Reflecting on EA's NFL monopoly: What does EA actually pro..

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

With this recent powerplay by EA to lock up any electronic form of NFL
football on any electronic platform short of fantasy football until
2010, it is a good time to think about what exactly EA is producing
that is worth buying. This monopolistic move now should cause everyone
to think through their purchases. And their recent class action
lawsuits about violation of labor laws by EA, is another one.

So, in light of this, I am posting this question: With all the other
titles out there of all genres by other companies, what would you say
now would be worth buying from EA? From a strategic standpoint
(someone name for me anything EA is doing on this front anyhow. Command
and Conquor? Well, ANOTHER RTS?), maybe Sims 2. But, as of now, I
don't see I would be missing anything if I avoid EA completely.

Someone did post a suggestion in another thread. If you MUST buy an EA
title, wait for it to be used. This way EA gets no money for it.
- Richard Hutnik

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

<richardhutnik@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1103085687.309120.314660@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> With this recent powerplay by EA to lock up any electronic form of NFL
> football on any electronic platform short of fantasy football until
> 2010, it is a good time to think about what exactly EA is producing
> that is worth buying. This monopolistic move now should cause everyone
> to think through their purchases. And their recent class action
> lawsuits about violation of labor laws by EA, is another one.

The NFL just gave out the contract to the highest bidder.
EA had the winning bid of $300 million. Thats $60 mill per game just to cut
out the competition.
Result: customers lose, player salaries increase, and EA is the sole
provider of NFL games for the next 800 years. New football games are about
incremental improvements. Once the licence expires and EA is ready to make
NFL 2011, it'll cost them a lot less to make than competitors who haven't
been making football games for 5 years, and would have to start from scratch
on the PS3, xbox 2, etc. EA wins the bid every time. Disgruntled customers
go play Mario football 2011. IT'S - A - ME, MARIO!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

Yep. ANY electronic form of football, sort of fantasy football, is now
owned by EA for the next 5 years. So, the likes of Front Office
Football will be denied the NFL license, and the license to the
players.

This is a major reason for rethinking what you buy from EA.
- Richard Hutnik

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

Here is a question...what does this do to the strat football developers? My
understanding is that the deal covers strategy style football games too, so
does that mean that there will not be any more liscensed players in these
games?



<richardhutnik@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1103085687.309120.314660@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> With this recent powerplay by EA to lock up any electronic form of NFL
> football on any electronic platform short of fantasy football until
> 2010, it is a good time to think about what exactly EA is producing
> that is worth buying. This monopolistic move now should cause everyone
> to think through their purchases. And their recent class action
> lawsuits about violation of labor laws by EA, is another one.
>
> So, in light of this, I am posting this question: With all the other
> titles out there of all genres by other companies, what would you say
> now would be worth buying from EA? From a strategic standpoint
> (someone name for me anything EA is doing on this front anyhow. Command
> and Conquor? Well, ANOTHER RTS?), maybe Sims 2. But, as of now, I
> don't see I would be missing anything if I avoid EA completely.
>
> Someone did post a suggestion in another thread. If you MUST buy an EA
> title, wait for it to be used. This way EA gets no money for it.
> - Richard Hutnik
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

richardhutnik@hotmail.com wrote:
> Someone did post a suggestion in another thread. If you MUST buy an EA
> title, wait for it to be used. This way EA gets no money for it.
> - Richard Hutnik

Someone has to buy it new, and then trade it in for it to then be soild
new. So this has to be the dumbest suggestion I have ever heard. Because
EA still gets their money.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

"Dan S" <dan@work.com> wrote in message
news:0K1wd.3026$aq.1229@fe79.usenetserver.com...
> richardhutnik@hotmail.com wrote:
>> Someone did post a suggestion in another thread. If you MUST buy an EA
>> title, wait for it to be used. This way EA gets no money for it.
>> - Richard Hutnik
>
> Someone has to buy it new, and then trade it in for it to then be soild
> new. So this has to be the dumbest suggestion I have ever heard. Because
> EA still gets their money.
>
>
Not really.
EA gets no money from the person who normally would have bought it new.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic (More info?)

Still funny and true

http://www.somethingawful.com/articles.php?a=1507


<richardhutnik@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1103085687.309120.314660@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> With this recent powerplay by EA to lock up any electronic form of NFL
> football on any electronic platform short of fantasy football until
> 2010, it is a good time to think about what exactly EA is producing
> that is worth buying. This monopolistic move now should cause everyone
> to think through their purchases. And their recent class action
> lawsuits about violation of labor laws by EA, is another one.
>
> So, in light of this, I am posting this question: With all the other
> titles out there of all genres by other companies, what would you say
> now would be worth buying from EA? From a strategic standpoint
> (someone name for me anything EA is doing on this front anyhow. Command
> and Conquor? Well, ANOTHER RTS?), maybe Sims 2. But, as of now, I
> don't see I would be missing anything if I avoid EA completely.
>
> Someone did post a suggestion in another thread. If you MUST buy an EA
> title, wait for it to be used. This way EA gets no money for it.
> - Richard Hutnik
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

Zimmy wrote:
> "Dan S" <dan@work.com> wrote in message
> news:0K1wd.3026$aq.1229@fe79.usenetserver.com...
>
>>richardhutnik@hotmail.com wrote:
>>
>>>Someone did post a suggestion in another thread. If you MUST buy an EA
>>>title, wait for it to be used. This way EA gets no money for it.
>>>- Richard Hutnik
>>
>>Someone has to buy it new, and then trade it in for it to then be soild
>>new. So this has to be the dumbest suggestion I have ever heard. Because
>>EA still gets their money.
>>
>>
>
> Not really.
> EA gets no money from the person who normally would have bought it new.
>
>

Ok think about this for a minute.

Madden 2006 comes out
3 million people want it.
2.5 million buy it brand new
..5 wait for a used copy.

Now 500,000 people have to trade in a version for those other people to
get one. Is that impossible, no. But lets say all those people don't
trade it into Jan or Feb. A lot of poeple wait until the following
summer to trade it in. So in essence, those .5 people are waiting months
to play the game.

For anyone to think this way make any kind of difference is insane IMO.

 

[dick]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic (More info?)

Just warez it for PC or copy it on your chiped consoles at home.
EA gets no money


Zimmy wrote:
> "Dan S" <dan@work.com> wrote in message
> news:0K1wd.3026$aq.1229@fe79.usenetserver.com...
>
>>richardhutnik@hotmail.com wrote:
>>
>>>Someone did post a suggestion in another thread. If you MUST buy an EA
>>>title, wait for it to be used. This way EA gets no money for it.
>>>- Richard Hutnik
>>
>>Someone has to buy it new, and then trade it in for it to then be soild
>>new. So this has to be the dumbest suggestion I have ever heard. Because
>>EA still gets their money.
>>
>>
>
> Not really.
> EA gets no money from the person who normally would have bought it new.
>
>

Ok think about this for a minute.

Madden 2006 comes out
3 million people want it.
2.5 million buy it brand new
..5 wait for a used copy.

Now 500,000 people have to trade in a version for those other people to
get one. Is that impossible, no. But lets say all those people don't
trade it into Jan or Feb. A lot of poeple wait until the following
summer to trade it in. So in essence, those .5 people are waiting months
to play the game.

For anyone to think this way make any kind of difference is insane IMO.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports (More info?)

Dan, a ton of people trade in Madden in the first two weeks. Kids are
playing a game for a week, then trading it in as soon as something else hot
comes out. I talked to an EB manager last weekend and he said that they had
a huge number of GTA: San Andreas used copies the day that Halo 2 came out.
GTA probably has over a hundred hours of gameplay and they kept it a week.

I can wait a week or two to find a used copy of any EA game at this point.
I'd rather give EB $30 of pure profit than anything to EA, and EB would
prefer it, too, so everybody's happy but EA about that.



"Dan S" <dan@work.com> wrote in message
news:yl3wd.1127$542.287@fe24.usenetserver.com...
> Zimmy wrote:
>> "Dan S" <dan@work.com> wrote in message
>> news:0K1wd.3026$aq.1229@fe79.usenetserver.com...
>>
>>>richardhutnik@hotmail.com wrote:
>>>
>>>>Someone did post a suggestion in another thread. If you MUST buy an EA
>>>>title, wait for it to be used. This way EA gets no money for it.
>>>>- Richard Hutnik
>>>
>>>Someone has to buy it new, and then trade it in for it to then be soild
>>>new. So this has to be the dumbest suggestion I have ever heard. Because
>>>EA still gets their money.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Not really.
>> EA gets no money from the person who normally would have bought it new.
>>
>>
>
> Ok think about this for a minute.
>
> Madden 2006 comes out
> 3 million people want it.
> 2.5 million buy it brand new
> .5 wait for a used copy.
>
> Now 500,000 people have to trade in a version for those other people to
> get one. Is that impossible, no. But lets say all those people don't trade
> it into Jan or Feb. A lot of poeple wait until the following summer to
> trade it in. So in essence, those .5 people are waiting months to play the
> game.
>
> For anyone to think this way make any kind of difference is insane IMO.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

"Dan S" <dan@work.com> wrote in message
news:yl3wd.1127$542.287@fe24.usenetserver.com...
> Zimmy wrote:
>> "Dan S" <dan@work.com> wrote in message
>> news:0K1wd.3026$aq.1229@fe79.usenetserver.com...
>>
>>>richardhutnik@hotmail.com wrote:
>>>
>>>>Someone did post a suggestion in another thread. If you MUST buy an EA
>>>>title, wait for it to be used. This way EA gets no money for it.
>>>>- Richard Hutnik
>>>
>>>Someone has to buy it new, and then trade it in for it to then be soild
>>>new. So this has to be the dumbest suggestion I have ever heard. Because
>>>EA still gets their money.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Not really.
>> EA gets no money from the person who normally would have bought it new.
>>
>>
>
> Ok think about this for a minute.
>
> Madden 2006 comes out
> 3 million people want it.
> 2.5 million buy it brand new
> .5 wait for a used copy.
>
> Now 500,000 people have to trade in a version for those other people to
> get one. Is that impossible, no. But lets say all those people don't trade
> it into Jan or Feb. A lot of poeple wait until the following summer to
> trade it in. So in essence, those .5 people are waiting months to play the
> game.
>
> For anyone to think this way make any kind of difference is insane IMO.
>
I wasn't arguing that it would work, just that buying a used copy gives EA
no extra revenue.
To me, the amount I play Madden is worth the $50 I spend every year.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports (More info?)

"Dan S" <dan@work.com> wrote in message
news:1Jiwd.5245$0V1.1519@fe02.usenetserver.com...
> Two years from now, most people won't give a rats ass about this, hell I
> bet next year most won't.
>

Try 2 days for me. Couldn't care less about EA's contract with the NFL.

I'll still buy Madden every season, like I've done since the original over a
decade ago. Until they start producing an inferior product (IMO people,
let's not start a flame thread) compared to the competition, they'll always
get my $50, $60, whatever it is, per year. It's cheap entertainment. I've
get 100's of hours of enjoyment out of it every year and can usually get
$20-25 back for it when I sell it in the summer before NCAA comes out.

Jon

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

I'm not sure why people even buy the game... it hasn't changed
significantly in years, every new incarnation they add 5 fluff features
tweak some aspect to intentionally make it irritatingly flawed, and
intentionally disable one or two features from the previous incarnation.

So you have 5 features like "create a fan" hit stick etc., Tweaked
kicking so extra points are missed at least once a game, and disable the
ability to play a season with a custom franchise.

What's more they do this in ALL their sports games. Same formula, add 5
bullet point features for the box, disable previous feature(s)
intentionally break something so that people buy the next version hoping
it got fixed.

Yet people still buy it...

One other major thing they do in all their sports games... if the user
base bitches long and hard enough about some huge flaw, they always add
a fake slider to allow people to think that they are adjusting something.

Just like a placebo this always seems to have the desired effect,
despite the fact that they actually have no impact on the game whatsoever.

--
Simon
"I may be wrong, but I'm not uncertain." -- Robert A. Heinlein