Judge Certifies Class-Action Football Game Pricing Lawsuit Against EA

[ven0m43]

A lot of people were/are missing the point that this has nothing to do with current gen games. To me, it is about how EA sold their games at a certain price and then changed it the next year because they are the only ones that can make an nfl game.

For example it would be like 2k made an nfl game and sold it for 40 on the current gen, so EA made their game $40 to compete. The next year EA buys the rights and now 2k cant make an nfl game, so EA makes their game $60.

[He_Shoots_He_Scores]

Quote: Originally Posted by ven0m43

A lot of people were/are missing the point that this has nothing to do with current gen games. To me, it is about how EA sold their games at a certain price and then changed it the next year because they are the only ones that can make an nfl game. For example it would be like 2k made an nfl game and sold it for 40 on the current gen, so EA made their game $40 to compete. The next year EA buys the rights and now 2k cant make an nfl game, so EA makes their game $60.

Thank you, you are one of the few who have the education to understand the argument. I swear, some people refuse to read the thread before they post and fail to see the argument when it has been clearly explained. Yes, i hope ea lose the law suit to Activision and the one Class action law suit. I would love bobby kotick to clean house on EA. EA is greedy and releases bugged games under full knowledge and i have been burned one too many times.

[CreatineKasey]

I'm not seeing the validity of this one. If you look in a vacuum at Madden prices and the immediate effect of the exclusive license back in 2006, you can see something. If you look at all of gaming, you see nothing. Maybe they should sue EA for false advertising on that Madden 2006 commercial for the 360! That freaking commercial motivated me to buy that stupid game. As we all know, it wasn't even relatively close visually and animation wise.

[Hova57]

I find it funny this happens as the contracts for NCAA and Madden are coming to the last years of exclusitivity. Its all rolling down hill for any exclusive titles. From the NFL down to anyone signing with them. I understand why the NFL and NCAA did it to avoid a water down version of their organizations and to get their money from one source, but I think Ncaa and Nfl will have multiple licenses again. EA tried to hit all the type of markets with the NFL and they didn't work out ie Blitz type and simulation even down to madden ultimate team. EA spread themselves thin with trying to hit these markets to make money off the license but ended up cutting all. Even with NCAA they cut there Basketball because the cost exceeded revenue.

[UNC_Pete]

I hope this ends up tipping the iceberg and hinders the chance of a license extension.

[sithlord06]

I love it! Anything to get EA running from this NFL exclusive license in 2012 or 2013. I dont think they should be the only NFL licensed football game in the market. Buyers should have the right to choose from various games that come out on the market, it only increases the quality of the products. NFL2K5 was arguably the best game of all time. NFL Fever was a decent football game that came out and Microsoft had something there but they also got squeezed by EA. Licensing has to go away so the consumer benefits from better quality and prices.

[randombrother]

The only way I see this lawsuit working is if 2K gets up in court (as if "2K" can get up in court, lol) and say that they had intended to stick with the $20 pricing for a while and not just one year. That's the only way I see this holding any weight. They DID do it for all games during the 2K5 run of games for that year but the next year everything went back to normal pricing or at least close to normal pricing. If they say they would have done it again for 2K6 but couldn't for the lost revenue of NFL 2K6 then that's the only legitimacy I see for this case. So basically if 2K lies (cause we know damn well they wasn't gonna go 20 bucks forever) then EA may sweat a little.

[BlackRome]

Quote: Originally Posted by mWolfe

I see what they are getting at but where is the real suit because exclusive happen all the time and price what would bring in revenue to offset the cost, everybody in the business does that. This lawsuit does not help bring in competition, nor should EA pay back anybody because it is a choice to buy something you want but do not need. If you don't want to buy Madden or NCAA then don't. I bought NCAA 11 but not Madden 11 because I have Madden 08 on the PC to pass my time until certain things in Madden change for the better. This lawsuit reminds of the other lawsuit that that guy who is suing an RPG Game maker for a million dollars cause he cant function properly in life because he is to addicted to the game. I don't know about y'all but I don't see this boding well for EA if it goes to trial, because everyone always wants to rip apart big money making businesses. Perfect example of this was the old lady that spilt her coffee because she put it between her legs. I know one thing, I am definitely smart enough never to put any thing hot that close to my, well you know.

Exclusive deals stiff competition. Those exclusive deals let Nike put Starter out of business. Starter was beating the snot out of Nike and Reebok when it came to apparel. So once Nike got the exclusive deal it basically killed Starter. They did the same thing in college sports. Nike supplied all of North Carolinas apparel but I still could rock a starter jacket with North Carolina on it if I wanted to. I actually had a UCLA starter. Reebok now owns UCLA's apparel line. It sucks.

This ruling could be the end of exclusive deals. Which would be a good thing for consumers. Those contracts should be based on a license fee and then let the company who makes the best product win. That's called competition.

If companies are paying millions in exclusive fees who do you think has to pay for it. The consumer.

If there were 4 companies making hats I'm sure they wouldn't all be charging 25 dollars for a baseball cap.

They would be forced to compete and the company with the inferior product would lower the price. Once EA was forced to compete they just closed the door with the exclusive contract.

I want choice. I haven't brought any NFL apparel in years since Reebok had the contract. Their clothes suck. I still have hung in my basement the Jerseys Nike made for the Cowboys. The NFL used to allow individual teams to have their jerseys supplied by the company of their choice.

Tyrant8RDFL: What your forgetting is that the contracts didn't used to work that way. Far as satellite TV the only reason to buy directtv is for the the NFL package. I had directtv for years with the package. Got rid of it once I found a way to watch the games I wanted to on the internet. For free . Directv is inferior to cable and especially FIOS. That exclusive deal is forcing customers to buy an inferior product.

Just like forcing me to buy Reebok when I would rather buy Nike or Starter products.

I guess your OK with being forced to buy inferior products.