Terrible news for Football Fans

[SureShot]

EA sports has just signed an exclusive deal with the NFL and NFLPA making it so they are the ONLY company allowed to use the real nfl players, teams, stadiums and so forth for the next 5 years.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7079814

This is just disgusting. Now we won't get to play the best franchise out there in ESPN. I think they ate into the profits of EA too much with the $20 price tag in the US this year and EA got scared. Competition is a great thing for video games. Do you honestly think that Madden and ESPN would be as good as they are today without them pushing eachother to up the anti?

Terrible, Terrible news. I for one will not be buying another EA Games video game again. At least for not the next 5 years. :{

[dreeft]

Never been a fan of NFL games, especially because I don't understand the rules :D

[prit]

well, Sega had to sell 2.5 the amount of games that EA does to make the same profit. Did they? No. Anyway, Madden was definitely better than ESPN was this year...not to mention that, even though you're obviously a Nintendo fan boy, like myself, but are upset that the only NFL game for GCN was Madden, which will now be the only NFL game for all three systems

anyone wanna quote this:
EA is the Microsoft of the video game industry

[Yeldarb]

At least there's still college football (the best IMO)

[Vexir]

Never been a fan of NFL games, especially because I don't understand the rules :D

We're in the same boat :ne:

[maximum_flash]

At least there's still college football (the best IMO)

AMEN!

[SureShot]

well, Sega had to sell 2.5 the amount of games that EA does to make the same profit. Did they? No. Anyway, Madden was definitely better than ESPN was this year...not to mention that, even though you're obviously a Nintendo fan boy, like myself, but are upset that the only NFL game for GCN was Madden, which will now be the only NFL game for all three systems

anyone wanna quote this:
EA is the Microsoft of the video game industry

First off, I think you are wrong. ESPN had the MUCH better football game, from my point of view anyway. Yours may, as I'm sure it does, differ.

Second, me being a Nintendo Fanboy has really nothing to do with it because I also own an Xbox and purchase all my sports games on that system for the online play, better graphics (because it get's the ESPN series of games) and for the downloadable content.

Third, last year ESPN Football sold 400k on both the PS2 & Xbox combined. So far in '04, ESPN 2K5 has sold 2.1 million on both the PS2 & XBox combined. EA saw this and snatched up the license. These numbers are only through November also - who knows how many have been bought for christmas by parents and such.

ESPN made huge strides this year getting their name out there. They made a good profit as well. With a dev team that is AT LEAST 5x smaller than that of EA and a marketing budget that is probably 2% of EA's it was a huge victory this year.

[Disco-Stu]

ESPN NFL 2k5 > MADDEN 2005

SITTING IN FRONT OF A BLANK SCREEN WITH THE XBOX OFF > MADDEN 2005

[GreenLantern]

Well I have been playing Madden since '00, and I probably always will. I was never really into ESPN, just because it was different from Madden. Once you get used to playing one game, it's hard to switch over ya know?

Anyway....

I really think this sucks. I mean, how is this not some kind of Monopoly? What if the finish line bought a license so that they were the only one's who could sell NFL apparel? I also don't think it's fair that things like player names, team names, and stadium names can be licensed anyway.

American take another step back, you have failed again.

[fester8542]

Sorry chief....that bites for you....

I strictly buy EA games because I am used to them :P

Thats a good point you bring up about the competition the rivalrys had. That was a very Micro$oftish move there.

[maximum_flash]

madden 05 > any other football series out there

i have always bought ea sports games and probably always will. the only time i didn't was when i bought espn college hoops. it was alright, but just didn't match up to ea sports.

[Yeldarb]

I really think this sucks. I mean, how is this not some kind of Monopoly? What if the finish line bought a license so that they were the only one's who could sell NFL apparel?Or what if Reebok bought an exclusive license to sell NFL hats? Oh wait... they did. :(

[GreenLantern]

Or what if Reebok bought an exclusive license to sell NFL hats? Oh wait... they did. :(
They did? Is the NFL stupid or what?

[Yeldarb]

Before the 2001 season, Nike dropped a licensing agreement with the NFL that gave it the rights to provide the official apparel to 13 of the 32 pro football teams. It retained, however, its right to provide the shoes for any player with a Nike endorsement contract. After the Nike turnover, Reebok handed the NFL $250 million for 10 years of exclusive rights to the uniforms and apparel of every team in the league, from headbands to socks.
Source: http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=4610

I guess it's all NFL apparel, not just hats...

[prit]

wow, didn't know I was wrong for having an opinion...
EA invented the realistic football sim with the original Maddens, and it gets better every year.


Third, last year ESPN Football sold 400k on both the PS2 & Xbox combined. So far in '04, ESPN 2K5 has sold 2.1 million on both the PS2 & XBox combined. EA saw this and snatched up the license. These numbers are only through November also - who knows how many have been bought for christmas by parents and such.
by the way, within Madden's FIRST WEEK, they sold 1.35 million copies. That's more than half of ESPN's all the way through November, and don't forget that Madden is 2.5 times the price of ESPN. This means that EA made more money in their first week than ESPN did all year (up to November, of course)

another BTW, if ESPN had done what EA did, GCN would get screwed, and even less people would buy a GameCube. Who knows? Maybe EA is helping out their ol' buddy Nintendo (yeah right, but that would be cool)

[GreenLantern]

Source: http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=4610

I guess it's all NFL apparel, not just hats...

I don't see anything wrong with that. Providing the apparel the players is just a form of advertising. But buying the rights to sell the apparel is just a travesty.