Historic Roster question

[PGaither84]

Are there legal ramifications that prevent EA from creating Historical Roster that use the correct player hight, weight and jersey number, and possilby accureate equipment? [within reason]

I understand that there are legal issues with using the Names and likeness of historic players who are no longer members of the NFLPA which prevents EA Sports from using them in their game with out shelling out BIG bucks in royalties.

In years past of Madden football games the rosters would have solid player rattings and decent physical stats, however there were some that were way off, or players who were white would be african american or vise versa, etc. Also almost, if not all, of the numbers were incorrect. Would EA be in trouble if they made the 89 SF49ers with Caucasain 6'2" 250lb QB#16 from Notre Dame and African American 6'2" 200lb WR#80 from Mississippi Valley State? Would you have to leave out the college? how much information about the player begins to corss the line of "likeness?"

I PMed Ian about this and haven't gotten a reply, but that's okay.

Does anybody KNOW? Any ideas?

It has always been frustratting when I go to make the 49ers and I do not know what the correct number to put on many of the players becasue there isn't enough hard data online. I can find rosters on wiki and other places but they do not tell you who was the starter and what # they wore or if they were black or white or what thier correct physical stats are. So when you start dealing with lesser known players, it is a crap shoot.

[STLRams]

This is another feature I loved in NFL2K5, the ability to edit and add historic players and rosters. This would cool in Madden10.

[Cryolemon]

Jersey numbers and appearance might be a problem, most of the other stuff isn't.

[KANE699]

As much as I've always liked the old teams, I've always thought of using them in the game was terribly unrealistic, to me you are using an old team in todays game speed and rules and fields, when back then it was so much different and a lot slower.

I do know with the game speed slider it could maybe make the game move a lot more realisticly for the older teams such as the browns with Jim Brown (the whole thing that made him and Gale Sayers look so fast is how slow the defense actually was, not to discredit them, but the defensive players back then took terrible angles and were not nearly as fast as the elite players from that day and age) in todays game the fastest player in the league and the quick players in the league really aren't all that far apart.

I dunno, I think if you give me a retro stadium I would be happy with classic teams and the game speed slider turned down quite a ways, but I just don't think it would be the same, I would rather see old teams get their own game concentrated around the area and time frame in which they took place when the game was different and pulling down someone by the facemask wasnt illegal.

[matt8204]

I remember reading awhile back that they can get in trouble if the historic player too closely resembles his real-life counterpart, even if they don't actually use his name. They used to be able to get away with it (I remember the historical teams on the Genesis Maddens using accurate numbers- QB #7 on the '86 Broncos for example to represent Elway) but there must have been some kind of lawsuit that now prohibits them from getting too close to the real thing.

[Cryolemon]

Quote: Originally Posted by matt8204

I remember reading awhile back that they can get in trouble if the historic player too closely resembles his real-life counterpart, even if they don't actually use his name. They used to be able to get away with it (I remember the historical teams on the Genesis Maddens using accurate numbers- QB #7 on the '86 Broncos for example to represent Elway) but there must have been some kind of lawsuit that now prohibits them from getting too close to the real thing.

Yeah, pretty much.

You could have a QB from Stanford, born 6/28/60, etc. But you couldn't make him look too much like Elway or have him wear number 7.

[tauryx67]

just to make a clarification: retired and former players are not members of the NFLPA. one would have to negotiate with each player individually, look at APF 2k8.

Also, I disagree with Kane99. Sayers & Brown could most definitely compete in today's game. they were athletes ahead of their time.
Brown was powerful at 6-2 225 and fast.
If historical players were given the same advantages of today's sports medicine and football being a year round sport like it is currently, that would certainly level the playing field.