A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

[TigerMoose93]

Take a look at the trends in sports games over the last couple of years. They're all moving in the Madden MUT and MLB The Show Diamond Dynasty direction. The game companies are placing their emphasis on these modes for financial reasons.

Gamers are dumping huge sums of money into the game to develop competitive rosters for online game play. There is no players association for ex-NCAA athletes, so logistically they can't use historical players likenesses in an NCAA football game.

Let's face it, EA isn't going to fund development of a new NCAA football game for one specific reason: the property isn't all that monetizable.

[NewNapkin]

Re: A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

What are you on about?

NCAA 14 had Ultimate Team, and as far as I can tell, it was wildly successful..

[seasprite]

Re: A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

What are you on about?

NCAA 14 had Ultimate Team, and as far as I can tell, it was wildly successful..

It was very good. Fun running with Bo Jackson

Sent from my SM-G935V using Operation Sports mobile app

[ODogg]

Re: A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

Yeah College Football actually has much more money to be made by monetization than Madden. I mean with about 4 times as many teams and a much longer history...of course it would.

So instead of dashing hopes, I think the OP's insight has raised them!

[vernbudde1]

Re: A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

not only with players but think of the uniform combination packs for each team you could come up with and money to be made there!

[Zaky29]

Re: A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

Let's also not forget that there are plenty of people begging for new NCAA anyways. Even with EA moving in the direction of Ultimate Team type stuff, it's not like there isn't money to be made in the NCAA video game market, and we all know EA doesn't mind getting more money. I don't think there's any lack of desire to fund a new game.

[ODogg]

Re: A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

At this point I really think they could release an NCAA football game with completely randomized players who are nothing like the real players and do quite well in sales. Especially monetization like being discussed above.

[mercalnd]

Re: A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

At this point I really think they could release an NCAA football game with completely randomized players who are nothing like the real players and do quite well in sales. Especially monetization like being discussed above.

In order for that to be successful, they would need to get all the schools and conferences on board. If you recall, the game was cancelled when schools (Ohio State being the first one to make it publicly known) were starting to pull out after the lawsuits.

EA was fine with releasing the game without an NCAA license and with a generic roster if they had been able to keep the schools and conferences.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

In order for that to be successful, they would need to get all the schools and conferences on board. If you recall, the game was cancelled when schools (Ohio State being the first one to make it publicly known) were starting to pull out after the lawsuits.

EA was fine with releasing the game without an NCAA license and with a generic roster if they had been able to keep the schools and conferences.

It's definitely an ongoing process for schools and conferences to re-establish the value of and understand the current state of risk in licensing. I think we're seeing positive moves in that direction in schools willing to license in NBA 2K and Madden this year.

Other schools will see the exposure Texas and Oregon get in Madden and see that the risk level isn't what it was in the way licenses were used before.

If I'm a school athletics brand and I see that exposure, and there don't appear to be any legal issues, then I want in on it.

[ODogg]

Re: A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

The only risk ever was player likeness. They avoid that and there is no problem. Ohio State has the right to sell Ohio State. And so on for other teams.

[mercalnd]

Re: A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

The only risk ever was player likeness. They avoid that and there is no problem. Ohio State has the right to sell Ohio State. And so on for other teams.

That was my point. EA cancelled the game because Ohio State and others were no longer willing to sell their license, not because they were suddenly forced to release with generic rosters.

Once the NCAA said they were no longer licensing to EA because of the whole player likeness issues, EA came out and stated they would re-brand the game as "College Football 15" and still have all the schools and conferences. Shortly after that, schools and conferences started pulling out and it was then that EA chose to outright cancel the game.

http://kotaku.com/no-college-football-video-game-next-year-says-ea-sport-1404530680

[mroctober316]

Re: A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

College football is so popular, and it just boggles me that we don't have a game in 2017!

But yet doesn't surprise me with how money hungry these conferences and NCAA are. I mean they sold out hard and it's all about money and sponsorship.

EA Sports College Football '17

[ODogg]

Re: A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

That was my point. EA cancelled the game because Ohio State and others were no longer willing to sell their license, not because they were suddenly forced to release with generic rosters.

Once the NCAA said they were no longer licensing to EA because of the whole player likeness issues, EA came out and stated they would re-brand the game as "College Football 15" and still have all the schools and conferences. Shortly after that, schools and conferences started pulling out and it was then that EA chose to outright cancel the game.

http://kotaku.com/no-college-footbal...ort-1404530680

Different time and atmosphere though. That was reactionary to the lawsuit and multiple pending issues about player likeness. Time has passed now and I'm sure things have a bit of a different look when it comes to building a game with the schools but not the actual player likenesses.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

Different time and atmosphere though. That was reactionary to the lawsuit and multiple pending issues about player likeness. Time has passed now and I'm sure things have a bit of a different look when it comes to building a game with the schools but not the actual player likenesses.

That's kind of what I was getting at. Ohio St. and Conferences pulling out was reactive at the time and now Oregon and Texas (and schools in 2k) are licensing out again without issue. I'm sure at the time EA tried to communicate that they are amending any issues with player likeness.

The only thing I wonder is if from a legal perspective the argument can be made that player editing and roster sharing is some sort of intent to circumvent the player likeness rulings (whatever they actually are).

Man, that argument, if it was accepted by a court, would be a can of worms opened all right.

[ODogg]

Re: A Return of EA's NCAA Football? Don't hold your breath!

That's kind of what I was getting at. Ohio St. and Conferences pulling out was reactive at the time and now Oregon and Texas (and schools in 2k) are licensing out again without issue. I'm sure at the time EA tried to communicate that they are amending any issues with player likeness.

The only thing I wonder is if from a legal perspective the argument can be made that player editing and roster sharing is some sort of intent to circumvent the player likeness rulings (whatever they actually are).

Man, that argument, if it was accepted by a court, would be a can of worms opened all right.

One could make that argument but the courts have consistently ruled on like matters that what consumers do with editors is not the responsibility of the editor creator.