EA Signs Five-Year Exclusivity Deal with NFL

[zmweasel]

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3137219

Wow.

-- Z.

[RCM]

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3137219

Wow.

-- Z.

Holy fuck. I can't believe it. Sega might as well cancel their NFL title. Wow, I remember this was a rumor a while back. Holy fuck.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[TheRedEye]

I just read that myself. Good god, this is the apocalypse. Before the "so what, sports games suck" crowd starts drooling on themselves in this thread, realize that sports games more or less keep this industry afloat. With no competition for NFL games, EA could churn out whatever crap they want. And everyone here ought to remember what can happen when consumers are disenfranchised by the quality of their games.

[tholly]

I just read that myself. Good god, this is the apocalypse. Before the "so what, sports games suck" crowd starts drooling on themselves in this thread, realize that sports games more or less keep this industry afloat. With no competition for NFL games, EA could churn out whatever crap they want. And everyone here ought to remember what can happen when consumers are disenfranchised by the quality of their games.


so what, sports games suck

[TheRedEye]

I just read that myself. Good god, this is the apocalypse. Before the "so what, sports games suck" crowd starts drooling on themselves in this thread, realize that sports games more or less keep this industry afloat. With no competition for NFL games, EA could churn out whatever crap they want. And everyone here ought to remember what can happen when consumers are disenfranchised by the quality of their games.


so what, sports games suck

post + custom title = lol

[DigitalSpace]

Sega can't get a break these days, can they?

Good god indeed. I remember when EA signed a exclusivity deal with NASCAR a couple years back. x_x

With how they've treated their employees and now this I'm starting to change my mind on what I thought of EA.

First NASCAR, and now the NFL. I'd be very surprised if this was the last we heard of exclusity deals.

[Flack]

Let's see how long it takes until Sega announces their sports titles will remain at $20 ...

[Promophile]

I just read that myself. Good god, this is the apocalypse. Before the "so what, sports games suck" crowd starts drooling on themselves in this thread, realize that sports games more or less keep this industry afloat. With no competition for NFL games, EA could churn out whatever crap they want. And everyone here ought to remember what can happen when consumers are disenfranchised by the quality of their games.

I wish. I don't really care much if all the US game developers collapsed, so long as games were still translated. The only US games I semi-care about are GTA and the LoK series.

[postulio]

i say we do a boycott of EA. it shouldve be too hard, they mostly make sport games and movie licensees.


tell youre friends. untill EA changes their ways or is out of business, im not buying anymore. theyre worse than microsoft in its heyday.

[zmweasel]

First NASCAR, and now the NFL. I'd be very surprised if this was the last we heard of exclusity deals.

Me, too. I would expect an NBA deal at some point, if only because that's all Sega Sports has left (although that wouldn't be enough to carry them, anyway).

Make a better game than EA, and they outsell you. Make a better AND cheaper game than EA, and they destroy you.

-- Z.

[TheRedEye]

I wish. I don't really care much if all the US game developers collapsed, so long as games were still translated. The only US games I semi-care about are GTA and the LoK series.

Yeah, because variety and competition are awful things.

[zmweasel]

Let's see how long it takes until Sega announces their sports titles will remain at $20 ...

It's a moot point. Without the NFL license, Sega won't be able to give its football game away.

-- Z.

[RCM]

First NASCAR, and now the NFL. I'd be very surprised if this was the last we heard of exclusity deals.

If I were Sega I would look into the exclusive rights to the MLB, NBA, and NHL. They have a lot more cash now with Sammy. I wouldn't be surprised if EA was looking into the same thing. The NFL license would remain their bread and butter though.

I would think that the NFL deal was worth at least a billion. I wonder if EA really will be able to make that back. Madden sells 2-3 million copies per year. Not all of that money goes to EA either. EA did good for themselves today. What's most shocking to me is that nobody did this deal sooner.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[zmweasel]

First NASCAR, and now the NFL. I'd be very surprised if this was the last we heard of exclusity deals.

If I were Sega I would look into the exclusive rights to the MLB, NBA, and NHL. They have a lot more cash now with Sammy. I wouldn't be surprised if EA was looking into the same thing. The NFL license would remain their bread and butter though.

I would think that the NFL deal was worth at least a billion. I wonder if EA really will be able to make that back. Madden sells 2-3 million copies per year. Not all of that money goes to EA either. EA did good for themselves today. What's most shocking to me is that nobody did this deal sooner.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

I assume the deal wasn't made sooner because EA wasn't offering enough money to the NFL--until Sega's successful $20 gambit spooked EA into giving the NFL whatever it took to secure the deal.

The NHL license wouldn't matter for Sega. Shit, the league itself doesn't matter to most of North America. No one seems to much care about the league lockout. Baseball and basketball would matter, though.

-- Z.

[RCM]

tell youre friends. untill EA changes their ways or is out of business, im not buying anymore. theyre worse than microsoft in its heyday.

Like EA or not they are a business. I would rather have developers I like change their ways and sell the games I love the way EA does. EA could shit on a disc and it would sell.


Flack wrote:
Let's see how long it takes until Sega announces their sports titles will remain at $20 ...


It's a moot point. Without the NFL license, Sega won't be able to give its football game away.

-- Z.

Totally agreed. Sega's NFL games are done. If EA picks up the rights to the NBA, MLB, and NHL Sega might as well sell visual concepts off.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[Promophile]

I wish. I don't really care much if all the US game developers collapsed, so long as games were still translated. The only US games I semi-care about are GTA and the LoK series.

Yeah, because variety and competition are awful things.

Eh I don't see the variety in spitting out one sloppily put together movie license game and/or sports title after another. US developers do put out a few gems, but also alot of bland action adventure shovelware. With the rise of Vivendi and EA and the other mega-giants, the shovelware just keeps inceasing in numbers.

[RCM]

I assume the deal wasn't made sooner because EA wasn't offering enough money to the NFL--until Sega's successful $20 gambit spooked EA into giving the NFL whatever it took to secure the deal.

The NHL license wouldn't matter for Sega. Shit, the league itself doesn't matter to most of North America. No one seems to much care about the league lockout. Baseball and basketball would matter, though.

-- Z.

EA must have spent billions. The last Stanley Cup games averaged 1.5 million viewers in the states. "Chappelles Show" on comedy central gets more viewers. I would still pick up the NHL rights. It can't be that much, I think I have enough in my pocket it to do it!

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[alexkidd2000]

This is such bullshit. I am soooo pissed off right now. I will never buy another EA game as long as I live.

[RCM]

US developers do put out a few gems

Same with Japanese developers. Japanese developers release a lot of shite as well.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[zmweasel]

I assume the deal wasn't made sooner because EA wasn't offering enough money to the NFL--until Sega's successful $20 gambit spooked EA into giving the NFL whatever it took to secure the deal.

The NHL license wouldn't matter for Sega. Shit, the league itself doesn't matter to most of North America. No one seems to much care about the league lockout. Baseball and basketball would matter, though.

-- Z.

EA must have spent billions. The last Stanley Cup games averaged 1.5 million viewers in the states. "Chappelles Show" on comedy central gets more viewers. I would still pick up the NHL rights. It can't be that much, I think I have enough in my pocket it to do it!

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

Heh! You probably do, man.

Yeah, I'd LOOOOOVE to know the terms of the deal. $200 million a year for the next five years isn't that unreasonable a guess.

-- Z.

[GrandAmChandler]

This may not be true. Just rumours. Look...


http://www.gamesindustry.biz/news.php?aid=3487

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=3490


Edit: Some reports say it is true, some say no....

I dunno what to believe!

[RCM]

This is such bullshit. I am soooo pissed off right now. I will never buy another EA game as long as I live.

I don't like much of what EA puts out but it would be ashame to miss games like Burnout 3. It's amazing.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[zmweasel]

US developers do put out a few gems

Same with Japanese developers. Japanese developers release a lot of shite as well.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

Exactly. There's as much crap over there as there is over here. Promo's RPG myopia keeps him from seeing all the (best-selling!) mahjong and pachinko games.

-- Z.

[RCM]

This isn't true. Just rumours. Look...

People really do believe everything they read.....

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/news.php?aid=3487

Look at the date. This article came out 6 months ago. EA holds the NFL license for the next 5 years. It's fact.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[tholly]

well, sega got knocked outta the hardware business....i wonder how long it will take to get knocked out of the software business

how much were they making off ESPN NFL??

[joshnickerson]

Wow. My equations were correct after all! EA is, in fact, pure, unconcentrated EVIL! LOL

Microsoft - Uh, what about the NFL titles WE'VE been developing?
EA - YOU WILL SPEAK ONLY WHEN SPOKEN TO!
Microsoft - Yes, master.

[Mr.FoodMonster]

This is not a good thing. At all. I dont even care about Sports games, but this is still terrible news.

[RCM]

This is not a good thing. At all. I dont even care about Sports games, but this is still terrible news.

For Sega and fans of the ESPN NFL games.


well, sega got knocked outta the hardware business....i wonder how long it will take to get knocked out of the software business

Sega will be around for a while. If you remember they weren't making a whole lot off of their sports games. As evidenced by the drastic price cut to the 2K5 series.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[Promophile]

US developers do put out a few gems

Same with Japanese developers. Japanese developers release a lot of shite as well.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

Exactly. There's as much crap over there as there is over here. Promo's RPG myopia keeps him from seeing all the (best-selling!) mahjong and pachinko games.

-- Z.

I happen to enjoy mahjong and pachinko games, dating sims, and all kinds of weird little niche games.

[zmweasel]

I happen to enjoy mahjong and pachinko games, dating sims, and all kinds of weird little niche games.

Well, make sure you start buying Sega's niche games in bulk. They need your support now more than ever.

-- Z.

[brykasch]

Yeah what hapens when EA decides to charge 59.99 for madden or more?

This is bad news for everyone except Madden fanboys and apologists, innovation is key to all gaming genres, sports games are no exception. Yes I am a sega sports fan, and will not buy a single ea sports game after they way they abandoned the DC, but Visual Concepts, kept Madden on their toes year after year, lord only knows how its gonna be. For me I will just update my NFL2K5 rosters this fall, and saving my money for other games.

[Promophile]

Well, make sure you start buying Sega's niche games in bulk. They need your support now more than ever.

-- Z.

Sure. As soon as they stop making ports and crap and get back to good games LOL

[RCM]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/12/13/news_6114977.html

This article is interesting.

Arguably, the deal will impact consumers negatively as well. With less choice, theories of competition no longer apply. Some industry insiders speculate the exclusive deal was embraced by the NFL after it saw Take-Two lower the price of its 2K5 product earlier this year. No licensor likes to see a price war being fought with its brand value at stake.

"We believe that the decisions of the National Football League and PLAYERS INC to grant an exclusive license for videogames do a tremendous disservice to the consumers and sports fans whose funds ultimately support the NFL, by limiting their choices, curbing creativity and almost certainly leading to higher game prices.”

"I really respect them, but the consumer really loses," one analyst told GameSpot. "EA is both evil and really smart."

That's all very very interesting.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[Tritoch]

This is not a good thing. At all. I dont even care about Sports games, but this is still terrible news.

Horrible news. In general, it should discourage small developers even more from trying to compete with larger ones. If EA can squash Sega's (arguably) biggest franchise in one fell swoop, who can't they squash? As far as football games are concerned, I was *this* close to buying one again this year after not having much interest since 2000. WIth a complete lack of compeition Madden's sure to get even more stale now. Looks like it pretty much kills Blitz as well...


Otherwise, the agreements cover "action simulation, arcade-style, and manager games on the PC, handheld game devices, and consoles -- including console online features."

Countdown to joint lawsuit from Sega and Midway in 10, 9, 8...

[RCM]

Sure. As soon as they stop making ports and crap and get back to good games

Sega has made a lot of great games since going third party only. They've also published some neato stuff like Astro Boy (GBA) and Otogi 2. Sega does more than "ports and crap." I'm not saying every Sega games is gold though. They certainly have their fair share of "ports and crap."

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[RCM]

Countdown to joint lawsuit from Sega and Midway in 10, 9, 8...

On what grounds does Sega and Midway have the right to sue?

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[zmweasel]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/12/13/news_6114977.html

This article is interesting.

Arguably, the deal will impact consumers negatively as well. With less choice, theories of competition no longer apply. Some industry insiders speculate the exclusive deal was embraced by the NFL after it saw Take-Two lower the price of its 2K5 product earlier this year. No licensor likes to see a price war being fought with its brand value at stake.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

The NFL-getting-pissed theory is REALLY interesting, as it implies that Take-Two's pricing scheme totally backfired.

Where's Klaus/lendelin? You know he'll have some great stuff to say about all this. :)

-- Z.

[Tritoch]

On what grounds does Sega and Midway have the right to sue?

I don't think they really do have grounds...a monopoly argument would be really flimsy considering (a) there are competing brands of football (CFL, Arena, etc.) and (b) you don't need a license to make a good football game. You know they'll sue regardless...they won't just sit there and let it happen.

[DigitalSpace]

well, sega got knocked outta the hardware business....i wonder how long it will take to get knocked out of the software business

Sega will be around for a while. If you remember they weren't making a whole lot off of their sports games. As evidenced by the drastic price cut to the 2K5 series.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

Exactly. This is a huge blow to Sega, but it doesn't equal out to certain doom for them, either. There's a lot of stuff they can do besides sports games.

[ManciGames]

Make a better game than EA, and they outsell you. Make a better AND cheaper game than EA, and they destroy you.

-- Z.

Well said.

As a die-hard Sega fan, this is like a punch in the gut...

But, why don't we wait until August 2005 to see what really happens? I have a feeling this isn't going fly.

[zmweasel]

Make a better game than EA, and they outsell you. Make a better AND cheaper game than EA, and they destroy you.

-- Z.

Well said.

As a die-hard Sega fan, this is like a punch in the gut...

But, why don't we wait until August 2005 to see what really happens? I have a feeling this isn't going fly.

Why won't it? What do you think could break the deal at this point? EA locked up NASCAR with no legal challenge from Atari. It's not like you to make a prediction this far ahead of time. :)

-- Z.

[Gamereviewgod]

Why won't it? What do you think could break the deal at this point? EA locked up NASCAR with no legal challenge from Atari. It's not like you to make a prediction this far ahead of time

The NFL deal is certainly a bigger one than Nascar. There weren't that many Nascar games out there to begin with. The NFL on the other hand is the biggest pro sports league in the US. Sega, Midway, possibly Microsoft down the road, 989....etc.

I can't believe the NFL actually went ahead with it. Couldn't they make more selling to numerous companies other than just one? Can you imagine what EA paid to fill that gap??? This is one of the worst days for the industry in a long time.

[SoulBlazer]

Wow. Just wow. :eek 2:

I'm a HUGE football fan, and I bought and enjoyed both ESPN NFL 2K5 and Madden 2005 this year. While I still think that Madden is a better game, ESPN was very good as well. Competion is good and it breeds better things in all sectors of our free market system.

I'm really shocked at the deal, though. I can't even imagine how much money that EA paid the NFL for it. I think the NFL was'nt pissed about losing money -- but they wanted to make the most money that they could. Part of this is their fault also. EA threw so much money at them that the NFL's lawyers said 'Okay, we stand to make more money on this then we do even if three or four NFL games are made'. The NFL is in this to make MONEY, people. Don't blame EA for being evil here. They did the exact same thing any other company in their position would do.

I epect the deal to be around two to two and a half BILLION, considering how much that football is worth these days.

Now, there IS a chance this can get thrown out. I'm quite sure Sega and other companies will file a lawsuit, probaly claiming a unfair monopoly. We'll how to see what happens.

And they can still make the football game. We did'nt need official rosters and stadiums ten years ago -- you can still make the game and then quietly make 'available' (wink, wink) the unofficial rosters to add on to it. Would'nt take long for someone to whip up.

Bottom line? This won't stop me from buying Madden again next year. As a heavy football fan and user, I don't mind paying full price for each year's edition cause I play it so much I get my money's worth. But I was looking forward to buying ESPN NFL again as well....and I'm a little worried about how the quality of Madden NFL 2006 will be in the wake of no competion to worry about. I'm sure the programers will still want to make a good game, but.....who knows at this point?

[zmweasel]

Why won't it? What do you think could break the deal at this point? EA locked up NASCAR with no legal challenge from Atari. It's not like you to make a prediction this far ahead of time

The NFL deal is certainly a bigger one than Nascar. There weren't that many Nascar games out there to begin with. The NFL on the other hand is the biggest pro sports league in the US. Sega, Midway, possibly Microsoft down the road, 989....etc.

I can't believe the NFL actually went ahead with it. Couldn't they make more selling to numerous companies other than just one? Can you imagine what EA paid to fill that gap??? This is one of the worst days for the industry in a long time.

NASCAR's the biggest spectator sport in America. It was a pretty big deal for EA.

Microsoft was already out of the NFL biz, in exchange for EA's support of support Xbox Live.

Midway was pretty much out of the NFL biz after the disaster of NFL Blitz Pro, embarked upon because the NFL was frowning upon Blitz's violent gameplay.

989 was out of the NFL biz because it totally botched GameDay's move from the PS1 to the PS2. it never recovered from the first PS2 version.

So, really, this deal only screwed Sega, which was the only company making a Madden-beater.

-- Z.

[classicb]

I would love to see this backfire on EA. No more EA games for me. I'll just keep updating my Tecmo Super Bowl cart.

[RCM]

The NFL-getting-pissed theory is REALLY interesting, as it implies that Take-Two's pricing scheme totally backfired.

If the NFL is/was indeed pissed about the budget prices I wonder if the NBA, MLB, and NHL are pissed too.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[Kid Ice]

I'm not surprised by the NFL/EA sticking it to Sega like this. But what about ESPN? Those entities (NFL/ESPN) have a relationship outside of videogames. Surely the ESPN name in videogaming means something to them, and this could be a significant loss.

[ManciGames]

Why won't it? What do you think could break the deal at this point? EA locked up NASCAR with no legal challenge from Atari.

-- Z.

I'll start off by posting the definition of "monopoly" as defined by Webster's Dictionary:

Monopoly - 1. exclusive control, as of a commodity or service. 2. a commodity or service controlled by one individual or group.

I'll come back to this definition in a second, but first:

There are quite a few differences between the NASCAR and NFL situations. First and foremost, Microsoft is involved in this fiasco. I'm sure they don't want to just turn over any potential XBOX 2 football launch revenue to EA. I'll bet a dollar to a donut that they are in the midst of programming a kick-ass online XBOX 2 NFL launch title even as we speak. Then again, maybe part of getting EA to commit to XBOX Live was that they would remain silent after this little announcement was made. Then AGAIN, THUG 2 still isn't Live compatible, so who knows...?

Second, Midway has a pretty good thing going with their own NFL titles, so this isn't going to be good news to them either. Line up Sega, Microsoft and Midway in one corner, and even EA has to at least blink.

Finally, despite what others are saying, there may indeed by grounds for action to be taken to prevent a monopoly. Nobody cares about the Arena Football League, or the CFL. Sure, you could argue that Sega can still make a great College football game (which IS what they should do if this deal sticks), but the fact of the matter is that there is NO OTHER professional football league that can compete with the NFL. Having one company control the game-rights could be grounds for a lawsuit. By doing this, the NFL will have effectively granted EA a pass to run their competitors out of the football business.

The problem with this situation is that these competitors would be run out of business, not due to poor business decisions, but due to something totally out of their control. And that...is the very definition of monopoly. (See above).

I'm not saying it won't fly. I'm just saying, let's wait and see. I think it's going to come down to how much MS, Sega, and Midway really want to push this issue.

And why isn't this on EA's site yet? That in itself is telling... Am I missing it?

[zmweasel]

Now, there IS a chance this can get thrown out. I'm quite sure Sega and other companies will file a lawsuit, probaly claiming a unfair monopoly. We'll how to see what happens.

Where are all y'all coming up with this lawsuit theory? Is there any sort of precedent for such a suit? EA locked up NASCAR, and Atari didn't sue 'em. Explain to me how this is different. Explain to me how Sega would think it could afford better lawyers than EA and the NFL.


And they can still make the football game. We did'nt need official rosters and stadiums ten years ago -- you can still make the game and then quietly make 'available' (wink, wink) the unofficial rosters to add on to it. Would'nt take long for someone to whip up.

We didn't need official rosters and stadiums ten years ago because the tech couldn't really handle official rosters and stadiums ten years ago. Now it can, and it's what casual players expect. Only the same crazy mofos who update their Tecmo Super Bowl rosters would jump through hoops to install NFL rosters into Sega's game.

-- Z.

[Promophile]

[quote]And they can still make the football game. We did'nt need official rosters and stadiums ten years ago -- you can still make the game and then quietly make 'available' (wink, wink) the unofficial rosters to add on to it. Would'nt take long for someone to whip up.

We didn't need official rosters and stadiums ten years ago because the tech couldn't really handle official rosters and stadiums ten years ago. Now it can, and it's what casual players expect. Only the same crazy mofos who update their Tecmo Super Bowl rosters would jump through hoops to install NFL rosters into Sega's game.

-- Z.

Have to agree with Zach here. A football game without "NFL" written on it will sell like crap.

[ManciGames]

NASCAR's the biggest spectator sport in America. It was a pretty big deal for EA.
-- Z.

I hate when people say this. It's simply not true. People always point to the 120,000 fans who pack a stadium every Sunday to see a race. There's only ONE race!

The NFL is packing in 50,000 people into 16 Stadiums every weekend. That's almost a MILLION people. And that doesn't even take into account the TV viewership. One race getting 20 million viewers? Or 14 games getting 5 million viewers and 2 other games getting around 17 million viewers? That's 100,000,000 viewers. I don't know about you, but I'll take the NFL revenue over the NASCAR revenue any day of the week.

The NFL deal is much bigger than the NASCAR deal. There's no doubt about it...

[zmweasel]

There are quite a few differences between the NASCAR and NFL situations. First and foremost, Microsoft is involved in this fiasco. I'm sure they don't want to just turn over any potential XBOX 2 football launch revenue to EA. I'll bet a dollar to a donut that they are in the midst of programming a kick-ass online XBOX 2 NFL launch title even as we speak. Then again, maybe part of getting EA to commit to XBOX Live was that they would remain silent after this little announcement was made. Then AGAIN, THUG 2 still isn't Live compatible, so who knows...?

Microsoft rolled over and aborted the NFL Fever franchise to get EA Sports to support Xbox Live. No chance in hell that Microsoft takes any sort of legal action against EA and loses EA's support of the Xbox 1/2 after bending over backwards to earn that support.


And why isn't this on EA's site yet? That in itself is telling... Am I missing it?

Yes, you missed it. http://www.info.ea.com/news/pr/pr569.pdf

-- Z.

[zmweasel]

The NFL deal is much bigger than the NASCAR deal. There's no doubt about it...

I'm not saying the NFL deal isn't bigger than the NASCAR deal, Jaysen. I'm saying the NASCAR deal was *also* a big deal, and definitely worth EA's time to lock up an exclusive deal and stamp out an inferior competitor.

-- Z.

[ManciGames]

Microsoft rolled over and aborted the NFL Fever franchise to get EA Sports to support Xbox Live. No chance in hell that Microsoft takes any sort of legal action against EA and loses EA's support of the Xbox 1/2 after bending over backwards to earn that support.


And why isn't this on EA's site yet? That in itself is telling... Am I missing it?

Yes, you missed it. http://www.info.ea.com/news/pr/pr569.pdf

-- Z.

So, why isn't THUG 2 online? And what about Sony? We'll see.

Okay, but why isn't it on their main consumer site? www.ea.com ?

[ManciGames]

The NFL deal is much bigger than the NASCAR deal. There's no doubt about it...

I'm not saying the NFL deal isn't bigger than the NASCAR deal, Jaysen. I'm saying the NASCAR deal was *also* a big deal, and definitely worth EA's time to lock up an exclusive deal and stamp out an inferior competitor.

-- Z.

Okay, it's also a big deal...but nowhere near as big a deal as locking up the NFL. You didn't see people making this kind of brouhaha when NASCAR was locked up. There's a reason for that.

[zmweasel]

[quote]So, why isn't THUG 2 online? And what about Sony? We'll see.

THUG 2? Tony Hawk's Underground 2? That's Activision, not EA.

And why would Sony want to sue a company that brings it more revenue than any other third party? Sony makes millions from Madden, more than it ever did with its PS2 versions of GameDay. Sony won't sue EA for the same reason Microsoft won't sue EA. It doesn't make any business sense for either of them to piss off the world's #1 third-party publisher.


Okay, but why isn't it on their main consumer site? www.ea.com ?

Because it's not consumer news. It's business/industry news.

-- Z.

[RCM]

I'll start off by posting the definition of "monopoly" as defined by Webster's Dictionary:

Monopoly - 1. exclusive control, as of a commodity or service. 2. a commodity or service controlled by one individual or group.

I'll come back to this definition in a second, but first:

There are quite a few differences between the NASCAR and NFL situations. First and foremost, Microsoft is involved in this fiasco. I'm sure they don't want to just turn over any potential XBOX 2 football launch revenue to EA. I'll bet a dollar to a donut that they are in the midst of programming a kick-ass online XBOX 2 NFL launch title even as we speak. Then again, maybe part of getting EA to commit to XBOX Live was that they would remain silent after this little announcement was made. Then AGAIN, THUG 2 still isn't Live compatible, so who knows...?

Second, Midway has a pretty good thing going with their own NFL titles, so this isn't going to be good news to them either. Line up Sega, Microsoft and Midway in one corner, and even EA has to at least blink.

Finally, despite what others are saying, there may indeed by grounds for action to be taken to prevent a monopoly. Nobody cares about the Arena Football League, or the CFL. Sure, you could argue that Sega can still make a great College football game (which IS what they should do if this deal sticks), but the fact of the matter is that there is NO OTHER professional football league that can compete with the NFL. Having one company control the game-rights could be grounds for a lawsuit. By doing this, the NFL will have effectively granted EA a pass to run their competitors out of the football business.

The problem with this situation is that these competitors would be run out of business, not due to poor business decisions, but due to something totally out of their control. And that...is the very definition of monopoly. (See above).

I'm not saying it won't fly. I'm just saying, let's wait and see. I think it's going to come down to how much MS, Sega, and Midway really want to push this issue.

And why isn't this on EA's site yet? That in itself is telling... Am I missing it?

EA signed a contract for exclusive rights to all things NFL. They do have a sort of monopoly on any NFL football videogame. No doubt. Nobody has the right to make a football game like EA can now. But that's legal. Other companies are free to make football games. But they are just that, football games. Not NFL Football games. It doesnt seem like a big deal to me but sports fans demand official licenses. A monopoly and an exclusive contract for something are very different although in this case it might feel the same.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[LiquidX01]

I would love to see this backfire on EA. No more EA games for me.

Im feeling the same way. :(

I loved Sega for giving me the choice of having quality sports games and not having to dish out $50 for it either. Now I feel stuck having to rush back to EA since I cant stand to play any sports games without licensing due to the fact that having bullshit named teams and no player names just annoy's the hell out of me. If Microsoft is the devil, then EA is Hitler! :angry:

[zmweasel]

Okay, it's also a big deal...but nowhere near as big a deal as locking up the NFL. You didn't see people making this kind of brouhaha when NASCAR was locked up. There's a reason for that.

You're missing the point in your eagerness to argue. EA locking up NASCAR without any legal challenges was a precedent. No one talked about lawsuits in that case because there were no grounds for a lawsuit. Same deal here. Sega would be foolish to sue. There's no way to win, and nothing to gain.

-- Z.

[classicb]

Only the same crazy mofos who update their Tecmo Super Bowl rosters would jump through hoops to install NFL rosters into Sega's game.

-- Z.

LOL ... oh wait thats me :)

[RCM]

THUG 2? Tony Hawk's Underground 2? That's Activision, not EA.

I was wondering why THUG was mentioned. As far as I know EA has nothing to do with the Tony Hawk Franchise.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[RCM]

I loved Sega for giving me the choice of having quality sports games and not having to dish out $50 for it either.

If Sega was selling the 2K series like EA is selling Madden you wouldn't be in love with em. Sega would certainly be happy selling all of its games to us for $50 a piece.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[zmweasel]

I loved Sega for giving me the choice of having quality sports games and not having to dish out $50 for it either.

If Sega was selling the 2K series like EA is selling Madden you wouldn't be in love with em. Sega would certainly be happy selling all of its games to us for $50 a piece.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

Damn, RCM. I take back any and all negativity I've ever cast in your direction, because I am in absolute agreement with your every post in this thread.

Take-Two didn't drop the price point to $20 for the benefit of mankind; it dropped the price point to $20 to screw EA. And it kind of worked, until EA screwed them back with interest.

-- Z.

[Flack]

If I were Sega, I would use this to my advantage, especially since we know they already have a decent football game engine developed.

I'd release a title called "GENERIC FOOTBALL" or something to that effect. I'd make each team a parody of the real teams -- The Dallas Cowpokes, the Chicago Bares, close enough to where people know who they're supposed to be but not close enough to get sued (let the legal eagles debate just how close one can get). You could do funny stuff like make a whole team of people named "Smith" or "Jones", or let players rename their characters and let them put in whatever you want. In the commentary, you could have people say, "wow, he caught the ball similarly to someone who's name we can't say!" In other words, poke a little fun at the situation. Without any NFL royalties, I'm sure a $20 release is feasable. As long as they added enough humor and still had a decent engine, I'd pick it up.

[postulio]

as i was reading this thread and thinking about EA licenses, it dawned on me.

remember the EA LOTR title licenses? EA has the license to make games based on the movie, obtained from Universal (i think, or whoever produced the flicks)

they DO NOT own the rights to make the games based on the book, (which in effect is why that LOTR rpg sucked so hard) because the book rights belong to the tolkein family.

the way im seeing this, EA has the rights to NFL (the book)

but any other company like Sega can buy the rights to produce games based on the telivised edition kind of like ESPN NFL is, but lets say "FOX FOOTBALL", the games would still have the same players stadiums etc, because that is what FOX FOOTBALL is. this would be the as a 'move license' a la LOTR





another idea i had was, make a game where you can edit player and team names. the stadiums are free game, anyone can feature them since they are public monuments. then companies that release gameshark and pro action replay can just release these 'mods'




food for thought

[RCM]

Damn, RCM. I take back any and all negativity I've ever cast in your direction, because I am in absolute agreement with your every post in this thread.

Ha ha ha ha. And I thought the EA announcement was shocking.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[ManciGames]

THUG 2? Tony Hawk's Underground 2? That's Activision, not EA.


:embarrassed: My fault. You're right. Brain fart. Strike that point from the argument.



And why would Sony want to sue a company that brings it more revenue than any other third party? Sony makes millions from Madden, more than it ever did with its PS2 versions of GameDay. Sony won't sue EA for the same reason Microsoft won't sue EA. It doesn't make any business sense for either of them to piss off the world's #1 third-party publisher.

Nobody really knows what Sony and MS are doing. Besides, the monopoly issue is the big deal. Only time will tell...

[ManciGames]

A monopoly and an exclusive contract for something are very different although in this case it might feel the same.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

I agree. And the only thing that will decide if it *really is* the same would be a lawsuit. So, like I said, it all comes down to how much these other companies want to press the issue.

[ManciGames]

You're missing the point in your eagerness to argue. EA locking up NASCAR without any legal challenges was a precedent. No one talked about lawsuits in that case because there were no grounds for a lawsuit. Same deal here. Sega would be foolish to sue. There's no way to win, and nothing to gain.

-- Z.

Zach, please don't do this to yet another thread. I am not "eager to argue" with you. I just stated my reasons for my belief that this isn't yet over.

Dude, you win. NASCAR set the precedent. This will fly. Let's all go buy Madden 2005 to celebrate.

Next thread...

[RCM]

I agree. And the only thing that will decide if it *really is* the same would be a lawsuit. So, like I said, it all comes down to how much these other companies want to press the issue.

The only way other companies will press the issue is if they really enjoy throwing money away. There's no point to challenge this agreement. It's done and EA has won.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[kevincure]

Football without an NFL license is 100% worthless today.

But don't blame EA for this. Blame the NFL. Here's the sequence: the NFL realizes they can pull a billion dollars in videogame revenue by signing an exclusive license, and don't fully understand the ramifications that competition has traditionally had in the sports game industry. Feelers go out to all the major sports game companies. What can EA do in this situation? They can't allow Take Two/Sega or Microsoft to buy the NFL license - it would be a disaster.

Did EA push the NFL toward making this deal? Sure. Would the NFL have done this eventually in any case? Almost certainly. I think the worries about losing brand value as sports game updates become a budget products certainly pushed the league in that direction.

There is still some implicit competitive pressure, though: the NFL values the NFL brand in videogames, and if EA is diluting that brand five years from now, the league will be looking for non-EA options. Nonetheless, a shortsighted NFL decision and huge EA coup d'etat.

[ManciGames]

I agree. And the only thing that will decide if it *really is* the same would be a lawsuit. So, like I said, it all comes down to how much these other companies want to press the issue.

The only way other companies will press the issue is if they really enjoy throwing money away. There's no point to challenge this agreement. It's done and EA has won.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

Case closed then, I guess. No further discussion is needed.

So, who's up for a game of Halo 2?

[RCM]

as i was reading this thread and thinking about EA licenses, it dawned on me.

remember the EA LOTR title licenses? EA has the license to make games based on the movie, obtained from Universal (i think, or whoever produced the flicks)

they DO NOT own the rights to make the games based on the book, (which in effect is why that LOTR rpg sucked so hard) because the book rights belong to the tolkein family.

the way im seeing this, EA has the rights to NFL (the book)

but any other company like Sega can buy the rights to produce games based on the telivised edition kind of like ESPN NFL is, but lets say "FOX FOOTBALL", the games would still have the same players stadiums etc, because that is what FOX FOOTBALL is. this would be the as a 'move license' a la LOTR





another idea i had was, make a game where you can edit player and team names. the stadiums are free game, anyone can feature them since they are public monuments. then companies that release gameshark and pro action replay can just release these 'mods'




food for thought

What???????

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[ManciGames]

What???????

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

I get what he's saying, and it's actually pretty crafty. Basically, he's saying that if someone were to make a game about "FOX Football," they could include all of the NFL properties because that's what FOX Football is about.

I don't think that would fly though. But it would be interesting to see someone try something goofy like that.

[postulio]

goddamn RCM you have like 5 double posts here. edit your post instead of posting a second one 20 seconds later

THE ONE THE ONLY THE LAME- RCM


and wtf cant you understand about my point? cant pick a fight or arguement? thats right stfu then.