Don't Expect a Change in the NFL License Status Quo

[balcobomber25]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

The NFL lowered the last liscense agreement, didn't they? So, you don't think negotiations ever take place? NFL offers one price, EA counters with another? I'd say that is pure speculation that the NFL doesn't care about EA's financial troubles. They currently are business partners. They have established a relationship. Businesses extend discounts a lot in the business world to their business partners. It's not all black and white, I'm sure there are other considerations to factor into the equation. John Madden is also an advisor to the NFL. As I stated earlier, if people feel that Goodell and company will kick John Madden to the curb, not positive that would happen. We'll see in the coming year. Bottom line, I hope it doesn't come down to one bidder, I hope it's an open liscense and bring in more competition, but the NFL chooses exclusive business models

The NFL agreed to a year extension at a discounted rate with all of its exclusive licensing companies that had expiring contracts because of something major that was about to happen: The Lockout. If they agreed to huge deals it would have drove up the value of the NFL revenue causing the players to seek even more money from the owners. Roger is a businessman first and foremost. Roger's biggest thing is exclusive partners with the NFL, and those often go to whoever is the highest bidder. At the end of the day in pro sports its all about the bottom dollar. Roger works for the NFL owners, the owners care more about their bottom dollar than John Madden. That's just the way it works.

[balcobomber25]

Quote: Originally Posted by jaymee13

At this stage in the game a non exclusive will hurt football gaming for a few years before it gets better. Madden 13 showed EAs willingness to finally listen to its gamers with the new physics engine. Lets not lose this momentum. I hope for another long term exclusivity deal. I'm loving the direction we are going.

Thats quite possibly the worst argument I have ever heard. Madden 13 was so much better because sales for Madden 12 and Madden 11 were down from what they were projected. The greatest innovation comes with competition.

[cuttingteeth]

You know...the funniest, most ironic thing is realizing that EA has had competition this whole time. They've competed with themselves year after year by changing the game constantly to try and be better than the previous game...and they didn't even have to. All they had to do was actually listen to their fans or pay attention to their own projects to see what works, what doesn't, what should be fixed, what should be left alone and so on.

If a true, other competitor game developer starts making football games, then the results for EA should be expected as nothing less than chaotic.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by balcobomber25

The NFL agreed to a year extension at a discounted rate with all of its exclusive licensing companies that had expiring contracts because of something major that was about to happen: The Lockout. If they agreed to huge deals it would have drove up the value of the NFL revenue causing the players to seek even more money from the owners. Roger is a businessman first and foremost. Roger's biggest thing is exclusive partners with the NFL, and those often go to whoever is the highest bidder. At the end of the day in pro sports its all about the bottom dollar. Roger works for the NFL owners, the owners care more about their bottom dollar than John Madden. That's just the way it works.

I'll gladly agree to disagree at this point, no use going back and forth.

They already have a decades worth of establishing a business relationship and most businesses stick with their customers.

It's my belief that EA and the NFL will negotiate until a deal get's done.

I'd love to be proven wrong and will be the first to admit it.

[KBLover]

Quote:

All Pro Football 2K8 was considered a good but not great game, and the expectations for sports gaming and football games are even higher now. 2K Sports simply isn't in a position to make the jump to new hardware AND build a new football engine that could compete with Madden all within one year at this point. NFL 2K5 was an outstanding game for it's time, but it's also easy to recognize that the gameplay in 2K football is well behind Madden in most respects today.

Really? An 8-year old game can't keep up with a soon-to-be released game? I don't think that really says a lot.

And what part of the engine that Madden has is all that difficult to replicate? Other football games had hitboxes long before the hitbox engine, er, Infinity Engine came into being. Madden was the only engine that had the level of sliding/clipping/suction that it did.

The ability to mutate routes to the degree M13 let's you shouldn't even be in the game (it's not football) which is probably why other games didn't have it as much as any technological limitations.

Anything else seems like every other football game I've played. The only difference is the graphics, not the football.

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by balcobomber25

Thats quite possibly the worst argument I have ever heard. Madden 13 was so much better because sales for Madden 12 and Madden 11 were down from what they were projected. The greatest innovation comes with competition.

The greatest innovation comes from creators with vision. I, again, point to OOTP competing in a space with...um...what's another current text baseball sim that has a significant following?

Competition gives consumers choices, but it's not always a choice between a bunch of greatly increasing quality at decreasing prices. Sometimes, it's a choice between the original and clones 1 to 10 with "innovations" that try to make themselves look better, but are still basically clones of *insert popular game from popular genre here* - all at the same price.

Am I saying competition would do nothing? No. But it seems like it's said as if it's this magical thing that always makes things better and cheaper.

You still need people with vision and talent. And that's just the product side. There's a lot of consumer behavior to deal with as well. Brand loyalty, "it's cheaper so it must suck", etc.

[pietasterp]

Quote: Originally Posted by KBLover

Am I saying competition would do nothing? No. But it seems like it's said as if it's this magical thing that always makes things better and cheaper.

Competition is not the magical panacea and it doesn't guarantee improved consumer experiences. But the lack of competition is a guarantee of lack of innovation (at least, lack of innovation at the level it could be had there been competing products).

[moose616]

SCEA should jump on making a generic football game. They could EASILY put out a respectable product. Gamers just need a second option. If the second option is even a little good, people will flock as it grows its reputation.

I've been playing The Show for years and it continues to set the bar for sports video games each and every time.

Hey Ramone