Madden 09 Dominates US Sales in August

Quote: Originally Posted by Exonerated

I didn't infer anything about the quality of Madden. I'm disappointed with Madden too. All I'm saying is Madden is the most popular sports game, always has been and always will be. 2k sports releasing an nfl game won't do **** to madden sales. Its king of the jungle mate.

At least a few of you get it...

Or should I say, are willing to admit/accept it?

[GTheorenHobbes]

Quote: Originally Posted by dickdalewood

At least a few of you get it... Or should I say, are willing to admit/accept it?

I remember the days when Madden would outsell 2k by something like a 10-1 margin, roughly 5 million units sold compared to 500,000 units sold.

Back then, people said the same thing that you're saying now...that Madden is and forever will be the king, and that there was nothing 2k could do about it.

Funny enough...2k did do something about it. They kept increasing the quality of their game, while decreasing the price so more people would give it a try.

And more people did give it a try...with 2k5 selling well over a million copies.

EA saw that their market share was decreasing, and probably realized that they wouldn't be the market leader in another year or two, at the rate things were going.

Sadly, we all know what happened next.

Hopefully, Backbreaker (or some other competitor) will come along and prove some of you "Madden will forever be king" guys wrong. We'll all win if that happens.

Quote: Originally Posted by GTheorenHobbes

I remember the days when Madden would outsell 2k by something like a 10-1 margin, roughly 5 million units sold compared to 500,000 units sold. Back then, people said the same thing that you're saying now...that Madden is and forever will be the king, and that there was nothing 2k could do about it. Funny enough...2k did do something about it. They kept increasing the quality of their game, while decreasing the price so more people would give it a try. And more people did give it a try...with 2k5 selling well over a million copies. EA saw that their market share was decreasing, and probably realized that they wouldn't be the market leader in another year or two, at the rate things were going. Sadly, we all know what happened next. Hopefully, Backbreaker (or some other competitor) will come along and prove some of you "Madden will forever be king" guys wrong. We'll all win if that happens.

I think you misunderstand. None of us are saying we DON'T want competition. We're just saying that even when EA HAD competition, they STILL outsold everyone.

Did 2K close the gap? Yes. But even at 19.99 they STILL didn't outsell Madden, even with the arguably better product.

We aren't being pesimistic, and we aren't saying we like the situation.

We're simply being realistic and admitting what is right in front of our faces.

[GTheorenHobbes]

Quote: Originally Posted by dickdalewood

I think you misunderstand. None of us are saying we DON'T want competition. We're just saying that even when EA HAD competition, they STILL outsold everyone. Did 2K close the gap? Yes. But even at 19.99 they STILL didn't outsell Madden, even with the arguably better product. We aren't being pesimistic, and we aren't saying we like the situation. We're simply being realistic and admitting what is right in front of our faces.

Thanks...I appreciate the clarification. But remember...2k closed the gap from 10:1 to 5:1 over the course of 1 year. It can happen, my friend. Tecmo bowl didn't stay king forever...Nintendo didn't either (although they rose, fell, and now are back on top again). No one stays market leader forever.

[ProjectRipCity]

It's pretty much evident that Madden outsold 2k...That is not even the point. The point is 2k is actually the better company...It's just the Madden people do not see that. Madden will always remain king because they eliminate any competition so they can change a few things and make millions on a product that is half *****. This is why EA is trying to buy out 2k...EA knows that 2K is just flat out better. It would be truly a shame if EA were to buy out 2K because that would eliminate any good sports game that is out there. To get rid of a less superior company does not take a few years...It would of taken about ten. If 2k still made football games...I gurantee 2k would be the king right now.

[SoxFan01605]

Quote: Originally Posted by ProjectRipCity

It's pretty much evident that Madden outsold 2k...That is not even the point. The point is 2k is actually the better company...It's just the Madden people do not see that. Madden will always remain king because they eliminate any competition so they can change a few things and make millions on a product that is half *****. This is why EA is trying to buy out 2k...EA knows that 2K is just flat out better. It would be truly a shame if EA were to buy out 2K because that would eliminate any good sports game that is out there. To get rid of a less superior company does not take a few years...It would of taken about ten. If 2k still made football games...I gurantee 2k would be the king right now.

How can you possibly gaurantee such a thing? Yes, they closed the gap in a year by dropping the price to 19.99. There are a lot of people who bought it just to check out something new since it was cheap (which I recognize was the point...get the product into more hands to build a base). Many of those were Madden players who tried it out as well. It was mentioned that the gap was closed from 10:1 to 5:1, but that's still a significant gap. They were going to raise the price back up the following year...it was known that the 19.99 pricepoint was to build interest. I'm not questioning the quality, but the fact is they would be more break even when the price jumped than gain significant ground.

What people fail to realize is 2K football, much like the "starving artist," is a better sell in death than in life. I would agree that if 2K comes back in the mix when the new deal is up and Madden still hasn't improved, it would probably make a stronger push based on "legend" status alone. However, if it would have continued as normal then it would have been a tough fight as it never would have garnered the status it received when canc'd. Madden 05 and 2K5 were neck and neck in many people eyes and 2K still got outsold at a lower price. I'm not talking right or wrong, fair or unfair. Generally speaking, follow the money and the hype to find the winner (as far as sales, not quality). EA has both.

[MJenness]

Quote: Originally Posted by SoxFan01605

How can you possibly gaurantee such a thing? Yes, they closed the gap in a year by dropping the price to 19.99. There are a lot of people who bought it just to check out something new since it was cheap (which I recognize was the point...get the product into more hands to build a base). Many of those were Madden players who tried it out as well. It was mentioned that the gap was closed from 10:1 to 5:1, but that's still a significant gap. They were going to raise the price back up the following year...it was known that the 19.99 pricepoint was to build interest. I'm not questioning the quality, but the fact is they would be more break even when the price jumped than gain significant ground. What people fail to realize is 2K football, much like the "starving artist," is a better sell in death than in life. I would agree that if 2K comes back in the mix when the new deal is up and Madden still hasn't improved, it would probably make a stronger push based on "legend" status alone. However, if it would have continued as normal then it would have been a tough fight as it never would have garnered the status it received when canc'd. Madden 05 and 2K5 were neck and neck in many people eyes and 2K still got outsold at a lower price. I'm not talking right or wrong, fair or unfair. Generally speaking, follow the money and the hype to find the winner (as far as sales, not quality). EA has both.

Actually, the 19.99 price deal was a 3 year agreement, 2k5 was the 1st of the 3 years. So, if they closed the gap from 10:1 to 5:1, who knows what would have happened had they been allowed to continue.
I still remember this bigshot EA exec stating "2k could tape a ham sandwich to their game, sell it for 20 bucks, and it still won't sell"...what a moron he was.

[SoxFan01605]

Quote: Originally Posted by MJenness

Actually, the 19.99 price deal was a 3 year agreement, 2k5 was the 1st of the 3 years. So, if they closed the gap from 10:1 to 5:1, who knows what would have happened had they been allowed to continue. I still remember this bigshot EA exec stating "2k could tape a ham sandwich to their game, sell it for 20 bucks, and it still won't sell"...what a moron he was.

I could be remembering wrong, but I'm pretty sure they backed off that because of financial reasoning...that's why I mentioned the hike. They raised their other games prices, I believe. They would have made it interesting for a bit though. I agree the EA exec was stupid in that regard, but it is no easy task to bring down the hype machine that Madden is. Just by securing NFLPA advertising through their tournaments and events was a huge advertising boon.

None of this speaks to 2K being better or worse...just going up aginst a giant. That's actually how the whole licensing issue got started EA made an offer they knew 2K couldn't match. It sucks, because I think the competition benefited all of us (whether you were a fan of 2K or not). What's done is done though, we just need to hope Ian and co. hold true to there stated vision.