EA Sports and NASCAR

I hope the initial panic is unwarranted, but I can't help but have the same sentiments about the new agreement between EA Sports and NASCAR. If you haven't heard about this and want the official details, check out the following URL: http://irlinsider.adnetweb.com/sims/pdpi/ I find it hard to believe that this means Papyrus is out of the picture, because there is no way NASCAR could legally allow EA Sports exclusive rights for interactive NASCAR games when Papyrus already has the rights for producing the Busch Grand National package and NASCAR Manager this winter. HOWEVER, I would not be surprised if EA Sports outbid Papyrus for the license. EA is a much larger company than Papyrus and Sierra On-Line combined. You only need to look at its television advertising to know that EA has much more money to spend. And maybe EA conveniently bought out Papyrus' interest in NASCAR, including the planned add-ons. If anyone can get a statement from Papryus, please do. It would be a bitter tragedy if EA Sports became the exclusive game maker for NASCAR. EA's products are garbage when compared to Papyrus, especially in realism. Just read the NASCAR 98 description in the press release to find our the sickening details. I find it ironic, though, that Jeff Gordon offered the following quote: "A lot of the guys on the circuit are big video game players. We are a highly-competitive bunch of guys on and off the track, and we will all use this game to see who really is the best at NASCAR video game racing." "THIS game." What game is he talking about? NASCAR Racing from PAPYRUS, not anything produced by EA Sports. Kirn Cromur

Quoted text (7 lines)

> I find it ironic, though, that Jeff Gordon offered the following > quote: > "A lot of the guys on the circuit are big video game players. We are a > highly-competitive bunch of guys on and off the track, and we will all > use this game to see who really is the best at NASCAR video game > racing."

Jeff's comment in the EA press release is a celebrity endor***t, much like Michael Jordan hyping Gatorade. I'm sure you know that Mike does not drink Gatorade at every meal. If you will read Jeff Gordon's chat transcript from NASCAR.COM yesterday, you will find the following quote: "JEFF GORDON at 11:14am ET ...In the next year or two I'll be coming out with my own game for Sony and Sega." Folks, all that EA's press release does is tell you that the racing games market is expanding. EA's NASCAR license is not exclusive, although the press release makes it look that way. What this basically means is that the racing sim market will become extremely competitive in the next couple of years with EA, Sierra, Psygnosis, etc. getting into the act. That means that with competition, the overall quality of these sims will improve. As racing sim fans, how can you lose? -- Papyrus Design Group, Inc. The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent Papyrus in any official capacity.

Quoted text (12 lines)

> Folks, all that EA's press release does is tell you that the racing > games market is expanding. EA's NASCAR license is not exclusive, > although the press release makes it look that way. What this basically > means is that the racing sim market will become extremely competitive in > the next couple of years with EA, Sierra, Psygnosis, etc. getting into > the act. That means that with competition, the overall quality of these > sims will improve. As racing sim fans, how can you lose? > -- > Papyrus Design Group, Inc. > The views expressed are mine alone and > do not represent Papyrus in any official capacity.

How can we lose..... Well can you say vhs and beta. Since vhs outsold beta, companies stopped making beta products. This means video fans lost. They got what the masses wanted, not the best thing out there. I'm pretty sure console titles outsell PC titles by a significant margin. The question is will Papy lose interest in the SIM market if they see they can make more in the console arcade market? mykey

Quoted text (8 lines)

>How can we lose..... >Well can you say vhs and beta. Since vhs outsold beta, companies >stopped making beta products. This means video fans lost. They got >what the masses wanted, not the best thing out there. >I'm pretty sure console titles outsell PC titles by a significant >margin. The question is will Papy lose interest in the SIM market >if they see they can make more in the console arcade market?

The day that consoles take over the PC market (as you suggest in your message) will never arrive. VHS vs. Beta was a conflict of two different platforms for the same single purpose. PC vs. Console is a different story. A console system such as the PSX or Saturn is a dedicated *** platform. A PC is a multifunction platform that happens to support games. As far as the platform is concerned, there's no comparison. Now, with regards to the SIM market vs. the GAME market -- the industry caters to the biggest demand. If you (the consumers) tell us to s***simulations in favor of video games, then that's the direction the industry will go. As long as you continue to demand racing simulations, the demand will be met. And with regards to Papyrus, I think it's highly unlikely that a company whose sole product paradigm is PC racing simulations will "lose interest" in our main source of business. I can't rule out the possibility that someday we might return to the console platforms, but really our expertise lies in the PC market. -- Papyrus Design Group, Inc. The views expressed in this message are mine entirely and do not represent Papyrus or Sierra in any official capacity.

<snip> : Now, with regards to the SIM market vs. the GAME market -- the : industry caters to the biggest demand. If you (the consumers) tell us : to s***simulations in favor of video games, then that's the : direction the industry will go. As long as you continue to demand : racing simulations, the demand will be met. Okay Tony, I DEMAND racing simulations!!!!! Well, I guess that takes care of that problem. <g> : And with regards to Papyrus, I think it's highly unlikely that a : company whose sole product paradigm is PC racing simulations will : "lose interest" in our main source of business. I can't rule out the : possibility that someday we might return to the console platforms, but : really our expertise lies in the PC market. I do understand that from time to time Papyrus may work on non-racing projects. However, that does not mean that their true reason for existence is not to produce Racing Simulations (notice "proper" noun -- implies that Papyrus produces real simulations). -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Bzzt. Thanks for playing though. Johnny, tell Kim about our nice consolation prizes. ERTS: Last fiscal year sales: $624,800,000 CU:(parent of Sierra and Papyrus) Last FY sales: $2,347,700,000 SIER no longer exists as an independent company, thus I don't have last FY sales for Sierra on my datafeed, but I do know that in the year of acquisition, Sierra and Papyus sales totalled more than Electronic Arts. You only need to look that far to know who spends more on TV advertising. Sierra historically has spent their marketing dollars elsewhere. Not ***y likely. Here, we don't disagree... :-) It's a celebrity endor***t plain and simple. Does anyone who watches the recent Pepsi commerical really believe that Shaq, Jeff Gordon, and few other sports figures that I can't name routinely just kick it in some kids room, and when the mom comes to complain, that Gordon drives them all over to Shaq's house? Papyrus games are used by members and drivers of several Cup teams. I'm sure that when the EA game comes out, that some Cup people will play it. Just like they went to see Days of Thunder when it came out. We'll just have to wait and see whether EA's game will be any more realistic than Days of Thunder was. I'm not holding my breath... ---Jim