EA Still Owns the NFL License Exclusively

[SageInfinite]

Quote: Originally Posted by Robo COP

.....? So let's hear it then "my man." It's easy to pretend like you know more information without actually revealing any of that information. Good job. You totally just won the argument by being condescending while never really revealing you know squat about what happened. You just insinuated you did. Great point. My man. I look forward to you actually contributing your knowledge. Unless you really are just going to leave it at that? I mean, if you really do know more about it, wouldn't it benefit us all if you shared this information?

I didn't pretend like I knew anything. I just stated my opinion. The only one being condescending is you by trying to **** on my opinion by assuming I don't know anything and wouldn't be successful. I was just making the point to not assume things about people you don't know, that's it. We have different opinions and I was leaving it at that.

[Big FN Deal]

Quote: Originally Posted by Robo COP

Lol. Go ahead and give me the facts their bub. I already know that the NFL supposedly took less money from EA, but it doesn't change the fact that there were offers from both companies on the table.

Ok first off you stated that, "EA is STILL making more money than they ever did when they had that competition. Why would they care? Why would they want that competition back if they are making more money?"

However going by these links, the stock price for EA was at the highest ever in 2004, during competition and down a little less than half that now.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...rs-of-a-buyout

http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/ea

Secondly you stated, "Oh and let us not forget that THE NFL WAS THE ONE WHO WAS SHOPPING THEIR EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS AROUND. EA didn't just say hey, let us buy the rights to get rid of the competition. The NFL MADE THIS HAPPEN!"

However according to these links EA had been lobbying for a NFL exclusive license for years prior and admitted to buying the rights to get rid of competition, in court documents.

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/big.../1100-6114977/

http://easportslitigation.com/pdf/Pa...20Part%201.pdf

[hanzsomehanz]

Quote: Originally Posted by FaceMask

Exactly. The NFL didn't care about the pricing. EA however did care for reasons solely regarding their own profit margins, not wanting to cut the price of Madden to hang on to market share. They said it themselves in the Pecover memos. The whole "The NFL went crazies about $19.99!" is a long-standing inaccurate tale that was told a decade ago in conjecture by internet posters and never died, despite the facts coming out disproving the tale, which most never read. At this point, I just figure too many people believe it now that it will just stay the story people go with. It also doesn't help that there is a guy on YouTube spreading the same misinformation to his thousands of subscribers. I saw a poster mention the facts to him at the top of one vid, but apparently he ignored it because he keeps making videos spreading the misinformation. I sometimes wonder if some of these guys are paid to do that kind of thing, like disinfo agents or something.

Prestige warrants a price!

If other pro sports are being sold for xyz why enter the market and sell yours for abc?

Get on you xyz's or get out: 2K got *punted out of the NFL Football gaming market. If they want to sell for $19.99 they can now go sell a non-NFL licensed product for that said quote.

If I introduce a new footwear line that is by face value on the same level of Nike and Under Armour in respect to prestige: why sell it at Walmart prices, even for one year - why?

Why would a company like Sfarbucks sell cheaper than their competitors? Starbucks has a prestige to maintain - you're selling social value as much as you are price to product value when you put prestige in perspective.

EA has much more social value in Electronic Football than anyone else - they always have but who is 2K to come in and offer *half-price for the same NFL licensed product?

What is your view on the NFL prestige? Should the NFL not expect to see their (video game) products sold in line with the other major sport competitors?

Why should an NFL team hat go for much less than an MLB or NBA hat? Do bobble heads not all sell for about the same unit price regardless of sport?

You want to speak on conspiracy theories but I say: if you speak on this subject without respecting prestige: you are being totally absent minded to the major scope of this argument and fallout re; the NFL liscense.

EA and the NFL make better prestigious partners than TakeTwo and NFL.

Good luck seeing the NFL partner with some cheap Joe Snow line of footwear over Nike or UA - $19.99 does not speak the NFL language of prestige - not when your competitors are selling their sport titles for double that price.

Learn a lesson from all this or you will do as 2K did and lose in your market too because you will lose the battle of prestige - it is the same pull that gets college recruits to favor one side over another.

The $19.99 quote is what muddied the waters - not much else was an impetus for either side.

Sent from my SGH-I727R using Tapatalk

[kjcheezhead]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

The NFL is far from a stranger to exclusivity agreements - be it apparel, beer, soda, credit cards, or anything else. Not sure why the NFL continuing an exclusive arrangement in video games which continues to prove lucrative for the league would surprise anyone.

Every example on your list is a product that can be replaced with a new company in almost no time at all. Also all an exclusive deal with Coke means to me is that only Coke products will be sold in stadium. It has no effect on me as a consumer buying soda anywhere else.

You're a developer, I'm not. But I know video games are a different beast. It takes a couple years to develop a game, and then companies build off that foundation. With a new exclusive of several years, EA will have 5 years of development put into their game on these consoles alone. A new developer won't be able to deliver a game that can beat madden when the license opens up. So the NFL is doing EA a huge favor and hurting themselves at the negotiating table long term.

[CM Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by Big FN Deal

Ok first off you stated that, "EA is STILL making more money than they ever did when they had that competition. Why would they care? Why would they want that competition back if they are making more money?" However going by these links, the stock price for EA was at the highest ever in 2004, during competition and down a little less than half that now. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...rs-of-a-buyout http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/ea

A few things:

1 - there's a litany of factors which have affected EA's stock price since 2004, some of which cannot be discussed here; between external factors and that EA is a massive company, to solely peg a lower stock price on the NFL exclusivity arrangement is shortsighted at best

2 - stock price is not company revenue

3 - looking at EA's investor reports, their net income was higher in FY 2013 than FY 2005 by about half a billion dollars; I don't know if that is "their highest ever" but they are bringing in more money right now than they did as a company in the pre-exclusivity world

[CM Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by kjcheezhead

Every example on your list is a product that can be replaced with a new company in almost no time at all. Also all an exclusive deal with Coke means to me is that only Coke products will be sold in stadium. It has no effect on me as a consumer buying soda anywhere else. You're a developer, I'm not. But I know video games are a different beast. It takes a couple years to develop a game, and then companies build off that foundation. With a new exclusive of several years, EA will have 5 years of development put into their game on these consoles alone. A new developer won't be able to deliver a game that can beat madden when the license opens up. So the NFL is doing EA a huge favor and hurting themselves at the negotiating table long term.

Video games are a different beast, yes.

That said, how is the NFL hurting themselves? They are getting their money from EA, and their brand is being represented by a product which sells very well and the critical consensus of said product is that it is at least "good", sometimes "great".

If Madden were truly seen by the vast majority of people as a low-quality product, the NFL might consider changing partners. Currently there's no reason for them to do this.

[SageInfinite]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

A few things: 1 - there's a litany of factors which have affected EA's stock price since 2004, some of which cannot be discussed here; between external factors and that EA is a massive company, to solely peg a lower stock price on the NFL exclusivity arrangement is shortsighted at best 2 - stock price is not company revenue 3 - looking at EA's investor reports, their net income was higher in FY 2013 than FY 2005 by about half a billion dollars; I don't know if that is "their highest ever" but they are bringing in more money right now than they did as a company in the pre-exclusivity world

So basically 1 and 3 could have nothing to do with the exclusive license?

[Blzer]

Quote: Originally Posted by 24

This wouldn't be as depressing if It wasn't for the fact that EA continually puts out an average product. The New Madden's are never great but they are never terrible either. They are just in between. I popped in 2K5 into my 360 today and played a quick game. While The graphics were little dated (That's to be expected considering it's 10 years old) It certainly didn't look bad. It played amazingly well and once the game was finished I was satsified that I got an adequate Football gaming experience. I throw in Madden 25 into my PS4, and While I enjoyed the game I played, I kept looking for something more. That's the way I've felt about Madden since 2009. The game itself is good, It's just missing something.

I honestly think, and it may just be me, that the camera and the controls are one thing that really separates the two. Also, the "feel" of the controls. Madden feels very "slidey" while 2K feels very "pinpoint" or "rigid" with controls. Plus, I love the "tap to sprint, hold to charge" concept. IMO if 2K made another football game and got rid of that, I would be very displeased.

With regard to the camera, 2K's is much more narrowly focused, which is kind of nice. It also follows the height of the football, something that is very underrated to me. Just these little things seem to go a long, long way. Commentary was of course another thing. I sometimes would be drowned out by Madden's commentary, but 2K's is so in your face that you just can't miss it... nor can you coach it.

I seriously think if Madden worked on those three things I'm talking about, it would go in the positive direction toward the things it's missing. I think it's improved on a couple of things for M15 in the visuals department though, because their models were always lacking too. And just an EA nitpick here, but I don't really like their font or menu design. Small and personal, but as long as we're on the topics of what I prefer, I thought I'd say that. Then again, I haven't liked any 2K game menus since the 2K7 games either.