EA's Move to Elite Will be a Test of Patience - RaychelSnr's Blog

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EA's Move to Elite Will be a Test of Patience Stuck

Posted on September 3, 2010 at 03:14 PM.

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I'm typically not one to call a game dead in the water a full month before release, and I'm going to try my best not to through the next 300 words or so -- although you could argue I just did.

Back in June, I wrote an article about the move to Elite was a last-ditch desperate attempt by EA to spur sales in the face of an opponent which was beating EA down at every corner.

Because, when you have a highly recognized brand which is 15+ years old, you just don't dump it if things are going well.

And now that we're seeing some gameplay video and some general impressions, I think things might just be worse than I ever thought. I'm not saying people should start piling in the lifeboats just yet, but you'd better be getting in line.

To me, the move to Elite was a move to try to garner some additional buzz to try to make up a huge sales deficit not only with NBA 2K, but with what the series used to garner. It was an odd move considering Live had been steadily improving in quality for a few years up to the point of the name change. In fact last year Live was pretty close to being a very competitive option with NBA 2K in quality, it just got trumped in sales.

The problem EA now has put themselves in is that they need an excellent game to go with the name change and by all accounts, the game very well might have actually regressed this year. I don't think EA is about to cancel the Elite series, but I also don't think fans of the series can rest easy knowing they have a guaranteed game in future years.

The series has seen a marked decline in sales, as they are down almost 75% from their peak back with NBA Live 2005. That is a giant decline, but almost every sports game has seen a decline from previous generation platforms to the current generation -- just NBA 2K has seen a far softer decline.

So my outlook is basically this: barring a disastrous retail life for Elite 11, we will see Elite 12. But unless things turn around, the series is not as profitable as it used to be and I think the suits are panicking at EA.

The real question is quickly becoming not whether Elite 11 can produce quality and sales but rather: can the suits be patient enough to allow the old Live series to be reinvented over a period of a few years?

Either way, this year is almost certainly going to NBA 2K11, and it's not even close.

Comments

# 31 ahorton100 @ Sep 5

Same for me....this is the first year that I am thinking of not buying EA NBA Live/Elite. The sad thing is I have been a loyal fan since the beginning, but now I wonder if EA knows why the loyal fans like the game. NBA Live 10 was the best basketball game on the market, but now it appears to have all changed and for what??? A game that appears to be of inferior quality. For weeks, I have watched 2K put out sizzle video after sizzle video.......honestly, I have been swayed by them. However, EA has only put out monotone videos of one guying showing how he inadvertently blocked a shot....should this be exciting..NO. Furthermore, the 2K commentary sounds great. But EA is using the best commentators in the game and you would not know it. This advantage should be demonstrated and made known, but instead it has barely been mentioned. Also, if DNA is no longer a part of the game, then I know that EA has thrown in the towel, because DNA is suppose to change all video games forever right...right. Well it has been a very good feature for NBA Live. Bottom line is I want to play an improved NBA Live 10....but if it is not the same then why wouldn't I go with a consistent winner in NBA 2K.

# 32 stlstudios189 @ Sep 5

I feel bad for the game formally known as NBA Live

# 33 cmehustle @ Sep 7

Truth is live hasn't been good in years. I think os graded them on the curve or something, it really hasn't come close to any of the 2ks since 360 has been out. The nails have been on the coffin, as a matter of fact that coffin has been buried already.

# 34 rudyjuly2 @ Sep 7

That's the problem when the suits only look at sales. Sometimes a product needs more than a year to create a new market, especially when the incumbent had a good product. It's an uphill battle and a name change is meaningless.

# 35 bbolo84 @ Sep 8

Could not agree more. Elite looks like a game lost in the past. With the way 2k11 is setting themselves up, Elite will have to do another overhaul if it wants to keep up with the competition. Thank GOD for no exclusive license for EA in the NBA! Whew

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