EA to exclusively license all NFL player rights?

[Modeps]

Anyone else hear this story?? If this happens, I feel a boycott coming on. Forcefully destroying all the competition just because they make better games (my opinion) or they're just scared? Puh-leeze.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/05/18/news_6098784.html

[UPDATE] Well-respected sports-industry magazine says the game giant is close to a billion-dollar deal. However, ESPNvideogames.com reps claim to have debunked the story as false.

Two weeks ago, The Sports Business Journal, one of the most respected trade journals of the athletic entertainment business, revealed the identity of Madden NFL 2005 cover athlete Ray Lewis several days before EA Sports announced it.

Now it appears they might have broken one of biggest sports-licensing stories in the game industry's history.

The May 3 issue of the Journal contained a story with the headline "EA set to pay Players Inc. $1 billion." According to the article, Electronic Arts is in final negotiations with Players Inc., the NFL Players' Association marketing arm, to exclusively license all NFL player rights for the next four years. The Journal set the price tag of the deal at $250 million each year, which EA would pay Players Inc.; in other words, a literal billion-dollar contract.

Given the large sums reportedly at stake, the exclusivity of the EA/NLFPA deal would be almost certainly strict. If that turns out to be the case, no non-EA Sports game could license NFL player likenesses--an almost certainly fatal blow to the Madden series' rivals, such as ESPN NFL Football.

When provided with excerpts from the article by GameSpot, EA Sports representatives promised to pass them along to "someone who can answer your questions." As of press time, no official confirmation or denial of the EA/NLFPA negotiations had been given by EA.

While the The Sports Business Journal broke the story, it was, ironically, reprinted in the magazine ESPN. This prompted a moderator at ESPNvideogames.com to call the NFLPA. According to the moderator, NFLPA reps denied that anything other than "normal" licensing deals were in play. Attempts to contact the NFLPA directly were unsuccessful as of press time.

GameSpot will have more details on this developing story as they become available.

 

[MrChad]

How is this any different from Sony or Microsoft or Nintendo landing exclusive rights to a particular software title?

More importantly, Ray Lewis is going to be the cover man for Madden 2005?!? Nooooooooo!

 

[Fingolfin269]

It's a lot different because it automatically makes all other football titles suck.

ESPN actually put out a decent product and I am still looking forward to their 2005 offering. Is Madden really better than all of the others or is it just the name we know? The ESPN first person perspective cam was just awesome and supposedly improved in 2005.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
It's a lot different because it automatically makes all other football titles suck.

ESPN actually put out a decent product and I am still looking forward to their 2005 offering. Is Madden really better than all of the others or is it just the name we know? The ESPN first person perspective cam was just awesome and supposedly improved in 2005.

Exactly. I've never bought a college NCAA game because I dont feel like playing as player #15. I enjoy being able to take Ricky Williams through a gap in the defense and go 20 yards for a TD. ESPN's/Sega sports games are a serious threat to EA's prized sports franchise.

 

[acemcmac]

:roll:

Right.... I'm going to stop buying games from the Need For Speed or Battlefield series becase you dont like their sports games. Cry about it. Sports games are retarded anyway IMHO. Last one I played was Madden 99 and unless the industry has changed dramatically since then, those games are as retarded as ever...

 

[Fingolfin269]

What does 'retarded' mean in this context? You're playing football.... if you like watching football then you'll probably like playing the football game. At least I think that's the goal.

I seriously fail to see your point and using phrases like 'cry about it' sure don't do anything for your credibility.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: acemcmac
:roll:

Right.... I'm going to stop buying games from the Need For Speed or Battlefield series becase you dont like their sports games. Cry about it. Sports games are retarded anyway IMHO. Last one I played was Madden 99 and unless the industry has changed dramatically since then, those games are as retarded as ever...

Lets see here, this is a move by the company Electronic Arts, to remove competition. It's called "anti-trust". And just because you dont like sports games, doesnt mean millions of other people dont.

I enjoy many games they publish as well, but if this happens, I'm done with EA.

 

[mugs]

Why don't you boycott the NFLPA for agreeing to the deal as well? They're as guilty as EA.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: mugs
Why don't you boycott the NFLPA for agreeing to the deal as well? They're as guilty as EA.

Would you turn down a billion dollars?

 

[Homerboy]

Originally posted by: Modeps

Originally posted by: acemcmac
:roll:

Right.... I'm going to stop buying games from the Need For Speed or Battlefield series becase you dont like their sports games. Cry about it. Sports games are retarded anyway IMHO. Last one I played was Madden 99 and unless the industry has changed dramatically since then, those games are as retarded as ever...

Lets see here, this is a move by the company Electronic Arts, to remove competition. It's called "anti-trust". And just because you dont like sports games, doesnt mean millions of other people dont.

I enjoy many games they publish as well, but if this happens, I'm done with EA.

How is this "anti-trust"?
EA and NFLPA are rumored to be cutting the deal together. This makes NFLPA just as guilty as EA. If EA gets this deal kudos to them. Money talks... losers whine.

Edit: slight typo

 

[mugs]

So they care more about money than [about] their fans...

Hypocrite.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: Homerboy

Originally posted by: Modeps

Originally posted by: acemcmac
:roll:

Right.... I'm going to stop buying games from the Need For Speed or Battlefield series becase you dont like their sports games. Cry about it. Sports games are retarded anyway IMHO. Last one I played was Madden 99 and unless the industry has changed dramatically since then, those games are as retarded as ever...

Lets see here, this is a move by the company Electronic Arts, to remove competition. It's called "anti-trust". And just because you dont like sports games, doesnt mean millions of other people dont.

I enjoy many games they publish as well, but if this happens, I'm done with EA.

How is this "anti-trust"?
ESPN and NFLPA are rumored to be cutting the deal together. This makes NFLPA just as guilty as EA. If EA gets this deal kudos to them. Money talks... losers whine.

I believe you mean EA, not ESPN. And no, it doesnt. The NFL has no competition that it is hurting to make this deal, it's just getting the most money it can for licensing it's players. It's an anti-competitive move stifiling competition.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: mugs
So they care more about money than [about] their fans...

Hypocrite.

I dont see your point. Please expound. How is getting the most money out of a deal to benefit the NFL going against their fans?

 

[Homerboy]

How is this "anti-trust"?
ESPN and NFLPA are rumored to be cutting the deal together. This makes NFLPA just as guilty as EA. If EA gets this deal kudos to them. Money talks... losers whine.

I believe you mean EA, not ESPN. And no, it doesnt. The NFL has no competition that it is hurting to make this deal, it's just getting the most money it can for licensing it's players. It's an anti-competitive move stifiling competition.[/quote]

Yes obvioulsy I meant EA Thanks for the catch.

I just love how when a compnay make a killer strategic move everyone starts yelling Anti-Trust. If ESPN etc had the $$ to do this they would have/should have done it themselves. (Hell they certainly do have the $$ too with their parent companies).

You have to remember if this does go down. Im CERTAIN fans of the ESPN series (hell I love them both) will go about and make a patch renaming EACH AND EVERY PLAYER. Certainily it wont be "sanctioned" by ESPN themselves, but Im sure it will be readibly available and easy to find.

As Madden would say himself: BOOM!

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: Homerboy
Yes obvioulsy I meant EA Thanks for the catch.

I just love how when a compnay make a killer strategic move everyone starts yelling Anti-Trust. If ESPN etc had the $$ to do this they would have/should have done it themselves. (Hell they certainly do have the $$ too with their parent companies).

You have to remember if this does go down. Im CERTAIN fans of the ESPN series (hell I love them both) will go about and make a patch renaming EACH AND EVERY PLAYER. Certainily it wont be "sanctioned" by ESPN themselves, but Im sure it will be readibly available and easy to find.

As Madden would say himself: BOOM!

Madden's voice has become tiresome over the years.

You're probably right about a patch, but the problem is, to get this 'patch' for systems like the xbox, you'll probably need a modded one. thus destroying online play which I lub. I really think this is pretty underhanded of EA. I agree that it's a great move for them to crush their competition, but video games shouldnt be decided which are good on who's got the most cash, they should be decided on who rolls out better quality games.

Yes, they can still have the great gameplay, but not having names and faces of their real life counterparts just detractstenfold from the experience. Who wants to hear the announcer say "Oooo THIS GUY really plowed him over!" or "Number 34 is on fire today!"

 

[profmath]

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
It's a lot different because it automatically makes all other football titles suck.

They already do. Madden rocks the house! Aggree with Homerboy> Not an anti-trust. You don't cry foul when nintendo has exclusive right to the Mario Bros. games. EA Sports is just smarter than all others to try and get the deal done

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Modeps

Originally posted by: mugs
So they care more about money than [about] their fans...

Hypocrite.

I dont see your point. Please expound. How is getting the most money out of a deal to benefit the NFL going against their fans?

You're complaining that EA's deal with the NFLPA essentially wipes out their competition. But the NFLPA has just as much a part in the deal as EA, why are you not mad at them?

You're defending the NFLPA by saying that it was a good business decision - more money for them. Why is the NFLPA allowed to use greed as their motivation, but not EA? EA made the best business decision for themselves. They pay out the butt for the rights, but get a return in increased sales. They're not wiping out competition, they're giving themselves an edge.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: profmath

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
It's a lot different because it automatically makes all other football titles suck.

They already do. Madden rocks the house! Aggree with Homerboy> Not an anti-trust. You don't cry foul when nintendo has exclusive right to the Mario Bros. games. EA Sports is just smarter than all others to try and get the deal done

Stop Posting. NINTENDO MAKES MARIO :roll:

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: mugs
You're complaining that EA's deal with the NFLPA essentially wipes out their competition. But the NFLPA has just as much a part in the deal as EA, why are you not mad at them?

Well, honeslty because it's not the NFLPA's place to concern themselves with the happenings of the video game industry, but I see where you're coming from kinda sorta.

 

[dman]

EA Sports Games suck, I've already been boycotting them. If they released bug fixes and minor updates as free patches instead of a $30 new version I'd consider otherwise. Ihaven't touched them since 99/00.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: profmath

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
It's a lot different because it automatically makes all other football titles suck.

They already do. Madden rocks the house! Aggree with Homerboy> Not an anti-trust. You don't cry foul when nintendo has exclusive right to the Mario Bros. games. EA Sports is just smarter than all others to try and get the deal done

Have you even played ESPN Football?

BTW, if you want to compare apples and oranges please go to your neighborhood grocery.

 

[Homerboy]

Originally posted by: dman
EA Sports Games suck, I've already been boycotting them. If they released bug fixes and minor updates as free patches instead of a $30 new version I'd consider otherwise. Ihaven't touched them since 99/00.

This is a pretty ignorant statement... you say they suck but havent touched them in 4+ years? Common. Tiger 04 was damn good (best PC golf game by far, granted Links 2004 on XBox beat it). LIVE 04 was solid VERY Solid in fact. LIVE 03... jeez thats a dif story. The Madden franchise hasnt changed too much over the years, it has steadily improved, and yes ESPNs offering was very VERY good.

But to say something sucks and not even having played in in 4years is a bit of a silly statement.

I will concur that they need to do more in-season patching (which they do but its often updated rosters, and GFX additions...yeah!) And BTW, they cost more than $30

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Modeps

Originally posted by: mugs
You're complaining that EA's deal with the NFLPA essentially wipes out their competition. But the NFLPA has just as much a part in the deal as EA, why are you not mad at them?

Well, honeslty because it's not the NFLPA's place to concern themselves with the happenings of the video game industry, but I see where you're coming from kinda sorta.

But that's what the whole deal is about. I totally agree with you that it's a sucky thing for EA to do, but I also think it was a sucky thing for the NFLPA to do.

 

[Sideswipe001]

It IS the NFLPA's place to concern themselves with where they will show their likenesses. I don't think this is a huge deal, but I'd say the NFLPA would be the people most guilty. It would go a long way to completely killing off other football video games, and that means less exposure to football to the "young fans" who would be buying those games. I couldn't see this as being a good marketing decision. But it's definitely not illegal.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Modeps

Originally posted by: mugs
You're complaining that EA's deal with the NFLPA essentially wipes out their competition. But the NFLPA has just as much a part in the deal as EA, why are you not mad at them?

Well, honeslty because it's not the NFLPA's place to concern themselves with the happenings of the video game industry, but I see where you're coming from kinda sorta.

But that's what the whole deal is about. I totally agree with you that it's a sucky thing for EA to do, but I also think it was a sucky thing for the NFLPA to do.

:beer: