Release dates (Madden/NCAA)... why so close?

[GrnEyedBanditTN]

Some friends and I were talking about this late friday night at the barbershop... our hangout spot. Every year (as far as the group is concerned) we play NCAA from its release date until after thanksgiving. We start playing Madden from that point until the new NCAA comes out. We all have Madden and NCAA on PS3 or 360 at our houses as well as playing both on PS2 at the Shop. We were trying to figure out why EA releases NCAA and Madden only 4 weeks apart. It would make since to spread the release dates out. We were thinking June for NCAA and September for Madden (maybe the same week that the NFL kicks off... still having the Tuseday release date... NFL starting on that Thursday as it has the last few years). Even a two month gap between the games would be better (July/Sept). I know so many that don't touch NCAA after Madden comes out. I play both of course. What do you think?

[Freezer Boy]

I like it better when it come comes out before the season. It can be hard to find the time to play both but I always find a way. Besides except for March Madness and Nascar, all of their sports games come out before the start of their season.

[cdon2k]

One reason, i'd suspect would be not much competition for sales in the month of August. The Xmas season is rough with all of the Halo's and Call of Duty's out there.....

[afro_dogg20]

Quote: Originally Posted by cdon2k

One reason, i'd suspect would be not much competition for sales in the month of August. The Xmas season is rough with all of the Halo's and Call of Duty's out there.....

probably that

[bad_philanthropy]

I think it also has to do with the release of EA Sports' other titles. NHL and NBA Live ship in September, and FIFA in North America ships in October so it would certainly be a huge glut of products if they were to release Madden in the fall as well.

As for NCAA I think it actually did release in late June in the PSOne days.

[texbuk84]

Quote: Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy

I think it also has to do with the release of EA Sports' other titles. NHL and NBA Live ship in September, and FIFA in North America ships in October so it would certainly be a huge glut of products if they were to release Madden in the fall as well. As for NCAA I think it actually did release in late June in the PSOne days.

it did i dont know what happen as of now, maybe the NCAA and NFL have rules for when the game could be released.

[GrnEyedBanditTN]

Good stuff! It did seem like NCAA on PSOne came out in June.

[JB_BE]

It's been said here before but the only reason the release dates are like that is indeed for marketing and business. EA wants to make sure that they don't compete with their own products so they spread out the releases to try and get as many people as possible to buy multiple EA sports games instead of choosing just one.