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LTM360
12-13-2004, 05:50 PM
EA and NFL ink exclusive licensing deal
Five-year agreement gives EA sole rights to the NFL, including teams, players, and stadiums; deal sure to reshape sports gaming.

Electronic Arts has signed the biggest sports free-agent on the market. In a devastating blow to competitors, the software giant has signed an exclusive deal with the National Football League and the NFL Players Inc., a subsidiary of the NFL Players Association. The deal is an exclusive five-year licensing deal granting EA the sole rights to the NFL's teams, stadiums, and players.

The arrangement encompasses action simulation, arcade style, and manager games made for PCs, consoles, and handhelds, giving EA a firm hold on the football gaming market. The deal does not include titles for mobile phones or internet-based games, but does include online features of consoles. With next-generation consoles scheduled for release next holiday season, EA looks to handily dominate the professional football market for the duration of the license.

"We are excited about the opportunity to further enhance our relationship with the NFL and PLAYERS INC," said Larry Probst, Chairman and CEO of Electronic Arts. "The five-year agreements will usher NFL fans through the console technology transition with new ideas and innovative game play experiences."

EA's current roster of NFL games includes the top-selling Madden franchise and the extreme football NFL Street franchise.

The deal is obviously bad news for EA's competitors, particularly ESPN Videogames and Sega, who stole a respectable chunk of EA's Madden football market with their NFL 2K series and it's budget price tag this year of $19.99.

On trading nearly three times it usual amount, EA stock was up more than $3 today. The stock closed at $57.57, up $3.38 or 6.24 percent with 16,574,606 shares trading hands on the NASDAQ. In after hours trading, the stock at press time had jumped another $2.88 to trade at $60.45.

By Tim Surette -- GameSpot (www.gamespot.com)
POSTED: 12/13/04 02:53 PM PST

Go suck a nut you *******s. You know damn good and well Sega/VC game was better, so you do this. Go **** yourself you *******s. :cuss:

AlphaCigara
12-13-2004, 05:51 PM
Damn, i was looking forward to next years espn nfl 2k6...oh well :(

LiquidX
12-13-2004, 05:55 PM
Well... maybe Sega can popularize college football. Or just have made up players/teams/stadiums. I would kill to play as the Dallas Bullmen... even though I dont play sports games at all. :watchout:

RockTheCasba
12-13-2004, 05:58 PM
dangit i wanted 2k6

lllusion
12-13-2004, 06:04 PM
Awwwwwww mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn@@!!!!

now we should really BOYCOTT EAGAMES... arghhh

Huckleberry
12-13-2004, 06:10 PM
this is VERY bad news. well...looks like i'll be playing 2k5 for the next 5 years. it's pretty inconceiveable to me that ea could wield that kind of power in comparison to espn. i hope this turns out to not be true.

Xer0Mercy
12-13-2004, 06:11 PM
Sounds good to me. Madden kicked 2K5's ass anyway. Everyone liked 2K5 just because it was cheaper. :p

Snowblind
12-13-2004, 06:14 PM
Sounds good to me. Madden kicked 2K5's ass anyway. Everyone liked 2K5 just because it was cheaper. :p


No, everyone liked ESPN 2K5 because it was "better".


Boycott t3h EA, who's with me?

LTM360
12-13-2004, 06:17 PM
No, everyone liked ESPN 2K5 because it was "better".


Boycott t3h EA, who's with me?

I woulda gladly payed $50 for NFL and NBA... ESPN... much better games. That's why people liked ESPN better.

BananaMan
12-13-2004, 06:32 PM
madden isn't that bad, but it's pretty low of them to do that.

wbio
12-13-2004, 06:32 PM
This sucks, I really don't like the feel of the Madden games, but it looks like I'll be forced to buy them now. I hate EA.

Wolf
12-13-2004, 06:37 PM
i thought madden was better than ESPN anyway, so this is cool with me.

Yankeez
12-13-2004, 06:46 PM
I'm hooked to madden, and at least espn can still make a nba game with everything in it hehe

super_ryu
12-13-2004, 06:48 PM
I liked the Madden games because to me, they seemed more realistic than any other football game. ESPN is good too, but I prefer madden

faceoff508
12-13-2004, 06:49 PM
**** you EA. I loved the 2k5 series, I ****ing loved it. It has some flaws.. yes but I loved it. No matter how ****ing good madden (which its not) I would have bought 2Kseries. God damn i was looking forward to 2k6 now i have to buy Madden 2006. And I will probably will be forced to because I love football games. EA go and buy sega you ****ing money whore.

Snowblind
12-13-2004, 06:49 PM
Yea, but how long before EA buys the NBA publishing rights. EA is going to piss a lot of people off.

Besides, the only good sports game from EA is MVP Baseball 2004.

Slowride
12-13-2004, 07:05 PM
Well someone mentioned they should popularize college football, however EA has already cornered that market with a great college game.

EA sucks for doing this though.

Huckleberry
12-13-2004, 07:07 PM
not only am i not buying madden, i'm writing to the nfl to let them know it. it's absolutely stupid of them to create such a monopoly. with nothing to push ea like 2k5 did, why would we ever get a better product?

BananaMan
12-13-2004, 07:10 PM
not only am i not buying madden, i'm writing to the nfl to let them know it. it's absolutely stupid of them to create such a monopoly. with nothing to push ea like 2k5 did, why would we ever get a better product?
and you know what the nfl will do? if it's a letter, right to the trash; if it's an email, they'll just delete it. it's all about the money.

MixMasta
12-13-2004, 07:19 PM
I think Sega should just keep releasing roster updates via XBL. Maybe since 2K5 was released prior to the contract, it be could be like a loop hole in the system. At least we could have new players lol.

Viper87227
12-13-2004, 07:23 PM
**** EA.....bunch of **** sucking asshates. Yet, for some reason, I still won't boycott them. NFU2, LOTR: BFME, BF2...all getting my money. Oh well, still, **** YOU EA!

Floodman
12-13-2004, 07:24 PM
I think Sega should just keep releasing roster updates via XBL. Maybe since 2K5 was released prior to the contract, it be could be like a loop hole in the system. At least we could have new players lol.

haha, that'd actually be a really good idea

Sheeyt
12-13-2004, 07:29 PM
Boycott the NFL and email them our displeasures!

Darkside
12-13-2004, 07:50 PM
I'll just Boycot EA Sports this is so stupid.

EA is becoming like the microsoft of videogames. buying out so much junk left and right.

Yankeez
12-13-2004, 07:55 PM
I'll just Boycot EA Sports this is so stupid.

EA is becoming like the microsoft of videogames. buying out so much junk left and right.

But you have to admit they make some great games, fifa, nfsu2, burnout3, fight night, its just so hard to say no :D

Marc_01
12-13-2004, 08:12 PM
EA = Homosexual. Many people will loose jobs because of this horse ****.

Peepers
12-13-2004, 08:21 PM
This is the worst ****ing thing I've heard in a long time. How can they even do this?

Snake Eyez
12-13-2004, 09:08 PM
Well that blows. I was looking forward to the ESPN line of games. I'm still shocked that a gaming company could have that much pull. I wonder if ESPN will go to the courts to try to block this gaming monopoly.

LTM360
12-13-2004, 09:08 PM
But you have to admit they make some great games, fifa, nfsu2, burnout3, fight night, its just so hard to say no :D


I comepletely disagree. Fight Night is cool to just watch those dudes spazz out when they get knocked out. FIFA doesn't have competition. NFSU 2 lacks gameplay, all about "Pimpin' Yo Ride!".
Burnout 3 is absolutely fantastic...problem thought. It wasn't made by EA. Criterion Games. EA Sucks.

super_ryu
12-13-2004, 09:31 PM
Something just came to my mind, isnt EA creating a monopoly of football games?
I mean no one wants to buy a football game unless its pro nfl (college was good though)
And what if Sega & ESPN were developing a 2006 football game, are those games still protected by the NFL liscence (because i'm sure the liscence is still valid if they sealed it during the development of their new games).
Anyway I have to agree that if Sega & ESPN aren't aloud to finish there new football games, and have to drop it, thats pretty low :(

MixMasta
12-13-2004, 09:36 PM
Well, at least this means no one will ever have to waste 50 bucks on NFL Fever again!!!

LOL.....

natedog8
12-13-2004, 09:49 PM
mixmasta ur sig is ****in tight, i could watch hits like that until the cows come home

Huckleberry
12-13-2004, 10:24 PM
and you know what the nfl will do? if it's a letter, right to the trash; if it's an email, they'll just delete it. it's all about the money.

not if they get 250,000 letters. it's because it is all about the money that they would take note of blocking out one whole set of loyal fans. they probably think there won't be much backlash. well, i'm only one person, but if 250,000 "one persons" let them know, they'll notice.

MerimacHamwich
12-13-2004, 10:29 PM
Come on CFL game!

Fifa does have competition, competition that is considered better than FIFA by half of the gaming world. However, just like in real life, most Americans know shiznit about soccer.

ramprider0
12-14-2004, 12:34 AM
EA can rott in hell I won't be buying any of their games, EVER!

Xer0Mercy
12-14-2004, 12:35 AM
Stop whining. The good news is now Sega has more time to spend on the next Sonic release!

No, but for real, I think the majority of you are biased when it comes to Sega Sports vs EA Games.

The fact of the matter is: Sega Sports is more of a XBox company, whereas EA Games is slightly more concentrated on PS2. Being owners of Xbox's, you guys automatically flock toward Sega Sports, and hate EA, simply because most of you think the PS2 sucks (I won't argue with you about that).

I guarantee there is at least one person in this thread that has never played Madden before and is whining about how 2K5 is so much better.

Madden has truer gameplay and an all around more realistic way the game is played.

Sure, 2K5's graphics are fantastic and the Halftime show is one of the coolest innovations I've seen in a football game, but I still go with Madden. I have a feeling when everyone is buying Madden 2006 that you will realize what you've been missing out on.

Dyslexic Chaos
12-14-2004, 03:57 AM
I think Sega should just keep releasing roster updates via XBL. Maybe since 2K5 was released prior to the contract, it be could be like a loop hole in the system. At least we could have new players lol.


Unfortunatley, no, this CAN'T happen.

"The deal does not include titles for mobile phones or internet-based games, but does include online features of consoles."

This ****ing sucks.I used to be all about the madden until NFL 2K3 blew me away. BTW, if Madden is so realistic, how come you can call audibles constantly, and this wears the defense down to exaustion. It's a obvious cheat that is practically undetectable, and all Ea has done is made it so that player exaustion is turned off on ranked games, which takes away, once again, from the realism, instead of just FIXING THE DAMN PROBLEM! You know why? Because they are money hungry and just want you to buy next years version, where they fix the problem. BTW, try and play NFL 2K3 online and see what happens (it works). Now try Madden 2003 (hint: It doesn't work). EA makes you buy every years title to keep playing online. I hope Sega finds a loophole here, as this is the worst gaming news in a LONG time. How can anyone agree with monopoly?

Sheeyt
12-14-2004, 08:21 AM
EA has released the cover athlete for Madden 06!!!
















http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/ngxhayabusa/Hitler-Madden-06-Cover.jpg
http://students.uat.edu/ryamccab/images/madden2006.jpg

Peepers
12-14-2004, 08:29 AM
I just can't get over how crappy this is for all of us.

The NFL must have gotten one sweet deal from EA if they think it outweighs the licensing grosses from all their other licencees.

Spaztic
12-14-2004, 08:53 AM
Isn't this illegal? I really enjoyed 2k5 this really sucks.

Sheeyt
12-14-2004, 09:20 AM
Sign the petition!!
http://www.petitiononline.com/nfleacon/petition.html

Peepers
12-14-2004, 09:47 AM
Isn't this illegal? I really enjoyed 2k5 this really sucks.

I would consider myself an expert on many subjects; this isn't one them.

By guess, however, is that this is, unfortunately for gamers everywhere, perfectly legal. The only argument that I can see holding even a little bit of water is that the NFL, as a legal and sanctioned monopoly, has more limited licensing rights than normal franchises and corporations. This is, however, a very weak argument. Just as the NFL can choose which companies can make team jerseys and use team logos, they can control which companies use these properties in video games.

From a legal point of view, EA is in a very defensible position.

From a gamer's point of view, EA is a piece of **** company.

Sheeyt
12-14-2004, 10:31 AM
Fans---->http://x-n-c.com/phpbb/images/smiles/ky.gif<-----EA


This basically sums it up! Boycott EA and the damn NFL.

Peepers
12-14-2004, 10:43 AM
Fans---->http://x-n-c.com/phpbb/images/smiles/ky.gif<-----EA


This basically sums it up! Boycott EA and the damn NFL.


I love the NFL too much to boycott them, and I'm already boycotting EA (both out of principle since I oppose their game making philosophy and by default since their games tend to be inferior anyway), so I guess I'm powerless to take any further direct action.

Dirty DeStrO
12-14-2004, 10:45 AM
Does this prevent ESPN from releasing updated rosters, etc. for 2k5 along with updates to the league and tournament system. 2k5 is a pretty good game and if they are able to update it this way it may not be that bad

maybe next years will ESPN CFL

Peepers
12-14-2004, 10:47 AM
Does this prevent ESPN from releasing updated rosters, etc. for 2k5 along with updates to the league and tournament system. 2k5 is a pretty good game and if they are able to update it this way it may not be that bad

maybe next years will ESPN CFL


No it shouldn't prevent further roster updates for 2K5. This deal merely grants EA exclusive rights for the 2006 season, it doesn't revoke the rights Sega has already purchsased for the 2005 season. It's unlikely however that Sega will be allowed to add any new names for next year's season so the roster updates will probably end with the 2005 season.

Sheeyt
12-14-2004, 10:51 AM
Maybe I need to go pick up 2k5 again.

MerimacHamwich
12-14-2004, 11:11 AM
Unfortunatley, no, this CAN'T happen.

"The deal does not include titles for mobile phones or internet-based games, but does include online features of consoles."



Thar you go. I'm still rooting for a CFL game.

lllusion
12-14-2004, 12:11 PM
i say we just boycott madden 2005.

Huckleberry
12-14-2004, 12:11 PM
if madden only sold at a 1.5/1 ration over 2k5, it just doesn't make sense for the nfl to do this...and it means there's a helluva lot more people that need to be signing that petition. tell everyone...let's make some freakin noise

StudioAlex
12-14-2004, 01:24 PM
Without competition, the Madden franchise will go straight down hill. But I don't expect this to hold. I foresee legal challenges to such a deal.

LTM360
12-14-2004, 01:48 PM
Without competition, the Madden franchise will go straight down hill. But I don't expect this to hold. I foresee legal challenges to such a deal.


ditto. I have a question for you law-intelligent persons. Could we, as gamers, file lawsuit against EA (class-action)? They took away what I would rather play. It's so painfully obvious EA did this because they knew Sega might gain the upper hand against their best... ok, should I say, highest profiting, franchise.

It's not like I wanna start a lawsuit with me being the head guy, but isn't it possible to do that?

Sheeyt
12-14-2004, 01:52 PM
This is one time where I would advocate a lawsuit.

dances with broom sticks
12-14-2004, 02:01 PM
No, but for real, I think the majority of you are biased when it comes to Sega Sports vs EA Games.

I think your missing the point... Its a preference. Im sure you would be upset if Sega did this to EA...

I don't really prefer one over the other, but I think this is dumb. I can see development slow even more for Madden. We will be getting even less updated games each year. They will look a little better and have updated rosters, but whats the point of them trying to add new stuff into their games if they have no compitition?

LTM360
12-14-2004, 02:43 PM
THE NFL ADMITS TO THIS BEING A MONOPOLY!!!


Monday, December 13, 2004
Updated: December 14, 12:08 PM ET

By Darren Rovell
ESPN.com


Electronic Arts, the leading maker of sports video games, signed an exclusive five-year contract with the National Football League and the NFL Players Association, deals that will give the company sole possession of the licensed football video game business.

The partnership, which will commence with the publishing of Electronic Arts' Madden game next August, eliminates the competitive battle EA endured this year with ESPN's NFL 2K5 game, a joint venture between Sega and Take-Two Interactive. Without the use of team and player names, generic games have struggled for survival in the current environment.

Before this year, EA's Madden franchise -- which the company has sold more than 40 million copies of since its debut in 1989 -- previously dominated the football game marketplace. Bit players, including Midway, 989 Sports and Microsoft, dropped out of the licensed football game business this year.

But the Madden 2005 game was seriously challenged by NFL 2K5, thanks to good reviews and a pricing war. NFL 2K5 was available in stores in July for $19.95. For three months, the Madden game was priced at $49.95, until the company finally relented on Nov. 8 and lowered it by $20.

"We considered a whole variety of factors in making this decision," said Gene Goldberg, the NFL's vice president of consumer products. "We chose EA based on game quality, marketing ability and track record."

As part of the deal, EA will have access to NFL resources, including video, audio and music scores from NFL Films. The partnership pertains to every aspect of gaming, including content for hand-held games and personal computers.

Goldberg said he's not concerned that the monopoly on the business will cause EA to relax the year-to-year innovations that have been pushed by recent competition. Though financial terms of the deal are not known, Goldberg said there is "a lot of self-imposed pressure to improve the product to make it stand out in a robust and diverse marketplace."

Sports video games accounted for more than 20 percent ($1.2 billion) of the $5.8 billion video game market last year, according to the NPD Group, a market tracking firm.

EA spokesperson Trudy Muller said that the deal is not a financial risk for the company.

"We believe this is a good investment for us, as well as the league and the players," Muller said. "We know we have a responsibility to our fans to continue to make the best game. We have plenty of competition with other games in the marketplace."

Electronic Arts also has exclusive deals with NASCAR, FIFA and the PGA Tour.

"This exclusive relationship will maximize the value of NFL players through EA's continued commitment to bring fans closer to the game," said Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFLPA and chairman of Players Inc., the organization's licensing body.

In a statement, Take-Two spokesman Ed Nebb disagreed.

"We believe that the decisions of the National Football League and Players Inc. to grant an exclusive license for videogames do a tremendous disservice to the consumers and sports fans whose funds ultimately support the NFL, by limiting their choices, curbing creativity and almost certainly leading to higher game prices," Nebb said. The game was "not a material contributor" to the company's profitability, "nor was it expected to be," Nebb said.

An ESPN spokesman said the company will evaluate the impact that the deal has on the company's licensing business.

The EA deal continues an unprecedented business year for the league. In January, the NFL signed Visa to a six-year deal worth $400 million. In February, Gatorade ponied up $500 million for the right to be called the official sports drink of the league for the next eight years. And PepsiCo signed a contract worth $560 million to use the NFL shield on its Pepsi, Frito Lay and Tropicana products in March.

Source (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/sportsbusiness/news/story?id=1945691)

I smell a lawsuit very soon.

Sheeyt
12-14-2004, 02:57 PM
Visual Concepts, Take-Two, and Sega should not take this laying down. Isn't there something that can be done? Some kinda laws against flat out blattent monopolies?

Yankeez
12-14-2004, 03:30 PM
Visual Concepts, Take-Two, and Sega should not take this laying down. Isn't there something that can be done? Some kinda laws against flat out blattent monopolies?


It's sega...they take everything lying down...

thats what you get for canning the dreamcast!!! *******s!!!


Long Live EA!! :hail:

Sheeyt
12-14-2004, 03:48 PM
Express your outrage directly to the source

Electronic Arts
Trudy Muller, 650-628-7323
tmuller@ea.com
or
NFL
Brian McCarthy, 212-450-2069
McCarthyB@NFL.com
or
PLAYERS INC
Christy Moran, 202-496-2885
christy.moran@nflplayers.com

AlphaRaptor
12-14-2004, 06:10 PM
Signed the petition, I hate Madden, and I hate EA for doing this.

AlBoogy
12-14-2004, 07:38 PM
It's sega...they take everything lying down...

thats what you get for canning the dreamcast!!! *******s!!!


Long Live EA!! :hail:

Youve gotta be kidding.

Xer0Mercy
12-14-2004, 10:05 PM
There will be no lawsuit. Sega can't do anything about it.

Variation-XBA
12-15-2004, 02:45 AM
Instead of trying to beat their competition they just buy them out (so to speak). What a joke. I'm glad I don't play sports games or I'ld probly be pissed that much more.

Down with EA! :P

CharlieHustle
12-15-2004, 10:34 AM
I think VC will come up with something, they have an engine in place already, and they have an upper hand on graphice and AI, so, why throw it away... Its a stupid a.s.s. mistake on ea's behalf, because it shows their desperation. Im still not buyin their productsnext year. Sega could attack the college football market. But keep makin a football game, thats all. Better yet make an online game with fictional players, so we can have online leagues and so on.

Sheeyt
12-15-2004, 10:50 AM
Yea but who wants to play with fictional characters? I think VC should make a game and just alter the names slightly. Instead of the Philadelphia Eagles make the Philadelphia Beagles at The Stinc. QB Donovan McSlabb, WR Terrell Dowens, Todd Stinkston.

Heck now would be an awesome time to revive Mutant League!!

Max33
12-15-2004, 11:39 AM
I think all the EA hate over this decision is a bit juvinile and nieave,it's capatalisim.
Big buisness,and a tremendous coup fo EA.

Thats how companys fight it out.

Sega tried to undercut EA and said "Take that..."
EA said "No,you take this. If you wanna go war we'll take you to war"

Money talks and bull-**** walks.

Sorry if I seem un-compassionate,but I dont dig on sports games anyway.

I like Sega,and quite honestly would rather see them concentrating on more imaginative & innovative games.

Spaztic
12-15-2004, 12:59 PM
Yea but who wants to play with fictional characters? I think VC should make a game and just alter the names slightly. Instead of the Philadelphia Eagles make the Philadelphia Beagles at The Stinc. QB Donovan McSlabb, WR Terrell Dowens, Todd Stinkston.

Heck now would be an awesome time to revive Mutant League!!

Dude that is what I am tallking about, bring back mutant league football!!!!! The rights are owned by EA though!!!

CRAYMAN
12-15-2004, 01:15 PM
I think all the EA hate over this decision is a bit juvinile and nieave,it's capatalisim.
Big buisness,and a tremendous coup fo EA.

Thats how companys fight it out.

Sega tried to undercut EA and said "Take that..."
EA said "No,you take this. If you wanna go war we'll take you to war"

Money talks and bull-**** walks.

Sorry if I seem un-compassionate,but I dont dig on sports games anyway.

I like Sega,and quite honestly would rather see them concentrating on more imaginative & innovative games.


I kinda agree. If the product is inferior, people shouldn't buy it and support the status quo. Madden was an inferior product, yet many people who are used to Madden would stick with it. The easiest way to handle this is to NOT purchase Madden even if it's the only game in town. EA's Madden team has become fat and happy with Madden. Heck, their college game is superior to Madden.

HOWEVER, in selling sports titles, having the only actual names of the players is a HUGE and probably insurmountable advantage.

My guess is that this deal will be challenged by Sega in court.

If you're a gas station owner who cuts prices to run the competition out of business, that would be acceptable. But, if you cut a deal with the only producer of gas in your region to only deliver to your station...that is a questionable business practice.

Dyslexic Chaos
12-15-2004, 02:03 PM
I don't think Sega has anything to go on if thye fil;e a lawsuit, as much as i hate to say it. The NFL has a right to sell their name to EA, just as much as the WWE can to THQ. think about it, any other WRESTLING game in town is stomped out if it doesn't have the WWE name, but you CAN'T challenge it, monopoly or not...

Dark Enemy
12-15-2004, 03:20 PM
Yea but who wants to play with fictional characters? I think VC should make a game and just alter the names slightly. Instead of the Philadelphia Eagles make the Philadelphia Beagles at The Stinc. QB Donovan McSlabb, WR Terrell Dowens, Todd Stinkston.

Heck now would be an awesome time to revive Mutant League!!

Thats what Konami kinda of did with International superstar soccer. It can work. Sega can make a game where we create the characters and names and go head to head :)

PapaSKooT
12-15-2004, 05:58 PM
Yea but who wants to play with fictional characters? I think VC should make a game and just alter the names slightly. Instead of the Philadelphia Eagles make the Philadelphia Beagles at The Stinc. QB Donovan McSlabb, WR Terrell Dowens, Todd Stinkston.

Heck now would be an awesome time to revive Mutant League!!

Thats exactly what I said to one of my friends...

Geeli Fanning playing on the New York Guy-Ants

;)

Xorg
12-15-2004, 06:05 PM
Thats what Konami kinda of did with International superstar soccer. It can work. Sega can make a game where we create the characters and names and go head to head :)
I remember that game back in the nintendo 64 days, I was wondering why all the player names where wrong

Sheeyt
12-15-2004, 06:18 PM
EA owns the rights to Mutant League Football?

Dyslexic Chaos
12-17-2004, 12:57 AM
The only chance of getting ESPN NFL back is, as Gamespot pointed out on "On The Spot" This week, is if EA liscenses it out to them, which is very possible. It may take one year of Madden completely bombing (doubt it) for this to happen, but at least it's possible. BTW, That petition was pretty sad, there were at least 5 spelling mistakes in there, and if Gamers want the NFL to take us seriously, we need to use SPELL CHECK!!!

LTM360
12-17-2004, 01:42 PM
Couldn't they just use;
Terrel O.
Ben R.
Carson P.
etc. etc.?

Stadiums/Teams:
Cincinnati
Cleveland
New York #1 & #2
etc. etc.

Couldn't they just do that?

http://i2.sell.com/0/17/55607/14/229/919504-m.jpg

Notice NO NFL liscense on the cart.

http://www.cherryroms.com/screenshots/large/Madden_NFL__93_(U)(6256).jpg

I knew I remembered correctly, EA didn't have an NFL liscense back in the early Genesis days. I think this is the way Sega/VC should go. That would work fine for me. I can't find player names, im about to go put the game in and see if there are any player names even in the game (I dont think there was at all though).

Dyslexic Chaos
12-19-2004, 09:30 PM
Alright, everyone who think Sega/VC.Take Two should buy the right to the NHL and NBA, say AYE!

Anthony4sho
12-19-2004, 10:06 PM
Look! The 2006 Madden Cover has been released!

http://img143.exs.cx/img143/3632/hitlermadden06cover2yk.jpg

Cryogenic Pyro
12-19-2004, 10:36 PM
Look! The 2006 Madden Cover has been released!

http://img143.exs.cx/img143/3632/hitlermadden06cover2yk.jpg
Hahaha... :rofl:

Dyslexic Chaos
12-21-2004, 02:20 AM
EA has released the cover athlete for Madden 06!!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/ngxhayabusa/Hitler-Madden-06-Cover.jpg

Um, guys...

can't believe I'm actaully giving credit to him, even though he is banned, Thank GOD, but yeah, already posted...

_Millertime_
12-23-2004, 10:59 AM
Saw this somewhere else and cut and pasted it: "There's no point to calling EA a monopoly now, they said today that the NFL in fact also offered Sega the chance to get exclusitivity rights as well, but EA laid down the bigger bid."

LTM360
12-23-2004, 11:15 AM
EA has been offering the NFL and exclusivity deal for years now. And finally the NFL took the money and said 'Ok'. Whoever told you Sega was offered it to is lying through their teeth.

Kortiz
12-23-2004, 02:09 PM
Is there any way they can release the same game next year...ESPN NFL 2k5 but...update its graphics?

Couldn't they do that? I'd pay 100bucks for a re-release of the game with updates to options...everything but updating the rosters. I'd be happy with that, to be honest. Anything to slap EA in the face. They pony up and hook Xbox owners up with XBL play...only to **** it up with NCAA2005 and then they do this to further my disappointment.

EA...you stink and I HATE YOU!!!

CRAYMAN
12-23-2004, 03:50 PM
It just goes to show you that EA was losing market share to Sega. Their product couldn't compete anymore.

And yeah, the original Genesis Madden DID NOT have the players' names, they just had the numbers shown.

I'm curious to see how Sega reacts.

Kortiz
12-23-2004, 04:14 PM
So could they show the #'s and not the names?...or change the names, have the #s...and stats?

Call it ESPN: EA SUCKS 2k6

WynnFire
12-23-2004, 05:08 PM
Luckily the NBA has more sense. Just heard that EA was turned down by the NBA for licensing all the players names. Now I'm starting to kick myself for not running over the 9 EA employees I saw crossing a street last week. If I wasn't such a law abiding citizen, I would have gone through a red light and ran them all down. EA must be stopped. First NFL License, then tried to get NBA license, now buying 19-20% of Ubisoft. punks!

super_ryu
12-23-2004, 05:24 PM
Come on CFL game!

Fifa does have competition, competition that is considered better than FIFA by half of the gaming world. However, just like in real life, most Americans know shiznit about soccer.

CFL game... you got to be kidding
I wouldnt even want to play that game, and I'm canadian! There would be hardly any teams, and a very short season/playoff mode