nikana]

So its till March which is like 4 months before the new one will come out anyway...plus It'll be heavily discounted by then and likely on EA Access.

Brilliant.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Not that big a deal, I don’t expect all publishers to follow CDPRs lead. Plus they have their own sub service to think about.

 

[abcdrstuv]

Interesting.. I figured there’d be some modified “Smart Delivery” where developers charge like, no more than 15 dollars or 40 percent of the full price of the new game, whichever is greater..

 

[Dee_Dee]

EA and Activision will most likely be the main ones doing this. No surprise

 

[Stuart360]

EA and Activision will most likely be the main ones doing this. No surprise

And Bethesda 100%.

 

[Tripolygon]

As expected, not all publishers will do it, as it was when Sony introduced cross buy. Still something is better than nothing.

 

[diffusionx]

Smart move on their end, considering nobody is going to be able to afford the XSX in 2021.

 

[CobraXT]

but you still can play the XB1 version on the XSX via BC .. ?

 

[Geki-D]

Here we go. I knew that platform holders wouldn't be able to force third parties to do this. It was unrealistic to expect it. Like I said, it's more of a demand of good faith than anything else.

 

[Fbh]

but you still can play the XB1 version on the XSX via BC .. ?

Supposedly yeah.
Which would mean they intend to have some upgrades for the next gen version beyond just better resolution. Wouldn't be surprised if it's some gimmick to justify selling the game again

 

[M1chl]

but you still can play the XB1 version on the XSX via BC .. ?

Probably, there are still few BC games from X360, which have proper XB1 version. But it does not have that NEXT-GEN batch...

 

[cryptoadam]

They should have stupid delivery, where if you buy it for Series X you get the dumb down last gen version too so you can play it on your XBOX ONE S LOL.

 

[Yoshi]

By march the game is dead anyway, isn't it? Would have been a cheap way to show some goodwill.

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

EA...finds a way!

I play Madden and Fifa on Origin Access. it would have been cool for people on console to get a cross-gen buy.

 

[godhandiscen]

It's because there is no competition.

I play FIFA semi competitively, and most likely, I will buy the X1X version first and then "upgrade" to the XSX version.

FIFA/NFL fucked us up sport game players by signing up exclusivity deals.; EA dictates the price of entry and if you want to play as soon as the game is available, you need to pay.

This year's version of the game should come with a tub of lube as a pre-order bonus.

 

[Vawn]

Do we really care though? I'm not going to buy XBO/PS4 games, play them and then play them again on XBX/PS5.

 

[EDMIX]

EA's Madden 21 shuns Xbox Series X Smart Delivery upgrade, opting for limited-time offer

EA distances itself from Microsoft's Xbox Series X upgrade program, opting for a limited-time offer until March 31, 2021.

www.windowscentral.com

Typical EA

I'm not shocked....

This smart deliver thing is still developer dependent. This has everything to do with a publisher agreeing to give a free copy of something. Some will, some won't. A lot of it might depend on how much work is really happening with the next gen version, as in it might now simply be a XONE port to them, the Series X and PS5 versions might have enough done that they won't actually be out here giving out 2 versions for the price of one.

So I expected this to be on a developer by developer basis as that is what Cross buy is on PS and this is simply a fancy version of that lol

 

[Bladed Thesis]

Classic EA. Ingratiating themselves to gamers everywhere.

 

[Arachnid]

Wow...how do they have so little self-awareness? Were they not just asking why everyone hates them?

It's Madden. Fans are casual and easily taken advantage of.

 

[cryptoadam]

It's because there is no competition.

I play FIFA semi competitively, and most likely, I will buy the X1X version first and then "upgrade" to the XSX version.

FIFA/NFL fucked us up sport game players by signing up exclusivity deals.; EA dictates the price of entry and if you want to play as soon as the game is available, you need to pay.

This year's version of the game should come with a tub of lube as a pre-order bonus.

I remember the good old days when you would get so many sports titles. Even Nintendo and Sega were making sports games.

The exclusive deals really killed the sports genre.

 

[GHG]

It's funny how people are ok with this on console.

The developers clearly can do it (as demonstrated here) but they won't because they want your money twice.

 

[EDMIX]

but you still can play the XB1 version on the XSX via BC .. ?

Likely, but who is to say the XONE version will even be near what the XB Series X and PS5 version is to even be comparable?


Remember, some titles will likely just be ports, some will be actual cross generational titles that seek to take advantage of the system in ways that it cost the publisher some money, enough money for them to not feel the need to give folks 2 copies for the price of one as if the hours spent on next gen were completely free or something.

Battlefield 4: Differences Between Next-Gen and Current-Gen Versions

You’ll never go back to PS3 and Xbox 360.

primagames.com

GHG Developers do this on any platform they can.

So consoles get some upgrades for free and cross buy.

PC gets some upgrades for free and cross buy.

BOTH still have publishers that will charge for those enhancements. That isn't something really exclusive to one platform or another as its not as if EA is out here NOT doing this on PC or something lol

 

[Camreezie]

When its EA sports or yearly iterations of EA games it should be a no brainer that they support the program. I expect them to not want to support the same program when it comes to games like Battlefield or Star Wars.

 

[itsjustJEFF]

EA's Madden 21 shuns Xbox Series X Smart Delivery upgrade, opting for limited-time offer

EA distances itself from Microsoft's Xbox Series X upgrade program, opting for a limited-time offer until March 31, 2021.

www.windowscentral.com

Typical EA

It is Typical EA. But what do you expect? Giving their game away for free doesn't benefit them, it benefits Xbox. It's the publishers decision, some will do it and other's wont. You can't expect every publisher to do this, that just unrealistic.

That's kinda why I was so confused about "Smart Delivery" at first, I thought I was some kind of program or software that MS developed that would some how re-code or make code compatible across all these platforms. As it stands, Smart Delivery still requires the publisher to be a willing participant and would require extra work, right? Unless MS is offering to take on the work of reworking games to work up, or down.

 

[JORMBO]

Doesn’t seem too bad. It’s free until March of the next year. By then football season is over and there’s another Madden around the corner.

 

[EDMIX]

It is Typical EA. But what do you expect? Giving their game away for free doesn't benefit them, it benefits Xbox. It's the publishers decision, some will do it and other's wont. You can't expect every publisher to do this, that just unrealistic.

That's kinda why I was so confused about "Smart Delivery" at first, I thought I was some kind of program or software that MS developed that would some how re-code or make code compatible across all these platforms. As it stands, Smart Delivery still requires the publisher to be a willing participant and would require extra work, right? Unless MS is offering to take on the work of reworking games to work up, or down.

Agreed.

Its basically the whole cross buy program you see on Playstation. Its why I never got the fuss over folks worrying about Cyberpunk 2077 on PS5 when the publisher doesn't need "smart delivery" to give the customer a free version of their damn game if they want to THAT BADLY. Smart delivery is a method to do that easily, it is not the only way to do that for anyone to even remotely be considered over.

Free update on PS5 if you have it on PS4.
Make it cross buy on PS5 etc they have methods to do this already.

So if EA REALLY wanted to do cross play shit, they had options already that they ignored lol So I see this no different then how I saw cross buy. Some will support it, some won't.

 

[alabtrosMyster]

EA's Madden 21 shuns Xbox Series X Smart Delivery upgrade, opting for limited-time offer

EA distances itself from Microsoft's Xbox Series X upgrade program, opting for a limited-time offer until March 31, 2021.

www.windowscentral.com

Typical EA

The problem is that they are given the option to do this.

Do we know if the xbox one (base or x) will run as is when you pop the disc in a series x? or MS is at it again with fake backward compatibility?

 

[M1chl]

EA doing EA things.

Also...

Where are those people with "lololoo" Sony has the same things as MS do? Awfully quiet.

 

[Drewpee]

Microsoft should just buy EA, problem solved.

 

[Codes 208]

Wait am i losing my mind or didnt EA literally say yesterday that they were supporting this?.
Anyway i already said some studios will support this, many wont.

For certain* titles

 

[StormCell]

Microsoft should just buy EA, problem solved.

I wish.

Then they could shut down the EA brand and restore a bunch of long-lost studios.

 

[JLB]

haha lets not pretend this is not an smart business move from ea.
“yeah, pro market if you buy fifa at 60, if not, pay separately for each version!”

 

[Hendrick's]

If I bought EA games I would be annoyed. Still waiting for Anthem to come out of early access.

 

[iHaunter]

Those games are atrociously bad anyway. 2005 or 2025. It's the same game.

 

[Drewpee]

I wish.

Then they could shut down the EA brand and restore a bunch of long-lost studios.

I was mostly joking. As an Xbox gamer it would be a fun experience but I think it would hurt gaming overall and I am not a fan of taking away games from other gamers.

I want us all to be pissed off at the next Madden and their terrible decisions.

 

[Drewpee]

haha lets not pretend this is not an smart business move from ea.
“yeah, pro market if you buy fifa at 60, if not, pay separately for each version!”

Depends on how you want to frame it. They may have lost a few dollars but the goodwill they buy from gamers would more than make up for it with purchase of future EA titles.

 

[CatLady]

Good thing I have WAY less than zero interest in this game. Do NOT like sports games and do NOT like EA.

 

[GHG]

Likely, but who is to say the XONE version will even be near what the XB Series X and PS5 version is to even be comparable?


Remember, some titles will likely just be ports, some will be actual cross generational titles that seek to take advantage of the system in ways that it cost the publisher some money, enough money for them to not feel the need to give folks 2 copies for the price of one as if the hours spent on next gen were completely free or something.

Battlefield 4: Differences Between Next-Gen and Current-Gen Versions

You’ll never go back to PS3 and Xbox 360.

primagames.com

GHG Developers do this on any platform they can.

So consoles get some upgrades for free and cross buy.

PC gets some upgrades for free and cross buy.

BOTH still have publishers that will charge for those enhancements. That isn't something really exclusive to one platform or another as its not as if EA is out here NOT doing this on PC or something lol

What?

You don't have to pay to unlock Ultra graphics settings on a PC game after upgrading your hardware.

The whole point of smart delivery was to bring the Xbox ecosystem closer to the one that exists on the PC. You buy a game once and it works across all your different Xbox consoles at various graphics settings.

This isn't "crossbuy".

 

[StormCell]

I was mostly joking. As an Xbox gamer it would be a fun experience but I think it would hurt gaming overall and I am not a fan of taking away games from other gamers.

I want us all to be pissed off at the next Madden and their terrible decisions.

I'm with you. I actually don't own an Xbox. It's just that I would rather we collectively not be pissed at the next Madden because they either stopped making terrible decisions or they went away and we're all celebrating much better NFL games.

It's a fantasy, of course.

 

[Investor9872]

Who is truly surprised by EA nowadays?

 

[StormCell]

Who is truly surprised by EA nowadays?

I am.

Surprised they're still doing so well.

 

[Kokoloko85]

I thought what CDPR was gonna do would be the norm.
Not this....
TBH it looked horrible for next gen.... EA just needs to dissapear. FIFA and Madden games need to stop and let other companies work with those franchises

 

[itsjustJEFF]

What?

You don't have to pay to unlock Ultra graphics settings on a PC game after upgrading your hardware.

The whole point of smart delivery was to bring the Xbox ecosystem closer to the one that exists on the PC. You buy a game once and it works across all your different Xbox consoles at various graphics settings.

This isn't "crossbuy".

What? so you're telling me that the games code is now the same across all future Xbox consoles? That now the only difference between OneX, Series S, Series X, is just the hardware?

I just looked this up on TechRadar, They state that no matter what console your on "smart delivery" ensures that you have the right version of the game. For me that sounds like that different software per-system, not same software different systems. That sounds like you get the version depending on what system your playing on. If i'm on OneX I'll be playing the OneX version, If I'm on the Series X, i'll be playing the Series X version. It sounds like you're telling me that the software they release for, lets say Halo, will be Series X code but when that code is played on a OneX it's just played at lower settings. Am I off here? Cause that's what I'm reading on websites that are quoting Xbox.

Cause if that is the case then EA should not be able to do this, just like how EA can't stop you from playing MADDEN on PC after you upgrade your GPU. Can someone clarify this?

Edit: Also, the name "smart delivery" always sounds like a service where they would "deliver" you the right version of a game no matter what hardware you were on. Their system would be able to recognize what hardware you were on and it would give you that version of the game, and because the license you purchased is for all versions, if you upgraded in the future you would get delivered the next gen version next time or whenever you'd want to play the game.

 

[LOLCats]

Well so Is not a simple resolution patch...

honestly i doubt its much more than that, just typical EA bullshit