OS Roundtable: Could Another Company Succeed with Another NCAA Football Game?

[jyoung]

Re: OS Roundtable: Could Annother Company Succeed with Another NCAA Football Game?

I don't think anyone would argue that 2K doesn't have the ability to make a better college football game than EA.

The question is how is 2K going to make that game sell?

The NCAA sports games market is significantly smaller than the market for professional sports games.

College Hoops 2K8, which I would argue is still the best NCAA sports game of all time, sold so poorly that the series was shut down for being non-profitable.

Why would a football game be any different?

[mrMagic91]

Re: OS Roundtable: Could Annother Company Succeed with Another NCAA Football Game?

I believe if another company started development when EA does, then yes. Because EA does nothing but mediocre improvements each year. I swear, for me, a true football player, the game is only enjoyable for at least two months. after that its like reading the same book over and over again. So I want to see what 2k sports can do with this

[JustinSainn]

While this year's NCAA was a big step up from past NCAA games I still have to disagree because the gameplay still leaves alot to be desired. It looks nice and has the great ESPN presentation but when you strip it down it still plays very much the same as Madden (granted it doesn't have as many issues but it still is the same general interface and engine). Player's still don't feel like they're planting their feet and running and it still doesn't feel as though they're interacting with the environment around them quite the way they should be.

[devinewon]

Re: OS Roundtable: Could Annother Company Succeed with Another NCAA Football Game?

It depends on what they are offering. If they don't offer online dynasty I'm not playing it. That stated the Online dynasty for NCAA 2011 is very very very broken they actually took a step back from last year even though thats not in the reviews because no one did a review of Online Dynasty mode. I enjoy the competition and the fact that I can say "we'll get them next year" or "wait until I get a running back". Knowing someone's play style and preparing for it. I love to compete.

This game makes everyone feel like they can play offense and thats what people want. But the Defense in this game is so great and at the same time so terrible it is absolutely staggering. A lot of other flaws and glitches but hey the game looks awesome! If only I cared. I jump ship in a minute if I got a chance to. I would remember the good old days though.

[osubeavs721]

the answer is no to the round table's question. 2k tried a college football game and it sucked their engine is for pro football. Why cant people just see that EA is doing a great job with the NCAA series. Yes it took a little step back jumping to this gen but they have improved it every year and this year they succeeded the last gen. Yes some features are missing like a spring game but some other features people clamor for aren't feasible by the NCAA. the fact remains NCAA is a better football game than Madden and im sure they get less money to do so.

[simgaming]

I agree with each and every one of the comments here but I think it's much better to swim with the current than against it. We can continue to beat the dead horse that is EA v. 2K, but it won't bring simulation football any closer to us. Madden will sell 'til the end of time because casual gamers know the name and regardless of whether they know a lick of what real football is they will continue to buy it. I've been an advocate of 2Ks for years now. Countless posts and screen names later I've decided to change up my style.

In the coming months, rather than posting about all the different ways EA misrepresents football and speculate how 2K would do so much better, I will be offering up the best solutions for them to make the game a sim gamers paradise and more importantly actually reflect what we see on Sundays. The ideas will be very detailed and with the members here I'm sure they could be polished into even better solutions. All the solutions/fixes I will be blogging about will be things that can be done under Madden's rating (numerical) based system and are systems that have already succeeded in other sports games.

[jeremym480]

Re: OS Roundtable: Could Another Company Succeed with Another NCAA Football Game?

For me it's a no, simply because two of my favorite features of NCAA are Online Dynasty Wire and Importing Draft Classes to Madden. A new company may eventually be able to get an Online Dynasty Wire type deal similar to NCAA 11's but, I bet it would take them a few years to get anything near as good as NCAA 11. Also, since Madden is the only Pro game on the market then (at least for the next for years) NCAA is the only game were you can Export you Draft Classes. With those two crucial features missing and gameplay getting better by the year then, I don't see where there's room for another game in the market. Just my .02

[ipadblack11]

Re: OS Roundtable: Could Another Company Succeed with Another NCAA Football Game?

YES and so could EA if they just listen up to Their Community!

listen this game could be so much more "IN DEPTH" in every aspect every year. offline dynasty( tons of threads with ideas) online dynasty( have a set of rules options) campus legend ( just boring now been the same since 07.)

We get stuff left out they put into madden 2 years ago. Coaches, pre game animation, halftime show, dreads, etc..

Here 1 example; why not add HS juniors to recruit ( a small pool of recruits) all you can do is call them, therefore there is actuall a reason for you to be on there INTEREST list at the beginning of their senior season and not just bama, ohio, an uf for every1.

LET'S HEAR IT FOR LISTENING!!!

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: OS Roundtable: Could Another Company Succeed with Another NCAA Football Game?

I think it another company could if they had deep pockets to heavily market it. EA is a household name, along the lines of Call of Duty. People will always flock to it.

But it can be done.......I would really like to see Sony studios get back to making football games. Back in the day 989 Sports, which is now Sony studios, was the only company that gave EA any real competition in college football.

[fcboiler87]

Re: OS Roundtable: Could Another Company Succeed with Another NCAA Football Game?

I think the answer is yes. However, I think the answer is that no, it will not happen.

Oh and to comment on the sales of the college basketball game... the sales weren't good because those games sucked. Horrible. Terrible. CH2k8 was the best game ever but because it was on the 2k platform didn't get much advertising love and so they shut it down. EA's college basketball has never even been a shell of a basketball game.

[rudyjuly2]

NCAA football sales are much higher than college bball. And NCAA football sales are typically better tham NBA, MLB and NHL games so a 2nd game could happen but it depends on licensing and even more important the dynasty mode. Dynasty is huge and EA would be very hard to beat. I doubt anyone takes on EA here.

[jyoung]

Re: OS Roundtable: Could Another Company Succeed with Another NCAA Football Game?

NCAA Football 11 sales, according to VGChartz:

http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/browse.php?name=ncaa+11

360 - 0.81 million
PS3 - 0.61 million
PS2 - 0.17 million

total sales = 1.59 million copies

Compare this to where they were at the close of last-gen with NCAA Football 06:

http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/brows...der=Popularity

PS2 - 1.39 million
Xbox - 0.69 million

total sales = 2.08 million

NCAA Football 11 sales have dropped 25% from where they were five years ago on last gen.

Now College Hoops 2K8 sales:

http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/brows...der=Popularity

360 - 0.18 million
PS3 - 0.11 million
PS2 - 0.18 million

total sales = 0.47 million

And NCAA Basketball 10's sales:

http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/brows...der=Popularity

360 - 0.29 million
PS3 - 0.26 million

total sales = 0.55 million

Not much difference between EA's and 2K's NCAA Basketball games. They just don't sell very well, it seems like.

Finally, here is Madden 11's sales, just to show how much more it sells currently than the NCAA Football franchise:

http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/brows...der=Popularity

360 - 2.30 million
PS3 - 1.86 million

total sales = 4.16 million

That is not including the Wii and PSP versions, which have sold 0.49 million and 0.32 million, respectively.

So if there is room for another football game in the marketplace, it seems like it would be in the NFL, not in the NCAA.

It would have to sell a lot more than All Pro Football 2K8, though:

http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/brows...der=Popularity

360 - 0.27 million
PS3 - 0.14 million

total sales = 0.41 million

As we see with the NCAA basketball games, selling half a million games just isn't enough these days for a licensed sports game to remain profitable.

[jbrew2411]

Re: OS Roundtable: Could Another Company Succeed with Another NCAA Football Game?

wEEman, good stuff. One thing I see from those numbers is the difference between NCAA 11 sales vs NCAA 06. NCAA 06 was the pinnacle for the series. I think that was the last great NCAA game. While there are only X number of sales per year there would be no room for 2 games. The only way it might work, and it is a small chance, is the cost to produce the game was cut way down. If only they could find a way for the Chinese to make the game for them. That seems to be the only way to produce thing cheaply any more.

So from those number the answer would be they could but they would lose money. Chalk one up for EA.

[jyoung]

Re: OS Roundtable: Could Another Company Succeed with Another NCAA Football Game?

For cross-genre comparisons, here is NHL 11:

http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/brows...der=Popularity

360 - 0.54 million
PS3 - 0.34 million
Wii (NHL Slapshot) - 0.19 million

total sales = 1.07 million

Not that far behind NCAA Football. You can see why 2K sports still wants to get in the NHL market.

Now for baseball, MLB 10: The Show

http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/brows...der=Popularity

PS3 - 0.61 million
PSP - 0.19 million
PS2 - 0.16 million

total sales = 0.96 million

Just a bit less sales than NHL, but it is also at the disadvantage of not releasing on the 360, which probably would put it over.

Now, MLB 2K10:

http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/brows...der=Popularity

360 - 0.47 million
PS3 - 0.14 million
PS2 - 0.11 million
Wii - 0.20 million
PSP - 0.05 million
DS - 0.11 million

total sales = 1.08 million

Again, right on par with the NHL, despite the fact that MLB 2K releases on a large number of platforms.

For basketball, NBA 2K11:

http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/brows...der=Popularity

360 - 1.03 million
PS3 - 0.78 million
PSP - 0.23 million
PS2 - 0.17 million
Wii - 0.20 million
PC - 0.09 million

total sales = 2.50 million

More than double the sales numbers of the NHL and MLB games, though again, it benefits from releasing on a large number of platforms.

Only FIFA and Madden sell more copies than NBA 2K, and they, too, release on a bunch of different systems.

Speaking of FIFA 11:

http://gamrreview.vgchartz.com/brows...der=Popularity

360 - 2.84 million
PS3 - 3.86 million
PSP - 0.51 million
Wii - 0.70 million
PS2 - 0.54 million
PC - 0.06 million
DS - 0.38 million

total sales = 8.89 million

FIFA is the number one selling sports franchise by far. Only Madden comes close at 5.34 million total sales.

So in conclusion, the order for sales by major sports franchises would be:

1. FIFA - 8.89 million
2. Madden - 5.34 million
3. NBA 2K - 2.50 million
4. NCAA Football - 1.59 million
5. MLB 2K - 1.08 million
6. NHL - 1.07 million
7. MLB The Show - 0.96 million

These are worldwide sales, not just North American.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: OS Roundtable: Could Another Company Succeed with Another NCAA Football Game?

Well of course FIFA would be number one, soccer is the number one sport in the world.