How will EA justify their disloyal competition tactics this time?

The Konami argument can't be used anymore since they have licensing rights for several leagues.

American football has one real league

[Braylon]

Quote: Originally Posted by NovaStar

What main stream society thinks really doesn't matter. The social good is totally irrelevant.

Welcome to reality.

[Braylon]

Quote: Originally Posted by K_GUN

people tend to forget that they are NOT powerless....just don't buy EA games if they're that upset....and if enough people say s"crew you EA" sooner or later they will listen

Boycotts never work.

And you're going to have to mobilize several million people to accomplish their goal. Nevermind the fact that those several million people actually ENJOY the game...

[NovaStar]

Quote: Originally Posted by Braylon

Welcome to reality.

What reality are you speaking of. The one where ea has screwed up video game football by b****ing up and getting rid of competition and knocked football gaming back to the dark ages, or the one where ea fans are irrelevant to ea only the shareholders are relevant?

[NovaStar]

Quote: Originally Posted by ODogg

I think you're kind of missing the point from people like myself who post in defense of EAs business practices. I am not happy with any of this from the viewpoint of a gamer. However all of us seem to understand this from a gamers perspective. It is the people who seem to act as if EA is not a business and are violating laws and etc that are not seeing both sides of the coin, acting as if EA is the company run by Satan Himself.. EA is just a corporation doing the best they know how to maximize their profit and produce a product people enjoy, they are not the Devil Company. As for people like me and others who defend EA ending up with a product we don't like and that would be a good "payback" or whatever, that really makes no sense because all of us should hope that EA's game is a great game otherwise it only hurts us as gamers having a bad game. Oh and if anyone wants an explanation and/or justification as to why they bought the ESPN license it's not that hard to figure out. Customers have criticized Maddens presentation for years. Buying the ESPN license is an attempt to rectify that. So even without having to explain it, it is pretty apparent. The fact it very much hurt the competition is a by-product, and a common one at that considering most exclusive license deals often hurt the competition.

ODogg, the harm has already been done. ea has removed competition. Let's say for arguments sake that they don't make a game that pleases its most loyal fan base, then what? You have no viable alternative to balance the scale. We had sega/VC and others in prior years now we have nothing. Remember the majority of VC fans were once madden fans (I was) but some of us got sick and tired of ea and its laziness when it came to improving their games. Hell, even john madden was like, yo what's up with this game man, back when he got involved to insure the game was playing like real football. ea has done a great harm to video game football. I am glad that you recognize that. Also, I am not one to arbitrarily say that ea's game will be horrible or lack fun. I am merely pointing out, as a gamer that has played madden since the very first one that ea track record aint good (without competition to drive them, and even then they weren't that good).

[Herd90XB]

Corporate America needs an enema. This age of corporate greed and only the BIG survive is hurting our country immensely. This country's economy has been at it's best when small business was prevelant and competition was bountiful.

[KBomber]

Quote: Originally Posted by Herd90XB

Corporate America needs an enema. This age of corporate greed and only the BIG survive is hurting our country immensely. This country's economy has been at it's best when small business was prevelant and competition was bountiful.

My belief in this is that these things are cyclical. Right now people are in love with uber-companies and to some extent, there will always be massive corporations, but I think at some point saturation will provoke a correction and the impact of that will have casualties.

In recent weeks I've read a great many articles highlighting how pro sports in North America are disconnecting with their fans. These articles have highlighted things like the NBA rumble in Motown, the NHL Lockout, the MLB Steroid issue and various other means by which fans have begun to disassociate themselves with pro sports. The way in which these exclusivity deals have been foisted on the gaming public is another symptom of how the various pro leagues are either not understanding the ways in which their markets prefer to enjoy their product offerings and related off-shoots, or the the complete disdain of such. In either way, these slights impact how people view the leagues and mitigate the relationship that people will have with their products.

If you look at pro sports, obviously the NFL is currently a juggernaut. But when you look at other pro leagues, the same can't be said. Look at any NBA arena, you see empty seats, there are some camera angles that certain buildings simply have to avoid in their telecasts, because they show how empty some of the seating areas are. MLB still doesn't play to capacity and the NHL, well has anyone noticed that they are locked out? All the while, pricing for seats at these spectacles is soaring through the stratosphere making attendance all but a dream for most fans. I can't afford to take my kids to an NBA game unless we sit in the nosebleeds. Forget about taking them to see the Leafs, especially in Toronto. The only way that I can grow their appreciation for those games is to promote participation or show them Canadian University ball or OHL hockey -- other than that it's TV

When I look at a lot of kids these days, I don't see footballs, basketballs and baseballs as much as when I was a kid. Yes there is still widespread appreciation for those games, but what I see a lot of is things like skateboards and snowboards. I firmly believe that we will see a day when all the pro leagues, if they do not take the time to stem the tide now, could possibly see disinterest in their sports wane. More and more, the average fan fails to relate to the athletes and the leagues. How much further can it go?

I suggest that in the next 10-30 years, we will know.............

[blackceasar]

Here is the mathematical formula that explains it all. Pay attention to whos NOT in this equation....

EA spends very little money innovating Madden = EA has extra money to buy up the NFL and ESPN = no competition = not having to innovate = less money spent + being the only show in town + 85 percent of the consumers are casual gamers = bigger profit gains for EA = Bigger returns on stockholder's investments = More people wanting to pump money into EA as a company = Bigger bonuses and more money for EA VP's..... rinse and repeat.

Guess whos not in that equation? You and me, the people who demand a quality game and are passionate about it.