ea sucks they just killed segas espn football games

gamedudex2 · Post by **gamedudex2** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 6:10 pm

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/12/13 ... 14977.html

EA and NFL ink exclusive licensing deal
Five-year agreement gives EA sole rights to the NFL, including teams, players, and stadiums; deal sure to reshape sports gaming.

Electronic Arts has signed the biggest sports free-agent on the market. In a devastating blow to competitors, the software giant has signed an exclusive deal with the National Football League and the NFL Players Inc., a subsidiary of the NFL Players Association. The deal is an exclusive five-year licensing deal granting EA the sole rights to the NFL's teams, stadiums, and players.

The arrangement encompasses action simulation, arcade style, and manager games made for PCs, consoles, and handhelds, giving EA a firm hold on the football gaming market. The deal does not include titles for mobile phones or internet-based games, but does include online features of consoles. With next-generation consoles scheduled for release next holiday season, EA looks to handily dominate the professional football market for the duration of the license.

"We are excited about the opportunity to further enhance our relationship with the NFL and PLAYERS INC," said Larry Probst, Chairman and CEO of Electronic Arts. "The five-year agreements will usher NFL fans through the console technology transition with new ideas and innovative game play experiences."

EA's current roster of NFL games includes the top-selling Madden franchise and the extreme football NFL Street franchise.

The deal is obviously bad news for EA's competitors, particularly ESPN Videogames and Sega, who stole a respectable chunk of EA's Madden football market with their NFL 2K series and it's budget price tag this year of $19.99.

On trading nearly three times it usual amount, EA stock was up more than $3 today. The stock closed at $57.57, up $3.38 or 6.24 percent with 16,574,606 shares trading hands on the NASDAQ. In after hours trading, the stock at press time had jumped another $2.88 to trade at $60.45.

bizzle · Post by **bizzle** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 6:18 pm

Already posted in CE.

Midgey34 · Post by **Midgey34** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 6:18 pm

I had posted this in CE about an hour and I guess it turned out to be hte wrong forum. Is there a way we can merge these topics into one? Link to other topic

MKE · Post by **MKE** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 7:06 pm

im not sure who i would be more angry at. EA for buying it or the NFL for giving it to them.

So now EA own both nascar and nfl. the only 2 good sport's games i play. oh well, im happy with dirt to daytona and nfl 2k5.

plus now that there's a lot of pissed off people (or there will be when they relize that there is only the sh|t madden games), the NFL is probably going to wish they didnt do this.

it wasnt a big deal when nascar gave ea exclusive rights b/c there was only like 1 other company making nascar games. but this is probably 4/5 other companies that are no longer making games and no longer have to give the nfl royalties. (i can think of espn 2k series, blitz, MS's nfl games if they had them anymore, 989 studios nfl game, and i think there's one more)

impetus · Post by **impetus** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 7:07 pm

cripes. I am first in line for a 5 year boycott of Madden and NFL Street! (Not that I ever wasted my money on them).

Looks like I'll go pick up 2k5. It's the last football game I'll be playing for awhile.

Crap. I can see this exclusivity causing NFL games to stagnate.

MetaFox · Post by **MetaFox** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 5:31 am

If I were Sega I'd say screw it and make an ESPN Football 2k6 with the CFL, or even better a parody of the NFL teams.

Though I doubt they will, as the games won't sell without the NFL likenesses.

Eckostyle · Post by **Eckostyle** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 6:07 am

Even though I like EA's football and this is business, it's stupid business. Lame, EA. Lame.

Clessy · Post by **Clessy** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 6:08 am

I still dont understand why they dont snag the CFL and the AFL.
Thats plenty of big enough roaster.

impetus · Post by **impetus** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 6:55 am

in defense of EA, according to gamespot, this was the NFL's decision, not EA's. NFL wanted to go exclusive, and EA won the bid.

rbenchley · Post by **rbenchley** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 7:32 am

in defense of EA, according to gamespot, this was the NFL's decision, not EA's. NFL wanted to go exclusive, and EA won the bid.

Although that is true, EA is still an awful company and I am looking into organizing a boycott of their products. EA's refusal to release their sports games for the Dreamcast is probably the single, biggest reason that the Dreamcast failed.

Veggita2099 · Post by **Veggita2099** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:35 am

I personally wouldn't care about the actual players and stadium in a football game. Usually they give you the option to make your own team anyways, just make up your own? Guess for true sports fans that don't cut it though?

mariobro · Post by **mariobro** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 5:58 pm

If anyone remembers, the first Madden game wasn't actually licensed. It just had the teams' cities, like San Francisco instead of the 49ers, etc. And numbers instead of the players' names, Joe Montana was just #16. Nobody thought it was the end of the world.

Covar · Post by **Covar** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:24 pm

its the end of the world. sega has the rights to espn and sunday night football, but no league to use it with. i call foul on the nfl and ea.

MetaFox · Post by **MetaFox** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 6:36 am

mariobro wrote:If anyone remembers, the first Madden game wasn't actually licensed. It just had the teams' cities, like San Francisco instead of the 49ers, etc. And numbers instead of the players' names, Joe Montana was just #16. Nobody thought it was the end of the world.

That worked in the days when all the player sprites looked the same, but in today's world of realistic player models, NFL is bound to cry foul if Sega were to put in the NFL players with numbers instead of names.

Prophet][ · Post by **Prophet][** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 6:50 am

its business people, you want market share at any cost. If EA lose money on the deal I don't think they will care cos they will have market share which is what it is all bout in big business where money is nothing.

crazyrom · Post by **crazyrom** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:02 am

Sorrie wrote:I still dont understand why they dont snag the CFL and the AFL.
Thats plenty of big enough roaster.

I think they should just use all the team colors and change the names of the teams a little like the steelers could be changed to pitt and just use the players numbers. And add a edit player so you could name all the player on your team.

hrb2k3 · Post by **hrb2k3** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:38 am

crazyrom wrote: I think they should just use all the team colors and change the names of the teams a little like the steelers could be changed to pitt and just use the players numbers. And add a edit player so you could name all the player on your team.

i agree. i wouldnt mind this. VC could put a name and team name editor as well as a logo/color editor. basically like a photoshop, but in a game. just like EA does with NCAA football, since by rule, you cant use college players names in the game. so you'll be building your own football league. not from scratch of course.

somehow i think this will be the move for VC to make. i cant imagine a year without a 2k football game.

impetus · Post by **impetus** » Wed Dec 15, 2004 8:20 pm

MetaFox wrote:
mariobro wrote:If anyone remembers, the first Madden game wasn't actually licensed. It just had the teams' cities, like San Francisco instead of the 49ers, etc. And numbers instead of the players' names, Joe Montana was just #16. Nobody thought it was the end of the world.
That worked in the days when all the player sprites looked the same, but in today's world of realistic player models, NFL is bound to cry foul if Sega were to put in the NFL players with numbers instead of names.

unlicensed sports cards do exactly that

someoneElse · Post by **someoneElse** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 1:12 am

Time for that new BloodBowl game from Warthog to surface?

Oh damn, they just got bought out by Gizmondo..;P

I would actually play that...