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NBA Jam HD Hitting Stores In November, Will Cost 50 Bones

Hey, remember when this was supposed to be free with a copy of NBA Elite 11?

Our exhaustive effort to mention NBA Jam HD at least once a week is coming to a sudden close. EA has announced the details we've been scrounging for, confirming that the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of NBA Jam will cost $50 and will ship on November 17. Also, this version will indeed ship with the Remix Tour (just like its Wii counterpart did) and is set to offer two-on-two local and online play out of the box.

But not all planned features will make it in the game by release day. In December, EA plans to build on the online offering by releasing a no-cost title update that adds Remix games, a progression and unlock system called Online Progression, and a three-person cooperative mode dubbed Jam Party. 
 
  

   

Remix Games mode, according to EA, will include "classic arcade hoop games like Backboard Smash, Domination Free-for-All, Elimination, and 21." Online Progression seems to be a challenge mode that will, ultimately, allow you to unlock "secret online Jam Challenges to unlock online exclusive rewards and hidden content" if you meet whatever goals are set. That's neat. I think.

NBA Jam HD was once slated to be a free digital download with rumored online paid downloadable content support. As you've noticed, things have changed a bit. But basketball? Basketball never changes. 

166 Comments

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jozzy

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Edited By jozzy
@onan said:
" @Milkman said:

" I don't understand why everyone is so up in arms about this.. The Wii version is $50 and no one had a problem with that. Plus, this version is in HD and has online. The "free" version that came with Elite was just going to have Exhibition mode. That's like an eighth of the game.  "

   1. No one had a problem with the Wii version coming out at $50 because no one buys Wii games. Wii owners are used to being asked to pay full price for gimped versions of popular titles, so being asked to pay full retail for what would otherwise be an XBLA or PSN title seems par for the course.2. The "free" version is all anyone cared about. No one could give a rat's ass about them including a myriad of single player modes, because honestly, it's SINGLE PLAYER. No one goes to a big head 2-on-2 basketball game for the campaign mode. In fact, they would have probably gladly paid 15 for the Vs mode only as a downloadable title.  This is going to sell terribly, however I'm pretty sure once they pop it onto the Games On Demand service for 20 bones, it'll outperform retail. Shame we'll all have to wait that long.    "
This is exactly it. Most people were never going to get it for the Wii, that's why they didn't complain. Most people just want the barebones Jam experience for budget price, it's a freaking Arcade game. Cool for the people that are big fans and will get $50 enjoyement out of it, but in general this will fail miserable.
 
This game needs to be on your harddrive for a quick spin now and then, however elaborate and contentpacked the game may be, most people will play this as an Arcade game, because it has Arcade gameplay.
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siavm

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Edited By siavm

Weird no one wants to pay the same price as the wii version, yet it has more and is hd.

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Ongakuhenjin

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Edited By Ongakuhenjin

This isn't a XBLA/PSN game?  Since I paid $50 for Jam once already, around 15 years ago for SNES, I think I'll wait for the inevitable $20 price point for this version.  

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ned_perfel

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Edited By ned_perfel

Sorry, not paying $50 for a old arcade game, expectations have risen over time.  I'm not going to fork over $50 for a HD version of spyhunter either.

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jacksmuggler

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Edited By jacksmuggler

I think the problem is that almost everyone thought  it was going to be an Arcade title, priced at 1200/1600. Not a big deal, in a few months the price will be just a few bucks over that.

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briangodsoe

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Edited By briangodsoe
@onan said:
" @Milkman said:

" I don't understand why everyone is so up in arms about this.. The Wii version is $50 and no one had a problem with that. Plus, this version is in HD and has online. The "free" version that came with Elite was just going to have Exhibition mode. That's like an eighth of the game.  "

   1. No one had a problem with the Wii version coming out at $50 because no one buys Wii games. Wii owners are used to being asked to pay full price for gimped versions of popular titles, so being asked to pay full retail for what would otherwise be an XBLA or PSN title seems par for the course.
This is what I've gathered from the comments and it's also bullshit "hardcore" reasoning. 
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JJWeatherman

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Edited By JJWeatherman
@ned_perfel said:
" Sorry, not paying $50 for a old arcade game, expectations have risen over time.  I'm not going to fork over $50 for a HD version of spyhunter either. "
I'm guessing that you have no idea what this game actually is.
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Troispoint

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Edited By Troispoint
@KuribosShoe said:
" So people bitched that they put NBA Jam with Elite, and now they're bitching that it's a stand alone product.  That costs the same amount as the wii version.  Except it has online play so it's a better deal.  That is what's happening. "
I agree, people are fucking retarded.
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mattyb1688

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Edited By mattyb1688

this is definitely going under the gamefly category

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Branthog

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Edited By Branthog

Damn! I only have one bone.

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rick9109

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Edited By rick9109

NBA Jam Tournament Edition was a 70 dollar game.

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billysea

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Edited By billysea

People would have no problem with the game being $50 had they announced it in a "ordinary" way just like every other games.  The game would still received awesome reviews and will sell millions.  It could be the kind of retro revival that the New Super Mario Bros or the upcoming Donkey Kong Country Returns have enjoyed.
 
But after all these horrible marketing fiasco there is no way EA can come up with a plan that does not piss off anybody.  People's perception of what the game is worth has already been changed.

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LionheartAce

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Edited By LionheartAce

Sweet, I had fun playing this with at my friends already - looks like I can wait for this version.

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cassus

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Edited By cassus

Must be a lot of not too well off bums playing NBA games these days. 50 bucks for a game that you'll most likely be playing just as much as you would any other sports title, only this one will be hellishly fun? Yeah.. Raw deal.. I guess...

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Renahzor

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Edited By Renahzor

What a complete marketing fuckup by EA.
 
For one, I'm not paying 50 bucks on release day for a game that will be "Patched with more content" later down the road to bring it up to the same retail value as the other(Wii) version.  We all know devs always stick to that time frame/plan and deliver on time right?  I mean, that new Laura croft game will totally have online multiplayer right around the time I stop giving a shit.  So, trying to sell me a watered down, ex-Pack in with NBA elite, less featured than the wii version game with no online multiplayer at only $10 under typical full retail price of a 360 game isn't gonna happen.  Selling me an IOU for content doesnt work. sorry.
 
Second, who the fuck decided any of this was a good idea.  Packing in a watered down version of Jam to boost sales of a shit NBA sim that no one gives a rat's ass about.  Obviously about the time Elite was being seen in all its glory for the absolute fuckup it was, they saw dollar signs for selling an actual retail Jam disk which more people cared about anyway.  
 
At this point, sell me a 1600 point Jam without all your features, the version that was being packed in with elite.  Ill buy that, and then you can try and sell me the IOU'd content down the road for 30 more bucks...  As long as the 1600 point version has online multiplayer im in.  I was super excited for NBA Jam, but now I will pass til its in the bargain bin, at this rate it wont take long anyway.  Sadly, if they had started out with a full 3 console launch of the title, I might have paid 50 for it. 

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deactivated-5be238a166762

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@cowdrunk: Unlikely but I hope close to the holiday season.