EA & Arena Football League enter exclusive agreement

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http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050110/105224_1.html

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 10, 2005--The Arena Football League and Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS - News) have entered into an exclusive agreement to produce an AFL video game in time for the start of the 2006 AFL season that also allows EA to share in the proceeds of future expansion team sales. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"Once again, we are partnering with an industry leader who believes in the AFL philosophy and its growth potential. To the extent that EA helps grow the AFL, they participate in that growth through the increased value of future expansion teams," said Commissioner David Baker. "EA is the videogame industry's gold standard. Arguably, nothing is more important to reach the younger male demographic that we are so strong in than video games. For our core fan, this is akin to a network-television agreement."

Over the next four years and beginning with the 2005 AFL season, EA will partner with the AFL on media and retail marketing, and produce AFL games, the first to be available to consumers at the start of the 2006 AFL season.

"We believe that the business model the AFL has created will provide for a new football experience for videogame fans, and provide EA with an incentive to partner with the AFL to expand the league," said Larry Probst, Chairman and CEO of EA. "The AFL is a unique brand of football and we intend to deliver a unique football gaming experience from any the industry has seen before. We're pleased to be working with the league during this exciting growth-period for the AFL."
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Anybody watch Arena football? It's not quite Blitz... but wow... some great hits be goin on....
 
I'm pretty sure only Barry Bonds can save ESPN football. With his name finally in a game, ESPN football will see huge sales.
 
:lol!

Though an Arena Football game could be cool, I think this was a move to just stop VC from putting anything out at all. Well played, EA. :lol

I don't understand it though, they DO have the best football mechanics on the market.......... *begin flame war*
 
Andy787 said:
Come on, Sega, stop sucking cock. We need a holy crusader of video game purity and goodness to root for. :(
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It's too late. Sega tried to create a counterbalance for the EA virus, but the "fans" wouldn't listen
 
It's too late. Sega tried to create a counterbalance for the EA virus, but the "fans" wouldn't listen
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Maybe if Sega put out as polished a game as EA does they would have faired better. Polish sells to the casuals, not a diamond in the rough like Sega's sports games tend to be.

Sega would probably be best off to move on and focus full efforts on MLB and NBA games, where they can still do very well. Teamed up with Take 2 they'd be wise to push for long term licensing agreements with both those leagues, not exclusives which would cost too much, but a long term (5 years plus) deal that would guarantee them the right to make the games for a long time.

As for football, Midway has the right idea with their upcoming Playmakers game. Let the NFL feel some PR pain now that they've forsaken their content control powers for EA's money.
 
lmfao, so there's no other football license that exists now that someone can use, then. Awesome. EA rolls out to bring the lol out everyday. :lol
 
The Arena Football League and Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS - News) have entered into an exclusive agreement to produce an AFL video game in time for the start of the 2006 AFL season that also allows EA to share in the proceeds of future expansion team sales.
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Buying the license is one thing, but that's what takes the deal to a whole new level.

We're only a few steps away from EA purchasing an island in international waters and declaring itself a sovereign nation.
 
ssmgidon.jpg
 
Prospero said:
We're only a few steps away from EA purchasing an island in international waters and declaring itself a sovereign nation.
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This island must be inhabited by a volcano suitable for creating a heavily fortified base of operations, from which maniacal laughter shall erupt and evil plots of world domination shall be devised.
 
Andy787 said:
This island must be inhabited by a volcano suitable for creating a heavily fortified base of operations, from which maniacal laughter shall erupt and evil plots of world domination shall be devised.
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EA%20Island.JPG
 
Yeah EA secured a sweet deal on the profit slice... Arena Football is starting to pick up momentum... actually aren't they officially partnered/sponsored/something like that with the NFL now?
 
One thing about the NFL deal: Is it the NFL AND NFLPA, or just the NFL?

I mean, could Sega use the players and not team names, like Madden 64 did?
 
worldrunover said:
One thing about the NFL deal: Is it the NFL AND NFLPA, or just the NFL?

I mean, could Sega use the players and not team names, like Madden 64 did?
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It's the NFL & NFLPA.

I realize the difference between the Madden & NFL2k* games, as far as polish, but it's somewhat excusable. Madden has been around for 15 years now, NFL2k* only for 6. They've put together a pretty good product at Sega, which I enjoy thoroughly. I've bought both games the last couple years, and had fun with both. Oh well, not this year, good work, EA.
 
Cloudy said:
Wow, all they need now is to get the NCAA and ESPN football games are history :(
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As I understood it, the NCAA stuff can't be bought out in the same way because of college rules. Or maybe it was just the players, and that's why individual player names don't show up, just the teams. Either way, have you ever watched ESPN, the tv channel, during football season? There's giant EA SPORTS logos on everything already. How terribly embarassing that Sega lost the broadcast tv advertising on ESPN for ESPN NFL Football to EA.
 
Lambtron said:
It's the NFL & NFLPA.

I realize the difference between the Madden & NFL2k* games, as far as polish, but it's somewhat excusable. Madden has been around for 15 years now, NFL2k* only for 6. They've put together a pretty good product at Sega, which I enjoy thoroughly. I've bought both games the last couple years, and had fun with both. Oh well, not this year, good work, EA.
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I'm willing to say that football games as we know them now started with NFL2K. In that sense, VC has had a longer time to get it right than EA has. Granted, EA had been doing 3D Madden's since the PSX, but it's clearly not the same as what we see in this generation (DC included).

I don't even think it's a matter of plain polish. There are glaring errors in the gameplay and stat tracking that should have been caught at Q&A. *Pokes embers around*
 
:lol

Hope Fifa tell EA to fuck off. I dont think i'll be able to continue gaming if Konami lost the rights to Pro Evolution
 
There are glaring errors in the gameplay and stat tracking that should have been caught at Q&A. *Pokes embers around*
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Wait,you mean Eddie George can't run people over in real life?Or Ty Law doesn't run circles around his opponent before attempting a pick and failing?!LIES!
 
truesayian said:
Sega can still do NCAA football right???
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For now! ;)

Lets see, that leaves Sega with the Candian Football League and the XFL for any type of Pro level football game. Either that, or a really lame, unlicensed game. Yuck. Oooo... how about the USFL?? Lots of great players and they can have "The Donald" as one of the owners. Can't wait to play the Memphis Showboats!
 
And EA wonders why they have exactly no credibility when it comes to denying rumors of aquisition and so forth.
 
"We believe that the business model the AFL has created will provide for a new football experience for videogame fans, and provide EA with an incentive to partner with the AFL to expand the league," said Larry Probst, Chairman and CEO of EA.
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Um, what new football experience is he implying? Doesn't he mean 'same old thing every year now that competition is gone"?
 
Next Week: EA trademarks the words "foot" and "ball" and gains a patent for "a particular way of creating sports entertaiment through the use of an conical, oblong ball and large, beefy men in tight pants."
 
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