NBA Jam Comes to PS3/360

[BreakABone]

In one of the more bizarre moves I've ever seen a company move, EA has announced that NBA jam will come bundled for free with copies of NBA Elite. The version included is mostly the Wii version without the Remix mode attached, and up to 4 players online.

So as it stands now, you can pay full price for a Wii game (that has no announced online)

Or potentially buy a game you don't want to get a game you do want, just missing some of the newer features.

Either way, it makes the other seem eh

http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/videogames/blog/_/name/thegamer/id/5433064/nba-elite-11-include-free-downloadable-version-nba-jam?readmore=fullstory

[Typhoid]

How is it a bizarre move to you?

[BreakABone]

How is it a bizarre move to you?

You don't think that gimping the sales of one version of a game because you're giving it away for free on 2 other consoles is bizarre?

Or the fact that the free version is more like a demo of the full game.

Really, no one wins. You get in on 360/Ps3 you miss out on the new mode/boss battles.

You get it on Wii and you are being price ripped off

[uber_paddler]

I don't know how much of an overlap there is between people who are into NBA Live and people who are into NBA Jam. I can see a lot of people being interested in Jam, but not at all interested in Live. Kinda two different markets. Bad call, I think.

[Typhoid]

You don't think that gimping the sales of one version of a game because you're giving it away for free on 2 other consoles is bizarre?

How will that gimp the sales?

They're obviously trying to bolster the sales of NBA Live 11 by adding in an HD version of NBA Jam. Let's face it, it really costs nothing for them to essentially port over a Wii title to PS3/360. This way they give people extra incentive to get NBA Live, considering it comes with NBA Jam.

This just means they're not confident that A) NBA Jam would sell on PS3/360 or that NBA Live 11 will sell. So doing a 2 for 1 type of thing solves that.

Besides, they're both made by EA - and EA will make boatloads of money from the people who buy Jam for the Wii, and from people who buy Live on the 360/PS3 - so if they want to include Jam with Live as an extra incentive, this just means they'll make even more money, in theory.

[TheGame]

Yup they're trying to pump up NBA Live sailes... oh wait I mean "elite". 2K will demolish it again in sales I believe though. I hope EA never buys the exclusive rights to the NBA like they did the NFL and NCAA basketball... if they ever do I would cry.

[Typhoid]

I've never played a 2K NBA game. Only 2K hockey, and it was terrible in comparison to the EA version.

However considering this one [2K] has Jordan in it [whom I am a very very large fan of] I might get it.

I just really wish they included the Vancouver Grizzlies in a game, though - for some reason.

Edit: I just found out that EA branched Live into two games; Elite, and Jam. That makes a little more sense now. The more you know.

[BreakABone]

I understand why they are doing it.

At the end of the day, Elite is a bigger gamble for them then Jam, but it still doesn't make sense.

As it stands now, you'd have to be pretty dense to buy the Wii version of the game, but also the market for Jam isn't always the same for a sim basketball game so people may not feel obligated to buy Elite just to get an online enabled Elite.

And I'm sure this will be a reseller's nightmare within a week

[manasecret]

A few questions:

1. Is Jam for Wii priced in the $50 range? If that's the case -- then balls on my face. Jam should be a $20 or less game on Wiiware.

2. It sounds like they will not sell Jam separately for PS3, is that right? More balls on my face.

3. The Wii Jam is not online capable? And the PS3 Jam is?

[BreakABone]

A few questions:

1. Is Jam for Wii priced in the $50 range? If that's the case -- then balls on my face. Jam should be a $20 or less game on Wiiware.

2. It sounds like they will not sell Jam separately for PS3, is that right? More balls on my face.

3. The Wii Jam is not online capable? And the PS3 Jam is?

And now you see why I think this is a bad decision all around. There's no real good option if you just wanted Jam.

1) They haven't announced it yet, but all signs point to it being a full price retail game.
It wouldn't fit on WiiWare. The limitations of the service really hurt it at times.

2) As far as they are saying, it won't be available outside of a $60 game, but I would imagine early next year.

3) They are working on it, but right now its touch and go.

[BreakABone]

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Yeah not really sure how they are gonna get around this one when they keep pimpin it as FREE, and then expect people to pay. Alas

[BreakABone]

<object id='vid_3294344' width='480' height='270' data='http://media.ign.com/ev/embed.swf' type='application/x-shockwave-flash'><param name='movie' value='http://media.ign.com/ev/embed.swf' /><param name='allowfullscreen' value='true' /><param name='allowscriptaccess' value='always' /><param name='bgcolor' value='#000000' /><param name='flashvars' value='vgroup=nbajam_trl_remixsizzle_82410&object=56365'/></object><div style='width:480;'><a href='http://wii.ign.com/objects/056/056365.html'>NBA Jam at IGN.com</a></div>

New Remix mode trailer

I'm not certain, but believe this is the stuff not in the 360/PS3 version

[gekko]

I thought WB bought all Midway's assets? When did EA purchase the rights to NBA Jam? And who owns the rights to Blitz, Hitz, and Slugfest?