EA and the NFL

[Jolly Rogers]

Photo from the EA/NBA meeting has just been released...

[Gunbuster]

Nice! I couldn't believe they were doing that with the NBA I'm so glad the NBA turned them down. I wonder what's next on EA shopping list...Christmas is not over yet

[bandit29]

Nice! I couldn't believe they were doing that with the NBA I'm so glad the NBA turned them down. I wonder what's next on EA shopping list...Christmas is not over yet

If the NBA thought they'd make more money and gain more exposure with EA having an exclusive liscense, they'd would have made a deal with EA. I'm glad the deal fell through.

I'm not exactly thrilled with EA buying into Ubi-soft.

[Blaine23]

Thanks for the daily reminder of why I should be glad I could care less about professional sports.

[Sundown]

Anyway, there's already rumors going around that EA will dump Madden and mark up their football game to $60 to make up for the ridiculous ammount they paid the NFL.

Makes sense to me. It smells of unabashed and unveiled jacking of customers, because now with the license in their hands exclusively, they can.

Hrm... anyone know if the NCAA football license is still available to ESPN to make games out of?

-Al

[JB0]

But when EA starts buying out their largest competitors...?

Missed the boat on that one. They've been buying smaller developers up for years.

[Gunbuster]

But when EA starts buying out their largest competitors...?

Missed the boat on that one. They've been buying smaller developers up for years.

yes, EA buys developers, but I don't recall them buying publisher

[Oihan]

I'm no sports gamer...actualy can't stand them...but I gots to ask, and maybe this is pointing out the obvious

Are sports gamers hooked on crack?

I mean seriously, why do people even buy these games? go to any EB games and you will find dozens of used copies of last years uber football games, and the year before, and before then too.

What, do the game CDs deteriorate that quickly that you need to update the game each and every year?

Are haveing the latest player stats so important that you are willing to fork over your hard earned cash so easily...why not find some hacked updated stats table download for say Madden 03 instead?

Or is it the graphics that drives people to by this years new game because player models now have three more polygons per butt cheek

what gives?

This guy ;; Here's what EA says what their next gen Madden will look like

Where did you find that picture at? It looks gorgeous.....

That was from Magic box. Here's pic of the next gen NFS from EA

I can't find any of these Next Generation images.....

[Jemstone]

You know, it's bad enough that EA Sports practically monopolized NASCAR gaming (Papyrus' NASCAR Racing series was better than EA's releases, but stupid Vivendi Universal pulled the plug on them for no good reason. Atari just gave up on NASCAR Heat series since the quality went downhill), but taking exclusive control of NFL gaming? That's just wrong.

On the bright side, 989 Sports won't be making any more of their retarded NFL GameDay titles for the PS2.

Thank you. I no longer have anything to add to this except it was through a similar licensing deal that gave EA exclusive rights to Nascar games.

This is nothing new and I'm in total agreement with JBO.

Edited December 22, 2004 by Jemstone

[mikeszekely]

But when EA starts buying out their largest competitors...?

Missed the boat on that one. They've been buying smaller developers up for years.

yes, EA buys developers, but I don't recall them buying publisher

And again, it's one thing to buy a smaller developer, but a totally different thing to buy into their largest competitor.

[JB0]

I'm waiting for EA VS MS. The 2 companies we love to hate duking it out for supremacy and GLOABAL DOMINATION!111

Anyawys, I think buying small developers IS the same after you've bought enough of them.

And it's not like Maxis and Origin were total unknowns.

[mikeszekely]

I'm waiting for EA VS MS. The 2 companies we love to hate duking it out for supremacy and GLOABAL DOMINATION!111

Anyawys, I think buying small developers IS the same after you've bought enough of them.

And it's not like Maxis and Origin were total unknowns.

I think buying Criterion was bigger than buying Origin, since buying Criterion gave them Renderware, and the royalties from anyone who uses Renderware (including GTA, if I'm not mistaken).

But I do see your point.

In any case... my beef with EA is worse than my beef with Microsoft. I don't mind Windows XP, and I don't have Office installed on my computer. I use Firefox instead of IE. I hear about their anti-trust suits, but it doesn't seem to trickle down to me. Instead, I give Microsoft props for bringing me Xbox.

But EA... they're just cockbites. I mean, first they wouldn't release games for the Dreamcast because they didn't want to compete with Sega Sports. Then they buy up little companies until they're the largest 3rd party developer around. Then they don't want to have their games Live enabled, because they want you to pay for their crappy service. Then they start stiffing their employees. Then, when they do have to compete with Sega Sports, they buy an exclusive license with the NFL instead of pricing Madden more competetively or actually working to improve the game. And now, they're buying a sizeable chunk of Ubisoft, who if I'm not mistaken, is EA's non-sports #1 rival. A good bit of that affects me directly.

[Gunbuster]

I'm no sports gamer...actualy can't stand them...but I gots to ask, and maybe this is pointing out the obvious

Are sports gamers hooked on crack?

I mean seriously, why do people even buy these games? go to any EB games and you will find dozens of used copies of last years uber football games, and the year before, and before then too.

What, do the game CDs deteriorate that quickly that you need to update the game each and every year?

Are haveing the latest player stats so important that you are willing to fork over your hard earned cash so easily...why not find some hacked updated stats table download for say Madden 03 instead?

Or is it the graphics that drives people to by this years new game because player models now have three more polygons per butt cheek

what gives?

This guy ;; Here's what EA says what their next gen Madden will look like

Where did you find that picture at? It looks gorgeous.....

That was from Magic box. Here's pic of the next gen NFS from EA

I can't find any of these Next Generation images.....

Here's the link I got it from

http://www.the-magicbox.com/0412/game041202c.shtml

[mikeszekely]

I'm no sports gamer...actualy can't stand them...but I gots to ask, and maybe this is pointing out the obvious

Are sports gamers hooked on crack?

I mean seriously, why do people even buy these games? go to any EB games and you will find dozens of used copies of last years uber football games, and the year before, and before then too.

What, do the game CDs deteriorate that quickly that you need to update the game each and every year?

Are haveing the latest player stats so important that you are willing to fork over your hard earned cash so easily...why not find some hacked updated stats table download for say Madden 03 instead?

Or is it the graphics that drives people to by this years new game because player models now have three more polygons per butt cheek

what gives?

This guy ;; Here's what EA says what their next gen Madden will look like

Where did you find that picture at? It looks gorgeous.....

That was from Magic box. Here's pic of the next gen NFS from EA

I can't find any of these Next Generation images.....

Here's the link I got it from

http://www.the-magicbox.com/0412/game041202c.shtml

In other words, it's conceptual art and NOT actual screenshots from actual games.

[Sundown]

Got this from Gamespot:

A source close to the negotiations said it was at a spring 2004 off-site meeting attended by top NFL officials that the league determined it would take the league license exclusive. GameSpot was told the league put the license up for bid and that EA was among as many as five software publishers competing for it. An EA spokesperson said today, "Obviously, exclusives are more expensive. We are most certainly paying a premium."

So it looks like the NFL is as much or may be even more to blame for putting the license up for grabs in the first place. They might have initiated this mess as a money grab, and forced the issue among software developers, even if EA had been courting them for the exclusive license years prior.

And it could have also been initiated partially by ESPN's lowballing last year. No one likes to see the value of their license drop because of a price war from its competing licensees. Oh well, at least we got one year of cheap sports games.

-Al

[mikeszekely]

EA's got the Arena Football League

You know, the NFL and the AFL might have done some pushing to try to get some good financial deals, but come on! EA really isn't going to be happy until they have a monopoly on sports games.

[Gunbuster]

you got to be kidding me

[mikeszekely]

you got to be kidding me

I wish I were. They tried to snag the NBA, but the NBA shut them down, and now they're supposedly trying to get the MLB, but so far the MLB wants more than EA is willing to pay.

[VF-1Guy]

Coincidently, a news site had this news announcement next to an announcement about how EA workers had a shirt that complained that they were not being paid for overtime.

EA, the Walmart of Video games.

They aren't salary? If not, they have a sweet deal since they have the potential to get overtime pay. I work at a software company and everyone is salary (except maybe the administrative assistants). I rountinely work 50 hours+ per week (70 when deadlines are near), but yet my check never changes. It is just the way things are done in my industry. I haven't had an hourly wage since college. I guess this is what I get for being able to call myself a professional .

[Jolly Rogers]

Coincidently, a news site had this news announcement next to an announcement about how EA workers had a shirt that complained that they were not being paid for overtime.

EA, the Walmart of Video games.

They aren't salary? If not, they have a sweet deal since they have the potential to get overtime pay. I work at a software company and everyone is salary (except maybe the administrative assistants). I rountinely work 50 hours+ per week (70 when deadlines are near), but yet my check never changes. It is just the way things are done in my industry. I haven't had an hourly wage since college. I guess this is what I get for being able to call myself a professional .

They are salaried slaves with no personal lives.

Notorious EA_wife story

[VF-1Guy]

The intensity at EA does seem extreem, but the concept is not uncommon. I have been in a crunch since I got my degree - and I've worked at 4 different companies.

The paragraph about comp time is fairly typical. There is usually little to no time to relax after a crunch is over since the new project is already behind schedule. Comp time is usually something you work out with your manager and it is usually a day or two here and there. It is hard to let an entire team leave for a week or two. Giving extra vacation doesn't help since most people end up maxing out on vacation accural due to the continual crunch state.

The 'shut up or leave' mentality is pretty common in Silicon Valley right now. There is a sentiment that jobs are hard to come by so you should be happy to have one. I don't like it, but it is a reality and I am happy to have a job. I've seen plenty of layoffs in my career.

[Jolly Rogers]

I don't know how long I can tolerate 11 hour days at 6 days a week before going postal. EA's management probably doesn't even realize that overworked employees do not perform their best. A lot of these extended hours are probably wasted as the frazzled employees seek distractions instead of remaining focus on the task.

Edited January 11, 2005 by Jolly Rogers

[VF-1Guy]

I've done the 11 hour 6 day a week thing. You get used to it. Mistakes do happen, but not near as many as you would expect. The 11 hour 7 day a week period is the one that seems extreem to me. It can also be argued that this was probably managements plan all along. Deadlines in games, software and electronics industry is all important. Everyone wants to get the product to market first to enjoy a period w/o competition. Marketing windows are very small and very tight. Being just a week late can translate into a significant loss of profits.

For anyone who is thinking about what career to pursue, it is a very good idea to talk to people who have worked in the field for a while. Try to talk to people from different sized companies so that you can see what is a general trend and what is specific to a certain company. Engineering and software development are very intense occupations that require a lot of sacrafices. Also, take some times to think about the implications of your work so that you understand the pressure and the stresses. Having a bug in game software is no big deal. Having a bug in aerospace electronics or software can result in a loss of life. Medicine is of course the same, probably much worse. I often envy my cousin in his 9-5 w/ paid overtime factory job.

[Prime]

For anyone who is thinking about what career to pursue, it is a very good idea to talk to people who have worked in the field for a while.

So us software guys can tell you to avoid it like the plague.

It is very true that for most of the industry the corporate attitude towards motivation is "you'll take what you get and like it."

Edited January 11, 2005 by Prime

[Valkyrie23]

Even more sickening, its not just EA and the NFL anymore. Now its EA with ESPN for 15 years! EA has to go down, they are using money to destroy competition; they don't have the MG balls to compete

screw EA $ports

Gamespot Article 15 - Year agreement with ESPN

[Jolly Rogers]

I am surprised with all the uproar over EA's aggressive tactics, no antitrust lawsuit has been served on them yet.

[Dangaioh]

Even more sickening, its not just EA and the NFL anymore. Now its EA with ESPN for 15 years! EA has to go down, they are using money to destroy competition; they don't have the MG balls to compete

screw EA $ports

Gamespot Article 15 - Year agreement with ESPN

Read the article... this is just so wrong.... whooptidootidooo... more EA Madden.

[Warmaker]

I am surprised with all the uproar over EA's aggressive tactics, no antitrust lawsuit has been served on them yet.

It's probably because video games aren't exactly a high profile thing. The only ones that complain about it are video gamers. The local news, newspapers, etc., to be honest, don't care about it.

If it was MS, then it would be a different story.

[bandit29]

Here's some numbers of EA vs /Sega ESPN and info

The last year of ESPN and EA's NFL game rivalry saw the latter win by over a two to one margin, with the PS2 Madden NFL 2005 football scoring over 3.2 million units sold and the PS2 ESPN NFL 2K5 racking up 1.5 million-plus copies sold. Interestingly, though, the Xbox Madden NFL 2005 did not break the top 10 best-selling games while the Xbox ESPN NFL 2K5 at 1.0 million-plus units.

The top 10 console games of 2004, according to NPD, are listed below. Sales figures are approximate:

1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2) - over 5.1 million

2. Halo 2 (Xbox) - over 4.2 million

3. Madden NFL 2005 (PS2) - over 3.2 million

4. ESPN NFL 2K5 (PS2) - over 1.5 million

5. Need For Speed: Underground 2 (PS2) - over 1.4 million

6. Pokemon FireRed with Adapter (GBA) - over 1.2 million

7. NBA Live 2005 (PS2) - over 1.2 million

8. Spider-Man 2 (PS2) - over 1.1 million

9. Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox) - over 1.1 million

10. ESPN NFL 2K5 (Xbox)- over 1.0 million

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/18/news_6116499.html

[mikeszekely]

Here's some numbers of EA vs /Sega ESPN and info

The last year of ESPN and EA's NFL game rivalry saw the latter win by over a two to one margin, with the PS2 Madden NFL 2005 football scoring over 3.2 million units sold and the PS2 ESPN NFL 2K5 racking up 1.5 million-plus copies sold. Interestingly, though, the Xbox Madden NFL 2005 did not break the top 10 best-selling games while the Xbox ESPN NFL 2K5 at 1.0 million-plus units.

The top 10 console games of 2004, according to NPD, are listed below. Sales figures are approximate:

1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2) - over 5.1 million

2. Halo 2 (Xbox) - over 4.2 million

3. Madden NFL 2005 (PS2) - over 3.2 million

4. ESPN NFL 2K5 (PS2) - over 1.5 million

5. Need For Speed: Underground 2 (PS2) - over 1.4 million

6. Pokemon FireRed with Adapter (GBA) - over 1.2 million

7. NBA Live 2005 (PS2) - over 1.2 million

8. Spider-Man 2 (PS2) - over 1.1 million

9. Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox) - over 1.1 million

10. ESPN NFL 2K5 (Xbox)- over 1.0 million

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/18/news_6116499.html

You'll notice that, while EA outsold Sega 2-to-1 on the PS2, Sega's football makes the top 10 on both the PS2 AND the Xbox. Madden, on the other hand, only seems to have made an impact on PS2.

One thing's for sure, it's a sad time to be into sports games.

[Valkyrie23]

I hate to say it, but its even about to get uglier:

Gamespot: VC/Take Two getting exclusive MLB License

However, this isn't like EA's deal. This is an exclusive license to 3rd parties only. That means first parties like nintendo, sony, and MS can still acquire licenses.

IGN Article

Yeah, its getting ugly. Well I guess if this 3rd party license goes through, there could be subcontracts like MS having EA create the game somehow...

An NBA deal could also be in the works. However, this deal could also be structured differently as 1 exclusive license for sim-type play (NBA Live, NBA 2k5), 1 exclusive for arcade style (Street), and 1 exclusive for portables.

This disappoints me still, even though Take Two is getting back, I don't like that move either, but what can you say? EA forced this hand, or rather the NFL.

[do not disturb]

okay so nothing really to do with the topic but whats the secret to catching interceptions? sometimes my guys just grab it(AI) other times it'll bounce right off their chests? whats up with that? is there some secret combo of buttons i gotta hit to make my dudes catch the ball?

sorry if this is a silly question but this is my first time owning/playing a console football game so its all greek to me.

[Valkyrie23]

Yet another update - - can you believe it?

EA strikes a deal with College Football

It just never ends ...

Edited April 11, 2005 by Valkyrie23

[bsu legato]

I'm waiting for EA to copyright the Second World War, thus killing off all competition for Medal of Honor. I say that jokingly, but would it really surprise anybody if they tried?

[JB0]

*sigh*

I should get an exclusive agreement with every sporting agency for broadcast and video game rights.

Then sit on it and do nothing in a desperate attempt to break the world of its insane obsession with sports.

Edited by popular request.

Edited April 19, 2005 by JB0