2K Sports released an NFL game called 2K4, which was a great game, from what I heard (here is one satisfied person):
Instead of making another game like that, though, 2K decided to make 2K5 like Madden, release it early, and sell it for a low price of 19.99.
That made the NFL upset. They saw that as a bargain basement price, and the NFL isn't bargain basement.
As a result, they decided to give the exclusive license to the right bidder. EA wasn't the lowest, but they won because of bid and their reputation in the football market. NFL gaming hasn't been the same.
What if 2K would have just kept making their games the same way with the same price, and never made the biggest mistake in sports gaming history? Would they still be making games today?
Instead of making another game like that, though, 2K decided to make 2K5 like Madden, release it early, and sell it for a low price of 19.99.
That made the NFL upset. They saw that as a bargain basement price, and the NFL isn't bargain basement.
As a result, they decided to give the exclusive license to the right bidder. EA wasn't the lowest, but they won because of bid and their reputation in the football market. NFL gaming hasn't been the same.
What if 2K would have just kept making their games the same way with the same price, and never made the biggest mistake in sports gaming history? Would they still be making games today?