Last year, “Madden 2004” rang up 5.4 million sales in North America, making it the highest-selling game of the year. Challengers, such as SEGA Sports and Acclaim, have just been unable to compete.
But SEGA (as ESPN Videogames) is taking another run at it, in part by changing the playbook through some time-honored methods. Usually, “Madden” leads the pack in late summer, but ESPN squeaked “ESPN NFL 2K5” onto shelves in late July, while “Madden” only touches down this week.
Alone, that wouldn’t be enough to dent EA, but ESPN Videogames’ pricing of “NFL 2K5” at $20 is an all-out blitz. “This move was designed to generate trial [use] and create a larger fan base,” says Steve Raab, senior vice president of marketing at ESPN Videogames.
It’s an enormous risk, since developing games can cost millions and such a bold price move lacerates profit margins. But such a drastic measure might be enough to persuade budget-minded gamers to shy away from EA’s full-priced title. And future EA Sports games apparently will follow suit: ESPN Videogames just announced its upcoming hockey title will bow at $20 as well, a slap shot at EA’s upcoming “NHL 2005,” priced at $50.
