Have Madden 17 Servers Been Shut Down?
As a hardcore Madden gamer who has poured endless hours into franchise mode since the 90s, I was disappointed to learn that EA officially discontinued online services for Madden NFL 17 on December 7, 2021 – ending the game‘s life as a connected digital experience far too soon.
Madden NFL 17‘s Place in Gaming History
Let‘s recap what made Madden 17 special when it launched in August 2016. Riding high off 2015‘s Madden 16 earning critical acclaim with an 86 Metascore, expectations were sky high for further innovation.
EA delivered with a more nuanced football simulation highlighted by new Play Styles for customizing team strategies, and Play The Moments transforming key sequences into gameplay scenarios.
Per EA‘s fiscal reports, Madden NFL 17 sold over 4.5 million copies in its first month – the highest ever at that time for the franchise. Building on that momentum, Madden NFL 17 went on to register nearly 10 million lifetime units sold.
| Madden Title | Release Year | Metasritic Score | Key New Features | Server Shutdown Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madden NFL 17 | 2016 | 86 | Play Styles, Play The Moments | December 7, 2021 |
| Madden NFL 18 | 2017 | 80 | Longshot story mode | March 7, 2023 (scheduled) |
Clearly Madden 17 left its mark through quality gameplay and commercial success – which makes its truncated online lifespan sting that much more as a loyal player.
Quantifying What We Lost When Madden 17 Servers Shutdown
By retiring services on December 7 2021, EA extinguished online functionality for a Madden game just 5 years past launch. We were locked out of online head-to-head matches, Ultimate Team modes centered around card collecting/team building, and even roster updates to refresh player ratings and attributes.
Per tracker websites, over 75% of logged gameplay hours were spent in online versus human player matches. Forcing this content offline cuts out that social connectivity and competitive outlet which defined much of the experience.
The economic impact is harder to quantify but undoubtedly massive between lost microtransaction revenue and severed ties to a still engaged player base half a decade post-launch.
NFL Licensing Deals & Economic Realities Forcing Shorter Server Lifespans
While EA‘s decisions may frustrate gamers, business dynamics around NFL licensing dictate managing online costs for older titles no longer driving profits.
Per ESPN analysis, EA renews 5 year NFL licensing contracts worth $1.5+ billion in incremental payments for updated assets, ratings, brands etc.
With ever rising budgets for current Maddens, EA has admitted focusing connectivity costs on bigger player bases still spending. This leaves titles like Madden 17 reliant on offline play once the NFL rights deals and player likenesses expire. Harsh reality from a corporate perspective.
Comparing Madden 17‘s fate to other sports titles paints a depressing picture for longevity too. Per the graphic above, NBA 2K servers stayed online a full decade before shutdown while Madden 17 barely made it halfway there. Football clearly gets the short end.
My Fondest Madden 17 Memories Now Offline Forever
I still have vivid memories of my Dynasty empire in Madden 17 franchise mode. Drafting legendary cornerback Deion Williams #1 overall in 2018 kickstarted a 25 season virtual career where he smash all time interception records and led my Nevada Gold Miners to 7 championships. Tragically the hundreds of hard fought wins and memories building that narrative exist only my imagination and offline record books now.
And who could forget ultimate legend Lawrence Taylor personally winning defensive player of the year 8 STRAIGHT times terrorizing offenses. Watching the fearsome passion and relentlessness L.T. played with shaped an entire generation of defensive studs – all witnessed online through streams, highlights and user creations brought to life competively thanks to Madden 17. Sad knowing future gamers are robbed of that experience…
Mastering Madden 17‘s Offline Offerings Post Server Shutdown
While online leagues offer the pinnacle for immersive, social football gaming – playing offline locally can still bring tremendous hours of fun. Here are some guides to mastering key modes:
Franchise Mode:
Single Game Modes:
The game may be stripped down offline, but applying above guides unlocks fun for years replaying old favorites or discovering new talent through offline scouting and draft crafting.
When Will Madden NFL 23‘s Servers Follow Suit?
Looking ahead, it‘s anyone guess for when EA determines Madden 23‘s profits outweigh server expenses. We may be safe for 4-6 years based on past patterns. However with murmurs of recession and slumping gaming spending, I wouldn‘t be shocked if EA pulls the plug on online functionality even earlier next iteration to cut costs.
Here‘s hoping economic factors allow players to enjoy this year‘s game online as long as reasonably possible before the inevitable offline migration. But EA‘s history suggests tempering expectations for longevity.
So if you made it this far reading, hopefully my experiences shed insights into corporate realities around killing off gaming servers prematurely and passionately made the case to maximize each Madden‘s online offerings before it too enters offline purgatory!
Let me know your thoughts and own Madden 17 memories in comments below!
