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As February approaches, the dust has settled on another whirlwind holiday season for the video game industry. November and December may have been down, but 2005 proved to be another record-breaking year for the industry, on the shoulders of many solid, if unspectacular franchise performances.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted is one such title. The franchise made its debut over 10 years ago in 1995, and like many of EA's hits, has seen numerous (11) iterations since. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the franchise's continued success is its chameleon-like ability to reinvent itself as whatever type of racer is en vogue at the moment. NFS titles have given nods towards Ridge Racer, Midnight Club, and other popular racing franchises during its 10 years, as well as pioneering unique ideas of its own (police chases).
It seems unlikely that 2005's Most Wanted will end up reaching the spectacular heights of 2004's Underground 2, but it would be unwise to view these sales as an indicator of franchise health. Sales of the decade-old franchise have always ebbed and flowed as EA tapped into ideas that were (and weren't) exactly what gamers wanted in their arcade racers. What's important is that Most Wanted was another solid, bankable title in EA's stable full of such titles.
Steady PerformanceReleased in mid-November, Most Wanted surprisingly performed best on the Xbox 360 (despite its limited base), with 108,000 copies sold according to NPD, making it the #3 360 launch title. Current-gen sales bolster the game's first-month total to over 250,000. December's strong retail presence pushed Most Wanted's combined sales quite close to the 1 million mark.
Electronic Arts undoubtedly expected more out of the title, based on the performance of Underground 2 in 2004. That title moved over 500K during its launch in November, and an amazing 1.7 million in December.
Still, this holiday season was rough for all publishers, and many are undoubtedly envious of Most Wanted's success, tempered though it may be. Only four SKUs sold over 500K for the entire month, one of which was Most Wanted.
Most Wanted MarketingEA pulled a couple of rabbits out of its hat to help get the attention of the casual and enthusiast markets. A special edition (dubbed the Black Edition by the company) was released for $59.99 alongside the standard SKU to help appeal to those hardcore gamers who don't mind spending a few additional dollars for behind-the-scenes features.
Additionally, the company enlisted supermodel Josie Maran to loan her likeness to the title, in the same way Brooke Burke had done in Underground 2. EA's ability to get such big names for their titles is a large reason why they are continually able to pierce casual, mainstream consciousness with their titles, to truly generate spectacular sales.
Return of the ChaseMost Wanted's biggest selling point for many was the renewed focus on police chases, which had been absent from the franchise since 2002. The return of the fuzz was welcomed with open arms by critics, who lauded the game's ability to make bad behavior feel so good. GameDaily's Willis Lambert said it best in his hands-on feature:
"There really isn't much to complain about in regards to a game that lets you outrun the police. I mean, what's not to love about a title that lets you vicariously play the role of the bad guy?"
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