The NHL has a size-able american market?
the Canadian market is a small niche market? whaaa?
Video games sales in Canada were around 76M this January.
Canadians spent a record $933-million on video gaming in 2006, up 22 per cent from the previous year.
I didn't know that 933M$ is a small niche.
Since when is the NHL a global powerhouse?
I have no doubts it has an american fan-base. but to think it's sizeable not likely.
I still can't find what kind of total sales figures NHL 2007 had in Canada last year or the amount of games sold for top 10 games are in canada.
but providing they are above 300K copies, it's worth it.
EA canada does want to make money, but the reason the CFL gives the 8M deposit is so that EA canada makes the game and if it a complete bust, the losses are covered so EA doesn't lose money.
There is no way NHL 2007 sold under 300K copies, they had to be around 400-500K copies sold.
Thats for a game that's released annually, I mean I have NHL games, but I didn't buy 2007.
Same with alot of people I know, simply because there is no need to buy yearly, changes are small. Waiting for 2008 edition.
You wouldn't have that with the CFL, people would know, if they don't get it now it might never happen again.
This game idea would not be a yearly one, especially not if EA keeps asking for an 8M deposit, build up is one of the best way to get high sales, and this has been building up.
But for the CFL it's about brand exposure, sure hitting the american market and trying to get sales does south is great, and should be atleast tried in some CFL friendly markets(I'd suggest Border-areas like Seattle, Buffalo, Detroit but also Baltimore(due to their CFL success) and New york largest market there is)
But the goal is, can CFL teams sell 30K games in each of their markets + Ottawa + 30K in non CFL cities across canada?
If yes they just sold 300K Copies, so each team made something like 80-110K$
Not huge, but it gives fans something they have been wanting for a long time, it gives it a shot.
there is a chance that 500K copies could get sold which means a 500K$ profit per CFL team.
Although sales would not happen overnight, it would likely take until Say CFL kickoff weekend 2008 if the game is released Febuary/March 2008 to break even, but solid profits should come in by around Labour day(100-500K per team)
481M$ spent on video games(just games, not consoles/accessories like controllers) last year/30$ per game? = 16M Games sold last year in canada.
That isn't much compared to the US, tis true.
The CFL is looking to try and be a decent part of that market(2-5%)
But that gives them alot of copies sold just being 2.5%(around 400K copies sold)
2.5% of the video gaming industry in Canada is impossible for the CFL?
that's a shot below the belt.
Moving the Release date to later in the year may be a good idea, since the Holiday Season is such a big sales time.
so a Labour Day Release could be great, have the commercials running during TSNs first Labour day coverage in 2008, have it released say the tuesday after Labour day.
