It looks like the world is finally catching on that Madden doesn’t change much from year to year, and they’ve stopped buying. Sales are so bad, in fact, that even EA is calling the numbers “discouraging.”

How bad is bad? According to IndustryGamers, the Wii version of Madden only sold 67,000 copies in the month of August. In case you don’t remember, EA was supposed to completely rework the game for the Wii because the game just didn’t work on the platform. By this time last year, Madden 09 for the Wii had sold almost twice that number.

Sales for the other consoles looked a good bit better, but still not great for such a major franchise. EA shouldn’t be surprised, though. Why in the midst of a recession would gamers blow money on a game that, as I think I mentioned, doesn’t really change. When the industry’s down, you can bet the first thing to go will be yearly reworks of the same concept.

If you’re a Madden fan looking to get the latest release, you may want to consider signing up for a year of Sports Illustrated instead. The sports mag is actually giving away a copy of Madden 10 with your yearly subscription for free, and for the console of your choice.

From a financial standpoint it’s a great pick. You get 28 issues of the magazine for $49 (and get yourself enrolled for automatic renewal), plus a bonus Madden documentary and, of course, a free copy of Madden 10 (which retails for $60 for PS3 and Xbox 360). I’m willing to call it $125 worth of merchandise for just under $50.

Remember, the deal’s only good if you live in the US or Canada.