NFL Antitrust: What it Means for the Sports Video Game Industry

[canes21]

I doubt this case will go in our favor, but at least something is actually happening. If more and more people start to attack this, we might see change. Maybe if 10 shapes up to what I think it will, we won't need to worry about 2k. But going off past Maddens, we need competition.

[Hendrick4life]

Right, I just wouldnt like playing without 32 Teams. Then its not the NFL. Id like all 32 Teams even if it means keeping EA. But...I play ESPN 2K5 With updated Rosters & Other things so im not worried until that gets wayyyy to old.

[NYCNNJ]

Some of you keep talking about how HORRIBLE, 2K sports games are. EA arent that much better and at the moment, they have exclusive rights and their games may even worse. NBA Live is horrible, NHL Hockey, eh, Madden, eh, the only game that worth purchasing is NCAA Football.

[Cryolemon]

Quote: Originally Posted by Hendrick4life

Right, I just wouldnt like playing without 32 Teams. Then its not the NFL. Id like all 32 Teams even if it means keeping EA. But...I play ESPN 2K5 With updated Rosters & Other things so im not worried until that gets wayyyy to old.

People aren't saying there should be less than 32 teams in the game, just that some would be generic.

[Swingking77]

I find the subject redundent to be honnest... HUGE 2K sports fan here as well... The problem is not the licences, the problem is 2K's unwillingness to release a generic football game with complete control over players/team/location names... It would be as simple as making a generic game which allows people to make changes to key things like names/uniforms/stadiums that keeps the football world or gaming down... The licence can only be held acountable for sooo much. I think the OS forums have shown that with very little ability to mod things in the 2K5 games, we're done just fine at keeping it going... Emblems and all this king of thing could simply be added via DL, much like Forza does for the car industry... After that it's community based effor that would run with it and make a game... BUT, and this comes after years of waiting, I think that 2K simply doesn't want to do this as if they do this, when the Madden licence is remooved or is no longer in place, there will still be people modding this modable game, rendering their slice of the NFL pie worthless... They're still holding on to a shred of hope that the licence will be revoked and that they'll be able to get back in there, as such giving people total control of what can be done with the game doesn't makes sence at this time until such a time as the dispute is 100% resolved... Both sides are screwing the gamer in a big way... It's taken time, but I'm holding 2K just as responcible here as I am EA...

[vinny_b]

"Yuck.That would kill video football period in my opinion"


EA already did that. I haven't done so much as look at a football videogame, since NFL 2k5

[Swingking77]

Quote: Originally Posted by vinny_b

"Yuck.That would kill video football period in my opinion" EA already did that. I haven't done so much as look at a football videogame, since NFL 2k5

Competition is NEVER a bad thing... Period. It's better to have a 13 year old boy in the ring against a heavy weight then it is to simply have the heavy weight standing there alone...

[zgames]

Quote: Originally Posted by SageInfinite

Also I wonder how this would effect the NCAA football license? Would they have to give up the exclusive rights as well?

NCAA is different. To my knowledge, all of the college teams do have the ability to operate as single entities. I believe by acquiring the exclusive NCAA license, EA primarily has the exclusive right to call it NCAA Football. I would assume they have an exclusive on the BCS as well. The majority of teams use a company called the Collegiate Licensing Company to represent them, but there are some schools like Notre Dame and Virginia Tech that choose to represent themselves.

[elgreazy1]

Quote: Originally Posted by coogrfan

So because you're unhappy with the state of football video games, you would be in favor of a Supreme Court ruling that would effectively tell sports leagues that they do not have the right to market their intellectual property rights as they see fit? You guys really need to think about the larger ramifications of a win by American Needle. There's a lot more at stake here than just NFL 2k__.

I understand this and I'm looking at the big picture as well. It's not just about football games or having a 2K branded football game again, it is about the whole picture.


If corporations like the NFL continue to do this it stifles the consumer. When a consumer no longer has any viable option on a product they will not always get their money's worth.

Simply put, Madden has been very below average in the last few years and that has hurt the consumer. People are being forced to purchase the only NFL product out there that comes completely bug-laden & it's an unfinished product. That is INEXCUSIBLE! How would you like if Ford was the only car company allowed in the US yet the cars were sold faulty (lacking brakes, air bags, ex’s) and that is the only option we, as the consumer, had. Doesn’t seem right in the least. That’s exactly what EA has been doing: packaging an inferior product & making millions simply because it has no competition.

If the NFL continues to get away with this, who’s to stop the NBA or NHL or NCAA from doing the same? How would you like it if one of those companies signed an exclusive rights deal on a specific console that you don’t own? So you’d be forced to either go without a product or purchase a console you don’t want (much like being forced to purchase a game you don’t want) in order to get the product you demand. I understand that’s why we have capitalism, but that ideal is broken when monopolies start coming into place.

I understand, EA bought the license because the NFL put it up for grabs, there is no harsh sentiments towards them for that because every company had the same opportunity (not really) to purchase the license. EA simply did what they had to do to keep their best product in production; that’s good & smart business. But where EA clearly crossed the line was when the maliciously went after the NCAA football, Arena Football League, & ESPN rights simply to put 2K out of business (and EA’s other minor competitors). That right there is a red flag that a monopoly or bad business practices are in place. Another sign of a monopoly was when an NFL exec bundled rights to all previous & HOF NFL players at a low cost and packaged them in an under-the-table deal to EA, thus further cutting into 2K’s game market. There are many more articles like this.http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2008/09/lawsuit-nflpa-conspired-with-ea-to-cheat-retired-players.ars

[Swingking77]

Quote: Originally Posted by elgreazy1

I understand this and I'm looking at the big picture as well. It's not just about football games or having a 2K branded football game again, it is about the whole picture. If corporations like the NFL continue to do this it stifles the consumer. When a consumer no longer has any viable option on a product they will not always get their money's worth. Simply put, Madden has been very below average in the last few years and that has hurt the consumer. People are being forced to purchase the only NFL product out there that comes completely bug-laden & it's an unfinished product. That is INEXCUSIBLE! How would you like if Ford was the only car company allowed in the US yet the cars were sold faulty (lacking brakes, air bags, ex’s) and that is the only option we, as the consumer, had. Doesn’t seem right in the least. That’s exactly what EA has been doing: packaging an inferior product & making millions simply because it has no competition. If the NFL continues to get away with this, who’s to stop the NBA or NHL or NCAA from doing the same? How would you like it if one of those companies signed an exclusive rights deal on a specific console that you don’t own? So you’d be forced to either go without a product or purchase a console you don’t want (much like being forced to purchase a game you don’t want) in order to get the product you demand. I understand that’s why we have capitalism, but that ideal is broken when monopolies start coming into place. I understand, EA bought the license because the NFL put it up for grabs, there is no harsh sentiments towards them for that because every company had the same opportunity (not really) to purchase the license. EA simply did what they had to do to keep their best product in production; that’s good & smart business. But where EA clearly crossed the line was when the maliciously went after the NCAA football, Arena Football League, & ESPN rights simply to put 2K out of business (and EA’s other minor competitors). That right there is a red flag that a monopoly or bad business practices are in place. Another sign of a monopoly was when an NFL exec bundled rights to all previous & HOF NFL players at a low cost and packaged them in an under-the-table deal to EA, thus further cutting into 2K’s game market. There are many more articles like this.http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2008/09/lawsuit-nflpa-conspired-with-ea-to-cheat-retired-players.ars

Well said, and in a nutshell, the only argument that makes any sence... That being said, they did not attack 2K's ability to make a football game, only the licences to make "official" league games... Hence why I stated that they should make the generic football game and let people have total control of how to mod it... Since they're not putting out, at the very least, SOMETHING to compete with Madden they are also purpetuating the monopoly, which in the end, as you said yourself, screws gamers... As such, they're both douche bags for jamming it to the gaming community...