They're obviously not going for a profit this year, which is a pretty good idea. It's all about establishing a wider fan base for the time being. Smart move by Sega/Take 2. They weren't going to be able to compete with EA playing the same game. They needed to do something drastic and this is it.
This will make it much more palatable for the die hard Madden fan who's been reading all this hype about ESPN but wasn't willing to shell out 50 bones to see for himself what all the buzz is about. Now he can go and buy this along with his copy of Madden and not have to go without food for 3 days in the process.
The hardest part for Sega has been getting the Madden fans to even try ESPN. Then the real fight for video gridiron supremacy will truly begin...
