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

[Dr Death]

Quote: Originally Posted by jaymee13

You haven't been proven right due to the fact that Madden is still one of the best selling games in the US.

I am going to do my absolute best to be polite here... but it's the best selling game - or one of the best selling games - only because there is NO COMPETITION!!! The last time they had legit competition, 2K kicked Madden's *** all over the place, both in product and in price.

All the issues with the game would not be issues IF EA had a competitor to deal with every year. Fact is, they have no competition and thus, they can put out a game with massive uniform errors even though there are only 32 teams, they can put out a game with broken defenses, horrible "infinity" crap from last year, stupid AI, and I could go on and on and on and on...

If you believe - for one second - that the lack of competition hasn't hurt football gamers then keep living in your fantasy world. Everybody else knows the truth, including EA.

[Perfect Zero]

Folks, even if the exclusive license is dropped it doesn't mean that everybody can have their hands on the NFL. The league is going to sell that license to whomever they want.

[Moegames]

Any update on this topic from the NFL and EA?

I just wish there wouldn't be exclusive licenses when it comes to sports video games. Its just one of the most nasty, ugly, greedy things that really really rubs me the wrong way....no one is concerned about the gamer at all and that is what is so sad with the video game industry now days...back in the day..the gamers were the main focus and the consumers were the first concern of companies and corporations but greed has such a huge grip on companies and people these days..that is all that is important...MONEY! GREED! It has such a great stronghold on people that they just lust for more and more money no matter how rich they may already be...sad indeed! I know where my treasure is and its not on this earth..its somewhere above.

It's all about Money!! Greedy Corporate men that are sitting back in their multi-million dollar mansions, never have played a video game in their life that are making these decisions....what a shame and what a sham!!

If you look at the NFL on how they treat their retired players that are in desperate need of care with medical conditions from playing years in the NFL...you all would really see the true colors of those shot callers behind the NFL Empire. If you want to see what i am talking about..watch the documentary called "Blood Equity" and you will see the true colors of the shot callers behind closed doors of the NFL. Not saying all the representatives and people that work for the NFL and NFL Players Association/Union are like this...but the shot callers..the man or men that make the final decisions on things such as this NFL video game license,retired nfl players,etc...they care absolutely NOTHING about you or I and probably never even picked up a gamepad before in their life...all they care about is money, period!.... and that is pathetic because there is ZERO concern about the consumer!. So go and watch that documentary Blood Equity ..you will never look at the NFL the same ..trust me. Here's a bit of info on it here http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1510908/...?ref_=tt_ov_pl

As far the EA Empire goes....they are getting very close to all out monopoly with all these companies they buy out and snatch up. I do not blame them for trying to get an exclusive license as a business standpoint because if they dont grab it..someone else will (2k) so they have no choice but to get it or lose out on one of their best selling franchises *madden*...but i just wish all this crap would just go away. Money "IS" the root of all evil...and i know we all need money to live,etc but the more i see how the world is..the more i am starting to hate money and greedy people. The reason why i have such a huge issue with BIG Video Game Empires buying up smaller gaming studios is that once they are bought or snatched up by big companies like EA...the passion and vision that the developers have can no longer become a reality in the videogame they are creating because these big companies like EA can tell them what to do with the game as its being developed. Look at how the Burnout franchise was ruined when EA bought it..or look how the Battlefield games were ruined when EA bought them..or how about CryTek, Digital Illusions,Criterion and on and on and on...they dont out-right buy some of these companies..they cant otherwise they would be a Monopoly (imho they already are)..so what do they do? They use a loophole and create what is called Electronic Arts Partnership (EAP) which they use that to buy a portion of other gaming studios such as the ones i listed above as a tiny example..as there is many more EA has did this with other such gaming studios and then EA has the power to change a game's development rather than allowing the original studio finish out what they originally had envisioned for their game.....you gotta do the research to see what im trying to say. I may not be using the exact correct wording here...but i know what EA is doing with this ( EAP ) partnership BS and it has ruined a boat load of games or more importantly ruined many great gaming studios that once were able to make their games with their own visions and creativity. Remember Rallisport Challenge on the original xbox? One of the best rally games ever made..rallisport challenge 1 and 2 were made by Digital Illusions...soon as EA bought them out....guess what? No more Rallisport Challenge games.

What about the PC gamers? Remember at one time EA once supported the PC platform with their sports games? Well now PC only gamers are left with zero sports games besides ...Fifa and 2k Basketball...you see? There is no love for the gamer..it is all about making more and more money no matter how rich EA gets or the NFL gets...and they are SUPER RICH as it is...and all they care about is wanting to get MORE RICH..... heck...nothing wrong with being RICH..but heck...have a little bit of hospitality for the gamers and pc gamers for your sports titles and stop interfering with game studios by buying them up and changing those developers vision and creativity they have for a game that they have in development.

I have read countless articles from ex-EA employee's of various average size gaming studios/companies that were bought by EA and as soon as EA bought them or did their EAP *partnership* ...their vision and idea's were turned down and told to change so much of the game that it landed up being something of the total opposite of what they were creating in the video game they were developing...what i am trying to say is EA stuck their nose into the vision and creativity these developers had when creating their games and told them to do something else with the game..you get my point i am sure...but this is why i dislike the big shots at EA...i mean no disrespect to the EA developers...they are doing their job..i am talking about the big shots at EA..the Corporate guys at EA....

Gaming is simply not the same anymore. Where are all the awesome games bringing in new fresh ideas? Madden has been at a standstill ever since 2k football was pushed out of the way...no competition means no more effort for creativity because there is no competition...there is no "URGENCY" to find new idea's for Madden or NCAA Football games anymore...because they are the only sheriff in town i guess you can say....so what does that leave us with? Look at NBA 2k series...when NBA Live was competitive with NBA 2k...it pushed NBA 2k to find new fresh ideas, new innovations,etc ...now that Live went under and NBA 2k has had really no competition...guess what? Same thing with NBA 2k that happened with Madden...NBA 2k has really been at a standstill with their last three or four games ...unless they come out with something spectacular with the next-gen consoles..which maybe is why the last three 2k games been basically the same..maybe their focus has been on next gen..who knows...but all i know is when there is no competition...there is no need for truly seeking fresh ideas, new innovations...dev's can be a bit more lazy so to speak. Remember when 2k Baseball was pretty decent and MLB The Show was still growing? Look at how those two games fought after new idea's, new innovations,etc...and it brought out the best of the two...MLB The Show came out with flying colors in terms of innovations, gameplay,etc..because there WAS competition going against them...when MLB 2k started to throw in the towel...MLB The Show for the last few years has sorta stagnated itself because they basically had no more competition....again..competition is IMPORTANT to video games, period

Well i ranted enough...maybe someone will find what i had to say interesting...

Laterz and God Bless

[StormsWarning]

for me, im going to give the benefit of doubt this time and this time only. madden 25 on next gen looks more than just a roster update like most here like to put it. the game is going to be good i believe, third generation consoles were some what limited, yeah they are some great games on both systems, but when you say ( next Generation ), with the power they have now, it will truthfully be no excuse. yes i can understand the masses being upset but this new team has seems to be going in the right direction, they have signed ex-pro's with major knowledge of the game, if you look at the demo we've seen so far even on current third generation, from last year on 13, there is a huge difference from then and now on madden, and no one who has seen the videos can deny that! and those that have got a next gen console, you will see what the teams are going to do! i think both maddens will be good, but i think they will be different, just being that current gen cant be the same opposed to next gen, and that point will be proven, and i think there will be a mass rush to the stores trying to buy madden 25 on next gen consoles, ppl can say what they want, but i think ALOT of people will be singing a different tune ( Real Soon ). you can say back in 06 and refer to the dreaded trailer with mcnabb battling the giants defensive line, fighting for ever inch in the snow, but the technology to produce that type of quality just wasn't there, ( IT IS NOW ) so i think instead of everyone fussing about whether the license will be renewed or it wont be, BOTTOM LINE - it's going to be what it will be with the license either way it goes, we as the consumers need to sit and watch closely whats being said about current/next gen madden 25! i think you might be in for a surprise.

[JaymeeAwesome]

I still agree with the original post topic. It's been 5 years since there was an alternative football game (I don't count backbreaker). We are going into the next generation of consoles and would take 2-3 years for a company to develop a physics engine for a football title. Even if the NFL decides to drop the license we're still many years before we have a 2nd NFL labeled football game.

We all know that the NFL is into exclusives and until they change their business model, we won't see a change. Just sit back and enjoy the ride...jump on if you like...

[AKUMA2000]

I don't the think the license will be renewed with EA, madden sales have been on the decline for quite some time now and i know the NFL has to be thinking that even with the madden brand name being as strong as it is if your losing money every year and not getting a return on your investment that means changes has to be made. It would be more profitable have multiple licensing deals with more than one gaming company making a yearly football game and you'd get more in return on your investment, then rather have all your eggs in one basket.........IMHO.

But we'll see what happens in these next few months as far as any updated news, we should hear/know something by feb/march of next year on who's gonna make the next NFL 15 football game if not sooner......i'm still hoping 2k sports gets back into the game and make NFL 2K15, with the power of the next gen consoles the game will be amazing.

[JaymeeAwesome]

Quote: Originally Posted by AKUMA2000

I don't the think the license will be renewed with EA, madden sales have been on the decline for quite some time now and i know the NFL has to be thinking that even with the madden brand name being as strong as it is if your losing money every year and not getting a return on your investment that means changes has to be made. It would be more profitable have multiple licensing deals with more than one gaming company making a yearly football game and you'd get more in return on your investment, then rather have all your eggs in one basket.........IMHO. But we'll see what happens in these next few months as far as any updated news, we should hear/know something by feb/march of next year on who's gonna make the next NFL 15 football game if not sooner......i'm still hoping 2k sports gets back into the game and make NFL 2K15, with the power of the next gen consoles the game will be amazing.

Unfortunately your opinion on what's profitable is incorrect due to the NFL deals with exclusives all the time to maximize profit and control of the brand.

[kehlis]

Quote: Originally Posted by AKUMA2000

I don't the think the license will be renewed with EA, madden sales have been on the decline for quite some time now and i know the NFL has to be thinking that even with the madden brand name being as strong as it is if your losing money every year and not getting a return on your investment that means changes has to be made. It would be more profitable have multiple licensing deals with more than one gaming company making a yearly football game and you'd get more in return on your investment, then rather have all your eggs in one basket.........IMHO. But we'll see what happens in these next few months as far as any updated news, we should hear/know something by feb/march of next year on who's gonna make the next NFL 15 football game if not sooner......i'm still hoping 2k sports gets back into the game and make NFL 2K15, with the power of the next gen consoles the game will be amazing.

The NFL doesn't get their money based on Madden's sales.

The only company that would be worried about declining sales is EA. it has no bearing on the NFL at all.