Today, industry powerhouse, Electronic Arts announced that it would be extending its exclusive licensing agreement with the National Football League and NFL Players Club until the end of the 2012 season, leading into early 2013. Sports gamers may remember 2004 when EA purchased the exclusive rights to produce NFL licensed games from under the competition, namely 2K Games. The Madden series from EA continues to be a successful brand, as the 20-year-old franchise has accounted for over $2 billion in sales alone. After the announcement, former Xbox head honcho turned EA Sports president, Peter Moore said, "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." To be honest we're when someone going to buy the license for the lucrative Curling market, that's like an excuse to print money.
EA extends NFL license into 2012 season
Today, industry powerhouse, Electronic Arts announced that it would be extending its exclusive licensing agreement with the National Football League and NFL Players Club until the end of the 2012 season, leading into early 2013. Sports gamers may remember 2004 when EA purchased the exclusive rights to produce NFL licensed games from under the competition, namely 2K Games. The Madden series from EA continues to be a successful brand, as the 20-year-old franchise has accounted for over $2 billion in sales alone. After the announcement, former Xbox head honcho turned EA Sports president, Peter Moore said, "Game quality is our top priority, and we're committed to pushing our gameplay innovation, connecting football fans via rich online experiences and delivering the most visually stunning sports games on the market." To be honest we're when someone going to buy the license for the lucrative Curling market, that's like an excuse to print money.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-12-2008 @ 1:20PM
ccc said...
I have always hated EA for this underhanded move and I wish 2k would fire back by purchasing the NBA license.
Reply
2-12-2008 @ 1:34PM
pandlcg said...
That is a horrible idea. MLB and NFL games have both suffered because of exclusivity. Doing that to more sport games would suck. Two wrongs do not make a right
2-12-2008 @ 4:14PM
Ryan said...
No need, 2k already dominates the NBA market because they make an awesome game for it. Madden used to be able to say that, but now they have to keep buying the license because the Madden franchise has developed into utter trash.
2-12-2008 @ 5:43PM
IgnorantTechie said...
Unfortunately, All Pro Football just wasn't enough to fight the almighty EA. It had great presentation, but too much of a generic feel to it and didn't have that "classic" NFL2K series gameplay feel to it. THIS is the way to fight the "power" however or attempt to legally get the FTC involved for some sort of monopoly suit.
2-12-2008 @ 1:38PM
Jim Halpert DM said...
@#$%!
Reply
2-12-2008 @ 1:39PM
ccc said...
@pandlcg
Just saying, I'd like to see someone stick it to them. NBA live isn't that great next to the 2k series anyways.
Reply
2-12-2008 @ 4:06PM
pkilla said...
Thats the point if theres no competition then NBA 2K series would start to go down. (With that said, 2k8 is the best bball game ever created.)
2-12-2008 @ 1:43PM
zlionsfan said...
"Game quality is our top priority..."
Oh, that's right. He's new.
Reply
2-12-2008 @ 1:47PM
ccc said...
X3F should do a fan poll asking it's readers who they despise more, Sony or EA. heh.
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2-12-2008 @ 1:49PM
Matt said...
Yeah, this sucks. Hopefully, they'll continue to sell less and less copies, as the trend has shown. Way to give the consumer a choice. Once this happened EA no longer had any reason or motivation to make a better game. Just add a couple new worthless features and update the roster.
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2-12-2008 @ 2:13PM
Bravo6 said...
Booooooooo!!!
2-12-2008 @ 2:14PM
Bravo6 said...
Oh, I was boooing EA, not you, Matt. You're exactly right.
2-12-2008 @ 1:55PM
AnOffday said...
The most visually stunning sports games on the market? Try the ONLY sports games on the market. EA Sports sucks, and now Peter Moore sucks too. He's nothing but a little puppet.
Reply
2-12-2008 @ 2:14PM
Neuromancer said...
I'm not a sports fan but this still pisses me off. Well there are still people out there that don't know any better and don't think it'll ever get any better than Madden and its yearly, $60 roster update. Too bad All Pro Football did so poorly, it had a decent premise and if the gameplay had backed it up it would have been at least a little competition for EA.
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2-12-2008 @ 2:17PM
Digital Limit said...
Has Xav always posted articles here? I've not noticed his name until today.
No offense to Xav, of course. Just curious if he's fresh blood, in terms of X3F anyway.
Reply
2-13-2008 @ 1:37AM
Deck said...
He made his silent debut last week out of the shadows. So yes he is new, but has done quite a few posts over the past week.
He introduced himself on the latest Fancast.
2-12-2008 @ 2:29PM
Hoopin4theHeart said...
ok its time for the gov to look into an antitrust monopoly... peter moore has now moved over to the dark side... and footballs will suck until 2012... what this means is we as gamers should boycott madden nfl games... if we do so they will be forced to either 1. make a better profit 2. lower the price pf the game (since its the almost the same version every year)... but either way it doesnt make up for the fact that it isnt nfl2k_
Reply
2-12-2008 @ 3:01PM
Big Wizz said...
The govt. is too busy getting Roger Clemens autographs.
2-12-2008 @ 2:37PM
BlackBeltJones said...
Ugh, heres to 4 more years of mediocrity.
Reply
2-12-2008 @ 2:59PM
Big Wizz said...
This comes as no suprise. The NFL does this for broadcast rights too. Take NFL Sunday Ticket, for example. You can only get it with DirecTV, but the NFL bitches and moans when their precious NFL Channel isn't on the basic tier of cable.
Thank you NFL for accepting the money and pushing your morals away like peas at dinner.
Reply