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3 Reasons to Skip the Madden 15 Digital Release

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The Madden 15 release is finally here and gamers can buy Madden 15 digital or on a disc on the Xbox One and PS4. There are clear benefits to buying Madden 15 digitally and to buying the disc from a local store.

Even with all the benefits that digital games offer on the Xbox One and the PS4, I am not buying Madden 15 digitally and this may completely change my strategy to buy sports games digitally.

I’m even passing on a digital Madden 15 release when I can save 10% thanks to the EA Access membership I subscribed to play Madden 15 early. I’ll share why I planned to buy Madden 15 digitally and ultimately why I decided not to go with the digital version even though it leaves me with a lot of money in my Microsoft account.

Read: Madden 15 Review – Is it Worth Buying?

The Madden 15 digital download is exciting because I don’t need to go to the store for a midnight release and more importantly I don’t need to keep switching discs when I decide to jump between Madden 15 and FIFA 15 or any other game that is coming out this fall. That is a big plus for me as I typically play a game or two then jump to something else.

Ultimately the Madden 15 release changed my mind on buying games digitally, and combined with other trends I may wait to buy any digital Xbox One games when they are on deep discount, but rarely on release day.

Madden 15 Digital Release Time

The biggest downside to the Madden 15 release on digital is that unless you live on the West coast you’re going to be waiting three extra hours to play on Xbox One. This turns a Madden 15 midnight release into a 3 AM release, which basically means you aren’t playing until after work or school.

No option to play until 3AM on the Madden 15 release date is ludicrous.

No option to play until 3AM on the Madden 15 release date is ludicrous.

Street dates and times are important, but Microsoft needs to get on this and push for an actual midnight release time for digital downloads. Sony offers the Madden 15 digital release at midnight eastern and with pre-loading gamers can play right at 12:01 AM eastern.

Madden 15 Digital Download Drawbacks

Two big drawbacks hit the Madden 15 release like double coverage. First off there is no way to do anything with this game after I buy it. I own Madden 15 on Xbox One forever. There are no trades, no letting a friend borrow it or otherwise doing anything when I upgrade to Madden 16 next year.

I can never share or sell Madden 15 digitally.

I can never share or sell Madden 15 digitally.

I planned to buy the digital Madden 15 release because trade in values are typically not worth the hassle, but GameStop is offering better values and this year a Madden 25 trade deal delivered way more value than normal.

With no way to share Madden 15 and the potential for better Madden 15 trade in deals next year it makes more financial sense to skip the digital Madden 15 download.

No Special Edition of Madden 15 Digital

There is no digital Madden 15 Ultimate edition available on Xbox One and PS4. Although we see some digital special editions, there is no option to spend $10 more on Madden 15 and unlock a lot of added in-game content for the enhanced Madden 15 Ultimate Team mode.

If you love Ultimate Team, head to a store there is no digital Madden 15 Ultimate edition.

If you love Ultimate Team, head to a store there is no digital Madden 15 Ultimate edition.

The only Madden 15 bundle that Microsoft offers includes 11 pro packs for Madden Ultimate Team, but this is a far cry from the 30 Ultimate Team Pro packs and draft pack that you get with the Madden 15 Ultimate Edition.

Read: Is Madden 15 Ultimate Edition Worth Buying?

While the Madden 15 digital release includes the same features and is even cheaper with an EA Access subscription on Xbox One, the negatives are too plentiful to convince me to buy it digitally.

I’m sitting on a digital copy of Battlefield 4 that I rarely play and can’t trade in even though Best Buy would pay me $31.50 it today, which is more than enough to cover the balance of paying for my disc on the Madden 15 release date tomorrow.

11 Comments

11 Comments

  1. JD Associates

    08/25/2014 at 3:33 pm

    you sound broke bitch

  2. bigswif1911

    08/25/2014 at 3:50 pm

    Thanks you just saved me

  3. tommy guns

    08/25/2014 at 6:29 pm

    this is actually wrong… its midnight eastern time

    & i just pre ordered it via psn & it comes w $15 for Ultimate team

  4. FreeSamHurd

    08/25/2014 at 8:44 pm

    Actually you can buy the ultimate edition on digital download it’s 10 bucks more. You should’ve scrolled over one spot. It really isn’t that hard to do.

  5. ksimmons

    08/25/2014 at 9:59 pm

    Sounds like you have to trade shot in to get the game. Shut up botch ass.

  6. ksimmons

    08/25/2014 at 10:00 pm

    *Bitch*

  7. ksimmons

    08/25/2014 at 10:01 pm

    *Shit* ” android has not learned to cuss yet “

  8. David

    08/26/2014 at 5:16 am

    Actually, when you preorder the digital copy it pre loads a couple days early and unlocks at 23:00 eastern time. Which means I was playing an hour before my hard copy friends here in the central time zone last night! That right there is worth a digital copy for me. Granted this was on PS4 so you might have to wait till Pacific time on xbox one.

  9. john

    01/27/2015 at 1:18 am

    So you just found out that you cant resell downloaded games? #genius…

    Seriously what year is it. 2003? Ever heard of steam?

    • JJ13

      01/31/2015 at 1:56 pm

      I like steam. Tends to fog up my glasses though.

      Unless your just another jackass 12 year old tryin to start shit because your mommy buys you all the toys you want.

      If that’s the case, do us all a favor and run head first into the nearest brick wall.

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