ELECTRONIC ARTS EXTENDS NFL LICENSING DEAL – WORLD WEEPS

In a move that is sure to be reviled by many gamers, Electronic Arts has announced that they have reached a deal with the NFL and the NFL Players Association to extend the exclusivity agreement signed in 2004 through the end of the 2012 season.

"REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – February 12, 2008 – Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS) today announced an extension of its exclusive licensing relationships with the National Football League and NFL PLAYERS to develop, publish and distribute interactive football video games.  These agreements – which were negotiated separately and are extensions of contracts originally signed in December 2004 – provide EA continued rights to NFL teams, stadiums and players for its critically-acclaimed and best-selling football videogames through the end of the 2012 season, which culminates in February 2013.

Both agreements include all aspects of the interactive experience, including console and handheld games as well as console-based online features.  The agreements also provide EA access to both NFL Films and the NFL Network to enrich its game experiences.  Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed." – Electronic Arts press release

I can't begin to tell you just how disappointed I am right now. I've been waiting patiently for the original deal to expire in hopes that the at it's expiration, the NFL would come to it's senses and put an end to this "exclusive license" crap. Simply put, any company – whether it's EA, 2K or anyone else – needs to have competition in order to really move a series forward. All the NFL has done here is given EA carte blanche to sit on it's laurels making minor tweaks and changes to each year's edition of Madden knowing that fans will have no choice but to pick up their product if they want to play with current rosters.

Personally, I hope in response 2K chooses to scrap the All-Pro Football "legends" concept and simply release a game that has the same local teams and players just without using the actual team and player names. Let the players edit (and share) their rosters and team colors to whatever they choose or design and sit back and watch as the game becomes an unofficial NFL product.

*sigh* Check out the links below for more details and the full text of the press release.

• Electronic Arts – Company website
• National Football League – Official website
• National Football League Players Association – Official website
• EA Extends Interactive Videogame Agreements with NFL and NFL Players – Press release

GRAND THEFT AUTO IV DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT NOW XBOX 360 EXCLUSIVE

Call it another blow to Sony’s chances for a good holiday season…

Some time ago, Rockstar Games announced that not only would Grand Theft Auto IV be coming to both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but that each title would be getting it’s own exclusive downloadable content for the game sometime after launch.

Apparently, that plan has been changed. GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, has confirmed that only the Xbox 360 version of the game will be seeing any exclusive content – meaning those players wanting the full GTAIV experience will need to play the game on Microsoft’s console.

"Talk of an exclusive deal began following the release of Take-Two’s Q2 financial report on Tuesday. The report stated that the episodic content would be released on 360 during the 2008 fiscal year – with no mention of PlayStation 3.

Now a company representative has told GI.biz, “The Grand Theft Auto IV episodic content is exclusive to Xbox 360.”" – GamesIndustry.biz

My take? This is going to hurt Sony and hurt them bad. For those still waiting on the sidelines of the console wars, this could be a determining factor in their decision to go with the 360 or PS3 and I’m quite sure gamers who have both systems may now lean towards the 360’s offering regardless of console preference.

Is there a chance that any good news can come out of this for the folks over at Sony? Sure there is – There’s been no explanation of exactly what Microsoft and Rockstar have agreed to, and given Rockstar’s past record with exclusivity agreements, there’s always a chance the content will eventually find it’s way to the PS3 as well. I just wouldn’t expect the PS3 version to have anything the 360 one doesn’t.

• GTA IV episodic content exclusive to 360, confirms Take-Two – GamesIndustry.biz
• Grand Theft Auto IV – Official website
• Take-Two Interactive – Company website
• Rockstar Games – Company website

VIRTUA FIGHTER 5 TO BE PS3 EXCLUSIVE

Gamespot is reporting that the next chapter in Sega’s Virtua Fighter franchise, Virtua Fighter 5, will be appearing exclusively on the Playstation 3.

NEXT CALL OF DUTY WILL BE CONSOLE EXCLUSIVE

Gamespot is reporting that Activision announced today that based on sales, the next Call of Duty game will not be appearing on PC, but will instead be a next-generation console exclusive. An item of some small consolation to PC gamers is that the next title in the series is runored to be a spin-off game and not a true sequel. Check out the Gamespot article here for more details.