Could a Lockout Affect NHL 13's Sales?

Feature Article

Submitted on: 08/15/2012 by Jayson Young

Commissioner Gary Bettman and the NHL owners confirmed Thursday that the league is prepared to enter a lockout if a new collective bargaining agreement isn't reached by September 15, 2012.

With EA Sports' NHL 13 hitting stores September 11, 2012, it is becoming extremely likely that the sole surviving NHL video game franchise could release during a league-wide work stoppage which on the surface seems an exceedingly bad idea.

Could this lockout impact the sales of NHL 13? To decide, let's review a few recent league lockouts and see how their video game equivalents fared during those years.

**Sales data acquired from VGChartz, so use at your own peril for making truly accurate judgments.

2004–05 NHL Lockout (September 16, 2004 to July 22, 2005)

Year Before Lockout

NHL 2004 -- 0.97 (PlayStation 2), 0.18 (Xbox), 0.10 (Gamecube) = 1.25 million worldwide sales

Year Of Lockout

NHL 2005 -- 0.45 (PlayStation 2), 0.16 (Xbox), 0.07 (Gamecube) = 0.68 million worldwide sales

A 53% decline on the franchise's lead system (PlayStation 2) led to a massive drop in overall sales, despite the fairly steady performance on Xbox and Gamecube.

1998–99 NBA Lockout (July 1, 1998 to January 20, 1999)

Year Before Lockout

NBA Live 98 (PlayStation) = 1.51 million worldwide sales

Year Of Lockout

NBA Live 99 (PlayStation) = 1.22 million worldwide sales

The NBA Live series' PlayStation sales dropped 19%, despite the fact that NBA Live 99 faced less competition than it had the previous year. Sony's NBA ShootOut brand skipped the '99 video game season, returning the following year with NBA ShootOut 2000.

2011 NBA Lockout (July 1, 2011 to December 8, 2011)

Year Before Lockout

NBA 2K11 -- 2.02 (Xbox 360) + 1.69 (PlayStation 3) + 0.47 (Wii) + 0.38 (PSP) + 0.19 (PC) = 4.75 million worldwide sales

Year Of Lockout

NBA 2K12 -- 2.42 (Xbox 360) + 1.87 (PlayStation 3) + 0.28 (Wii) + 0.22 (PSP) + 0.14 (PC) = 4.93 million worldwide sales

Despite a slow start during the first month, Take Two's NBA 2K12 ultimately outperformed the previous year's game, scoring a 14% improvement in sales on the franchise's primary platforms (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3).

Conclusion

Considering the booming worldwide sales of 2005 sports games like Madden NFL 2005 (7.59 million), NFL 2K5 (4.26 million), NBA Live 2005 (3.93 million), NBA 2K5 (2.55 million) and MVP Baseball 2005 (2.80 million), EA Sports' NHL 2005 (0.68 million) was absolutely devastated by the NHL's most-recent lockout.

However, the NHL series' quality has improved tremendously since its run of uninspired, forgettable PlayStation 2 games. An argument could be made that the reason NBA 2K12 still sold well in the face of a lockout is the series' general perception as a high-quality sports franchise, much like EA's NHL brand.

Under that assumption, I believe NHL 13 will follow the pattern of Take Two's NBA 2K12, launching with an underperforming first month, then gradually exceeding the previous game's sales by a small margin over time.

NHL 13 Videos

Member Comments

# 41 brandon27 @ 11/19/12 12:47 PM

I still bought it... however I've rarely played it. It's a shame too, because its a great game. However, when it comes to sports games, its usually being involved in it, seeing it on TV, going to the games, watching highlights, reading news about it, that keeps me involved in the sport, which in turn seems to make me want to play the game. Im not really feeling anything hockey related lately.

They've made me hate the sport. Another lockout... Another potentially lost season... then they cancelled the Winter Classic, and have yet to refund my money of course, even though they say they will. That's another issue all together though. I'm just frustrated with the sport, and playing the game has taken a back seat to me, I've just lost interest in the sport, so the game suffers too. I'm sure when football starts winding down I'll start to play it more, but at this rate, I don't think I'll even get through a season in my GM mode.

# 42 bwiggy33 @ 11/20/12 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brandon27


	I don't think I'll even get through a season in my GM mode.

I haven't even been close to starting one. The fact that custom AI doesn't work in Be A GM and the real season not starting I have no desire to at all. However, after going to the Aeros game at the X the other day I may just start one and only play as the Aeros. They have a pretty dynamite team right now due to the lockout.

It's too bad about the Classic. Just as you I am a huge Wolverines fan and would kill to go to that Classic game even though I'm not a fan of the Wings or Leafs. It's just the sole reason of it taking place at The Big House. One day I will get there for football but it'd be even sweeter if at some point I could get there for both football and hockey. I was really looking forward to 24/7 this year and seeing The Big House get transferred into a hockey rink. It would have been sweet but sadly that won't happen.

Not only has this lockout affected the current Winter Classic, it also pushed back the 2013 classic that was very likely to have been in MN. After the Parise/Suter signings Bettman and co. came to Target Field and immediately started looking at it as a possibility for 2013. Now I have to wait until 2014 for that as well if it gets chosen. What's sad is I am willing to fork over a crap load of money to go to the Winter Classic for a league that is an absolute disaster. Pretty sad.

# 43 Vikes1 @ 11/20/12 02:17 AM

I watched a Wild game from last year tonight, vs the Preds. Ya...I'm getting kinda desperate now.

I would think if something doesn't break soon, the whole dang season is going to go down the drain. What a shame.

# 44 brandon27 @ 11/20/12 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwiggy33


	I haven't even been close to starting one. The fact that custom AI doesn't work in Be A GM and the real season not starting I have no desire to at all. However, after going to the Aeros game at the X the other day I may just start one and only play as the Aeros. They have a pretty dynamite team right now due to the lockout. It's too bad about the Classic. Just as you I am a huge Wolverines fan and would kill to go to that Classic game even though I'm not a fan of the Wings or Leafs. It's just the sole reason of it taking place at The Big House. One day I will get there for football but it'd be even sweeter if at some point I could get there for both football and hockey. I was really looking forward to 24/7 this year and seeing The Big House get transferred into a hockey rink. It would have been sweet but sadly that won't happen. Not only has this lockout affected the current Winter Classic, it also pushed back the 2013 classic that was very likely to have been in MN. After the Parise/Suter signings Bettman and co. came to Target Field and immediately started looking at it as a possibility for 2013. Now I have to wait until 2014 for that as well if it gets chosen. What's sad is I am willing to fork over a crap load of money to go to the Winter Classic for a league that is an absolute disaster. Pretty sad.

I hear ya... 110% man. I just have no desire. I bought tickets for about 10 games for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL this season just so I get to actually see some hockey, and im alot of aspects I enjoy junior hockey much more than professional anyways. It's also nice to go to a hockey game that isn't bombarded with TV timeouts during live action.

The big house.... stop wasting time and go to a football game there. It's a place like no other I've ever been. My brother is a season ticket holder, so I usually get to a couple games a year with him. Tailgating there is fantastic, the stadium is awesome, and it's really a sight to see yourself sitting in a sea of people like that, the atmosphere is just awesome too.

It's one of the big reasons I spent the ridiculous amount of money they wanted for a ticket package for the Winter Classic. The seats I got, weren't the greatest, they would have been pretty far away, but for me, it was more about being there, taking part in the spectacle that the Winter Classic is... and then magnifying it by about 3 times because its a huge rivalry that the NHL doesn't get enough of with their stupid scheduling with Detroit and Toronto... at the big house. Plus, I'm a Wings fan. Generally if you're from this area, you're either a Wings, or Leafs fan. The fact they only play once a year in the regular season is a shame in itself, the fact that they were going to play on the grandest stage of them all and the NHL has completely ruined that is an even bigger shame.

It's completely killed my passion for being a fan of hockey. At least hockey on the professional level anyways. I had the option to hang onto my seats for when they re-schedule the game next season, I laughed at them. I just can't justify giving the league, the teams my cash right now when they can't come to an agreement themselves, fighting over money. As much as I'd love to see Detroit/Toronto at the Big House, they've ruined the whole thing, to the point it just doesnt matter. Im sure when hockey comes back, and the game is coming, I'll regret that decision not to keep my tickets, however at this point in time, I'd rather have my $800 USD back, rather than the league, Wings, and Leafs sitting on my $800 for another year and a half almost.

It's a damn shame all the way around really.

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