$27 Million Settlement Announced in EA Madden Price-Fixing Lawsuit

[Legionnaire]

Quote: Originally Posted by Aggies67

I don't see how anyone could say that a 2k college football would be crap based on the fact that NCAA 2k3 was bad. That was 10 years ago.

It makes as much sense as thinking an NFL 2k game would be better than Madden because of where the Madden/2k series were a decade ago.

Personally, I think the smart move for 2k would be to use NCAA licensing as a foot-in-the-door to start weasel their way into the NFL market.

Simply set up the game so the franchise/dynasty/career follows not only an NCAA season but a concurrent professional league's season. The pro league can be made up of fictional teams at first, but have the game include a team editor/creator like Backbreaker so fans can basically just create real NFL teams to replace the fictional NCAA teams.

Set up a website similar to NCAA's TeamBuilder to let fans handcraft the rosters of these custom teams (including the ability to give players profile pictures and insert career/season stats).

And allow the created teams and rosters to be uploaded and dowloaded, shared among the community.

The stadiums would be wrong, sure, but everything else would be right.

[SageInfinite]

Quote: Originally Posted by Legionnaire

It makes as much sense as thinking an NFL 2k game would be better than Madden because of where the Madden/2k series were a decade ago. Personally, I think the smart move for 2k would be to use NCAA licensing as a foot-in-the-door to start weasel their way into the NFL market. Simply set up the game so the franchise/dynasty/career follows not only an NCAA season but a concurrent professional league's season. The pro league can be made up of fictional teams at first, but have the game include a team editor/creator like Backbreaker so fans can basically just create real NFL teams to replace the fictional NCAA teams. Set up a website similar to NCAA's TeamBuilder to let fans handcraft the rosters of these custom teams (including the ability to give players profile pictures and insert career/season stats). And allow the created teams and rosters to be uploaded and dowloaded, shared among the community. The stadiums would be wrong, sure, but everything else would be right.

Do you mean weasel their way back in with the NFL or with NFL fans?

[pharaoh_00]

I don't how anyone could find something wrong with another company getting to opportunity to make a football game NCAA or NFL. If you have played NCAA 13, understand football and know the history of EA's NCAA series you would know they didn't even try to make a good game. Also they did not try to improve on their product at all, I mean pulling lineman and fullbacks just run past defenders.

NCAA 15 The Show or NCAA 2k15 does not sound bad. Now the chance of Sony making a NCAA game is small but I think 2K Sports may make one even if they can't make a NFL football game.

First they will not be making a NHL game or a MLB game that will save them money over the next two years. Second all of their canceled series are from major sports that don't have the following of NCAA football. Not many people are watching the real NHL, not a big video game customer base. They couldn't compete with The Show on PS3, and not enough people buy college basketball games (I know 2k8 is great).

Even if it means EA not making a NCAA game one year for another company to come in and make one its worth it. 2K Sports has nothing to lose by adding an NCAA football game to their lineup.

[D_Fos]

My dream would be that the NFL and NCAA allow all video game developers and its companies to compete against eachother for any licensing and/or future agreements. Give all a timeline of like 2yrs to produce what they belive to be the best of the best.
Seeing CO's like, EA, Sony, 2K, Microsoft, and even smaller developers a chance for a spot in being the football gaming team of the next-gen.
Thats my dream

[Legionnaire]

Quote: Originally Posted by SageInfinite

Do you mean weasel their way back in with the NFL or with NFL fans?

The fans, I suppose. Weasel their way back in with the gamers who are eager to play a non-EA title but who still honestly need the NFL logos and names to make any title worth playing. Anybody with their console connected online would be able to click a few buttons and download complete sets of custom fan-made NFL teams full of fan-made NFLPA players. I know Backbreaker was a bit of a mess, but imagine if it was less cartoonish, and had the added bonus of a college football component with an actual NCAA license. That would've made it a lot more interesting to football fans who want to give their money to somebody besides EA.

Honestly, I suspect it would end one of two ways.

Scenario A: The NFL recognizes that customization tools/options can allow gaming companies to effectively legally release de facto NFL games without having to pay the NFL any money or be obligated to grant the NFL any input on the product they make. So the NFL backs off this high-priced exclusive rights nonsense. They lower the price and let more people into the party. It gives the NFL less money, sure, but it gives them input and approval power over what these football games are allowed to do. I think the NFL would trade some money for some power. In this scenario, 2k reaches a deal with the NFL after a year or two, basically letting them ship the game with the NFL logos (and finally have NFL stadiums, and be able to market the game with a player wearing a real NFL uniform on the cover).

Scenario B: This just enrages the NFL. It makes them double-down on their stance of playing favorites with EA Sports, ensuring the NFL-EA alliance continues. Or potentially the NFL recognizes the exclusive rights thing isn't going to work moving forward, but they only sell non-exclusive rights to companies other than 2k, just to screw 2k. In this scenario, 2k is hampered, but not much more than they would have been in the first place when it was just them against EA.

[mestevo]

Quote: Originally Posted by Legionnaire

The fans, I suppose. Weasel their way back in with the gamers who are eager to play a non-EA title but who still honestly need the NFL logos and names to make any title worth playing. Anybody with their console connected online would be able to click a few buttons and download complete sets of custom fan-made NFL teams full of fan-made NFLPA players. I know Backbreaker was a bit of a mess, but imagine if it was less cartoonish, and had the added bonus of a college football component with an actual NCAA license. That would've made it a lot more interesting to football fans who want to give their money to somebody besides EA. Honestly, I suspect it would end one of two ways. Scenario A: The NFL recognizes that customization tools/options can allow gaming companies to effectively legally release de facto NFL games without having to pay the NFL any money or be obligated to grant the NFL any input on the product they make. So the NFL backs off this high-priced exclusive rights nonsense. They lower the price and let more people into the party. It gives the NFL less money, sure, but it gives them input and approval power over what these football games are allowed to do. I think the NFL would trade some money for some power. In this scenario, 2k reaches a deal with the NFL after a year or two, basically letting them ship the game with the NFL logos (and finally have NFL stadiums, and be able to market the game with a player wearing a real NFL uniform on the cover). Scenario B: This just enrages the NFL. It makes them double-down on their stance of playing favorites with EA Sports, ensuring the NFL-EA alliance continues. Or potentially the NFL recognizes the exclusive rights thing isn't going to work moving forward, but they only sell non-exclusive rights to companies other than 2k, just to screw 2k. In this scenario, 2k is hampered, but not much more than they would have been in the first place when it was just them against EA.

The NFL and NFLPA would just sue. Probably would have happened to Backbreaker if it was successful.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[moneal2001]

Quote: Originally Posted by mestevo

The NFL and NFLPA would just sue. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

couldn't sue if the game devs didnt provide any real players/teams and didnt provide a way for consumers to share their teams/players(prolly wouldn't get sued for this either since it happens on other games like nba2k with college teams). Look at PES they provide the tools to recreate teams and leagues but doesn't provide a way to share within their game(i think). they are not being sued.

[Legionnaire]

No lawsuit would be successful.

NFL- and NFLPA-sanctioned games have been made with roster customization and team creation functions.

It might take some money and some time to put up a fight when EA/NFL try to bury them in paperwork, but there'd be no basis so 2k would never be in any real trouble. EA and the NFL can't turn around and say the presence of roster customization and team creation tools is evidence of an intention to do something wrong.

As long as 2k never comes out and explicitly markets (or says anything in general about) the ability to put NFL properties into their game, there's nothing there. It might be tough. One link on their facebook page to somebody YouTube channel with a video showing off NFL properties in their game. One re-tweet about the ability to turn it into an NFL game. One quote at a gaming convention or in an interview with a magazine, and 2k would be sunk.

It'd take some discipline to avoid giving anyone ammunition in the argument, but they could get away with it. Just like EA gets away with giving NCAA fans the ability to put real college kids into those games.