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Posted by TigerClaw on Jan-18-2005 04:56:

EA to own the ESPN license

Just when you thought things could get worst with EA owning the rights to the NFL, This happens.

This posted from Gamespot.com.

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.

Posted by kypez on Jan-18-2005 05:55:

Madden 2005 is amazing. Thats all i gotta say.

Posted by InterMilan31 on Jan-18-2005 14:41:

ummm isnt this good news ea owns espn football now they litterally do.

Posted by TigerClaw on Jan-19-2005 01:19:

quote:
Originally posted by InterMilan31
ummm isnt this good news ea owns espn football now they litterally do.

It's bad news, EA is trying to eliminate the competition, Cause of that, Gamers can only purchase madden if they want to play an NFL game, Thats just so wrong, The NFK2k games are far superior from it, Better graphics, Gameplay, And the players look better, In the Madden games, The graphics look the same every year.

Posted by TeKnoHe@d2025 on Jan-19-2005 03:29:

I fear the future for EA, they've got lawsuits all over the place and I just hope they can stay afloat. I don't say that because I feel for EA, I just like alot of the companies that they're purchasing. They've been looking at Ubi Soft next (Prince of Persia, and Splinter Cell series to name a couple). The only reason why they haven't gone through with the deal yet is because of Ubi's financial problems.

If EA goes down then a large portion of the gaming industry will take a hit now. Does anyone else see EA trying to make their own console next?

As for EA and ESPN teaming up, word has it that EA may drop the Madden name which is getting more expensive to keep each year and develop football games under another title.

Posted by TheDemon on Jan-19-2005 04:00:

Hmmmm...first Ubisoft, now WSPN.
EA bought a certain ammount of stock from ubisoft and they were not happy. lets see how this goes.

Posted by InterMilan31 on Jan-19-2005 22:34:

quote:
Originally posted by TigerClaw
It's bad news, EA is trying to eliminate the competition, Cause of that, Gamers can only purchase madden if they want to play an NFL game, Thats just so wrong, The NFK2k games are far superior from it, Better graphics, Gameplay, And the players look better, In the Madden games, The graphics look the same every year.

I would say that Madden game sare better than the ESPN series. Although the ESPN Hockey & Basketball teaming up with the EA line will be really good.

Posted by TigerClaw on Jan-21-2005 20:26:

quote:
Originally posted by InterMilan31
I would say that Madden game sare better than the ESPN series. Although the ESPN Hockey & Basketball teaming up with the EA line will be really good.

I seriously doubt that, I played the madden and ESPN games and noticed a huge difference, The ESPN games are far superior in terms of the controls, Gameplay and graphics.

Posted by DJPrototypeX on Jan-21-2005 21:44:

this is really stupid.. EA smelled some competition and pissed its pants. really great move EA. eliminating the competition so you dont have to worry about the quality of your games. they were afraid of the competition and this is where it led.

EA = idiots

Posted by infinity HiGH on Jan-21-2005 22:38:

quote:
Originally posted by TeKnoHe@d2025
I fear the future for EA, they've got lawsuits all over the place and I just hope they can stay afloat. I don't say that because I feel for EA, I just like alot of the companies that they're purchasing. They've been looking at Ubi Soft next (Prince of Persia, and Splinter Cell series to name a couple). The only reason why they haven't gone through with the deal yet is because of Ubi's financial problems.

If EA goes down then a large portion of the gaming industry will take a hit now. Does anyone else see EA trying to make their own console next?

As for EA and ESPN teaming up, word has it that EA may drop the Madden name which is getting more expensive to keep each year and develop football games under another title.

You fear for EA? what the hell? I think EA would do everyone a favour if they called it quits. They're almost single-handedly responsible for eliminating any creativity this industry has to offer by buying out small development houses to acquire the rights to their games and then fire developers.

Look at what happend with the James Bond franchise since they got it. They're the kings of mediocrity.

As for them buying Ubi-Soft; they already bought 20% of their shares, which they claim is not a hostile move, even though both Ubi-Soft, French competitor Infograms, and even the French government see it as one, and are willing to step in and help Ubi-Soft out if EA tries to take over.

And while you're right, the industry would suffer a pretty big blow if EA closed it's doors, it would ultimately benefit it.