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EA Wants To Erase All-Pro Football

Electronic Arts is the biggest video game publisher on the planet, and when they nailed down exclusive NFL licensing in 2005 for their Madden franchise, it only augmented their influence and power. Even so, this didn't stop Take-Two and 2K Sports from releasing All-Pro Football 2K8 , which features older players (the game shows off the likes of John Elway, Barry Sanders, and Jerry Rice).

EA has taken notice, though, and they're not about to take the competition lightly. During a shareholder call, EA CEO John Riccitiello said his company needs to ensure that 2K's latest production is "not repeatable." He clearly said that Take-Two is a "competitor" and when they attempt to launch a pro-based football title, "you want to make sure [it] ends up being a blip and is not repeatable, because we like to defend our franchises aggressively." Well, that's nice and all, but football fans aren't too happy that the PS3 version of Madden 08 won't run at 60 frames per second, and the legendary franchise has suffered from general criticism – despite largely favorable reviews – over the past few years.

We wonder how much of a threat All-Pro Football 2K8 really is, especially with the sheer brand-name power of Madden . On the other hand, EA probably paid a hefty price for those exclusive NFL licensing rights, so this reaction shouldn't surprise anyone. They're simply protecting an investment…let's just hope this year's "investment" is a return to glory.

Related Game(s): All-Pro Football 2K8