$27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

[GiantBlue76]

Re: $27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

Well, 2K had to of brought something to the table when they met with the NFL a couple years ago. The fact that the NFL extended their license with EA but for only 1 year was a big question mark as to what's really about to happen. Why only a one year extension after meeting with 2K...? You'd think they'd go long term with EA again if talks really failed between 2K and the NFL.

I'm not 100% sure that EA wanted another "Exclusive" deal. The one year extension was clearly what the owners wanted. If you read into what Wayne Weaver (The Jags owner) said.

“For one of our core partners in a difficult environment, we say let’s look at this, and maybe it makes some sense to extend something out longer and give our partner some relief in the short term but gain something on the back end,”

.

Basically, the owners said we will give you a break but only if we get an extension for another year at full price.

EA probably doesn't have to pay a premium anymore to be exclusive. No one else has the startup cost to bring a new game into the mix. It's different with things like apparel and the Sunday ticket. There isn't much infrastructure that needs to be built to provide those for a "new" company. Making games is different because there is a substantial development cost to actually BUILD the product.

I firmly believe nfl football gaming is dead due to this exclusive stuff, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out financially since there really isn't a reason for EA to pay a high premium anymore.

[Culture Rot]

Re: $27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

Well it is some level of justice. We all deserve our money back for the last 5 years of EA Sports football.

[mestevo]

I'm not 100% sure that EA wanted another "Exclusive" deal. The one year extension was clearly what the owners wanted. If you read into what Wayne Weaver (The Jags owner) said.

.

Basically, the owners said we will give you a break but only if we get an extension for another year at full price.

EA probably doesn't have to pay a premium anymore to be exclusive. No one else has the startup cost to bring a new game into the mix. It's different with things like apparel and the Sunday ticket. There isn't much infrastructure that needs to be built to provide those for a "new" company. Making games is different because there is a substantial development cost to actually BUILD the product.

I firmly believe nfl football gaming is dead due to this exclusive stuff, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out financially since there really isn't a reason for EA to pay a high premium anymore.

People read way too much into that jaguars quote. It was spoken before the lockout was resolved. In a worst case scenario the NFL would be negotiating a new deal after the cancellation of a season so it makes a lot of sense to extend it a year with the expectation that labor unrest would have concluded.


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[Big FN Deal]

Re: $27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

People read way too much into that jaguars quote. It was spoken before the lockout was resolved. In a worst case scenario the NFL would be negotiating a new deal after the cancellation of a season so it makes a lot of sense to extend it a year with the expectation that labor unrest would have concluded.


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IMO, people usually read too much into most things regarding the NFL exclusive, so it goes both ways. None of us will know for fact how much most of the tidbits of info we are able garner really matter until everything is said and done, one way or the other. You have people proclaiming the exclusive will "never" end as if it has always existed and others, like myself, saying it will end because EA is no longer willing to pay for it.

Not directed at Mestevo, just saying that it's funny to me how when something is currently the status quo the way some behave like it must remain that way. Things can change and there are likely signs of that change which may or may not be noticed beforehand but stand out in hindsight. That doesn't mean they suddenly appeared after the fact, the writing is usually on the wall but initially it gets read into differently.

[BezO]

Re: $27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

Late to the party, but...

It also stipulates that EA will not sign an exclusive license arrangement with the AFL for five years and will not renew its current agreement with the NCAA, which expires in 2014, for at least five years.


I almost crap my pants in anticipation that the "NFL" would have been included in that sentence. lol

...yeah, I thought I might see another NFL game on the market in the near future. Eh well.

[GiantBlue76]

Re: $27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

People read way too much into that jaguars quote. It was spoken before the lockout was resolved. In a worst case scenario the NFL would be negotiating a new deal after the cancellation of a season so it makes a lot of sense to extend it a year with the expectation that labor unrest would have concluded.


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I'm not one who believes we will ever get anyone else other than EA making NFL games. However, it is interesting to me how Weaver mentioned it was them who wanted to get something back. I'm sure a fresh negotiation is going to occur, but it does make for some interesting speculation as to what will pan out.

[KingV2k3]

Re: $27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

How will proof of purchases work?

I'm also late to the party...

How do we go about getting whatever $$$ is due / available?

Thanks!!!

[roadman]

Re: $27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

I'm also late to the party...

How do we go about getting whatever $$$ is due / available?

Thanks!!!

From what I heard, the law firm will be contacting people.

[goravens2052]

Re: $27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

From what I heard, the law firm will be contacting people.

So how is that going to work for people who don't answer the phone when they don't know the number? I mean people get a lot spam calls and we won't know if it's a spam caller trying to say they are a Canadian Pharmacy or the law firm. Does anyone know the number we are supposed to look out for?

[roadman]

Re: $27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

So how is that going to work for people who don't answer the phone when they don't know the number? I mean people get a lot spam calls and we won't know if it's a spam caller trying to say they are a Canadian Pharmacy or the law firm. Does anyone know the number we are supposed to look out for?

Well, in my experience, they will email you.

A law firm contacted us via email being an Apple user. We had the right for a refund for 99 cents.

I didn't even bother.

[RGiles36]

Re: $27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

College games just dont do well. Without big brother Madden sharing the development costs there probably wouldn't be an NCAA game at all. Without an NFL license, there won't be a new 2k college game.

Alas, you are probably right and I was just throwing it out there.

Man, I made this point 7 months ago in Big's 'Beware the Ides' thread and he argued me up & down LOL!

[Big FN Deal]

Re: $27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

Man, I made this point 7 months ago in Big's 'Beware the Ides' thread and he argued me up & down LOL!

LOL, that's cause everything seems wrong to me coming from a Cowboys fan!

Seriously though, I think you may be recalling that "discussion" differently than how it actually went. If I remember correctly, I was disagreeing with the premise that just because NCAA is a secondary or spin off product to a company already making a NFL game, that somehow made events surrounding the NCAA exclusive license, like it being allowed to expire, irrelevant to what could happen with the NFL exclusive license.

[RGiles36]

Re: $27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

Seriously though, I think you may be recalling that "discussion" differently than how it actually went. If I remember correctly, I was disagreeing with the premise that just because NCAA is a secondary or spin off product to a company already making a NFL game, that somehow made events surrounding the NCAA exclusive license, like it being allowed to expire, irrelevant to what could happen with the NFL exclusive license.

Yep, you recall correctly. I thought you were finally coming around on that line of thinking considering you co-signed KJ.

[Big FN Deal]

Re: $27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

Yep, you recall correctly. I thought you were finally coming around on that line of thinking considering you co-signed KJ.

Nah, I was just co-signing with KJ about a NCAA game being secondary but I still think there can be some parallels drawn between events around the exclusive license for both. IMO, it's all moot anyway because I think the NFL exclusive will end by March of 2014 too, so that would leave companies free to buy the open rights to produce both a NCAA and NFL game.

[RGiles36]

Re: $27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

IMO, it's all moot anyway because I think the NFL exclusive will end by March of 2014 too, so that would leave companies free to buy the open rights to produce both a NCAA and NFL game.

.........

Ha!