Why the NFL’s Labor Strife Might Be the Best Thing That Happened to Madden (Kotaku)

[BearClaw]

Quote: Originally Posted by dickey1331

Completion doesn’t always make anything better. What about NBA Live/Elite? Gone. Or NHL 2K? 2011 version didn’t come out for PS3/Xbox 360. Most PS3 users buy The show or Xbox users buy a PS3 so they don’t have to play MLB 2K. Like I said competition doesn’t mean anything.

I hope you were joking. All of your examples just show how competition improves products. NBA 2K11 pushed the envelope to the point where EA couldn't compete and had to back out. Same goes for NHL 11, it was head and shoulders above 2k, so 2k had to take the year off. And you'd have to be crazy to think MLB The Show didn't force 2K to step up it's game from 2k9 to 2k10.

[kjcheezhead]

The last part is something I've pointed out myself as well as many others have. 2k has recently approached the NFL about obtaining a license, but no one has ever said it was an exclusive one. Without Activision, 2k simply doesn't have the funds to outbid EA and I doubt Activision is really interested in reviving a long dead football department anyways.

EA will be able to negotiate the next deal for a fraction of what they have been paying. The NFL and gamers maybe banking on new consoles to keep leverage on EA, but no one knows when these new consoles will actually be made, both companies deny any type of new console even in the planning stages yet. Then, even when they are created EA may just port the latest Madden over to the new consoles and get a huge jump on a potential competitor.

As for the millions saved this year, that won't be going into development cost for madden 12, it will be pocketed for investors. EA has been laying off people and cutting corners where ever it can. They aren't going to pour additional money into this game right now, even if they have it.

[GiantBlue76]

The article is spot on correct in it's conclusion at the end. The NFL has basically hurt themselves. EA is eventually going to realize that the price for the exclusive is too high and not worth it. Since all other companies have been eliminated from making NFL games, the cost to create a new game would be astronomical, and not something many companies would be able to do. They have no code to reuse or build on. This puts EA in the drivers seat. IF EA decides the NFL license is too expensive, they can dictate to the NFL what they want to pay for it. So now the NFL has a choice. They can pay what EA thinks is fair, or they can open it up to multiple companies. Most other companies don't have the cash now to start up a new football game. This will end up benefitting EA more than anything. At this point, I think everyone just needs to accept that there won't be any more football games other than Madden representing the NFL.

[Cryolemon]

The thing is, the lack of a license isn't why games like Backbreaker and 2k8 haven't sold well. It's certainly a factor, but it's not the only factor. 2k8 lacked much in the way of customization, despite what they claimed. Added to that, the legends gimmick didn't work at all, and the lack of a franchise mode really didn't help.

Backbreaker had much better customization, but lacked a lot in the way of "real football", Yeah, the physics was good, but that can only go so far. Especially when you consider the "arcade-y" nature of the player models, the vanilla playbook, AI which wasn't great and a rather divisive camera. Bacbreaker was a good start, but it remains to be seen if we'll get a BB2 (I think we will, but not soon).

As I've said before (quite often, actually) I see no reason at all why an unlicensed game can't sell well enough to be released every year. It just has to be done in the right way. Of course there are any number of opinions about what that way should be. My opinion is that as long as you have a game which plays as well or better than Madden, and allows you to recreate the NFL (maybe even if not online) it will do well enough to survive.

Ideally for me personally such a game would go further than letting you recreate the NFL, but I appreciate that: 1) that isn't everyone's opinion, 2) it would likely make the game take a long time to develop and 3) the more complex a game the harder it is to debug effectively.

[mestevo]

Quote: Originally Posted by tazdevil20

No, I'm not being sarcastic. So you really think EA is going to SPEND more on the game now that they got a break from the NFL? The NFL exclusive is already putting a massive hole in EA's pocketbook. They are not going to change anything as to how they invest in it. Their mocap studio has been around for a long time. The team size is still the same, and they haven't changed their process.

That's not what you said.

Quote: Originally Posted by tazdevil20

Yeah, Creep. Sorry to burst your bubble, but EA's investment in Madden is the cash it shells out for the exclusive. They don't invest in the game much at all as the final product over the last 6 years has shown.

Their mocap studio has been around for a while, but the 40yd dash addition to it allowing them to model some of the different forms of locomotion was just one recent example of them continuing to spend money to improve the products.

Some of you apparently think that EA will make the same amount even if there's no labor deal and there's no NFL season, you are missing the point in the concession that was made on this years fees.

[TheCreep]

@mestavo. True indeed. I think the major thing with the 40yd dash addition was the change in running animations not really locomotion. However, now that I think about it and after your statement I suppose it is used for loco also. Look at 09s running animations up through 11. Major difference. Leagues better.

I dont know what they'll do, but it would be great if they used SOME of the money for something new.

[mestevo]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheCreep

@mestavo. True indeed. I think the major thing with the 40yd dash addition was the change in running animations not really locomotion. However, now that I think about it and after your statement I suppose it is used for loco also. Look at 09s running animations up through 11. Major difference. Leagues better. I dont know what they'll do, but it would be great if they used SOME of the money for something new.

There is no extra money if there's no NFL season, that's why the deal was amended. It will be harder to market and advertise the game if the product is emulating is not being played so the NFL cut them a break.

This deal is simply lockout insurance for EA. The ROI threshold is lower if licensing fees are lower for this season. The NFL then gets the added benefit of the deal for another year, rather than renegotiating it coming off of a year that no football was played.

If there is a NFL season (man, there better be) then it's gravy for EA. By the time that's figured out, there won't be time (even if a deal was cut today this is probably true) to suddenly pump millions more into Madden 12.

[LiquorLogic]

Quote: Originally Posted by Nab_Impervious_XII

The article doesn't say NFL 2k won't come back though. It's saying it won't come back in the PS3 era (which is scheduled to end around 2013-2014). Which is true. No arguing against that. Overall, it's an article filled with bad news for the immediate future, but a potential silver lining scenario for the new console generation era. Since both 2k and EA have to essentially reset their developmental cycles to meet the demands of the new consoles in 2014, they will be able to more fairly compete for the license again. At that point, it will be up to 2k if it wants to cough out the big bucks to potentially share dual-exclusivity with EA.

No publisher is going to fork over a huge amount of cash for dual exclusivity. What's the point ? The reason the exclusive deal is so expensive is because it eliminates competition and guarantees a 100% of the market share.

I have a strong feeling that when this console generation is over, the exclusive license will also end. The license is so darn expensive; nobody, but EA, is paying for it. The NFL is creating a situation in which they'll have virtually no leverage with the exclusive license because there's only one bidder.