I think this does matter from a financial standpoint. Madden IS the system seller, like it or not. Many like to say that it's updated rosters and a new coat of paint but it's a helluva coat of paint this time around and I think gamers are gonna bite no matter what is left out.

As a fan of EA Sports, I could make the comparison of a certain praise heaped rpg that has had far too many incarnations to ever be called "Final" anything, but I digress. Not a flame - I like FF - I've just never understood why in a world of roughly 9,843 incarnations of Street Fighter Madden gets such a bad rep.

Still, I don't see this hurting MS too bad. I seem to remember some shoddy titles at the PSX onset (NBA Live 96 anyone?) but EA did right the ship. My guess is the same will happen here. Next year, EA Sports will be up and running.