EA Extends Exclusive NFL License To 2013 - “Ain’t Life A Bitch?”
by Chad Lakkis on February 12, 2008 at 5:06 pm
The news out of Redwood, CA is in, and it doesn’t look good for fans of NFL branded videogame football. The contract end date that many of us had been counting down to, has been extended through the 2012 season.
The moment the press release hit my in-box, all I could think of was the opening scene to “The Last Boy Scout”. Lynn Swann, playing a sideline reporter, asks a cowboy hat wearing professional football owner if he believes that pro football is on the decline? The owner answers no, and points out that his star player, Billy Cole, is having the game of his life.
Billy then proceeds to catch a pass, run down field, pull a hand gun out of his pants, and shoot every defender in his way until he reaches the end zone, at which point he removes his helmet, utters the words “ain’t life a bitch”, and promptly shoots himself in the head.
Yeah– that pretty much sums up my reaction to this news. I purchased Madden 08 this year because I felt obligated to review it for our readers, but many of my friends refused to do so, and those who did returned it for store credit shortly thereafter.
The sports gaming population, in large part due to EA, have come to expect that which is in the game to be “in the game”, and for the past three years, that has not been the case. I hope that EA Tiburon rededicates themselves not only to the game, but to the fan and the EA slogan that defined an era of video game sports for so many years.
Tiburon, if you are reading this, hear my words:
Double talk and excuses can only be tolerated for so long, and once gamers reach their collective breaking point, not even the power of the exclusive NFL license will save you. What we are asking is simple, spend less on marketing, and more on the actual videogame development. The time for talk is over.
Bring back the chain gang, the on field refs, and for the love of God, put a net behind the goal posts so we don’t have to keep kicking our adoring fans in the head every time we boot a field goal. We want to love the game, so do your part, and we will do ours.
Press release in full available below.
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™. “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®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, Xbox 360™ and Xbox® videogame and entertainment systems from Microsoft, Nintendo DS™, Wii™, PC, PSP® (PlayStation®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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on February 12, 2008 7:01 pm
Isn’t this one of the signs of the apocalypse?
[ Report Comment ]
on February 12, 2008 7:25 pm
After the last Madden, I will NEVER buy a Madden game again. Just way too much crap was taken out. There were like 10 people in the sideline, and if you watch, you will see them all do the same Animation, it makes it look line dancing.
Then not putting a net behind the goal posts, while having the ball stop dead in mid air once it goes through is just lazy.
All in all, I was very disappointed in this Madden, and the next one has to be really special for me to buy it, and my confidence is not high.
[ Report Comment ]
on February 16, 2008 12:25 pm
I blogged about this today. This news is like reading about a funeral of somebody you knew and cared about. Except in this case it’s much worse.
I won’t buy another Madden title because they’ve simple gotten too sloppy, too greedy, and too lazy to design a game for the fans anymore. It has become more about their bottom line and the rest of us that love the sport will continue to suffer.
Well, make that one less that will suffer.
We (the gamers) have been more than patient in waiting for them to get their act together. But now it has become abundantly clear they don’t plan on it; probably never had in the first place.
There is no incentive for EA to do anything but update rosters and re-release the same game year after year until WE as gamers say: “no, we won’t be buying this trash, enough.”
I’ve been playing Madden since it came out. And it was something I used to look forward to every year. No longer, the buck stops here.
If this had been microsoft trying to lock up a license on linux, their lawyers would be buried in paperwork and legal suits forever.
In this case that just won’t happen. This is what you get when you allow one company to be a monopoly without any serious rivals to design NFL branded games and allow the fans of the game a choose in what they can play.
We are the onces suffering now, not them. Their wallets are filled with your hard earned cash. And guess what? They don’t give a rats *** about us.
Peace….
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