NBA 2K14 is the #1 Selling Sports Title on Next-Gen Consoles, 4th Overall

[Sundown]

Quote: Originally Posted by spankdatazz22

I don't mean to give the impression that you have to buy their products no matter what. What I feel some of you try to do though is say you're a faithful fan as reasoning why 2K should listen to you, when you're really only buying the product because you have no other options. You've said yourself you'd prefer to have another competitor to give you other options. Again, I don't see anything wrong with that. But imo you're trying to have it both ways by trying to saying you're a faithful fan but at the same time saying you wish there was another option to choose from. True fans are with a product up or down.

2K would never listen to your definition of a "true fan". Why should they?

That's not a fan. That's a fanboy.

True fans are those that have been with the franchise for the recent majority of it's releases, appreciate what the title has done, root for it to succeed, and will extend some amount of good will if the game moves in the right direction overall even if it is imperfect.

Fanboys are suckers and free money. Their undiscerning buying patterns mitigate the impact of voices that matter and that a company is often best served listening to.

Of course, if a company continually tunes out true fans and eventually turns them into non-fans, it's not because those fans weren't "true". It's because they did something drastically wrong or chose to abandon those fans in pursuit of others.

Also, the sports team analogy doesn't work the way you frame it. One can support a team without committing to it financially and one's association and loyalty to that team has to do with much more than merchandising and market give and take. In fact, some true fans will boycott games to send a message to the management if that management seems to care more about making quick bucks than putting out a winning team. This is actually a closer parallel to what VDusen is doing.

However, treating brands like sports teams and associating oneself with a product without being discerning or being willing to forgo purchases of a sub par product (see the Live forums and any XBox vs PS4 flame war) is what's wrong with a lot of mindless consumerism today.

To misquote Fight Club, you are not your Live. You are not your 2K.

Point is, 2K should listen to guys that "get it" and that 2K once "got". How you want to parse the way they phrase their loyalty is irrelevant in the end.

[2K Labs]

Quote: Originally Posted by spankdatazz22

I don't mean to give the impression that you have to buy their products no matter what. What I feel some of you try to do though is say you're a faithful fan as reasoning why 2K should listen to you, when you're really only buying the product because you have no other options. You've said yourself you'd prefer to have another competitor to give you other options. Again, I don't see anything wrong with that. But imo you're trying to have it both ways by trying to saying you're a faithful fan but at the same time saying you wish there was another option to choose from. True fans are with a product up or down. There are some people that are fans of either Sony or Microsoft. Apple or Android. Those are true fans of those products imo. I prefer my 360 but I don't have a huge preference to either Sony or Microsoft - I'm not going to paint myself as a true Sony fan in the way someone who's REALLY a fan and only purchases their products is. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see how you can say you're a true fan if you choose to walk the fence. There's nothing wrong with it and it's what most consumers do. But I don't see how you can have it both ways.

So....here's a question: If HBO decided to make more seasons of The Wire, but this time around it was more of a slapstick comedy about the wives of police detectives...would you still be a "fan"? In order to keep your 'fan-card', would you have to ride out the lows and the highs and keep insisting it's the best show on TV?

I would call you a loyal fan who would be (hopefully) unhappy with the direction that your favorite TV show had taken...much like the people in this forum. You're confusing 'fan-boyism' with being a a true fan. Then to confuse issues even further, you're comparing it to being a fan of a particular team...which is one of the few places that being a blind fan-boy is somewhat acceptable.

[tril]

congrats to the 2k NBA basketball team.
The entire team really seems to be passionate about basketball, and it shows.
There are folks complaining about the gaming being bare-bones, but IMO thats not a big issue.
Folks fail to realize that the mission for the first wave of games on next gen releases should be to display the next gen capabilities graphics wise, while providing solid game play mechanics.
Im sure all the features that were stripped out will be re-implemented in the future releases. There were a few missteps with VC system, but Im sure 2k, in the future, will fine tune that system. Its all about learning, mastering, and maximizing the next gen capabilities.

[Melbournelad]

Quote: Originally Posted by kjcheezhead

Even counting worldwide sales, no basketball game has ever outsold madden and 2k did it with another basketball game competing. That's impressive on its own. But personally I think it says more about how stale madden has become tho and the reputation 2k created with the ps3/360 games than how good next gen is going off what I've read.

Can you provide a link for that? Thanks

[spankdatazz22]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sundown

Also, the sports team analogy doesn't work the way you frame it. One can support a team without committing to it financially and one's association and loyalty to that team has to do with much more than merchandising and market give and take. In fact, some true fans will boycott games to send a message to the management if that management seems to care more about making quick bucks than putting out a winning team. This is actually a closer parallel to what VDusen is doing.

And that's fine. But there are quite a few of those that have been vocal that aren't just choosing to just boycott the title, but also endorsing something else. Or openly stating they wish they had something else to go to. And that's why I'd say those are people that simply want the best product available, period. And as I've said, there's nothing wrong with that. I don't like the Steelers hired Todd Haley as OC. I may choose not to go to Steelers games to show my displeasure. But I'm not going to become a Bengals fan because of it. Many of the people complaining the loudest aren't just sitting this game out, they're openly endorsing choosing going to another product. Or saying they wish there was another product that merited going to.

Obviously we're all fans of NBA2K on some level. But the discussion started down this path regarding what constituted a faithful fan and that 2K was taking a path that wasn't in line with what it's faithful fans wanted. I'm a fan of Sony. I'm a fan of Microsoft. I've purchased all of their systems. Am I a faithful fan of either? No, I don't feel I am. And I know I've said MY definition of a faithful fan would be a fanboy. At the end of the day it's silly to parse words to this degree so I shouldn't have gone down this path because it's sidetracking the thread.

[Introvese]

Quote: Originally Posted by Melbournelad

Can you provide a link for that? Thanks

No link needed. Its pretty much common knowledge.


EA investors are furious right now. Never thought i would see the day when 2k hoops would out sell Madden. I am truly shocked. We as fans finally spoke to EA. Now 2k gotta get that same pressure we put on EA.

[bumpyface]

I'm glad to hear these responses. I'm hoping that we the customers wise up and stop paying full price for a half product. I'm speaking for all Americans when I say we need to hold this companies accountable for their product. Those of you listening should ask yourself, if you went to work and didn't do your job, would you keep it? I hope 2k is listening. It's time 2k addressed these legacy issues that have been plauging their franchise for years.

[Melbournelad]

Quote: Originally Posted by Introvese

No link needed. Its pretty much common knowledge. EA investors are furious right now. Never thought i would see the day when 2k hoops would out sell Madden. I am truly shocked. We as fans finally spoke to EA. Now 2k gotta get that same pressure we put on EA.

No it's not common knowledge, so I stand by my original question. I'd be curious to see worldwide sales of Madden and 2k in recent years, because OUTSIDE of the USA basketball is far more popular than American football.