NBA Jam Release Date, 11/17 - 49.99 - Title Update in December (360, PS3)

[Pared]

NBA Jam for the SNES was $60. Then, the minimal upgrade, T.E., was also $60.

I know, b/c I bought both on release day.

[DirtyJerz32]

Good points Pared and Giggas. That's why I changed my mind. I think initially I was up in arm because we were getting it free. It wasn't until I truly thought about it after the shock wore off that I was actually saving money and not having to worry about have a game that I didn't want in the first place.

I personally think NBA Jam is going to be a great game for me and some others because it's going to do what it is setting out to do. Be a good fun arcade game that you can play with your boys or the cpu.

I can see some serious 2 vs 2, NBA Jam tourneys going on between some OSers. I remember how much fun it was to play 4 players, 2 vs 2 at my house. Now, I get to do that all over again from my couch and play naked if I want. Sorry I had to throw that out there.

I think it will be a welcome addition to my already packed gaming rotation.

[Blzer]

Quote: Originally Posted by The GIGGAS

So you were willing to pay more for just Jam. But now that it's got more features, you're not willing to splash the dough?

I'll read the rest of your post later, but no. I was not going to buy Elite just for NBA Jam (I never was going to buy Elite), however I was hoping for them to release the same version (that is packaged with Elite) independently. If they were to just release that for $50, that would allude to Elite only being worth a $10 value, which it very well may be.

[Blzer]

Quote: Originally Posted by The GIGGAS

I don't see why you wouldn't want it. I just don't. "Hey guys, we added more features to the game, but it has to come out by itself because the other game is ****." To which OS throws a hissy fit, and decides to **** all over NBA Jam even though it looks like a fantastic game. Why, dear God, are you asking for games to be bare-boned? I... I don't get this at all! So NBA Jam should only be straight up 2 vs 2 without any modes whatsoever? Why do we even need HD?

Because I only want to play the game for the two-on-two experience. I don't know what the modes are in this game, but I won't be interested in a "franchise", or an "online play" (well I might be) or anything like that. Do I want the updated graphics? Hell yes. But the functionality of the game would not ensue me past what I originally played in the SNES version (and Jam TE).

Let me put it this way. Say there's a new line of TV's that are coming out. Obviously they are better than the old TV's, right? They have better resolution, are thinner, 240 Hz, whatever you want... the works. But let's say that they don't just have that updated stuff that you're looking for. Let's say that it also is 3D ready even though you aren't looking for a 3D experience. Let's say it has that Internet technology (I haven't researched that stuff yet) but you already have a computer or PS3 to use that on. Let's say it has much improved sound, but you already have a home theater system that takes care of that. Hell, let's say that now batteries are included for the remote but you already have batteries. My point is, they are giving you features that you either don't care for or are useless to your situation, yet if you want the upgrade you must pay for everything else that is provided with it. There's no in-between, no middle ground... actually, the only way that you can get the upgraded television without those unwanted perks is if you buy a low-jack home theater system bundle along with it, but the company decided that the bundle is not up to snuff and they're delaying it for next year. And if I wanted a TV with all of those cool perks, there are better ones out there I would rather invest in anyway, even if it's at a 20% price increase.

I hope that analogy serves well for my situation. Me playing NBA Jam means me playing what I used to play in the past, that's it. I'm not going to shell out $50 for that experience.

Quote:

I'm almost completely sure that the NBA Jam for SNES, along with every NBA Jam(+ Hangtime, Showtime, whatever) has been more than 50 dollars.

I don't remember how much they were, but I do remember that the year was also 1993. This is over 15 years later, and you believe that I shouldn't account for the game's outdated appeal? It's not like Madden is the same game from the 1990s with updated graphics and online play.

Okay, bad example... but I hope you get my point.

[Blzer]

Oh, and I should probably note that I think $60 is too much for a video game anyway (not that this is $60, but my point should be taken the same). In fact, this year's two MLB games I have yet to purchase a PS3 game on disc for its actual retail price (and I regret paying full for them as I intended on buying early and profiting).

Let's go through the list:

- Grand Theft Auto IV: $50
- Skate: $40
- SOCOM: Confrontation: $40*
- Rock Band 2 Special Edition: $110 (in December 2008, this would be considered damn cheap)
- Little Big Planet: $0 (Christmas present)
- ModNation Racers: $27*
- Skate 3: $27*
- MLB 09 The Show: $60**
- MLB 10 The Show: $60
- MLB 2K10: $60
- Blitz The League II: $10
- Uncharted 2: $40*
- Modern Warfare 2: $60**
- Backbreaker: $0 (birthday present)

* These were purchased during the Toys R Us Buy 2 Get 1 Free deal where my friends bought a game so I paid 2/3 the price of my games. While SOCOM game is $40 on its own, there's a bundle which came with the headset for a $60 value that I purchased (the headset is normally $50).

** I bought these at a place that broke the street date and sold it tax-free. I also bought it for other people, who paid roughly $70 average to me for getting it to them early and for the gas I paid for it. In the end, I profited enough where I could say I only paid about $30 per game.


When you see some of the prices on there, think of what their original prices were and how I went around the fact. I either waited for regular sales, bundles, bought them used, Black Friday, birthdays, or whatever else. As you can see, I'm not a fan of the way games are priced. Even through PSN my friend and I split the costs and share games together, but most of them are reasonably priced anyway.

Just know that I'm not the only one who can't justify paying $50 for NBA Jam, though my reasons may be different from theirs.

[DickDalewood]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pared

It's just another example of how this community doesn't even know what it wants - they just complain to complain. It's a full featured game at $50. You were getting a throw-in on the PSN/XBL when it shipped with Elite. At that time, everyone complained about having to buy Elite. "Just make it stand-alone, EA." "Add online play EA." "Why do I have to buy Elite EA?" Now, it's everything the Wii version is PLUS a full-featured online experience including tourneys and the like, at the same price. So in essence, you're getting MORE than the Wii version at the same price. Did people bitch this much when NBA Street came out? Because this is essentially the same scenario here. Heck, want a better comparison? NBA Street 2, a sequel to "more of the same" and it was heralded as one of the best in the series. Add to all that played the Wii version claim it's a blast... and it's another example of why the sports gaming industry has some of the most difficult to please consumers.

Exactly. This game literally has as many features, if not more, than many of the $60 games we buy today, and we are getting it for $10 less.

And honestly, it's consumers as a whole, it's mainly anonymous internet board "gamer" who uses these forums and others as a place to bitch and moan about every little thing he/she doesn't agree with. No matter what, most of the members on this site are NEVER happy, NEVER enjoy these titles, and ALWAYS feel like they are being ripped off.

I'm a supervisor at Best Buy, and I deal with the everyday/****** gamer on an hourly basis, and believe me, this site is NOT a representative of the whole. If it was, I'd give up gaming altogether and find a different hobby, as there is no WAY I could deal with being grouped into a majority crowd full of whiners and tantrum-throwing babies.

Thank God for the real world.

[NC State-31 UNC-27]

nobody cared about it being $50 on the Wii because nobody has a Wii.

there are two sides here.

a. people who planned on having it for FREE with Elite and now have to pay $50 for it (maybe they don't care about the extra features, just want to play the CPU)...reasonably upset I would say.
b. people who still think it's good value and don't mind paying for it because it has more features than they expected.

neither side is wrong.

but it does really irk me that a mod is in here being blatantly ignorant and refusing to see the view of the other side and taking shots at the "community"

[The GIGGAS]

Quote: Originally Posted by Blzer

Let me put it this way. Say there's a new line of TV's that are coming out. Obviously they are better than the old TV's, right? They have better resolution, are thinner, 240 Hz, whatever you want... the works. But let's say that they don't just have that updated stuff that you're looking for. Let's say that it also is 3D ready even though you aren't looking for a 3D experience. Let's say it has that Internet technology (I haven't researched that stuff yet) but you already have a computer or PS3 to use that on. Let's say it has much improved sound, but you already have a home theater system that takes care of that. Hell, let's say that now batteries are included for the remote but you already have batteries. My point is, they are giving you features that you either don't care for or are useless to your situation, yet if you want the upgrade you must pay for everything else that is provided with it. There's no in-between, no middle ground... actually, the only way that you can get the upgraded television without those unwanted perks is if you buy a low-jack home theater system bundle along with it, but the company decided that the bundle is not up to snuff and they're delaying it for next year. And if I wanted a TV with all of those cool perks, there are better ones out there I would rather invest in anyway, even if it's at a 20% price increase. I hope that analogy serves well for my situation. Me playing NBA Jam means me playing what I used to play in the past, that's it. I'm not going to shell out $50 for that experience.

Ok, wait wait, pause pause. We're comparing a 50 dollar video game to a thousand dollar plus television. Fifty dollars to over one thousand. Theoretically, if the cost of these two things were similar, I'd give you this. But for 50 dollars, you can buy NBA Jam which will probably give most nostalgic gamers over 20 hours of game play (including the Remix mode and the online mode) which is $2.50 for every hour. I understand that for some people, a 50 dollar purchase isn't an impulse... but to compare it with a television is just bizarre to me.

Quote:

I don't remember how much they were, but I do remember that the year was also 1993. This is over 15 years later, and you believe that I shouldn't account for the game's outdated appeal? It's not like Madden is the same game from the 1990s with updated graphics and online play. Okay, bad example... but I hope you get my point.

Very bad example. NBA Jam doesn't have a yearly iteration and is based on nostalgic arcade action (what you want), which by the IGN review, does well. Madden is yearly and is based on simulation, which by OS' decree, could do a lot better.

You want to play the game, but you say it's outdated. They give you more modes to make the game more modern, but then you say you don't want them, and you won't pay for them.

I also don't see how 50 dollars is too much for a video game experience (depending on hours given). I'm going to compare it with a movie and a ballgame.

Movie (in theatre): 2 hours for 15 bucks
Video Game: 20 hours for 50 bucks (we're using NBA Jam in this case)
MLB Game: 69 dollars for 4 hours (regular season, middle of the season, middle of the week, Redbird club)

If we were to compare the three experiences with dollars per hour:

Movie: $7.50 per hour
Video Game: $2.50 per hour
MLB Game: $17.25 per hour

Plus, you can also play that video game whenever you like, for as long as you like. In the theatre, you see that one movie at a set time. That MLB game only happens once.

I perhaps overestimated the length of the game. But if the length is anywhere over 6 hours 40 minutes in your time with NBA Jam, it has given you a better value than the other options, and an ability to interact with not only the game, but other people.