Are you ready for some football?

[Evil Avatar]

Despite speculation that EA's 15-year deal with ESPN meant the company was cutting ties with long-time football namesake John Madden, the two have announced a new multi-year deal today. This week's Game Over column on CNN/Money (http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/12/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm) looks at the deal and the different playing field for football games this year.

[Deadend]

I kinda want to try Blitz, as I will be avoiding Madden.

[NACIONAL]

why play (BUY!) the same the SAME game over and over again every year??? its not like their improvements over previous games is astounding.

[IndependentGMR]

Because people thirst for football, and each new iteration of Madden helps quench that thirst.

[ldi222]

Ill probably buy it for xbox and 360 even though EA sucks and I would have bought 2k6 instead if it was available. I will most certainly buy it used though to try and minimize any contribution to the NFL VG monopoly

[if76]

So if EA owns the F1, fifa, and nfl liscenses, what would happen if they made their own console? Then they could make MLB games in accordance with the Take2 agreement.

If EA made its own console will this void the NFL agreement?

[KarmaGhost]

So it looks like we'll be subject to Madden's "state-the-obvious" commentary after all.

[CaptStu]

If EA made its own console, God help each and every one of us.

[Bydo_Empire]

Why isn't everyone boycotting the NFL, since they're the ones who wanted an exclusive deal and a bunch of other companies bid (Take Two included)? Madden current-gen has added as much new this year as any football title I can think of since NFL 2k on the DC. Seems like the people who complain about it being the same game every year either 1) never play it or 2) don't like football. I played a lot of ESPN and Madden last year and the commentary (and audio in general) was 100x better in Madden. ESPN's announcers continually said things that didn't make any sense (like "I just don't know why they would go for it on fourth down" when the team was down by ten late in the fourth).

[*Legion*]

Why isn't everyone boycotting the NFL, since they're the ones who wanted an exclusive deal and a bunch of other companies bid (Take Two included)?

Because as EA has shown, they INCITE the bidding. They don't just show up when it happens. They wave money in front of faces and suddenly, the thing they desire just happens to be up for bids.

I played a lot of ESPN and Madden last year and the commentary (and audio in general) was 100x better in Madden.

You've got to be kidding. Granted, ESPN did have some commentary bugs like the one you mentioned, but better some commentary with a pulse with a few bugs, rather than commentary spoken SO flat and dead, and with horrible seams where they paste in player names. (ESPN hid the seems as good as anyone has done)

[NACIONAL]

Seems like the people who complain about it being the same game every year either 1) never play it or 2) don't like football.

Well maybe I'm a little biased here, because the game that i play every year is FIFA (I rent them, not buy them)... but heck, i don't think they are putting an amazing amount of content in madden but not in their other franchise titles.

[*Legion*]

Well maybe I'm a little biased here, because the game that i play every year is FIFA (I rent them, not buy them)... but heck, i don't think they are putting an amazing amount of content in madden but not in their other franchise titles.

Madden definitely DOES get a more complete treatment with more content than any of their other franchise games. One only need look at the sales figures to realize why this is so.

[Kelegacy]

I kinda want to try Blitz, as I will be avoiding Madden.

Same here. I love football, but not enough to buy a new incarnation. I hope EA doesnt decide to let the franchise slip though...because that would be immoral after they bought the license. They could just repackage last year's game (they already do sometimes) or let their game slip into mediocrity and people would still buy it...because there is no competition.

That said, I love baseball, and I hope 2k games can use their license to make a better baseball game and not start shitting to bed. But they still will have competition from 1st parties, so maybe that'll be incentive enough to make them stay honest.

[MosBen]

I've been wondering this for a while and I suppose this is a good place to ask. I understand why the non-internet saavy folks go out and buy Madden, along with other EA stuff on sight year in and year out. What I don't understand are the people here. In most EA centric thread you get a few people, myself included, that state that we don't particularly like EA's business practices and have therefore boycotted their games. It's not that we don't buy them, we just wait until we can get them used, which usually takes under a week or two, so that no money goes to EA. At the same time I get the feeling that there are plenty of people that post here and still go out and get EA games new.

The question is simply, why? Do you simply not think their practices are bad? Do you not like the inconvenience of waiting a week or two? I'm not trying to be snooty here, it just seems like the concensus is that EA is a real dickhead of a company, yet we gamers-in-the-know are pretty blase about it. I mean, I know it's not going to start a revolution, we all do, but as far as protests go it's so completely painless to me that I'm unclear why more people don't seem to be doing it.

[Kelegacy]

I've been wondering this for a while and I suppose this is a good place to ask. I understand why the non-internet saavy folks go out and buy Madden, along with other EA stuff on sight year in and year out. What I don't understand are the people here. In most EA centric thread you get a few people, myself included, that state that we don't particularly like EA's business practices and have therefore boycotted their games. It's not that we don't buy them, we just wait until we can get them used, which usually takes under a week or two, so that no money goes to EA. At the same time I get the feeling that there are plenty of people that post here and still go out and get EA games new.

The question is simply, why? Do you simply not think their practices are bad? Do you not like the inconvenience of waiting a week or two? I'm not trying to be snooty here, it just seems like the concensus is that EA is a real dickhead of a company, yet we gamers-in-the-know are pretty blase about it. I mean, I know it's not going to start a revolution, we all do, but as far as protests go it's so completely painless to me that I'm unclear why more people don't seem to be doing it.

I'd like to see more boycotts in this day and age. It doesnt seem like anything gets done until some politican makes a rant about it and makes it his own personal agenda. Pretty soon everyone has boycotted Rockstar and boobies.

I'd boycott and in certain ways I am. EA games are largely overlooked by me. Most suck and are generic anyways, which makes it easier for me, but in my own little way I feel I am hurting them by not giving them my money. My cash is so insignificant, but if enough people did the same thing, it could send a message. Most times on here we just complain and do nothing, hate the Madden deal but go out and buy Battlefield 2. We just like to rabble a bit and then forget it. Plus, the general consumer is in no way gonna stop buying his annual copy of Madden. It'd be like taking NASCAR or gravy from a southerner: You're gonna get your ass beat.

[B_Money]

I kinda want to try Blitz, as I will be avoiding Madden.

And Blitz features Ron Mexico, QB of the 'Atlanta' team.

[MosBen]

Yeah, I have no delusions that my little boycott will ever reach a broad scale, it just surprises me that so many gamers-in-the-know don't do it. We all know that used games pop up really fast these days after a new game comes out. I'm surprised if I can't find one a week after release, but they're almost always pretty easy to get a couple weeks out. Sure, they're not much cheaper, but we also all know that when you buy a used game EA doesn't get a dime from that purchase. So from my perspective I have to wait a week longer to get a game I want, but on the other hand I get to feel better about not supporting crappy business practices and as a little bonus I save $5 or so.

Just seems so easy to me that I'm surprised that more people, especially those that hang around here often and know all the latest news on EAs doings, don't don't do my micro-boycott.

[TRiLoGY]

I'm ready for some Football.. oh, hang on.. this is American Football..

[NACIONAL]

I'm ready for some Football.. oh, hang on.. this is American Football..

hehhehe.... this is funny... at least for me.

[MrMeatshake]

is proper (sorry, couldn't resist ;)) football gaining ground in america, or is it just me? i seem to be noticing it more... oh, and on that note, is anyone looking forward to kicking & screaming? the trailer was pretty underwhelming.