EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo (kotaku)

[Big T120588]

k-bigpic.jpg

The NCAA added, at a cost of half a million dollars, its name and a logo.
That's it. That is all the NCAA has ever done for this game.


Why? If EA Sports already had all this stuff—and if the NCAA's license was purely cosmetic—why pay $545,000 a year for that? Well, know what was released seven months after NCAA Football '98? NCAA March Madness 1998, by EA Sports.


This week I was told, by someone very knowledgeable with how the college football series was licensed, that the only reason EA Sports sought the NCAA license was to get at the symbols the NCAA did own—March Madness and Final Four, principally—for its college basketball debut. It was, apparently, a package deal. Buy NCAA for football, get NCAA for basketball.

http://kotaku.com/ea-sports-didnt-ne...-did-860124604

[JLoco11]

Re: EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo (kotaku)

Yep, this was widely speculated years ago when the games came out.

Of course, the NCAA denied it and just needed the name.

It's probably the same rumors for the Madden series, and how this will be the final "Madden" named game, and they will just use NFL after this year.

[Birdman18]

Re: EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo (kotaku)

Yep, this was widely speculated years ago when the games came out.

Of course, the NCAA denied it and just needed the name.

It's probably the same rumors for the Madden series, and how this will be the final "Madden" named game, and they will just use NFL after this year.

But the Madden name carries a lot of weight... More than any other sports game ever has.

[Eagle34]

Re: EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo (kotaku)

But the Madden name carries a lot of weight... More than any other sports game ever has.

[JLoco11]

Re: EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo (kotaku)

But the Madden name carries a lot of weight... More than any other sports game ever has.

Not anymore. He's not even used the game at this point, and one can argue that an NFL name is more valuable these days than Madden.

Take Madden's name off the title, what exactly do you lose?

[JayD]

Re: EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo (kotaku)

We all know that next year someone is going to say "no NCAA patches on uniforms, this is a game breaker for me".

[XxJustAguessxX]

Re: EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo (kotaku)

Interesting read.

[ThaGuru58]

Re: EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo (kotaku)

I think maybe it will be for the better. Maybe EA can put back in all the cool stuff the NCAA made them take out. Like player discipline, fans rushing the field, taunting while scoring a TD, and mascot celebrations. To name a few.

[brianski71]

Re: EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo (kotaku)

I think maybe it will be for the better. Maybe EA can put back in all the cool stuff the NCAA made them take out. Like player discipline, fans rushing the field, taunting while scoring a TD, and mascot celebrations. To name a few.

I like your thinking....but no offense, I really hope they don't decide to bring back stupid stuff like taunting and celebrating with the mascot. These were goofy and unrealistic...unless they brought back taunting with the real rule that can negate a touchdown if it's done before crossing the goal line. I'm all for putting player discipline back in and adding fans storming the field. This is part of the "college atmosphere" that EA always seems to miss.

[radiohead]

Re: EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo (kotaku)

Lost in all of this is what this ultimately means for those of us longing for a college hoops game.

EA obviously had no interest in making a college hoops game, yet they were willing to pay 500k a year for the rights to March Madness and The Final Four?

That's very, very interesting.

Seems that they were more interested in keeping someone else, namely 2k, from having access to those naming rights than they were in actually making a college basketball game

[ghettogeeksta]

Re: EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo (kotaku)

Lost in all of this is what this ultimately means for those of us longing for a college hoops game.

EA obviously had no interest in making a college hoops game, yet they were willing to pay 500k a year for the rights to March Madness and The Final Four?

That's very, very interesting.

Seems that they were more interested in keeping someone else, namely 2k, from having access to those naming rights than they were in actually making a college basketball game

Exactly what I was thinking, why heck would they pay the NCAA 500k a year if they didn't need them, if they were not going to make a college basket ball game? Don't remember when the last time they released a college basketball game, like you said, they only did it to shut out the competition! Which is why they probably bought the ESPN license too, to close any loopholes that would allow another football game to be made with real teams and real player names. I really hope another developer steps up next-gen and challenges EA's college football game because their is a lot of room for improvement.

[Rivals]

Re: EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo (kotaku)

Trust me, there's also more to it than basketball. That money kept the NCAA coffers full. The NCAA has its hand out for anything and everything college sports related. If you don't cough up some "donations" to their cause, they'll try to pass bylaws and regulations to hurt or even end your business. EA Sports knows how the game works.

[BBallcoach]

Re: EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo (kotaku)

Not anymore. He's not even used the game at this point, and one can argue that an NFL name is more valuable these days than Madden.

Take Madden's name off the title, what exactly do you lose?

BS... Madden has been made for over 20 years. Madden is the most powerful name in sports gaming. Nobody calls it madden nfl, it's just Madden.

[bravesfan22]

Re: EA Sports Didn't Need the NCAA's Logo (kotaku)

BS... Madden has been made for over 20 years. Madden is the most powerful name in sports gaming. Nobody calls it madden nfl, it's just Madden.

this man speaks the truth.

[goillini03]

BS... Madden has been made for over 20 years. Madden is the most powerful name in sports gaming. Nobody calls it madden nfl, it's just Madden.

Not saying that I disagree but if the name Madden was removed from the title, would it lose sales? I think people would still flock to the game.