EA gets exclusive NFL rights

XunilTlatoani · Post by **XunilTlatoani** » December 14, 2004, 11:41 am

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

Five-year contract gives EA sole rights to the NFL, including teams, players, and stadiums. Take-Two reacts, calling it a "tremendous disservice to the consumers."

Well, at least for one year we were able to get a quality football game for $19.99. According to the article there is precedence for the NFL exclusively licensing its names to vendors, but I really hope this gets shot down in an antitrust case (although that's probably unlikely).

Post by **Sylvus** » December 14, 2004, 1:29 pm

Wow. That's huge. I never even saw that coming, that has the potential to kill some of those other companies.

Deward · Post by **Deward** » December 14, 2004, 1:41 pm

We'll still see other NFL games but they will have players named Brett Favio of the Orange Bay Whackers.

Mr Bacon · Post by **Mr Bacon** » December 14, 2004, 2:03 pm

Time for a CFL game.

Kluden · Post by **Kluden** » December 14, 2004, 3:57 pm

I would definitely buy a game with the Orange Bay Whackers! That's ausome.

yeah, I have to agree, never saw this one happening. I guess since the NFL players group is a private group, they can sell things like rights to their names without worrying about monopoly issues and whatnot.

Gamei · Post by **Gamei** » December 14, 2004, 4:13 pm

If I recall correctly, during the N64 days the NFL licensed exclusively to the NFL Quarterback's Club games. We all remember how fun those were, right?

Sionistic · Post by **Sionistic** » December 14, 2004, 4:30 pm

sucks, I heard the espn games were doing good

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » December 14, 2004, 5:25 pm

Bad move. ESPN was at least as good and better graphically than Madden. This is a blow to creativity and competition driving innovation in sports games.

Now EA doesn't have to work hard to improve their game as they aren't worried about ESPN schooling them again.

Soreali · Post by **Soreali** » December 14, 2004, 6:59 pm

Now ESPN should fire back and get the rights to NCAA games.. That would royally fuck EA over..

Disclaimer: If EA already has the rights, I'm not aware of it.

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » December 14, 2004, 6:59 pm

Bah. i'm a VC NFL gamer since the original DC version. The only Maddens I had were the original Genesis game (because it was 100 times better than anything out there) and Madden '92 where You'd always try an injure a player on a place in the field where the ambulance would run them over.

I know the new Madden is a good product but it's a much better product because of the competition. And i preferred that competition.

fucking sucks

Edit: you can't license college player names Sor. In addition, Madden sells more than all of the NCAA games and all of the other pro sport games combined.

Soreali · Post by **Soreali** » December 15, 2004, 2:57 am

I retract my statement then...

Stalker Vacio · Post by **Stalker Vacio** » December 15, 2004, 6:23 pm

hehe...Orange Bay Wackers

I remember the old NCAA games...instead of USC and California it was California South and California North

The NFL has Disney(ABC/EPSN) on there shit list for the Playmakers series a year and ago and most recently the Desperate Housewives/T.Owens incident on MNF.

This really doesn't surprise me... with the new NFL network there is talk of taking away MNF and ESPN Sunday night away from Disney(ABC/EPSN).

EDIT:

Found another good article on the subject:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/sportsbu ... 9705204233

Electronic Arts also has exclusive deals with NASCAR, FIFA and the PGA Tour.

XunilTlatoani · Post by **XunilTlatoani** » December 22, 2004, 4:51 pm

NBA rejects EA's latest attempt to squelch the competition:

http://sports.ign.com/articles/574/5745 ... ?fromint=1

Fash · Post by **Fash** » December 22, 2004, 5:05 pm

EA.... Evil Acquisitions.

This is really shitty of them to even attempt, but I guess it's even shittier of the NFL to accept the offer.

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » January 17, 2005, 11:41 pm

sega just got fucked

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/sportsbu ... id=1969067

Mr Bacon · Post by **Mr Bacon** » January 18, 2005, 9:41 am

glorious

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » January 18, 2005, 12:02 pm

Looks like we have the new wal-mart of sports video games.

XunilTlatoani · Post by **XunilTlatoani** » January 19, 2005, 5:42 pm

The latest exclusive rights talks:

http://gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=6332

This time it's Take Two (no doubt with a pile of cash thanks to GTA) looking to get an exclusive deal with MLB.

IANAL, and I don't pretend to know what the fuck I'm talking about when it comes to lawsuits, etc., but all these deals just make me sick. You have one monopoly selling the ability to be a monopoly to the highest bidder. I realize that other companies can still make a quality sports game with fake names and stadiums, but you'd be a fool to think that they would be as competitive (which is why they won't be made). IMO, if you're fortunate enough to be recognized as a legal monopoly in a country with strict anti-trust laws, then licensing deals should have to go through a government approval process. If I'm an idiot and they already do go through a federal approval, then I guess I just don't understand what this country's idea of a free market is.

/rant off

Post by **Sylvus** » January 20, 2005, 1:14 pm

Well, this is actually part of the free market. Nobody is saying that any company can't make a football game. What they are saying is that only one company can make a football game that uses the images and trademarks of the NFL. It's a similar idea to having to get permission to use a song in a commercial or movie, or something along those lines.

Yeah, it sucks for us, but I don't see why there's anything illegal about it.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » January 20, 2005, 1:32 pm

Sylvus wrote:Well, this is actually part of the free market. Nobody is saying that any company can't make a football game. What they are saying is that only one company can make a football game that uses the images and trademarks of the NFL. It's a similar idea to having to get permission to use a song in a commercial or movie, or something along those lines.

Yeah, it sucks for us, but I don't see why there's anything illegal about it.

Next year I challenge you to a non EA football game!

The Detroit Cheetahs
vs
Arizona Woodpeckers

I'm betting Larry Phatsgerald will catch the winning TD in OT. Charles Dodgers will once again be injured for 10+ games of the season. Steve Mariachi will have to work the bench once again!

XunilTlatoani · Post by **XunilTlatoani** » January 20, 2005, 3:05 pm

I understand that licensing the NFL names is like licensing a song, but the analogy just doesn't work the same. I think a better analogy would be if the RIAA gave exclusive permission to iTunes to distribute individual songs it has licensing control over on the internet (i'm not positive if they even have licensing control, but just go with it

). Sure, you could still distribute other songs if you want, but there is no way you could dream of being competitive since the RIAA controls licensing to all the content that people typically want.