OS roundtable question: Given the current hostile environment, lower video game sales and the question of licensing in NCAA video games, could another company succeed where no one else has for a decade (other than EA Sports) in making a commercially successful NCAA Football game?

Dustin Toms: If this question was asked a year ago, my answer would have been an overwhelming yes. But after seeing the improvements in NCAA Football 11, any team that could put out a game this year would be foolish to do so. EA has finally made a football game with replay value, and it should get better from here on out. Sure, the series may not improve much when '12 comes out, but the mere fact that '11 was well received should scare off other companies. And for all you 2K fans, even if the studio jumped on board to make a college football game, EA would still outsell the 2K title by a mile in year one.

So to put in bluntly, no.

Robert Kollars: Well, I do think it is possible. But it is incumbent upon the NCAA to understand the ROI philosophy(return on investment). The NCAA loves to bleed these developers for every penny to secure a license. However, I would hope that the fact that there is currently not a single college basketball game out there would permeate their thought process on this subject. There is money to be made for everyone, but both sides have to understand the principles of the deal.

If the NCAA would open the license up, secure a reasonable fee for the NCAA football license and allow multiple developers to feel they can succeed, then yes it can be done. The operative word is reasonable, and when has the NCAA ever been reasonable on anything?

Christian McLeod: Simply put, No.

All that is necessary to illustrate my point is to look back at the history. In all honesty, if there were a viable second NCAA football developer, wouldn't we have seen said developer emerge by now? Sega tried and failed in the early/mid '90s, and both Sony and 2K tried and failed with their offerings as well. What other sports-centered developers are even left to make an attempt?

It's time for college football gaming fans, especially those constantly clamoring for EA's demise, to face the hard truth regarding NCAA football video games -- they just are not all that profitable when compared to titles that carry professional licenses. The only sports-related company that has enough cash to take the inherent risk in developing an NCAA football game is EA, a fact proven by the history outlined above. In fact, there's a better chance of Rich Rodriguez landing the Michigan job all over again than us ever seeing a viable alternative to the EA NCAA series. End of discussion.

Jayson Young: ESPN's television deal with EA Sports makes it difficult, if not impossible, for any other video game company to grab a share of the college football market.

Like ESPN says in its commercials, "College Football Lives Here." And EA Sports' partnership with ESPN ensures that NCAA Football is the series receiving Saturday afternoon commercial spots, as well as exposure on College Gameday during the occasional "virtual simulator" bit.

ABC/ESPN has the broadcast rights to pretty much every major college football game except for Notre Dame football and one afternoon SEC game a week, making it difficult -- maybe impossible -- for any other game company to market a competing product on alternative college football networks like Versus or Fox Sports.

Chris Sanner: This is a question that gets handed to me via e-mail a lot (hence why it's a roundtable discussion). My answer has been consistent for the last several years, and it's not changing anytime soon: there is no other company on earth today that has the cash, resources or experience necessary to produce an NCAA football game that could be a commercially viable product. We recently learned a hard lesson that college basketball's market base is so small that it can't even support a single game.

College football is a bigger sport overall, but with a black cloud overhanging the sport in terms of licenses and likenesses -- it's just a particularly tough time to try to get into the college football development game. Any company considering developing a college football game would step into a situation where it basically has to beat EA from the get go or lose money on a commercial flop of a title. Simply put, there will not be another viable alternative for at least the next five years.