News Post

EA Sports Passes on AFL License Renewal

03:57 PM - November 17, 2008 by Steve_OS

Pasta Padre has the details.

Quote:


	"According to the Sports Business Journal, EA Sports has decided against renewing the license with the Arena Football League. That leaves the AFL without any gaming company to produce a licensed product on its behalf. It shouldn�t come as a surprise that EA would pass on continuing their partnership with the AFL. They produced two sub-par offerings on the PS2 and Xbox and never showed any indications that they would be making a game for any of the current generation of systems. The Arena games didn�t sell well and the sequel (Road to Glory) had very little effort put into it. The AFL games pretty much mirrored the path taken by the MVP College Baseball games."

Game: Arena FootballReader Score: 7.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS2 / XboxVotes for game: 3 - View All

Member Comments

# 1 Scott @ 11/17/08 03:58 PM

Possible 2K Exclusive?

# 2 mercalnd @ 11/17/08 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stewaat


	No way. It's pretty clear only major sports will make money. The NFL, NBA, MLB, and NCAA FB&BB are the only sports video games worthwhile. Nascar, TW, and tennis aren't really major sports IMO.

Way to ignore hockey and most importantly soccer. In case you didn't know, soccer is actually the sport that sells the best. FIFA sells more than Madden on a worldwide scale.

# 3 superjames1992 @ 11/17/08 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercalnd


	Way to ignore hockey and most importantly soccer. In case you didn't know, soccer is actually the sport that sells the best. FIFA sells more than Madden on a worldwide scale.

Yep. Fifa is probably the best franchise out there on a worldwide scale. And NASCAR is more popular than hockey now!

# 4 mercalnd @ 11/17/08 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superjames1992


	And NASCAR is more popular than hockey now!

True. However, NHL sells in Europe as well albeit not in measure that's in any way comparable to FIFA so I'm not sure whether EA's NASCAR or NHL franchise is the one selling the most out of the 2.

# 5 edaddy @ 11/17/08 07:02 PM

No if 2K put a sense of realism into the game it would sell and that's the prfect time of the year..after the NFL season during the winter lull...

# 6 Scott @ 11/18/08 01:00 AM

I would buy an AFL game, especially since its gotten increased popularity.

# 7 Tengo Juego @ 11/18/08 09:55 AM

If 2K is going to make another attempt at a football game, I'd rather see APF 2KX. I love AFL and its high scoring affairs, but man it would be another bust as far as sales for 2K.

# 8 AntRWill @ 11/18/08 09:24 PM

I think 2K publishing an AFL game is best for both parties. It gives the NFL 2K development team a chance to brush up on their skills and build on the solid foundation laid with APF. I know 2K is chomping at the bit to get back into virtual pigskin, and the AFL needs 2K more than 2K needs them. They could probably get the liscense for dirt cheap because the AFL needs the marketing. And there is already a well established market for 2K lovers and Madden haters.

# 9 allBthere @ 11/19/08 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AntRWill


	I think 2K publishing an AFL game is best for both parties. It gives the NFL 2K development team a chance to brush up on their skills and build on the solid foundation laid with APF. I know 2K is chomping at the bit to get back into virtual pigskin, and the AFL needs 2K more than 2K needs them. They could probably get the liscense for dirt cheap because the AFL needs the marketing. And there is already a well established market for 2K lovers and Madden haters.

I love 2k football, but that doesn't mean I'd embrace arena football. I'd rather all-pro#2 or totally fictional league. Arena is a different game right?

- the field is 50 yards long with 8-yard end zones
- Taut rebound nets on either side of the posts bounce any missed field goals back into the field of play. The ball is "live" when rebounding off these nets or their support apparatuses.
- Each team fields eight players at a time from a 20-man active roster.
- The scoring is the same as in the NFL with the addition of a drop kick field goal worth four points during normal play

It could be fun, but it's NOT the same, and frankly I'm only really interested in American Football rules, fields, etc..

I think a game like blitz the league should look into arena league license since it's closer to that anyway.

# 10 AntRWill @ 11/19/08 02:31 PM

Valid points, the games are very different. I actually have a friend who plays in the Arena 2 league. But, its still an opportunity to get into "liscensed" football again. The AFL is a growing league and the sport is here to stay. The games are extremely exciting. So, someone will make a proper AFL game eventually and cash in big time. Why shouldn't 2K and VC be those trailblazers. And what additions can be made to APF that will make the game fresh. As far as fictional leagues, who actually went and bought a Blitz game with no liscense. I think its a low risk high reward situation.

# 11 The GIGGAS @ 11/19/08 02:34 PM

I would totally play an AFL 2k game.

So much.

# 12 AntRWill @ 11/19/08 02:52 PM

And as far as making another arcade style AFL game, it hasn't worked. It failed for EA and Midway tried it back in the 90s, during the NFL Blitz heyday. Maybe, if 2K makes a simulation that truly represents the AFL game, it gives an opportunity to teach new people the game. Plus, its almost a certainty that the people who still play NFL 2K5 will by a liscensed 2K football.

# 13 bkfount @ 11/20/08 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AntRWill


	Plus, its almost a certainty that the people who still play NFL 2K5 will by a liscensed 2K football.

2k banked on that for APF. The hardcore 2k5 fanbase only took them so far. Adding the AFL license won't really add that many more sales over what APF was able to on its own. There's NFL & NCAA football, then everything else.

EA only gobbled up the AFL license up to immediately stop 2k from easily shifting their brand and product over to another football league in the aftermath of the NFL exclusivity. Years have passed and there's no need for the AFL license, and most people probably said the same thing I did..EA still had the AFL license?

# 14 asu666 @ 11/20/08 02:19 PM

It stinks that EA never really did anything with the license. I feel that the AFL is almost tailor made for a great video game. It just needs a developers that don't see their own sphincters when they open their eyes to work on it.

# 15 areobee401 @ 11/21/08 07:30 PM

Id welcome an AFL game by 2k. Im all for a good sports game even if I don't follow the sport.

# 16 thor-17 @ 11/22/08 11:56 PM

I would love 2k to bring the AFL back. I still play the EA version from time to time on my 360. I played in the AF2 for a short time, and 2k would do a great job of recreating the excitement of the indoor game to life.

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EA Sports Passes on AFL License Renewal