Industry Bands Against EA *Unofficial News*

[Mr. Anderson]

I met someone deep in the industry tonight though my mother and my aunt. I can't give specifics about who they were or who they worked for, but I assure I'm not making this up and I heard a lot more than I'm telling you. However, my "source" tells me that most of the industry is appalled at EA's recent moves on the NFL exclusivity and the Ubisoft stock incident. She tells me that her company has been contacted by some of the largest corporations in the industry, and they want to help in the fight against EA. He/She really wants me to tell the gamers that nobody is taking EA's little move on the chin. I'll answer your questions to an extent, but I of course don't want to put his/her job in jeopardy, so don't expect any specifics.

[ChrisXE]

koo

[vrs1650]

I heard there was going to be a sit in just like the good ol day's. Well show them, sit in their offices so they can't work.

[Greetard]

Are we talking lawsuit?...

[alongx]

Could you please be a little bit more vague, that was too specific for my liking.

;)

[Fire]

Fight the power

[punqsux]

what does this have to do with your sex life?!

[Rig]

Could you please be a little bit more vague, that was too specific for my liking.

;)

[jam3582]

oooooo thats what im talking abour , getting together and fighting the devil , errrrr well second devil ( microsoft is first ) :D

[Zman310]

what does this have to do with your sex life?!

My thoughts exactly.

[Scorch]

Down with EA!.. well, not completely, i'd like to play Burnout 4.

If this thing pans through and there's some companies that take a stand against EA, we (the gamers) should do something to thank them. I mean even a huge list of names that support their cause would do, to show them that we appreciate the games they make and were feeling trapped at the possibility of an entire industry dominated by EA.

[jbroush99]

We must unite to slay the dragon!



He/She really wants me to tell the gamers

Is this person a hermaphrodite?

[greydemise]

Down with EA!.. well, not completely, i'd like to play Burnout 4.

If this thing pans through and there's some companies that take a stand against EA, we (the gamers) should do something to thank them. I mean even a huge list of names that support their cause would do, to show them that we appreciate the games they make and were feeling trapped at the possibility of an entire industry dominated by EA.

hmm..i agree, i wanna see some sims 2 expansion packs in the future :)

[epobirs]

So what, the industry is going to have a 'Hold our breath until our faces turn blue' day? This is shaping up to be as stupid as those 'Don't buy gas on Tuesday' protests which only result in sales spikes the days before and after.

I really don't get this NFL idiocy. ANYBODY can make a football game. They just can't use the copyrighted property of the NFL.

Why isn't anyone upset that Activision is the exclusive publisher of games involving Marvel Comics characters? Surely the complete lack of games featuring superhuman protagonists from other publishers is an example of how unfair this situation is. Oh wait, I forgot, other publishers create original characters and develop games around them on a nearly daily basis.

[SEGA128DC]

Electronic Arts must die!!!...

[dcfox]

So what, the industry is going to have a 'Hold our breath until our faces turn blue' day? This is shaping up to be as stupid as those 'Don't buy gas on Tuesday' protests which only result in sales spikes the days before and after.

I really don't get this NFL idiocy. ANYBODY can make a football game. They just can't use the copyrighted property of the NFL.

Why isn't anyone upset that Activision is the exclusive publisher of games involving Marvel Comics characters? Surely the complete lack of games featuring superhuman protagonists from other publishers is an example of how unfair this situation is. Oh wait, I forgot, other publishers create original characters and develop games around them on a nearly daily basis.

Because without the NFL license publishers won't have an excuse to put out the same game year after year. Those updated rosters are what sells the games.

[FriskyTanuki]

I'm afraid you're not too convincing, maybe if you update your topic with some good updates, then I might believe you. :wink:

Also, where are these sources from? What's your mother and aunt's relations to this source? Any other more specific info would help.

[Greetard]

Why isn't anyone upset that Activision is the exclusive publisher of games involving Marvel Comics characters? Surely the complete lack of games featuring superhuman protagonists from other publishers is an example of how unfair this situation is. Oh wait, I forgot, other publishers create original characters and develop games around them on a nearly daily basis.

One of the best parts of playing sports games is playing as your favorite teams and players. It's easy to come up with a new hero for a game, but it just wouldn't feel right in a sports title.

[thingsfallnapart]

Down with EA!.. well, not completely, i'd like to play Burnout 4.

If this thing pans through and there's some companies that take a stand against EA, we (the gamers) should do something to thank them. I mean even a huge list of names that support their cause would do, to show them that we appreciate the games they make and were feeling trapped at the possibility of an entire industry dominated by EA.

you won't be playing burnout 4, you'll be playin burnout' 95 with evil kanevil on the cover (sp?)

[Mr. Anderson]

Well, like I said, I'm asking you guys to trust me, but whatever. My mom's sister's girlfriend's friend's wife is who I'm talking about. It sounds really fishy, but we had a very long dinner, so we talked for a while. It's from a fairly high up on the ladder, and it's true. I assure you it is. I welcome questions.

[greydemise]

So what, the industry is going to have a 'Hold our breath until our faces turn blue' day? This is shaping up to be as stupid as those 'Don't buy gas on Tuesday' protests which only result in sales spikes the days before and after.

I really don't get this NFL idiocy. ANYBODY can make a football game. They just can't use the copyrighted property of the NFL.

Why isn't anyone upset that Activision is the exclusive publisher of games involving Marvel Comics characters? Surely the complete lack of games featuring superhuman protagonists from other publishers is an example of how unfair this situation is. Oh wait, I forgot, other publishers create original characters and develop games around them on a nearly daily basis.

Because without the NFL license publishers won't have an excuse to put out the same game year after year. Those updated rosters are what sells the games.

hmm...maybe the buy-out can open up ways to new variations on football...i was never a sports guy, so i didnt really care much about sports games at all, my friend brought over nfl blitz one day, and it was fun cus it was fantasy-like and exaggerated *like the killer pile driver tackles, etc*..so many this cud open up a way to different kinda sports games ya kno..similar to mario tennis, and future baseball the like ...
now this might sound dumb, but think, football with like different races the like..like orcs, skeletons, wizards...that wud be something...

[jalu6]

i think i saw this in a movie once. they are all going to have a sit down to discuss it around this big table. then Trip Hawkins is going to walk around with a baseball bat and pound in the head whomever he doesnt think is a "team player"

[mtxbass1]

My mom's sister's girlfriend's friend's wife is who I'm talking about.

One more degree of seperation and they'll be related to Kevin Bacon.

[jalu6]

now this might sound dumb, but think, football with like different races the like..like orcs, skeletons, wizards...that wud be something...

well that would be great for like, 6 or so nerds, but for the two or three million dudes who own PS2s just to play madden every year, EA has them exclusively for the next five years.

this isnt a fight for the hardcore gamers. this is asserting control over every casual gamer. believe me. if they could find a way to own Rockstar, that would be next.

[dafoomie]

I really don't get this NFL idiocy. ANYBODY can make a football game. They just can't use the copyrighted property of the NFL.
NOBODY will buy a non-NFL football game. Your comparing the NFL license to a regular IP license, which simply isn't the same thing. Sports licensing is completely different, its typically not exclusive.

But even then, you're still missing the boat here. Its not that we're upset that the deal happened per se, its the consequences of it that will affect us. There won't be any competition to push EA. There won't be an alternative to EA for an NFL game. Its a very bad situation for the consumer.

[dcfox]

I maybe wrong, but doesn't EA also have the exclusive rights to NASCAR as well?

[dafoomie]

So what, the industry is going to have a 'Hold our breath until our faces turn blue' day? This is shaping up to be as stupid as those 'Don't buy gas on Tuesday' protests which only result in sales spikes the days before and after.

I really don't get this NFL idiocy. ANYBODY can make a football game. They just can't use the copyrighted property of the NFL.

Why isn't anyone upset that Activision is the exclusive publisher of games involving Marvel Comics characters? Surely the complete lack of games featuring superhuman protagonists from other publishers is an example of how unfair this situation is. Oh wait, I forgot, other publishers create original characters and develop games around them on a nearly daily basis.

Because without the NFL license publishers won't have an excuse to put out the same game year after year. Those updated rosters are what sells the games.

hmm...maybe the buy-out can open up ways to new variations on football...i was never a sports guy, so i didnt really care much about sports games at all, my friend brought over nfl blitz one day, and it was fun cus it was fantasy-like and exaggerated *like the killer pile driver tackles, etc*..so many this cud open up a way to different kinda sports games ya kno..similar to mario tennis, and future baseball the like ...
now this might sound dumb, but think, football with like different races the like..like orcs, skeletons, wizards...that wud be something...
They're making Blitz: Playmakers, since they don't have the NFL license anymore. Its an opportunity for over the top football games like Blitz, for sure, but who would buy a serious simulation type football game that didn't have the NFL license? Who would make one, or invest serious money into developing one, with the expectation of dismal sales?

[FriskyTanuki]

this isnt a fight for the hardcore gamers. this is asserting control over every casual gamer. believe me. if they could find a way to own Rockstar, that would be next.

If Take-Two wasn't busy buying up sports developers, such as the makers of Rocky, Amped and Top Spin, and possibly the Sega Sports developers and ESPN license.

[Greetard]

now this might sound dumb, but think, football with like different races the like..like orcs, skeletons, wizards...that wud be something...

well that would be great for like, 6 or so nerds, but for the two or three million dudes who own PS2s just to play madden every year, EA has them exclusively for the next five years.

this isnt a fight for the hardcore gamers. this is asserting control over every casual gamer. believe me. if they could find a way to own Rockstar, that would be next.

Then they'd take over Microsoft and Walmart, and we'd be fucked. Nintendo would go bankrupt and Sony would die out soon after. Soon, EA has enough power to take over Texas, and moves into Mexico because they are too poor and drunk to fight back. They'd take Alaska for oil, and pummel Canada for.....being Canadian. Then the US would go to war, but everyone is in Iraq, so it'd be an easy take over. With all that crap, EA would take over Japan and force them to buy American games even though they only buy them for coasters and tp. Then after years of plotting, Reggie Fils-Aime would appear like the Governator and fuck up all the executives. Nintendo would be on top again like the old days, and Mario would be king.

.............
Sorry, I'm bored.

[Spruce]

if they could find a way to own Rockstar, that would be next.

Well, they don't own them but they do own the RenderWare technology now that they have Criterion. So until GTA (and several other games) jump(s) to a new engine (which I'm sure they will for the next gen anyway) they're getting money from 'em.

[jalu6]

if they could find a way to own Rockstar, that would be next.

Well, they don't own them but they do own the RenderWare technology now that they have Criterion. So until GTA (and several other games) jump(s) to a new engine (which I'm sure they will for the next gen anyway) they're getting money from 'em.

oh yeah, i forgot i read that somewhere too. interesting stuff.

so with EA taking over everything, we're going to have to make a "safe to buy" games list for all the protesters. this is going to be like converting to veganism.

[cheapass Gundam]

He/She really wants me to tell the gamers

Is this person a hermaphrodite?

:rofl:

[Wet Ninja]

now this might sound dumb, but think, football with like different races the like..like orcs, skeletons, wizards...that wud be something...

Check out Mutant League Football on the Genesis. You played as skeletons, aliens, ogres, and more. The fields are on different planets and have craters, holes in which you can fall to your death, ice, and even landmines. You can beat up the other players and kill the ref. It's a pretty fun game

[Fanboy]

now this might sound dumb, but think, football with like different races the like..like orcs, skeletons, wizards...that wud be something...

Check out Mutant League Football on the Genesis. You played as skeletons, aliens, ogres, and more. The fields are on different planets and have craters, holes in which you can fall to your death, ice, and even landmines. You can beat up the other players and kill the ref. It's a pretty fun game

That's what I thought of as well. But according to jalu6, official sales figures reveal that only 6 nerds bought it!

[Eric467]

Well good. EA needs to be shown it can't take over the industy.

I still want to play Batman Begins though. :(

[Fanboy]

but for the two or three million dudes who own PS2s just to play madden every year, EA has them exclusively for the next five years.

Sorry jalu6, I don't mean to be picking on you here, but I had to reply on this as well. Surely the 2-3 million people who own their systems just to play Madden are the group least affected by the exclusivity agreement, alongside those of us with no interest whatsoever in sports/football games.

It's those who are on the fence about which football game to choose who are now funneled into a singular "choice" that have lost, as well as the game developers who could once vie for their attentions.

[craven_fiend]

Why isn't anyone upset that Activision is the exclusive publisher of games involving Marvel Comics characters? Surely the complete lack of games featuring superhuman protagonists from other publishers is an example of how unfair this situation is. Oh wait, I forgot, other publishers create original characters and develop games around them on a nearly daily basis.

not sure, but doesn't capcom make the marvel vs fighting games? or somone other than activision?

[screwkick]

Damn...and I just bought MVP baseball 2004 yesterday.

I'm so ashamed. :oops:

[epobirs]

I really don't get this NFL idiocy. ANYBODY can make a football game. They just can't use the copyrighted property of the NFL.
NOBODY will buy a non-NFL football game. Your comparing the NFL license to a regular IP license, which simply isn't the same thing. Sports licensing is completely different, its typically not exclusive.

But even then, you're still missing the boat here. Its not that we're upset that the deal happened per se, its the consequences of it that will affect us. There won't be any competition to push EA. There won't be an alternative to EA for an NFL game. Its a very bad situation for the consumer.

Simply not true. The roster changes only drive a segment of the total market for EA football games. They've long been in competition with themselves. The cash cow ups and dies if millions of buyers cannot perceive a reason to buy 200Y after they already have 200X for the same platform.

THe only reason sport licenses haven't previously been exclusive is that there wasn't enough money involved for a dominant player to qualify the investment. For broadcast rights this has been the status quo for decades. Video games have now gotten big enough to have the same perceived investment potential. NFL players names and images are no different from any cartoon character. For those of us who don't get excited over the Superbowl the NFL is in fact nothing more than a bunch of characters, just like the wrestling management companies.

"Professional athletes are in the same business as prostitutes: destroying their bodies for the pleasure of strangers."
Ian Shoales

[epobirs]

Why isn't anyone upset that Activision is the exclusive publisher of games involving Marvel Comics characters? Surely the complete lack of games featuring superhuman protagonists from other publishers is an example of how unfair this situation is. Oh wait, I forgot, other publishers create original characters and develop games around them on a nearly daily basis.

not sure, but doesn't capcom make the marvel vs fighting games? or somone other than activision?

That is an older license. When was the last NEW Capacom/Marvel game produced? Seems to me they've just been ports of older IP for a good while. I'd expect Capcom contracted for the right to keep publishing the games long after their right to create new IP ended. This would entail ongoing royalties for Marvel so it's an equitable arrangement.

[epobirs]

Why isn't anyone upset that Activision is the exclusive publisher of games involving Marvel Comics characters? Surely the complete lack of games featuring superhuman protagonists from other publishers is an example of how unfair this situation is. Oh wait, I forgot, other publishers create original characters and develop games around them on a nearly daily basis.

One of the best parts of playing sports games is playing as your favorite teams and players. It's easy to come up with a new hero for a game, but it just wouldn't feel right in a sports title.

So it isn't about the game, it's just a matter of living vicariously through it. How sad that people pour so much money into it. I'd rather play football badly for real at the local park then pretend to be someone else doing it better. I play video game for thing I cannot possibly do in real life and gameplay that has little or no correlation of things I could really experience. You could get rid of Mario and insert any other character in those hit games. I'm there for the play not the characters in an action game.

[greydemise]

now this might sound dumb, but think, football with like different races the like..like orcs, skeletons, wizards...that wud be something...

Check out Mutant League Football on the Genesis. You played as skeletons, aliens, ogres, and more. The fields are on different planets and have craters, holes in which you can fall to your death, ice, and even landmines. You can beat up the other players and kill the ref. It's a pretty fun game

That's what I thought of as well. But according to jalu6, official sales figures reveal that only 6 nerds bought it!

damn that sux :(..o well, just givin out an idea, thanks for not flamin :-p

[BABETOOTH]

He/She really wants me to tell the gamers

Is this person a hermaphrodite?

:rofl:

:) You are missing the picture on that quote, HE /SHE wants him to "tell the gamers" Yet he wont tell us crap. Dude no one is asking you for names. Either come up with something worth reading or dont post at all. I appreciate the info but its not like someone forced you to start this topic...

[BABETOOTH]

now this might sound dumb, but think, football with like different races the like..like orcs, skeletons, wizards...that wud be something...

Check out Mutant League Football on the Genesis. You played as skeletons, aliens, ogres, and more. The fields are on different planets and have craters, holes in which you can fall to your death, ice, and even landmines. You can beat up the other players and kill the ref. It's a pretty fun game

wasn't that an EA game?

[Ledhed]

now this might sound dumb, but think, football with like different races the like..like orcs, skeletons, wizards...that wud be something...

Check out Mutant League Football on the Genesis. You played as skeletons, aliens, ogres, and more. The fields are on different planets and have craters, holes in which you can fall to your death, ice, and even landmines. You can beat up the other players and kill the ref. It's a pretty fun game

There is also a fantasy (and I mean FANTASY) football game on PC, where the players are mythical creatures such as ogres and skeletons. It's a managerial sim, where you only control the progression of the team, not the players themselves. I forget the name, but I remember seeing it on GameSpy recently.

[BABETOOTH]

Why isn't anyone upset that Activision is the exclusive publisher of games involving Marvel Comics characters? Surely the complete lack of games featuring superhuman protagonists from other publishers is an example of how unfair this situation is. Oh wait, I forgot, other publishers create original characters and develop games around them on a nearly daily basis.

One of the best parts of playing sports games is playing as your favorite teams and players. It's easy to come up with a new hero for a game, but it just wouldn't feel right in a sports title.

So it isn't about the game, it's just a matter of living vicariously through it. How sad that people pour so much money into it. I'd rather play football badly for real at the local park then pretend to be someone else doing it better. I play video game for thing I cannot possibly do in real life and gameplay that has little or no correlation of things I could really experience. You could get rid of Mario and insert any other character in those hit games. I'm there for the play not the characters in an action game.

epobirs, so that means that you go jack up people and kill anyone on the streets instead of playing Grand Theft Auto? :( One can argue that you can do that in real life... LOL :o

[Spruce]

now this might sound dumb, but think, football with like different races the like..like orcs, skeletons, wizards...that wud be something...

Check out Mutant League Football on the Genesis. You played as skeletons, aliens, ogres, and more. The fields are on different planets and have craters, holes in which you can fall to your death, ice, and even landmines. You can beat up the other players and kill the ref. It's a pretty fun game

wasn't that an EA game?

Why yes, it was...

http://ivorytower.emuviews.com/Site/Sega/Genesis/MutantLeagueFootball_Cart.jpg

[epobirs]

Why isn't anyone upset that Activision is the exclusive publisher of games involving Marvel Comics characters? Surely the complete lack of games featuring superhuman protagonists from other publishers is an example of how unfair this situation is. Oh wait, I forgot, other publishers create original characters and develop games around them on a nearly daily basis.

One of the best parts of playing sports games is playing as your favorite teams and players. It's easy to come up with a new hero for a game, but it just wouldn't feel right in a sports title.

So it isn't about the game, it's just a matter of living vicariously through it. How sad that people pour so much money into it. I'd rather play football badly for real at the local park then pretend to be someone else doing it better. I play video game for thing I cannot possibly do in real life and gameplay that has little or no correlation of things I could really experience. You could get rid of Mario and insert any other character in those hit games. I'm there for the play not the characters in an action game.

epobirs, so that means that you go jack up people and kill anyone on the streets instead of playing Grand Theft Auto? :( One can argue that you can do that in real life... LOL :o

If you'd followed my past comments you'd know I don't look kindly on that series. I have no urge to vicariously experience being the kind of person I'd just as soon see die under a hail of gunfire from the police. One of the things that makes not give a damn about sports licenses is how many of those players are little better than the GTA protagonists. There is something very wrong in how some of the sleaziest people are being presented as objects of admiration today.

[Wet Ninja]

wasn't that an EA game?

Ironically, yes it was. You could see the early beginnings of an evil empire in their refusing to use the standard Genesis cartridge and instead making their own proprietary cartridge (see the pic in Spruce's post).

[vherub]

just to bust out the old perspectivision:

ea valued at 18 bil
3 bil in sales

walmart 230 bil value
280 bil sales

microsoft 290 value
38 bil sales

apple 25 bil value
7.5 bil sales

nintendo 17 bil value
4.5 bil sales

sony 35 bil value
66 bil sales

[Spruce]

not sure, but doesn't capcom make the marvel vs fighting games? or somone other than activision?

This reminded me of something I read a lil' while back...after some digging around at GameSpot:

Marvel versus EA on the cards (http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/02/06/news_6087557.html)

EDIT: Not sure on the appropriateness of posting a pic of Gabe & Tycho in the buff but I do know shaq-fu is an intentional filter so I'll just add the link to Penny Arcade's (http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2004-02-09) strip on the subject.

[jlarlee]

I really don't get this NFL idiocy. ANYBODY can make a football game. They just can't use the copyrighted property of the NFL.
NOBODY will buy a non-NFL football game. Your comparing the NFL license to a regular IP license, which simply isn't the same thing. Sports licensing is completely different, its typically not exclusive.

But even then, you're still missing the boat here. Its not that we're upset that the deal happened per se, its the consequences of it that will affect us. There won't be any competition to push EA. There won't be an alternative to EA for an NFL game. Its a very bad situation for the consumer.

Simply not true. The roster changes only drive a segment of the total market for EA football games. They've long been in competition with themselves. The cash cow ups and dies if millions of buyers cannot perceive a reason to buy 200Y after they already have 200X for the same platform.

THe only reason sport licenses haven't previously been exclusive is that there wasn't enough money involved for a dominant player to qualify the investment. For broadcast rights this has been the status quo for decades. Video games have now gotten big enough to have the same perceived investment potential. NFL players names and images are no different from any cartoon character. For those of us who don't get excited over the Superbowl the NFL is in fact nothing more than a bunch of characters, just like the wrestling management companies.

"Professional athletes are in the same business as prostitutes: destroying their bodies for the pleasure of strangers."
Ian Shoales

As a sports fan I would disagree with you there. Video game football to some extent recreating the excitement of the league. I already have an attachment to some platers right off the bat. There is no way I could care about how some default player is doing or spend the time finding out how a guy plays when I already know generally how an NFL player is going to play for me.

[Snake2715]

Well, like I said, I'm asking you guys to trust me, but whatever. My mom's sister's girlfriend's friend's wife is who I'm talking about. It sounds really fishy, but we had a very long dinner, so we talked for a while. It's from a fairly high up on the ladder, and it's true. I assure you it is. I welcome questions.

Hey look I am not going against what you say I just find this part funny... follow me here...

your aunts...
girlfriend (female)
boy friends (male)
wife (female)

ahh maybe its nothing.

[BABETOOTH]

Why isn't anyone upset that Activision is the exclusive publisher of games involving Marvel Comics characters? Surely the complete lack of games featuring superhuman protagonists from other publishers is an example of how unfair this situation is. Oh wait, I forgot, other publishers create original characters and develop games around them on a nearly daily basis.

One of the best parts of playing sports games is playing as your favorite teams and players. It's easy to come up with a new hero for a game, but it just wouldn't feel right in a sports title.

So it isn't about the game, it's just a matter of living vicariously through it. How sad that people pour so much money into it. I'd rather play football badly for real at the local park then pretend to be someone else doing it better. I play video game for thing I cannot possibly do in real life and gameplay that has little or no correlation of things I could really experience. You could get rid of Mario and insert any other character in those hit games. I'm there for the play not the characters in an action game.

epobirs, so that means that you go jack up people and kill anyone on the streets instead of playing Grand Theft Auto? :( One can argue that you can do that in real life... LOL :o

If you'd followed my past comments you'd know I don't look kindly on that series. I have no urge to vicariously experience being the kind of person I'd just as soon see die under a hail of gunfire from the police. One of the things that makes not give a damn about sports licenses is how many of those players are little better than the GTA protagonists. There is something very wrong in how some of the sleaziest people are being presented as objects of admiration today.

...Somehow I agree with you :shock: I have kids and hope that when they get older they can choose better role models...

[BABETOOTH]

wasn't that an EA game?

Ironically, yes it was. You could see the early beginnings of an evil empire in their refusing to use the standard Genesis cartridge and instead making their own proprietary cartridge (see the pic in Spruce's post).

Thats a great observation :? I never thought about it that way.

[AlbinoNinja]

WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE

[Gothic Walrus]

So what, the industry is going to have a 'Hold our breath until our faces turn blue' day? This is shaping up to be as stupid as those 'Don't buy gas on Tuesday' protests which only result in sales spikes the days before and after.

I really don't get this NFL idiocy. ANYBODY can make a football game. They just can't use the copyrighted property of the NFL.

Why isn't anyone upset that Activision is the exclusive publisher of games involving Marvel Comics characters? Surely the complete lack of games featuring superhuman protagonists from other publishers is an example of how unfair this situation is. Oh wait, I forgot, other publishers create original characters and develop games around them on a nearly daily basis.

There's competition in the comic industry. There isn't competition in football. People play video games to become heroes. You can become Batman if Spider-Man isn't an option anymore, but who the hell wants to play an arena football video game?

The teams, the players, the license in itself is what sells football games.

That said...the post is vague to the point where we've got no idea what (if anything) will be happening. If the industry can find some way to show disapproval of EA, though, that could be enough to prevent this kind of monopolistic behavior from ever happening again.

One thing that comes to mind would be giving retail stores a choice as to their stock: sell games from EA, or sell games from all of the other publishers. Pick one. :wink:

[Danimal]

but for the two or three million dudes who own PS2s just to play madden every year, EA has them exclusively for the next five years.

Sorry jalu6, I don't mean to be picking on you here, but I had to reply on this as well. Surely the 2-3 million people who own their systems just to play Madden are the group least affected by the exclusivity agreement, alongside those of us with no interest whatsoever in sports/football games.

It's those who are on the fence about which football game to choose who are now funneled into a singular "choice" that have lost, as well as the game developers who could once vie for their attentions.

I agree with this completely. I'm a huge football fan, but I don't own my PS2 just to play Madden. In fact, I don't buy the new game every single year. I did buy a game this year, but it was ESPN NFL 2K5, partly because of the lower price, and partly because of great reviews. I was on the fence for a while, trying to decide which game to go with. I hate that there won't be that option for the next five years.

[Mr. Anderson]

Well, like I said, I'm asking you guys to trust me, but whatever. My mom's sister's girlfriend's friend's wife is who I'm talking about. It sounds really fishy, but we had a very long dinner, so we talked for a while. It's from a fairly high up on the ladder, and it's true. I assure you it is. I welcome questions.

Hey look I am not going against what you say I just find this part funny... follow me here...

your aunts...
girlfriend (female)
boy friends (male)
wife (female)

ahh maybe its nothing.

My aunt is a lesbian. And BABETOOTH, sorry if my thread isn't good enough for you, but I just thought this was a bit intresting. There are a lot more pointless threads you could go be a bit negative in. And from I see, there is a good conversation going, so just chill out.

[capnharlock]

My take on the whole anti EA thing is this: They're not the antichrist. They're not the only publisher to push their developers really hard with a heavy workload. They're not the only publisher that is willing to broker deals that could cripple competition. They're not the only publisher that likes to take a safe, sequel driven approach over creating original titles. But they are the biggest. They're big enough to have some influence over which direction the games industry should head. They're big enough that we gamers and other publishers should pay attention and shoulod be concerned.

I think some of you guys are giving the majority of gamers too much credit. I would love to believe that unlicensed pro football games with original teams and players would sell on the strengths of gameplay and production values on their own, but that's never gonna happen. I can use myself as an example. I will not buy Madden during the entire NFL exclusivity term. But even if a better non-NFL game comes along for me to play, I'll still be seething underneath at not being able to REALLY play as the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The appeal of the NFL license is that you can play as your favorite teams and players. You can run things the way you want. These are the same players you watch each Sunday and Monday, and you can now affect the outcome. Fictional teams might have been good enough in the NES days, but football games very much NFL simulations now. And fans love this stuff. And fans buy name brand. Football is so heavily North American, and other than the NFL, there don't seem to be any really compelling alternatives other than the NCAA.

As an aside, to the poster who said playing real football is where it's at and living vicariously through an NFL licensed game is silly, you're missing the point. First, most American gamers want to live vicariously through their favorite team. Second, millions of jocks and fans love playing real team and pickup games of football and also love playing Madden/ESPN NFL/etc. They're not mutually exclusive, and they're not the same. I've never played a real game of football with all the, skill, athlelticism, strategy, and violence as a real NFL game, and I never will. The video games and the real thing both offer unique things to me and can't replace each other.

In North America the EA Sports brand can make or break a console. What if EA were to bless one next gen console over all others, especially with the exclusive NFL rights? Let's say only Xbox Next gets EA Sports games. That means only Xbox next owners can play NFL, NASCAR, PGA, and FIFA games. The competition would basically be doomed barring a miracle. They also own Criterion and RenderWare now. What if EA decided that RenderWare revenue was nice, but it would be in their best interests to longer license it to others and as a result handicap them. That wouldn't affect everyone obviously, but tons of teams do use RenderWare. Hell the modern GTA incarnations are made with RenderWare.

What really bugs me about EA is how successful they are considering that at a fundamental level, I don't believe they really respect their audience. I look at their often odd choices for trendy licensed music, whether or not it actually fits the game, the way the EA Trax "feature" is forced down your throat to create artist awareness at the expense of seeing vital information on the screen. I look at the poorly realized way they're filling so much of their stuff faux "street" lifestyle marketing. Christ, look at NFS: Underground 2 or the Urbz for some recent examples. Or take another look at NFS: Underground 2 for the level of crass marketing EA is willing to jam into a single game. A little advertising creates realism and helps sell products. Too much advertising reminds me that the producers think gamers are just trend focused zombies with wallets.

The bottom line is I understand EA's business decisions as being shrewd and savvy on their behalf. But given their weight, they can have both negative and positive impact on the industry. And I've seen a little too much negative influence lately.

[hiccupleftovers]

what does this have to do with your sex life?!

My thoughts exactly.

Yup my thoughts too. :D :wink:

[hiccupleftovers]

if they could find a way to own Rockstar, that would be next.

Well, they don't own them but they do own the RenderWare technology now that they have Criterion. So until GTA (and several other games) jump(s) to a new engine (which I'm sure they will for the next gen anyway) they're getting money from 'em.

oh yeah, i forgot i read that somewhere too. interesting stuff.

so with EA taking over everything, we're going to have to make a "safe to buy" games list for all the protesters. this is going to be like converting to veganism.

:lol: that actually sounds like a pretty good idea.

[nypd030]

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