For the record people.

[gurantsu]

Quote: Originally Posted by 1fortheroad

Man this is just sad. You seem to be misisng the part where the NFL only wanted one game on the market.

I didn't know that the NFL approached EA about an exclusive deal, I just had to look it up. Can't find much info on it, except for a blurb about a meeting between EA and the NFL last spring where the NFL decided it would put the liscense up for bids.

If thats the case wouldn't liscensing out your franchise to multiple companies get you bigger profits than tying yourself to only one? Maybe they felt they were losing control of their image? Although I'm sure EA was chomping at the bit to get an exclusive (as any company would be), so I bet the NFL was more than happy to rake them over the coals, knowing that Madden is EA's flagship product. I bet they could have asked for a lot more and gotten it.

And although eveyone loves to say that VC didn't figure at all in EA's decision, I don't believe it for a second. In business you ALWAYS take your competition into account. Whats the purpose of an exclusive deal if not to have something your competition doesn't? And if EA was far and away the leader in console football games, we wouldn't be having this conversation. EA knows full well that the NFL wouldn't let their exclusive liscense to go a company that makes crap games, and if all the other games out there were crap then they wouldn't drop $60 million a year for it. But there was serious competition, EA knew it, and they took the steps they needed to protect themselves and their biggest product. Again, good business for EA. And good business for the NFL too, as I'm sure they knew that EA would jump at the chance (and if not then VC would pay through the nose for the rights, win-win for the NFL).

And while this is all just business, it doesn't mean I have to like it!

[1fortheroad]

The NFL has exclusive deals with VISA, POWERADE, and REEBOK so they are not losing money on any of those deals. Whether anyone likes it or not is not the issue. The NFL only wanted one, and now that is how it is.

[wwharton]

Quote: Originally Posted by gurantsu

EA certainly wasn't wrong for buying the rights, heck, it's business plain and simple. And the reason they were willing to spend the money was because the 2K games were offering strong competition to their own football product. They were in danger of losing money, so they spend the big bucks now in order to secure higher profits in the long term. A good business decision, and one that would not have been made had the 2K series been terrible and offered no challenge to Madden. However, just because it's good business doesn't mean I have to like it, and consumers are free to react any way they want to EA's decision. I liked Madden back in the day, but now I prefer the 2K series. An NFL exclusive is not going to make me buy what I feel is a sub-par game compared to the 2K one (this is all subjective by the way, everyone is different.) And I also feel that by making this business decision, instead of stepping up to the plate and creating a better game, they have hurt the industry. In an industry where creativity is held in high regard, EA took the easy way out. Thats why they aren't getting any more of my money. I admit it, I helped create the monster by buying their products for years; but it's time to beat it back into it's cage. There are alternatives, and better ones at that.

This is the PERFECT post based on my thoughts and what I and many others have been saying. You, my friend, aren't arguing against what we're saying at all. The first paragraph is the reality that many seem to find so difficult to grasp. The second paragraph is how I feel as well but I'm not going to let my disappointment blind me to the reality either. The people with you are debating in this thread feel the same way you do (coogrfan may prefer madden, not 100% sure but he's only speaking on the business transaction that people want to twist and distort... I guess to help them cope).

So there's no confusion, let me also add that it is also true that people aren't considering the effects on EA Sports if Madden were to lose the NFL rights. This was all initiated by the NFL and EA is just lucky enough to have the type of cash to capitalize off their decision.

[MachoMyers]

Quote: Originally Posted by 1fortheroad

Come on you cannot be that dense. What made ECW succesful was becausei t was unique. You take away that and they had nothing. You do know that WWE brought out ECW before WCW right? Trying to compare digital football and wrestling is a very wide stretch. You are seriously reaching on that one.

Is it really that far of a reach? Both companies made it work and didn't compete with one another directly. Maybe if ECW had been more successful and caught up to the WWE, like VC did to EA in Football, then it would have been different and perhaps WWE would have done what EA did and just buy it. But lets get it straight, WWE bought ECW when it was done...dead...finished. VC's NFL2k was the next big thing in sports videogames that made it 'unique and different' and now its gone before it even had a chance to peak.

Its just a shame that something so successful with some much potential was wasted...There should be an after school special about this.

[1fortheroad]

Quote: Originally Posted by DreBly

Is it really that far of a reach? Both companies made it work and didn't compete with one another directly. Maybe if ECW had been more successful and caught up to the WWE, like VC did to EA in Football, then it would have been different and perhaps WWE would have done what EA did and just buy it. But lets get it straight, WWE bought ECW when it was done...dead...finished. VC's NFL2k was the next big thing in sports videogames that made it 'unique and different' and now its gone before it even had a chance to peak. Its just a shame that something so successful with some much potential was wasted...There should be an after school special about this.

Ugh you a missing the mark everytime. On one side we have WWF wrasslin. On the other we have ECW, kicking ***. At that point in time WCW was winning the ratings. Enter STONE COLD Steve Austin, who crafted his character in ECW. Thus WWF attitude was born. Which pulls the rug out from ECW, because that Attitude is all they had. It is just that easy and simple. There is no way you can cross wires between EA and VC. Because each company was dependent on an outside source the NFL.

[coogrfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by gurantsu

And although eveyone loves to say that VC didn't figure at all in EA's decision, I don't believe it for a second. In business you ALWAYS take your competition into account. Whats the purpose of an exclusive deal if not to have something your competition doesn't?

The purpose is to allow EA to continue to produce a game series that has been the cash cow that drives their company. Any effect upon the competition is a bonus.

Quote: Originally Posted by gurantsu

And if EA was far and away the leader in console football games, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

By the only measure that really counts from a business standpoint(sales), EA is "far and away the leader in console football", in fact they have dominated the football gaming market for at the very least the last 5 years.

Quote: Originally Posted by gurantsu

EA knows full well that the NFL wouldn't let their exclusive liscense to go a company that makes crap games, and if all the other games out there were crap then they wouldn't drop $60 million a year for it. But there was serious competition, EA knew it, and they took the steps they needed to protect themselves and their biggest product. Again, good business for EA. And good business for the NFL too, as I'm sure they knew that EA would jump at the chance (and if not then VC would pay through the nose for the rights, win-win for the NFL).

This whole statement is based on the highly questionable premise that the NFL cares about the quality of it's licensed games. If that's so, how can you explain the existence of 989's Gameday 2001 (or come to think of it, GD 2002, GD 2003, & GD 2004)? To me, that indicates that the league is oblivious to the quality of a publishers titles. All the NFL really wants is the money.

Quote: Originally Posted by gurantsu

And while this is all just business, it doesn't mean I have to like it!

In this, we are in complete agreement. From a gamer's pov, exclusivity sucks.

[gurantsu]

Quote: Originally Posted by wwharton

So there's no confusion, let me also add that it is also true that people aren't considering the effects on EA Sports if Madden were to lose the NFL rights. This was all initiated by the NFL and EA is just lucky enough to have the type of cash to capitalize off their decision.

Having just learned that this was all initiated by the NFL, it certainly makes them look like the bad guys instead of EA. The NFL probably took a look at EA's nice shiny new building and figured they'd like a slice of the action. I don't think any other company would pay close to what EA did, with Madden being such a big game for them, and I don't doubt that the NFL knew it.

Now we have 2K's deal with MLB, which again was a sound business decision, having just lost their NFL rights. It's too bad though because MVP was a good game last year.

It's a shame that with all these business deals it's the games that suffer. Maybe I'll get the Rugby game after all!

[MachoMyers]

Quote: Originally Posted by 1fortheroad

Ugh you a missing the mark everytime. On one side we have WWF wrasslin. On the other we have ECW, kicking ***. At that point in time WCW was winning the ratings. Enter STONE COLD Steve Austin, who crafted his character in ECW. Thus WWF attitude was born. Which pulls the rug out from ECW, because that Attitude is all they had. It is just that easy and simple. There is no way you can cross wires between EA and VC. Because each company was dependent on an outside source the NFL.

I'm not arguing with you there...and its quite obvious WWF Attitude was ECW from 1993 on but to say that because there was now WWF Attitude there wasnt any need for ECW is degrading to me as a wrestling fan. The bottom line is ECW was the heavyweight champion of mismanaged companies and that the company was so set on its extreme hardcore ways that there was no way it could appeal to a nationwide audience on National tv. It is in my honest opinion that ECW pulled the rug out on itself, although losing half their roster sped up its death.

As it regards to the topic of EA and VC it just happens that VC is the underdog to the almighty EA...Sure they secured their own MLB deal but nobody cares about that, only the big bad EA monster that took away what could have been, and that label is warranted.

I'm guessing I just wish VC and EA could be like WWF and ECW were when they would invade one anothers shows and just have a big laugh about it afterword, that or a Singapore cane to Dreamer's balls.