NCAA Football 14 News Post

The NCAA Debated Allowing Player Names In Video Games

02:45 PM - February 27, 2014 by Steve_OS

In a report recently filed by Deadspin, it appears the NCAA came close to allowing real player names in the NCAA Football video game series, with EA agreeing to include academic features and scores within the game (such as the APR). Be sure to read the full report which includes some interesting double standards by the NCAA.

Quote:


	"Using the rosters in the games, and maybe the names of student-athletes on jerseys in the game would be worthwhile," the NCAA document said in summarizing CLC's position. "Reasons: 1) EA would put into each game all players on the entire roster and they include over 140 Div. I schools in their games; 2) Rosters are embedded within the product/game (hidden, in a way) not on the cover/outside when you buy the product; and 3) this would wipe out 3rd party infringers � better to have schools/conferences and the NCAA control this."

Do you think we'll see an NCAA Football game on this new generation of consoles?

Game: NCAA Football 14Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
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Member Comments

# 1 MrSerendipity @ 02/27/14 04:02 PM

I most certainly hope so. NCAA 14 is really the only reason I still own a PS3. And I can't imagine how painful it's going to be around Jul-Aug when the usual NCAA Football Locomotive isn't on the tracks. At this point, I feel like they should just grant players an opportunity to opt in or out of the game. Give them a deadline, a form that states they can't sue for likeness in the event they opt in and then run business as usual for the players who opt out.

# 2 jello1717 @ 02/27/14 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve_OS


	Do you think we'll see an NCAA Football game on this new generation of consoles?

Sadly, absolutely not. It really sucks for me since NCAA is pretty much the only game that I play.

# 3 Jakeness23 @ 02/27/14 04:48 PM

One of the big things I'm hoping for in this generation is either A) EA starts making worthwhile products, or B) They implode and leave the sports scene forever and someone else picks it up.

Oh and duh... fully customizable games with no real players, so we can create the leagues ourselves!

# 4 JoshC1977 @ 02/27/14 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jakeness23


	One of the big things I'm hoping for in this generation is either A) EA starts making worthwhile products, or B) They implode and leave the sports scene forever and someone else picks it up. Oh and duh... fully customizable games with no real players, so we can create the leagues ourselves!

Even better, make it so the game doesn't ship with a roster...the game randomly generates the roster at startup based on a general set of instructions like type of offense, relative strength of team, etc

Sent from my ADR6300 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2

# 5 rudeworld @ 02/28/14 12:11 AM

I wish 2K makes an NCAA game.... Football/Basketball (preferably College Hoops). I doubt that will happen though only because it too much legal hassle for the game companies to go through, getting sued an all (looking at you EA SPORTS).

# 6 TDenverFan @ 02/28/14 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rudeworld


	I wish 2K makes an NCAA game.... Football/Basketball (preferably College Hoops). I doubt that will happen though only because it too much legal hassle for the game companies to go through, getting sued an all (looking at you EA SPORTS).

How is this EA's fault?

# 7 acts238shaun @ 02/28/14 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve_OS


	In a report recently filed by Deadspin, it appears the NCAA came close to allowing real player names in the NCAA Football video game series, with EA agreeing to include academic features and scores within the game (such as the APR). Be sure to read the full report which includes some interesting double standards by the NCAA. Do you think we'll see an NCAA Football game on this new generation of consoles?

Yes, but it will be like All-Pro Football 2K5. They had agreements with Barry Sanders and a bunch of other All-Americans/Heisman winners for Ultimate team and Heisman mode - do it again for the next NCAA football. You keep the schools, the conferences and there are no current player likenesses. Allow roster editing, keep the recruiting the same, update the conferences and uniforms - done. Expand Teambuilder and ability to expand/customize conferences and playoff as well. I don't care if the rosters match real life. Gameplay is more important.

# 8 herropreese @ 02/28/14 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acts238shaun


	Yes, but it will be like All-Pro Football 2K5. They had agreements with Barry Sanders and a bunch of other All-Americans/Heisman winners for Ultimate team and Heisman mode - do it again for the next NCAA football. You keep the schools, the conferences and there are no current player likenesses. Allow roster editing, keep the recruiting the same, update the conferences and uniforms - done. Expand Teambuilder and ability to expand/customize conferences and playoff as well. I don't care if the rosters match real life. Gameplay is more important.

I would love this idea.

# 9 fballturkey @ 02/28/14 12:48 PM

For the big fans of the game like you and me that would work great. The casual fan is going to get very upset when they turn on the game and FSU's QB is a white pocket passer. And they need those casual fan sales to make the game profitable.

# 10 BJNT @ 02/28/14 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fballturkey


	For the big fans of the game like you and me that would work great. The casual fan is going to get very upset when they turn on the game and FSU's QB is a white pocket passer. And they need those casual fan sales to make the game profitable.

That can be solved with roster sharing.

# 11 jello1717 @ 02/28/14 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BJNT


	That can be solved with roster sharing.

Anyone that thinks that a completely generic college football game would work is fooling themselves. As I wrote earlier this is pretty much the only game that I play and I'd LOVE to have it keep going, even if generic. Hell, unless I'm using my Wolverines, I don't even care a little bit about the default rosters. I only play dynasty mode and it doesn't get REALLY interesting for me until I'm using the players that I recruited so generic default rosters wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

However, people like us are in the extreme minority for this game (and I'd imagine all sports games) and the vast majority of people that buy NCAA (thus making it viable) are people who absolutely would be bothered by generic rosters (and most likely wouldn't even buy the game because of it). Even if we could edit the rosters to be accurate and could share them, that wouldn't get the casual guys to buy the game. That also would only work for guys playing dynasty modes. You wouldn't be able to use them for online matches (even with what a horrible experience those are, there are still people who only play online matches) because people would have to have the exact same rosters and I'm sure people would complain too much about the player ratings because, for example, Winston was overpowered by the roster editor while Mariota was too nerfed.

# 12 fballturkey @ 02/28/14 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BJNT


	That can be solved with roster sharing.

For me and you and everyone that posts here yes. For most casual fans no.

# 13 Cardot @ 02/28/14 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fballturkey


	For me and you and everyone that posts here yes. For most casual fans no.

I don't necessarily disagree...and a few years back I would have definitely agreed. But these days the whole share/download concept seems a bit more common in other avenues of life. I am not sure that as many people as we think would be turned off by the idea?

# 14 prowler @ 02/28/14 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cardot


	I don't necessarily disagree...and a few years back I would have definitely agreed. But these days the whole share/download concept seems a bit more common in other avenues of life. I am not sure that as many people as we think would be turned off by the idea?

It should be but there are still a lot of people in the dark that either don't know or still pay for rosters. The former is especially prevalent on the NCAA Facebook and Youtube pages.

EA needed to do a better job of herding people to a list of high quality rosters to choose from rather than having to know the gamertag of a user with rosters. The WWE series has allowed players to download user made non-licensed wrestlers for years and never got slammed with litigation over it.

# 15 barsoffury @ 03/01/14 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedSoxFox7


	One way or another, we'll have a fully licensed NCAA Football game, including player likenesses, within a year or two of the end of the Keller/O'Bannon cases. IMO we'll have it after Keller/O'Bannon stomps the NCAA in court. The NCAA is going to lose, badly, on the right to publicity issue. Their hand will then be forced into no longer violating the crap out of student-athlete intellectual property rights, and thus allowing SAs to profit from their own likeness, which will then lead to licensing agreements through NCPA or some similar future organization. But, if the NCAA somehow gets a win here, it gives them carte blanche to do whatever the hell they want with player likenesses; there won't be anything standing in the way of a new game with real names and everything else, and it won't cost EA/CLC/NCAA a dime (beyond what it'll cost/has cost for them to get there).

Ya. At the end of it all SA's will be paid for their likeness so we won't need to worry about generic this or that just to have a collegiate football game. Either by the NCAA or if they refuse the power 5 conferences will disband from the NCAA (which is probably more likely) and figure out their own player compensation system. Then other schools will follow suit. On top of that with the current court suit involving the players from North Western and the Labor Board trying to unionize, I think we as College football game fans will ultimately get the game back we so love. The only question is when? I would say 3-5 years is a likely possibility. While it is a complicated debate, neither the schools nor the athletes want it to drag on.

# 16 CuseGirl @ 03/01/14 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jello1717


	Anyone that thinks that a completely generic college football game would work is fooling themselves. As I wrote earlier this is pretty much the only game that I play and I'd LOVE to have it keep going, even if generic. Hell, unless I'm using my Wolverines, I don't even care a little bit about the default rosters. I only play dynasty mode and it doesn't get REALLY interesting for me until I'm using the players that I recruited so generic default rosters wouldn't bother me in the slightest. However, people like us are in the extreme minority for this game (and I'd imagine all sports games) and the vast majority of people that buy NCAA (thus making it viable) are people who absolutely would be bothered by generic rosters (and most likely wouldn't even buy the game because of it). Even if we could edit the rosters to be accurate and could share them, that wouldn't get the casual guys to buy the game. That also would only work for guys playing dynasty modes. You wouldn't be able to use them for online matches (even with what a horrible experience those are, there are still people who only play online matches) because people would have to have the exact same rosters and I'm sure people would complain too much about the player ratings because, for example, Winston was overpowered by the roster editor while Mariota was too nerfed.

I'm always amazed at how people on OP think the majority of gamers are like them. Most gamers wanna play with their friends on the weekend or pop the game in and blowout their most hated team by 78 points. And they wanna have a fake Jameis or Sammy Watkins with virtual dreads doing it.

# 17 Scribe1980 @ 03/03/14 05:44 PM

Absolutely not. EA got burned & dragged down by O'Bannon while it (mistakenly) thought purchase of the NCAA licenses (and I know there are other parties involved here; just for the sake of simplicity) would have precluded such action or at least offered more protection.

Actually, if I'm EA I'm so pissed at the NCAA I wouldn't consider teaming up again even if the NCAA gets its legal house in order -- which as we all know is a complete mess at the moment. It is ALWAYS business first.

# 18 TimLawNYC @ 03/05/14 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jello1717


	Anyone that thinks that a completely generic college football game would work is fooling themselves. As I wrote earlier this is pretty much the only game that I play and I'd LOVE to have it keep going, even if generic. Hell, unless I'm using my Wolverines, I don't even care a little bit about the default rosters. I only play dynasty mode and it doesn't get REALLY interesting for me until I'm using the players that I recruited so generic default rosters wouldn't bother me in the slightest. However, people like us are in the extreme minority for this game (and I'd imagine all sports games) and the vast majority of people that buy NCAA (thus making it viable) are people who absolutely would be bothered by generic rosters (and most likely wouldn't even buy the game because of it). Even if we could edit the rosters to be accurate and could share them, that wouldn't get the casual guys to buy the game. That also would only work for guys playing dynasty modes. You wouldn't be able to use them for online matches (even with what a horrible experience those are, there are still people who only play online matches) because people would have to have the exact same rosters and I'm sure people would complain too much about the player ratings because, for example, Winston was overpowered by the roster editor while Mariota was too nerfed.

I don't necessarily agree that "the majority" who have bought NCAA in the past would no longer buy the game with "generic" rosters. In a way, the game has ALWAYS shipped with "generic" rosters--sure, Virginia Tech's QB in the game might be the approximate size and weight as the real-life projected starter for the Hokies, but he's still named "QB #4" or whatever. To the average frat guy buying this game, either the "QB #4" thing has never bothered him before (thus he doesn't care so much about it being the "real" player), or he sought out a named roster file online from a community like OS, and fixed the problem himself.

I don't see how shipping the game with the starting QB for Va. Tech being "QB #6" instead, 2 inches taller and 20 lbs. heavier than the "real-life" starter, would change whether or not some dude in his dorm room at Virginia Tech buys the game. If he's liked college football before and enjoys the gameplay, he'll either tolerate the generic rosters (as he has done in the past), or find one of the easy ways available to fix the issue for himself.

Especially in college football, the teams, conferences, and accompanying trappings and pageantry (i.e., mascots, stadiums) is what really matters (as opposed to the NFL where actual players matter much more). As long as you have real teams, uniforms, stadiums, and mascots, I don't think most fans of this game really care about the players' characteristics.

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