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.