EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

[SageInfinite]

Re: EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

Granted, I do enjoy M11, but as far as value, this game lacks. The presentation is bare bones (I'm so sick of saying this year in - year out), franchise has been ignored, etc. When you compare the kitchen sink approach that NBA2K took as far as value...

On a related note, that's why I was happy to hear Cummings say on one of the podcasts that adding value to Madden is important for M12.

I just don't think Tiburon has an idea of what good presentation is. I mean has it ever been really exceptional in Madden? It got the job done last gen, but when 2k5 came out, it just made it look so inferior. They've yet to top it with more powerful hardware this gen.

With some of the convos I've had with people, I just don't think they get it or care to get it. I would LOVE for them to prove me wrong, but I just don't think they can provide a football experience that makes me do a double take like The Show and NBA 2k do. I don't even want to go the NFL 2k5 route, there shouldn't even be a comparison. They need to try to compete with The Show and NBA 2k.

[SageInfinite]

Re: EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

I can not disagree with a single thing you said here. Well put.

I agree with all of this, also. Good post.

Thanks guys. I'm just tired of people(myself included) blaming EA and the NFL for doing business. I mean of course is SUCKS, but they are trying to make money and maximize profits, and this is the best way they see to do it. The blame rests on Tiburon for not providing a solid experience that can compete with the top sports games today.

I don't care if you have to come up with a gimmick to sell the game each year, that's no excuse for not providing an immersive experience on the field.

[RGiles36]

Re: EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

I just don't think Tiburon has an idea of what good presentation is. I mean has it ever been really exceptional in Madden? It got the job done last gen, but when 2k5 came out, it just made it look so inferior. They've yet to top it with more powerful hardware this gen.

Sig-worthy.

Until they prove otherwise, I have to agree with you. It's been said that they've had to get a foundation in place the last two years, but I don't know that I 100% buy that. I've read in forums and dev diaries in the past that presentation isn't all that hard to implement. It's more about attention to detail.

I've been saying this since post M08 and it still applies for the most part: too often, I still have to press pause (and view the stats) to get an idea of how my QB is playing. Whereas on TV, the information is presented damn near on every offensive drive. Or, think about the pre-game warm-ups with the QB banner when all we're given is Yards & TDs. That gives me ABSOLUTELY no idea of how effective my QB has been relative to how many games he's played that season. What about the QB rating? Completion percentage? Ints? That's the stuff that intimates that they don't get it.

But alas, it's another year. We'll see.

Sorry to get off topic!

[RedZoneD25]

Re: EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

So many good posts on this page. Well done fellas.

[SageInfinite]

Re: EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

Sig-worthy.

Until they prove otherwise, I have to agree with you. It's been said that they've had to get a foundation in place the last two years, but I don't know that I 100% buy that. I've read in forums and dev diaries in the past that presentation isn't all that hard to implement. It's more about attention to detail.

I've been saying this since post M08 and it still applies for the most part: too often, I still have to press pause (and view the stats) to get an idea of how my QB is playing. Whereas on TV, the information is presented damn near on every offensive drive. Or, think about the pre-game warm-ups with the QB banner when all we're given is Yards & TDs. That gives me ABSOLUTELY no idea of how effective my QB has been relative to how many games he's played that season. What about the QB rating? Completion percentage? Ints? That's the stuff that intimates that they don't get it.

But alas, it's another year. We'll see.

Sorry to get off topic!

Totally agree. As you said, I dont want to keep going off topic, but the direction as far as presentation is concerned is off. I hate saying a dev team isn't capable, but they haven't proved they are yet.

[43M]

Re: EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

I honestly dont even care if Madden's presentation is as good as 2k5.

DONT GET ME WRONG, I would love it if it was, but hell, at this point Id be happy just seeing it get in the same ball park.

Until the commentary is overhauled, in game presentation will always seem lackluster. People keep blaming the commentators, but thats not the real problem at all. Its the choppy, pieced together way EA does their audio announcing and the fact that all the comments are horribly generic and cheesy. Makes immersing yourself into the game practically impossible.

[pietasterp]

Re: EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

The blame rests on Tiburon for not providing a solid experience that can compete with the top sports games today.

While I agree that Tiburon does not appear to have it in them to deliver the game we want, I'm not sure you can divorce the developer from the publisher/business partners. It's all related, unless Tiburon is being left completely alone to do what they want with the game with no interference from corporate or the NFL (in terms of content, deadlines, budget, etc.).....which I seriously doubt is the case. In fact, I would guess that it's probably the exact opposite - there probably isn't a more meddled-with game on the planet than Madden in terms of input from marketing, corporate, the NFL, etc...

Maybe that doesn't excuse Tiburon, but I think it puts things in perspective. It's not like EA is giving Tiburon a blank check and an empty calendar and saying "Go develop the best game you possibly can, and let us know when you've finished!"

[LiquorLogic]

Re: EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

They already tried that in 2005 and it wasn't working.

That was because of the pricing war between 2k and EA. It was at that point that the NFL decided to accept EA's proposition, which they admitted to lobbying for prior to 2004, to purchase the exclusive license. Now, of course, they gave other companies a shot at it all also to maximize their (the NFL) leverage; we all know that no publisher was going to outbid EA. [/QUOTE]

An ex-EA employee was already quoted in this thread. The NFL was making less money with multiple licenses vs giving a company with exclusivity.

The NFL will opt to take the more money deal vs multiple licenses.

This is what we want, is this what the NFL wants, though? The NFL wants a brand that everyone is familiar with. Madden fits that category.

The NFL could care less about the most recognizable brand name; the NFL is one of the most recognizable brand names in existence. 505 games, if they somehow got the exclusive license, would be the most recognizable brand name if they were the only publisher making an NFL football game; the NFL only cares about their bottom line.

[SageInfinite]

Re: EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

While I agree that Tiburon does not appear to have it in them to deliver the game we want, I'm not sure you can divorce the developer from the publisher/business partners. It's all related, unless Tiburon is being left completely alone to do what they want with the game with no interference from corporate or the NFL (in terms of content, deadlines, budget, etc.).....which I seriously doubt is the case. In fact, I would guess that it's probably the exact opposite - there probably isn't a more meddled-with game on the planet than Madden in terms of input from marketing, corporate, the NFL, etc...

Maybe that doesn't excuse Tiburon, but I think it puts things in perspective. It's not like EA is giving Tiburon a blank check and an empty calendar and saying "Go develop the best game you possibly can, and let us know when you've finished!"

I agree, I can't place the entire blame on Tiburon, but my problems with the game this generation(presentation, animations, glitches) seem more like issues on their end rather than EA as a company. I'm sure they have alot of pressure on their shoulders every year to deliver, but that's where the license comes into play. With that sewn up, no matter what type of garbage they put out(not saying Madden is garbage), it's still guaranteed a nice amount of sales, more than the average game at least. Plus it's history helps push this as well.

I'm not dogging Tiburon, but history has proven they can't provide a football game that blurs the lines between reality and video games, and at this point, that is exactly what this game SHOULD be doing.

[LiquorLogic]

Re: EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

It's my understanding that EA is currently paying approx twice as much per year as the league used to earn from all of it's videogame licensees combined. Imo that alone pretty much rules out the NFL ever returning to a multiple licensee setup. If EA were to decide at some point in the future that 200% is simply too much, it's likely that the league would counter by offering exclusivity at a reduced rate.

That wouldn't make much sense for the NFL. They could cut their current price in half, but award licenses to two companies and make just as much.They could award three publishers licenses for 80% and make %40 more than they were making with EA.

[Jasong7777]

Re: EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

If Madden is good next year i'm buying it, just like 90% of the people in this thread.

[EddieV]

Re: EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

Totally agree. As you said, I dont want to keep going off topic, but the direction as far as presentation is concerned is off. I hate saying a dev team isn't capable, but they haven't proved they are yet.

Amen. Ten characters.

[pietasterp]

Re: EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

I agree, I can't place the entire blame on Tiburon, but my problems with the game this generation(presentation, animations, glitches) seem more like issues on their end rather than EA as a company. I'm sure they have alot of pressure on their shoulders every year to deliver, but that's where the license comes into play. With that sewn up, no matter what type of garbage they put out(not saying Madden is garbage), it's still guaranteed a nice amount of sales, more than the average game at least. Plus it's history helps push this as well.

I'm not dogging Tiburon, but history has proven they can't provide a football game that blurs the lines between reality and video games, and at this point, that is exactly what this game SHOULD be doing.

I could not agree with you more, Sage...(you've been getting that a lot lately, huh? ). I am in no way, shape, or form defending Tiburon - they are simply not a top-tier, AAA house, it's just that simple. Visual Concepts and SCE San Diego eat Tiburon's lunch annually, and the difference in attention to detail is astronomical.

I guess the only point I was trying to make was that some (not all, but some) of the problems with animations, glitches, and presentation might be due not to their unwillingness (or inability) to deliver on those fronts but rather interference/meddling from EA's end, in the sense that maybe EA tasks them with adding "x" number of new "back-of-the-box" features every year, and either does not stress (or explicitly instructs them not to spend time on) the things that we know are important in a great sports game. Things like TV-style presentation, immersion, stat overlays, Offensive/Defensive Line interaction, blocking logic, tackling logic, physics...the list goes on. It's possible Tiburon knows they could be doing better, but maybe they are getting pressure from above to focus time and resources on other, "flashier" things to move units. I don't have any evidence that this is the case, but given what we know about Madden's development and occasional candid comments from developers past, I think it would not suprise anyone if this turned out to be true. Not to mention, probably 90-cents out of every dollar of the Madden budget is spent on marketing, so you know where EA's priorities are...

Having said all that, Tiburon just doesn't deliver, and that's the bottom line. If Visual Concepts were EA's sole football development house in an exclusive-licensed world, would we have a better game of football for 360/PS3 right now? I would be willing to bet on it.

[roadman]

Re: EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

The NFL could care less about the most recognizable brand name; the NFL is one of the most recognizable brand names in existence. 505 games, if they somehow got the exclusive license, would be the most recognizable brand name if they were the only publisher making an NFL football game; the NFL only cares about their bottom line.[/QUOTE]

How can you make such statements?

Madden is one of the most recognizable brand names in existence. And the NFL recognizes that.

If you don't believe that, no reason to go further.

We agree the NFL only cares about their bottom line.

Sage, good posting, spot on.

[videlsports]

Since when did the NCAA renew their contract with EA ?

I sent an E-mail out to the CLC (Collegite Liscensing Control) @ clc.com.. I recieved an e-mail back from Vice President Dave Kirkpatrick saying that they renewed with EA until 2014 as well. (SMH). I twittered OS with the info, they found out so far they belive it's legit but is looking into it Further.