Exclusice Licenses for Video Games

As most of us know, EA Sports has paid the NFL a large sum of money to have the EXCLUSIVE rights to the players and the teams and everything NFL. So that means no other video game company can make a football game which includes the NFL or uses the NFL in anyway. I think, Take Two (video game company) (I think Sega Sports) has received the rights to Major League Baseball. Same type of deal that EA has with the NFL.

Now, I hate the prices of video games today and I can just image what the prices will be once the new systems come out in the next months or year. But the past year or two ESPN videogames put their games out for just $20. EA had their game out for $50. EA then had to lower their prices to $30 because they were receiving pretty damn good competition. We all know that EA pretty much as a strong hold on the sporting games but ESPN games have been ranked very close behind especially in football games. I think NFL 2K5 got a better rating than Madden on Gamespot.

Anyway this year Madden has come out back at the $50 price and I'm pissed. No more $30 prices. But the most important thing to me is the quality of the game. Accoriding to Gamespot Madden 2006 was just an 8.2 out of 10 and the year before an 9.0 and a 9.2 the year before that. Now, that EA has an exclusive license they don't have to produce a good product. I'm just hoping ESPN doesn't do that with the baseball games. My question is, what do you guys think about these exclusive licenses and if it is a good thing for the video game industry?

By any chance do u know how much did EA sports pay? Cuz buying exclusive rights for that game is a big deal.

Competition in games is good. We get lower prices and better quality. But with one co. we have a monopoly.

We have the same situation in the UK, EA have the rights to Rugby (they killed the video game), Football (soccer to the Yanks) and pretty much all the other sports we like. Now unfortunately there are other games such as Pro Evolution Soccer 4 (ISS Pro in most countries) which are better and more realistic.

The only let down is that, due to the English Premier League and FIFA/UEFA selling out the rights, the players in games like these do not use their real names in many instances and the team names are all to bollocks as well.

Aston Villa for example becomes West Midlands Village and Liverpool become Mersyside Red etc. Last year the Netherlands team were all called Oranges 002 or Oranges 014 etc.

Now many people still want a realistic footballing game with the correct teams etc but due to the big money of EA sports have to lose out, if they do want names and stadiums etc then they have to play an inferior game.

That sucks dick.

EA have got good sense to capture a certain market but those that prefer another product lose out.

How about having to wait an extra year just to play GTA on Xbox?
I only have a PS2 but why should other people wait?
Do they realistically expect everyone to buy all of the major game systems?
As I casual gamer, I would never want to or be in a position to buy 3 seperate systems.
I will say that it would be cool as hell if you could get Zelda games for PS2 but that will only happen if Nintendo stops making systems and just publishes game titles. (Similar to what Sega did a few years ago)

This just in. EA Sports is making a college baseball game under the name MVP NCAA Baseball. It kind of is exciting to tell you the truth. Hopefully this game is just as good or even better than the Major League Baseball games. If it could be something like NCAA Football that would be awesome. Here is an article for more information.

http://gr.bolt.com/previews/screens/ps2/mvp_06_ncaa_baseball/mvp_06_ncaa_baseball.htm

No. It's dumb just like most software licensing. (I.E. Microsoft corporate CAL's etc)

But I really don't care. I'd rather go out outside and play the real thing than sit in front of a tv and play it on a game

yeah but when its snowing 5 feet in Canada in -10 degree weather and your friends are being pussies, video games can be your only salvation