Will EA intentionally or unintentionally report inflated sales of madden 11?

[sky454]

Since EA gave out free copies of madden 11 in times square, won't that inflate the sales number of madden 11? Technically just because the sale of an item is 5 cents, 1 cent, or free, it still counts as a sale. You can call it a promotional sale, discounted sale, sale at a loss, whichever, but it's still a sale.

So will EA count those free madden 11 copies they gave out at times square as part of their madden 11 sales count?

I think their intention or at least main intention in giving out free madden 11 copies was for good PR and not to inflate their sales numbers, but I do believe that inflated sales numbers of madden 11 will be a positive unintentional consequence and therefore lead people, specifically shareholders to believe that madden 11 sales were a success.

Anyone work in accounting that can confirm that free copies of whatever, whether it be madden, dvd, or cup of coffee counts as a "sale?" Anyone on this forum actually show up at times square during the madden giveaway? About how many people did you think received a free copy of madden 11? 500 people? 1000 people? I doubt Drew Brees handed out 2000 copies? He would have been there all day.

[PGaither84]

You are forgetting that a sale to EA isn't when YOU buy it. A sale is when a distributor/store buys the game. When a game sells well that is because the stores have to make large orders and/or re-order the game to keep it in stock. A common practice with books is to buy boat loads of them to inflate sales numbers and help promote book tours. Later on they just give books away at events or to charity or something.

[aholbert32]

locked...this is random speculation and will turn into a flame war.