NFL License

[bucky60]

Quote: Originally Posted by aznstarplayr

TBH, i really like Madden and really hope the license continues because i really like it and enjoy it. Sure, madden have some flaws but at the end of the day it's just a game. For those who really want perfection go and actually play football.

How can you like an exclusive license that kills competition. Just doesn't make any sense. And Madden has been crap on this gen up until this year. And it is still filled with bugs, especially in the new franchise mode. This is the most impressed I've been with Madden in a long time, but it's been pretty sub par up to now. What we have now is what 2007 should have been. We should be a lot farther along by now.

Not sure how you can like the exclusive license. Also, it has some major flaws. Nothing to do with perfection, just get rid of the Major Bugs and create more realism.

You just sound like a Madden Fanboy that excepts anything. Nobody's demanding perfection, so your "just play real football" is a little out of line. It's quotes like this that make me think you're very subjective (fanboy) and not objective.

[NYJin2009tm]

I don't see EA giving it up anytime soon because EA makes Madden's game, John Madden is working for the NFL as an advisor to the comissioner. So as long as Madden is working for the NFL I don't see another company making an NFL game. Plus Madden's relationship has been good with EA so it's not like he would take his name to another company.

[Tyrant8RDFL]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

I'm just looking for competition to come in, but I don't feel it will happen.

Quote: Originally Posted by bucky60

I don't want a massive blow to EA, I just want healthy competition. Hated the exclusive license when it first came out, only to get bashed by EA fanboys. Exclusive license has just been horrible for NFL Video Game football. Just make it go away so we can have EA plus whoever else.

This is what I would love to see again. The competition but I realize this is not going to happen. We all must understand that, and thinking otherwise just leads to frustration.

Like it was stated. The NFL's way of business is through exclusive contracts with guaranteed money. They are not going to change their business practice when this method works great for them.

Now I will also state this. Playing Madden 12 this year. It has really toned down that fire I had for this exclusive license scenario to disappear, and bring back the old day. Right now I feel that Madden 12 is a great step in the right direction, and it will continue to get better.

This is why I feel it will get better.

EA easily felt the lost in revenue with the Madden franchise. It as been posted here many times how sales have declined since the next gen era began. Which is now the current gen.

The fire has been lit, and with the new hires in the Madden team. I think the truly realize the urgency to get things back in order again.

I 'am no swami or psychic but I'm going to state this with full confidence, and many here can confirm that I was on the Madden hate wagon for years.

Madden 13 will amaze us, and all this talk about exclusive license will fade away. Just as I predicted the mess Madden 10 was going to be when that game released, and many here were against me because Ian was all over the forums.

My gut is telling me plain and simple. Madden 13 is going to be a awesome football game, so BE READY

[STLRams]

There should be no exclusive license in sports game, period. I want NFL2K football to return, but I more than anything I want more than one option when buying or playing a NFL game. I wouldn't mind if Sony or Activision or someone else makes a game. Madden12 is playable to me but I want some variety. Even if NFL2K does return it maynot be great right off the bat, and Madden maybe be better at that point, but atleast I get to buy and play a different NFL game. It would suck if we all had to purchase only one type of car, or shoes, or movie.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by STLRams

There should be no exclusive license in sports game, period. I want NFL2K football to return, but I more than anything I want more than one option when buying or playing a NFL game. I wouldn't mind if Sony or Activision or someone else makes a game. Madden12 is playable to me but I want some variety. Even if NFL2K does return it maynot be great right off the bat, and Madden maybe be better at that point, but atleast I get to buy and play a different NFL game. It would suck if we all had to purchase only one type of car, or shoes, or movie.

Agreed, but what the NFL wants and we want are two different things. It won't change until the NFL changes it's ways of doing business.

[BlackJackRabbit]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tyrant8RDFL

Like it was stated. The NFL's way of business is through exclusive contracts with guaranteed money. They are not going to change their business practice when this method works great for them.

If EA is unwilling to give them (the NFL) an exclusive contract, then they'll have to change their business practices. It's seems as if EA reluctantly extended the exclusive contract in return for a reduced licensing fee this year; otherwise, why not extend the deal for multiple years ? They extended the deal in the second to last year of the contract, just like they did in 2008. It's like I'm the only one ( other than Pasta Padre) who finds that a little bit weird.

When they extended the license in 2008, the license ran through 2009, they extended it for three years. When they extended the license a third time, in February of 2011, they extend it for one year.

Let's say you work for a company and the first contract they give you is for five years, then they extend your contract for three years, and then the next time you're up for renegotiation they only extend it for one year. Now are you telling me that wouldn't make you nervous ?

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by BlackJackRabbit

If EA is unwilling to give them (the NFL) an exclusive contract, then they'll have to change their business practices. It's seems as if EA reluctantly extended the exclusive contract in return for a reduced licensing fee this year; otherwise, why not extend the deal for multiple years ? They extended the deal in the second to last year of the contract, just like they did in 2008. It's like I'm the only one ( other than Pasta Padre) who finds that a little bit weird. When they extended the license in 2008, the license ran through 2009, they extended it for three years. When they extended the license a third time, in February of 2011, they extend it for one year. Let's say you work for a company and the first contract they give you is for five years, then they extend your contract for three years, and then the next time you're up for renegotiation they only extend it for one year. Now are you telling me that wouldn't make you nervous ?

It's a lot of speculation going back and forth and coming to try to reason with the whole thing.

It takes two(no pun intended) to make a deal happen. Who's to say EA doesn't want to try to lower the exclusive license fee. If they can prove to the NFL this is what they need to do to make a profit and the NFL still profits, the deal get's done. If the NFL still makes more $ with one company vs other companies joining the mix, the deal will proceed.

All it is right now is posturing and playing poker. We'll find out soon enough.

[BlackJackRabbit]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

It's a lot of speculation going back and forth and coming to try to reason with the whole thing. It takes two(no pun intended) to make a deal happen. Who's to say EA doesn't want to try to lower the exclusive license fee. If they can prove to the NFL this is what they need to do to make a profit and the NFL still profits, the deal get's done. If the NFL still makes more $ with one company vs other companies joining the mix, the deal will proceed. All it is right now is posturing and playing poker. We'll find out soon enough.

As expensive as the exclusive license is, you can be sure that EA wants to lower the price, especially since it hasn't increased their sales.

If there is a cheaper price ( that EA's willing to pay) that will still pay the NFL more money than multiple licenses, than that deal will get done, but then there may be other publishers that would also pay that price, and that would start a bidding war, raising the price, and now everyone is going in circles because ( again) no one wants to pay that hefty price.

Disney was in the running for the license, but EA outbid them. A lower price may bring Disney, as well as other publishers, back into the fold.

That price would have to be a price that's low enough for EA, but still scares other publishers away. If there was such a price, it's hard to imagine why EA wouldn't be paying that price in the first place.

Who knows? We'll find out next year.