EA: We Never Bid for NBA Exclusivity

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http://biz.gamedaily.com/features.asp?article_id=8603#8603

Just days after reports surfaced claiming that the NBA had rejected a bid from Electronic Arts for exclusive licensing, EA is now claiming that they never did make any such bid and they don't know where the rumor started. More within...

It appeared yesterday that publishing giant Electronic Arts' win streak was snapped when the National Basketball Association (NBA) rejected an offer that would give EA full control of the NBA license. However, a report from videogame website IGN claims that EA never approached the NBA, though there are rumors that both sides had in fact met to discuss a deal.

Unstoppable force?
EA has been on an offensive tear as of late. The impressive run began earlier in the year when it purchased Criterion Studios. The multi-million-dollar deal not only gave the company the right to publish games made by the developer (including the critically acclaimed Burnout 3), but also control of RenderWare, the popular software tool used to create many of the industry's games including Midway's NBA Ballers and Sega's Sonic Heroes. Criterion's RenderWare website, Renderware.com, says that "There are over 500 current generation RenderWare games in development or published world-wide" and "Today 1 in 4 console titles in pre-production or development is using RenderWare technology." For EA, this means it can extend its hand much further into the games industry, primarily into the offices of some of its fiercest competitors.

[ "...the NBA may be biding its time and waiting to see whether the deal with the NFL will be profitable—a deal that [NBA's head of global merchandising] LaRocca called 'significant.'" ]

The acquisition of Criterion was surprising, but not nearly as unexpected as what EA did last week. In a move that may forever change the industry, the company announced it had entered into an exclusive five-year deal with the National Football League that grants the publisher full control of the NFL license. This includes its players and arenas, leaving developers of other popular football titles, such as Sega and Visual Concepts, best known for their ESPN NFL 2K series, at a loss.

The news sent shockwaves that reverberated across the industry and the homes of gamers, especially those who like having variety or simply prefer the football games published by EA's competitors. However, the company was far from finished. Earlier this week EA feasted on and consumed nearly 20% of fellow publisher Ubisoft, a move that was met with mixed reactions. An employee described the purchase as "hostile," explaining that EA may be gearing up to purchase the entire company, a move that some analysts feel is inevitable.

EA's impressive deals may turn out to be extremely profitable for the billion dollar company, so this is why the NBA's rejection of a supposed offer came as such a surprise. The NBA has assured other publishers that release basketball games carrying the license not to worry, but, since this is business, EA could always come back with a better deal, an offer the NBA simply wouldn't refuse.

But was a deal ever in place?
It's difficult to tell. The New York Post recently reported that the NBA's head of global merchandising, Sal LaRocca, said, "Talks with one group are in the preliminary stages." When GameDAILY BIZ contacted EA concerning the source of the rumor, we were told by a representative that, "There are so many rumors floating around out there, we couldn't possibly source them all."

However, it's entirely possible that EA is purposely keeping things under wraps in order to keep its stock from dropping as well as to preserve its seemingly unstoppable image. The NBA's refusal to buy into such an agreement could've possibly bruised the company's ego, though if both sides were talking, the NBA may be biding its time and waiting to see whether the deal with the NFL will be profitable—a deal that LaRocca called "significant."

While the Madden NFL Football series has been a dominating force in the past, the NBA may have more to lose if it hands over its license to EA. The company's NBA Live series hasn't been as successful as the Madden games, primarily because of the stiff competition from Sega's ESPN NBA 2K franchise.

The benefit of the doubt
Rumors of the EA/NBA meeting may have spawned from panic among gamers who felt that because EA has apparently stamped out the ESPN NFL 2K series, it would move onto basketball next, its aim being to strong arm Sega out of the sports genre. With no evidence supporting the claim that a deal was presented and in fact rejected, everything must be taken as hearsay.

GameDAILY BIZ contacted the NBA, but representatives were unavailable for comment as of press time.

What are your thoughts?
 
The NBA must have noticed the huge amount of gamer backlash. Through other sites that I have been monitoring, the same sentiment was felt all around as was shown here. Good for the NBA to reject the deal. At least at the moment they are doing something smart.
 
I think the NBA didn't take the deal cause EA didn't offer enough money. Do you think the greedy NBA cares about "gamer backlash"? They care about fans in seats - not gamers.

EA on the other hand is definitely trying to save face. They didn't get the deal so it's better for them to deny the whole thing. The EA fanboys will believe them.
 
It's all well and good to talk about 'gamer backlash' but the vast majority of purchasers of items like Madden Football do not read industry news and really couldn't care less. The 2006 edition will several million units, just like its predecessors.

When we did the TV Sports series way back when we didn't bothered paying any of the sports associations for a license. The games sold very well for the era.
 
[quote name='epobirs']It's all well and good to talk about 'gamer backlash' but the vast majority of purchasers of items like Madden Football do not read industry news and really couldn't care less. The 2006 edition will several million units, just like its predecessors.

When we did the TV Sports series way back when we didn't bothered paying any of the sports associations for a license. The games sold very well for the era.[/quote]

Sad but true. In fact a vast majority of people probably won't even hear about the NFL deal until next year when they notice there is no NFL 2k6.
 
"EA purchased Criterion Studios. The multi-million-dollar deal not only gave the company the right to publish games made by the developer (including the critically acclaimed Burnout 3), but also control of RenderWare, the popular software tool used to create many of the industry's games including Midway's NBA Ballers and Sega's Sonic Heroes. Criterion's RenderWare website, Renderware.com, says that "There are over 500 current generation RenderWare games in development or published world-wide" and "Today 1 in 4 console titles in pre-production or development is using RenderWare technology." For EA, this means it can extend its hand much further into the games industry, primarily into the offices of some of its fiercest competitors."

EA bought Maxis
EA has 20% of Ubisoft
EA has the NFL for 5 Years(A death-blow to the 2K6 series and you all know it)
EA tried to buy the rights to the NBA
EA has FIFA, PGA and NASCAR locked up tight
EA is trying to buy control of DICE

I used to love EA back in the day. Heck, I'm no fanboy. I even admire some of their games now. But this is getting out of control. I think the hardcore gamer suffers more then anything, and I believe that the overall quality of the games will suffer. It seems like honorable companies like Nintendo will go the way of the dinosaur, while Microsoft and EA run rampant. They're all out for money, but in the end, would you rather be known for someone who played the game fair, or played dirty, poking eyes and tossing elbows? There is good business practices and bad, dirty underhanded practices. I stick by my pledge not to buy an EA game in the year of 2005. And I was once a big fan of the Strike series, Live was OK(till NBA 2K showed up), and the old NHL & Madden games on the 16-Bit systems. EA - do you even care about the gamers who made this company what it is today?
 
There is no difference between this and Sony buying up developers, or microsoft or Nintendo doing the same. And Nintendo leads the pack when it comes to shady business practices or strong-arm marketing tactics. Why is there no outcry against these manufacturers when they negociate contracts with developers for exclusivity on their consoles? Or when they pressure retailers for shelfspace and exclusivity? That's the name of the game, folks. Business is business. You want to stop buying your favorite games just because you hate EA? Fine, they'll just stop making them, then who wins ?

How is the 'hardcore' gamer going to be disenfranchised ? And what's the difference between a 'hardcore' and a 'regular' gamer ? None. We all play the same games, we all look for some fancy eye-candy or new and innovative. Hardcore is just a badge to justify playing games all day, everyday instead of dating women.

EA cares about today's gamer. Madden is the industry standard because EA cares about gamers. Everything else is compared to it. Even when you say the 2K series is so great compared to Madden, you still make the comparison to madden because it's still THAT good. Don't give me this crap that games will suffer, and gamers will suffer, that's baloney.

Games really haven't changed that much in 20 years even with the myriad of developers in existence. I'm still playing the same games since the atari 2600, they just look prettier now, with more pixles. When Atari was the only developer for their system, they made some great games. When the explosion happened in the early eighties, lots of crap waffed into the marketplace and the industry went belly up. Perhaps this is a good way to weed out the crap before the industry goes bust again.
 
Just so you know, I consider myself hardcore and I date. And I hope you don't consider no NFL 2K6 as weeding out the crap, because it's far from it. I'd call Madden 2005 crap. It's the same game as last year's, only with new bugs.

Hardcore gamer = knows 2K6 won't have the NFL teams, players, etc.

Casual gamer = won't know that until August or September 2006 comes rolling around and sees only Madden in the store.
 
Hey GMZONE,
I wonder, why do you care about being a "hardcore"gamer. I know that EA has the exclusive rights to the NFL, but I wouldn't consider myself hardcore.

Labels are just that. Also, it seems to be an excuse to hate mainstream games. I happen to enjoy playing Madden. I don't buy a new one every year (and this year I bought 2ks), but it isn't terrible. It is too bad that no one is pushing them, football may stagnate a bit (it might not though, there is no reason Sega has to leave the game, they will just have to get better to live without the license).
 
[quote name='gmzone']Just so you know, I consider myself hardcore and I date. And I hope you don't consider no NFL 2K6 as weeding out the crap, because it's far from it. I'd call Madden 2005 crap. It's the same game as last year's, only with new bugs.

Hardcore gamer = knows 2K6 won't have the NFL teams, players, etc.

Casual gamer = won't know that until August or September 2006 comes rolling around and sees only Madden in the store.[/quote]

It's amusing that you want to be known as a 'hardcore' gamer yet you show your naitivity with statements like this one:

It seems like honorable companies like Nintendo will go the way of the dinosaur, while Microsoft and EA run rampant.
Click to expand...

Obviously you haven't a clue as to how all of these game companies and hardware manufacturers play the game on a daily basis and have played it for the last 30 years. None of them are in business to make games for game's sake, nor care about fairness, eyes, and elbows. Care to guess why they do it at all?

I'd still like to hear an analysis of how game quality is going to suffer from big bad EA getting bigger. No one has even tried to put forth a credible theory on this point, yet it's being rubber stamped as if it were already a fact. Ea makes good games, period. Regardless if you, or any other 'hardcore' nazis disagree with the last statement, the rest of the buying public disagrees with you because more people buy EA games than any other Getting bigger may allow them to make even better games, and more of them. Get the hamster turning in that head of yours and conjure up some analysis to back up your claims, would ya ?
 
You've also got to remember that they vehemently denied rumors that they were working on an exclusive deal with the NFL up til 1 second before they announced that they signed an exclusive deal with the NFL.
 
bmulligan, here you go. It's not hard to understand.

You said it yourself: EA, like every other company, is in it to make money. The more money the better. Rather, the most profit, the better, and the higher EA's stock, the better. EA has a lot of name recognition, and plenty of gamers choose EA products over Sega products for valid reasons, but not every gamer is a diehard EA or Sega fan. There are lots of "swing voter" consumers who weigh price, reviews, word of mouth, and so on, and those consumers will be swayed by the quality of the game. It was therefore in both EA's and Sega's interests to make the absolute best games they could to try and one-up each other. Of course, more development money is potentially less profit.

That was then. Now only EA can make games with the NFL license. There are a lot -- lot -- of football fans who will only accept an NFL product. Obviously this is so, because otherwise the billions EA spent for the license were a damn waste of money. Now, those gamers are going to buy Madden as long as it's halfway decent. Consequently, EA has less incentive to make EA any better than just decent. As it stands, Madden is a good product (until, arguably, compared with 2K games), and there is no reason to assume it will really get worse. That is extra effort, and more money.

The reason people expect EA to just add a new gimmicky feature every year is because that is the rational thing to do. Make just enough change to get folks to buy. Any more effort will be more money, less profit, and pissed off shareholders. Any less effort and gamers will get angry. Just enough effort to get by -- that's the ticket.
 
ATTN: everyone in this thread

scorch's comment:
They're realizing the gamer backlash.

they = EA, not the nba, nfl, or yo mama, as everyone seems to think he ment....thank you.
 
EA's games better then Nintendo's games? Are you mad? Any one purchasing a Mario game can attest to the fact that they are HIGH QUALITY. I'm no Nintendo fanboy. I don't even own a Cube. Just saying that when you buy N', you get quality. When you buy EA, it's hit and miss. I have to go back and re-read the whole statement to really reply back. I'll tell you this though - every company is here to make money, but some care about the quality of the game, while others are just trying to make a quick buck at the expense of everyone.
 
[quote name='gmzone']...some care about the quality of the game, while others are just trying to make a quick buck at the expense of everyone.[/quote]

I'll agree that Nintendo makes great, polished games. However, they are not ground breaking. Mario golf or mario tennis anyone? Yes, they make quality games, but they're usually the same old, same old, slightly remade from previous generation with a new number slapped on the cover. They do seem to be able to squeeze franchises better than anyone, especially when compared to Sega. Sega has been milking their franchises for decades, and poorly. Name the vast improvements on the crap that was Sonic franchise in any of the last dozen incarnations of this game. Or tell me when we'll see the last of the Sega smash-pack, please. Old habits seem too hard to break for this sagging software giant, yet so many people want to bask in past glory that once was the cornerstone of the industry. They are, simply, not that good anymore and it doesn't have anything to do with EA or Nintendo.

You still have given no argument to your theory that EA will be bad for games and gamers. There are many companies that make crap games compared to EA and are just looking for a quick buck. Just look at all the bargain bins and $10 titles that clog up the store shelves. EA does give value in their product, otherwise people wouldn't buy their software, period.
 
I have a nice way of getting at EA so they don't get any sales.

Buy ALL of their games used. Let your used game stores get the sales instead. EA still gets my money in a way, but atleast they can't claim they sold millions of copies when all my friends are buying their games used.

I was actually hoping for EA to win the NBA rights, not because I hate ESPN games, but just to see more people flip on/turn against them.
 
[quote name='gmzone']"EA purchased Criterion Studios. The multi-million-dollar deal not only gave the company the right to publish games made by the developer (including the critically acclaimed Burnout 3), but also control of RenderWare, the popular software tool used to create many of the industry's games including Midway's NBA Ballers and Sega's Sonic Heroes. Criterion's RenderWare website, Renderware.com, says that "There are over 500 current generation RenderWare games in development or published world-wide" and "Today 1 in 4 console titles in pre-production or development is using RenderWare technology." For EA, this means it can extend its hand much further into the games industry, primarily into the offices of some of its fiercest competitors."

EA bought Maxis
EA has 20% of Ubisoft
EA has the NFL for 5 Years(A death-blow to the 2K6 series and you all know it)
EA tried to buy the rights to the NBA
EA has FIFA, PGA and NASCAR locked up tight
EA is trying to buy control of DICE

I used to love EA back in the day. Heck, I'm no fanboy. I even admire some of their games now. But this is getting out of control. I think the hardcore gamer suffers more then anything, and I believe that the overall quality of the games will suffer. It seems like honorable companies like Nintendo will go the way of the dinosaur, while Microsoft and EA run rampant. They're all out for money, but in the end, would you rather be known for someone who played the game fair, or played dirty, poking eyes and tossing elbows? There is good business practices and bad, dirty underhanded practices. I stick by my pledge not to buy an EA game in the year of 2005. And I was once a big fan of the Strike series, Live was OK(till NBA 2K showed up), and the old NHL & Madden games on the 16-Bit systems. EA - do you even care about the gamers who made this company what it is today?[/quote]

You forgot that they have the marvel licence too, which for me means, even less hope for a Marvel Vs Capcom 3 :(
 
[quote name='gmzone']EA's games better then Nintendo's games? Are you mad? Any one purchasing a Mario game can attest to the fact that they are HIGH QUALITY. I'm no Nintendo fanboy. I don't even own a Cube. Just saying that when you buy N', you get quality. When you buy EA, it's hit and miss. I have to go back and re-read the whole statement to really reply back. I'll tell you this though - every company is here to make money, but some care about the quality of the game, while others are just trying to make a quick buck at the expense of everyone.[/quote]

When you buy N', 9 times out of 10 you're getting a game they outsourced to some random developer, it'd be impossible for the quality not to vary. I'd say Nintendo is as hit and miss as EA. Sure EA published Catwoman but Nintendo published Mario's Time Machine. You're just looking at the world through nostalgia colored glasses. If Nintendo was back on top being just as shady as EA is now, you'd be complaining about them instead.
 
[quote name='Theenternal'][quote name='gmzone']"EA purchased Criterion Studios. The multi-million-dollar deal not only gave the company the right to publish games made by the developer (including the critically acclaimed Burnout 3), but also control of RenderWare, the popular software tool used to create many of the industry's games including Midway's NBA Ballers and Sega's Sonic Heroes. Criterion's RenderWare website, Renderware.com, says that "There are over 500 current generation RenderWare games in development or published world-wide" and "Today 1 in 4 console titles in pre-production or development is using RenderWare technology." For EA, this means it can extend its hand much further into the games industry, primarily into the offices of some of its fiercest competitors."

EA bought Maxis
EA has 20% of Ubisoft
EA has the NFL for 5 Years(A death-blow to the 2K6 series and you all know it)
EA tried to buy the rights to the NBA
EA has FIFA, PGA and NASCAR locked up tight
EA is trying to buy control of DICE

I used to love EA back in the day. Heck, I'm no fanboy. I even admire some of their games now. But this is getting out of control. I think the hardcore gamer suffers more then anything, and I believe that the overall quality of the games will suffer. It seems like honorable companies like Nintendo will go the way of the dinosaur, while Microsoft and EA run rampant. They're all out for money, but in the end, would you rather be known for someone who played the game fair, or played dirty, poking eyes and tossing elbows? There is good business practices and bad, dirty underhanded practices. I stick by my pledge not to buy an EA game in the year of 2005. And I was once a big fan of the Strike series, Live was OK(till NBA 2K showed up), and the old NHL & Madden games on the 16-Bit systems. EA - do you even care about the gamers who made this company what it is today?[/quote]

You forgot that they have the marvel licence too, which for me means, even less hope for a Marvel Vs Capcom 3 :([/quote]

crap :x
 
[quote name='Final Starman']The idea of a "hardcore" gamer is kind of vague. What really sets someone apart and into that category as opposed to "casual"?[/quote]

I agree. Is "Hardcore" someone that goes out of their way to own imported games/systems? Are they more or less "Hardcore" than someone who only owns a single system, yet they play it on an 42" Plasma screen with surround sound? I think "Hardcore" is what you make of it. However, that could lead to a discussion on how obsession is or isn't different from being "Hardcore". There are to many possibilities and viewpoints -one man's extreme could be another man's everyday.

Never mind. I just had an aneurysm from thinking about this too much.
 
[quote name='RisingZan'][quote name='Final Starman']The idea of a "hardcore" gamer is kind of vague. What really sets someone apart and into that category as opposed to "casual"?[/quote]

I agree. Is "Hardcore" someone that goes out of their way to own imported games/systems? Are they more or less "Hardcore" than someone who only owns a single system, yet they play it on an 42" Plasma screen with surround sound? I think "Hardcore" is what you make of it. However, that could lead to a discussion on how obsession is or isn't different from being "Hardcore". There are to many possibilities and viewpoints -one man's extreme could be another man's everyday.

Never mind. I just had an aneurysm from thinking about this too much.[/quote]

It's more of a subective title, there's really not any criteria to being one or the other. It's just a title.
 
[quote name='kelpie182'][quote name='Theenternal'][quote name='gmzone']"EA purchased Criterion Studios. The multi-million-dollar deal not only gave the company the right to publish games made by the developer (including the critically acclaimed Burnout 3), but also control of RenderWare, the popular software tool used to create many of the industry's games including Midway's NBA Ballers and Sega's Sonic Heroes. Criterion's RenderWare website, Renderware.com, says that "There are over 500 current generation RenderWare games in development or published world-wide" and "Today 1 in 4 console titles in pre-production or development is using RenderWare technology." For EA, this means it can extend its hand much further into the games industry, primarily into the offices of some of its fiercest competitors."

EA bought Maxis
EA has 20% of Ubisoft
EA has the NFL for 5 Years(A death-blow to the 2K6 series and you all know it)
EA tried to buy the rights to the NBA
EA has FIFA, PGA and NASCAR locked up tight
EA is trying to buy control of DICE

I used to love EA back in the day. Heck, I'm no fanboy. I even admire some of their games now. But this is getting out of control. I think the hardcore gamer suffers more then anything, and I believe that the overall quality of the games will suffer. It seems like honorable companies like Nintendo will go the way of the dinosaur, while Microsoft and EA run rampant. They're all out for money, but in the end, would you rather be known for someone who played the game fair, or played dirty, poking eyes and tossing elbows? There is good business practices and bad, dirty underhanded practices. I stick by my pledge not to buy an EA game in the year of 2005. And I was once a big fan of the Strike series, Live was OK(till NBA 2K showed up), and the old NHL & Madden games on the 16-Bit systems. EA - do you even care about the gamers who made this company what it is today?[/quote]

You forgot that they have the marvel licence too, which for me means, even less hope for a Marvel Vs Capcom 3 :([/quote]

crap :x[/quote]

No they don't.

http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/5018.shtml
 
[quote name='Franklin WI']bmulligan, here you go. It's not hard to understand.

You said it yourself: EA, like every other company, is in it to make money. The more money the better. Rather, the most profit, the better, and the higher EA's stock, the better. EA has a lot of name recognition, and plenty of gamers choose EA products over Sega products for valid reasons, but not every gamer is a diehard EA or Sega fan. There are lots of "swing voter" consumers who weigh price, reviews, word of mouth, and so on, and those consumers will be swayed by the quality of the game. It was therefore in both EA's and Sega's interests to make the absolute best games they could to try and one-up each other. Of course, more development money is potentially less profit.

That was then. Now only EA can make games with the NFL license. There are a lot -- lot -- of football fans who will only accept an NFL product. Obviously this is so, because otherwise the billions EA spent for the license were a damn waste of money. Now, those gamers are going to buy Madden as long as it's halfway decent. Consequently, EA has less incentive to make EA any better than just decent. As it stands, Madden is a good product (until, arguably, compared with 2K games), and there is no reason to assume it will really get worse. That is extra effort, and more money.

The reason people expect EA to just add a new gimmicky feature every year is because that is the rational thing to do. Make just enough change to get folks to buy. Any more effort will be more money, less profit, and pissed off shareholders. Any less effort and gamers will get angry. Just enough effort to get by -- that's the ticket.[/quote]

This was well said and needs to be quoted. How can someone not know no competition in business is bad? Does no one remember Rockefeller? I'd like to directly hear from the mouth of one of you that Monopoly is a good thing.
 
A hardcore gamer is someone who has gaming high on their priority list, knows what is going on in the gaming industry and knows about games before they hit the shelves.

A casual gamer is someone who has gaming low on their priority list and don't have a clue about Industry news or upcoming titles. The only games they know about are what is on a store shelf, bilboard or ad.
 
[quote name='CrashSpyro123'][quote name='kelpie182'][quote name='Theenternal'][quote name='gmzone']"EA purchased Criterion Studios. The multi-million-dollar deal not only gave the company the right to publish games made by the developer (including the critically acclaimed Burnout 3), but also control of RenderWare, the popular software tool used to create many of the industry's games including Midway's NBA Ballers and Sega's Sonic Heroes. Criterion's RenderWare website, Renderware.com, says that "There are over 500 current generation RenderWare games in development or published world-wide" and "Today 1 in 4 console titles in pre-production or development is using RenderWare technology." For EA, this means it can extend its hand much further into the games industry, primarily into the offices of some of its fiercest competitors."

EA bought Maxis
EA has 20% of Ubisoft
EA has the NFL for 5 Years(A death-blow to the 2K6 series and you all know it)
EA tried to buy the rights to the NBA
EA has FIFA, PGA and NASCAR locked up tight
EA is trying to buy control of DICE

I used to love EA back in the day. Heck, I'm no fanboy. I even admire some of their games now. But this is getting out of control. I think the hardcore gamer suffers more then anything, and I believe that the overall quality of the games will suffer. It seems like honorable companies like Nintendo will go the way of the dinosaur, while Microsoft and EA run rampant. They're all out for money, but in the end, would you rather be known for someone who played the game fair, or played dirty, poking eyes and tossing elbows? There is good business practices and bad, dirty underhanded practices. I stick by my pledge not to buy an EA game in the year of 2005. And I was once a big fan of the Strike series, Live was OK(till NBA 2K showed up), and the old NHL & Madden games on the 16-Bit systems. EA - do you even care about the gamers who made this company what it is today?[/quote]

You forgot that they have the marvel licence too, which for me means, even less hope for a Marvel Vs Capcom 3 :([/quote]

crap :x[/quote]

No they don't.

http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/5018.shtml[/quote]

yes they do. EA owns the license to use Marvel characters in a fighting game.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3118524&did=1
 
[quote name='CaseyRyback'][quote name='CrashSpyro123'][quote name='kelpie182'][quote name='Theenternal'][quote name='gmzone']"EA purchased Criterion Studios. The multi-million-dollar deal not only gave the company the right to publish games made by the developer (including the critically acclaimed Burnout 3), but also control of RenderWare, the popular software tool used to create many of the industry's games including Midway's NBA Ballers and Sega's Sonic Heroes. Criterion's RenderWare website, Renderware.com, says that "There are over 500 current generation RenderWare games in development or published world-wide" and "Today 1 in 4 console titles in pre-production or development is using RenderWare technology." For EA, this means it can extend its hand much further into the games industry, primarily into the offices of some of its fiercest competitors."

EA bought Maxis
EA has 20% of Ubisoft
EA has the NFL for 5 Years(A death-blow to the 2K6 series and you all know it)
EA tried to buy the rights to the NBA
EA has FIFA, PGA and NASCAR locked up tight
EA is trying to buy control of DICE

I used to love EA back in the day. Heck, I'm no fanboy. I even admire some of their games now. But this is getting out of control. I think the hardcore gamer suffers more then anything, and I believe that the overall quality of the games will suffer. It seems like honorable companies like Nintendo will go the way of the dinosaur, while Microsoft and EA run rampant. They're all out for money, but in the end, would you rather be known for someone who played the game fair, or played dirty, poking eyes and tossing elbows? There is good business practices and bad, dirty underhanded practices. I stick by my pledge not to buy an EA game in the year of 2005. And I was once a big fan of the Strike series, Live was OK(till NBA 2K showed up), and the old NHL & Madden games on the 16-Bit systems. EA - do you even care about the gamers who made this company what it is today?[/quote]

You forgot that they have the marvel licence too, which for me means, even less hope for a Marvel Vs Capcom 3 :([/quote]

crap :x[/quote]

No they don't.

http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/5018.shtml[/quote]

yes they do. EA owns the license to use Marvel characters in a fighting game.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3118524&did=1[/quote]

It doesn't mean they own, they just licensed the use of their characters for a game or more. Many other companies also have licenses with Marvel for various franchises.
 
[quote name='valleyvampiress'][quote name='Franklin WI']bmulligan, here you go. It's not hard to understand.

You said it yourself: EA, like every other company, is in it to make money. The more money the better. Rather, the most profit, the better, and the higher EA's stock, the better. EA has a lot of name recognition, and plenty of gamers choose EA products over Sega products for valid reasons, but not every gamer is a diehard EA or Sega fan. There are lots of "swing voter" consumers who weigh price, reviews, word of mouth, and so on, and those consumers will be swayed by the quality of the game. It was therefore in both EA's and Sega's interests to make the absolute best games they could to try and one-up each other. Of course, more development money is potentially less profit.

That was then. Now only EA can make games with the NFL license. There are a lot -- lot -- of football fans who will only accept an NFL product. Obviously this is so, because otherwise the billions EA spent for the license were a damn waste of money. Now, those gamers are going to buy Madden as long as it's halfway decent. Consequently, EA has less incentive to make EA any better than just decent. As it stands, Madden is a good product (until, arguably, compared with 2K games), and there is no reason to assume it will really get worse. That is extra effort, and more money.

The reason people expect EA to just add a new gimmicky feature every year is because that is the rational thing to do. Make just enough change to get folks to buy. Any more effort will be more money, less profit, and pissed off shareholders. Any less effort and gamers will get angry. Just enough effort to get by -- that's the ticket.[/quote]

This was well said and needs to be quoted. How can someone not know no competition in business is bad? Does no one remember Rockefeller? I'd like to directly hear from the mouth of one of you that Monopoly is a good thing.[/quote]

Im not gonna tell you its good for the gaming industry but it does help in many other things. Check out the electric company or some other major utility. Do you know how expensive it would be to have hundreds of little electric companies all over your town running wires everywhere. Back in the old time days the telephone was like that and you had to have 3 phones from seperate companies to be able to get calls from everyone. A single large company can provide the same service at a much lower per unit cost than a bunch of smaller companies.

Hey you asked for it.
 
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