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Tiger Woods golf video game sales plummet compared to a year ago

July 15, 2010 4:05 PM
Dean Takahashi
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Sales of Tiger Woods PGA Tour video games plummeted this year, with the game selling only 32 percent of the total that it sold in its inaugural month compared to a year ago.

The results apparently show that reputation matters in all sorts of businesses, including video games, and that gamers aren’t necessarily blindly devoted to buying certain kinds of games year in and year out.

Market researcher NPD Group reported today that sales during June for Electronic Arts’ Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 game were weak, at least when compared to strong sales of the game during its introductory month a year ago. What a difference a year makes. Sales of the Tiger Woods game have been perennial big sellers in the sports video game market. But Woods’ well-documented personal turmoil evidently took a toll on game sales.

Tiger Woods was lucky in that EA chose to stick with him as the title athlete of its video game while other sponsors dropped Woods because of the controversy around his extra-marital affairs. But so far, EA has not been rewarded for its loyalty.

Rob Semsey, a spokesman for EA, said a number of factors have contributed to the drop in sales. But he said that the largest factor is the slowing of the overall Wii game market, as well as Tiger Woods’ performance on the course. Perhaps Woods can dig himself out of this hole as he makes his comeback in the sport.

  • http://twitter.com/LMG_Emerge LMG Emerge

    The complicated link between Reputation and Profitability is adding extra costs to Tiger's mistakes.But 'reputation' is a complicated concept. What is a good or cool reputation for one celebrity is bad for another.If this were to be Zack Wylde as star in some kind of Guitar Hero game, everything that Tiger did would add to his reputation. And that complexity makes it so important to a) understand who you are and what you stand for; and b) find the right marketing strategy for that.What you see is not what you get. What you get will be good if you show what others want to see.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/XGX34NVEGU5DWYZO4O5NLTR43I Muddy Dog

    no, no, and no. This was a well constructed consumer protest against EA forcing buyers to pay for online access, and their so-called new-game-only online code to play multiplayer. Consumers Strike Back and give EA something to think about removing from 2012!!!

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/XGX34NVEGU5DWYZO4O5NLTR43I Muddy Dog

    no, no, and no. This was a well constructed consumer protest against EA forcing buyers to pay for online access, and their so-called new-game-only online code to play multiplayer. Consumers Strike Back and give EA something to think about removing from 2012!!!

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/WJPKIMQWXAY5SUD5L42CU7K5SM Pete R

    I bought TW11 for the Wii because it included Ryder Cup play and miniature golf. I later learned that the disc included most of the pay-for add-on golf courses for free and the Motion-plus is more refined. Though I've lost admiration for Tiger as a person, the game is fun for the casual gamer.

  • jhuddy23

    The sales of Tiger Woods 2011 is down because it simply sucks,not because of Tigers personal life. I was very hesitant about buying 2011 because of all my online friends that had purchased it and said it was horrible. I borrowed 2011 from a friend and after week of playing i returned it.The main reason that myself as well as all my friends didn't like it is because of the new focus meter.We want the ability to use the putt preview and all the other features when we want.Do not blame this on Tiger,blame it on EA and the free demo!!!

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