New Features Aren’t All Free in NCAA Football 12

[Critical Kills]

Quote: Originally Posted by kbmnm247

How am I making their point for them? Their point was that EA didn't lobby for the deals when it is clear they did. Heck, they even tried to get NBA and MLB as well.

You made the point that EA, even if they really did offer mega-deals before they were approached (which no one has ever proven, just speculated) still were the suitor that could have been turned down just as the MLB and NBA has.

The "bad guy", if you don't like this exclusive situation as it currently stands, is the folks who run the sports themselves, the NFL and the NCAA not the company who brought the contract.

The bottom line here is that once the NFL and NCAA decided to go with the exclusive agreements then EA had to bid as much as they could to get the contracts. As for your comment about they had more money than 2K, yeah, so what? Usually the company who has more money wins a bidding war.

EA has nothing to be ashamed of in making a very sound business decision securing two of their most profitable products. If 2K or any other company had the resources they would have done the exact same thing.

So in summary, you made the other sides point for us when you brought up the NBA in your post. Your anger, or your dislike, of the exclusive agreements should be 100% directed at the NFL and the NCAA, if they had so desired they could have gone the route of the NBA and there would be multiple games by multiple devs. EA had no decision to make once the exclusive agreements became desirable to the NFL and NCAA..

[Critical Kills]

Quote: Originally Posted by kbmnm247

I love how the only defense for what EA is doing here is 'well, other companies do it' 'it's only $3' Sometimes when everyone is doing something, it isn't necessarily the right thing to do, ya know?

If that's the only defense you see in this thread you're selectively reading. There have been far more posts from users who are ok with DLC in regards to pricing to the consumer vs. costs of a game to develop than "other companies do it" or "it's only $3".

But then again, it's far easier to just ignore the arguments that are actually integral as to why those who are ok with the DLC are defending it and focus on the arguments that are shallow and easier to belittle as baseless.

[poopoop]

Quote: Originally Posted by ODogg

You made the point that EA, even if they really did offer mega-deals before they were approached (which no one has ever proven, just speculated) still were the suitor that could have been turned down just as the MLB and NBA has. The "bad guy", if you don't like this exclusive situation as it currently stands, is the folks who run the sports themselves, the NFL and the NCAA not the company who brought the contract. The bottom line here is that once the NFL and NCAA decided to go with the exclusive agreements then EA had to bid as much as they could to get the contracts. As for your comment about they had more money than 2K, yeah, so what? Usually the company who has more money wins a bidding war. EA has nothing to be ashamed of in making a very sound business decision securing two of their most profitable products. If 2K or any other company had the resources they would have done the exact same thing. So in summary, you made the other sides point for us when you brought up the NBA in your post. Your anger, or your dislike, of the exclusive agreements should be 100% directed at the NFL and the NCAA, if they had so desired they could have gone the route of the NBA and there would be multiple games by multiple devs. EA had no decision to make once the exclusive agreements became desirable to the NFL and NCAA..

Please, the NFL/NCAA isn't exempt from any blame either. They share it with EA.

[Critical Kills]

Quote: Originally Posted by kbmnm247

You guys have to be trolling. Once again, I'll state.... WHAT OTHER COMPANY CAN I BUY AN NCAA OR NFL FOOTBALL GAME FROM ON MY XBOX 360 OR PS3?

First of all there have been competing products on the consoles since the exclusive agreements were signed:

Backbreaker
Black College Football Experience
Backyard Football
Family Fun Football
All Pro Football 2K8
Blitz II the League

Seems like all of those are football games to me. Sure they don't have the NFL or NCAA license but they are football. And as I've stated before, if you don't like the fact that other companies don't have the right to make an NFL game or an NCAA game then TAKE IT UP WITH THE SPORTS.

There is no merit at all here to criticize EA for DLC due to the exclusive agreement. This would be occurring just the same as it would if we had ESPN 2K11 coming this fall. Why you say? That's not true you say? If there was competition EA would not be doing it you say? Uh yeah they would because there's no one out there in their right mind who is going to say "Wow, I was going to buy NCAA 12 by EA over ESPN2K12 College football but then I don't like the fact that you have to pay $2.99 to advance the dynasty so now I'm going to buy ESPN's game instead."

Don't believe that? Think that argument is bogus? Well how about this, if there was a 2K NFL/NCAA game you can almost bet on the fact that there'd be some sort of DLC made by that company as well. The bottom line here though is the DLC is, as has been stated, a minor feature that is not going to influence anyone here as to be a game changer in the product they are buying in regards to competition vs. no-competition.

Quote: Originally Posted by kbmnm247

You are comparing another company, in a different genre, with a totally different DLC than what EA Sports is offering. How is that one sided at all?

EA's football games compete against ALL sports games. Some people can only afford a couple of sports games a year and often they will choose between Madden or NBA...or NCAA football vs. MLB the show. This whole argument of apples vs. apples is nonsense...if you're hungry and you're at the market you're looking at all the various fruits, they are all competing for your money.

So even if one throws out the entire argument of EA has competition from other football products, even without them being licensed, it's pretty ridiculous to say that they have no competition considering the quantity and quality of sports (and even non-sports) games that sit on the shelves beside Madden and NCAA now every year.

[Critical Kills]

Quote: Originally Posted by poopoop

Please, the NFL/NCAA isn't exempt from any blame either. They share it with EA.

Not only is the NFL/NCAA not exempt from some of the blame, they are 100% accountable for ALL of the blame. Because there is no way EA could have made the exclusive agreements without those who run the sports agreeing to such a deal.

[Senator Stone]

I don't play MLB 2k11, so I don't know for sure.....but it's my understanding that it doesn't contain any DLC. However, MLB The Show does. So there are competing baseball games, but one has DLC and one doesn't.

How is it exactly that if we had 17 different NCAA games available, the best one wouldn't still charge for a premium extra as DLC?

[poopoop]

Quote: Originally Posted by ODogg

Not only is the NFL/NCAA not exempt from some of the blame, they are 100% accountable for ALL of the blame. Because there is no way EA could have made the exclusive agreements without those who run the sports agreeing to such a deal.

It takes 2 people to sign a deal. Both of them bear responsibility. You want to paint EA as some victim who had no choice whatever. It'd be one thing if this was a single occurance and the NFL was the only exclusive deal they had. But they also have signed exclusive deals with NASCAR, AFL, ESPN and NCAA football. Guess who the one common denominator is.

[Critical Kills]

Quote: Originally Posted by poopoop

It takes 2 people to sign a deal. Both of them bear responsibility. You want to paint EA as some victim who had no choice whatever.

EA doesn't bear any responsibility at all here when it comes to gamers not liking having a choice. Because if EA had passed on the deal then the license simply would have gone to another company.

Quote: Originally Posted by poopoop

It'd be one thing if this was a single occurance and the NFL was the only exclusive deal they had.

That's because in many industries it's quite common to have one exclusive provider of a product, such as DirecTV being the only NFL provider for the NFL package. It's not because EA is some evil corporation buying up the world, it's the choice of those who own the product to go this route, i.e. the NFL and the NCAA.

Quote: Originally Posted by poopoop

But they also have signed exclusive deals with NASCAR, AFL, ESPN and NCAA football. Guess who the one common denominator is.

EA has more than most companies for one simple reason, they have more money and have produced games for longer than most companies. If 2K sports had more money and more industry clout then they'd have the majority of exclusive deals. It's simply how business works.

I'm not sure what your point here is other than to infer that having more exclusives indicates some sort of evil or corrupt plan by EA to screw consumers, if so that's laughable, the only plan at work here is a business plan to make a profit by publishing a game that their client who sold the said exclusive agreement (in this case the NFL/NCAA) is satisfied with...