A Question I've Never Seen Answered

[Mr. Franchise]

Another thing I've always wondered. You know how 2K has the MLB license, but Sony is still allowed to make The Show? Would it be possible for Sony to make an NFL game too?

[CM Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by TombSong

Answering this question may answer OP question. If another video game company had rights to ESPN could they use ESPN's rights that they have to the NFL to put NFL content in their game ? I am thinking if ESPN has NFL rights and they create a football game under THEUR moniker, theycould include NFL players and content. Why else would EA just buy ESPN then not really use it ? Why waste the cash ? Just a thought.

I'm pretty sure that ESPN only has rights to games, game highlights, etc., and not specifically NFL player likenesses, etc. They can report on it because you don't need a contract to talk about something, and they can display footage and broadcast games because they have licenses to do only that much.

Supposing another game company had just ESPN rights, they could call it "ESPN Football", but because they don't have NFL rights specifically, and since ESPN rights doesn't infer NFL likeness rights, they can't use NFL stuff.

With regard to the topic, this has been beaten to death before, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with a conflict of interest between ESPN and NFL Network.

[Jamin23]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mr. Franchise

Another thing I've always wondered. You know how 2K has the MLB license, but Sony is still allowed to make The Show? Would it be possible for Sony to make an NFL game too?

2k has third party rights, which allows other developers to make games but it can't be multiplatform.

[CM Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mr. Franchise

Another thing I've always wondered. You know how 2K has the MLB license, but Sony is still allowed to make The Show? Would it be possible for Sony to make an NFL game too?

2K's license to the MLB is different than EA's NFL license in that 2K's exclusitivity license is limited to 3rd-party; i.e. the agreement does not stop Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, or any other first-party console software development studio from developing and publishing an MLB game. Since EA doesn't make a console, they can't make an MLB baseball game. Thus, why MLB: The Show 09 exists and MVP Baseball 2009 does not.

[Jamin23]

Quote: Originally Posted by Krioniq

2K's license to the MLB is different than EA's NFL license in that 2K's exclusitivity license is limited to 3rd-party; i.e. the agreement does not stop Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, or any other first-party console software development studio from developing and publishing an MLB game. Since EA doesn't make a console, they can't make an MLB baseball game. Thus, why MLB: The Show 09 exists and MVP Baseball 2009 does not.

You explained it better.

[ugotjackdup]

I understand the nfl network v. espn conflict of interest. But does EA use the license for NBA Live or NHL ? (havent played either in a while). If they dont, why dont they?

[Jamin23]

Quote: Originally Posted by ugotjackdup

I understand the nfl network v. espn conflict of interest. But does EA use the license for NBA Live or NHL ? (havent played either in a while). If they dont, why dont they?

No they don't. I'm not sure why they don't use it though. Hopefully this year they will though.

[ugotjackdup]

Well that seems like a true waste. With seemingly no explanation. I wonder if it curbs the copies sold of nba 2k series, it seems like that would be the only way it would be worth it.