Ben-DutkaIf other companies wanted to use official NFL licensing for some reason, they've got to wait another year.
The only option for hardcore pigskin fans has been EA's Madden NFL franchise, and it's not only because the games are typically quite good. It's also because the publisher has held a licensing exclusivity deal with the NFL since 2004; only EA is allowed to use official team, stadium, personnel, and player names, as well as logos, uniforms, and colors. Renewed in 2008 and set to expire in 2012, the Sports Business Journal reports that the NFL is giving EA another year: the agreement won't expire until 2013. The league has also reduced the royalties they charge EA for this license, evidently prompted by the apparent high chance of a strike. If you weren't aware, the NFL has some internal issues that could lead to either a delay of the start of the season, or an altogether canceled season.
Obviously, if this happens, EA would release Madden NFL 12 during a year when there is no football season. Most believe this could hurt sales but think about it: there's no football to watch so wouldn't even more people be interested in playing ? Well, maybe that's the wrong way to think about it. At any rate, EA and the NFL will remain partners for a little while longer…sorry, 2K.
Que the "I hate EA" comments…
why?
Everywhere I have seen the NFL/EA exclusive deal mentioned, folks always brings up on EA has killed competition in NFL games.
I don't hate EA but They basically did kill the competition. Back when 2k football existed, one year 2k outsold madden by selling the game for about 20 bucks, forcing EA to drop the price for Madden in order to compete. EA strikes a deal and the rest is history, now they can charge whatever they want for Madden because it's the only options for NFL football.
EA didn't do anything alone. The NFL spearheaded the exclusive deal, and EA nailed the contract.
Really? I haven't played a Madden in forever so I don't know. I know they did have one piss poor PS3 iteration though.
I hope for the sake of the sport, there's no lockout. Lockouts have hurt every single other pro-sport that has had a lockout. (Of course, it's not like it ever came close to ending them, lol)
As for the exclusive deal with EA, I understand they typically make great games, but it might be nice for other companies to make their own version. Imagine if EA had that exclusivity with every other sport.
MLB The Show series is FAR better than MLB 2k. I love what Sony has done with that franchise. The same is true about NHL 11 and FIFA 11. Those games are far better than the 2k versions. The 2k games are still good, but to me the quality has lain in the non-2k versions.
I just can't help but wonder if a non-EA NFL game would also be more incredible.
On the other hand, we need SOMEONE to combat Activision, right?
Agreed. The lockout would really hurt the NFL. I am not sure how the fans would react because I remember the hole MLB had to dig out of following their issues years ago.
@Underdog,
You are correct with the exception of NBA. EA has never been able to compete with 2K in that sport. 2K11 is one of the best iterations of pro basketball to date. I think that may be one reason why EA cancelled their NBA game. They knew they wouldn't be able to touch 2K.
ROLFLMAO!
If there is a lock out in the NFL next year, Madden sales will probably go through the roof. The thing about it is that the NFLPA also has a deal with EA to allow player and coach likenesses and names to be used, so the NFLPA will gain from the sale of a Madden 12 game also – which ultimately benefits the players.
I have to admit that a lockout is the single most stupid event that could happen. But then again when the owners were stupid enough to sign away what amounts to about 60% of the total revenue to the players, I was certain it would all end in tears as soon as they realized what had been done. There's plenty of argument about it one way or the other, tbut the way I look at it is that most of the NFL owners are counted as billionaires because of the paper worth of their teams. With a fairly small list of exceptions, NFL teams are not cash rich, and the players walk away with 60% of the total NFL revenue. That's 32×53 guys (give or take a couple hundred players leaving through injury or being signed from practice squads) or roughly 1800 people. The remaining 40% is all that's left to pay every employee of the NFL offices, and the team employees ranging from coaching staff, to the medical staff, front office, marketing, stadium maintenance, janitorial, and security. That is a whole lot more than 1800 people sharing the smaller slice of the pie, and that's before the team owners see a penny. Remember the owners are the ones supposed to pay for new stadiums, considering how little of the total revenue they get, one has to wonder how they are supposed to do that… The whole money situation in the NFL has got out of hand. It's not wonder though that there's talk of a lockout. The players don't want to give anything up, and the owners feel like they have very little to lose.
I'd still strangle my local barista just to get a chance at the money those people make.
I wish the NFL would pull its head out of its collective ass and realize that lack of competition breeds mediocrity. Will having more than one NFL licensed game on the market mean that Madden will plummet from the top? No, but it will mean that they'll have to get off their high horse and start bettering their product. Madden has been stale since their move to the high def consoles.
I sincerely doubt there will be a lock out. There is far too much money being left on the table for owners and players….regardless of the distribution of it. No one knows for sure how much these teams make, but its easily more than any other sport. I sympathize with the players more so than the owners, they're the ones putting their bodies on the line every week, most of which under non-guaranteed contracts.
I actually think if there is a lock out, then madden sales will suffer. I mean, personally, I'd be pretty bitter and salty over the whole NFL situation and wouldn't want to support a NFL licensed game.
There was a lot of money left on the table in the MLB and NHL too. Still locked out.
Thats true, Underdog. But the NFL is on a whole 'nother level compared to the MLB and especially the NHL
It's interesting… the top 10 PAID professional teams of any sport contain a mix of 5 professional teams in the States (ranging from NFL teams to MLB teams), and the other 5 are all from the same sport in Europe. Guess which sport that is?
Anyways, the Premier League in England certainly threatened to strike, but the big name teams are able to hold the rest of the league hostage. The problem with the NFL, is no team has that ability, nor is there a core like the MAN U./Chelsea bunch of the premier league.
So I believe, that as long as the owners are mostly united, and as long as they don't come to an agreement, there will be a strike.
EDIT: Noted that I meant top 10 highest PAID teams, not "best".
Last edited by Underdog15 on 2/15/2011 2:53:19 PM
Oh well..just delays the inevitable..when this agreement expires..2K will make the best football game to grace next gen consoles..
Until then..just enjoy Madden for what it is. A game that doesn't do too much different but is still a great football sim.
I have to agree, just enjoy Madden for being such a faithful sports sims….the fun factor flew out the windows years ago. Right now I like backbreaker more just because its something different than Madden…and the physics…OMG the physics!
Noooooo! Oh well.
I don't hate EA, but I want 2k football.
Watch Activision flex its CoD money and snatch the license next.
There better not be a lockout, cuz if the jackwagons who run my state won't make a stadium for my Vikings then next year will be the last season I get to watch them.
Madden sucks. Exclusive licensing in video games can suck sometimes, as it does in this case. A delayed NFL season or a canceled season (won't happen) will not have me staying inside getting my Madden on. I dislike monopolizing (Best Buy, Gamestop) and I surely dislike Madden.
i remember when ea was in the doghouse over moves such as theese. then activision's bobby kottick came along, and most of the ea hate moved to activisionx3. i recently bought mass effect 2, and had to enter that stupid code to get access to the cerebeus pack. 119 minute download to unlock content i believe was already on the disc, the interactive comic was on the cerebus network, but the actual add on missions were already on the disc. anyways, i don't like that ea essentially had a download pass on a singleplayer game. the first day the game was out the cerebus network was down!!! talk about frustratiing.
My download wasn't anywhere near that long, but it is weird to make you do all that when it was on the disc.
Another year of football gaming mediocrity from EA. We really need to have some competition added to this category.
I for one put Madden 10 down in favor of NHL 10. That game has real control with real action. Madden just came across as sluggish and convoluted.
NHL rules. Period.
NHL 11 used the new engine and Madden 12 is suppose to use it. I hope Madden 12 is a big improvement and show that EA cares about there fans.
@world my ps3 was at my sisters who had medium speed dsl. the code didn't even work on the first day becuase of the cerebus network being down. when i called ea for tech support they said the code was there becuase of pirates which is bull. it's becuase of used games sales. if you buy the game used you won't have access to comic, and i believe the add on content. i bought it new, but i don't like codes for unlocking content on the disc, i guess all the ps3's that are offline won't have the seemless introduction me2 without the comic, which i felt the comic was kind of lame anyways. great game though. far superior looking than dragon age.
This sucks! I was hoping all EA sports, 2K sports and even Backbreaker to get the NFL licensing. Madden needs to be put in place and with some competition from Backbreaker and 2K we can have us a really good improved game every year. Madden is likt the same game every year. I liked backbreaker but the the reason it didn't pull me in is because I can't use my favorite NFL teams. I hope that in 2013 I hope to here that Backbreaker will have it, NFL 2K will return and Madden will still have it.
This 'Lockout' can not happen. There is no way there won't be a 2011 NFL season. Why is it taking this long for them too decide on something that both sides(NFL players and NFL owners) to be happy. If the 'lockout' happens there will not be any trading, free agents, practices, training. All facilities and buildings will be closed. This is really serious. Something has too be done about it.
With the Millions of NFL fans what would we do on Sundays and what about looking forward to your team playing on a holiday or Mondays. This would be life killers for many. There are fans all over the world. This can't happen. Come on NFL owners, lean a little and you Players you do not need all that money. You are being paid way to much.
I hope both sides can come to a conclusion so we can start looking forward to September.
The lockout is not really about money believe it or not. The owners want to add 2 more games to the regular season and don't really want to compensate the players for playing said games. With injuries being as bad as they have been, why would players want to play an 18 game season? That is what the lockout talk is hovering around.
it really sucks that we are forced if we gamers choose to play an NFL game only have one option…. i really miss the 2k franchise and well dont give me that the NFL spearheaded this deal thats just plain nonsense, there was nfl gameday, blitz, nfl fever at the time they all got money from these franchises AND madden why would they only want one football game? im sure EA padded their wallets accordingly to gain this monopoly nfl 2k franchise was superior in every way over madden..
only wish EA would do a NRL game!
the last NRL game was a heap of crap, but the first on ps2 was the shiz!