EA tries to get exclusive NHLPA rights

[bjornbarspingvinen]

Source: EAHockey.com (http://eahockey.com/news/details.php?id=0067)

"Shortly before the end of the lockout, the NHLPA reached exclusive deals in the video-game and trading-card categories, with Electronic Arts and Upper Deck, respectively. According to a memo that NHLPA executive director Ted Saskin sent to players dated Aug. 17, Electronic Arts will pay the players’ association $44.2 million over six years, while Upper Deck will pay $25 million over five years."

"But the EA deal immediately drew the ire of the league brass, who felt all parties were better off with multiple licensees, especially because the NHL 2K series of games from Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. has generally been better received by the gaming community."

[bapenguin]

Let me be the first to say....thank fucking god.

Edit: THANK FUCKING GOD.

Now if Take 2 could get a real god damn QA department we'd be all set.

[emperordahc]

I just brought ESPN NFL 2K5 (XBox) w/ me to work today for the guys to play. That's odd. The copy of Madden 2006 is just sitting there.

Keep multiple licences.

[phantomhitman]

EA just pisses me off more and more. I went from not buying their sports games, to now not buying any of their games. What a waste of such huge money and artistic resources. If anyone can find an email address of the nhl department responsible for kicking EA in the nuts please let me know, so I can thank them.

[Jinaar]

New member to forums, long time reader. This news item forced me to register and say to EA Games:

die .... in..... a ...... fire.......

If I lose an opportunity to play NHL 2K7 next year by Take Two, I think I would snap and literally devour someone whole from EA on their front lawn, throwing their bones at the windows of the EA Headquarters. The main reason I own a XBOX 360 is now I play online with my best friend across the country hockey on XBOX LIVE. An $800 solution to play the best hockey and stay connected with a friend. Sure it hurts the pocketbook, but it has been so worth it. It's NHL 2K6, its like happiness ^_^

Big thumbs up to the NHL League for stepping in and stopping this madness that the NHLPA is trying to create.

[bjornbarspingvinen]

If EA get exclusive with the NHLPA, I WILL STOP BUYING EA games. That´s it, nobody touches my favourite hockey videogame series!! I have played most hockeygames there have ever been, and NHL2k5 and NHL2k6 are the best hockeygames there have been. I suggest all fans go to www.nhlpa.com and complain. Yeah , I may sound like a little moan-boy now, but hockey videogames are essential to me as all other normal essentials.

[Morratut]

Wow, they resisted the Borg. I bet their shields was low though :D

[bjornbarspingvinen]

this concerns me in the article though:

"Faced with having to eat the poison pill of having two separate games, one with no player names and one with no league or team trademarks, all of the parties came back to the table. The league now says it is close to announcing deals that will keep both Take-Two and EA as licensees, with the union’s participation.

“We remain confident we will have a video game category that will have multiple partners supplying software to the new consoles,” said Brian Jennings, group vice president, consumer products marketing, at NHL Enterprises “We feel pretty confident we have basically reached in-principal understandings.”

But in an interview earlier this month, Saskin said he has had talks with Take-Two but only will strike a deal if it’s beneficial to both the NHLPA and to EA."

[Heretic Machine]

I'm already not buying EA games. Hopefully they don't make a decision to prevent me from buying anymore hockey games at all.

[phantomhitman]

finally, another sports genre knows how it feels when ea attacks it. Rise might hockey player supporters, send many a email and opent the flood gate...or something like that. I cannot say how much it sucks to see madden in stores now with no competition from 2k......

[Jinaar]

Thanks for the link to the NHLPA website. Already sent in my "regards" for their thinking. Funny this came up after I posted an email to them:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEEDBACK!

Regrettably, due to the high volume of comments, the NHLPA cannot guarantee a response to each message, but we can assure you that all comments are read and very much appreciated.

I hope the high volume is us =)

[DropD98]

It really is getting ridiculous with EA trying to buy up the rights to every friggin sports there is just so they can try and force you to buy thier crappy games. Before you know it, they'll have the exclusive rights to underwater basket weaving... I am really beginning to hate EA...

EDIT: I sent in my "feedback" on the NHLPA website. Hopefully someone will read it. For all I know they have some intern that could care less just sitting there laughing at our comments.. hehe

[phantomhitman]

Thanks for the link to the NHLPA website. Already sent in my "regards" for their thinking. Funny this came up after I posted an email to them:



Did you send an email, or just leave a comment on their feedback page? I want to thank them also, even though I do not like hockey, or even play hockey games.

[bjornbarspingvinen]

ehm, ´NHL wants multiple rights, NHLPA wants EA to get the exclusive rights.

SO if you don´t like exclusive rights to EA , COMPLAIN at www.nhlpa.com

[Jinaar]

I had to use the Feedback link on the left hand side. If anyone finds another email source, post it :p

[OUX]

So who here is against 2K getting the exclusive rights?

[benson]

This is the best/worst news of the holiday season. The best simply because it didn't happen. The worst because of what could (or could have) happen(ed).

Remember when EA's NHL was the only hockey game around back on the Genesis? Well, there was one year where they failed to get the NHL license (NHLPA 93 I think). People will want the players more than the official team names and logos. You can always generically name the teams with simple city/state names like then.

As soon as this is posted, I'm going to be sending an email to the NHLPA. This cannot happen. I love NHL 2k6 on my 360. I will not go back to EA hockey. Every year they make their game more arcade-like, and every year 2k gets better.

[bapenguin]

So who here is against 2K getting the exclusive rights?

I'm against it for anyone. Look at the 2k hockey series as an example, what drove them to make such an excellent game? EA's game and it's popularity. The same would happen if the roles were reversed.

[benson]

So who here is against 2K getting the exclusive rights?
I'm also against anyone getting an exclusive license. Competition is the only way we get many great games. Without both games out there, neither would innovate, or at least it is doubtful that either would innovate nearly as much as they do currently.

[bjornbarspingvinen]

That´s what I think the difference is here, NHLPA is looking for instant income (one game series = EA can take 55$ per game) , the NHL is looking for expanding the market longterm (change of rules, multiple videogames = easier to reach more people).
As a consumer and gamer, one should be angry at exclusives (less innovation and higher prices).
And personally I think take2/kush has made an awesome hockey series, which re-lit my NHL interest, without 2khockey I don´t think I will follow the real NHL as much as I do now.

[VoodooKarma]

I hear EA is in negotiations with God to get exclusive rights to religious games as well. Supposedly, God told EA to 'Go to hell'. <rimshot>

[phantomhitman]

I hear EA is in negotiations with God to get exclusive rights to religious games as well. Supposedly, God told EA to 'Go to hell'. <rimshot>
nice..... :D

[*Legion*]

EA's hockey games are terrible. They didn't used to be, but this last one was the worst of the bunch.

2K's hockey games actually resemble real hockey. Losing NFL2K was bad, but losing NHL2K would be twice as bad, as EA's product is SO INCREDI-FUCKING-LY inferior. I prefer 2K to Madden, but Madden is still a good game. EA NHL is not.

[amusedtoe]

Come on this should have been obvious months ago to anyone who knew anything about the whole EA scandal that was so huge at the time.

[Orz]

Another example of the NHL knowing what's best for the game, and the PA being left 10 years behind. Feels slightly odd siding with management on every issue, but hockey now is such a better game for it it's worth it.

[Knite]

Yeah, it kinda makes sense. Anyone else remember the NHL 06 webpages saying exclusive license? ?

ahh, here's a screenshot one of them.

http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/09/30/83/image_1683309.jpg

[bjornbarspingvinen]

I hope the more sound thoughts (atleast in this matter) of the NHL bosses wins over the greedy NHLPA .... BTW NHL said that EA wont get the NHL license if Take2 doesn´t get the NHLPA license.

[amusedtoe]

Yeah, it kinda makes sense. Anyone else remember the NHL 06 webpages saying exclusive license? ?

ahh, here's a screenshot one of them.

http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/09/30/83/image_1683309.jpg

That was exactly what I was talking about. Didn't take much to put two and two together when someone slipped up and let that little bit out after EA had just snapped up every football license.

I hope the more sound thoughts (atleast in this matter) of the NHL bosses wins over the greedy NHLPA .... BTW NHL said that EA wont get the NHL license if Take2 doesn´t get the NHLPA license.

Uh... how's that supposed to work? One gets to make games that can make reference to the teams and the leauge, and the other gets to make games that can use all the players in the leauge but make no reference to any of the teams they play for? :confused:

[bapenguin]

Uh... how's that supposed to work? One gets to make games that can make reference to the teams and the leauge, and the other gets to make games that can use all the players in the leauge but make no reference to any of the teams they play for? :confused:

Exactly...this actually happened back in the early 90's with some hockey games on Genesis.

[bjornbarspingvinen]

but the good thing is NHL and NHLPA aint unified, NHL wants non exclusive licenses.
Lets hope NHLPA comes to their senses.

[amusedtoe]

but the good thing is NHL and NHLPA aint unified, NHL wants non exclusive licenses.
Lets hope NHLPA comes to their senses.

Aye, I got where you were coming from it just confused me how that deal would work any better. I should know better though, NHL logic is beyond the grasp of a normal person.

Exactly...this actually happened back in the early 90's with some hockey games on Genesis.

I thought that was the case but I couldn't remember for certain.

[mister_slim]

I wonder if the NHLPA has actually played NHL 06? I tried the demo earlier today (odd coincidence) and I couldn't finish it. The players just controlled very poorly, and the gameplay wasn't smooth at all. I'll stick with an old NHL2K if I have to.

Uh... how's that supposed to work? One gets to make games that can make reference to the teams and the leauge, and the other gets to make games that can use all the players in the leauge but make no reference to any of the teams they play for? :confused:
The crappy thing about that would be the people who own the players win. Changing team names isn't going to take that long. Fixing every player is rather more work.