Perhaps you've heard, but THQ's UFC Undisputed sold like gangbusters. Hot on the heels of its success, EA Sports announced that it would be headed into the mixed martial arts territory with a game schedule for 2010. But according to outspoken UFC president Dana White "EA doesn't give a [expletive] about mixed martial arts. They made that very clear."
Speaking with MMA Junkie, White say he'd approached the publishing giant in the past, with the hopes of joining games like Madden NFL and NASCAR under the EA Sports label. According to white, EA Sports execs told him that UFC was "not a real sport" and "we wouldn't touch this thing. We want nothing to do with this."
As a result, White's fighting back -- confirming earlier rumors -- saying that any fighter who signs to appear in EA's upcoming MMA title will be blacklisted from UFC.
"I'm at war with them right now," he says. "That's how I look at it."
Yikes. Note to other gaming outlets: dibs on using EA Sports' face-mapping tech in their upcoming MMA game to make White and Peter Moore fight in a cage.
[via Kotaku]
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Contest:
2:40 PM on 07.13.2009
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Rugby's a real sport.
This guy is just being a butthurt baby and probably is also conscious of the selling power of a big name or two. This isn't the first time the UFC have been jerks to their fighters is it?
Marilyn Manson(read: Brian Warner) should spend years training, then go to the MMA and kick all their asses, and then right songs about how he kicked their asses with Trent Reznor as a kickass "We're Not As Creepy As You Think" comeback tour.
And then the tickets will be free, and everyone gets a free bottle of Cloud 9.
Maybe one day his PR will slap him across the face and say "this isn't the schoolyard playground: you can't say fuck or faggot every time someone says something bad about you".
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So true...
@Magnalon
Too true...
@Daxelman
WAY TOO DAMN TRUE, DUDE!
EA don't give a fuck, they want your money. They didn't give a shit about UFC or MMA. Now UFC is making big bucks, Guess whos chiming in.
EA's attitude does not lend itself to good gaming, and as a gamer you should only support games that are made by a team who genuinely like the game they're making, and not one made for money. It's why UFC2010, if it should come out, will be better than MMA.
Dana White definitely rubs people the wrong way and is merciless in his execution and ideals, but he's a business man, His running of the UFC has made it a massive franchise, and the biggest growing business in the world without a shadow of a doubt, He has to be blunt and merciless, he's fighting for the sport of MMA, not himself.
And even beneath that, as the UFC 100 Fan Expo proved, he's actually a decent guy, He genuinely cares about the fans of UFC, to bring them the best quality service and shows that is humanly possible. The reason he does care about the UFC fans is because he himself was a UFC fan back in the early nineties when John McCain was hounding the UFC into extinction. He listens to what the fans want and tries his hardest to get it.
His treatment of EA and the fighters going to the "MMA" game is to protect the UFC.
He's also doing it because he wants UFC fans to get high quality UFC products, with UFC fighters. If he has his fighters ducking out of UFC games because EA are offering more money, it's a pain in the arse for him, and the UFC fans.
He has the power to do this because while WEC and Affliction are good franchises, with some great fighters like Fedor, the UFC is the holy grail of MMA, and it's becoming huge, and all these fighters are in the game to become the best of the best, and recieve the recognition of it, Brock Lesnar gets more recognition for his belt than Fedor because it's a UFC one. Every fighter will want a cut of that action, and if they're getting blacklisted by going to EA, they won't do it.
You can hate Dana White all you want, He's a Merciless Businessman who comes across as a real dick when it comes to UFC business, but he's doing it to give you, the UFC fan, the best show possible, and the best game possible.
Of course he's gonna send out a warning to anyone who wants to in EA MMA game and there's the fact that UFC approached them first for the game and EA refused, now that Undisputed has taken off, EA suddenly wants a piece of the pie, well fuck them, they had their chance.
@Sam Riley
He does that because it brings him and his fighters a lot of money, the thing with Lesnar right now is the best example I can give of being a manager type for him and its paying off with buckets of cash and the highest attendance and buying records they've had in years.
@Magnalon
Then he'll just fire his PR people, he's the OWNER, he can do whatever the fuck he wants, I don't see how jock assholes are his demographic, his demographic is anyone that likes seeing a good fight or up and coming MMA guys who would like a shot at the UFC, Dana's just his money, I don't see why everyone has such a huge problem with it.
Before, or after the crap titles that prelude this year...
Perfectly stated. Unlike how many people on this site seem to base their arguments on their own opinions or one sided evidence, you have clearly outlined the situation.
After you wade waist deep in tears and envy, you have no substance in most of these posts.
I said those people are "some" of his demographic. Watch a few of his "caught on tape" couch-side interviews: they're absolutely horrid, coming from a President of a professional organization. Most of the fighters don't even act like he does.
Vince McMahon is a far better owner than Dana ever will be in my opinion. Vince doesn't make an ass of himself constantly. Oh, and he also puts on a show for his consumers.
If EA blatantly came out and said; "No, You Didn't."
That'd be so House.
thanks for your post, i was starting to think everyone here had become retarded.
Thanks for the compliment.
... I'd like to openly admit I'm retarded too though.
With that having been said.
I guarantee that Dana will renege on any blacklisting like say Fedor, Overeem, or any other non-UFC big name fighter. Ultimately finding any A+ talent and denying them a shot at the UFC because of a video game is counterintuitive to the idea of making money.
My god, I'll have you at the gallows.
The fighters who will have to consider their options are the ones who are similar level to Keith Jardine, who in the UFC could make a big push to Championship, or atleast fighting on UFC big event main cards if they get training really seriously. A star of Fedor's level is obviously immune to this blacklisting, because Lesnar vs Fedor would be such a huge cash cow.
Also, loud-mouth Brits getting annihilated...
HA! That guy just got fucked up, yo!
THQ did a fine job creating a new game. It's the best MMA game to date but it's not without it's heinous faults.
*If* EA can make a better game, all the power to 'em. Regardless of whether or not it has actual fighters, if it makes money, it makes money.
What is this rugby you speak of?
@CountingConflict: Thank you for that gif!!!
it also doesn't help that 99% of MMA fighting is about the 30 seconds it takes for either
1: someone to get knocked the fuck out in one punch
or
2: someone to get grabbed into a choke.
Dana White is scum. I hope he gets investigated for anti-competitive practices by the Federal Trade Comission, I hope he's found guilty, and I hope he loses his shirt because of the fines. I hope that EA gets deals with DREAM, Pancrase, Strikeforce, and other MMA organizations so fighters who work for those promotions can get publicity without having to sell their souls to the UFC. Because, frankly, I don't want to give UFC my money. I feel their business practices are unfair and unethical. Similarly, I refrained from purchasing EA products while they were engaging in practices that I found unethical as well. Until Dana White and UFC management chooses (or is forced) to relax restrictions on where their workers can or cannot work, and they agree (or are forced) to relax the likeness rights agreements so, for example, UFC fighters get the rights to their likeness back when they leave the company or are fired from the company, I encourage anyone reading this to not purchase any UFC licensed merchandise (including video games), or watch any UFC events (including DVD rentals and purchases), and to write a letter to UFC management explaining why - and to also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
Thank you.
Have you ever watched a single fight in the UFC or any MMA league in general?
Go back to watching anime rather than posting opinions on topics that you know little about.
Go watch GSP's latest match for 25 minutes of awesomeness. Hell, watch ANY of his matches and tell me it's all crap.
As for the topic at hand, I can see where Dana's coming from, though I don't necessarily agree with the way he chooses to handle it. The athletes involved in UFC should be free to do whatever they please, though I realize he is a businessman and should worry about keeping brand recognition and excitement for the UFC name at an all-time high.