EA Sued over NFL Exclusivity

[ChaoofNee]

It's a monopoly plain and simple. No other company wanting to create a video game football title can seriously compete with EA for market share without the NFL license. I have been playing NBA 2K8 for months now I am still finding little details that I had missed before it is an awesome NBA game. I can't help but wonder what VC would have done with the NFL license. If EA buys out VC that would eliminate my favorite NBA game I have never enjoyed the NBA Live games going back to the Genesis days. I despise what EA is doing to the sports genre.

It's the same thing as being the official equipment makers of the NFL, right? Are you going to sue Reebok now because Nike can make a better hat?

It sucks, don't get me wrong, but they had the *shudder* right.

[Uriel]

It's a monopoly plain and simple. No other company wanting to create a video game football title can seriously compete with EA for market share without the NFL license. I have been playing NBA 2K8 for months now I am still finding little details that I had missed before it is an awesome NBA game. I can't help but wonder what VC would have done with the NFL license. If EA buys out VC that would eliminate my favorite NBA game I have never enjoyed the NBA Live games going back to the Genesis days. I despise what EA is doing to the sports genre.

So license holders should be required to offer their license for purchase to as many license hodlers as possible?

I guess the value of the Final Fantasy brand on an RPG means that any company should be allowed to pay for that brand and put it on their game, so that their game will have a fair chance of competing in the American RPG market.

[Advocate]

Theres one little snauf though. The Anti Trust exemption the NFL has. Until this point its never been an issue, cause the PLAYERS union have a different licensing agreement with manufacturers and the Owners have overall rights with companies.

Example: The Dallas Cowboys has rights to use New Era, BUT TO or Tony Romo can wear UnderArmour and/or Nike.

When the NFL goes into an agreement with a company like EA, thus shielding out any other competition. That basically goes against the US Anti-Trust laws, because The NFL itself is saying we are the property owners of the NFLPA and the NFL Properties. 2K was told that they could not use the NFLPA. That's why they went with the old hall of famers, cause they have a separate union inside the NFLPA. The people had a right to sue, but the grounds by which the lawsuit is claiming is a badly worded one.

[ChaoofNee]

They should've hired burgundy imo.

Though, he probably would've told them it was a dumb idea instead of assisting in the wording.

[Yoshi]

$27M settlement and no NCAA exclusivity, providing the settlement is approved. The assholes can still monopolize the NFL license though, so we can't get a good pro football game still.

[TobalRox]

$27M settlement and no NCAA exclusivity, providing the settlement is approved. The assholes can still monopolize the NFL license though, so we can't get a good pro football game still.

Couldn't we just get NCAA 2k14?

[Error]

The current NCAA license has to expire first, thats part of the deal. And then 2k sports would have to still exist and revive its football division. I don't think thats likely.

[jyoung]

Take Two (2K Sports' publisher) seems to have zero interest in making sports games anymore outside of the NBA 2K series.

I don't think this lawsuit changes anything. Outside of Madden, FIFA and NBA 2K, sports games just aren't making huge profits anymore like they used to. That's why everyone but EA Sports is dropping out of the market.

[gamevet]

Take Two (2K Sports' publisher) seems to have zero interest in making sports games anymore outside of the NBA 2K series.

I don't think this lawsuit changes anything. Outside of Madden, FIFA and NBA 2K, sports games just aren't making huge profits anymore like they used to. That's why everyone but EA Sports is dropping out of the market.

MLB The Show 2012 and MLB 2K12 sold okay. They didn't sell in the millions, but 2K Sports hasn't given up on MLB.

[Error]

Yes it has. They've let the license expire, and are not expected to renew it. Take Two are broke, and are avoiding licensed games.