Here we are 3 years later and no innovation.

Sucks.

we walk the streets at night
we go where eagles dare........

It sounds like a backroom deal without the consent of the NFL.

Which part, the part where they announce the ...exclusive licensing relationships with the National Football League and PLAYERS INC...? The part where the same news release is on the NFLPA ( http://www.nflplayers.com/news/news_release.aspx?id=3128 ) site? and probably the NFL.com site (somewhere)?

I'm not sure if you meant backroom deal... But it still sucks.

Use your head, don't lose it - Don't feed the trolls!

This is insane. I used to play Madden for the Genesis back in the day, and I loved it, but I didn't think it was real football. I enjoyed playing the Montana series (anyone remember that one?) because the passing game was much tougher and it felt like a real accomplishment to generate a good drive.

Hell, in general competition is good.

Now EA has all this press generating about them and their hiring/work practices, and on top of it they shortly after come out with this?

Fuck them.

What if ESPN releases engine updates through XBL? They could then release updates to the player states (to match the real thing). Also have people manually edit player names (or have a sega.com D/L for it).

If they were to release engine updates through XBL they could keep their game engine updated and circumvent the exclusivity. Who says they can't update 2K5 for 5 years?

Big business never ceases to amaze. Folks, we live in one seriously corrupt, screwed-up world. That something so insignificant in the grand scheme of things could make such a statement about the way humans do things, is just frightening.

If you can't beat em, buy em and eliminate the competition.

IF 'HL2' were in the title then more people would be paying attention to this thread

This is insane news.......Arrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggg.

Over the last few years EA has been steadily increasing it's hold over the gaming market, and this has got to be it's boldest move yet. No more NFL games from anyone but EA? I'm sick to my stomach.

A boycott is the answer but unrealistic...little Johnny will just HAVE TO HAVE the new Madden 2006. But in the end it's the gamers that are going to suffer from the lack of quality, innovation, and craftmanship that will be going into their football games for the next 5 years.

Personally, I haven't bought an EA game since they destroyed the Bond franchise a few years back. Friggin bastards. Someone important better step up and stop this move or who knows what they'll do next.

This is insane. First NASCAR, then Formula 1 and now the NFL. Hopefully Disney will fight this. It sounds like a backroom deal without the consent of the NFL. Wouldn't it be interesting if the NFL signed an exclusive rights deal with the team names to Sega :-)

I think it hurts PC most of all; they had really no incentive to keep catering to us PC players as it is, with no competition on the PC. Now they have less, since they can scoop the revenue difference from the Consoles. Boo. I didn't play the other console football games, but at least I had the option. I did try the other hockey games though.

Maybe with the exclusives, we can get NFLPA characters showing up in NASCAR and vice versa. why not? Hell. Sega/ESPN can maybe get the Arena league license... or the CFL license... or just field the "Wisconsin Cheesers" vs. the "Philadelphia Hawks", in true Tecmo bowl style...

So when do we hear about the NHL exclusive deal and the NBA exclusive deal and the MLB exclusive deal? "Money can buy anything, and at EA, we already have a salary cap"

Use your head, don't lose it - Don't feed the trolls!

This hurts consoles a lot more than PC... for pc, sega would probably be pissed off enough to add a "roster update" feature, and then what do you know, some random person makes a full roster setup for the entire nfl

The interesting thing is how pissed ESPN/sega is gonna be by this... espn could put their weight into swinging this battle towards sega since they get a cut of the profits, and sega definately will continue the price wars they started last year... especially now that they don't have to pay the NFL anything

Well yeah this sucks. now just wait for EA to do the same with NHL, and NBA. hell, ill keep playing NFL 2k5 for another five years then

This is a thread from the ESPN 2K series boards by:

TheManKnownAsX,

"EA and the NFL just signed a contract to give EXCLUSIVE rights to EA to make NFL games for the next 5 years! If we don't stop this, then there will NEVER be another NFL 2K game again! Sign my petition now to stop this from happening!

http://www.petitiononline.com/nfleacon/petition.html

FYI guys, please be sure to sign this petition in a MATURE fashion. Fake names, etc, will make them NOT take us seriously, so use your REAL names in signing this!

Also, for those who are wondering, Yes, I wrote this petition."

For everyone who is a fan of not just the ESPN 2K series games, but who appreciate our freedom to choose, please sign this petition,

"You may not be able to change the world,
But you can sure make a dent."
-Sheldon Mopes.

I love all the boycotting and hate towards EA when these sporting leagues are EQUALLY responsible. They obviously got JUST AS GREEDY to not spread their love to multiple sources.

Are you going to boycott these very leagues that are just as spoiled and overpayed and responsible?

Didnt think so... such hypocricy.

No actually, I haven't watched a football game all season (I live in Toronto) and I have not been to an NFL game or bought NFL merchandise in over 10 years. So, there is no hypocrisy here.

I totally agree that the league is also responsible, but I don't think the NFL really understands how such a deal would hurt football video game competition, and ultimately, product quality. EA, on the other hand, knows exactly what it will do. Ipso facto, I blame EA more than the NFLPA.

This comment was edited on Dec 14, 02:02.

A better headline:

"EA Corners The Market on Football, Evil"

I thought about that too. Have a XBL mod update that changes all the team and player names. That might not be possible because of legal issue and XBL. Or, have the capability to change all team names and player names (or at least the impact players). Logos and stadiums wouldn't change, but who really cares about that. The players would all have the correct stats, plus they could release XBL 'updates' to mod the stats at their will.

EA shoved the same exact stick up the the collective rears of NASCAR fans a few years ago by shutting Papyrus out of their superior franchise. And now Papy is out of business and EA Thunder has yet to improve.

I can only hope that this time, they have pissed off people with a big enough voice to fight back. Not enough people care about our little auto racing hobby.


Also.... could we hope that Sega releases a football game where everyone has "almost" the right names, without violating the agreement? What if they make the game so incredibly easy to mod that people just need to edit text files to make the game have all the real names. If the customer (mod community) makes the changes, Sega can't be held liable.

<sigh>

I loved 2K5. I won't touch Madden. Feck.

Oh god, I wish that had done that with NHL. Series has gotten progressivly worse since NHL 2000...

That was my original thought too. I hope its NHL...

Seriously though, this can't be legal. There are gonna be some nasty lawyers involved in this one for sure. 989, Midway, Sega, ESPN, the list goes one.

If this does indeed end up being legit (I have my doubts) EA Sports must be paying the NFL a TON of money. Enough so that they won't miss the other guy's money from royalties.

You don't think EA initiated this deal?

------------


It takes 2 to tango... With a league as prolific as the NFL, they are just as dirty and greedy. How the hell can they be innocent and not as responsible? There is a such thing as no!

Typical society we live in, in this country. The whole blame the other guy game and not both. Sad really!

Woo! Great! Heh... Go EA!
Monopolies are great

Way to beat the competition! Not by making a better game, but by bullying them out! Yee-haw!