why won't EA make NCAA for the pc?

[jfsolo]

Quote: Originally Posted by oldpro

obviously you can't say that the pc versions made 9 yrs ago would be the same engine today. They could make a powerful engine if they wanted to. I can't understand how a big company like EA still base their decision on sales from almost 10 yrs ago. PC's are like tv's now, almost everyone has one. Even graphic cards made 4 and 5 years ago can handle a decent engine. I want a pc version because of editing reasons.

Thinking about the modding potential of an NCAA game on the PC makes me weep tears of joy, but I would image that EA has thoroughly analyzed the profitability of such a venture(projecting sales totals for the current market) and come to the logical conclusion that it just isn't worth it.

I looked at various sales charts and Madden PC hasn't finished in the top ten in PC game sales for at least 3 years, and we know how many more units Madden moves in comparison to NCAA.

Millions of kids that would have been playing Madden or NCAA on the PC back in the day, are now playing MMO's and FPS's and wouldn't even consider buying a sports game on the PC.

Sucks for us old timers.

[Mountaineer6]

I have a different theory on this whole NCAA on PC issue. You need to realize that in this day in age, almost any PC game can be modded and with NCAA officials already up EA's *** because of the ability to edit players and stuff like that, it makes you wonder if the NCAA wont let EA put the game on a PC version because of the worries of so many other things being modded and put on the internet exploiting "unpaid" student athletes.

I do believe no other college titles by EA sports are put on the PC right?

[ODogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mountaineer6

I have a different theory on this whole NCAA on PC issue. You need to realize that in this day in age, almost any PC game can be modded and with NCAA officials already up EA's *** because of the ability to edit players and stuff like that, it makes you wonder if the NCAA wont let EA put the game on a PC version because of the worries of so many other things being modded and put on the internet exploiting "unpaid" student athletes. I do believe no other college titles by EA sports are put on the PC right?

That would make sense if you couldn't edit the console games names but since you can it doesn't really IMO. I think it's just what EA said, the profits are limited as there aren't near as many PC sports gamers as there are console sports gamers.

[Nza]

Quote: Originally Posted by Easton

The last PC version (not sure when it was) sucked. It wasn't even close to the same game as what was on console, or even Madden on PC. I'd rather them stick to console if that's what NCAA on PC is going to be like, anyway.

Madden on the PC sucked bad back then too - it was always a year behind features wise, buggy, and slow. Now look at Madden PC - arguably the best version out each year despite EA's obvious disregard for the platform. I don't see what relevance a game back then has to now anyway - NCAA on the PC sucked back then because EA did a bad job on it, not because there's some magical force preventing good NCAA games from being on the PC.

[Nza]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mountaineer6

I have a different theory on this whole NCAA on PC issue. You need to realize that in this day in age, almost any PC game can be modded and with NCAA officials already up EA's *** because of the ability to edit players and stuff like that, it makes you wonder if the NCAA wont let EA put the game on a PC version because of the worries of so many other things being modded and put on the internet exploiting "unpaid" student athletes. I do believe no other college titles by EA sports are put on the PC right?

It's a valid angle IMO but EA actively support editing on the consoles for NCAA - giving known roster editors early copies, keeping editing an option etc. They know without editing it wouldn't sell nearly as well. Plus as far as players go, you can't edit much more on the PC anyway. I mean once you've got the names down the personal stuff pretty much ends there. It's just easier on the PC with a mouse and keyboard.

Anyway, for my take - I think it is primarily about circumstances. Back when the PS2 was new, EA were struggling to port Madden to the PC without major performance issues plus, as I said above, it was always a year behind features wise until the Xbox version was made (as Xbox to PC is way easier than PS2 to PC). Under those circumstances I doubt NCAA would have sold much on the PC at all. EA got their PC act together (relatively speaking) around Madden 04-05, and by then they probably figured it was too late in the cycle to bother bringing NCAA back.

I think there is a slight possibility NCAA could be brought back to the PC in the near future, but only a very slight one. Profit is a factor but I don't think it is the biggest factor - NFL Head Coach is a tiny seller and they're making another one, on the PC, for 2007, and that was an original creation, not a port of a pre-existing series. Porting an Xbox 360 game to a PC and getting it up to scratch is not a big deal, they could do it with pretty minimal costs and I seriously doubt it wouldn't profit. This is why I think there is a slight chance still - the average PC is not quite ready for Xbox 360 ports yet (at least not from notorious poor PC optimizing companies like EA), but when it is, NCAA might come back because Microsoft have made easy 360 <> PC porting a priority this generation.

The question then will be if EA will still bother though. I sincerely believe EA would happily stop PC production altogether if they could. They don't strike me as a company interested in expanding on the PC at all really, mainly because a high up executive basically said as much.

[Mountaineer6]

I think its complete BS they think that the "PC wont sell". Please we are at an all time high in this day and age of where the PC is now just as valuable in the gaming market in comparison to the Playstation and the Xbox. Now sure, those machines sell more cause thats basically all they do, but the PC still does billions in dollars of business a year in gaming sales, and they still sell Madden for PC.

I think if you sold NCAA for $29.99 on PC itd sell a whole lot of copies.

[Cebby]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mountaineer6

I think its complete BS they think that the "PC wont sell". Please we are at an all time high in this day and age of where the PC is now just as valuable in the gaming market in comparison to the Playstation and the Xbox. Now sure, those machines sell more cause thats basically all they do, but the PC still does billions in dollars of business a year in gaming sales, and they still sell Madden for PC.

Now look at those PC gaming sales and don't look at the numbers, look at the games. Do you think the Blizzard games, Civ, Half Life, Far Cry, FEAR, Elder Scrolls, Everquest, and Bioware fanbase would buy NCAA? The only really casual game that sells on the PC is the Simms, and it's still a completely different market than NCAA. EA knows how to make money in video games moreso than any company outside of Nintendo. They know what sells and what won't sell.

[Nza]

The PC did around $1-1.2B of game sales in 06 I think. "Consoles and hand helds" did $7B+ ish, however for some reason financial analysts love to bulk all consoles together instead of individually, which never made sense to me.

I look at NCAA PC like NCAA PSP. Converting NCAA PS2 to PSP I think is probably in the same ball park as converting the Xbox/360 version to PC - similar platforms, with limited markets. I don't think profits will be a huge issue for NCAA PC as it really wouldn't cost all that much to make - I just don't think EA have had a good time yet to seriously explore it, plus I question whether they're even interested in expanding their PC operations. They clearly don't value their PC audiences - almost deliberately ignoring the PC versions of games yearly marketing wise, rarely releasing patches, settling for shabby ports more often than not and failing to truly take advantage of the platform etc. It's no secret EA are not fans of the PC.