Waffles Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 According to GameSpot, EA Sports is nearing a billion dollar deal with the NFL Players' Association to get the exculsive rights to use NFL players in their games. This would mean their competition (ESPN Football and 989 Sports) would have to use fake names (or position names like in college games).Business is business, but this seems kinda egregious. Madden is already the best-selling video game franchise ever and it doesn't seem like EA needs to resort to tactics like these to wipe out whatever competition it has on a yearly basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob5150 Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 Yeah, I saw that too. I don't like it either. If Madden gets the exclusive rights to the player names, it gives them almost a monopoly on the genre of games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac the Knife Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 Yeah, I saw that too. I don't like it either. If Madden gets the exclusive rights to the player names, it gives them almost a monopoly on the genre of games. That's exactly the idea, Bob.EA's using Machavellian principle here: "It is not enough that I must succeed, but that all others around me must fail."They're using their clout to put their competition out of business, yet they have no fear of being dubbed a monopoly (after all, there are literally dozens of video game producers).If it pays off, its a helluva smart move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notch Novelty Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 I'm sure ESPN would sue. ESPN games are finally turning the corner. ESPN Hockey was better than NHL this year. Years past ESPN sucks especially when it was with Sega and PS1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosioux76 Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 I'm sure ESPN would sue. ESPN games are finally turning the corner. ESPN Hockey was better than NHL this year. Years past ESPN sucks especially when it was with Sega and PS1. But on what grounds would they sue? It's not as if EA, by signing this agreement, would have an unfair monopoly on the sports gaming market. EA's exclusive NFLPA agreement certainly wouldn't prevent ESPN from making a game, just the game they wanted to make. Then again, i'm no lawyer.Yeah, it's kind of a raw deal, especially for those who like a diverse market and several options. I can't deny that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yh Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 Sounds to me like a propaganda tactic to get the other video game manufacturers to pony up more cash. I seriously doubt that EASports will shell out a bil just to get the exclusive rights to NFL players' names. However if 989 and ESPN and others do feel there's a risk, I'm certain there will be more money shelled out in order to prevent it from happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiasco! Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 I'm sure ESPN would sue. ESPN games are finally turning the corner. ESPN Hockey was better than NHL this year. Years past ESPN sucks especially when it was with Sega and PS1. actually, wouldn't it be Sega that would sue....doesn't SegaSports put out the ESPN games? LinkedIn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epper Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 i could totally see them doing this, as EA already inked the exclusive rights to all NASCAR games. it sucks because it put Papyrus, makers of the best PC NASCAR simulations ever, out of business. and EA's racing games are usually brutal in comparison. even though i only play madden, i still think its wrong to have a monopoly over the entire football gaming genre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stampman Posted May 20, 2004 Share Posted May 20, 2004 Since I play on PC the others don't matter anyway...And I also like to make custom teams anyway as well...The only thing I'd hate is if they did that and they got lazy or overspent and the game suffered as a result... Comic Sans walks into a bar, and the bartender says, "Sorry, we don't serve your type here." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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