Big EA news regarding NFL

[Apprentice]

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.

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


Wow, so what is Sega supposed to do now? Just go the College football route and have the players be labeled as numbers?

[Triple A]

LOL wow, what a bunch of fucking COCKSUCKERS. So evil.

[el fregadero]

lol nice move EA

[asphyXy]

Owned.

[BCWWF]

So this means that ESPN NFL is dead?

[KingofOldSchool]

So this means that ESPN NFL is dead?

Pretty much.

Next year...

ESPN CFL2K6! :-\

[Funky Fly]

Yeah, what sons of bitches.

Not to say I wouldn't have done the same thing. In business, it's kill or be killed. Fuck competitors.

[Shaggy]

Damn it that sucks....ESPN was a hell of alot better then Madden to me.

[AareDub]

lol, this just in, Madden 2006 will be retailing for $89.99 and will be subtitled "Suck It Bitches"

[MrMeJW]

I love the ESPN series of games.... oh well, thats business. It will be interesting to see what EPSN does in response.

[Triple A]

lol, this just in, Madden 2006 will be retailing for $89.99 and will be subtitled "Suck It Bitches"
Yup.

[HeartBreakMan2k]

I love the ESPN series of games.... oh well, thats business. It will be interesting to see what EPSN does in response.
ESPN can't do anything in response.

[MrMeJW]

I'm sure they will. They have a great football engine. Either they will put it towards college football or they will make an unlicenced football game that has the most extensive create a team.

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

EA already has the college football series on lock tho....EA Sports NCAA Football is nasty, and every year NCAA is nasty so I don't know. Sega would have to do a lot of work to get on the same level. Seems they will have a lot of time to do that now tho hahaha

[el fregadero]

I would just give up if I was Sega. Maybe start making some new Sonic game.

[BCWWF]

Why would Sega give up? ESPN NBA is by far better then NBA Live and I like World Series Baseball better then MVP or whatever. If they have $20.00 games they are always going to sell way more then EA. I'm sure they come back with something.

[Head]

Also not part of the deal are, obviously, non-licensed football games. The first company to come forward to IGN with such a game is Midway, makers of classic sports titles like NFL Blitz and NBA Jam.

Midway has hired the writer of the show "Playmakers" to develop a new title, Blitz: Playmakers. The game will feature everything the NFL hated about the TV show, including drug use, and off-the-field habits the NFL likes to pretend never happens.

According to an interview earlier this year with Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal, an NFL spokesperson confirmed that they were through working with Midway: "Midway has been quietly dropped in a 'mutual decision' as an NFL video game licensee after years of controversy over the level of violence in its NFL Blitz game."

When IGN contacted Midway about the rumored Blitz: Playmakers, a spokesperson confirmed the game's existence and told us: "Enough of the 'No Fun League'…it's now time to talk about and prepare for the game the NFL wouldn't let anyone make…Blitz the way it should be played."


http://sportsmedia.ign.com/sports/image/article/572/572886/game-over-20041213042423004-000.jpg

http://sports.ign.com/articles/572/572886p1.html

[Evil Vito]

<font color=goldenrod>Damn, doesn't look like I'll be getting any Madden games past 2005 then. Price is gonna be jacked.</font> :o

[road doggy dogg]

What the fuck. I'm as big a Madden fan as the next person, but that is fucking stupid. Fucking EA.

[el fregadero]

Why would Sega give up? ESPN NBA is by far better then NBA Live and I like World Series Baseball better then MVP or whatever. If they have $20.00 games they are always going to sell way more then EA. I'm sure they come back with something.
Give up on football.

[El Santo]

Hmm...

How about "ESPN: Arena Football 2K6" then?

Or even XFL, if they want to do a scenario where the XFL were still around.

...

On second thought, both those ideas are super lame.

[AareDub]

Hmm...

How about "ESPN: Arena Football 2K6" then?

Or even XFL, if they want to do a scenario where the XFL were still around.

...

On second thought, both those ideas are super lame.

At least video game scores would be more accurate in an arena league game. They score a bazillion points per game anyway, so the game won't seem as far fetched.

[RP]

Are they seriously gunna make a game where NFL players can do drugs and steroids and bang white chicks away from the field.

That

Game

Would be

AWESOME!
I would so Reinact the Ray Lewis Superbowl murders with Peyton Manning. Or go all Barrot " Bi-crazy" Robbins , with Tom Brady.

Whens that game coming out?

[BCWWF]

You know what, an Arena League video game could actually work. It's really not the same game as NFL, its faster paced, higher scoring etc. If ESPN made an ESPN AFL and it sold half as well as ESPN NFL, it would be a huge boost for the AFL too. For 20$ you know people would buy that, and all it would be is publicity for the league.

Anyway, I am going to predict that EA is going to be biting themselves in a few years when ESPN buys the exclusive rights to NBA and someone else MLB and NHL and FIFA etc. In the long run I don't see this trend helping one company unless they get the rights to them all.

[Penner]

I would just give up if I was Sega. Maybe start making some new Sonic game.
Sonic Football 2k6