EA just sent word letting us know that they continue to hold an iron grip on the National Football League license. EA will continue to be the sole company that can produce any type of official NFL games up until the year 2013, marking the end of the 2012 season:
Both agreements include all aspects of the interactive experience,
including console and handheld games as well as console-based online
features. The agreements also provide EA access to both NFL Films and
the NFL Network to enrich its game experiences. Financial terms of the
agreements were not disclosed.
I can't help but wonder how much EA has paid to keep the exclusivity. I also can't help but wonder how much of that money goes to keeping Madden alive. Seriously, I'm starting to think Madden is some sort of a cyborg zombie demon ...
Hit the jump for the PR and please let us know how much more evil this makes EA.
[Fun fact: GTA 2, Ghost Recon Advance Warfighter and Escape From LA all take place in the year 2013! Destructoid: Providing you with completely useless trivia since 2006.]
EA EXTENDS INTERACTIVE VIDEOGAME AGREEMENTS
WITH NFL AND NFL PLAYERS
Exclusive Agreements Renewed Through 2012 Season
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - February 12, 2008 - Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:
ERTS) today announced an extension of its exclusive licensing
relationships with the National Football League and NFL PLAYERS to
develop, publish and distribute interactive football video games. These
agreements - which were negotiated separately and are extensions of
contracts originally signed in December 2004 - provide EA continued
rights to NFL teams, stadiums and players for its critically-acclaimed
and best-selling football videogames through the end of the 2012 season,
which culminates in February 2013.
Both agreements include all aspects of the interactive experience,
including console and handheld games as well as console-based online
features. The agreements also provide EA access to both NFL Films and
the NFL Network to enrich its game experiences. Financial terms of the
agreements were not disclosed.
"This is all about bringing authenticity and realism to NFL videogames,"
said Eric Grubman, President of NFL Ventures. "EA SPORTS continually
works to maintain the cutting edge for NFL products across a variety of
gaming platforms. We like the fact that they never rest."
"This is great news and it means we can continue to produce the best
interactive experience possible. It also allows NFL PLAYERS, the NFL
and EA to continue to build our brands," said Gene Upshaw, Chairman of
NFL PLAYERS and Executive Director of the National Football League
Players Association. "We offer a very unique experience. "
"We are excited about the opportunity to extend and expand our
relationships with the NFL and NFL PLAYERS," said Peter Moore, President
of EA SPORTS(tm). "For nearly two decades, EA SPORTS has been bringing
sports fans closer to the great game of football through the
breakthrough interactive experiences of our videogames. Game quality is
our top priority, and we're committed to pushing our gameplay
innovation, connecting football fans via rich online experiences and
delivering the most visually stunning sports games on the market."
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2008, EA's Madden NFL franchise has
consistently been one of the videogame industry's best-selling and
top-rated products, generating more than $2 billion in retail sales.
Madden NFL 08 earned awards from the 2007 Game Critics Awards at the E3
Media and Business Summit, The SpikeTV Video Game Awards, and the
GameSpot Readers Choice Awards last year. The game is available on the
PLAYSTATION(r)3 and PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment systems, Xbox
360(tm) and Xbox(r) videogame and entertainment systems from Microsoft,
Nintendo DS(tm), Wii(tm), PC, PSP(r) (PlayStation(r)Portable) handheld
entertainment system, mobile handsets and Mac. EA also produces the
arcade-football game NFL Tour which hit stores in January 2008, and NFL
Head Coach, which was released in 2006. EA SPORTS recently hosted
Madden Bowl XIV in Scottsdale, Ariz., as part of Super Bowl XLII
festivities.
Both agreements grant exclusive rights for action simulation,
arcade-style and manager games on the PC, handheld game devices and
consoles.
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Contest:
5:37 PM on 02.12.2008
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And I hope someone drives Madden and his goofyass bus off a cliff or something. They pay that guy HOW much to state the fucking obvious?! Die in a fire you fat, amorphous blob!
Well Sour Graper just said it.Madden stays the same for the next 5 years.The reasons for EA to innovate the once proud mighty series known as Madden, have gone up in smoke when they signed this deal.
They wont get my money. You dumbass football fans can get Bamboozled my new rosters and minimal changes year in and year out..but I refuse to join the ranks.
Also, screw EA.
also, college > NFL
Man, I loved 2K Sports game so much more!
Killed Origin, killed Westwood, bought out BioWare, killed the football game market... they're evil.
Honestly, I won't be happen until every EA employee is stricken with some sort of flesh-eating disease.
lolpatriots.
Other developers have to learn though that you don't need the NFL roster to make a good football game. Look at WInning Eleven (Pro Evolution Soccer) and look how well it does without all the licenses or the rights to certain players. Someone just needs to create a football game thats actually fun and just leave a crate-a-player in it so people can create the NFL if they choose to.
http://pc.ign.com/objects/837/837901.html
This is so anticompetitive it isn't even funny. The NFL should be brought up on charges of monopoly if at all possible for this and the DirecTV stuff.
I did a c-blog explaining my opinions on this, and it pretty much boils down to what jdub28 mentioned — you can’t entirely blame EA for the business transaction, because it was the NFL who offered an exclusivity deal to the highest bidder in the first place. What you can blame EA for is putting out crappy Madden games ever since they signed the papers on the original deal.
FUCKING NFL!
FUCKING MADDEN HASN'T BEEN GOOD SINCE THE SEGA GENESIS!
FOR FUCK'S SAKES, GIVE ALL THAT EXTRA $$$ TO RETIRED NFL VETERANS THAT GENE UPSHAW CONTINUES TO FUCK IN ASS!
FUCKING NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS FOR NOT RUNNING THE TABLE!
FUCKING BALTIMORE RAVENS FOR NOT LETTING THE MIAMI DOLPHINS TO RUN THE TABLE IN REVERSE!
THANK GOODNESS THAT 2K SPORTS WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE ALL PRO FOOTBALL!
I REALIZE THAT I DON'T HATE ALL OF EA, BUT THEY CONTINUE TO FUCK WITH ME!
FUCKING WHY DID THEY HAVE TO FUCK WITH THE HEART OF BURNOUT!?
YOU KNOW WHY!? ...BECAUSE THEY FUCK YOU IN THE DRIVE-THRU!!!
THEY FUCK YOU!, THEY FUCK YOU!, THEY FUCK YOU!
FUCK!!!!
(And "scene")
I hate football, but Mutant League was too much fun, I'm actually looking forward to that Blood Bowl game!
...Who shit in your Rice Krispies Treats?
The only thing is 2k might not get the yearly sales because we update it ourselves but at least they can spit in ea's soup
"WHERE'S MY BURRITO? WHERE'S MY BURRITO?"
I won't be buying this years Madden, that's for sure. I want NFL2k back, but fucking EA will probably buy the rights again come 2013.
Why do we slam companies like EA for doing things that will make them money, and then turn around to become the biggest ass kissing cheerleaders for our beloved console making corporations when they make decisions to help themselves win a 'console war'? People make a fuckload of sense.
The only flaw in that idea is that Madden's main audience lies within the console realm. Now, if it was possible to add mods to the console versions of a football game with generic teams, then that'd be sweet.
For the record, unless I'm sorely mistaken, there's a group who updates one (or more - not sure) of the Dreamcast installments of the 2K series with current rosters. Really, EA should at least have the decency to sell just updated rosters for all past versions of its games for $10 (as long as there's some means of patching them easily, anyway).
http://www.rockstargames.com/classics/
Some of you guys are babies. Fucking pathetic. EA can't make MLB games right now because Major League Baseball sold their rights away too, but you don't see people calling out that shit. Shit, there were years way back when EA didn't have the NHL license, either, and had to go with the player's association instead.
Yeah, EA is supposed to go, "no, NFL, we can't buy exclusivity rights. It wouldn't be sporting of us. Someone else can have them, and we'll fight an uphill battle with continued Madden games that don't have the NFL license, just to show our product is superior." Give me a fucking break.
And bhive01, you have no idea what a monopoly even is. A company has the right to sell its license to whomever they choose for video games, etc. That has nothing to do with having a monopoly, period. If I decide that Crest is my toothpaste of choice and only Crest can have my awesome signature on it, the other toothpaste companies can't go "hey, no fair! we should all get it!" How is that a monopoly?
Also, "sports games are the same every year" is the most tired gamer generalization out there right now. 95% of you guys who are saying that shit a)don't like sports and b)don't play sports games, anyway. How many of you actually played BOTH Madden and All Pro 2k8 this year? Madden's gameplay was way better, like it or not. But hey, don't mind me, go back to talking nonsense about games you don't play, anyway.