OS Roundtable: How Would Football Be Different Without Exclusivity?

[Mr.Smif]

Madden would be dead. Its obvious that 2K Sports is a way better football game dev. The fact that APF 2K8 is still a better football sim than any Madden till this date speaks volumes. Madden would be barely holding its head above water like their own NBA Live.

[Retropyro]

MLB 2K may not be a great argument as that game was always crap. But NHL 2K was not crap, in fact for a couple years it destroyed EA's NHL series. But once NHL 07/08 came around, it was lights out. EA's hockey series kept improving while 2K was solid but not great, it got killed in sales. The assumption that if 2K was still making an NFL game, Madden would be gone is just ludicrous.

[Demoncrom]

"Consider this: the 2K series didn't even sell half of the copies Madden did at 1/3 of the price in 2004."

In 2004 the 2K series was only about 5 years old and gaining momentum on a game that had been established back in the 1988. The first Madden's were not critical successes either and had they continued to produce great titles those sales would have only increased. I would think by now they would have had parity if not share as we all saw how NBA 2K put EA's NBA Live out of business. This is the result of a studio truly embracing the game and making it happen on the field.

No competition is clearly a problem. EA has produced a poor product for 8 years running because they can. I remember when Madden had so many bells and whistles it felt like they didn't miss anything. But right after exclusivity we got games that didn't even bother to give us a proper play by play team and score boards that didn't even really interact with the game. Just a lot of corner cutting.

Remember when the moto was if its in the game its in the game. Yeah that moto and concept died once they got exclusivity

[iLLmatic]

Madden could quite possibly be at the same crossroads NBA Live is. Many forget that Live was Madden at one time for NBA games. They more than likely would still be making a game out of pride, but knowing deep down inside that when release day comes, 2K will be taking them out back to the woodshed kicking them sideways in sales.

2K football was not what NBA 2K is now, but given the trajectory they were on at the time with their innovations and creativity, there was no reason to not believe they would have gained the momentum to eventually be viewed as a very formidable competitor in the football gaming genre .

[m1ke_nyc]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bull_Dozer

Competition always makes things better. Exclusivity like this should be illegal.

I disagree with this comment and heres why, the NFL should have every right to sell the license to use its image to one suitor if it chooses to do that.

Quote: Originally Posted by oldschoolgamer1965

OK! There is Coke & Pepsi. There is Ford, Chevy etc, etc. There is competition in every aspect of american society. But, when it comes to a video game EA is terrified to allow any other company to produce a NFL game...i.e. 2K. In my opinion, 2K would have wiped EA with it's NFL game. That is why EA did what they did. Think about it. EA knew 2K had a gold mine on their hands. What is sad is that people and their greed and their desire to be #1 would do what EA did. Why not give people the choice? Why not let 2K have a shot at a NFL game? Why not let the consumer decide which one they want to buy? Why not? Because again EA knew they were in trouble when 2K came out with their NFL game. And it was a heck of a lot cheaper too! Left alone to produce their NFL game 2K would have had the most realistic NFL game on the market. My hope is that somewhere in a back room somewhere 2K was still working on a NFL game to drop when they are able.

All companies wanna make as much money as possible whether that be EA or 2K. The NFL was the greedy party in all of this. They decided to take on an exclusive business model. They have done it in most aspects of their business now. EA didnt buy the license because 2K was good, they bought it because the NFL decided to go exclusive so the only way to keep your game on the market is to be the highest bidder.

On topic: I think we would have 2 good yet unique football games on the market. 2K probably would have been a hardcore sim although it seems they are getting away from that a bit with its NBA franchise and Madden would have just been a tweener game.

[AntiBandwagoner]

Sanner's post was spot on.

[Mechcaniq]

I too bought both games, 2k (Xbox) Madden (playstation) after the EA/NFL deal, I've only upgraded the playstation console, so as a result, Xbox lost a customer, not there fault, it's just that I only play football games, so it made no sense buying 2 different consoles to play one (or 2 NCAA) games. I was shocked when that happened, the NFL could have double their profits, because both game were just that good!

[Monc]

EA's bid for exclusive rights was brilliant! In fact, it was so brilliant every die hard football fan such as myself had to reap the reality of EA's actions because they knew they had a giant in the name of 2K on their back. Funny thing is EA never took the competition too seriously (much like their loyal madden gamers up until recent) because of their tenure at the time.

We think we know but we don't really know..the sh** hit the fan when NFL2K5 hit the shelves, several high level execs within EA were let go after failed excuses tied to elaborate catered boardroom meetings on weekends to cover for their NFL2K5 tournaments. Ok I'm just kidding or maybe not? Either way they were just as fascinated about something new and fresh as the rest of us. With the help of the NFL, they pulled the plug on a healthy young newborn without consulting with the rest of the family. Yes we all are family, that's why we are all forced to be linked up online these days brah. EA's decision was clever, greedy, and lazy.

You cannot compare Madden 05 and 2K5 because one was a sim and the other was not. One was $19.99 and the other was $59.99. In case your wondering, EA has never dropped the price of Madden over the years, not even to say thank you to the gaming world. Instead they would rather sell unfinished products that require an immediate update after point of sell.

2K is always hungry!! That's why 2K basketball is off the chain and the football would have been too if they ain't pull the plug on my baby! In my opinion, EA's College football was better than Madden. Now they found a way to do that in as well.