I’ll preface  this all by saying that this won’t impact all Madden players, as the game is not forcing anyone to participate in its “Madden Ultimate Team” mode. However, there’s something being done in this years iteration that is sure to raise an eyebrow or two.

For those unfamiliar with Madden, Ultimate Team is a mode in which players can collect cards of in-game NFL stars (past and present) to create the “Ultimate Team.” Players can collect these add-ons simply buy playing the mode and earning coins which can be redeemed for packs of cards. The mode features a marketplace to sell, trade, and auction off goodies obtained through packs that have been redeemed.

Here’s an example of “points only” bundles currently listed.

It’s not so much that the game features micro-transactions, that’s the not the story here, it has already been done before. It’s the fact that — for the first time in the franchise — “Madden Ultimate Team” now features items that you can only purchase with real money (through points), instead of working towards them through progression.

Those points come in the form of micro-transactions and vary in price from 100 points for $.99 all the way to 12,000 points for $99.99.

To make up for it, for those who do play for progression, the game now makes it rain coins on you; even the very first time you play against the CPU you’ll quickly earn 2,000 coins. Unfortunately, those 2,000 coins won’t get you very far.

As it stands right now, less than a week before release, Ultimate Team mode in Madden NFL 15 features “special points-only items” which a tucked behind a non-progression paywall.

http://www.dualshockers.com/2014/08/21/madden-nfl-15-features-a-99-micro-transaction-several-ultimate-team-items-behind-non-progession-paywall/

I tried to post it. But VGC was down. And EA will never learn. They are damaging $60 game model. We really are going to the inevitable video game crash.

Well that's EA for you.

All of their ultimate team games are pay to win modes built into retail games.

People should absolutely not support this. Saying "well nothing wrong with options" is not an acceptable excuse for this kind of business practice. People supporting things like this and EA Access is why gaming is moving towards season passes for every game many of which are singleplayer cut out content prior to a game even being close to releasing. Publishers and devs need to renew their primary focus on creating quality products and shift away from all these nickel and dime greed policies, or gaming will be hugely negatively impacted even more than it already has been in past 3-4 years.  If the masses don't buy into stuff like this it will go away.  Publishers are trying to force gamers into being ok with a "$60 is not enough" mentality and have been for several years recently.

Well, not that I don't think EA salivated over this, but it also may have to do with the NFL's recent statement about wanting to increase revenue to $25 billion by 2027 (currently at around ~10b now).  They're actually selling the Super Bowl Halftime show to the highest bidder this year, and are otherwise moving to monetize in as many ways possible.  So, yeah, EA may have had some hand in this (obviously), but I'm almost positive it was at the behest of the NFL.

Increase revenue by 150%? Are they mad?

I hate micro transactions and hope they go away for good. I blame the smartphone/tablet industry for making it standard.

Microtransactions will kill gaming.
Its ok to have them on a FREE game its annoying but ok. When you are paying 60$ for a game then its just unacceptable

Yeah, they've gone over the deep end on increasing profit in the NFL.  The expansion of the reg season to 18 games, expanding playoff teams, moving the draft etc... are all part of a plan to spread the NFL season as far as they possibly can beyond the borders of the reg/post-season.  Mark Cuban (Mavs owner, NBA), recently said regarding the NFL's policies of late, "Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered, and they're getting hoggy".  Quite true really.