EA Secures rights to NFL video games

[tomster2300]

This is crazy. Looks like ESPN might be out of the loop in football games for awhile.

http://sports.ign.com/articles/572/5...html?fromint=1

The spooky part is there're rumors that they're trying to do the same for the NBA and the MLB

[PMich]

The deal doesn't prevent developers from releasing non-licensed games. In five years, this could be a major blunder by EA because of the cash they laid out for it. Personally, I would rather see the Chicago Grizzlies play the Minnesota Nordics (whose players oddly resemble those of the NFL teams found in those cities) in a game with superior gameplay than worry about the names attached to the teams. At the end of the day, a dime defense is still a dime defense and hot routes are hot routes.

[tomster2300]

Well that could be true, but I still think publishers like Midway and ESPN are gonna lose some cash from this. Maybe it'll force them to develop new types of football games (ex. NFL Blitz -- my favorite old school football game) which will make even more money than Madden. One can only hope.

[shadowbreaker513]

O boy, only the horrendous Madden series for the next 5 years.

[PMich]

Originally Posted by tomster2300 Well that could be true, but I still think publishers like Midway and ESPN are gonna lose some cash from this...

I think that is a given. The real question is whether or not the cost to
EA for exclusive NFL rights is really going to increase their sales enough to offset that expense. Exclusivity is expensive and even though EA may be able to save money on development if they are the only game in town, a lot of additional units will need to be moved to make up for that cost. I'd like to know how much EA paid for the exclusive rights. In the article, there is a reference to the new Blitz in the works entitled Blitz:Playmakers that looks like it may be rated M by the time they are done with it.

[tigstah]

Originally Posted by tomster2300 This is crazy. Looks like ESPN might be out of the loop in football games for awhile. http://sports.ign.com/articles/572/5...html?fromint=1 The spooky part is there're rumors that they're trying to do the same for the NBA and the MLB

i'm at a lost for words.
whats going to be ea's motivation to continue to improve the madden franchise.

[bigandy]

Originally Posted by shadowbreaker513 O boy, only the horrendous Madden series for the next 5 years.

I wouldn't say Madden is horrendous. I actually like it better than any of the other NFL sim games (although I do prefer the NCAA Football titles, just because I like college football more than pro football). But, as tigstah said, there is now no real motivation for EA to make improvements to Madden, because there is no direct competition. Sure there may be other football games with teams and players curiously like those in the NFL, but Madden will be the only true NFL game.

[tomster2300]

Perhaps this will create an increase to attention towards college games, instead of predominately NFL games. This would force EA to improve the NCAA franchise, since they haven't really made any improvements in either of the three releases.

[Jaggannath]

I think it all comes down more to the purchasers motivation than the developers.... do you play it only for the football, in which case names dont matter, or do players add that extra edge for you

[tigstah]

its all about gameplay.
without it, there really is no game. its going to take more than graphics and a radio show.
espn had great graphics, but he A.I. was very weak.
since they are the only game in town are far as the nfl goes. can they please release the game after the last roster cuts are done so the roster is close to opening day.

[tomster2300]

That would be nice for those who do not have xbox live to download the latest rosters. I myself am not renewing my xbox live account since I rarely played and find it to lack much from pc online gaming. It's just not worth it to me.

[nocturnx]

Well EA just purchased the rights to ESPN for the next 15-years so it looks like visual concepts and sega are SOL. Now they cant even release a game with the ESPN tag let alone real players and real teams. They might as well not even make a football game now. Hmm I wonder if they will drop the Madden tag and call it EA's ESPN football........

http://sports.ign.com/articles/580/580401p1.html

[Strider]

I think Football games creativity has taken a big hit on this move, for if EA produces a NFL Football game that stinks there's no competition to turn to.

[shadowbreaker513]

I got a feeling the only football games worth playing are gonna be college football.

[tigstah]

now sega/vc are trying to get the exclusive rights for a mlb license.....

[kstatefan40]

I guess they should change their name to EA $ports. Its called "monopoly" i believe.

[bigandy]

Originally Posted by nocturnx Hmm I wonder if they will drop the Madden tag and call it EA's ESPN football........

I would highly doubt it. The Madden name alone brings in millions of sales each year. For the most part when you think of video game football, you think of "Madden". And I think that was proven this year when ESPN was $20 to start with, and was still outsold by the $50 Madden 2005.