EA extends NFL lock to 2012

72 Comments by Justin McElroy Feb 12th 2008 11:55AM
Filed under: Nintendo DS, PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Sports

Those hoping to get their NFL gaming fix from anywhere other than EA anytime soon are apparently in for a long wait: EA revealed today that it had extended its exclusive contract with the organization until the end of the 2012 season, which falls in February of 2013. A similar deal was also made with the NFL players association.

If you had been anxiously praying for the return of NFL2K, we'd be willing to bet that's never going to happen, as by 2013, we're fairly sure football will be played on the moon with jet packs, and our Earth laws will no longer apply. But take heart, Peter Moore says that EA won't be marking the 2008 20th anniversary of the game with just any Madden year. No, it's going to be above and beyond. Wait ... you mean you're rewarding our $60 with genuine effort put into the product? Just for us? Oh, Pete, you shouldn't have.

Tags: ea, football, madden, nfl, peter-moore, tiburon

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

riggs: Feb 12th 2008; 11:56AM

Fuck EA

ViagraFiend: Feb 12th 2008; 12:24PM

I'll repeat....

Fuck EA!

WiNG: Feb 12th 2008; 12:42PM

If EA didn't pull this shit, they'd have to keep making up reasons for how their game is relevant over anything Sega ever put out. It is this kind of deal that stagnates the industry and screws over consumers everywhere. A total joke...

tl;dr version: Fuck EA.

Vol: Feb 12th 2008; 5:53PM

I respect Peter Moore. As new prez of the EA Sports division, it's disappointing that he continues to push the "innovation" that they have year after year. Stop being a mouthpiece for how they whore out the game and fix the game with new innovation. You can do it.

I was addicted to 2K5 on the Xbox, now Madden makes me yawn as it does countless other players.

please: Feb 12th 2008; 11:58AM

NFl and EA should have to pay 99% windfall profit tax on there overly popular products to help the poor

Jonah Falcon: Feb 12th 2008; 12:01PM

NOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

eldee: Feb 12th 2008; 12:18PM

couldn't have said it better myself...

Corey: Feb 12th 2008; 12:01PM

Yay for monopolies!

aaron_k7: Feb 12th 2008; 12:26PM

Your profile picture is awesome.

Here's to four more years of crappy gameplay! And cake!!!

Corey: Feb 12th 2008; 12:46PM

Is it bad that I like that version of the picture better than the original? Is it even worse that she likes it better?

aaron_k7: Feb 12th 2008; 1:56PM

Dude! As long as you both agree, there can be peace I suppose.

xFenixKnightx: Feb 12th 2008; 12:02PM

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I havent bought a football game since NFL 2K5 on regular Xbox. Dman I hate EA, and I was just thinking about this the other day too. EA NON-SPORTS U FUCKING ASSHOLES!!!!

x silence x: Feb 12th 2008; 12:02PM

Let the EA hating begin!

FOXHOUND: Feb 12th 2008; 12:06PM

I don't know why people are complaining. The old "BroRape" skit of "Wanna play some MADDEN, bro?" wouldn't work as well if it was subbed out for NFL2kX. :\

And besides, MADDEN discs make excellent hors o'dourves mini-trays for real football games. :d

WiNG: Feb 12th 2008; 12:43PM

Derrick Comedy is a genius team. They could have easily substituted Halo for Madden for that skit.

"New Bike" is the best one, though.

paragraph: Feb 12th 2008; 12:06PM

There is always NCAA... and this could help 2K get a foothold in the oft unexplored CFL, AFL (Arena Football), and High School Football markets... Oh, and what about XFL... i would love to see an XFL game... that was a horrible idea for a real sport, but a videogame would be awesome...

Anywho...

NHL2K, NBA2K, MLB2K.... all ok games...

Jonah Falcon: Feb 12th 2008; 12:25PM

Except EA bought the rights to those games to prevent Sega from doing just that. Or did you forget this turd?

http://www.easports.com/afl/index.jsp

OMGOMG: Feb 12th 2008; 12:07PM

It wasn't surprising, but it still sucks. Madden 08 was much better than 07, but the presentation is still so far behind 2K5 it's not even funny. That was almost half a decade ago!!!

Fernando Rocker: Feb 12th 2008; 12:07PM

Henshin a go go baby!

deaftly: Feb 12th 2008; 12:18PM

MUCH better then your old avatar, I hated that guy

ViagraFiend: Feb 12th 2008; 12:26PM

We will learn to hate this one too.

Fernando Rocker: Feb 12th 2008; 12:28PM

I better return to Captain Linebeck... to avoid confusions =)

xFenixKnightx: Feb 12th 2008; 12:28PM

Ck this out Fernando, what were we all saying last week =) Hahahahahaha!!

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/02/12/dmc4-for-xbox-360-outsells-ps3-in-uk/

xFenixKnightx: Feb 12th 2008; 12:30PM

Nah thats way better. It's more Rockin' lol!!

Fernando Rocker: Feb 12th 2008; 12:35PM

lol... and wait for the sales in USA this week... 360 version will sell a lot more!

someshow: Feb 12th 2008; 12:11PM

Wow EA has the rights till the end of history.

Which everyone knows ends on December 12th 2012.

:)

Lunaclown: Feb 12th 2008; 1:21PM

Yes..the end of the world is in 2012..but on the 21st of December according to the mayans and even nostradomus (sp?)

DangerMouse: Feb 12th 2008; 12:13PM

Fucking hell!

deaftly: Feb 12th 2008; 12:14PM

Look how bad all pro football was and how bad Sega games have been for the last 5 years or so, wishing for another "2K" NFL game wouldnt be the best of ideas. So anyway I think its good EA has the license,the Madden series is solid and on a side note make another fucking NFL Street game and stop with this NFL Tour bullshit.

Jonah Falcon: Feb 12th 2008; 12:21PM

Visual Concepts is a great developer.

"Bad" Sega games? You mean like Universe at War, Medieval II, Condemned and Condemned 2, The Club, Virtua Fighter 5, and Crush?

Please, think before you flap your gums.

DangerMouse: Feb 12th 2008; 12:33PM

It means there's no competition, which gives EA little incentive to make the best product they can make. Like it was stated earlier, Madden sales were down this last season, and if other companies could participate, they could pick up where EA's lacking, and in turn, force EA to make a better game. Thanks to the deal, that's impossible.

WiNG: Feb 12th 2008; 12:48PM

You've got it wrong:

Sonic Team makes bad games.
Sega makes good games.

Learn 2 troll.

Jonah Falcon: Feb 12th 2008; 12:18PM

The press release is gone from EA Canada's site. Maybe it was a bad dream...

Ordeith: Feb 12th 2008; 12:19PM

you can blame the NFL as much as EA. hard to top the greed of the NFL.

Jonah Falcon: Feb 12th 2008; 12:23PM

Except Madden sales have been precipitously dropping even with no competition.

http://www.fragland.net/news/Analyst-EA-Sports-doing-bad/18416/

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/80780-Analyst-Calls-EA-Situation-Troubling

This won't help the NFL at all if no one is buying games based on their product. They had an awesome Super Bowl this year, but what happens when there's just some "who cares" Super Bowl?

TEK: Feb 12th 2008; 12:19PM

http://darthshowcase.ytmnd.com/

zeke: Feb 12th 2008; 12:25PM

are you fucking shitting me?

aaron_k7: Feb 12th 2008; 12:26PM

All Pro Football 2K9 FTW!!!

fyreblazer: Feb 12th 2008; 1:40PM

Mutant League Football 2K9 FTW!!!

Yea, I said it...

Jonah Falcon: Feb 12th 2008; 1:54PM

Actually, Blood Bowl IS coming to PC, XBLA, and DS. I luv Blood Bowl - still own my 1995 MS-DOS copy. :p

aaron_k7: Feb 12th 2008; 2:00PM

@fyre

I think a compromise is in order for 2K9. How about 11 all-pros on your team, the rest mutants! That's one thing bad about 2K8 is that the generic players on your team were very boring and untalented. Super Mutant players FTW I say.

dan: Feb 12th 2008; 12:33PM

this pisses me off to no end... f EA and f the N effin L

Deck: Feb 12th 2008; 12:35PM

Damn it! EA I don't want anymore Madden's!

Jonah Falcon: Feb 12th 2008; 12:39PM

I wish someone would make a football game with user created content. Like no one can make their own player and team name files and uniform logos. Sheesh.

ANt: Feb 12th 2008; 12:40PM

Madden 08 was the best football ever made.

APF 2K8 was an attrocity.

Yes EA sucks, and yes it took them three tries to get a good game of Madden, but, moving forward it should be even better.

Agreed, NFL is as greedy as EA, without question.

Lets face it, we'll never win regardless if who's taking the lead in gaming, period.

Mike D: Feb 12th 2008; 3:01PM

Madden 08 for the wii, however, was god awful. Here is my list of complaints:

1. The game froze, CONSTANTLY.
2. The AI was retarted
3. Recievers couldn't catch
4. Load screens (like transitioning from one season to the next) took almost 10 min.

I could go on but I wont, and I returned it.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School): Feb 12th 2008; 2:06PM

"best football ever", eh?

Must been one strange looking football.

Worst Review Ever: Feb 12th 2008; 2:41PM

"The AI was retarted"
Holy shit, Mike D! Misspelling "retarded"? That's a new low, man.

StuScotsLazyEye: Feb 12th 2008; 12:41PM

Even though I'm not much of a football fan, I did own NFL 2K5 for Xbox and it beat the piss out of Madden and I think it's better than this years', too. This new deal blows...a lot. Good thing I don't buy these games, because I'd be screwing myself out of $60 each year!

EA fails.

ANt: Feb 12th 2008; 12:45PM

"Bad" Sega games? You mean like Universe at War, Medieval II, Condemned and Condemned 2, The Club, Virtua Fighter 5, and Crush?"

"Please, think before you flap your gums."

You must work for Sega.

Condemned and VF5 are good, how can you say the CLub is good when its not even out?? The demo wasn't anything special. The guns had the pop of 5-10 store cap gun.

The other games are niche games.....who's "FLAPPING" their gums now??

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