Will they ever stop?

[Nectar]

EA Invests in UbiSoft Entertainment; Acquires Approximately 19.9 Percent Equity in Global Game Company (http://investor.ea.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=88189&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=656060&highlight=)

[Shane R. Monroe]

NAAAWWWWWW.... THERE ARE NO MONOPOLIES ... THERE IS NO DANGER FROM THIS SORT OF THING. STOP BEING JEALOUS OF COMPANIES MAKING MONEY AND DOING BUSINESS. DOESN'T AFFECT ME ....

Sigh ...

[Darksol]

In Jan 2005 issue of Fortune magazine EA was a highly recommended stock. They presented a very compelling case to buy it. But its pretty high at $52 right now. Ah making money at the expense of EA_spouse :)

[jamcat]

"NAAAWWWWWW.... THERE ARE NO MONOPOLIES ... THERE IS NO DANGER FROM THIS SORT OF THING. STOP BEING JEALOUS OF COMPANIES MAKING MONEY AND DOING BUSINESS. DOESN'T AFFECT ME ...."

Hahaha, that's funny! It's amusing to see people making a mountain out of a ant hill. The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Danger Will Robinson, EA is buying up everybody! Oh no! Geez, it's only video games. Some of you act as if it was the end of the world over this silly EA crap. It's becoming a soap opera with gamers. It's all business. The big fish eat the little fish. Then watch Sony or Microsoft buy EA and everybody will bitch and moan about that, yada yada yada.

[Bryan 'KidHype' Smith]

Heh..and you guys thought EA just couldnt afford to pay their employees overtime. Nah, they took all that extra money and went SHOPPING.

Oh, and next year, when all those people bitching about sh*tty working conditions publicly get mysteriously laid off, it will be under the guise of "restructuring"

So, jamcat, its ok to screw over employees and customers in order to make a buck since its just video games? When does it become morally wrong to f*ck people (consumers and employees alike) over? When it has something to do with your bottom line? The way you live, eat and sleep? Since you don't work for EA or M$ or Sony, its ok for them to f*ck everyone over and sabotage markets? Since EA no longer has competiton in the Football market, EA can now price madden 2005 at $100 a pop and guess what, if you like real football with real NFL teams and stadiums, you have to suck it up and take it. But wait, thats ok to jamcat cause he doesn't like football and wouldn't buy it anyways cause, its just videogames. If you told jamcat tomorrow that his water company was bought by EA and they were going to charge $10 a gallon for usage, he'd be screaming its a outrage.

How about instead of being a selfish twit about things and becoming proactive only when it either becomes too late or so out of control you have no choice, get in at the beginning when "Things weren't so bad" and doing something about it like boycotting companies who try to force monopolies down your throat?

[WorknMan]

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Danger Will Robinson, EA is buying up everybody! Oh no! Geez, it's only video games.

If you can't see the parallels between what EA and the rest of the corporate world is doing, you're just not paying attention. This consolidating will continue until there's only 1 or 2 corporations that control everything, including the government.

(Sorry, I'm a conspiracy theorist)

[sci]

December 20, 2004 - Last week, Electronic Arts, the NFL, and Players Inc. sent shockwaves throughout the gaming industry as they announced an unprecedented five-year exclusivity partnership. But it looks like Electronic Arts had even bigger plans as they also bid on exclusive arrangements with the NBA. Sources have told me, however, that the NBA has rejected EA's initial offer.

source: http://sports.ign.com/articles/574/574539p1.html

[Bloodcat]

Ive tried doing my part and won't purchase any EA games even though there a couple I would like. Sadly, I cannot get many people who are gamers to care.

A shame. This is really our last chance to stop EA until the Left or sane moderates get back into political office.

Its gotta be the people.






Our chances suck ass don't they?

[jamcat]

"So, jamcat, its ok to screw over employees and customers in order to make a buck since its just video games? When does it become morally wrong to f*ck people (consumers and employees alike) over? When it has something to do with your bottom line? The way you live, eat and sleep? Since you don't work for EA or M$ or Sony, its ok for them to f*ck everyone over and sabotage markets? Since EA no longer has competiton in the Football market, EA can now price madden 2005 at $100 a pop and guess what, if you like real football with real NFL teams and stadiums, you have to suck it up and take it. But wait, thats ok to jamcat cause he doesn't like football and wouldn't buy it anyways cause, its just videogames. If you told jamcat tomorrow that his water company was bought by EA and they were going to charge $10 a gallon for usage, he'd be screaming its a outrage."

If company X is the only place in town to get product Z, then I'd just have to suck it up, deal with it, and pay the price. Business is business, and sometimes business isn't fair. Do you think people like say Bill Gates or Donald Trump get where they are by being nice, sweet, kind, and fair? Companies buy up other companies, and companies try to sabotage markets every day. It's part of the business.

"How about instead of being a selfish twit about things and becoming proactive only when it either becomes too late or so out of control you have no choice, get in at the beginning when "Things weren't so bad" and doing something about it like boycotting companies who try to force monopolies down your throat?"

Why should I care what EA does? If EA wants a monopoly over football or all sports games for that matter, I say so what. I'm not into sports games, so it doesn't matter. Honestly I think it's useless and pointless to boycott EA for wanting to control the sports video game market. EA could even buy the exclusive rights to James Bond, Lord Of The Rings, or that Def Jam crap and I still wouldn't care.

As for Sony or Microsoft, if either had a monopoly in the video game industry, I'd have no problem with it. Hell, Nintendo pretty much has a monopoly in the handheld market, but nobody is squaking about that.

[jamcat]

"A shame. This is really our last chance to stop EA until the Left or sane moderates get back into political office."

Hahaha, now THAT is funny!

Oh yes, the government should just stop tending to S*E*R*I*O*U*S matters like the "war on terror" and focus on S*T*U*P*I*D issues like EA wanting to dominate the sports game market in the video game industry.

Sure, lets let the terrorists run free to kill and destroy, but we must not let EA have a monopoly. Hahaha!

[WorknMan]

Sure, lets let the terrorists run free to kill and destroy, but we must not let EA have a monopoly. Hahaha!

Ya know, I actually stuck up for you in another thread but after reading this, I changed my mind. While I agree with you that the whole NFL thing really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, your notion of "business is business" is taking things a little too far.
This is not important to you because it's not personal, and that's fine. But calling people idiots who do care about this is a little over the top. Trust me - if it hasn't happened yet, some corporation is going to come along and take away something you love, all in the name of business. And, I promise you .. even if what you are losing isn't as important as world hunger or the war on terror, you're going to care. Even if you don't speak out against it, it's still going get to you.

Let me use an analogy so you understand my point:
Let's say somebody breaks in your house and steals $20. When you get pissed about it and are ready to hunt the guy down so you can kick his ass, someone turns to you and says: "Hey, why are you all upset? At least he didn't steal your car!!"
People are saying it's more the principle of the whole thing rather than the actual loss. People are getting tired of corporations jerking them around in the name of business.

[Darksol]

"A shame. This is really our last chance to stop EA until the Left or sane moderates get back into political office."

Hahaha, now THAT is funny!

Oh yes, the government should just stop tending to S*E*R*I*O*U*S matters like the "war on terror" and focus on S*T*U*P*I*D issues like EA wanting to dominate the sports game market in the video game industry.

Sure, lets let the terrorists run free to kill and destroy, but we must not let EA have a monopoly. Hahaha!

Yeah like the department of the defense has anything to do with the department of justice. These are two completely separate things.

Think a few minutes before you start typing. It helps, trust me.

[Bryan 'KidHype' Smith]

Yeah like the department of the defense has anything to do with the department of justice. These are two completely separate things.

Think a few minutes before you start typing. It helps, trust me.
I dont jamcat saw the video about Posting..and you.

[jamcat]

I call them (the 14,000+ people who signed that petition) "idiots" because I really don't see the reason why they are getting their panty's in a bunch and all worked up over what EA has done.

It's just a frickin deal over stupid sports video games. It's N*O*T a dire major event. The way people have reacted to this matter, you'd think it was a disaster. That is what blows my mind, how people can get worked up over the most stupid and meaningless of things.

Again, business is business. Game companies like EA don't make games because they "love" gamers. No, EA is in the game to make MONEY. And like any business, they do what they can to keep making it. If that means cutting Sega out of the sports pie, then so be it. Sega snoozed and they lost. If EA didn't do it, somebody else would have.

Though I bet these gamers would be HYPOCRITES if Sega snagged the NFL rights. Oh yes, they'd be happy as punch and think it would be the best thing since sliced bread for Sega to have it. But since EA has it, they are pissed as hell and are screaming monopoly.

If you don't like what EA has done, that's cool. Voice your opinion with your wallet by not buying their products. But going off the deep end and saying stuff in a petition like "EA sucks my dick" or "ESPN ROOLZ" is a quite CHILDISH way to express dislike for what EA has done, and isn't going to change anything.

Again, it's all about making money. Thats what happens when video games go from a small market to a multi-billion dollar industry that surpasses the movie industry.

[kittendaddy]

The way people have reacted to this matter, you'd think it was a disaster. That is what blows my mind, how people can get worked up over the most stupid and meaningless of things.
I'm taking bets. How many people, among those 14000 "idiots" has gotten as worked up about this topic as jamcat has in this thread? 8000? 6000? Any?

Jamcat, buddy, shouldn't you be fighting the war on terror or somesuch? Get to it!

[Bloodcat]

Oh yeah since Jamcat wants to bring the war into it...

IM AGAINST THAT ONE TOO. Even moreso than EA's megamonopoly on gaming. Because the war is needlessly killing people, American and Iraqi. Go watch the special Hardball had last week showing a medical millitary recovery center and the housing system people have provided for soldiers' families. It would break most people's hearts.

Sadly, 59 million of my fellow Americans are asshats, ignorant, or just plain easily mislead and voted in the guy that destroyed a few hundred thousand lives in their attempts to show the world we are as ignorant as the stereotype says we are and OMG gay people might marry and we just can't have that!

So if you want to argue that I don't know what's going on around me Jamcat you have failed miserably.

However I did not go into it into my post because ITS GOT F**KALL TO DO WITH VIDEOGAMES.

While I might not have Shane's massive hate on for large corporations I don't have any love for them either, especially when they act as EA and to a lesser extent (at least in the gaming arena anyhow) Microsoft and Nintendo (though mostly in the old days. They try that stuff still but most people laugh at them). See one can be a big buy em all up corporation and not totally stifle creativity or bone over the customer. Which is why not too many people complain about Hasbro even though they mostly OWN the tabletop gaming industry and have a huge chunk of the toy market. (Plus they mostly stick to english speaking countries and liscensee/liscensor stuff from the other ones.)

EA has constantly gutted companies they buy, force them to release cookie cutter expansion packs yet sell them as sequels, and is trying to clearly remove any genuine competition and threat to their top selling sports games. So they can work less on them but charge more. They also horribly overwork their employees (nobody should ever need to work more than 60 hours a week. EVER. Even that is too much, but beyond that mistakes and fatigue cause less work to happen if not cause more work to be made! I was in the millitary. I know this first hand.), and kill promising games for no good reason.

There were TWO in beta Ultima Online sequels cancelled just so they wouldn't compete with the original game. This cost a lot of hard working people jobs and shows how clueless such a large company can be. Cancelled in alpha stages or not gone beyond design docs? Sure! Having a game that's less than 6 months or so till release and dropping it just so it doesn't compete with a then 4 and now 7 year old game? WTF?

EA is a BAD COMPANY. They stifle creativity and buy out anyone who has any, only to force them to crap out sequels to their formerly original hit till it starts failing then it gets dropped.

THEY KILLED WESTWOOD, KESMAI, AND ORIGIN SYSTEMS!

That should be enough to damn them in the annals of gaming history alone!

[yuckymucky]

As for Sony or Microsoft, if either had a monopoly in the video game industry, I'd have no problem with it. Hell, Nintendo pretty much has a monopoly in the handheld market, but nobody is squaking about that.

Perhaps you need a lesson on how a monopoly works. If Nintendo bought the GameGear, and the WonderSwan, and then the PSP, then they killed them all off and made a Gameboy that played all their old games and they charged a massive amount then that would be a monopoly.

Nintendo has no monopoly in the handheld market, there is competition now more then ever. Just because everybody else has made a product that didn't appeal to the masses that doesn't make them a monopoly.

People that I work with are pissed off about the whole EA thing because they all play Madden and the ESPN games and they are now worried that the Madden will be $80 next year because of this. I personally don't really care either way but I don't think that this is move that is good for the consumer.

[WorknMan]

Though I bet these gamers would be HYPOCRITES if Sega snagged the NFL rights. Oh yes, they'd be happy as punch and think it would be the best thing since sliced bread for Sega to have it. But since EA has it, they are pissed as hell and are screaming monopoly.

Maybe not, because like you, they don't care until it hits close to home. However, I bet Madden fans would be in an uproar if the shoe was on the other foot. See, it's all fine and good for corporations to do their thing, until it's your ox that gets gored.
It's just like outsourcing - some people say its good for the economy. Ok then, let's outsource their jobs if they're so damn fond of outsourcing. Let their asses stand in the unemployment line while they tell everybody how much outsourcing benefits us all.

[kittendaddy]

Pfft. If Sega pulled the same stunt, 70% of the people would be just as angry and 30% would allow it because "poor widdle Sega needs all the help it can get".

The reaction for EA has been worse than it would be for Sega because EA is viewed as the Microsoft of gaming - they're most poised to actually keep up this momentum and become that monopoly. They're also rolling in bad PR right now, with the recently published way they treat their employees. I don't think exclusivity of any sort from any company would have resulted in a warm fuzzy feeling, but I'll allow that EA is getting a stronger negative reaction than others would.

[jamcat]

"Yeah like the department of the defense has anything to do with the department of justice. These are two completely separate things.

Think a few minutes before you start typing. It helps, trust me."


Like what the f--k ever! The point of the comment was that the government has more important things to worry about than some f--king video game company getting exclusive rights from the NFL. I'm sure the government could care less about some over hyped gamers crying monopoly. When government does look at video games, it's only to jump on the "video game sex & violence" bandwagon. Madden Football is not Grand Theft Auto, so they are not going to care. Though men dressed in spandex outfits fighting over control of a ball does have some very heavy homosexual overtones. By the way, for people like Darksol who need things to be pointed out to them to be clear, the spandex comment was meant as a joke. I'm sure if I didn't make that clear, Darksol would make another comment asking what homosexuals have to do with EA.

Why don't you try using your brain to get the point of the comment.

I used the "war on terror" because that is the biggest MOST IMPORTANT issue on hand.

Ok Darksol, go make up a online petition to the department of justice over this EA crap and lets see where it gets you. I'm sure you will get the same gamers saying "EA sucks my dick" and "ESPN ROOLZ" and the department of justice is just going to laugh and ignore your little petition.

[jamcat]

I said Nintendo has a monopoly in the handheld market because they pretty much DOMINATE the handheld market. The Game Boy line killed the Lynx, Game Gear, Nomad, Game.com, and the Neo Geo Pocket.

And while I think the DS is a gimmick, I'm sure, being a Nintendo handheld product, it will dominate over the Sony PSP.

And, if and when Nintendo comes out with the next Game Boy Evolution, or whatever the next new Game Boy system will be called, I'm sure that will dominate as well.

That is why I say Nintendo pretty much has a monopoly in the handheld market. Nobody has yet to top them and they continue to dominate. Nintendo is basically the Microsoft of the handheld market.

[jamcat]

Ok, I'll use something I love... Atari.

I don't like what companies like Hasbro, and now currently Infogrames, have done with the Atari name. And that is just to slap the name on their own product in hopes that it will sell more on brand recognition of the Atari name.

I feel Driver 3 would have sold just as well under the Infogrames label if they didn't slap the Atari name on it.

Do I like what is being done with the great Atari name? No! But I'm not going to rant & rave about it to the point of going off the deep end and making a stupid online petition, and filling it with comments like "Infogrames is $#!t" or "Bruno Bonell (the company president) sucks my dick!"

Why? Because that's business. Companies buy the rights to old companies, or old company names all the time. Again, it's business.

I don't like it, but I suck it up and deal with it because that is how things go in the world of business.

IF I loved sports games, I would just as well suck it up and deal with what EA has done.

Going ape$#!t mad is not going to change the business decisions of EA or Infogrames.

And again, IT'S ONLY STUPID VIDEO GAMES! It's not a SERIOUS ISSUE like the "war on terror", education, unemployment, homelessness, and medical care.

[Shane R. Monroe]

Jamcat ... if you cannot corrolate what happens in one market or issue with another, then this WHOLE discussion is pointless.

The same dumbass people that cannot see the forest for the trees are the SAME PEOPLE MAKING MISTAKES ELSEWHERE AND USUALLY FOR THE SAME DUMBASS REASONS.

The SAME PEOPLE that let these sort of attrocities happen HERE are the same people that can have an IN DEPTH 9/11 COMMISSION report put in front of them basically spelling out in BLACK AND WHITE that we went to war with Iraq FOR NO GOOD REASON - but turn around and reelected the dumbass that took us there.

STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES. And "stupid" is NOT limited to computers, video games, or yes, even war, unemployment, and medical care.

You ever watched a court case on TV where the prosecution spends HALF the trial discussing COMPLETELY irrelevant issues to establish a PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR? This is what we're talking about.

Eventually, you'll get bit on the ass hard enough to make you stand up. Its all a matter of time.

[jamcat]

Maybe so, but I still don't think the EA thing is that big of an issue for people to get so worked up over. It's just petty. After all, video games are just a want, not a need. If for example EA becomes the Microsoft of the video game industry, and the industry implodes, crashes, and never comes back because of it, well, life will go on.

Who knows, maybe what EA has done will help to speed up the coming of the second crash. Which, in my opinion, this industry needs to weed out the junk.

[Darksol]

"Yeah like the department of the defense has anything to do with the department of justice. These are two completely separate things.

Think a few minutes before you start typing. It helps, trust me."


Like what the f--k ever! The point of the comment was that the government has more important things to worry about than some f--king video game company getting exclusive rights from the NFL. I'm sure the government could care less about some over hyped gamers crying monopoly. When government does look at video games, it's only to jump on the "video game sex & violence" bandwagon. Madden Football is not Grand Theft Auto, so they are not going to care. Though men dressed in spandex outfits fighting over control of a ball does have some very heavy homosexual overtones. By the way, for people like Darksol who need things to be pointed out to them to be clear, the spandex comment was meant as a joke. I'm sure if I didn't make that clear, Darksol would make another comment asking what homosexuals have to do with EA.



Another mature comment and educated comment. That is probably why your so stuck with the Atari 2600. Your mind hasn't matured since that point in time anyway. Its is interesting that you choose to want to argue with me over this because I was probably the closes thing you got on this forum for support over the EA deal.

HOWEVER , I think your comments about the government being too busy with the 'War on Terror' to focus on doing anything else is erroneous. There are other things going on in this country besides that. The government should care about other things in any industry besides the "It will affect the children." Is that the only behavior, they should take 'preemptive action' on? But they probably won't because the idiots who voted the current administration want to save us from going to Hell. Bush won , but it would have been good to know it was because of people who are really interested in solving our country's problems, not people who are looking to add problems.




Why don't you try using your brain to get the point of the comment.

I used the "war on terror" because that is the biggest MOST IMPORTANT issue on hand.



I did think about it. I think your comparison is erroneous. How is the SEC going to be affected by terror ? If terrorists buy up a majority stake in some major US company ? The EPA , perhaps ? Terrorist are going to burn down our major forests ? Please don't tell me the 'War on Terror' consumes the majority of your thoughts on a day to day basis.

If you haven't figured it out yet, The US INVENTED the 'War on Terror.' For political reasons and because there was a whole ton of money to be made. How much money can you say you made off the war on terror , Jamcat ? Does it you give you a moral superiority advantage ? Why do you care about it so much ? At least I can say that in the business I'm in my company has made a crapload off it , and I have directly benefitted.




Ok Darksol, go make up a online petition to the department of justice over this EA crap and lets see where it gets you. I'm sure you will get the same gamers saying "EA sucks my dick" and "ESPN ROOLZ" and the department of justice is just going to laugh and ignore your little petition.

I never was asking people to come up with an online petition. Any of the correspondance I write is with the utmost respect for whom I addressing along with information on why the issue is important to me and most importantly to whom I am addressing. ( The only reason that person would care anyway is if it helps him personally somehow )

[yuckymucky]

I said Nintendo has a monopoly in the handheld market because they pretty much DOMINATE the handheld market. The Game Boy line killed the Lynx, Game Gear, Nomad, Game.com, and the Neo Geo Pocket.

And while I think the DS is a gimmick, I'm sure, being a Nintendo handheld product, it will dominate over the Sony PSP.

And, if and when Nintendo comes out with the next Game Boy Evolution, or whatever the next new Game Boy system will be called, I'm sure that will dominate as well.

That is why I say Nintendo pretty much has a monopoly in the handheld market. Nobody has yet to top them and they continue to dominate. Nintendo is basically the Microsoft of the handheld market.

You really should learn what monopoly means. Even after what I posted you still don't get it. You used the word dominate in there and that is correct, it dominates the competition. That is NOT a monopoly.

[Bryan 'KidHype' Smith]

I don't think jamcat has ever played Monopoly by Parker Brothers.

The object of monopoly is to own all the property on the board basically controlling the whole game. In monopoly, you can dominate but the game isn't called domination, its called monopoly. When you dominate, even though you might own almost everything, other people you are playing against still have a chance to wheel and deal and tople you and dominate and eventually have the "monopoly".

When you have a monopoly no one can do anything. You are at the whim of the person running the monopoly. Just like the game. If you've ever played monopoly to conclusion, you get to the point that when you lose, its because you had to give your properties to the person holding the monopoly to pay to exist in the game (usually at that point, the person controlling the monopoly, takes all your stuff, drains you dry, and you are out of the game). In the game of monopoly, there is only one winner and when you lose, you have nothing. You can't raise money to get back in the game cause the person with the monopoly owns whatever you were going to use to try and get back in the game.

That is a monopoly. Understand now jamcat?

[Darksol]

I started looking into the financials of EA and it shows they have around 2.5 billion in cash. That is a lot of money to throw around. From a market standpoint I view the 96 million investment in Ubisoft ( Around 20 % ) as a more disturbing act. Ubisoft regards this as a hostile act.

However if you want to make money on EA go for it. It is 62.46 up from 59 earlier this week and it is probably going to hit $70 before it stops. This has been a real good year for EA and why shouldn't it have been :) ? They're working everyone to death (literally )

Edit: This NFL deal is going to win big with them. Already companies like Reebok are going to sign up for advertising in their NFL games now that they are the only ones to negotiate with.

[YoshiM]

Wow, this thread is getting as hot as the grill at a weenie roast.

First off (I don't want to continue to spin the thread way off course): the "War on Terror". It's about as important as the War on Drugs, War on Poverty and...is there another "War on" I might have forgotten. The only difference is it's now televised, homogenized and sensationalized for the masses just like every other "major" news story we see at 6:00. People don't seem to realize that "terror" has always been out there. The people didn't care until something big happened (9/11). Now with that and thanks to a media that makes sure we don't ever forget it's on the front of a lot of brains. But to use that as a primary concern is just dumb. Life must go on. If you can't continue to function without the worry of some guy running up to the post office with bombs strapped to his body or some dude on a plane that *could* take it over using a spork, the terrorists won.

Annnyway, back to the thread at hand...

While it may not affect the world as a whole, EA's actions can affect a LOT of people's favorite past time. For one is Sega. Other than the ESPN series what do the "general public" associate them with? Sonic and.... Sad to say I'd be hard pressed to say that the common gamer (whose money well exceeds the "hard core" or "retro-movement" crowd [ie those who typically stick by classic companies like Sega or Nintendo]) would blurt out "Panzer Dragoon Orta", "Gunvalkrie" or maybe even "Outrun". The NFL2K series has been a positive staple for those who want to a supplement to or ignore the Madden franchise. The loss of the NFL license is gonna hurt Sega as practically no one will buy a popular sports-based game without the ol' familiar players and teams. We've had licensed games for so long now many won't be able to "go back" to when we just had player numbers and city names for teams. If team licenses didn't mean jack, why did Madden 64 (even though it was a superior title) flop compared to QB Club? And don't say it was lack of an audience.

Let's not forget that this NFL license will create the ultimate temptation: to not really improve the game. When you have a hot property like Madden that will pretty much sell no matter what, investors and management alike would be hard pressed to not make major improvements but just roster updates and graphic tweaks. Reduced work + charge the same = lots more bucks than last season. Love 'em or not, Nintendo is the king of rehash. Even if the games are great, you have to still back up and say "hey, didn't I play this LAST gen?"

Now with EA seeming out to gobble everything in sight, what's the impact going to be? If recent titles are any indication, everything's going to be "bland new". Look at the 007 franchise after EA took the reigns. It's been either sickening average (The World is Not Enough, Night Fire) to the mediocre and painful (that 007 based car racer whose title I can't recall). The latest Goldeneye: Rogue Agent is "average" to "limp" depending on the level and online play is about as basic as you can get. Using that as a base, imagine what series like Beyond Good & Evil, Burnout and others are going to become.

[Shane R. Monroe]

Buyouts are a problem all around ... Let me paint the lifecycle of the buyout process in 10 Easy Steps...

1) Someone in his garage has a cool idea for meeting a recognized need. His visions is stand alone and focused.
2) He creates the software, adding all the features HE needs to meet the need the software was created to support. At this point, "it works for him".
3) He decides that he should let the world have access to it - probably for free, but maybe a pittance token charge. At this point, his vision and software are still secure.
4) Then, the vulture users circle. They ask for Feature X and Feature Y. Now, our developer may or may not benefit from adding these features. Maybe he picks his own favorite first to implement, then starts adding the other stuff. His original vision is now tainted, if not stained.
5) Since he's building this software for "other people" now, he decides to charge a fair price for his work. This commits him to continuing to support the people that purchased it. The project and vision have probably changed at this point. He, himself, might even still be using an older build because it meets his original needs.
6) He gets a lucky break and Technet or Cnet cover his product. He's starting to make some serious scratch on this project now. Despite the fact that he never intended his software to support CD burning and FTP - people are asking for it, and he's banking those nice checks now, so he needs to keep the features coming to give it MORE BROAD APPEAL and keep the checks coming in. The vision has been lost at this point; its about cashing the checks now.
7) Its time to 'build whore'. That is, start charging for major build updates, since his product is now getting pretty saturated, and its all but a second job for him now. He spends FAR more time BUILDING the product than using it. What vision he might have once had is very far gone.
8) He's up to V3.0 ... sales are still strong and he's coding away like a little tree monkey. The software went from 87k to 5MB - but its so detached from the original product now, you'd barely recognize it. He's added skin support (and a community has sprung up). The checks are good - he hardly misses his free time anymore.
9) The product has gotten so broad now, that its starting to intrude on a 'big company's product'. Big Company decides to buy the product outright; promising a fat check, steady job (doing what the developer USED to love), and phatty royalties for years to come. Being a good family man, the guy feels he HAS to roll over for the dough, and "Product X By Joe Dude" is now "Big Company Product X" (notice the removal of the byline; Big Company doesn't want products to seem like individuals so stripping off identity is the first task at hand).
10) The developer becomes another no name in a cube somewhere. Pretty much told what to do; no vision required - just get it done by this milestone date, please. He probably doesn't even USE the product anymore - still lovingly runs that old build he made in his garage (he doesn't need Word or Excel integration after all - Big Company decided that). The wonderful tech support he provided is now handled at the level 1 tech support center in India where the common issues like COMCTR32.DLL runtime missing are all written down in a book and spoken back to the customer in broken english. Features are added by a request list from the board of directors or internal managers; the cries from the people he once services go unanswered (or referred to a FAQ buried on the Big Company's website). The product that started out as a labor of love is now the souless asset of some company that will probably can it in a year or or better yet, absorb it into the competing product they bought this guy out for to begin with. Everyone forgets this useful tool was once small, fast, tight - coded with love and a desire to actually make a difference; resigned to live as a third level menu item in some giant app that people use 20% of at best. Our developer is now part of the overworked, underappreciated, and highly underpaid development staff on some other product he could give a rat's ass about. He longs for the day when he was at the helm, still deciding himself what the needs of the product and the people were. Maybe he starts another project at home - this time (he vows) it won't go down like it did before. He won't share it. He won't sell it. He'll have his baby and have his vision.

Wonder how many times this has happened?

[jamcat]

Again, I just don't see the fuss over the matter. If EA wants a lock on sports games, well, let 'em. There are other video games besides sports video games.

As for Sega, it isn't like they can't do anything else. If they can't make sports games, then let them make FPS, platform, puzzle, RPG, or adventure games instead. Hell, with retro packs being popular, they can do a Sega Anthology or Sega Treasures collection for the PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube. I would love to see a collection of all of Sega's SMS, Genesis, and classic arcade games on one disc.

[Shane R. Monroe]

While I totally disapprove of what EA is doing, there is SOME bright light to this. We'll get more arcade evil football games out of it. Frankly, I don't care WHO is playing or what team it is (but I know millions of people won't buy if they can't play so-and-so from some-team). I'm more interested in some more fanciful football. I liked NFL Blitz. I want a pure MK Football. I'd pay to be able to rip the heads off the other team players after the sack. I'd love to be able to charge up the football so I can blast a hole through the torso of an opposing team member. There are many ways I could see football games benefiting from NOT sinking tons of cash into licensing.

The question is; WILL they?

[jamcat]

Like Cyberball 3D. Midway should update/remake the classic Cyberball game to that. And it would be extra sweet if they got the rights to use actual Battletech mech designs in the game.

Or instead of a violent football game, Midway should do like what was done with DOA Volleyball. Make a football game with nearly naked females. I'd buy that for a dollar! Just add bouncing boobs and tons of crotch shots and it'll sell like crazy. Yeah, Victoria's Secret Football. Hell with Madden or ESPN.

[Danny]

Shane it sounds like to me that you're a big fan of Brutal Football on the Amiga CD32... yeah I am to, I still remember "injury time" lol

Yeah EA years ago on the Megadrive did a game called Mutant Leuage Football which rocked to be quite frank. although if you like playing games on you're pc I would sugest playing chaos leauge as that game is pretty much the modern day variant but if more inspired by the classic table top game 'blood bowl'.

[jamcat]

Didn't Midway, at least I think it was Midway, have a cartoony horizontal scrolling football game that had caveman-type characters playing football? I remember you had to avoid things like pits and bones on the field. I forget the name of the game though.

[Shane R. Monroe]

Plenty of opportunity - and now, developers have an EXCUSE to take the concepts back to the innovation drawing board and develop new and exciting titles.

My guess is they will pussy out and simply strip the NFL affiliation and continue doing business the way they always have. Sad.

[Danny]

yeah... I liked those footbal games. One on the main reason why I still play the NES is because of Nintendo World Cup Soccer, ok that's kinda off topic but the reason why I perfer that to most football games because it concentrates on having fun rather than emulating the sport!

[YoshiM]

Again, I just don't see the fuss over the matter. If EA wants a lock on sports games, well, let 'em. There are other video games besides sports video games.

And again, you are looking at things too narrowly. Not everyone likes everything. I know a lot of people primarily play sports games with maybe another title here and there but it's always about sports. One of the big draws is that those games are similar to the "real deal" with players they know. If no one cared why would EA spend that kind of money to get exclusitivity? Because licensed teams, stadiums, players, jerseys, etc. is a Big Deal. Reduce the choice to only EA games and you might find some people playing less or not playing at all. How is that right? Personally, I can game happily without sports games but I can still see how much it sucks for others even though it doesn't affect me.

I guess all we can do is wait to see what kind of impact the deal will have. I have a feeling that "alternative" sports games (like a Mutant League or a Cyberball) will not get crowds interested. We've already got "alternatives" on the market now but they don't seem to get near the attention the licensed games or established franchises (Hot Shots Golf for example) get. I can't see them all of a sudden getting more popular.

[Bryan 'KidHype' Smith]

Its the same as when Atari had exclusive rights to Pacman and botched it all up. In the same process they killed a title like KC Munchkin and it also let Atari get away with making a mediocre title too.

[WorknMan]

Isn't Midway working on a game like Shane describes?

[jamcat]

I'm sure if Sega or Nintendo put out a mascot football game, most people would flock to it. They flock to stuff like Mario Kart, Mario Tennis, and Mario Golf. So I'm sure a Mario Football title would sell well for Nintendo.

As for Sega, they can do the Sonic Football thing. Or to be different, they can make Super Monkey Ball Football. That could be fun. Heck, Super Monkey Ball Bowling was a blast, so why not football?

For me, playing a game with no licensed teams, stadiums, players, jerseys, and such is no big deal. I can just as well play RealSports Baseball or Football on my Atari 2600 and pretend the team I am using is the Chicago Cubs or Chicago Bears. If gamers today can't use their imagination when playing a non-licensed sports game, then that's their problem. Deal with it or don't play, simple as that.

That Midway game is called Blitz: Playmakers. You can read about it here:

http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=14926

From the description, it sounds like it will be like those stupid WWF games with the off-field controversies. And the "behind-the-scenes portraits of player drug use and mayhem" is probably just a excuse to come out with a "urbanized" football game. I can see it now. After the game you can take your player to the hood to "get some azz", or maybe "take out" a rival player by "busting a cap" on him. Yep. Football meets NARC meets Grand Theft Auto. Sounds like garbage to me. I'd rather have football with nearly naked women or robots instead of "Thugball".

[Darksol]

Looks like the French government or another holder might prevent EA's ambitions to take over the French gaming industry :

EA is the one with all the cash. Infogrames, the other big French game company is currently trying to restructure their finances.

http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/041230/323/f9e6u.html

Another rumour floating around is that EA might buy Eidos who put itself up for sale earlier this year. Eidos stocks price is flying because they think they will announce a sale soon.

[jamcat]

EA & Tomb Raider. That'd be something. EA would probably come out with Lara Croft Basketball.

[batwinky]

"From the description, it sounds like it will be like those stupid WWF games with the off-field controversies."

yes those crazy pandas does some strange stuff :P

[JamesJoell]

If EA Continue to dominate we may aswell call the Video gaming industry

SEQUAL

[Darksol]

If EA Continue to dominate we may aswell call the Video gaming industry

SEQUAL


EA is poised to dominate. They cannot be stopped at this point!

[jamcat]

Hmm, maybe EA can buy everybody up, buy the Atari name off of Infogrames, and then call itself Atari. :)

[Shane R. Monroe]

Electronic Atari ... BUYYYYY EEEEEEVERYTHING

[jamcat]

Then the new EA/Atari could put out sports games under the RealSports brand. Just think, RealSports Football 2k5, RealSports Basketball 2k5, etc.

And they can dump the Lord Of The Rings to bring out a series of Swordquest RPGs. :)