In 2008, Electronic Arts announced that Madden NFL games will become console exclusive titles. The reason behind this decision was that the number of console Madden players is much bigger than the PC playerbase. In simpler words that means it wasn’t profitable to keep spending resources on the Madden NFL team that handled the PC version. In a time when PC gaming was, and still is to this day, growing the decision seemed weird but it didn’t turn out to be unwise. Console exclusivity didn’t hurt the game or its sales. Madden 17 was a best seller in US in August 2016. And there is another exclusivity that makes EA’s Madden games such a good business no matter on which platform they’re delivered. Electronic Arts has an exclusive contract with the National Football Association to develop American football themed games and to use real players’ names, teams and so on. The license is yearly renewed so Electronic Arts can rest assured as they have no competition in the NFL licensed football games department. The game 2K announced in 2015 ended up being a mobile title only and it’s still in development.
Madden 17’s popularity has nothing to do with its lack of competitors. The game is a quality product. Additions and improvements are made every year. When asked if there’s any chance of seeing a Madden NFL game on PC again, Electronic Arts admitted that the chances are slim. They’ve explained that they’re are keeping FIFA Football series as the only EA Sports PC game simply because of the demand. Madden NFL is not the only EA game that became a console exclusive. However, EA officials stated that they’re not saying a definitive no Madden 17 for PC. The new Frostbite engine makes porting easier so Madden 17 for PC is doable, however, there are no plans of making a PC port in the near future. There’s been a community effort to petition to EA through social networks but without any result. The initiative was started in 2012 and it’s still active with a moderate number of supporters.