Topic: NBA Jam Also Coming to 360, PS3 in Reduced Form

[NWR_Neal]

It's been rumored for a while, but now it's official.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blog/23810

If you haven't heard the peculiar news, I'll spill it for you now. NBA Jam, that awesome Wii-exclusive basketball game from EA Canada, is also coming to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but not all of it is coming to those systems.

In the latest attack by EA against the sale of used games, all copies of NBA Elite 11 for 360 and PS3 will feature a one-time download code for three modes from NBA Jam. The modes in question are Play Now, Classic Campaign, and Online. So, it's basically a version of the NBA Jam we all know and love from the '90s, but with an added online component.

EA Sports is saying that they won't be selling NBA Jam on Xbox Live Arcade or PSN, and that buying NBA Elite 11 brand new will be the only way to get NBA Jam on either system.

While it's nice that more people will get to experience the new NBA Jam, a portion of the game is going to be offered to players on the other systems for free. What 360 and PS3 owners are missing out on is the Remix Tour, which features the crazy backboard bashing and boss battles. It is unknown if the Wii version will be the only one to feature the myriad of unlockables.

NBA Jam is set for an October release.

[vudu]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Wii version lacks online play, does it not?  I think that mode is exclusive to the 360/PS3 versions.

[Retro Deckades]

I don't think online play has been announced for the Wii version, but we can all hope and cross our fingers. (Perhaps foolishly)

[NWR_Neal]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Wii version lacks online play, does it not?  I think that mode is exclusive to the 360/PS3 versions.

Tentative truth.

I believe when last we heard from the dev team, they were working with online play, but were only going to implement it if it worked well.

[Jonnyboy117]

It would be quite bad PR if the free HD version had a significant feature (online) that is not included in the full price Wii version.

[Sarail]

It would be quite bad PR if the free HD version had a significant feature (online) that is not included in the full price Wii version.

I hope to hear this discussed on the next RFN, Jonny.

[Jonnyboy117]

I hope to hear this discussed on the next RFN, Jonny.

I'll leave it to the Newscast unless one of the sports fans decides to bring it up. Ultimately, I don't really care about NBA Jam.

[NWR_Neal]

I was just about to say "You'll hear it on Newscast first!"

I can imagine I'll talk about this much to Zach's chagrin.

[Pale]

Dammit. At first I was totally psyched for this news as the lack of features in the 360/PS3 versions made the decision on which system to get it on for me.

Now that I read this talkback discussion about lack of online and I'm stumped.

I could just get NBA Elite this year, but I had previously made the decision to try the non-EA NBA game instead.  Maybe I'll just go with NBA Jam only.  Who knows.

[Caliban]

I think EA is feeling the heat because their competitor has Michael Jordan. EA gives NBA Jam to PS3/360 users for free, and it includes an online feature that I'm sure many Wii users (including me) would gladly accept. They charge the Wii users full price, which I assume is just to recover from any financial loss because of NBA "Elite" 11 sales failure.

It's all my assumption of course, but when a competitor has such an iconic figure at their disposal I think that it's bound to make any company to try and do whatever it takes to minimize the forthcoming damage.

[Pale]

I think the odds of NBA Jam outselling NBA elite are extremely slim, so I wouldn't think that would be the reason.

If I had to guess I'm wondering if the visuals of NBA Jam on the PS3 and 360 aren't going to be up-res'd enough to make the game look like a real release.

We'll have to wait and see though.

[broodwars]

I think EA is feeling the heat because their competitor has Michael Jordan. EA gives NBA Jam to PS3/360 users for free, and it includes an online feature that I'm sure many Wii users (including me) would gladly accept. They charge the Wii users full price, which I assume is just to recover from any financial loss because of NBA "Elite" 11 sales failure.

It's all my assumption of course, but when a competitor has such an iconic figure at their disposal I think that it's bound to make any company to try and do whatever it takes to minimize the forthcoming damage.

While that is a possibility, I think a more likely possibility is that EA took a look at the low sales of Dead Space Extraction and other Wii games and then concluded that the Wii market is not viable (something I frankly can't blame them for thinking.  The Wii market has embraced relatively few 3rd Party Wii games, and it's not like we haven't gotten good ones).  Rather than just resigning themselves to potentially losing money on JAM in the Fall, they chose to include it with NBA Elite to try to boost sales of that game.  I don't understand why they don't just put it up on PSN/XBLA in its entirety and charge for it, but that's business for you.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Because it's a Wii "retail" exclusive.

[TJ Spyke]

The Wii market has embraced relatively few 3rd Party Wii games, and it's not like we haven't gotten good ones).

Depends on what you consider few really. Back in February Nintendo announced that 54 third party Wii games had sold at least 1 million, that is a pretty large number of games. Since many Wii games don't have a high budget, I bet many games that sold less than 1 million copies still sold enough to make a profit. As for the specific example of Dead Space: Extraction, I was disappointed but not surprised. You had the combination of a on-rails shooter (which is a niche genre that never sells that well) and the fact that it was a prequel to a game that was never released on a Nintendo system.

[vudu]

I could just get NBA Elite this year, but I had previously made the decision to try the non-EA NBA game instead.  Maybe I'll just go with NBA Jam only.  Who knows.

I'm sure the 360/PS3 download codes will appear on eBay shortly after the game launches.

[ejamer]

Not including online play for Wii would be a blow against the game, but pricing is still going to be the key factor in my decision.  Will the game cost $50, or $30, or somewhere in between?  Obviously the Wii version is going to compare badly unless it costs significantly less than NBA Elite 11 on the other consoles - where you are essentially getting two games for the price of one.

My question is: why would EA sabotage sales of the Wii version like this?  Many older gamers who would've considered buying the retail Wii version will now either wait for the inevitable price drop or just buy on the HD systems instead.  Even Wii owners who were excited about the news of a new NBA Jam have to think twice about whether the game is worth buying now... especially if their version is missing features.

[Retro Deckades]

Is anyone else worried that all the attention EA has been putting on the Wii version's single player modes might turn into "well, there is no online, but look at all this other content that you get"?

[BlackNMild2k1]

Is anyone else worried that all the attention EA has been putting on the Wii version's single player modes might turn into "well, there is no online, but look at all this other content that you get"?

That might be responded to with a "Hey, there is money in my wallet, but look at all these copies of NBA Jam I'm not buying."

[broodwars]

Is anyone else worried that all the attention EA has been putting on the Wii version's single player modes might turn into "well, there is no online, but look at all this other content that you get"?

I won't be particularly bothered if JAM on Wii doesn't have Online Play.  Online Play on the Wii is generally terrible anyway and from what I've seen very few people actually use it.  I wouldn't be surprised if EA looked at the number of players likely to actually play JAM Online on Wii and decided there wouldn't be enough players to justify the server costs.
 
Offline multiplayer is a different story, of course.

[Bboy]

Is anyone else worried that all the attention EA has been putting on the Wii version's single player modes might turn into "well, there is no online, but look at all this other content that you get"?

That might be responded to with a "Hey, there is money in my wallet, but look at all these copies of NBA Jam I'm not buying."

And of course that gives them another excuse about how their games don't sell on Wii. I'm not saying you should buy it on Wii for that reason, but it's just another example of a publisher pulling the rug out under their Wii games do to lack of confidence, which just perpetuates the cycle. Conduit has been the only time I can think of where a third party Wii game got things like, oh I don't know, ads perhaps? And Conduit sold pretty well especially considering it wasn't a great game in the most bloated genre.

[KDR_11k]

I think a more likely possibility is that EA took a look at the low sales of Dead Space Extraction

Seriously? You're going to bring DSE into a discussion about a sports game? Isn't it more likely EA will take a look at the Wii versions of FIFA, Madden or Tiger Woods?

[broodwars]

I think a more likely possibility is that EA took a look at the low sales of Dead Space Extraction

Seriously? You're going to bring DSE into a discussion about a sports game? Isn't it more likely EA will take a look at the Wii versions of FIFA, Madden or Tiger Woods?

The low sales of DSE are well-known public info and it was an easy example.  Sales for other EA SPORTS titles on Wii are not generally public info.