The problem with "Hitting EA where it hurts"

[majesty95]

I didn't even read the entire post because the logic is wrong. You're telling us that our voice is minimal so why bother voicing it?

Ever heard of word of mouth? Word spreads and I can guarantee people have been affected by things they have read on these board, positively or negatively, and have influenced someone else who has never been to these boards.

Will not buying the game break EA? No. Could it open their eyes and have them say, hey, we need to do something? Certainly.

I don't think the guys at Tiburon are as bad as many make them out to be, or even as bad as I once thought they were. However, I don't think they have the resources or the push in a certain direction that they need to make this game as good as it could be.

I'm not sure if it is them just needing to rebuild the game from the ground up or needing more quality people on the project or what. But they do need to do something and the fan base does as well. All you can do it voice your complaints and if that does not work voice your displeasure through refusing to buy the game.

It is simple commerce and it applies to every business.

[JerseySuave4]

i don't think they are bad guys i just think they don't know how to make a quality football game. The evidence is the products they put out each year. I don't buy that it has to do with resources. It's not like NCAA Football is some gimmick game, it's a major franchise. The resources are there. I just don't think they are capable and i also don't think they really have an idea of the direction they want to go. Even with the presentation, is it tv, is crowd, is it player, which perspective is it?

And then with what many consider a mediocre game (NCAA 12), the direction they go is minimal gameplay upgrades, minimal dynasty upgrades and adding a new feature like Heisman Challenge. That right there tells me they don't get it.

And i don't know if you want to call it lazy or stupid but how do you leave the menus essentially the same including music? That really doesn't help people feel like they aren't playing the same game as last year.

[Josh Knight]

Quote: Originally Posted by majesty95

I didn't even read the entire post because the logic is wrong. You're telling us that our voice is minimal so why bother voicing it? Ever heard of word of mouth? Word spreads and I can guarantee people have been affected by things they have read on these board, positively or negatively, and have influenced someone else who has never been to these boards. Will not buying the game break EA? No. Could it open their eyes and have them say, hey, we need to do something? Certainly. I don't think the guys at Tiburon are as bad as many make them out to be, or even as bad as I once thought they were. However, I don't think they have the resources or the push in a certain direction that they need to make this game as good as it could be. I'm not sure if it is them just needing to rebuild the game from the ground up or needing more quality people on the project or what. But they do need to do something and the fan base does as well. All you can do it voice your complaints and if that does not work voice your displeasure through refusing to buy the game. It is simple commerce and it applies to every business.

They will never rebuild the game entirely, unless it's for a new console, and only then because it's forced.

That would simply cost them far too much money. It sucks yeah, but it's capitalism.


I think it's rather simple why they added Heisman Challenge. Look at NBA 2k12. All those classic games and players and teams, it was a huge success. EA probably decided that a new game mode like HC would get them more money and new players then more fixes to existing modes. Again, it's not what I would want, but that's capitalism.

[RumbleCard]

I don't believe that sim gamers are in that small of a minority. The larger percentage of EA buyers are repeat customers. So maybe a degree of hardcore for some.

Perhaps there are a small 10% upper echelon group of hardcore sim guys. Then a large portion of gamers looking for a realistic experience on this board. Which I think is a strong representation of the buying public. Just because a majority of people don't want to spend their free time arguing on a message board doesn't equate to those looking for a less realistic gaming experience.

An old quote but I'm not going to dig around for a half hour just to prove a point.

Quote:

Since 1989, Electronic Arts has sold 43 million copies of Madden, with 60 to 70 percent of those sales made to repeat buyers

The repeat buyers IMO are looking for the same thing all of us are. A realistic experience.

Which is why I think we are finally seeing these guys listen and implement ideas and conceptions that are discussed or even demanded at places such as OS.

[Josh Knight]

Quote: Originally Posted by RumbleCard

I don't believe that sim gamers are in that small of a minority. The larger percentage of EA buyers are repeat customers. So maybe a degree of hardcore for some. Perhaps there are a small 10% upper echelon group of hardcore sim guys. Then a large portion of gamers looking for a realistic experience on this board. Which I think is a strong representation of the buying public. Just because a majority of people don't want to spend their free time arguing on a message board doesn't equate to those looking for a less realistic gaming experience. An old quote but I'm not going to dig around for a half hour just to prove a point. The repeat buyers IMO are looking for the same thing all of us are. A realistic experience. Which is why I think we are finally seeing these guys listen and implement ideas and conceptions that are discussed or even demanded at places such as OS.

Repeat buyers means you bought a game once, then you could have bought any year later. I'm not suprised at those numbers.

Say a guy buy's Madden 09. He could then buy 10,11,12,13, or any other madden and he would then be counted as a repeat buyer. So I don't think that literally means 70% buy year after year after year. In fact, with all the rage I see, I find that highly doubtful unless people are just lying when they say they won't buy.

[RumbleCard]

Quote: Originally Posted by Josh Knight

Repeat buyers means you bought a game once, then you could have bought any year later. I'm not suprised at those numbers. Say a guy buy's Madden 09. He could then buy 10,11,12,13, or any other madden and he would then be counted as a repeat buyer. So I don't think that literally means 70% buy year after year after year. In fact, with all the rage I see, I find that highly doubtful unless people are just lying when they say they won't buy.

I obviously understand what you're saying but it does lend credibility to a pattern. No matter how you slice it repeat buying its still there and its strong with reoccurring annual titles. Its the deeper more realistic experience that promps the purchase, not casual simplistic one button gaming.

I've met a number of people that have skipped a year here or there but have been a repeat buyer at some point in the game. They're looking for the same kind of experience most of us are. I've never met anyone who just randomly picked up Madden one time looking for that casual one button mashing experience. I do believe EA has come to terms with who their market is.

If I had to take a stab in the dark I think it would look something like this.

10% hardcore sim gamers annual buyers
10% very serious gamers annual buyers
50% semi-repeat buyers looking for a realistic in depth, FUN, gaming experience.
20-30% randoms or rare repeat buyers who don't play their games annually.

...but that 20-30% are still "gamers".

Everyone piled on the "casual" gamer hoopla perpetrated by the developers and their superiors at the beginning of next gen gaming. It was a money grab and a bad business model. They have abandoned that formula recently. The evolution of all gaming has changed.

You can't deny that in the last 3 years all the big sports titles have begun catering to the more demanding audience. Online associations, deeper gaming experiences so on and so forth. There is a reason for that.

What we want to a degree is what their target audience wants. Sans that ultra hardcore upper 10% or so. I buy every year and I don't even put myself in that category.

[JerseySuave4]

yea most people i come across want a football game that realistically depicts football. The only people i've seen that are less likely to want a more sim style game are the people who play in those tournaments. I remember ESPN used to have Madden tournaments and those are the type of people that think exploiting flaws or glitches in the game to win means they are amazing at the game. You find a lot of the online gamers are the ones who love to play unrealistically because it's more about beating their opponent than a realistic game. That isn't to say there aren't people who play online who play realistic, they're just a lot harder to come by.

[laxman490]

Repeat buyers are looking for something fun!! Now some repeat buyers think hardcore sim is fun, but if you bought it one year and thought it was fun then you are more likely to buy it again. Doesn't matter how "sim" it is.

Quote:

The repeat buyers IMO are looking for the same thing all of us are. A realistic experience

I totally disagree, I don't buy cod, etc cause they are realistic. I don't go see movies that are totally realistic. There has to be a balance.