OT: Official Video Game Thread (Part 4)

[Paralyzer]

FIFA sells like 20million copies a year.
NHL sells like 400k.


There's a monetary reason why they can spend a lot more on FIFA scouts.

Right, but does that give the company an excuse to bring garbage year after year with MINOR improvements? Money is money. We expect BETTER results year after year, not when they feel up to changing it. Smaller budget? then focus on the content of the game and not so much on the graphics.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Right, but does that give the company an excuse to bring garbage year after year with MINOR improvements? Money is money. We expect BETTER results year after year, not when they feel up to changing it. Smaller budget? then focus on the content of the game and not so much on the graphics.

Graphics are a bit of a global effort that's funded mostly by fifa, and madden.

From what I understand, their central graphics team will make changes for things like more believable lighting, better shaders, crowd, physics, etc... and then deploy it across all EA sports games.

I could be wrong, but NHL might be one of the cheapest sports games they make in terms of production costs.

400k copies means it only brings in $24million.

Totally ballpark out of my butt numbers but:
$10million goes to NHL/NHLPA & arena liscencing.

25% goes to marketing.
10% goes to print and distribution.
25% goes to Microsoft and Sony

Leaves roughly $5.6 million

Expensive as hell offices in Vancouver+higher than average staff costs. Not to mention very expensive equipment and facility costs.
(EA has a mocap facility/skating rink also used for sound).

If the execs and shareholders want this game to be profitable at all they're spending pretty much $2million a year. Mobile games and kickstarted indie games have budgets around $2million a year. It's also not a particularly prestigious title so you're not attracting high end talent to work on it.

What they're left with is maybe a team of people using absolutely as much as they possibly can from the previous year, and cobbling together incredibly quickly whatever graphical updates, and roster changes they can cram in there. It's also an annual game so whatever miniscule team they have probably has under 8 months to ship it.

Knowing EA probably 1/3rd of the team are probably managers rather than actual developers. So that 1 scout probably has 4-5 different bosses shouting at him what the stats are supposed to be.



This is totally conjecture on my part. But I'm gonna guess given they spend most of their time fixing bugs and fighting fires than actually getting to make the game play better.

 

[PuckNut]

Graphics are a bit of a global effort that's funded mostly by fifa, and madden.

From what I understand, their central graphics team will make changes for things like more believable lighting, better shaders, crowd, physics, etc... and then deploy it across all EA sports games.

I could be wrong, but NHL might be one of the cheapest sports games they make in terms of production costs.

400k copies means it only brings in $24million.

Totally ballpark out of my butt numbers but:
$10million goes to NHL/NHLPA & arena liscencing.

25% goes to marketing.
10% goes to print and distribution.
25% goes to Microsoft and Sony

Leaves roughly $5.6 million

Expensive as hell offices in Vancouver+higher than average staff costs. Not to mention very expensive equipment and facility costs.

(EA has a mocap facility/skating rink also used for sound).

If the execs and shareholders want this game to be profitable at all they're spending pretty much $2million a year.

Mobile games and kickstarted indie games have budgets around $2million a year. It's also not a particularly prestigious title so you're not attracting high end talent to work on it.

What they're left with is maybe a team of people using absolutely as much as they possibly can from the previous year, and cobbling together incrediblu quickly whatever graphical updates, and roster changes they can cram in there.

It's also an annual game so whatever miniscule team they have probably has under 8 months to ship it.

Knowing EA probably 1/3rd of the team are probably managers rather than actual developers.


So that 1 scout probably has 20 different bosses shouting at him what the stats are supposed to be.

This is totally conjecture on my part. But I'm gonna guess given they spend most of their time fixing bugs and fighting fires than actually getting to make the gameplay better.

It would be interesting to know how much EA makes on the in-game microtransactions to add to your numbers. I wouldn't be surprised if the online purchases net them around the same amount as the copies sold.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

It would be interesting to know how much EA makes on the in-game microtransactions to add to your numbers. I wouldn't be surprised if the online purchases net them around the same amount as the copies sold.

Holy jamoly. Just read this:

http://ca.ign.com/articles/2016/03/02/this-is-how-much-money-ea-makes-on-extra-content



:O

 

[syz]

Well, I finally found a game that I would probably rather play in VR.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Gears 4 this week. Really excited about it. It feels like it's been a pretty dry year for games so far.

 

[Stud Muffin]

Gears 4 this week. Really excited about it. It feels like it's been a pretty dry year for games so far.

Definitely excited for GOW4 outside of sports games and clash of clans on my phone I don't play too much. But gears 2 and 3 were awesome.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Definitely excited for GOW4 outside of sports games and clash of clans on my phone I don't play too much. But gears 2 and 3 were awesome.

Damn right they were. I loved both those games and played the multiplayer fairly extensively when I don't usually like to play games online with random people.

 

[Kerricthebig]

... Interesting

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I'm on board. Gimme.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

BF 1 Early access just dropped, game looks great, plays really well, it's a lot of fun.

 

[Kerricthebig]

So after watching the promo video for the "Switch", it appears that they are planning to have some more and better 3rd party content.

Elder Scrolls (Skyrim) and 2KSports (NBA 2K17) were shown.

Hopefully Nintendo has learned from the WiiU debacle that games are needed available at launch.

Looks cool though. Do want.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

I think the Wii U is still the best console this generation.

;P

Hope the Switch does well for Nintendo.

 

[Kerricthebig]

I think the Wii U is still the best console this generation.

;P

Hope the Switch does well for Nintendo.

I actually agree with you. Shame that it didn't get recognition (and a game library).

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I actually agree with you. Shame that it didn't get recognition (and a game library).

A large part of that was poor marketing on Nintendo's part not to mention forcing a gimmick that even they themselves didn't know what to do with.

 

[syz]

So after watching the promo video for the "Switch", it appears that they are planning to have some more and better 3rd party content.

Elder Scrolls (Skyrim) and 2KSports (NBA 2K17) were shown.

Hopefully Nintendo has learned from the WiiU debacle that games are needed available at launch.

Looks cool though. Do want.

Nintendo pretends they have 3rd party support every time they announce new hardware.

A good price and some promising launch titles would have gone a long way to making this more interesting. My interest in this thing depends entirely on whether or not it's a) cheaper than a PS4 Pro on launch, and b) has games worth buying on launch.

 

[5 14 6 1]

Civilization 6 out tonight! woohoo

 

[UnrefinedCrude]

Civilization 6 out tonight! woohoo

I stay away from that series, ever since Civ II was the first and only time I stayed up all night playing and called in "sick" to work. Just one more turn...words of the damned.

 

[Mr Tadakichi]

Civilization 6 out tonight! woohoo

Why do games have to be $80 in Canada? ****!

 

[syz]

Why do games have to be $80 in Canada? ****!

Because the Canadian dollar is back down to being Monopoly-tier.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

Anymore reviews for BF1 for console?

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Anymore reviews for BF1 for console?

I have it for PS4, plays great, looks great. The Single player is very compelling, the game play in it is obviously a toned done version of the multiplayer, but the stories are very interesting.

All the classes feel good, the guns work well, the "Netcode" is very sharp. The only gripe might be of the spawns are a little wonky, but other then that it's fantastic.

 

[drewshoo]

How has this not been posted yet? One year away still, but the anticipation kills me. Upset that it most likely won't have a day 1 PC release though.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

I have it for PS4, plays great, looks great. The Single player is very compelling, the game play in it is obviously a toned done version of the multiplayer, but the stories are very interesting.

All the classes feel good, the guns work well, the "Netcode" is very sharp. The only gripe might be of the spawns are a little wonky, but other then that it's fantastic.

Awesome. PS4 for me as well. Looks like I'm picking it up after work.

Still waiting to see how the reviews are on this: https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Assault-Commander-Controller-Officially-Licensed/dp/B01JTOWU0K

As I suck at FPS' with a controller. I will just never be good.

How long is the campaign as well?

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Awesome. PS4 for me as well. Looks like I'm picking it up after work.

Still waiting to see how the reviews are on this: https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Assault-Commander-Controller-Officially-Licensed/dp/B01JTOWU0K

As I suck at FPS' with a controller. I will just never be good.

How long is the campaign as well?

There are 5 of them, they have tend to be cinematic, so those can stretch a bit. But my experience was about 20-30 minutes a piece. I'm pretty bad, all things considered, but I still have a lot of fun.

It is engrossing, but kinda deep and respectful. The game starts by trying to give you the weight of what the war was. It's pretty intense, great way to get into the game.