Could DLC Make NCAA Better?

[Cubone_Jones]

We hear it year in and year out. All of us have those things we really want in the game but there is always an issue: disc space is one problem brought up or lack of resources/money is another. The NCAA Team said earlier this year that in game advertising wasn't generating the expected revenue and they would focus more on downloadable content. While some fans say they'd hate paying extra for features I've also heard people say they'd pay upwards of $100 for a game that was close to perfection.

So here's my question. I'm going to give a model that say, NCAA '13 could run on (assuming none of these features were placed into '12). Vote and comment to let us all figure out what people really want.

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NCAA 13 - $60

NCAA out of the box comes with a focus on perfecting what is already good about NCAA.

• Unmatched Graphics and Detail - NCAA welcomes better graphics than Madden with added dreads and equipment, dynamic weather and lighting, bowl patches, and perfect audio. Furthermore, NCAA offers more than 5 different faces for the first time since... well... ever.
  
• Unmatched Gameplay - NCAA gives the fans 120 Ways to Win Defensively. Custom Playbooks are also in the game while all major gameplay issues have been resolved from earlier versions. Game physics and locomotion are also improved as height and weight are figured into player performance.
  
• Unmatched Depth - All NFL Stadiums are added as well as several other popular neutral stadiums. Hundreds of added cut scenes, animations, and a revamped celebration system makes scoring much more rewarding.

That would be, in my opinion a very solid game. I would love all of those features and I imagine they will fit on the disc and be managable. Now if DLC is really the way things are headed, perhaps at launch there is also a download available.

DLC #1 - The Coach $15

• Real Coaches - A coaching carousel is added with improved CPU recruiting logic. Hire and fire assistant coaches that can give boosts and deductions to certain positions recruitment and development. Assign assistants recruiting regions, etc.
• Advanced Gameplanning - Allows for advanced depth charts that can alternate players by series, quarter, or situation. Adds coverage matchups. Adds the ability to toggle OLBs, DL, OL, and CB into weak and strong side players. Allows automatic defensive audibles or shifts based on offensive formation.
• Player Academics - Adds recruit GPA, player areas of study, and hidden character attribute. This makes for the possibility of player suspension due to misconduct or poor grades.

DLC #2 - The Media $10

• New TV Crews - New commentators added for FOX and CBS. ESPN Crew is sometimes on ABC. Lesser games are not garanteed for television.
• Halftime and Highlight Shows - In dynasty there are halftime shows to discuss first the first half and each week there are highlight shows to outline your conference and the Top 25's best plays.
• Heisman Trophy Presentation and National Signing Day Cut Scenes

DLC #3 - Spring Ball $5

• The Scrimmages - The Spring Game is welcomed to dynasty to give players some input into development. A week of spring ball gives players the opportunity to play in a variety of scrimmages for returning players and recruits that enroll early
• Mini Games - 15+ positional games added to dynasty and beyond. Slightly impact ratings but moreso just plain fun.
• The Game - Give your students something to get excited about and get a look at next year's team.

These are just ideas. I think DLC could be toggled on or off and used in most game modes. This allows for more revenue for NCAA to develop a more perfect game and it allows people to pay for just the features they want. It would also allow for developers to work on the DLC after launch. The DLC could come in at the above prices but later packed together in a cheaper bundle.

What are your thougths? Would you pay this? How would you do it better?

[JayhawkerStL]

NO!

I have no idea why anyone would suggest this.

[Cubone_Jones]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jayhawker

NO! I have no idea why anyone would suggest this.

Because it makes the most sense from a business perspective and I think the hardcore football gamer would appreciate it. I feel like it would be the most beneficial to the franchise. While the core game can focus on fundamentals, all the fluff can be downloadable.

Am I completely out of line with this logic?

[illwill10]

Quote: Originally Posted by Survivor

DLC #1 - The Coach $15 Real Coaches - A coaching carousel is added with improved CPU recruiting logic. Hire and fire assistant coaches that can give boosts and deductions to certain positions recruitment and development. Assign assistants recruiting regions, etc. Advanced Gameplanning - Allows for advanced depth charts that can alternate players by series, quarter, or situation. Adds coverage matchups. Adds the ability to toggle OLBs, DL, OL, and CB into weak and strong side players. Allows automatic defensive audibles or shifts based on offensive formation. Player Academics - Adds recruit GPA, player areas of study, and hidden character attribute. This makes for the possibility of player suspension due to misconduct or poor grades.

I am fully expecting coaches to be in NCAA 12 not as a DLC. If not, unless I see "revamped Dynasty and RTG."I might consider not buying NCAA 12.

[JayhawkerStL]

Quote: Originally Posted by Survivor

Because it makes the most sense from a business perspective and I think the hardcore football gamer would appreciate it. I feel like it would be the most beneficial to the franchise. While the core game can focus on fundamentals, all the fluff can be downloadable. Am I completely out of line with this logic?

First, the fluff is going to detract from the core gameplay development. It will even more, as DLC is more profitable. Second, EA has already shown that they will cripple a game to drive more DLC sales.

They ruined the Be a Pro mode in NHL 09 by tuning the game to make it take ridiculously longer to level a player up in order to lure folks into buying their way into a better player. So even if you play offline, and never wanted to buy a boost, the mode is dorked because it is no longer a fun grind.

The number of courses EA includes with Tiger Woods has decreased as they have begun to sell more and more.

It's just a really bad way to monetize the game from a gamers perspective.

Heck, the way they monetize the Ultimate Team modes have ruined them, and I would pay a monthly fee to play the NHL version. If the strategy you employed was they sole manner in which you upgraded your team, it would be a blast. But again, they tuned it so you need to buy packs. And by allowing that, gamers that spend hundreds of dollars throw the balance off of what should be fun mode.

So again, I would never suggest to EA to much up NCAA football any more than they already have with the stupid "Time Savers".

[Cubone_Jones]

I'm not disagreeing with you about the current DLC offerings. I think that they are a detriment to the gaming community, but using the model I suggested then the focus on becoming more profitable is met with more features and thus a better game. I too expect coaches to be in NCAA 12, but it was an easy feature to use as an example of the way DLC should be implemented, so I used it.

It's like the model that Rockstar Games used with Red Dead Redemption for DLC and Undead Nightmare, granted this is a sports title. By all accounts that saves space on the cd and allows for players to pick and choose what features they want to pay for.

Why not?

[jbrew2411]

I understand EA wanting to make more money. I can't get mad at that. They are a business and that is what any business wants to do is make money. The issue I have is this. If you make a better product then that will equal more sales. When you ask your loyal consumers to shell out $60 for your product then tell them that they will have to shell out more money on top of that to get the most out of the game then you will end up losing more money in the long run. I have been that loyal fan of this series dating back to NCAA 98. I feel like they own it to the loyal fans to give them the best product they can.
My second grip to more DLC is the whole not enough disk space talk. How can College Hoops 2k8 have all it has on the same amount of disk space? I know college basketball teams are small in roster size but their are over 300 college hoops teams verses 120 FBS football schools. I don't think disk space is an issue. There is no way that the PS2 & Xbox disk held more then the current disk do. I'm not a computer guy but this is pure observation so I could be wrong.
I have never been one to count down the days any deal EA signed is up and never will. I have always preferred EA's games over other sport game makers. With that said it is time for EA to piss or get off the pot. I mean if they can't make a better college football game then allow others to try. I could careless who makes the game as long as it is good and full of depth. I hate to go back to Choops2k8 but for me it is the pinnacle of sports games. It offers the deepest dynasty mode of any game I have ever played. I play that game still today because it offers long term playability.
That brings me to my last reason EA has it all wrong. You can create all the DLC you want but if your game does not have long term playability then it is all worthless. If I know I have to pay for DLC to improve the game then I see that as having short term playability. If I know that in advance then I want buy the game at all.
The bottom line is DLC can be used to enhance a game that is already good for some but not all are going to want DLC. If EA made their game with DLC as a main focus then you will see the end of the series in my opinion. No one wants to pay full market value for a product to only get rights to use it but then have to pay for add-ons to make the product fully work. A change in focus would improve sales which means more money. Making a product that people can't get enough of is the key. Give the online games, which I'm not, what they want. Give the offline gamers, which I am, what they want. We all win and will shell out $60 in a heart beat. You would see people that have not bought the game in a few years buy the game again. DLC is not the answer to making more money. The answer is depth. A deeper game, a game people get so wrapped up in they call in sick to work just to spend 24 hours playing it. A dynasty mode that they play longer then a season or two. That is the only way to make the NCAA series better.

[Cubone_Jones]

Your first statement is a complete fallacy in logic. Not everyone is looking for a college football game no matter how good it is. NCAA 11 owns the college football market in video games. If you make a perfect game then sales will cap off and then you are looking to maximize the sales in other ways (DLC). From a business standpoint there is no way to go but to create more DLC. Consumer displeasure seems likely, but if EA made a coaching carousel for NCAA 11 for $10 on Xbox Live I don't think anyone would be upset.

The truth about building profits from these games is that you can invest more into them also. So worrying about neglect to core features wouldn't be an issue once this model was implemented. The core game would be a work of art, but combined with DLC could be a masterpiece. Playability has never been a concern in NCAA because you can never "complete" the game. There is no villain to defeat to save the princess. It's simply a never ending, vast college football sim. There will always be surprises and fun if the core gameplay and graphics are flawless.