Big software titles flopping in the US

[shams]

johnlucas said:

shams said:
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...I think that is enough for an initial analysis. Feel free to post other titles that have been missed.

The EA situation I have noticed as well when looking at their yearly financial reports. They are in a slow decline. Actually when they bought all the pro licenses (NFL, NBA, FIFA, etc.) it seems they have been on this trend. EA I think is going to have to reevaluate how they make games from now on because their yearly sports offerings are starting to wear people down I think. And I don't think they especially speak to the newer incoming audience as well.

Sports games used to come out every other year or so once upon a time. Or would have different companies making their own sports game with their own mechanics. You got something fresh and different and the purchase didn't seem as throwaway. EA has turned everything into a yearly 'buy and forget' escapade. You wouldn't BELIEVE how many EA sports cartridges & discs I used to see at pawn shops. Going back to the SNES/PS1 time period. They were bought and then sold and the same old year game sits in the shop month after month with no one even attempting to buy it.

Even when my local Rhino's became a Gamestop (I hate Gamestop!) when they were clearing out old game inventory of all systems going back to Genesis & NES (damn I miss Rhino's man ) it was always those sports titles that were last to go. NHL 94, Madden 02, NBA Live 98. Sports games have sadly become throwaway and the lack of competition in the field is actually hurting that area of gaming.

The arcadey vs. sim variety we used to have has basically disappeared and EA is riding a waning tide. They still talk glowingly about Tecmo Bowl but who will talk glowingly years from now about Madden 06?

EA will have to change and so will all of their copycats publishers.

John Lucas

Yeah, I definitely agree.

Part of the problem as well, is there used to be significant improvements between versions for games like Madden - multiplayer, online, much better gfx, etc.

Now so much goes into "general" production, its like they have 10% of their dev time to actually WORK on the game - and the rest to just redo the HUD, team lists, tweak a few things... and refresh.

And they have added just about everything that is possible to the game that could be. So what is left to do?

That's also why I am so puzzled that Madden seems to be getting MORE buggy in recent years. I wonder if its a deliberate ploy? People play it, notice the bugs - and think "Next years version will be better". Sort of reminds me of Windows (at least a while back).

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This year they get a full year to really work on and polish everything - in all their sports titles. In many ways, '08 may be the make or break year for EA. I wonder if a 2-year dev cycle for their sports games would help - or alternate teams, like with the CoD developers?