Beef with EA/NFL

Posted in Games 5 years, 7 months ago.

I case you have not heard, Electronic Arts (publishers of the Madden series of videogames) has recently inked a 5 year exclusive deal with the NFL for rights to all branding, video, and player properties. This simply means that Madden NFL Football will be the only NFL Licensed video game on the market for the next 5 years. No other game will be allowed access to player names, stadiums, and team logos.

Well, since I am a avid gamer and an even more avid sports gamers (NFL, NHL, and Soccer being my favorites) I found this news relatively disturbing. I have purchased both Madden and the ESPN branded NFL video games in the past and have seen first hand what quality competition does to video game developers. With this exclusive deal, many industry insiders are questioning if the makers of ESPN NFL Football will even continue the series. Without this competition from Madden’s largest competitor, will the Madden series still improve year and year out? I find this disturbing so I decided to write a letter (e-mail) to Electronic Arts, the NFL, and the NFL Players Inc. Much to my surprise I received one response (so far) from the NFL’s Brian McCarthy.

Below is the original letter and response.

From: Bradford McGonigle SpyderFCS@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2004 12:44 AM
To: “McCarthy, Brian” mccarthyb@NFL.com
Subject: EA/NFL Exclusive Deal: A Consumers Response

I am writing to you in response to the recent announcement that EA has signed a 5-year exclusive deal with the NFL for rights to their teams, players, etc. I have been a gamer for more then 18 years and I have to say I have never seen anything quite like this. I have played the Madden series from EA Sports since the first days of the Sega Genesis and have continued to purchase the game every year all the way to this year. However, I sadly believe my opinions of both EA and NFL have drastically changed.

It saddens me to know that both EA and the NFL would believe such a deal would be better for consumers overall. With an exclusive deal, gamers and fans of the NFL are all but forced to purchase a particular video game if they wish to experience all that the NFL has to offer. Football video games are simply vehicles for fans to experience the NFL and the NFL as a whole loses the most from this exclusive deal. They limit their exposure and have severely dampened their good standing with the current generation of video gamers both young and old.

While I believe the NFL loses the most, EA has alienated a large portion of their audience. As a true gamer that has played countless EA games over the decades, I have certainly questioned my loyalty to EA because of this exclusive deal. As a soon to graduate Economics student at the University of Georgia, I know that from a business standpoint such exclusive deals are an extremely attractive business venture. However, from a gamers view, such business deals alter my consumer view of the companies involved. As I have said, I have played the Madden series since it’s inception and it typically remains my most played game year after year. Unfortunately, my enjoyment of the Madden series will be forever altered as a result of what seems to be an anti-competitive deal between EA and the NFL.

I know that these e-mails are rarely read and even more rarely taken seriously but I would like you to know that gamers worldwide are extremely upset with this exclusive deal. I am an active member of many of a largest gaming website message boards and the buzz around is nothing but negative. Even die-hard Madden fans have said that this deal is bad overall for the football video game industry.

Bradford McGonigle
SpyderFCS@aol.com

Brian McCarthy’s Response

From: “McCarthy, Brian” mccarthyb@NFL.com
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2004 1:42:00 PM
To: “Bradford McGonigle” SpyderFCS@aol.com
Subject: RE: EA/NFL Exclusive Deal: A Consumers Response

Why did you assume I would not respond to your email? I don’t mind
responding to well-crafted emails, such as yours.

We believe that by working with one licensee we will be able to better provide EA with the resources to publish the best NFL games in thefuture. EA will be able to tap into NFL Films and NFL Network for music, video and audio unlike ever before. EA will be able to work more closely with NFL players and more of them.

EA has incentive to come out with great games because if it doesn’t you and others won’t buy them and that affects us as well. You will move on to non-NFL football games or other sports games.

Good luck as you finish up at Georgia.