2K Partners with NFLPA to Allow NFL Players in Multiple Football Games

[Rocky]

Quote: Originally Posted by J_Posse

No disrespect intended to Steve, but he knows about as much as the rest of us & is speculating what he believes we'll get. Again, he could be totally right yet I'll still wait for official confirmation. Right, but I'm sure the WWE license isn't nearly as expensive or as valuable from a branding & marketing standpoint. And all these AAA companies (Take-2, EA, Ubisoft, etc) are guilty of milking their user base - who lacks the self control of not purchasing microtransactions - so that point is moot. A SuperCard, even if successful, & Playgrounds title(s) isn't going to create nearly the revenue stream to justify having the NFL license beyond the short term, IMO. I could be entirely wrong, again we are all just spitballing, and they could be totally fine with watered-down, casual experiences with no long-term ability to expand (& grow the revenue stream & user base ala NBA 2K). Official HQ of Bills Backer/Spurs Nation

I don't know. The links that CM Hooe highlighted seem pretty convincing. I have a hard time believing that the NFLPA would tether with the NFL so much to have their players be in a game that at all resembles NFL football.

That said, I agree with you completely. I can't imagine a Playgrounds/Supercard game would justify the price tag for NFL licenses. Hell even for WWE, the developer messed up the "simulation" game so bad that the arcade game was the fallback.

Also with the emphasis on online gaming and customization of today (made popular in sports games by 2K's own MyCareer), why wouldn't TT just create a completely generic, souped up unlicensed game where you could boost up your player/team through microtransactions? At it's core, NBA2K's most popular mycareer stuff is detached from the NBA.

[Blzer]

Random question, but does EA still have the ESPN license?

[illwill10]

Quote: Originally Posted by Blzer

Random question, but does EA still have the ESPN license?

Yes. They signed a 15 year deal starting in 2006. So most likely expires next year. I haven't heard of any extensions or mentions of it over the past few years. But i expect them to renew the ESPN license

But I am surprised that we haven't heard much about. Those deals typically get announced 1-2 years prior to it beginning/expiring. Latest I feel we will hear about is Jan 2021. I rather EA to just drop that exclusive ESPN license. It was primarily done as a nail in the coffin for 2k. Outside of Head Coach, College games, and Live, EA's main use of the ESPN license is for advertising. It was a 15yr 865 million deal that resulted in a couple games incorporating it but primarily for Advertising.

[Blzer]

Quote: Originally Posted by illwill10

Yes. They signed a 15 year deal starting in 2006. So most likely expires next year. I haven't heard of any extensions or mentions of it over the past few years. But i expect them to renew the ESPN license But I am surprised that we haven't heard much about. Those deals typically get announced 1-2 years prior to it beginning/expiring. Latest I feel we will hear about is Jan 2021. I rather EA to just drop that exclusive ESPN license. It was primarily done as a nail in the coffin for 2k. Outside of Head Coach, College games, and Live, EA main use of the ESPN license is for advertising. It was a 15yr 865 million deal that resulted in a couple games incorporating it but primarily for Advertising.

Okay, I was wondering because the articles I was reading were in January of 2005. That kind of speaks to your "1-2 years before beginning" bit, though.

Even if 2K was able to make some sort of ESPN Football 2K21 and integrate as much ESPN as they did in 2K5, I don't think it would be nearly as exciting anymore. ESPN is not the same studio that it once was. Before it had so much color, glamour, beautiful sounds all around (when that sports ticker first chimed as it popped up, I nearly **** myself at how beautiful it was), and the personalities were second to none.

That being said, I know how much money talks with everything, but if I am ESPN, I'm looking at how 2K used it versus how EA did in their sports games, and from the outside looking in I'd rather side with the company that glorifies my name, likeness, and image. I mean it was on the game titles for crying out loud. The only thing they didn't use was their own commentators.

Anyway, to the point of this thread as a whole, there are a lot of things I wish I could go back in time to intervene, and strangely EA's deals with the NFL, NFLPA, and ESPN is probably very high on that list. To think what 2K could have been doing today with this game, especially if they also adopted the Euphoria physics engine on top of it all. Sigh.

[ksuttonjr76]

Quote: Originally Posted by kehlis

Are you looking for an answer or are we just going with rhetorical questions as a point of conversation?

My point is that if the NFL can't stop another group from creating another football league with 11v11 action, then how can EA legally stop Take 2 from creating a 11v11 videogame with the players they legally obtained?

[bcruise]

Quote: Originally Posted by ksuttonjr76

My point is that if the NFL can't stop another group from creating another football league with 11v11 action, then how can EA legally stop Take 2 from creating a 11v11 videogame with the players they legally obtained?

As far as I can tell, they can't. There's nothing stopping 2K from going the Madden 64 route that I mentioned earlier, if they now have an agreement with the PA. But they can't use the NFL's branding if they do that.

So, again, why pursue the NFL license in the first place if they can't use it for the purpose of creating this hypothetical 11v11 game? Some other type of NFL-licensed game would have to be in the works, like a mobile or card game that's been suggested.

[illwill10]

Quote: Originally Posted by Blzer

Okay, I was wondering because the articles I was reading were in January of 2005. That kind of speaks to your "1-2 years before beginning" bit, though. Even if 2K was able to make some sort of ESPN Football 2K21 and integrate as much ESPN as they did in 2K5, I don't think it would be nearly as exciting anymore. ESPN is not the same studio that it once was. Before it had so much color, glamour, beautiful sounds all around (when that sports ticker first chimed as it popped up, I nearly **** myself at how beautiful it was), and the personalities were second to none. That being said, I know how much money talks with everything, but if I am ESPN, I'm looking at how 2K used it versus how EA did in their sports games, and from the outside looking in I'd rather side with the company that glorifies my name, likeness, and image. I mean it was on the game titles for crying out loud. The only thing they didn't use was their own commentators. Anyway, to the point of this thread as a whole, there are a lot of things I wish I could go back in time to intervene, and strangely EA's deals with the NFL, NFLPA, and ESPN is probably very high on that list. To think what 2K could have been doing today with this game, especially if they also adopted the Euphoria physics engine on top of it all. Sigh.

That EA-ESPN deal was just so 2k couldn't have ESPN or try to make a generic ESPN 2k football game. EA said from the jump that not much was going to change. It was primarily advertising deal. I rather EA just drop that license if that's how they continue to use it. I do feel 2k would try actually try to incorporate ESPN more in there games, but wouldn't see them re-adopt the ESPN name in the title. Those deals don't typically get lapsed quietly. I would expect to hear something in the next 6 months about the ESPN license

[ksuttonjr76]

Quote: Originally Posted by bcruise

As far as I can tell, they can't. There's nothing stopping 2K from going the Madden 64 route that I mentioned earlier, if they now have an agreement with the PA. But they can't use the NFL's branding if they do that. So, again, why pursue the NFL license in the first place if they can't use it for the purpose of creating this hypothetical 11v11 game? Some other type of NFL-licensed game would have to be in the works, like a mobile or card game that's been suggested.

I feel like everyone is being short-sighted. They literally already did this before with APF 2K8. The only difference is that they made agreements with a bunch of legendary players versus the actual NFLPA. The NFL agreement literally allows them to use the words "NFL" on the box.

I'll be totally shocked if they don't release the game as NFL 2K22 next season