How will the sale of the UFC to the new owners affect EA UFC 3?

[chia]

Quote: Originally Posted by tissues250

I heard that EA contract with ZUFA until 2020.

Even if that is true (which I would be hard pressed to believe) there is no telling if that contract was transferable after WME took over.

[aholbert32]

Quote: Originally Posted by chia

Even if that is true (which I would be hard pressed to believe) there is no telling if that contract was transferable after WME took over.

I seriously doubt that the license wasnt transferrable. Just like the Reebok deal will likely remain after WME takes over. Same with the Fox deal.

Even if it wasnt, both sides are likely happy with the deal and would just amend the deal. WME has to see that there arent a ton of gaming studios looking to make an MMA game and EA is by far the biggest sports gaming studio around. EA UFC is EA's 3rd biggest title so I dont think they are looking to get out of the UFC business.

[fishingtime]

Quote: Originally Posted by Morgan Monkman

Lol what? A few of us? Why would they drop the UFC, which just had the biggest sale in sports history, for boxing? I don't know what you're smoking fish but I want some Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

Biggest sale for one franchise. Don't confuse that. They consider it a franchise. That is why they are comparing it to teams that have sold. This isn't like the NFL being sold or anything. They are considered a league.

Like I said, anything they are making now means nothing until we get confirmation on a third one that was approved by the new owners, or the contract remained the same. EA could have to eat all of that production. They do it all the time with games. THQ had invested in UFC Undisputed 4. They were in the process of making it at San Diego Studios.

This was a sale. So anything can happen. Until we get concrete confirmation on a third one, I'm still going to wonder if there will be one. The new company might want to shop around the license. We just don't know.

Edit: Also, who said they would drop the UFC for boxing? They have this series at a point that they probably could produce both games. Especially if they can use the same engine and some of the fight mechanics.

[Morgan Monkman]

Quote: Originally Posted by fishingtime

Biggest sale for one franchise. Don't confuse that. They consider it a franchise. That is why they are comparing it to teams that have sold. This isn't like the NFL being sold or anything. They are considered a league. Like I said, anything they are making now means nothing until we get confirmation on a third one that was approved by the new owners, or the contract remained the same. EA could have to eat all of that production. They do it all the time with games. THQ had invested in UFC Undisputed 4. They were in the process of making it at San Diego Studios. This was a sale. So anything can happen. Until we get concrete confirmation on a third one, I'm still going to wonder if there will be one. The new company might want to shop around the license. We just don't know.

Shop around for who? Like Aholbert said, EA is the biggest sports game company, there is no one else.

Franchise, league? it doesn't matter. Still biggest sports sale, that point is irrelevant anyways, you can't sell a league.

[fishingtime]

Quote: Originally Posted by Morgan Monkman

Shop around for who? Like Aholbert said, EA is the biggest sports game company, there is no one else. Franchise, league? it doesn't matter. Still biggest sports sale, that point is irrelevant anyways, you can't sell a league.

I guess you don't know what shop around means. The UFC found THQ after EA turned them down. The new owners might want a bigger cut, etc. That is what shopping it around is. You think there aren't other companies that couldn't make the game? Think they wouldn't mind picking it up? 2K might want it to compliment the WWE games.

Point is relevant because the other sales were actual franchises within a league. You are buying one team. The UFC is seen more as the sport of MMA. Kind of like asking for a Kleenex, when you just wanted a facial tissue. People hear MMA and think UFC.

[aholbert32]

Quote: Originally Posted by fishingtime

I guess you don't know what shop around means. The UFC found THQ after EA turned them down. The new owners might want a bigger cut, etc. That is what shopping it around is. You think there aren't other companies that couldn't make the game? Think they wouldn't mind picking it up? 2K might want it to compliment the WWE games. Point is relevant because the other sales were actual franchises within a league. You are buying one team. The UFC is seen more as the sport of MMA. Kind of like asking for a Kleenex, when you just wanted a facial tissue. People hear MMA and think UFC.

This whole premise is built on several assumptions that are unsupported:

1) That WME would have the right to terminate the EA/Zuffa agreement just because it bought the UFC. No one knows this other than people who have seen the deal.

2) That WME would want to terminate the EA deal.

3) That there are other developers interested in getting the UFC license, paying more than EA and starting a game from scratch.

[fishingtime]

Quote: Originally Posted by aholbert32

This whole premise is built on several assumptions that are unsupported: 1) That WME would have the right to terminate the EA/Zuffa agreement just because it bought the UFC. No one knows this other than people who have seen the deal. 2) That WME would want to terminate the EA deal. 3) That there are other developers interested in getting the UFC license, paying more than EA and starting a game from scratch.

Yeah, exactly. We have no clue. We only can have assumptions. Even everything you just said is speculation. We just don't know. That is what makes this discussion interesting.

[chia]

Quote: Originally Posted by aholbert32

This whole premise is built on several assumptions that are unsupported: 1) That WME would have the right to terminate the EA/Zuffa agreement just because it bought the UFC. No one knows this other than people who have seen the deal. 2) That WME would want to terminate the EA deal. 3) That there are other developers interested in getting the UFC license, paying more than EA and starting a game from scratch.

I think this would just about have to be after a completion of an EA deal since a game cycle under a new developer would push the game pretty far out even if they started today.

Plus I like GPD so I hope he gets to continue his work along with the other less vocal talent.