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

EA CONFIRMS WII VERSION OF MADDEN

Gamespot is reporting that Electronic Arts has announced they have a Wii specific version of Madden in the works. The game will NOT be a port of Madden for the other consoles on the market, and is even being produced by a team other than EA Tiburon.
While that may be a very good thing (based on the 360 version of Madden), I’m still not sold on the concept of the Wii controller and many game types, this being one of them.

To give you an idea of how it will play…

"Players will hike the ball by mimicking a quarterback receiving the ball from the center, and then pass it to a receiver by making a throwing gesture with the free-hand controller. The faster the passing motion, the more of a bullet pass it becomes (in previous Madden editions, bullet passes were made by holding the passing button down longer).

Kicking the ball will be accomplished by sweeping the controller up as if it were a kicker’s leg striking the ball. A fast, level swing will make for a hard, straight kick.

The Revolution controller will also come into play when running the ball, as jerking the controller left or right will make the ball-carrier juke to either side, while shoving it straight ahead will make him stiff-arm the opposition." -Gamespot

It sounds like there could be a lot of problems with this concept if you ask me. On a related note, how long do you think it will be before someone "throwing" the football in the game accidentally lets go and breaks their TV?

SHAUN ALEXANDER CHOSEN TO BE NEXT VICTIM OF MADDEN CURSE

EA Sports today announced that NFL MVP Shaun Alexander will be the player to grace the box for Madden 2007. This is not good news for superstitious Seattle Seahawks fans as severe injuries seem to follow athletes who get their faces plastered on Madden’s box. Good luck Shaun! View the press release here.