Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

[roadman]

Re: Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

The last few years they were in the middle of a lawsuit from a tattoo artist. I wouldn't think they want to risk the NFLPA, the NFL and EA in obtaining waivers until the outcome of the trial. Maybe with the outcome of the trail opened doors for EA that wasn't opened before?

The NBA was sued 6 years ago because Rasheed Wallace turned up in a commercial with a tattoo from an artist that pursued litigation. There has been other litigation with tattoo artist besides the gaming industry, ie The Hangover 2. Maybe EA was trying to be cautious since they been sued and in court over the last several years for millions and millions of dollars.

Seems to me they taking the cautious route, and as Sage has said, probably a bit lazy too. 320 tattoos and the art department is busy with those.(10 per team?)

[moylan1234]

Re: Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

Well duh, aren't we all doing that? You said what was more distracting to you, and he disagreed.

his and few other responses have been, I don't recognize any other tattoos so it doesn't matter to me if they're in the game or not. that's looking at this from a very narrow view in my opinion. Even if I'm not that familiar with other players I recognize that others out there are

"Sorry that you went and got the rights to your tattoos Colin. We'd love to include them, but unfortunately we need X% of the players to do the same."

right it's their game they're perfectly well within their rights to do this and I wish they had.

and "went out and got the rights to your tattoos" LOL, he probably sent an email. lets not get so dramatic here

[inkcil]

Re: Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

So will they have generic tattoos on other players then?

Apparently only Kap will have tattoos.

EA could have put tattoos (albeit generic ones) in the game long ago. And honestly that's what they should have done for this game to compliment the Kap tattoos. Instead they tell us ONE player will have tattoos in the game. ONE. Just ONE.

As a "game feature" this announcement is laughable at best.
As a marketing ploy/gimmick it's downright shrewd as it gets.

I am a sports gamer, not a consumer marketing tactics analyst.

If I had stated a month ago that EA would start to put tattoos in the game but only one player at a time, I would have laughed/ran off these forums.

As a sports gamer I shake my head at Madden, once again.

[Hiro1]

Re: Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

[Dbrentonbuck]

Re: Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

Apparently only Kap will have tattoos.

EA could have put tattoos (albeit generic ones) in the game long ago. And honestly that's what they should have done for this game to compliment the Kap tattoos. Instead they tell us ONE player will have tattoos in the game. ONE. Just ONE.

As a "game feature" this announcement is laughable at best.

As a marketing ploy/gimmick it's downright shrewd as it gets.

I am a sports gamer, not a consumer marketing tactics analyst.

As a sports gamer I shake my head at Madden, once again.

But where does it say they aren't doing that? The only thing I saw was them saying CP will be the only one with "authentic" tattoos. But, why would they go out of their way to say "authentic" if their weren't any inauthentic ones? I am just asking.

[moylan1234]

Re: Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

But where does it say they aren't doing that? The only thing I saw was them saying CP will be the only one with "authentic" tattoos. But, why would they go out of their way to say "authentic" if their weren't any inauthentic ones? I am just asking.

I asked that too back on page 1 and that is what I'm hoping for as well. His are the authentic ones, but we can add generics to created and edited players. That could keep us all happy, fingers crossed that's what they did

[Eman5805]

Re: Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

By "for now" does that in anyway imply that this is patchable? For all intents and purposes it's just a texture, like a new uniform or helmet.

[Aggies7]

Re: Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

Can tattoos be added via Edit player?

[CT Pitbull]

Re: Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

EA looks to have done some nice work. I'd be fine with generic tattoos because I don't know what they look like in detail anyway. Someone could scribble I love EA in small unreadable font on Colin's arms and I wouldn't know the difference. Just come up with something in the ballpark or should I say stadium?

I completely agree man. They don't all have to be authentic tats. If a guy has a tat though put a generic one there. it doesn't matter to me really. I have no clue whether the tats on the 2k basketball players are all real and I don't care. I DO know that they look great and add great detail to enhance my overall immersion level.

[edwing]

The sense of entitlement here is just absurd. People saying that EA might as well not have tats at all is laughable. Geez, a lot of you really do find the smallest things to nitpick. Why not look at it like an opportunity and a step in the right direction? Now that Kaepernick's gone and done the work to get his tats in the game maybe other players will want to follow suit. We just have to exercise patience but it seems like many people don't have any.

[moylan1234]

Re: Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

^We've been waiting for a decent game of football for like 15 years. Madden gamers are the most patient on the planet. Any other group would have abandoned ship completely years ago

[Segagendude]

Re: Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

Tats or not, Kaep definitely looks better than he has in past Madden's.

[azdawgpound]

Re: Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

I completely agree man. They don't all have to be authentic tats. If a guy has a tat though put a generic one there. it doesn't matter to me really. I have no clue whether the tats on the 2k basketball players are all real and I don't care. I DO know that they look great and add great detail to enhance my overall immersion level.

if they don't have authentic... id rather them not put some generic tattoo's in the game I remember the ones in the ps2 those were horriable and looked like lil kid scribbles.

[Hooe]

Re: Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

Copyright law disagrees with you. Even though a photo of the tattoo is technically different from a graphical rendering, they are treated the same.

See 17 USC 102 - Scope of copyright. Clearly covers pictorial and graphic works under a(5).
See 17 USC 106 - Exclusive rights in copyrighted works . Specifically see sections (1) and (2). FYI, a derivative work is a "work based on or derived from one or more already exist- ing works. Common derivative works include translations, musical arrange- ments, motion picture versions of literary material or plays, art reproductions, abridgments, and condensations of preexisting works." A graphical representation of a tattoo is either an art reproduction, or in the alternative an "abridgment."

EA is SMART for not illegally recreating a tattoo. What's wrong with not wanting to get sued?

Also, as a bit of irony, the importance you are all placing on tattoos makes a lawsuit against the NFL, NFLPA, etc. more lucrative for the IP holder because it shows a high monetary value of the intellectual property at issue = more damages.

Some other things to be considered:
1) If the tattoo is non-original it doesn't need to be approved by the tattoo artist. See 17 USC 102 (a). So, if a player has a tribal tattoo that is a reproduction of a tattoo that dates back hundreds of years, the tattoo artist has no IP rights.
2) Does the player own the tattoo IP in the first place? See 17 USC 201(b) Works made for hire. In the case of a work made for hire, the employer or other person for whom the work was prepared is considered the author for purposes of this title, and, unless the parties have expressly agreed otherwise in a written instrument signed by them, owns all of the rights comprised in the copyright. I'm curious (having no tattoos) if a tattoo artist retains the IP rights with a written instrument.

Well, I learned something today. Obviously, IANAL. Thanks!

And to be clear, I agree with you with respect to understanding EA wanting to avoid litigation here; I was attempting to say that an artist reproducing the tattoo art without consent and/or compensation falls under copyright infringement while photos did not, but it appears I'm wrong about that and both are treated the same, as you explained.

[apollon42]

Re: Colin Kaepernick Will Be the Only Player in Madden NFL 15 with Tattoos

if they don't have authentic... id rather them not put some generic tattoo's in the game I remember the ones in the ps2 those were horriable and looked like lil kid scribbles.

Especially because it's HD. Nobdoy wants to zoom in and see some horrible inauthentic tattoo. Honestly most players, you can't even see their tattoos.