EA gets ESPN?!

[silver26]

All I can say is, Wow! EA sure likes to be in the news... first it was the whole bad working conditions thing, then the greedy NFL liscence agreement, then the hostile Ubisoft thing, and now this...

Electronic Arts broke the calm of a national holiday today by announcing a licensing deal of epic proportions. For the next fifteen years, EA will be the sole licensee of the ESPN brand in the area of sports games, which will include console, handheld, PC, and wireless games.

Games with leverage the ESPN brand will make their way to retail sometime during calendar year 2006, "upon the conclusion of ESPN’s existing video game licensing commitments."

The news is the second blow to current license-holder Sega (and its Visual Concepts development studio). It recently lost the right to publish sports games using the NFL license when EA scooped that license up. Now, it loses the right to the ESPN brand as well.

In a statement released just minutes ago, the world's largest game publisher said, "The relationship will include established EA SPORTS franchises--which will be enhanced by ESPN telecast, print and online content--as well as new sports games to be published by EA based on ESPN media properties."

The agreement is for fifteen years "with an option to terminate after ten years under certain conditions," the statement said. The agreement gives the publisher "exclusive first rights" to all ESPN content for simulation sports games.

link

[omega2K4]

...

Fuck EA. Seriously, this is rediculous. EA needs to be stopped.

[Justsomeguy]

Atleast I don't have to buy a new sports game every year now.

[buclao]

This reminds me of that South Park episode where Cartman's trapper keeper keeps assimilating with everything and gets so big to the point where it takes over the world. So I guess the only thing we need to stop EA is a little Jewish boy...

[skyfire]

Originally Posted by buclao

This reminds me of that South Park episode where Cartman's trapper keeper keeps assimilating with everything and gets so big to the point where it takes over the world. So I guess the only thing we need to stop EA is a little Jewish boy...

LOL. Watched that one last night, friggin awesome!

[Rdr4evr]

15 years? Wow, that is insane...I remember hearing that they will drop the Madden name as well, does this mean that they will use ESPN in their NFL lineup from now?

[Ganguro]

It makes since financially, but 15 years is a very long time.

[Wingless]

Challenge Everything? I think not.

[omega2K4]

Hahahahaha, Wingless. That is great.

[Halx]

Considering SEGA has been making better games than them for a couple years now and releasing them under ESPN's name, this is bad news for people who like quality. EA is taking overrrr.

[blitz.fenix]

No more competitions make fenix go crazy. Quality will get more slack as time goes on possibly. Then EA dumps ESPN. Argh. I'm just rambling now...

[japhyryder]

oh well, I guess I will just not be buying EA games anymore, arrrhh ain't it nice to be a pirate.... (kidding don't ban me please)

[Lasereth]

Yes, let's all complain about EA purchasing the rights to titles! We wouldn't want EA to keep producing a large amount of quality games! What are we thinking!

-Lasereth

[pan6467]

Well look at the "toy/game" industry as a whole. There are 4 major companies and that is it. Mattel and Hasbro (with non-computer) EA and Sega in computer. I look for a Hasbro/EA merger very soon and Mattel and Sega will be gone totally.

Another possibility is Sega starts going online with their games through services like Yahoo! and they work something out where Sega will supply Yahoo! exclusively with high quality online games. Or Sega works a deal that allows them control of X-Box or Playstation. There are many possibilities. By controlling that Yahoo! type gaming aspect you can demonstrate your product's quality for "free", bring out samples of your "In-store" games and develop a very loyal customer base.

But necessity is the drive that will fuel someone else to come along and figure out a way to create better games and distribute them more inexpensively.

Monopolies only last a short time before they burn themselves out and quality demands competition.... look at Atari, Commodore, etc...

Besides all Sega truly has to do is put the city in their game let you choose the "name" of the team and players.... that's NFL/MLB/NCAA/whatever enough. I don't see what the big deal is in creating a "Randy Moss" on a non-NFL game.... what is EA going to do, sue you for creating a "licensed player" in your own home?

[Jimellow]

My take on this particular move is that it's good, for the football games..

With EA gaining exclusivity to the NFL, the chances of Sega Sports being able to put out a "complete" product is very slim, and therefore EA might as well get the ESPN liscense so they can implement it and better their product.

Generally though, I am opposed to this trend that both companies have of buying exclusivity in a certain sport.. It seems Sega is looking to get MLB exclusivity, and regardless of what sport is affected, it's bad for the consumer IMO.

[Prophecy]

Originally Posted by Jimellow

My take on this particular move is that it's good, for the football games..

With EA gaining exclusivity to the NFL, the chances of Sega Sports being able to put out a "complete" product is very slim, and therefore EA might as well get the ESPN liscense so they can implement it and better their product.

Generally though, I am opposed to this trend that both companies have of buying exclusivity in a certain sport.. It seems Sega is looking to get MLB exclusivity, and regardless of what sport is affected, it's bad for the consumer IMO.

I agree with you whole heartedly, doesn't mean I like EA sports any more for it. They already own liscenses for the NFL, NASCAR, FIFA, and the AFL.

I'm personally sticking to college football games now anyway. Still I do commend EA for having the ability to get their hands on the exclusive rights. However, grabbing the EPSN liscense sounds like nothing other than a big "F You" to Sega and Visual Concepts. (No one wonder Sega is selling the developer to Take Two Interactive.)

Congrats again to EA for out bidding everyone else, but I'm one person that's never planning to buy another one of their sports titles again. I hope my resolve can extend to non sports titles as well

[omega2K4]

Take Two to get MLB exclusive? NBA to sell genre exclusive licenses?
January 18, 2005 - I can't ever remember a more tumultuous time in the history of sports video games. And just when you think you know it all, another bomb is dropped on your lap.

EA buys the NFL exclusive. EA buys the ESPN exclusive.

But now, here comes the counterpunch.

Rumors are circulating that the Take Two/Visual Concepts team is in negotiations to buy the exclusive MLB license, and negotiations are almost final. Visual Concepts is the company I had mentioned in a previous column as the ones who went out and locked up a long term deal with Major League Baseball after the NFL exclusive was announced, and now it looks like they were not only granted a long term deal, but are about to make it an exclusive. Word is, it could be an exclusive third party contract, meaning first-party publishers like Sony (989), Microsoft, and Nintendo will still be able to publish games using the real players and teams, but surprisingly, it's mega power EA who will be cut out of the loop.

On the NBA front, rumors are spreading throughout the industry that the league is now looking to sell genre-specific exclusives once current deals expire, meaning they want one company to publish sims (NBA Live, NBA 2K5), one to publish street-style games (NBA Street V3, NBA Ballers), and one to publish portables. Sources tell IGN Sports that there is already some major money on the table for each deal, and it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out. The NBA has rejected initial bids for the all-encompassing exclusive, taking the competition from the courts to the negotiating table.

I got this from http://sports.ign.com/articles/580/580468p1.html

And since when does EA actually publish 'quality' games? I had no idea. The only few games that actually look good they are publishing (sometime soon) is Oddworld Stranger and Battlefield 2. More than half of their shit is movie-licensed garbage, rehashed sports titles, or even more Medal of Honor games.

[hulk]

EA is the devil.

hulk - President of the EA is the Devil Club.

[Lasereth]

Originally Posted by omega2K4

And since when does EA actually publish 'quality' games? I had no idea. The only few games that actually look good they are publishing (sometime soon) is Oddworld Stranger and Battlefield 2. More than half of their shit is movie-licensed garbage, rehashed sports titles, or even more Medal of Honor games.

EA has published games in the PAST, ya know. Just because there aren't many games on the horizon doesn't mean that they're not a good publisher. Let's see...

Battlefield 1942
Battlefield Vietnam
SSX
SSX Tricky
SSX 3
Need for Speed - all of them are good except maybe 1 or 2 out of 10+
The Sims
Burnout 3
Medal of Honor (there may be a lot, but you can't deny the quality of some of them)
The Two Towers
Return of the King
Alpha Centauri
Sim City
Black and White
Command and Conquer
Ultima Online
Freedom Fighters
Undying
Earth and Beyond
System Shock
Knockout Kings
Sled Storm
Beetle Adventure Racing

That's a list of some of the quality games they've published. Saying EA is a bad publisher is like saying SquareEnix has no reputation.

-Lasereth

[Rdr4evr]

I don't think the point is that EA doesn't publish quality games, it's that the quality will degrade without competition.

[Justsomeguy]

Originally Posted by Lasereth

EA has published games in the PAST, ya know. Just because there aren't many games on the horizon doesn't mean that they're not a good publisher. Let's see...

Battlefield 1942
Battlefield Vietnam
SSX
SSX Tricky
SSX 3
Need for Speed - all of them are good except maybe 1 or 2 out of 10+
The Sims
Burnout 3
Medal of Honor (there may be a lot, but you can't deny the quality of some of them)
The Two Towers
Return of the King
Alpha Centauri
Sim City
Black and White
Command and Conquer
Ultima Online
Freedom Fighters
Undying
Earth and Beyond
System Shock
Knockout Kings
Sled Storm
Beetle Adventure Racing

That's a list of some of the quality games they've published. Saying EA is a bad publisher is like saying SquareEnix has no reputation.

-Lasereth

I see one, maybe two game2 that I somewhat enjoyed in that list. Not to say that they were not popular. Alot of other people may like those games in the list. However, in my opinion most of it is just "trendy" pieces of shit.

[hulk]

Did you, Las, notice the hubbub over the unpaid overtime issue? The compulsary, unpaid overtime? Just because they've bought good development houses in the past doesn't mean they're a good publisher. They didn't create the titles, but bought the companies that did with the sole intention of monopolising the industry. Their bottom line is profit, and they're so concerned with that the developer is driven to the point of exhaustion with little or no reward for it.

And now this. In the last few months, they've done their best to eliminate all competition with their NFL/American AFL, bought a hostile stake in Ubisoft, and now this 15 year agreement with ESPN. My bet is they won't stop there, not by a long shot.

[japhyryder]

Las most of those game were originally published/developed by other people. All of the Sim games were originally Maxis, Need for Speed used to be Test Drive with was once Acollade (sp?) EA in not a very creative company, nor do they publish many games that are of good quality. They definately are one of the companies I read the review on before I take a chance on the game. It almost seem sometimes that reviewers give EA games a better score then they deserve because they are EA games.

Well each to there own, I wouldn't be surprised if the courts don't get involved with this... Someday...

[Lasereth]

You guys are all reminding me that EA didn't develop the games I listed -- of course they didn't. I'm not arguing about their developing, I'm arguing about their publishing. Someone said that EA does not publish quality games. That's crap. They publish tons of quality games. Their development studios are a different story. If they make crap games with their new licenses, then let the EA bashing flow in!

-Lasereth