EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

[Giants4Natic]

Quote: Originally Posted by kjcheezhead

20 year run? Not really on top tho. The franchise has been beaten at times by Tecmo way back in the day and Gameday was released doing something EA claimed was impossible and forced them back to the drawing board. Finally we have 2k5, which sold only 1/3 of what Madden did but was still millions of copies. Then the NFL screwed the millions of their own fans who were happy playing those other titles and told them to go play Madden like all the other fans or go to hell. Madden may not be garbage (close to it,imo tho) but the fact is many football fans simply don't enjoy it. On the surface, it's a good move by the NFL but eventually it could catch up to them. Giving the fans a product they enjoy is what funds a league like the NFL. Screwing the fans is what causes them to turn their attention to baseball, basketball or some other form of entertainment all together.

How is it going to affect the NFL. The NFL gets a huge check from EA that 2k or any other company cannot top. This is a business folks.

Are you or I goig to not watch our favorite team play on SUndays because the NFL only wants EA to make a video game. Come On now

[mestevo]

Quote: Originally Posted by ManiacMatt1782

Well there goes any hope of ea working to improve game play. Enjoy your surprise onside kicks this year, and your create your super bowl half time show next year. They have no incentive to improve gameplay without anyone competing with them. I am done, no nfl game for me for a few years. Join the revolution against exclusivity. It it's only us, the paying customer who loses out on having quality products. The lack of competiton only breeds complacency from EA. The game will never improve with the exclusive license. You guys want this to end, do you want EA to go back to caring about improving their product, and making great football games again, then vote with you wallets. Don't give ea your money on a football title this year.

If any of this were true Madden would only be worked on by 8 animators, a UI guy and a numbers guy in a portable outside of an EA campus. A lot of money goes into these games, and the individuals have a lot of reason to make a good game - their continued employment. While there are plenty of reasons to want competition, going the complete other way with blanket statements is contrary to your title.

[Giants4Natic]

Quote: Originally Posted by mestevo

If any of this were true Madden would only be worked on by 8 animators, a UI guy and a numbers guy in a portable outside of an EA campus. A lot of money goes into these games, and the individuals have a lot of reason to make a good game - their continued employment. While there are plenty of reasons to want competition, going the complete other way with blanket statements is contrary to your title.

[kjcheezhead]

Quote: Originally Posted by Giants4Natic

How is it going to affect the NFL. The NFL gets a huge check from EA that 2k or any other company cannot top. This is a business folks. Are you or I goig to not watch our favorite team play on SUndays because the NFL only wants EA to make a video game. Come On now

I will watch the games, of course. For now. Believe it or not, the NFL can lose fans tho. I left MLB behind in 1994 and haven't looked back.

Video games strengthen the bond between a fan and the league they follow. Every NFL fan that turns towards COD or NBA2k11 is a fan less likely to become "hardcore". A fan less likely to purchase a ticket to a game, purchase NFL direct ticket, and then licensed apparel, etc.

Yes, Giants4natic, this can hurt even the mighty NFL in the long run.

[CYST2000]

I think this is a sign that the big wigs at EA are hesitant to making the deal a long term deal, which means that the exclusive deal isn't bringing in the money it once was. This could be a sign that the exclusive deal might be coming to an end after 2013 if sales don't increase.

[ryan36]

Quote: Originally Posted by mestevo

Still waiting for a quality unlicensed football game, a NFL license isn't required to make a good accurate game. The competition needs to stop getting cute and shipping incomplete/gimmicky games. The lack of one gives me no confidence at all that a competitive product would have any leg up over Madden. The most recent efforts by both 2k and NM were pathetic. Until then, Madden easily gets my money, this deal doesn't bother me, I'll buy NCAA and Madden every year, and every year there are enough changes to satisfy me as I bounce between the two pending the releaseof their replacements.

This is just it. You'd have spend on development more than EA does to surpass it. Companies aren't willing to do that, because it won't sell more than Madden. The cost of making games is too high to sell even 40% of what the leader does. I think people would end up buying both games. Meaning, Madden wouldn't lose much market share, if a quality product emerged even if it was licensed.

Quote: Originally Posted by Giants4Natic

Remember 2K5 they sold the game for $20 and came nowhere near in game sales to madden.

Yup. See my comment above.

Quote: Originally Posted by kjcheezhead

Who cares really? Coke kills Pepsi in sales every year. You know what? I still drink Pepsi products and have no complaints about that situation.

It's a different animal. Coke is so widely consumed that 35% of market share for Pepsi is still a feasible, profitable business model.

Quote: Originally Posted by kjcheezhead

20 year run? Not really on top tho. The franchise has been beaten at times by Tecmo way back in the day and Gameday was released doing something EA claimed was impossible and forced them back to the drawing board. Finally we have 2k5, which sold only 1/3 of what Madden did but was still millions of copies. Then the NFL screwed the millions of their own fans who were happy playing those other titles and told them to go play Madden like all the other fans or go to hell. Madden may not be garbage (close to it,imo tho) but the fact is many football fans simply don't enjoy it. On the surface, it's a good move by the NFL but eventually it could catch up to them. Giving the fans a product they enjoy is what funds a league like the NFL. Screwing the fans is what causes them to turn their attention to baseball, basketball or some other form of entertainment all together.

KJ, you're overestimating your importance here, as a dissatisfied gamer. Most NFL fans follow their team first, and buy a football game second. NOBODY is gonna turn their back on the Packers because Madden sucks. This decision will NEVER catch up to the NFL outside of the video game world. NEVER. It's an isolated niche, man. Yes, many football fans don't enjoy Madden. But not enough to make so much as a RIPPLE in anything the NFL cares about.

The biggest issue the NFL has to contend with in terms of fans , is the fact that it's more fun to watch the game on TV , than sit in the nosebleeds with a ticket you can barely afford.

[Giants4Natic]

Quote: Originally Posted by kjcheezhead

I will watch the games, of course. For now. Believe it or not, the NFL can lose fans tho. I left MLB behind in 1994 and haven't looked back. Video games strengthen the bond between a fan and the league they follow. Every NFL fan that turns towards COD or NBA2k11 is a fan less likely to become "hardcore". A fan less likely to purchase a ticket to a game, purchase NFL direct ticket, and then licensed apparel, etc. Yes, Giants4natic, this can hurt even the mighty NFL in the long run.

Sorry but that will NEVER HAPPEN, You think that the millions of millions of nfl fans are geared because of video games.

The NFL does not need EA or a video game.

Baseball cannot hold footballs jock.

EA can produce a complete garbage game for the next 5 years and lose customers left and right and I will never stop loving the nfl.

I do not love football because of Madden or video game football

[MAzing87]

Not suprising but I honestly don't care much anymore.

[Giants4Natic]

Quote: Originally Posted by CYST2000

I think this is a sign that the big wigs at EA are hesitant to making the deal a long term deal, which means that the exclusive deal isn't bringing in the money it once was. This could be a sign that the exclusive deal might be coming to an end after 2013 if sales don't increase.

It is not a sign, they have a 5 yr deal. What this does is extend the contraxct one year to make up for a possible lost year.

In 2013 they will talk about an extension which if EA wants they will get

The sales have to dip way more then it has recently for that to not happen

[LiquorLogic]

Quote: Originally Posted by Giants4Natic

Who cares? The NFL cares because they want their name associated with the biggest gorilla in the game which is Madden due to its 20 year run and mainstream appeal That is just fact: If Madden was such garbage like many call it then it woud not sell as much and EA would not be able to pay for the license

Madden has been leaking oil, in terms of sales, ever since they acquired the exclusive license. Yeah, they still sell a lot of copies, but you can't expect the sales to just plummet to nothing overnight. Madden has been a household name for two decades, and there's currently no competitor, so it will take a while for Madden to totally lose it's mainstream appeal.

It's already happening; Madden sales have been on the decline for quite sometime now. If they start struggling to crack 3.5 million in sales, do you think they'll even be able to renew the exclusive license come 2014 ?

Madden on the last gen consoles ( according to VGCharts) would clear one million in sales, on the PS2, in the first week. Now, they barely crack 600,000 in sales during the first week.

Quote: Originally Posted by mestevo

Sales have decreased, but that's probably more to do with the current state of consoles vs the heyday of the PS2. 360 and PS3 combined equal just 2/3rds the PS2s sold. Touting the decrease as people taking a stand or crediting people not buying Madden for some other reason is just spin absent that context.

COD and Halo seem to be doing just fine.