EA Sports associate producer Jeff Ecker is totally confident that EA Sports MMA 2 will become a reality at some point. EA Sports has guaranteed gamers a sequel to its UFC: Undisputed rival MMA despite its terrible sales. The new game might not have scored the the kind of knockout sales results that its makers wanted, but that doesn’t they aren’t willing to go another round with their THQ-partnered competition. In fact, the word out of EA Sports now is that “MMA 2″ is a sure thing.
Speaking on the Figure Four Daily podcast earlier this week, he let slip plans for EA Sports MMA 2. “There is definitely going to be an EA Sports MMA 2,” Ecker confessed, going on to suggest that a follow-up to the mixed martial arts sim was more of a “when” than an “if” scenario. Fight Night Champion is due in 2011 and the next MMA should have been coming in 2012. When the sequel effort will actually make it out the door now is anyone’s guess.
When quizzed on the original’s lower than expected sales, Ecker was bullish and reffered the interviewer to the game’s marketing department. Analysts described EA Sports’ MMA game as an unmitigated failure following its release. “EA’s recently released MMA appears to be more or less DOA at retail, while UFC recently announced an extension of its license with THQ, likely putting an end to EA’s efforts to expand into the mixed martial arts genre,” said Doug Creutz of Cowan & Company in October.
While many point at the lack of UFC branding and fighters as the major problem with the title, it would seem this might be only part of the problem. THQ didn’t have much luck with the release of its UFC 2010 offering and sales were flat on it, as well. With the high sales of the first UFC 2009 release from THQ, some analysts we spoke with believe that the timing was just too close to the release of the UFC 2009 title; and timing will be important for the future success of these MMA titles while they establish their own market space.
Considering the fact that rival publisher THQ recently secured exclusive rights to the UFC license for the next eight years, EA’s bound to have plenty of competition whenever it decides to put out the next MMA. What do you think of “EA Sports MMA”?
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