The latest basketball game from Electronic Arts won't be appearing at your local GameStop. Instead, NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition will be released as a downloadable exclusive for the Xbox 360 via the console's Xbox Live online gaming service.
According to EA's official announcement, the game will "replicate the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship bracket" and allow fans to play as any of the tournament teams.
Xbox 360 owners will be able to download NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition as soon as March 11. The $15 download will "initially feature teams from last year’s tournament" though the roster will be automatically updated as soon as the latest brackets are populated by the NCAA.
The capitalist in me is wildly applauding EA's decision here. Offering a low-cost gaming option to people already excited for March Madness almost guarantees tons of copies sold, and building that gaming option on top of existing technology while distributing it via electronic means (read: no packaging or shipping costs) makes each copy sold wildly profitable.
Expect to see EA replicate this scheme until the end of time.
Image courtesy EA
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