Can Someone Explain VC's Concern Over the NFL?

[ChicagoSparty]

Quote: Originally Posted by Steelerfan2k1

Who could sue them? On what grounds? The NFL can't sue Yahoo for using player names and likenesses in Fantasy Football. A federal judge made that ruling last year. I just can't see a judge rolling back this precedent (and other similar precedents) to allow the NFL or the NFLPA or EA to sue VC simply because it allows people to edit the game. I just don't see the lawsuit possibility. It has to be something else.

EA could sue them for interfering with EA's ability to receive the entire benefit of its contractual relationship with the NFL.

Furthermore, the NFL/NFLPA could sue and attempt to distinguish the ruling you mention. Using player names in fantasy football---which inherently is tied to those players' specific performance on a football field---is completely different than using those players' names and likenesses to create a game in which you exploit those names and likenesses. Or so would go the argument.

In short, there is no precedent on this; it could be that they did not want to risk it. Or maybe they just did not want to do it that way, who knows?

Either way, it is what it is. So hopefully it will be a good game.

[baa7]

Quote: Originally Posted by J_Posse512

Also, I believe BL knows a little more information than we do, since he hinted about the game months ago.

Anybody betting their money on BL knowing something more about the game could end up very unpleased.

[baa7]

Quote: Originally Posted by J_Posse512

You've got no evidence to prove such a ridiculous assumption.

Dude, I'm just guessing along with everyone else here, LOL. Anyway, as I said, the game will no doubt look and play a lot like 2K5 - same great game engine, same great animations, updated graphics. And that would be fine with me.

[totalownership]

Quote: Originally Posted by aholbert32

They could sue but it wouldnt make it past a motion to dismiss because of the Yahoo Fantasy Football suit and other trademark usage suits. The case wouldnt cost hundreds of thousands because the suit would be dismissed at its beginning stages.

I don't think so. A very compelling argument could be made if the game gave you the ability to re-create the NFL and thats all thats needed to start the ball rolling. 2K may indeed simply want to avoid this or at least let the game sell enough it's first time around to build enough in it's coffers to offset any expense that may arise from a lawsuit. And lawsuits cost money.

Quote: Originally Posted by aholbert32

The reason why 2k wont allow NFL like editg is because it hopes it can get a license when the exclusive deal ends and doesnt want to ruffle the NFL's feathers

Seeing that you are a mod you may have inside info that the rest of us aren't privy to. If this is the case then how can we argue with that. However if this is all your speculation then it probably should be stated as such. I'm just confused how a company looking to get back in the good graces of the NFL would put out a game with late-hits and other features that the NFL frowns on.

[TeeDogg]

no one would get sued for the game being customizable! thats a proven fact. ( has MJ sued VC for allowing users to create him in BBall titles?) my oppinion is the obsticle was one of these: making all the customization playable online, deciding where to focus development time, keeping good graces with the NFL, or too many bugs and glitches caused by leaving so many variables open in the code, leading to more development time to iron them out.

[NINJAK2]

Quote: Originally Posted by TeeDogg

no one would get sued for the game being customizable! thats a proven fact. ( has MJ sued VC for allowing users to create him in BBall titles?) my oppinion is the obsticle was one of these: making all the customization playable online, deciding where to focus development time, keeping good graces with the NFL, or too many bugs and glitches caused by leaving so many variables open in the code, leading to more development time to iron them out.

EXCELLENT POST TeeDogg

[VCdolphin]

Quote: Originally Posted by aholbert32

They could sue but it wouldnt make it past a motion to dismiss because of the Yahoo Fantasy Football suit and other trademark usage suits. The case wouldnt cost hundreds of thousands because the suit would be dismissed at its beginning stages. The reason why 2k wont allow NFL like editg is because it hopes it can get a license when the exclusive deal ends and doesnt want to ruffle the NFL's feathers

Agree with the first part, not the second. I don't see how 2K doing a game that allows things the NFL fordbids in football games, is getting them in the good graces of the NFL. If fact, fans would be upset if they had to go back and change the gameplay to conform to NFL standards, if they got the license back.

The best argument against WE type custom options, is simply time. Yeah, they've tossed around ideas since late 2004/early 2005 but started only last year in serious development?

Let me give an illustration, that of building a house. You can ponder various house plans for years, buy a plot of land even. You could tell everyone you are working on building a house, and that is true. However, until the site excavation is done, a foundation poured, walls built, plumbing and wiring, etc is done? All that planning won't really change the time it takes to build that house. Even if you spent five years looking at house plans before starting the actual construction.

If 2K only started coding in late 2005 or early 2006? Then despite any cool ideas they came up with, it will take time to build that football game. So, maybe they felt Franchise mode was too complex at this point, and would delay the game another 6 months or more. Maybe the focus is ONLINE, which Madden has ignored for years, and that niche is how they'll sell the game.

I'm sure the "behind the scenes" details will leak out eventually. We might have a lot of custom options anyway, and this is much ado about nothing.

[aholbert32]

Quote: Originally Posted by VCdolphin

Agree with the first part, not the second. I don't see how 2K doing a game that allows things the NFL fordbids in football games, is getting them in the good graces of the NFL. If fact, fans would be upset if they had to go back and change the gameplay to conform to NFL standards, if they got the license back. The best argument against WE type custom options, is simply time. Yeah, they've tossed around idea since late 2004/early 2005 but started only last year in serious development? Let me give an illustration, that of building a house. You can ponder various house plans for years, buy a plot of land even. You could tell everyone you are working on building a house, and that is true. However, until the site excavation is done, a foundation poured, walls built, plumbing and wiring, etc is done? All that planning won't really change the time it takes to build that house. Even if you spent five years looking at house plans before starting the actual construction. If 2K only started coding in late 2005 or early 2006? Then despite any cool ideas they came up with, it will take time to build that football game. So, maybe they felt Franchise mode was too complex at this point, and would delay the game another 6 months or more. Maybe the focus is ONLINE, which Madden has ignored for years, and that niche is how they'll sell the game. I'm sure the "behind the scenes" details will leak out eventually. We might have a lot of custom options anyway, and this is much ado about nothing.

Do you honestly think that most of the fans of 2k football would care if they had to sacrifice late hits or real time injuries if that meant getting back the Nfl license? Do you think the NFL will care if one of your past games has late hits if you are offering hundreds of millions of dollars for a license. What the NFL will care about is if your game is using nfl properties in a roundabout way without paying the league.

Also lets stop acting as if 2k had to build this game from scratch. They will have had two years of development time by the time this game is released and there are more than a few elements in this game that are in NFL 2k5. I understand that its a new game but they have focused plenty of man hours toward this project.

What alot of people dont know is that 2k pulled people from their other games to work on animations and other things for APF. APF is one of the main reasons that College Hoops 2k6 was delayed for months because the Thomas' wanted to try and release APF in 2006. This game has been a primary focus of this company and I find it hard to believe that you cant implement simple things like a text editor or a franchise mode when you assign a good part of your staff to work on a game.