Sega loses ESPN license as EA attempts to create a monopoly

[Nurb]

EA Signs deal with ESPN
The loss of ESPN is a significant blow to Take Two, which had been hoping to diversify its product line with sports games. While its relationship with Sega and Visual Concepts still stands, the companies no longer have a well-known hook with which to attract customers.

The companies have not announced specific plans for the sports market since the EA-NFL announcement, but Probst said he thinks it's unwise to assume EA will not have competition in some form.

"I think there's plenty of room for competition," said Probst. "At the end of the day its who can build the highest quality products. There's plenty of room for other third party companies - and console first-party companies - to do that. Just because EA Sports and ESPN are partnering I don't think people are going to run for the hills and not compete with us."

EA grabs exclusive rights to NFL
EA games recently struck a deal with the NFL, granting the game publisher exclusive rights to all NFL team and player names for five years. The deal has generated a lot of negative publicity for EA, which has been accused of stifling healthy compitition with Sega's ESPN football franchise. The exact amount shelled out for the NFL rights is unknown, but its estimated as somewhere between 200-300 million.

EA locking down even more
EA recently purchased 19.9 percent of Ubisoft's stock, effectively giving the company part ownership of the rival game publisher. Ubisoft responded with a statement calling the move hostile, saying that EA was attempting to take over key games studios.

Damn, This is a truly sad day, and to think Microsoft got slapped with an injunction for this same practice, it's called predatory licensing. In a nutshell, EA saw how Sega's football game(ESPN 2K5) was actually innovating, improved upon their product and to boot offered at a lower price point. So instead of kicking their dev team in the ass to get some originality, they are playing the part of the Yankees and trying to buy their success. And with the growing threat of a hostile takeover of Ubisoft, you can kiss splinter cell as you know it goodbye, or at least it's soul.

It isn't a free market when you monopolize it. This will only hurt the consumer in the end if things get worse, limited choice and the inability for smaller businesses to compete. If business didn't have the FTC in its pocket, they'd best be wary... or they don't care since its only the video games market

I'll be continuing my boycott of any EA product

[Yankeez]

on the flip side sega bought the rights to mlb so they can go **** themselves as well

[Nurb]

they aren't trying the monopolize the entire gaming industry, besides, who cares about baseball anyway

[Xer0Mercy]

I don't get this whole "boycott EA" thing. I'm sure all you NFL fans will be at your local EB Games when Madden 2006 comes out. You won't be able to resist getting a football game.

For all you not really NFL fans but like football games, you'll go to EB Games and get NFL Street, also owned by EA.

So much for boycotting EA. EA owns Sega in football games anyway.

[Ninja Scroll]

on the flip side sega bought the rights to mlb so they can go **** themselves as well

You mean "Take Two" bought da rights. And dats 3rd-party eXclusive rights. Meaning you will still see dat sorry 989 MLB game on PS2/PS3 and dat weak up coming offering from Nintendo.
Take Two bought Visual Concepts from Sega, so as of now it's Take Two aka 2K games Vs. EA Hoes!

Oh, and gettin dat MLB deal was aight, but when they get da NBA joint then dat summin to get excited about, smell me mang!?

[vman]

I don't see how this is such a bad thing. IMO EA makes GREAT games. The madden series has lasted for years, maybe a decade, I'm not sure. Its no fluke that they have lasted this long. They make good games. How is two awesome game companies merging bad? Two heads are better than one right?

And since when was monopolizing such a bad thing? *cough*XBOX*cough* MS created the very console that brought you to these forums and the community of XBA. I see this as EA trying to make better games to please its customers more.

[lllusion]

IF creating a fan in this years game, was a better experience it sure hell did made it worth my 50 dollars!

[vman]

IF creating a fan in this years game, was a better experience it sure hell did made it worth my 50 dollars!

...updated rosters, LIVE?

[Anthony4sho]

EA's games are crap, and have been crap for a long time.

[Yankeez]

EA's games are crap, and have been crap for a long time.

I understand thats your opinion but how do they continue to outsell the 2k series with the madden series, even with the $20 price tag 2k had this year, they must be doing something right

[LTM360]

I understand thats your opinion but how do they continue to outsell the 2k series with the madden series, even with the $20 price tag 2k had this year, they must be doing something right

Because EA is mainstream, and morons refuse to try something new. Even if it was $20. and F.Y.I. the sales gap was extremely lowered by the $20 price point.

Why are two "great" companies merging a bad thing?

Because EA doesn't change their game ENOUGH to make it worth anyones time. but for some dumbass reason 1 new thing makes $50... or excuse me now; $60 worth it. VC/Take-Two kicked the **** outta EA, and they ran to NFL for the rights; knowing if they didn't get them, they would lose their fanbase to 2KGames. Don't any of you dare deny that.

...updated rosters, LIVE?

That's all you've got? And Sega didn't support that.... the year before....

[bbchs_trash]

Because EA is mainstream, and morons refuse to try something new. Even if it was $20. and F.Y.I. the sales gap was extremely lowered by the $20 price point.

Why are two "great" companies merging a bad thing?

Because EA doesn't change their game ENOUGH to make it worth anyones time. but for some dumbass reason 1 new thing makes $50... or excuse me now; $60 worth it. VC/Take-Two kicked the **** outta EA, and they ran to NFL for the rights; knowing if they didn't get them, they would lose their fanbase to 2KGames. Don't any of you dare deny that.

EA Sports and the Madden series consistantly outsold the 2k Games series. There is no denying that fact and there is also no denying the fact that the 2k Games series was making little to no money.While I completely agree with you on the fact that Madden had much better marketing and a much larger fan base(i.e. mainstream), these are key reasons why 2k needed too step their game up that much more.

If Ubisoft and EA were to merge things would more than likely still hold their form. I wouldn't forsee a huge closure on behalf of Ubisoft stuidos, but rather a mixture of great development teams. There is no denying that EA teams have great talent but they also have a huge lack of innovation. But with a combination of studios with great game developers we may see great things. Don't expect anything but the best on the Madden series next year; and the new titles they come up with are going to be interesting, just look at The Godfather.

While it is a little upsetting that EA took this step in approaching things, you had better believe that a quality product is going to be demanded. I can almost gauruntee there would be a clause in the contract that says the NFL and ESPN must be used in the upmost quality. EA gets the feedback on their games and they are definately looking into it. They have hits stemming with the Need for Speed, Battlefield, and sports franchises they have weak spots in their Medal of Honor, Goldeneye, and other franchises. Who's to say that a little help from Ubisoft wouldn't be for the better?

[Nurb]

Well don't forget that EA LOVES the PS2, remember they only begrudgingly began to support live because they knew XBOX players would buy more of their games with live connectivity, before that, they wouldn't even do business with MS for Live support because they wanted more control than MS would give them.

Xbox already gets near direct ports of EA games, with very little polishing up, and nowhere near what the Xbox can handle. hell, think about any EA game that was for all consoles that looked better than average, and I'm not even bringing up the PC ports and games, which has that community fuming. So imagine what would happen if a company that favors one console gets more control over the industry.

There's even rumors that EA has plans to buy Valve for the half life name, do you want them messing with that too?

[Cryogenic Pyro]

Well don't forget that EA LOVES the PS2, remember they only begrudgingly began to support live because they knew XBOX players would buy more of their games with live connectivity, before that, they wouldn't even do business with MS for Live support because they wanted more control than MS would give them.

Xbox already gets near direct ports of EA games, with very little polishing up, and nowhere near what the Xbox can handle. hell, think about any EA game that was for all consoles that looked better than average, and I'm not even bringing up the PC ports and games, which has that community fuming. So imagine what would happen if a company that favors one console gets more control over the industry.

There's even rumors that EA has plans to buy Valve for the half life name, do you want them messing with that too?

If EA buys Valve, my life will have no meaning.

[Anthony4sho]

The reason EA consistently outsold ESPN was because they have had a fanbase built already over ten years. Madden is the only thing most casual sports gamers know. Alot of people hadn't even heard of ESPN before last years price drop.

Plus on top of that, I don't believe EA will make any changes in terms of gameplay because the last 3-4 Maddens have been the same ****.

[Sexaya]

F*ck Boycotting EA, I'll be pirating every piece of software they put out.

[SamSmith]

. I see this as EA trying to make better games to please its customers more.

money... thats all they want


















*edit* oh dear god!!! i just saw that post with the rimour of EA buying valve... i doubt it will happen, but if it does..... oh, if it does.... oh no, oh no!!!

[Kortiz]

bwhahahhah... ^^^ I like that.


But for real...EA, they can suck my ****.

[AlBoogy]

I understand thats your opinion but how do they continue to outsell the 2k series with the madden series, even with the $20 price tag 2k had this year, they must be doing something right

The same way people buy a PS2 even though it's nowhere near the quality of an XBox. Whats in a name? Everything.

[Ninja Scroll]

I understand thats your opinion but how do they continue to outsell the 2k series with the madden series, even with the $20 price tag 2k had this year, they must be doing something right

According to NPD Group (da official dudes who monitor videogame/PC hardware/software sales have stated da Xbox edition of ESPN NFL2K5 has outsold EA's Madden 2005. Madden is only outselling 2K5 on dat crappy PS2 junk.



And like Anthony said, it's all in da name. I totally agree wit juniors most.