Ea Sports and the NFLPA

[m4tt]

*link* (http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/12/13/news_6114977.html)

So EA owns the rights to all NFL players, stadiums and what not for all football related video games? I'm not too sure how to react about this. I already love the Madden games, but it seems pretty unfair to the other companies who still can't top Madden.

What are your thoughts?

[Kirobaito]

I think you said it best. I love the Madden series, and EA Sports as a whole, but wow...that's pretty ridiculous. That's a quick way to end all traces of competition. I don't like it.

[Strider]

It's all perfectly legal, but I don't like it, either.

That's not to say ESPN still can't thrive through other sports games. Many people have suggested they turn their attention to college athletics, especially consider that many people considered ESPN NFL 2K5 to be better than Madden. What's not to say a college football game or a college basketball game wouldn't be better than what EA offers?

Others have also pointed out that EA has ruined other games by entering into agreements such as this one. While I've never played any of them, their NASCAR Thunder series and James Bond games (aside from Everything or Nothing) are supposed to be awful. Let's just hope this doesn't happen to Madden.

[NM]

You don't need an official licence to make a good game. Look at Konami with Pro Evolution Soccer. It's a better game than EA's FIFA series and it sells better. Even though it dosn't have all the proper team names, player names or stadiums.

Trouble with American sports is it's all franchise based. everything's the property of one governing body, in this case the NFL. (As far as I understand it.) With football, (Soccer.) there are ways to compete with EA to get access to club/player names. EA may have a deal with FIFA. (Footballs world governing body.) But that dosn't give them sole right's to every club/player in the world. Each region has a governing body as well. Europe's is UEFA, South America's is CONCACAF and so on. Then below that each coutry has a Football Association. For Pro Evo 4 Konami have made deals with the Spanish, Itialian & Dutch leagues. Giving them access to proper club and player names from those country's. Other company's have done similar things. Codemaster for example made deal's with idividual club's for there, "Club Football" series.

Thing is the NFL won't care if EA has a monopoly or if the game's are rubbish, all they'll see are the $$$ that EA throw at them. Only way to change it is, don't buy the product.

[BatChao]

I was a bit surprised when I heard this too. I mean, Madden is already big enough. Maybe they were threatened by ESPN and how people were saying it was better than Madden, so they bought up the NFL! Hahaha. But then again, I think they've proposed this before, but I guess the price was never right until now.

[Shoeberto]

Can't spell ExploitAtion without EA.

[edczxcvbnm]

They should just bootleg it like Winning Eleven Soccer does. ESPN sports are better than EAs. I would like Sega to come back and buy up all the other sports and screw EA. As long as I can get ESPN NBA games then I am okay. Thats the one I really care about.

[Chzn8r]

They DEFINITELY did this because of this:

2005:
Xbox - ESPN: 887,013 Madden: 674,635
PS2 - ESPN: 1,154,321 Madden: 1,579,522

[m4tt]

But who cares about the xbox anyway? :p

[Sephex]

To put it bluntly, EA has *****y business ethics. They are freaking out because they realized that SEGA might have an edge on them. I know I sound biased, but I really don't like the company. They treat their employees like crap. Do some research and you will find that most people leave the company constantly because of its business "eithics".

[edczxcvbnm]

I don't want to sound like I am defending EA here but the NFL was shopping around for someone to make an exclusive deal with. I think EA was really the only person with the $$$ to do this. I have no clue how much the license cost them but I had heard $300 million(that is almost what microsoft paid for Rare) and the deal lasts for 5 years. That would be about $60 million each year. It wouldn't be hard because all they would have to do is sell 2 million across all platforms to break even. I said 2 to take into account development costs and the like...might be more with all the new systems coming out.

It would be great if Nintendo or Microsoft locked up EA Madden in an exclusive contract to screw Sony. That would be funny.

[Doomgaze]

why would EA agree not to sell its game on its bestselling platform?

[edczxcvbnm]

The all ighty ollar?

[Cid]

This makes me so angry. This, in essence, gives EA a monopoly on the football videogames. In the meantime, what is to keep them from churning out crap for the next five years: people have to buy football games every year and EA will have the only one. It's really disappointing. In five years when their license expires and negotiations begin for a new exclusive contract, Sega will be five years behind in all facial and body rederings, something that currently costs millions to do.

http://money.cnn.com/2004/12/14/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/

[edczxcvbnm]

Those rendering costs would be killer...even more so with new systems on the horizon so they would have to already redo or at least beef up the current renders.

I hope they still put out a generic football game...or bring back the might of MUTANT LEAGUE FOOTBALL!!!!!

[edczxcvbnm]

I am sorry but I just have to double post this.



I contacted EA hoping to ask them some questions regarding their recent NFL deal. I was however only able to ask one question.

Q. "How do you respond to rumors that your company is actually the http://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gifhttp://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gifhttp://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gifhttp://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/rpg_009.gifing devil?"

A. "EA does not comment on rumors."


www.penny-arcade.com

[Sephex]

I am sorry but I just have to double post this.

Yeah, Gabe is on the money with that one.

[edczxcvbnm]

Damn straight!

[escobert]

I already hated EA now this is too much. I really dislike the madden games for the fact I can't stand hearing Madden talk. He's so damn annoying. EA sucks.

[darkchrono]

this really is a bad deal. And it is all because EA doesn't want to suck it up and start creating better games to overtake the 2k series. So they just took the easy way out.

[Kirobaito]

Well, ESPN can always make a football game that features LaVar Arrington.

[CloudSquallandZidane]

gah... i was hoping Madden would somehow die... i was praying... gah...

[m4tt]

Well, ESPN can always make a football game that features LaVar Arrington.
His name has never been in a madden game, I don't think he allows his name to be in any games.