EA Sports Opening New Retail Chain
See Full ImageFor the most part, the only game-dedicated store left in your area is GameStop. But things are gonna change.
After launching the EA Sports Online Pass that discourages consumers from purchasing pre-owned titles, the publisher has now announced they're opening a chain of brick-and-mortar retail stores. They'll start opening up this fall; they've already broken ground at the first location in Charlotte, North Carolina. Said EA Sports vice president of brand marketing Chris Erb:
"As pervasive as digital is, there's still an offline component to acquiring new customers that remains important. Our approach is to be creative and innovative with whatever we're doing offline and ensure that it connects with our digital strategies. For example, we just started construction on our first North American EA SPORTS retail store, which will open this fall in the Charlotte, NC, airport."
Erb adds that as the sports game audience continues to expand, it's crucial that the company "create environments for people to get their hands on our products and experience how much interactive sports experiences have evolved over the past few years." Well, there's certainly a large market for this, as sports titles continue to be big draws; the Madden franchise remains a big-time blockbuster.
But here's the question- what incentive will we have to pick up Madden NFL 12 at an EA Sports store as opposed to anywhere else...?
Tags: ea, electronic arts, ea stores, ea retail stores
6/14/2011 8:43:30 PM John Shepard
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Comments (14 posts)
sticklife
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 10:03:21 PM
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1 up, 0 down
Highlander
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 10:09:29 PM
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Sticklife is right, isn't this a little late for April Fools?
I don't see how they can even construct a business case for this to go forwards.
0 up, 0 down
Qubex
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 @ 12:30:43 AM
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 10:13:45 PM
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You want that store to be a success? Employ some hottie female register biscuits. I go to this place with a gay sports theme to get my hair cut but they employ hot girls to do and have a shampoo and massage included so yeah.
3 up, 1 down
mindmurderer69
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 11:58:51 PM
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0 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 @ 1:21:25 AM
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We'll see what happens, but I'm having a hard time figuring this one out. ;)
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 6/15/2011 1:22:44 AM
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 @ 2:38:33 AM
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0 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 @ 6:08:45 AM
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2 up, 0 down
Excelsior1
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 @ 8:24:49 AM
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i would love to go there so i could tuant its employees by asking for a used copy of a game, and asking if they take trade in's.
ea's getting some bad business advice from somebody, good luck with that store ea. ea's one of the most arrogant and price gouging companies you can find out there.
1 up, 0 down
___________
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 @ 8:27:26 AM
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if you want to send yourself bankrupt theres much more enjoyable ways to do so!
hell give me all your money, ill make sure it goes to a good use.
;)
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slugga_status
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 @ 10:00:16 AM
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My guess is that they'll give you some type of incentive such as a redeem code to get "dlc" that should already be in the game...
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Highlander
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 @ 11:06:43 AM
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I feel like EA's focus on the team sports has been on the more first person experience, to the detriment of the more strategic experience of things like Franchise mode in Madden. It has to be a balance of course because a lot of people like that more involved play, but equally, a lot of people like the more strategic play of the various franchise modes and similar play styles. But EA seems to be content to go after one and not the other.
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Jed
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 @ 5:18:54 PM
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This is so far fetched, I dont know where to start. A store that only sold games from one publisher is gumber, but only sports games by that publisher? And to cap it all off, it's in an airport! WTF?
0 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
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Tuesday, June 14, 2011 @ 9:54:18 PM
Well, that makes no sense at all for EA to not include all the other EA non-sports titles too.