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.
February 13, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Announcements, Electronic Arts, Exclusives, Football, Madden, Opinion |
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A demo of Electronic Arts’ NFL Tour for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in Canada and The United States via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 710MB.
Please note: As of late November 2007, it appears that Microsoft has re-instituted the one week wait before free content becomes available to Xbox Live Silver members. As such, if you're not an Xbox Live Gold member, this demo most likely won't be available for download until sometime next week.
January 11, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Demo, Electronic Arts, Football, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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Yes, we’re focusing on All Pro Football 2K8 yet again today. Gamespot has posted another preview of the game in which they take a closer look at the special abilities players can have in the game. If you’re a little confused as to what that means, let me explain; In addition to the usual stats all players have, the “Legendary” players all have special attributes that are used to make them play more like they did during their NFL careers. For example, a player that was king of the late-game comeback may have the “4th quarter comeback ability” – which increases all that players stats during the 4th quarter. It’s one of the little things that 2K Sports is doing to try and make the title stand out.
Now that you know what the special attributes are all about, let’s take a look at the full list of them as per Gamespot;
- Signal Stealer — Press X with our QB or defender to try to steal your opponent’s plays.
- Scrambler — QB is talented at throwing the ball out of the pocket.
- Rocket Arm — QB has top-flight arm strength with QB charge.
- Quick Release — QB has a quick throwing motion.
- Pocket Presence — QB is at his best when in the pocket.
- Play Fake — QB’s play action fake is great at fooling defenders.
- Pass Threat — QB’s threat of passing makes draw plays more lethal.
- Laser Arm — Pinpoint accuracy with QB charge.
- Deception — QB’s pump fakes are more likely to deceive defenders.
- Cadence — QB’s cadence is good at drawing defenders offside.
- 4th Quarter Comeback — QB is at his best when trailing in the 4th quarter.
- Strength Bonus — Player has top-notch strength for his position.
- Stamina Bonus — Player doesn’t tire easily.
- Speed Burner — Player has top-notch speed for his position.
- Secure Ball Bonus — Player is good at holding onto the football.
- Run Coverage — Player is good against the run and when pursuing ball carriers.
- Quick Feet — Player has top-notch agility for his position.
- Leadership Bonus — Player makes his teammates better.
- Hops — Player has excellent jumping ability.
- Durability Bonus — Player is resilient to injuries and very dependable.
- Acrobatic Catches — Player is able to make difficult circus catches.
- Branching Tackles — Player is good at shaking off tackles by tapping A.
- Break Away Burst — Player has an extra gear when running away from defenders.
- Bump Buster — Player is talented at beating bump and run coverage.
- Cutback Ability — Player is quick out of cuts.
- Deep Threat — Receiver is skilled at catching deep passes and draws extra attention from safeties.
- Mr. 3rd Down — Receiver is clutch in 3rd down situations.
- Possession Receiver — Receiver is particularly talented at running short routes.
- Return Specialist — Player is skilled at returning punts or kicks.
- Route God — Receiver is great route runner.
- Ankle Breaker — Player has a 2nd level charge juke move.
- Battering Ram — Player has a 2nd level charge shoulder charge.
- Spin — Defender has a 2nd level charge spin.
- Arm of Steel — Player has a 2nd level charge stiff arm.
- Stop on a Dime — Player has a 2nd level charge stop.
- Tough in the Middle — Receiver isn’t afraid to get hit on catches in the middle.
- Workhorse — Ball carrier gets better the more he gets the ball.
- Soft Hands — Player has excellent hands.
- Special Team Demon — Player is talented at covering punts or kicks.
- Magic Feet — Player has the footwork and balance to stay in bounds on sideline catches.
- Brick Wall — Player has superior pass blocking skills.
- Bulldozer — Player has superior run blocking skills.
- Stonewall — Linemen is such a stalwart that the QB is extra composed around him.
- Clutch — Player’s performance is best in all-clutch situations and games.
- Scissor Kick — Player has a scissor kick special move by using RS.
- Finesse — Player has a 2nd level spin and juke move.
- Power — Player has a 2nd level shoulder charge and stiff arm.
- Finesse and Power — Player has a 2nd level spin, juke, shoulder charge, and stiff arm.
- Ball Strip — Player is adept at forcing fumbles.
- Big Hit — Defender is particularly adept at big hit tackles with RS.
- Bull Rush — Defender has a 2nd level charge bull rush.
- Bump Master — Player is skilled at bump and run coverage.
- Closing Speed — Defender is able to cover ground quickly when closing in on the ball.
- Club — Defender has a 2nd level charge club.
- Loose Ball Magnet — Defender has a knack for recovering fumbles.
- Reach Tackle — Defender has the strength to pull down ball carriers with reach tackles.
- Rip — Defender has a 2nd level charge rip.
- Run Reader — Defender has a sixth sense that allows him to hit the hole.
- Sack Master — Defender is particularly skilled at sacking the QB.
- Wrap Up Tackler — Defender is a textbook wrap tackler.
- Coverage Bonus — Player has excellent pass coverage skills.
- Pass Rush Bonus — Player is skilled at rushing the passer.
- Run Coverage — Player is good against the run and when pursuing ball carriers.
- Ball Hawk — Defender has a keen sense of the ball on passes.
- Footsteps — Defender strikes fear in receivers and this can result in gator arms.
- Return Specialist — Player is skilled at returning punts or kicks.
- Coffin Corner — Player is good at pinning punts inside the 10-yard line.
- Kick Accuracy Bonus — Player has excellent kick accuracy.
- Kick Power Bonus — Player has excellent kick power.
For more details on player special abilities in All Pro Football 2K8, check out the full article over at Gamespot.
July 6, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
2K Football, 2K Sports, Football, Preview, Sports |
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Given the amount of coverage All Pro Football 2K8 has been getting on this site compared to other games, you’ve probably realized that I was a big fan of the 2K series of football games back in the days before Electronic Arts grabbed the exclusive NFL rights. For those of us who were devoted 2K players, it’s been rough going over the last few years. Even with player created custom rosters for ESPN NFL2K5’s franchise mode, the lack of any updated online rosters has been a killer. I’ll admit that I finally stopped playing the 2K series last year when the last of my friends left 2K behind and entered Madden country. It wasn’t a move I was happy making, but sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.
It’s because of the above that I’m really excited about 2K Sports getting back into football with All Pro Football 2K8. Sure, it’s not an NFL football game, but it’s almost like fantasy football – which can be just as rewarding, especially for those of us who don’t root for a NFL powerhouse team. More importantly, 2K seems to be taking a unique look at football games while making the most out of the lack of any kind of official license. From the completely customizable uniforms to the intricate stadiums to the way each “Legendary” player is given special skills based on their actual NFL exploits, All Pro Football is certainly pulling out the stops to try and convince gamers that they don’t need the NFL name to enjoy a game of football.
Now, if you remember the last time we took a look at APF2K8, you may recall that I voiced some concerns about the way some of the footage shown looked. Well, the second trailer for the game has been released, and other than one or two animations, the game is looking pretty solid graphically. Don’t take my word for it – check out the video below;
All Pro Football 2K8 is currently slated to release for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on July 16th, 2007.
July 5, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
2K Football, 2K Sports, Football, Lazy Day Trailers, Sports, Video |
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2K Sports has finally given us our first look at All Pro Football 2K8 in action, and I’ve got to say, from what I’ve seen in the video you’re about to watch, it appears to be a mixed bag as far as quality goes. There are moments when the trailer makes you think the game will have all the magic we’ve come to expect from the 2K Football series, and then there are times where you’d swear that NFL2K5 looked better.
The true determining factor will be how the game looks from the standard play screens rather than the apparent in-game replay scenes we’re treated to here. Regardless of what I may have seen that disappointed me in this video, I still have high hopes for All Pro Football 2K8 – as I’m sure 2K Sports does. One thing I do feel the need to note here is that I believe that 2K is only going to get one chance to get it right with APF2K8 – if the first game in the series is a letdown, I really can’t see people coming back for a second helping anytime soon.
All Pro Football 2K8 is scheduled to be released later this summer on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
June 12, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
2K Football, 2K Sports, Football, Lazy Day Trailers, Sports, Video |
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