Worried about NCAA being bought out by EA?

[blb0922]

Lotta people are saying Sega's answer should be going with a college game which I believe is the right answer. Also being brought up it the fear that EA will simply purchase this lisence as well. But it's not possible unless the NCAA changed the rules on playing college athletes (legally lol). Purchasing NCAA means paying the players in the game which would make every last football player in america ineligible........ how hilarious would that be though!???!

[coogrfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by blb0922

Lotta people are saying Sega's answer should be going with a college game which I believe is the right answer. Also being brought up it the fear that EA will simply purchase this lisence as well. But it's not possible unless the NCAA changed the rules on playing college athletes (legally lol). Purchasing NCAA means paying the players in the game which would make every last football player in america ineligible........ how hilarious would that be though!???!

I don't believe this is correct. EA currently has a deal with the NCAA (and a seperate agreement with Notre Dame) which allows them to use things such as school names, logos and stadiums. Player likenesses are not included in this deal(because there is no seperate players union to negotiate with), so no rules would be broken by any exclusive arrangement.

[MK47]

Its been pointed out elsewhere on this board how unpractical buying a NCAA exclusive licence would be though since the status of the NCAA and the schools and their relationship with each other is not that one of a league and its franchises. I dont think this is a real concern. I'd be more worried about the other major pro leagues selling exclusive licences.

[RoyalBoyle78]

Well If EA did buy the rights, I don't think it would be a big deal at all, because they do make the best NCAA football game every year. Plus nobody has put a game out to try and compete with EA on the college level in like the last 2/3 years. So people are gonna get crazy if they bought the License for the Ncaa football, The only really reason people are getting worried cause they think ESPN might have a chance to make a college game..What can you say EA are crazy rich Bastards......lol.

[pietasterp]

Quote: Originally Posted by FootballForever

Well If EA did buy the rights, I don't think it would be a big deal at all, because they do make the best NCAA football game every year. Plus nobody has put a game out to try and compete with EA on the college level in like the last 2/3 years. So people are gonna get crazy if they bought the License for the Ncaa football, The only really reason people are getting worried cause they think ESPN might have a chance to make a college game..What can you say EA are crazy rich Bastards......lol.

This is almost the most perfect possible illustration of why this move by the NFL and EA is bad for us gamers...EA makes the best NCAA football game every year? They make the ONLY NCAA football game!!! Against which other products do we guage how good NCAA is? The previous year's version? How do we know how great college football games could be right now? Full-motion halftime highlights from around the country? College Gameday wrap-up from a different campus every week? The ability to install a new offense on the fly if personnel changes? This might all be in games right now if Sega or someone else were really pushing the bar with a competing product. Yeah, I know Sega put out 2 college games (I owned them both), but they didn't devote all of their time and energy to making those games good - that effort went to the NFL. And since VC doesn't have nearly the manpower EA does, they couldn't do both and do both well. Now they can. And I insist they do! I own NCAA2004, and it's a great game. But it could be tons better - 2005 certainly wasn't! That's because it didn't have to be - there was no other product to buy.

We should ALL be worried about EA's manifest destiny - if you like the best possible games, anyway.