The NBA Live series was once the dominant basketball franchise back in the 16-bit days. But for years now it has been overshadowed by 2K Sports’ NBA 2K series. Each year Electronic Arts makes new promises, and each year they’re still a few steps behind.
The Tom Clancy games have had a shaky history on consoles. While the Rainbow Six games have been classics on the PC side for a while now, their console cousins were initially a bit fumbling. The same could be said for the Ghost Recon titles. That, however, has all changed for the better, and apparently Ubisoft thought it was $100 million worth of better.
That sum purchased Ubisoft the rights to the Tom Clancy moniker. That’s right, they now own the rights to the name in games, books, movies and merchandise. So, apparently $100 million can buy you a man’s soul these days, huh? Ubisoft apparently feels that the Clancy name is equivalent to the Madden name, in that it sells the product regardless of what it’s slapped on. This may be true. (more…)
If you’re a Wii owner, you may feel like you’re often an after thought to most third party developers. Not so for Electronic Arts, who has announced they currently have eight titles from their EA Sports franchises slated for the Wii. Eight EA Sports titles? Is it a blessing or a curse? (more…)
Some people don’t like to play football. It’s dirty, it’s painful and you end up showering with a bunch of men at the end of the day. Meanwhile, the coach gets to sit on the sidelines telling people what to do and he only breaks a sweat if the team plays in Miami. If you’re the type who hates to play the game but loves to be the guy calling the shots, EA has a game for you.
The sequel to EA’s 2006 title, NFL Head Coach 09 was announced yesterday for the PS3 and the 360. Similar to games like Baseball Mogul and Soccer Manager Pro, the game allows you to call all the shots on everything from scouting, team management and game time decisions. A press release on EA’s website describes the game as “a unique NFL experience that gives gamers the power to make decisions that define their career and ultimately the fate of their franchise as a head coach in the NFL.”
While the first game in the series was plagued with bad AI and numerous gameplay problems, EA is hoping the sequel will pull more sports simulation fans in and create a winning franchise that can keep up with the best-selling Madden games.
Although no release date has been announced yet a mid summer release is expected to coincide with Madden’s regular August release. So get your clipboard and headset ready, because you’ve got some plays to call.
When it was rumored the other day that Epic might be acquired by Microsoft, Epic’s Vice-President Mark Rein joked that they should start the bidding at $2 billion. Apparently Electronic Arts thought that price sounded about right for another big time company, Take-Two Interactive. Take-Two is the parent company of 2K Games and Rockstar. So, essentially, Electronic Arts might soon be the parent company of Bioshock and Grand Theft Auto.
While Electronic Arts continues to be the monster that ate everything in video game land, this move actually makes some sense for Take-Two. While occasional hits keep the company afloat, there have been many bombs and Rockstar has shown its only truly viable franchise to be Grand Theft Auto, with the possibility of Bully. Meanwhile, EA Sports has basically pushed 2K Sports to the point of starvation by acquiring exclusive rights to many popular sports leagues. 2K Sports does retain the exclusive third-party rights to Major League Baseball. (more…)
Love them or hate them, EA Sports is a commanding power in the world of video games. From FIFA to Madden to NBA Live they continually sell well almost bulletproof to criticism. EA Sports apparently figures when you have a good thing going, make more of it by launching five new franchises within the next three years.
While one of those titles is supposed to be geared more toward the casual market, the other four will apparently be among the core franchises. How will that work? Expect more titles of the NBA Street and NFL Head Coach variety. Let’s be honest, are there really any other sports for EA Sports to tackle? Cricket? Lacrosse? They even already have a rugby franchise! (more…)
Say what you will about the Madden NFL football games, but there’s no denying the series pop culture significance. It’s one of the first things many think about when they think of video games. A new version comes out every year, and Madden’s release date is even celebrated by faithful fans and EA as “Maddenoliday.”
Today, EA announced that it has secured the official NFL and NFLPA (Player’s Association) license for an additional 3 years, extending the previous 2009 license until the end of the 2012 season. What this means to those not fully aware is that no other company can produce a NFL football game with team names, player names, stadium names; basically everything associated with the NFL currently. A company is free to produce a game with fake teams and players, or players no longer under contract with the NFL (like All Pro Football 2k8 this year). (more…)
Loading ...