View Full Version : EA Responds to Sega: Slashes Sports Title Prices!
digitalpress
11-09-2004, 12:23 PM
Interesting response - though they're not going all the way down to $19.99 it's pretty clear that the ESPN series has made a dent in the EA franchise.
Huzzah for competition!
http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/09/technology/electronic_arts.reut/index.htm
The Manimal
11-09-2004, 12:57 PM
Woo hoo! Party :popcorn:
Nesmaster
11-09-2004, 12:57 PM
well thats good news, this cutback shouldve happened years ago. :D
lendelin
11-09-2004, 01:00 PM
Yep, that's really interesting.
EA didn't lower the initial release price, but the competition forced them to lower the prices significantly much earlier than usual. To lower right away the initial release price wouldn't have made sense because the big bulk of sales in the millions for a franchise like Madden occurs in the first two months.
That we get first rate games much cheaper so early after the release is a fantastic thing and won't hurt EA at all. They already sold over 3 millions of Madden and made a big profit. It is a very moderate and smart reaction by EA....and they know that Sega has to increase the release price to at least $30 at some point in the long run.
It is one example where the market mechanisms work out great (not always the case): Sega achieved their goal and profited, EA profited, and we gamers profit. All is well on the videogame front.
Huzzah for competition!
That's exactly right! Competition did it. If we had around the same marketshares for the GC, Xbox and the PS2, we would get first rate GC games cheaper much earlier. The comeptition would be great for gamers. A Super Mario Sunshine was still $30 two years after it's release becasue of relatively low sales figures of GC games in general; A distant third hardware manufacturer like N has to keep up the prices high much longer compared to a better competitive position. Higher sales figures would allow to offer triple A titles at a cheaper price relatively fast.
The more competition, the better for us gamers! The more equal the marketshares, the better for smaller developers as well becasue it gives them more leverage. (unfortunately, that's not the case today)
Good news for Sega/Visual Concepts. Has anyone played the Madden arcade game? I just saw it today. I'm not sure what it was running on. Probably a System 246 variant.
THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM
Griking
11-09-2004, 09:07 PM
Isn't this how most games are priced, over-charge for it for the first few month till all the hardcore and impatient fans make their purchases and then lower the price to a more realistic point once sales start slowing down?
digitalpress
11-09-2004, 09:38 PM
Isn't this how most games are priced, over-charge for it for the first few month till all the hardcore and impatient fans make their purchases and then lower the price to a more realistic point once sales start slowing down?
Not THIS soon, especially by EA standards. I don't know if you buy sports titles but they stay up there until just a few months before the next season comes along, then they really bottom out (like $10 or even $5). I usually wait until that time to buy, with the exception of Madden which is a time-honored DPHQ tradition to buy early (and slay competition).
DaBargainHunta
11-09-2004, 09:42 PM
I'm glad EA is responding to Sega, and huzzah for competition is right, but it's too little too late IMO. I already bought my hockey game for the year.
spoon
11-09-2004, 11:23 PM
great news for gamers!
Now, all they have to do is make madden worth buying !!!
*Me ducks out of thread* :P
Honestly though, I have to give EA big props for making a very, very good version of NBA Live this year. Just as good, if not better, than ESPN. All this coming from an ESPN fan for the past five years.
Simply Dave
11-10-2004, 05:44 PM
great news for gamers!
Now, all they have to do is make madden worth buying !!!
*Me ducks out of thread* :P
Honestly though, I have to give EA big props for making a very, very good version of NBA Live this year. Just as good, if not better, than ESPN. All this coming from an ESPN fan for the past five years.
I agree that Live was very strong this year.
SegaAges
11-10-2004, 05:55 PM
well coming from a sega fan, in the ebgames top 10 sellers for xbox, BLADOW! espn basketball is in the top 5, sorry nba live.
i had to rub one in.
thats excellent news for sega.