Don't Expect a Change in the NFL License Status Quo

[bigeastbumrush]

Who says 2K's technology is dated?

And who wrote such an absurd article?

2K needs to do its due diligence and approach the NFL to scrap the exclusive license. It would be bad business not to.

[Profit89]

2K5 is better at this very moment. Never Mind.

[ghettogeeksta]

And the BOMBSHELL has been dropped! If you want better effort from EA Sports and the Madden team, then stop buying this garbage when it's released every year! Of course not everybody is going to stop buying it but if we can reduce the sales by 10-15 percent and sales continues to drop every year they would take notice. If Madden 25 is trash then I will start online petition to don't buy this game.

[RandyBass]

Re: Don't Expect a Change in the NFL License Status Quo

You got that right. A lot of wishful thinking going on. It takes capital to develop a full featured game today and I don't see anyone laying out millions with the hope of being able to publish an NFL product. And I also think if anyone is counting EA down and out is also mistaken.

What are you basing your assessment on? Who here is counting EA down and out? Have you even been paying attention to gaming news the past few years?

There is no wishful thinking going on here, just reality. EA ain't exactly the darling of Wall Street, they just happened to fork over enough dough for one of the biggest licenses available and did so without any other real alternatives available to them. It was a move they more or less had to make, but at the same time it hasn't bore any real fruit either.

Again, TTWO doesn't have to develop a full game; they don't have to commit themselves to a full fledged NFL game. They could relatively easily have the framework down for one though. Considering all that has transpired the past few years, wouldn't surprise me one bit if that was indeed the case. Companies do stuff like that all the time, have things in the works, prototypes, etc. It's not like one day they just decide to commit to something 100%, then spend the next 2-3 years plowing away only to find out it was a bad idea. That's not the way things work. Things are almost always going on, always in action, with a certain degree of flexibility too so that backsides are covered when the landscape changes.

Again, EA ain't going anywhere anytime soon, and NFL 2K14 ain't coming out next year; but it ain't all set it stone either. Two to three years from now it starts to get a little hazier, especially when you factor in where we are right now with EA stumbling just about every other step, and a new GTA getting ready to release at the end of a console cycle.

Giants mightier than EA have fallen, and underdogs smaller than TTWO have prevailed. Time will tell.

[ghettogeeksta]

Atallah "I'm sorry to hear that. One thing to clarify though, my job and the job of the NFLPA, is to ensure that the players' interests are top priority. I know that might not be the most popular answer, but it's our mission."

Translation- our job is to make as much money as possible, so if the game EA creates sucks its not our problem, sorry for ya, EA has already cut the check.

[damedash]

Well that was my conversation with George attallah on reddit...I have actually spoken on the phone with him also. I have given out the phone numbers to the nfl office and nflpa offices to help spread the word that not every fan wants madden to be our only choice in the football genre. I have done my part...every week I call to try to let them know that the fans won't stand for this and honestly , you speak of nfl wants to work closely with a company to protect their brand. Call me crazy but isn't EA up for the worst company for the second year in the wrong? I'm not sure if the nfl wants that negative press...just my opinion

[damedash]

I meant second year in a row...typing on my iPad. Lol

[bxphenom7]

BOYCOTT MADDEN 25!!!

[kjcheezhead]

Re: Don't Expect a Change in the NFL License Status Quo

Here's to hoping Madden 25 is the best yet. It's our only option after all

No thanks. I've already seen EA fail 8 times on these consoles. I'm not bothering with it anymore. I'll continue to play better games of other sports and genres. I've gotten through the withdrawls and don't need football "fixes" anymore.

[joec63]

Re: Don't Expect a Change in the NFL License Status Quo

What are you basing your assessment on? Who here is counting EA down and out? Have you even been paying attention to gaming news the past few years?

There is no wishful thinking going on here, just reality. EA ain't exactly the darling of Wall Street, they just happened to fork over enough dough for one of the biggest licenses available and did so without any other real alternatives available to them. It was a move they more or less had to make, but at the same time it hasn't bore any real fruit either.

Again, TTWO doesn't have to develop a full game; they don't have to commit themselves to a full fledged NFL game. They could relatively easily have the framework down for one though. Considering all that has transpired the past few years, wouldn't surprise me one bit if that was indeed the case. Companies do stuff like that all the time, have things in the works, prototypes, etc. It's not like one day they just decide to commit to something 100%, then spend the next 2-3 years plowing away only to find out it was a bad idea. That's not the way things work. Things are almost always going on, always in action, with a certain degree of flexibility too so that backsides are covered when the landscape changes.

Again, EA ain't going anywhere anytime soon, and NFL 2K14 ain't coming out next year; but it ain't all set it stone either. Two to three years from now it starts to get a little hazier, especially when you factor in where we are right now with EA stumbling just about every other step, and a new GTA getting ready to release at the end of a console cycle.

Giants mightier than EA have fallen, and underdogs smaller than TTWO have prevailed. Time will tell.

Let's get something straight. This discussion is all conjecture. I don't think anyone here has the inside track. I've worked at a fortune 200 company in management for 25 yrs so I believe I know a little something of how it works when it comes to using resources. It's not much different in selling widgets or software.

At the end of the day it comes down to maximizing the shareholders RIO and capital isn't spent without a plan on recouping that investment. We don't have people working on things that we believe aren't going to bear fruit. Just going by the estimated number of units of Madden 13 sold I believe was around 5M give or take a million. That's 300M gross in a sputtering economy. EA isn't giving that revenue up without a fight is all I'm saying. It's really up to the NFL /NFLPA . It's their license to either keep exclusive or not.

You speak of reality. Everyone here has an emotional interest in the game but in the end it's a business decision. The NFL/NFLPA will do whatever is in the best interest of the owners and their players.

[ghettogeeksta]

Re: Don't Expect a Change in the NFL License Status Quo

No thanks. I've already seen EA fail 8 times on these consoles. I'm not bothering with it anymore. I'll continue to play better games of other sports and genres. I've gotten through the withdrawls and don't need football "fixes" anymore.

I'm with you man, NBA 2K and MLB The Show are great sports franchises that I play now, I don't need Madden, Ill continue to watch and see what they do with Madden, and if its not up to my likings then I just wont buy it like the last 4 years.

[clipperfan811]

I've more than spoken with my wallet, I haven't bought a Madden since 2006 on the xbox. As a matter of fact my interest in the NFL has gone down the drain. It's just not something I'm into anymore, not sure how much the lack of gaming has had to do with it. At the very minimum the games would keep me really up to date with the players in the league.

It really is a shame what happens when the masses blindly buy whatever is put out. It's nice to see the sales numbers dropping.

[roadman]

Re: Don't Expect a Change in the NFL License Status Quo

I'm not so sure Take 2 enters the foray.

Their stock price is a dollar a share lower than EA's.

Plus, they just finished a liscense agreement with MLB that made the company lose money.

Once burned, twice shy sometimes.

The NFL needs to explode their business model if they decide to divy up the liscense to other companies. Just don't see that happening, my stance hasn't changed since Big had his Ides of March thread.

Also, let's not forget Madden is an advisor to Goodell. I doubt if Goodell and the NFL kick John Madden to the curb.

[m1ke_nyc]

Anyone still thinking this deal will end anytime soon is only fooling themselves. 2K football is done. Madden will be the only NFL game on the market for the next decade ATLEAST. The only way this doesnt happen is for EA to hit rock bottom.

[pietasterp]

I said essentially everything that was in this piece back in 2004 when the exclusivity was first announced (I wonder if those old posts still exist to prove it...). Not that a lot of other people didn't also see that, but when it was made public that EA would be the only licensed NFL partner in '04, I said we would never see another non-EA football game. Ever. Going on a decade now, with no end in sight. But at least my falling out of love with sports gaming has rekindled my interest in other, non-sports games. So I got that goin' for me...