EA Drops the Layoff Hammer

[p_rushing]

Re: EA Drops the Layoff Hammer

EA had to buy the license or their sales would have dropped big time. Which would have made them either cut cost of development or eat the lose and make a better game to win fans back. When EA bought the license, it didn't improve sales much, but it kept them from bottoming out. What happened is that with the additional cost, they had to cut other areas to save the profit they were no longer making. So they suffered in quality.

Maybe EA made the wrong choice and without the NFL, they could have spent that extra money each year a hiring people to produce a great game. Then they could tell the NFL, you pay us to include your league in our game. EA management doesn't think that way though, as most people want to always increase the stock price instead of worrying about the cost. EA could have taken a hit in the beginning to come back even better in the future.

[grunt]

Re: EA Drops the Layoff Hammer

I'm not sure what you're getting at. They obviously thought they were adding value to their product by eliminating 2K as a competitor and, more importantly, prevent 2K from doing the same to them. The overriding goal, of course, was to cause EA stock to spike (which it did) so that major stockholders could make a ton of money (which they did). I doubt if anyone at EA (well, among the decision makers, anyway) believe that Madden's drop in sales has anything to do with declining quality of product.

The problem with our business culture there is a disconnect between the shirts and the people that make the game. OS posters complained for years about the quality of the product. EA would have done well to listen to their customers.

EA didn't need to eliminate 2k. 2k football at full price never sold over 500,000 units. EA needed to put resources into their cash cow. EA history is ignore top sellers until customers get fed up and then they start putting resources into their products. FIFA, Live, Triple Play, and the NHL series had to hit bottom before EA management took notice.

[Pappy Knuckles]

Re: EA Drops the Layoff Hammer

The problem with our business culture there is a disconnect between the shirts and the people that make the game. OS posters complained for years about the quality of the product. EA would have done well to listen to their customers.

EA didn't need to eliminate 2k. 2k football at full price never sold over 500,000 units. EA needed to put resources into their cash cow. EA history is ignore top sellers until customers get fed up and then they start putting resources into their products. FIFA, Live, Triple Play, and the NHL series had to hit bottom before EA management took notice.

You said it.

[Cebby]

Re: EA Drops the Layoff Hammer

who is number one now?

It was Toyota, but I think GM has taken it back.