2k10 sales so far...not looking good

[Flyermania]

I saw this posted over at 2khockey.net....apparently VGChartz.com shows that 2k10 only sold just over 6,500 copies in the first week of release. That's only $325,000 in sales --- even if the numbers are off somewhat, that's not good at all.

I do enjoy some aspects of 2k10 and feel it is an improvement over 2k9, but low sales make me concerned that it may be be financially feasible to continue this series for VC/2k. We all know how a lack of competition worked for football...

I'm sure the holidays will spark some sales, but how much will that really help?

I really wish they would market this game more. Anyone else concerned?

[ezio]

Yes definetely a concern especially since I actually prefer 2K this year. If those numbers are accuarte they may not be able to justify another release which means it will only be EA and as you pointed out we saw the impact that had on Madden although I do think Madden is good this year.

[CWSapp757]

Yeah, its definitely a concern for me because I really feel like this is the better hockey game. However, I know that consistent lack of sales will ultimately lead to their demise. Hopefully something can be done in time to prevent this from happening but it really isn't looking too good.

[daflyboys]

Don't worry..... word of mouth will save this game.

[Money99]

Man that sucks. It really, really sucks.
NHL2K10 is a very good hockey game. I have my gripes about it but there's so much to like about this title.

I think the biggest reason for the low sales are this:

1. No demo.
2. Game doesn't play well out of the box resulting in poor critic reviews.
3. Not nearly enough marketing.
4. EA's game is extremely popular.

#4 can be attributed to the fact that EA had 2 years to get ready for the next-gen launch and built a new engine from scratch. And their control scheme was revolutionary.

However, it was only 4 short years ago that 2K had slightly more than 50% of the market share, so there's a chance it could happen again.

For 2K11, they need to market the crap out of it and find a way to make it 'sexy'.
But marketing costs money and I fear the bigwigs at 2K don't give their NHL series nearly as much resources as their NBA or MLB games get. That's a shame.

I had my worries that 2K10 would be so close to greatness only to have the series canceled. I hope that doesn't become reality.

[RealmK]

But hey marketing doesnt matter! am I rite? College Hoops here we come.

[Scottdau]

Has hockey ever sold good? I know EA has, but that is EA. You can put the name EA on this game and it will sell a lot. EA name alone sell games, so my question is has the 2K hockey ever sold well in the past. I know a lot of people like 2k hockey back in the day, but I never bought hockey games back then. So I am curious how good sales where then.

[Scottdau]

Quote: Originally Posted by RealmK

But hey marketing doesnt matter! am I rite? College Hoops here we come.

If they are going that route it is their own fault. They need to market better then they have been. If it still does bad then they can go that route. Maybe that is 2k big shots plan is to axe this game and go straight after the Wii players. I don't have a problem wit the way they marekt their game as long as they aren't upset for not getting sales. If they are they need to go a different market approach. That is on them.

[Money99]

Quote: Originally Posted by Scottdau

Has hockey ever sold good? I know EA has, but that is EA. You can put the name EA on this game and it will sell a lot. EA name alone sell games, so my question is has the 2K hockey ever sold well in the past. I know a lot of people like 2k hockey back in the day, but I never bought hockey games back then. So I am curious how good sales where then.

2K outsold EA in 2005 and 2006 I believe.
In fact, (if I can find the numbers) I think 2K outsold EA for at least 3 years in a row 2K4-2K6.

So 2K can't use that as an excuse. This series was more popular than EA's for a handful of years. It's actually the exact reason why EA turned the series around and made it more realistic starting with the next-gen games.

If 2K could have built an engine from scratch, and utilize a control scheme as wildly popular as the skill stick when the Xbox 360 hit markets, I would wager 2K would still be on top.

[Scottdau]

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

2K outsold EA in 2005 and 2006 I believe. In fact, (if I can find the numbers) I think 2K outsold EA for at least 3 years in a row 2K4-2K6. So 2K can't use that as an excuse. This series was more popular than EA's for a handful of years. It's actually the exact reason why EA turned the series around and made it more realistic starting with the next-gen games. If 2K could have built an engine from scratch, and utilize a control scheme as wildly popular as the skill stick when the Xbox 360 hit markets, I would wager 2K would still be on top.

Got you, thanks.