NBA Jam download included with new copies of NBA Elite 11 on 360 and PS3 [update]

by Alexander Sliwinski on Aug 3rd 2010 9:07AM

EA announced this morning that customers will receive a download code for NBA Jam on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 with every new copy of its upcoming (and far more serious) basketball game, NBA Elite 11. To some of you, it may be best to think of it as a free NBA Elite 11 with every NBA Jam. The way EA explains it: if you drop $60 on NBA Elite 11, due on October 5, the game will offer a "one-time download code" for three modes of NBA Jam, including Play Now, Classic Campaign and Online. The "Remix Tour" mode remains exclusive to the Wii version.

By now, brilliant reader, you've likely caught on that there seems to be something missing here, like an individual release date or price for a standalone NBA Jam. We're following up with EA on that, but this deal already serves as an explanation for NBA Jam's appearance on several ratings boards -- sans official confirmation that the game would launch on anything else but the Nintendo Wii. (Also, would this be the wrong time to bring up that a large portion of a Wii game just got Project Ten Dollar'd?)

Update 2: Official word from EA: "NBA Jam has been optimized for the Wii, but the content of the Classic Campaign and Play Now modes will be the same as the Wii version. Jam is only available with the purchase NBA Elite 11. There are no plans to sell it as a standalone product on the X360 or PS3 at this time."

Update: On the PlayStation Blog, NBA EA Canada community manager Yaw Obiri-Yeboah emphasizes: "Another important note to share with all of you - the ONLY way you will be able to play NBA JAM for the PS3 is to buy NBA ELITE 11." ESPN reports the same goes for Xbox 360.

Source: EA

Tags: basketball, ea, ea-sports, Electronic-Arts, microsoft, nba-elite-11, nba-jam, nintendo, playstation, ps3, xbox

Reader Comments (56)

"...for three modes of NBA Jam..."

Wait, wait, wait...not the WHOLE game? So, this is a DEMO.

This sh!t just gets better and better. Now demos are turning into "one-time" downloads.

@CaptainProtonX The Wii gets that "Remix Tour" mode with Magic Johnson & Co. Nothing else does.

@ captainprotonx

We think alike....they need to explain that 'three modes' statement more.

Oh EA, you little Devil.

We get a stripped down version as well.

They put the work into making a purty HD version and then don't even give us the full game.

I'll keep my naughty thoughts to myself.

Thanks EA.

Ahh, that's the EA I know.

WTF?!?!

Soo I have to buy crappy NBA Elite then download the NBA Jam remake then immediately return NBA Elite and get my $60 back..? Seems like too much work. Let's get more info on these three modes!

@whylekat Walmart will fall for that....maybe....but you will have to say its scratched...then return the unopened copy later or at another store.....Gamestop most likely wont fall for that

@whylekat

Luckily that's not a problem for me. My friend works at "nuts & things" and they have a shrink wrap machine so everything I return is "unopened" ;) yess cheat the system!

@whylekat lucky....lol

@whylekat

"yes cheat the system!"

Keep in mind that you're also cheating the next person to purchase that game.

@ Vidikron.

Quit hatin! I doubt anyone is really getting screwed. First off I don't think major retailers like Best Buy reshelf returned items like that.

@whylekat

I don't know their policies, but it seems fairly logical to put a still shrink wrapped game back on the shelf.

@Vidikron

Yeah...they actually do if it's not opened. As long as you haven't played it (unopened) they still consider it new. So you really are screwing someone else over. Not cool man. Not cool.

@whylekat

Don't be so serious. Worst case whoever happens to buy it has to go back and complain there's no DLC code or something. It's not like I'm returning F'ed up merchandise.

@whylekat No, it's still pretty lame. Why make other people go to that trouble just to save yourself a few bucks?

@whylekat

Last I checked, $60 is more then "a few bucks."

So they give away the game for free and people complain that it doesn't have the one exclusive Wii mode? I could be wrong, but that's how I'm reading it.

I suppose if it's worth it to you, you could pick up the full $50 retail Wii release to get that one extra mode that you'll probably play for 5 minutes and never go back to.

Really, this game needs only one mode: online. And that is included in the three modes that they mentioned, so all is well.

Hopefully this will be available as an XBLA/PSN release also though, since I prefer the 2k series to the Live series.

@Vcize

EA's Jordan Edelstein says "We're not selling 'Jam' on PSN or Xbox Live."

http://kotaku.com/5603068/nba-jam-confirmed-for-360-ps3-but-theres-a-catch

@HazyCloud

Well then I hate that guy.

@Vcize

I think you, and everyone else ehre, is missing the real point.

NBA Elite 11 is NOT worth $60. If anything, NBA Jam for Wii is.

NBA Live/Elite has been so garbage since the SNES days that they changed the name to Elite.

Bottom line is, NBA Jam for Wii will outsell Elite on both 360 and PS3, and for good reason.

@Vcize NBA Jam on the 360/PS3 will have no career mode. This is demo just like Gran Turismo Prologue except now it's $60. I bet the full version will be on XBL/PSN within a year.

They szaid they are not selling it on PS3 or 360? sounds like bullshite to me....at some point the FULL game will be on 360 and _S3...and maybe then I will buy it....til then...FAUX YOU EA SPORTS!!!

Well, I guess NBA Elite 11 is a confirmed purchase for me now.

That sucks that the only way to get NBA JAM is if you buy Elite. I have no interest in playing a real basketball game, but would totally give EA 1200 points to play NBA Jam. Oh well maybe I'll get it when NBA 11 goes to the value bin.

There was a pretty good chance I would have purchased NBA Jam as a standalone download, but since they're trying to force us to buy Elite to get it... well, I won't be buying either one. Your loss, EA.

Srry for the 2nd post...

@ Vidikron

Secondly I don't do it that often (maybe twice a year) so I really doubt I totally jerked someone over.

That game was gonna suck anyway like the last reboot. The nostalgia won't come back people.......just let it go.

They will be selling Commander Shepard naked on ME3, clothes will be extra.

@Doctor Doom

if you can still play as a female character- that might get even more people to buy the game :)
they probably won't sell very many clothes either (at least not until the second play-through with the male-version of shepherd).

What's wrong with you people?!? They're giving this away FOR FREE! If you want the Wii exclusive mode, buy the damn Wii version. If you don't wanna buy Elite but want the game, buy the Wii version. Don't own a Wii? Sorry that you can't play Wii exclusive games!

Consider this a game mode built into their new NBA game. I'm sorry you can't pick and choose certain features of certain games and get them separately for $15 on XBLA, but that's kind of how it always works. I'm sure that ODST Firefight XBLA game would have been a hit too...

@JDB

Sorry, but that's BS. NBA Jam isn't a "mode" within Elite. It's always been its own series, it's being sold as a standalone game on the Wii, and even on the 360/PS3 it's a individual download. This is a bad move on EA's part.

@Vidikron

Fair points, but I still can't get past the idea that they're giving it away for free. If NBA Jam was a $10 DLC Addition, and you needed Elite 11 to buy it, I'd totally be on board with the WTFing. But by making it free, they're just choosing not to sell it on the HD platforms, and instead making it an extension of their NBA sim game.

It may indeed turn out to be a "bad move," for them business wise, and that's a fair debate. I just think it's unfair to vilify EA and claim that they're somehow acting in bad faith by giving it away in this manner.

@JDB

"If NBA Jam was a $10 DLC Addition, and you needed Elite 11 to buy it, I'd totally be on board with the WTFing."

I think you're completely opposite of most people. If it was truly a DLC add-on that was using existing Elite 11 assets I think most people would be less upset. Yeah, a lot of people would still want the game separate, but at least then it would be a true extension/mode of Elite 11.

As it stands now, it's only an artificial extension of Elite 11. It doesn't need Elite 11 at all. That's what has people miffed. It's an independent game that for some reason EA's marketing machine has decided to bundle with Elite 11... but only on the HD consoles.

So they want me to chose between Jordan or NBA JAM? FU EA I'm going with Jordan.

I know we're all reacting to what they've just said, but you have to understand that people lie right through their teeth especially in regards to video game releases. Sure NBA Jam will only be available to people who purchase Elite when it first releases, but does anyone honestly think it will stay that way forever? They've already got NBA Jam loaded and ready to go on PSN and it just requires the code. Once they milk that for all the Elite copies they can and sales start to drop off, what possible incentive would they have not to change NBA Jam to a fixed price and get money from everyone out there who never had any intention of getting Elite?

They know full well that the original NBA Jam had appeal far beyond that of just basketball fans on SNES and Genesis, and they'll be happy to capitalize on that once they've sold all they can of their crummy Elite.

@davebo +1000000000

Still sucks, though. I can't stand sports let alone sports games, but I love me some absurd arcade Jam action. I'm confident that I'm not alone in that sentiment.

Awesome deal for people picking up Elite! 2 games for the price of one. Can't beat that.

As for me...feels good to be a multiconsole owner right now. I'll be picking up 2K11, Jordan FTW, and NBA Jam for the Wii. My Wii doesn't get much play and it'll be nice to have a non-Nintendo First Party game heating it up.

Sucks for people with no Wii and no interest in Elite though.

"Another important note to share with all of you - the ONLY way you will be able to play NBA JAM for the PS3 is to buy NBA ELITE 11"

This reeks of timed exclusivity. No way they would crazy enough to pass on the opportunity to make gobs of money by selling NBA Jam to all the arcade loving nostalgic people who love the old Jam but don't give a flop about NBA Elite or even the NBA in general (like me).

...that was a long sentence.

I figured something like this was going to happen (given that EA usually doesn't play the timed exclusive game, so it was either full multiplat to start or it was going to be something different, and they wouldn't outright lie about it being a Wii game)

Even so, this is something i didn't foresee. This is a strange weird way of going about it.

BOOM SHAKALAKA!

Son of a...

I've been an NBA 2K player for a long time. The series has had its ups and downs, but has been consistently better than EA's basketball offerings. I'd have loved to get NBA Jam for my 360, but not for $60.

He's on Fire!!! NO LITERALLY HE IS ON FIRE. Some crazy kid from the internet set that EA exec on fire!

Also, I'm gonna bet that day 2 you're going to see a flood of "opened but never used" copies of Elite flooding ebay with no NBA Jam download codes.

@davebo

On the flip side, I will probably just pick up the NBA Jam code itself on Ebay and completely bypass Elite in the first place.

It's not a fricken demo you get. It's just 1 mode the Wii gets over the other systems. I could really care less about the mode not included since I will still get online play to make you all cry more than you cry here. NBA Elite could change things around with their new producer in David Littman who made the NHL series awesome. You know the same guy who helped make 2k sports make only a Wii hockey game. EA's goal might not be to outsell 2k this year, but they want to put a dent in their sales as best as they can to make them drop yet another series.

LOL at anyone believing it'll never be a standalone release on PSN/XBL. They tell you it won't be coming out by itself so you're tempted to buy Elite. Don't buy that bullshit.

Guaranteed NBA Jam will be released by itself before the following year's Elite is released. Too much money to be made to just keep it as a DLC incentive.

If you don't think I'm right, you haven't been paying attention.

If you want Jam but don't want Elite - have patience. It'll show up eventually.

Congratulations EA, you just made Actiblizzard look like gamer's best friend

What a silly move by EA. I thought they were getting better.

In the words of Ben Croshaw:
"and thus are the true colors revealed!"

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NBA Jam

NBA Jam download included with new copies of NBA Elite 11 on 360 and PS3 [update]

Reader Comments (56)

Posted: Aug 3rd 2010 9:14AM CaptainProtonX said

Posted: Aug 3rd 2010 9:28AM Grand Kerfuffle said

Posted: Aug 3rd 2010 9:18AM Wesleypipes6 said

Posted: Aug 3rd 2010 9:20AM DeXterminator said

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