What's sad is that people can be conditioned to think this is how things will always be.
There is always a changing of guard dealing with products in the market.
Comparing est. sales numbers from the past to look at the poassible success of a Sports game is voided because the Financial Market is totally different from when those numbers where gathered.
Strapped wallets always forces the buyer to look at buying another/similiar product. Brand names go out the window when you don't have the money to purchase that Brand name.
The truth is, if EA's College Football with a NCAA Brand was on the shelf for $60 and another College Football Game (that focused on gameplay/presentation with no NCAA Brand) was next to it for $30, most would buy the cheaper. Your wallet will decide what you will buy, not the Brand Name attached to it.
FYI, there is no such thing as Casual Gamer. When you spend $300 + $60 + Inernet cost for video gaming, you Officially become "Hardcore" because most folk who are not not gamers, see such an investment as foolish.
Another College Football can/would succeed in
today's market, especially if gameplay/presentation/customization are there.
I like NCAA because I like college football, not because it has the NCAA brand attached to it. With that, EA's football is far below where it should be by now as the only College Football maker and to compare it to itself (past releases) as a means of determining how good of a product it is, would make me a
"knucklehead" consumer.
I'm already foolish for spending such money for video games.
Can't go being a Knucklehead also
"Don't ever be conditioned to believe what seems to be the norm..."