Madden Sales Down 18% Y-o-Y in October

[kjcheezhead]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

I'm sticking with the way I felt for most of my life. I'm also basing this on personal and business experiences. I still feel, generally speaking, that competition is a good thing to make a product better. I'm not saying it's a guarantee or a given, but overall, competition, in most cases, can't hurt.

This is how I see it as well. Basically one of the companies usually steps it up and provides a better service/product. In the rare cases that doesn't happen, consumers lower their standards a bit and find what they get more enjoyable simply because they still can choose the product that is closest to what they are looking to buy.

[Blue Line]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

I'm sticking with the way I felt for most of my life. I'm also basing this on personal and business experiences. I still feel, generally speaking, that competition is a good thing to make a product better. I'm not saying it's a guarantee or a given, but overall, competition, in most cases, can't hurt.

not only can't competition hurt, its necessary for a continuance of improvement in a series. without competition there is no challenge for the devs to deliver a product that everyone is asking for. anyone who thinks that the lack of competition isn't a major part of the problem is simply wrong.

[Only1LT]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

I'm sticking with the way I felt for most of my life. I'm also basing this on personal and business experiences. I still feel, generally speaking, that competition is a good thing to make a product better. I'm not saying it's a guarantee or a given, but overall, competition, in most cases, can't hurt.

Quote: Originally Posted by kjcheezhead

This is how I see it as well. Basically one of the companies usually steps it up and provides a better service/product. In the rare cases that doesn't happen, consumers lower their standards a bit and find what they get more enjoyable simply because they still can choose the product that is closest to what they are looking to buy.

Quote: Originally Posted by Blue Line

not only can't competition hurt, its necessary for a continuance of improvement in a series. without competition there is no challenge for the devs to deliver a product that everyone is asking for. anyone who thinks that the lack of competition isn't a major part of the problem is simply wrong.

Who ever said that competition can hurt? I'm pretty sure no one.

All that has been said is that it doesn't guarantee that the game will be better, and it's taken, I don't know how many pages, for some to finally acknowledge this fact.

I'm need a drink lol.

[tlc12576]

Quote: Originally Posted by Only1LT

Who ever said that competition can hurt? I'm pretty sure no one. All that has been said is that it doesn't guarantee that the game will be better, and it's taken, I don't know how many pages, for some to finally acknowledge this fact. I'm need a drink lol.

On this point LT, Im saying it. LOL

It can't hurt the consumer or the NFL video game market but it can hurt the actual game of Madden, ala NBA Live. Competition ended that game and probably had alot to do with NBA Elite being unreleased this year. In the long run this MIGHT all make NBA Elite a better game but right now, competition HURT EA's NBA series.

I am surprised so many people believe competition makes Madden improvement a given. I wonder how many people believe in spontaneous generation around here too. LOL ( Just because maggots appear on rotten meat doesn't mean rotten meat produces maggots. Likewise, just because EA has improved games with competition doesn't mean competition produces improved EA games)

Once again, I LONG FOR THE DAY that competition returns to NFL video games so I can have choice again. That said, competition DOES NOT mean EA will produce a better NFL video game, anything can happen.

[bearschicago]

Quote: Originally Posted by Only1LT

Absolutely, 100% true, but you are attempting to create an argument or discussion, where there really is none, which is what I have been trying to convey. Comp does not guarantee a better game. You agree with that. There are those that don't. And it is to those that tlc's and my post were aimed at. If you don't fall in that category, then it should really be end of discussion. There are obviously other benefits of comp, like having choice, and I was never, and would never, dispute that.

Say EA also had the NBA exclusive license (I believe EA actually approached NBA in 05 and NBA said no because they wanted competition).

If there was no other choice, the game that was cancelled in Elite 11 would not have been cancelled. Why? Because there is no other NBA game for consumers to compare it to.

So you either buy Elite 11 or not. Thankfully with competition customers have choices which makes all of us happy.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by tlc12576

On this point LT, Im saying it. LOL It can't hurt the consumer or the NFL video game market but it can hurt the actual game of Madden, ala NBA Live. Competition ended that game and probably had alot to do with NBA Elite being unreleased this year. In the long run this MIGHT all make NBA Elite a better game but right now, competition HURT EA's NBA series. I am surprised so many people believe competition makes Madden improvement a given. I wonder how many people believe in spontaneous generation around here too. LOL ( Just because maggots appear on rotten meat doesn't mean rotten meat produces maggots. Likewise, just because EA has improved games with competition doesn't mean competition produces improved EA games) Once again, I LONG FOR THE DAY that competition returns to NFL video games so I can have choice again. That said, competition DOES NOT mean EA will produce a better NFL video game, anything can happen.

How do we know competition ended NBA Elite? Just like we don't know if competition has an influence on making products better, how do we know it was competition that led them to close shop and retool? We can speculate that was part of the issue, but it's not a given or guarantee. It could be because they listened their core audience and to the premature meta critic scores as well.

I'm sure they are hoping for a short term pain for a long term gain.

[spankdatazz22]

Quote: Originally Posted by tlc12576

It can't hurt the consumer or the NFL video game market but it can hurt the actual game of Madden, ala NBA Live. Competition ended that game and probably had alot to do with NBA Elite being unreleased this year. In the long run this MIGHT all make NBA Elite a better game but right now, competition HURT EA's NBA series.

I'd say the quality of the product killed NBA Elite. If EA had NBA exclusivity, do you believe EA still would've chosen not to release Elite? Now translate that to EA/Tiburon and Madden.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by spankdatazz22

I'd say the quality of the product killed NBA Elite. If EA had NBA exclusivity, do you believe EA still would've chosen not to release Elite? Now translate that to EA/Tiburon and Madden.

This is my belief as well.