OS Roundtable: Can a College Basketball Game Succeed in 2011?

[Agent 007]

I do like the idea of some sort of down-loadable content because ultimately I think EA/2k would do this if it were cost-effective.

[stlstudios189]

Just release a new game every other year with a downloadable update inbetween for $15 or whatever. I would buy College Hoops 2k12 and 2k12.5 you would be the only game in the genre if marketing was done properly and tied into their sucess with NBA 2k series you would easily sell 200,000 copies. Watch every Duke, MSU, Texas, North Carolina, and OSU game they are sold out every darn game. There is an audience to be captured.

[Gramps91]

I would buy one opening day. I think it would do well.

[khaliib]

A cheap little cost way for 2k would be to have a DLC editor that allows teams/conferences to be made and injected into NBA 2k.

The DLC Editor allows...
-Teams/Uni's to be made
-Conferences makeup
-Stadium/Court design
-Fictional College Coaches (can be edited) that interface with the NBA side
-Playbook editor (per team)
-Tournament setup
etc....

I'm sure others could add to what DLC could have.

I wouldn't mind having the ability to create a Basketball game with Females.
WNBA, College etc...

As DLC, they make profit and most importantly, it's optional.
Most would purchase just to see what it looks/play like.

[Boogiemanjay]

Add my player to it and it's instantly becomes a must buy because everyone wants to be a
Number 1 pick will it be you mark this down for the slogan !!!

[The Adjustment Burea]

A cheap little cost way for 2k would be to have a DLC editor that allows teams/conferences to be made and injected into NBA 2k.

The DLC Editor allows...
-Teams/Uni's to be made
-Conferences makeup
-Stadium/Court design
-Fictional College Coaches (can be edited) that interface with the NBA side
-Playbook editor (per team)
-Tournament setup
etc....

I'm sure others could add to what DLC could have.

I wouldn't mind having the ability to create a Basketball game with Females.
WNBA, College etc...

As DLC, they make profit and most importantly, it's optional.
Most would purchase just to see what it looks/play like.

I REALLY like this idea...hey guys, let's get a petition on this.

[StevenSeagalsLipitor]

I'm not going to pay $60 for teams with fake players, I wanted real names in my college basketball, they should try to work something out with the NCAA if they make a new college basketball game.

[whittleboy615]

Re: OS Roundtable: Can a College Basketball Game Succeed in 2011?

I don't think the 2-year dev cycle would work very well. It seems like one of the biggest expenses for NCAA games is the cost of the NCAA license. Since they pay for the licensing in advance, it would make more sense to release a game every year to maximize time-sensitive profits. Its also questionable that a stand-alone, $15 downloadble game could make enough money to justify the cost of the license.

I like the idea of the January release date for a College Hoops game. EA tried this with MM 07 and failed miserably. However, they didn't have a record-selling NBA 2K11 (or a decent gameplay engine) to use as a marketing tool. In addition, they probably lost a portion of sales to people who bought CH 2K7 at release and then didn't need a second CBB game in January.

Another thing that most people overlook is the Sam Keller/Ed O'Bannon lawsuit. I really don't think we are going to see a new NCAA game until that is settled. EA removed all 65+ of their classic teams from NCAA Basketball 10 in fear of having to give up its profits. Game companies are actually taking those suits seriously.

[whittleboy615]

Re: OS Roundtable: Can a College Basketball Game Succeed in 2011?

I'm not going to pay $60 for teams with fake players, I wanted real names in my college basketball, they should try to work something out with the NCAA if they make a new college basketball game.

Interesting. So the 2K Share/EA Locker features aren't good enough for you?

I kind of figured that most people who visit online gaming forums would be knowledgeable and willing to download roster files with names and appearance edits. I bet there are tons of people with this opinion who are completely oblivious to the fact that sites like OS even exist.

[sithlord06]

Doesnt EA hold licensing to college B-Ball too? If so, I would not want their game. 2K8 was a great college game and I would welcome a DLC update for 2012, it would be incredible to see the subtle changes and college atmosphere placed on a game that I know 2K could develop. Imagine, a hyper version of 2K11 (best basketball game ever) on a college level with recruiting, March tournament, juco transfers, one and done freshmen, this should excite any true lover of hoops.

[whittleboy615]

Re: OS Roundtable: Can a College Basketball Game Succeed in 2011?

Doesnt EA hold licensing to college B-Ball too? If so, I would not want their game. 2K8 was a great college game and I would welcome a DLC update for 2012, it would be incredible to see the subtle changes and college atmosphere placed on a game that I know 2K could develop. Imagine, a hyper version of 2K11 (best basketball game ever) on a college level with recruiting, March tournament, juco transfers, one and done freshmen, this should excite any true lover of hoops.

The licensing is a contract that has to be renewed/repurchased continually. Currently, no one has the license. If someone did, they would have published a game to make money. It wouldn't make sense to buy the license and just sit on it.

[jconpoet]

to answer the guy that mentioned putting NCAA and NBA in the same game... I recall an SNES game doing this with football with the exception that they didn't have the NCAA or NFL licensing for the real teams and players and it was pretty good and fun for what it was in its day... and that would be the only way a game developer could put college and pro sports in the same game is without the licensing seeing as someone like Kemba Walker isn't yet in the NBA Players Union which offers their licensing to allow for majority of the NBA players to appear in games like the NBA 2K series, the NCAA license wouldn't allow for Kemba to officially be in the game only "UConn PG #15".

The best bet is for 2K to release College Hoops 2K on the same night as Midnight Madness which is the first official day of practice for college basketball teams or wait until the end of February and release it as people prepare for March Madness and the Final Four

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

Re: OS Roundtable: Can a College Basketball Game Succeed in 2011?

Could 2K make a game with one of those editors like the old NHL games had where you could take a photograph and basically scan the face into the game and couple that with 2k share and people would have a way to get their players to really look real

[Behindshadows]

If they don't release one, we'll just keep modding the game.....

I agree the market for it is strong and selling it cheaper isn't going to solve the problem, it's just going to make it worse. Remember NFL 2k5 $20 now gone!

The cost of the license vs the sales of the game is what ended College Basketball games. So lowering the price will just cause more issues. So we can eliminate that suggestion, but what they do need to do is release the game before the NBA title and really market it too death with real highlights of last season.

Pump it up, during commercials of NCAA games on tv, ESPN, TNT, TBS, CBS, etc. Especially around tournament time, to sale those copies that didn't in the beginning of the season.

People will buy it, they just have to do better marketing, less on the web and more in the real world.

[supermanemblem]

They can start by negotiating more favorable licensing fees with the NCAA and remind them of their mission. Now that the NCAA has gone a couple of years without the cash, exposure and interest that a game would bring, they may liwer their demands. Second, pool creative and design processes with the NBA product, economies of scale. I'm not convinced that downloadable versions or moving the date will help. They need more aggressive marketing of the product--ads, sponsorships on major network games and promotional bus tours. They can find youngsters who would love to tour the country partying and playing video games. Madden is a powerhouse and yet EA promotes the game like mad. Marketing doesn't have to be expensive to get the job done.