Earlier today the nominees for the 2009 Video Game Awards were announced. You can vote in all of the categories here. Two of them are sports related with the “Best Individual Sports Game” and “Best Team Sports Game”. The show will air Saturday December 12th on Spike.

For the “Best Individual Sports Game” the nominees are Fight Night Round 4, Tiger Woods 10, UFC 2009 Undisputed, and Wii Sports Resort. The “Best Team Sports Game” options are the same as last year with FIFA 10, Madden 10, NBA 2K10, and NHL 10.

The most glaring omission is in the team sports category which did not include MLB 09: The Show. While I still take issue with the game’s poor online play it deserves recognition for everything else it does right. It is probably more worthy of being in the running than NBA 2K10 and NHL 10.

Last year the two winners were Shaun White Snowboarding and NHL 09 which goes to show the winners are not necessarily based on popularity. FNR4 will probably battle with UFC 2009 for the individual sports title while FIFA 10 may take the team sports crown if it can get enough support to top Madden 10.

The recent job cuts at EA are unlikely to have much if any effect on the majority of the yearly sports titles but one aspect of the company’s new strategy could very well change the landscape of sports gaming. EA is cutting the bottom third of their software lineup based on potential profitability. While that mostly applies other divisions of EA there are some games under the EA Sports label which could be reevaluated based on current sales and future prospects.

EA has already gotten rid of Nascar from the slate and experiments like NFL Head Coach are not going to return. We’ve also seen the arcade offerings shift to the downloadable only method and that is likely to continue. There is the possibility of the WWE license being picked up and in a couple years EA will be back with an MLB game. The yearly sports titles are very lucrative with EA going out of their way to state that they are protecting them and most are going to be just fine but clearly there are some changes on the way.

Safe
Madden
FIFA
NCAA Football
EA Sports MMA
NHL
Tiger Woods
EA Sports Active

In Danger

NCAA Basketball – College basketball games have never sold well, thus why 2K Sports dropped their College Hoops franchise. The question now becomes whether there is enough support for even one game. NCAA Basketball is probably the most likely of these titles to get cut after this year unless the sales come in and are encouraging. Support for NCAA 10 in areas such as marketing have been weak and it almost feels like it has been sent out to die. That is not a good sign and the resources put into the game have clearly been limited. There is a legit chance that there will be no college basketball game out next year.

NBA Live – The top 20 NPD was released and NBA Live 10 did not even chart with the 360 version. That means the 360 sold about 100K leaving it to finish behind Madden 10’s third month and FIFA 10 on the PS3. Essentially it has gained little to nothing in sales while falling considerably farther behind the competition and now owns just 32% of the NBA gaming market. The cost of the NBA license and the money invested in this franchise has been heavy the last couple years.

If Live survives to have a Live 11, which indications right now are that it will, that will probably be the make-or-break year for the franchise. After gaining some ground this year in customer perception if it does not start to show significant progress in sales it will quite possibly be gone or there may be a reinvention to offer something totally different than the competition.

Fight Night – The first three iterations of Fight Night were huge. Then came FNR4 which never got any positive momentum and disappointed in sales. Signing boxers individually is costly. Sharing some resources with MMA will save some in development costs. Fight Night will probably not see a big revamp the next time around like it received for Round 4 to try and turn more of a profit. I don’t think Fight Night will go away as it will keep the every other year rotation with MMA but the resources may be regulated better next time around.

Madden Wii – No matter what EA does with Madden on the Wii it just can’t gain any traction. Despite the console continuing to sell at extraordinary rates Madden actually dropped from a meager 150K-ish opening month for every year of the Wii to just 60K in the first month this year. The NFL license may require that EA produces a game on the Wii and if they continue to force that look for the game to try something completely new yet again. It could just end up being a collection of mini-games which is about all that sells for 3rd party companies on the Wii.

Likely Cut

Grand Slam Tennis – Was originally planned to come to the 360 and PS3 but after a lukewarm reception on the Wii the momentum stalled and it was indefinitely delayed. Based on their comments a game like this would not make sense.

The official NPD sales numbers for September were released today providing an opportunity to look for results from the two hockey titles as well as how Madden 10 has been performing and its long-term outlook. NCAA Football 10 saw a more pronounced loss of sales its first month and followed that up by a heavier than usual drop in the second month. After faring relatively well with its first month’s take how did Madden do in September?

As discussed in the August sales article Madden 10 saw a drop of 3% from last year which was marginal considering the circumstances. With the price drops for the 360 and PS3 there would be potential for the sales to be stronger than usual in the coming months. The first opportunity to gauge that presented itself in September.

The sales last September for Madden 09 were 224,000 for the 360 and approximately 141,000 for the PS3. Those numbers represented a drop of 78% from its launch month. The average drop seen for yearly sports titles is right in that 75-80% range. It comes as no surprise that the majority of sports gamers want to pick it up right away as the excitement for the coming seasons is peaking. The longer waiting on the game the less fresh and relevant it becomes.

Madden 10 opened in August with 928,000 on the 360 and 665,000 on the PS3. September brought 289,600 for the 360 and 246,500 for the PS3 placing it in 3rd and 6th respectively. That represents a drop of just 66% which is outstanding for such a highly anticipated yearly title. As the PS3 had an especially good month due to the introduction of the PS3 Slim you can see the affect that was had with its version only dropping only 63% while the 360 still fell only 69%.

For comparisons sake NCAA Football 10 dropped 83% in its second month. This stronger than normal September for Madden shows it is a top consideration when consumers are building up a library with a new console and that the gamer response and reviews for Madden 10 have positively affected its sales. NCAA Football can’t lay claim to those factors.

This is especially encouraging for EA given the state of the economy. That first month sales only were down the 3% from last year but this follow-up month has been much stronger than we’ve seen in previous years.  The low declines show that the game has even more potential over the holiday months and should perform better than last year.

NHL 10 did not place in the top 10, hockey games traditionally have never been strong sellers and would not nearly reach the 200,000+ on one platform needed to chart. However EA had the benefit of all praise it received, great word-of-mouth, and awards that 09 won. As such launch month sales for NHL 10 certainly will have seen an increase as many latched onto the series post-release last year. It will likely make an appearance once the top 20 is posted. (UPDATE) NHL 10 came in 14th for the 360 selling right around 180,000 copies which is a great result. The PS3 did not chart in the top 20 meaning it sold less than 130,000.

NHL 2K10’s sales are believed insignificant and no where near the top 20. It once again raises the question whether the franchise will be shut down in the same manner that 2K Sports ended College Hoops. In that case there was simply not enough potential sales to support two college basketball titles and it appears the same predicament is faced here with hockey. It could also see focus shift and the company develop solely for the Wii.

Overall it was a good month for the video game industry. Console sales were up due to the price drops and Madden 10 was a clear beneficiary of that.

Yet another rumor hitting the rounds today as The Street reports there is some chatter that Microsoft may be looking at purchasing Electronic Arts. The EA stock has risen slightly with the talk as the catalyst. This rumor seems less likely than the one about EA acquiring THQ but it is worth keeping an eye on because of the ramifications of such a deal.

This would certainly be a huge coup for MS if they were to acquire EA as that would give them the ability to have the games as exclusives for the Xbox 360 and future consoles if they chose to do so. Many of the EA Sports titles could become exclusive, however that would not be the case with all of them due to the specifics of exclusive licenses. The NFL contract requires that their game be released on all platforms so Madden would remain on the PS3 and others. This could also result in the long awaited return of the MVP Baseball franchise which would be a welcome sight for 360 owners.

According to Minyanville several companies are examining a possible takeover of THQ which has been struggling in recent years.  Chief among those companies is Electronic Arts with other possibilities mentioned being Time Warner and News Corp.  The big interest for EA would be the two significant licenses for the UFC and WWE that THQ holds. UFC 2009 Undisputed has almost single-handedly kept THQ afloat with its impressive sales this year and the WWE license has a lot of potential in the right hands. The THQ stock has been rising in anticipation of a takeover happening in the near future.

EA Sports MMA has been doing a decent job of signing fighters not affiliated with UFC however that game remains a tough sell competing directly against it.  The UFC license would obviously be an attractive acquisition and would eliminate any current competition in the genre. While this remains just a rumor at the moment it makes a lot of sense for EA to be interested given that they were unable to expand their portfolio with Take Two last year.

In this edition of the Waiver Wire Podcast, Chase Becotte from Operation Sports and I discuss the NCAA Football demo and our thoughts on how it compares to what we played while out at E3. In addition the issues with the rosters and the downloadable content cheats are gone over at length. Also on the plate for this podcast are impressions of The BIGS 2 demo and some wrap-up feelings on Madden 10 and Backbreaker coming out of E3.

To download the podcast click here and leave your thoughts in the comments!

I’ve arrived at the Orpheum Theater in LA for the EA Press Conference scheduled to begin at 2pt/5et. Peter Moore is expected to appear at some point and talk about the growth and direction of online play while making big announcements for Madden and other EA Sports titles. Continue on for the live blog.

*Please note this is connection permitting. If the wireless connection goes out I’ll still be on Twitter.* Feel free to continue leaving comments.

145: Sitting in the theater. Wireless connection is sketchy. Hundreds of media connecting into it.

150: Did an interview a few minutes ago while in line that’ll go up on Inside EA Blog at some point. Will be catching up after for reaction as well.

WORST LIVE BLOG EVER! Damn what a perfect storm of connection issues. It went out completely in the theater. Cell phone reception was knocked out. Data on my phone didn’t return immediately after. Walked to Staples. Got to hotel where the internet was down. Ahh! Okay I’m back up now, stories on the way.

I’m now preparing to head out to LA for E3 early in the morning. While the actual event begins on Tuesday there is a ton of gaming news expected to start flowing out on Monday. That includes the EA Press Conference scheduled to begin at 2pt/5et.

I’ll be in attendance and, connection permitting, will be live blogging here on the site and live tweeting. You can also follow along live with the free streaming video. This press conference is where multiple announcements (primarily online related) will be made for Madden 10 and other EA Sports titles.

Following that up in the evening look for articles on the new features/modes and a podcast or vidcast from myself and OS’ Chase Becotte. That’ll then lead into impressions, videos, pictures, and more from the event floor beginning Tuesday morning.

Full E3 Preview
Follow on Twitter

While the PC market continues to be reevaluated by EA Sports for many of their titles, the expected eventual direction would be towards microtransaction or ad supported downloadable offerings. Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online appears to be the first example of EA taking this route in the US. The game will be browser based rather than downloadable and has already opened for sign-ups to take part in the online beta. Click here to sign-up for a chance at being involved in the online beta for the game.

Peter Moore has a new blog up discussing the PC market and how Tiger Woods Online fits into that. This is a significant announcement because it is a sign of what is to come for the PC as a sports gaming platform.

We intend to be at the forefront of that evolution and today’s announcement signals that. You can expect to see us investing in online games for the PC with new sports experiences, aimed at both the loyal hard-core as well as the broader sports fan. You can expect experimentation in subscriptions, premium downloadable content, downloads sponsored by advertisers, micro-transactions, free-to-play models and massive tournament play.

Next week is going to be huge for the world of gaming. After two years of a lackluster reinvention of E3 it now returns back to the spectacle it was before. Gaming companies are buying back into it with big announcements planned and lots of highly anticipated games on display.

This is definitely the case for EA Sports who will have a significant presence at E3 with seven upcoming titles being offered up. In addition to the games on the floor Peter Moore is expected to reveal the new online modes for Madden 10. Here is a look at the games that will be at the event and what to expect.

EA Press Conference (June 1st)

I’ll be in attendance for the EA Press Conference on Monday at 2pt/5et. This is where Peter Moore will be talking a lot about the importance and growth of online play and is expected to make multiple online related announcements. I’ll be live blogging and tweeting from the Orpheum Theater in LA. You’ll be able to watch it live on EA’s website here.

E3 (June 2nd-4th)

Madden 10
This is the most anticipated sports game at E3 and rightfully so considering the direction it has taken for this year. Until now most of what has been known about the game are the technical improvements (Pro-Tak). With the online announcements there will be even more reason for excitement.

What could the new online modes “for the competitive and cooperative gamer” be? Speculation certainly is heavy towards Online Franchise which would really cover both sides of that. It could also be a variation of Online Team Play allowing users to control a single player in a team environment.

Those are innovations that came from other EA Sports titles though. My gut feeling is they wouldn’t make a big announcement about Madden getting a mode that their other games already have. Could it be a combination of both? Or something completely unique? Regardless it’ll be interesting to see what they have in store.

The Madden build comes at about the 80% mark of development and will be hands-on for everyone in attendance. The majority of the build may be unlocked offering the ability to change up teams and settings. Full presentation will be included and that is an aspect that the full scope of has yet to be revealed. So there should be ample opportunity to get a feel for the game, though balance issues are still being tuned to prepare for the release build so that has to remain a consideration. The Wii version will also be there with some news and hands-on impressions as well.

NCAA Football 10
The game will probably be close to finished by the time E3 rolls around. In the past because of where E3 fell in the development cycle EA has been able to offer up NCAA Football in polished form.

Because of the proximity to release it meant ability to choose teams and change settings and check out various modes. If that is the case again there will be lots of info and impressions to provide for NCAA. I don’t expect a full build though as there is still news to come regarding Road to Glory mode that is being held back until later in June.

When Teambuilder was announced I was told that the website to begin creating teams would go live 4-6 weeks before release of the game. E3 happens to fall within that range. I would not be surprised at all if Teambuilder launches during E3. That would provide for interaction at home to go along with what EA is talking about direct from the event.

Fight Night Round 4
With FNR4 releasing at the end of June this should be a near completed if not final build on the floor with wide open options. There will be lots of hands-on impressions to be had more so than news since most everything about the game is known. I’m sure the controversy over button controls will be discussed and hopefully word on whether they plan to patch in the control option can be confirmed one way or the other.

Tiger Woods 10
This should be a final build considering the game is out just a week after E3. Given that the demo is out for the PS3/360 more time will probably be spent with the Wii version. Impressions of gameplay and how well the Wii MotionPlus works with it will come.

Grand Slam Tennis
This should be a final build considering the game is out just a week after E3. Impressions of gameplay and how well the Wii MotionPlus works with it will come.

NHL 10 and FIFA 10
Apparently these two will only be shown behind closed doors. That means the games will be presented by producers, some features and improvements shown, but likely will not be hands-on. I don’t believe I will be getting in to see them.

The BIGS 2
With the game releasing July 7th this should be a hands-on offering with wide open options. It is the only 2K Sports game that will be at E3. Given the arcade nature and coming off the well received original it wouldn’t make any sense for them to be restrictive with it.

Backbreaker
While Backbreaker will be at E3 they have decided to offer an exclusive preview to a privileged media outlet with the game being kept behind closed doors. Everyone else will just be seeing new trailer that goes out. The publisher is also expected to be named (which will be news if it’s not Atari as had been listed by Gamestop). A release date will not be announced though right now late fall/winter appear to be what they are shooting for.

This is a major disappointment as E3 would’ve been a chance for Backbreaker to really make a splash. As I’ve stated previously I was looking forward to playing the game and thought a lot about the legitimacy of Backbreaker (as a football game) would be determined by their presence at E3. Preventing anyone from seeing or playing for themselves unfortunately just increases suspicion around the title. However I remain intrigued and will be getting a chance to check it out on Tuesday afternoon so I’ll be able to provide first hand impressions at some point if not that day.

Coverage

You can look forward to videos and pictures of some games, I’ll be tweeting throughout so make sure to follow me on Twitter, there will be multiple podcasts and vidcasts, and of course new content as often as possible. The postings may come more in the evenings considering the time being spent at the convention center during the day. A final pre-E3 update will go up on Sunday.

If you have any questions about these games or aspects of them you’d like me to investigate feel free to leave those in the comments and I’ll keep them in mind!