LOL EA Sports sued over exclusivity deals.

Wed 17 Oct 2012 - 15:12

IF YOU ARE IN THE UNITED STATES AND BOUGHT A NEW COPY OF AN ELECTRONIC ARTS’ MADDEN NFL, NCAA FOOTBALL, OR ARENA FOOTBALL VIDEOGAME FOR XBOX, XBOX 360, PLAYSTATION 2, PLAYSTATION 3, GAMECUBE, PC, OR WII, WITH A RELEASE DATE OF JANUARY 1, 2005 TO JUNE 21, 2012, YOUR RIGHTS MAY BE AFFECTED.

^^^ That's part of the email I got, so if you bought any of the games between those dates, then you should receive an email as well. (US only)

Now here's what it all means...

Consumers take on EA Sports

Consumers have filed a lawsuit against EA and its exclusivity deals on sports titles, and now the case is headed to court.

In 2008 a group of consumers sued EA due to an "unlawful and anticompetitive series of exclusive agreements with the National Football League, the NFL Players Union, Arena Football League and the National Collegiate Athletic Association." Four years later the lawsuit has been approved and will be heading to court.
DarkZero reports that the basis of the lawsuit is as follows:

"Through an unlawful and anticompetitive series of exclusive agreements with the National Football League, the NFL Players Union, Arena Football League and the National Collegiate Athletic Association ("NCAA"), Electronic Arts has driven its competition out of the market for interactive football software, including most significantly Take Two Interactive Software, Inc., the maker of the interactive football software title NFL 2K5 and has prevented additional competitors from entering the market."

The class action has been raised on behalf of any US resident who purchased a copy of any of EA's football titles on any platform from January 1 2005 to June 21 2012.

The consumers are not looking for a large payout from this lawsuit, but rather want EA to cease seeking exclusivity deals for its football titles. This is an interesting case, and we will keep you updated as we hear more.

EA has denied any liability or misconduct.

SOURCE

Here's another article which explains a little more...

In 2008, a class action lawsuit against Electronic Arts was filed claiming that its exclusive deal to create NFL games was causing the price of NFL games to needlessly rise. Without competition, EA could charge whatever it wanted like a monopoly. That lawsuit has reached a possible settlement.

A $27 million settlement has been proposed that would offer consumers who have purchased Electronic Arts published NFL, NCAA, or AFL licensed games since 2005 small refunds for their purchases. GameCube, Xbox, and PlayStation 2 titles could receive up to $6.79 per game, and current generation Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 titles could receive up to $1.95 per game. (LOL WTF?)

The proposed settlement also states that EA will not sign to have AFL exclusivity and will not renew its current NCAA agreement when it expires in two years.

The settlement still needs to be approved by the court, so nothing has been set in stone just yet.

SOURCE

Wed 17 Oct 2012 - 15:37

are they serious? I bought all the Maddens and NCAA Football games from 2005 to 2009 and I loved them but all there games suck now tbh. The graphics are better but the gameplay just doesn't feel right imo.Have you seen there fail of an attempt at NBA Live 13? that seriously looks like a 2002 basketball game from what I saw at the trailer. I don't really play videogames anymore tho.This is some dumb shit. sueing over a videogame.

Wed 17 Oct 2012 - 17:09

There are plenty of alternatives to ea sports football games. This whole debacle is ridiculous.

Wed 17 Oct 2012 - 19:04

Fuck EA! BRING EM DOWN!

*patiently waits for the giant that is EA to die*

Wed 17 Oct 2012 - 23:01

BabySmacker wrote:Fuck EA! BRING EM DOWN!

*patiently waits for the giant that is EA to die*

Thu 18 Oct 2012 - 0:08

Nidac_7 wrote:There are plenty of alternatives to ea sports football games. This whole debacle is ridiculous.

Please list the alternatives....There are no alternatives, did you read it? There has been no alternatives since 2004. 2K came out with "ESPN NFL 2K5" and that game was so ahead of it's time, plus it was only $20 compared to Madden which was $50, it dropped EA's sales and that scared them, so they went and bought exclusivity rights on NFL and NCAA games. EA has rights Madden, NCAA, and AFL (Arena Football) the AFL game doesn't exist but there's no alternative for the other 2, because no one else can make them. So the people suing are doing the only thing plausible, if EA won't listen to the fans and change the game, or if the NFL won't drop the deal, then this is the only way they can go about getting a better football game. I mean we are the ones shelling out $60, so we would like it to be up to standards. We have basically 1 or 2 options, go with their games or go without a football game, what kind of options are those? It's bullshit.

Fuck EA, finally 2K can get another shot at an NFL game.

Thu 18 Oct 2012 - 1:19

HopNation wrote:

Nidac_7 wrote:There are plenty of alternatives to ea sports football games. This whole debacle is ridiculous.

Please list the alternatives....There are no alternatives, did you read it? There has been no alternatives since 2004. 2K came out with "ESPN NFL 2K5" and that game was so ahead of it's time, plus it was only $20 compared to Madden which was $50, it dropped EA's sales and that scared them, so they went and bought exclusivity rights on NFL and NCAA games. EA has rights Madden, NCAA, and AFL (Arena Football) the AFL game doesn't exist but there's no alternative for the other 2, because no one else can make them. So the people suing are doing the only thing plausible, if EA won't listen to the fans and change the game, or if the NFL won't drop the deal, then this is the only way they can go about getting a better football game. I mean we are the ones shelling out $60, so we would like it to be up to standards. We have basically 1 or 2 options, go with their games or go without a football game, what kind of options are those? It's bullshit.

Fuck EA, finally 2K can get another shot at an NFL game.

Yeah i think 2k has the potential to make better football games than ea actually. Although the graphics and stuff havent been up with ea every 2k sports game ive ever played has been great

Thu 18 Oct 2012 - 2:15

HopNation wrote:

Nidac_7 wrote:There are plenty of alternatives to ea sports football games. This whole debacle is ridiculous.

Please list the alternatives....There are no alternatives, did you read it? There has been no alternatives since 2004. 2K came out with "ESPN NFL 2K5" and that game was so ahead of it's time, plus it was only $20 compared to Madden which was $50, it dropped EA's sales and that scared them, so they went and bought exclusivity rights on NFL and NCAA games. EA has rights Madden, NCAA, and AFL (Arena Football) the AFL game doesn't exist but there's no alternative for the other 2, because no one else can make them. So the people suing are doing the only thing plausible, if EA won't listen to the fans and change the game, or if the NFL won't drop the deal, then this is the only way they can go about getting a better football game. I mean we are the ones shelling out $60, so we would like it to be up to standards. We have basically 1 or 2 options, go with their games or go without a football game, what kind of options are those? It's bullshit.

Fuck EA, finally 2K can get another shot at an NFL game.

You can always play Blitz: The League 1 and 2, All Pro Football 2K8, and the 2006 AFL game.

Thu 18 Oct 2012 - 6:26

Nidac_7 wrote:

HopNation wrote:

Nidac_7 wrote:There are plenty of alternatives to ea sports football games. This whole debacle is ridiculous.

Please list the alternatives....There are no alternatives, did you read it? There has been no alternatives since 2004. 2K came out with "ESPN NFL 2K5" and that game was so ahead of it's time, plus it was only $20 compared to Madden which was $50, it dropped EA's sales and that scared them, so they went and bought exclusivity rights on NFL and NCAA games. EA has rights Madden, NCAA, and AFL (Arena Football) the AFL game doesn't exist but there's no alternative for the other 2, because no one else can make them. So the people suing are doing the only thing plausible, if EA won't listen to the fans and change the game, or if the NFL won't drop the deal, then this is the only way they can go about getting a better football game. I mean we are the ones shelling out $60, so we would like it to be up to standards. We have basically 1 or 2 options, go with their games or go without a football game, what kind of options are those? It's bullshit.

Fuck EA, finally 2K can get another shot at an NFL game.

You can always play Blitz: The League 1 and 2, All Pro Football 2K8, and the 2006 AFL game.

LOL Really? You're joking right? We want to be able to play it like it's the "real" deal. Blitz: The League is fun and all but it's not a real depiction, All Pro Football was just old legends and was 2K's worst attempt at a football game. 2006 AFL? Lmao really? Who wants to play Arena Football? Oh yeah and it was made by EA Sports, so that's not an alternative. Plus those are all old, we should be able to have updated games but we can't. We want to be able to follow our real teams and play the game with lifelike depictions, like FIFA gets, but players have another option other than FIFA. Madden/NCCA players don't so EA feels they can do whatever they want because they monopolized the market. I really don't see how you can't understand this.

Thu 18 Oct 2012 - 17:36

If you don't like how ea handles football games, then don't buy their games. Not being able to play an nfl video game will not kill you.

Tue 23 Oct 2012 - 1:11

Nidac_7 wrote:If you don't like how ea handles football games, then don't buy their games. Not being able to play an nfl video game will not kill you.

No it won't but I would like the option of having an NFL game out there, they make them and make millions of dollars from them, so they should make a good football game.

Mon 3 Dec 2012 - 2:28

FUCK EA! I WANT NFL 2K BACK!

Imagine what 2k would be able to do with these new consoles. That game beat the shit out of Madden just like NBA 2k shits on NBA Live.

Mon 3 Dec 2012 - 2:35

anthonyFv wrote:

HopNation wrote:

Nidac_7 wrote:There are plenty of alternatives to ea sports football games. This whole debacle is ridiculous.

Please list the alternatives....There are no alternatives, did you read it? There has been no alternatives since 2004. 2K came out with "ESPN NFL 2K5" and that game was so ahead of it's time, plus it was only $20 compared to Madden which was $50, it dropped EA's sales and that scared them, so they went and bought exclusivity rights on NFL and NCAA games. EA has rights Madden, NCAA, and AFL (Arena Football) the AFL game doesn't exist but there's no alternative for the other 2, because no one else can make them. So the people suing are doing the only thing plausible, if EA won't listen to the fans and change the game, or if the NFL won't drop the deal, then this is the only way they can go about getting a better football game. I mean we are the ones shelling out $60, so we would like it to be up to standards. We have basically 1 or 2 options, go with their games or go without a football game, what kind of options are those? It's bullshit.

Fuck EA, finally 2K can get another shot at an NFL game.

Yeah i think 2k has the potential to make better football games than ea actually. Although the graphics and stuff havent been up with ea every 2k sports game ive ever played has been great

Penis

Fri 21 Dec 2012 - 2:13

That will never happen with FIFA.

Real football > Americunt football, suckers.

Fri 21 Dec 2012 - 2:59

Chokey wrote:That will never happen with FIFA.

Real football > Americunt football, suckers.

What won't happen? EA Sports won't fuck it up? Well it will happen sooner or later.

Fri 21 Dec 2012 - 3:48

Somebody could definitely make a better game than Fifa. Konami used too but now they fucked it up.

Fri 21 Dec 2012 - 11:56

Emblem wrote:Somebody could definitely make a better game than Fifa. Konami used too but now they fucked it up.

PSE was never better than FIFA tbh.

Fri 21 Dec 2012 - 22:36

Chokey wrote:

Emblem wrote:Somebody could definitely make a better game than Fifa. Konami used too but now they fucked it up.

PSE was never better than FIFA tbh.

PES 5 and 6 were better than Fifa 05 and 06. Fifa 06 sucks balls I only played if for Retro.

Fri 21 Dec 2012 - 22:38

PES also has ultimate customization. Which made it better than Fifa.

LOL EA Sports sued over exclusivity deals.

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