Locked due to no posts in 60 days. Report 1st post if need unlocked EA Sports Cancels NCAA Football Video Game Series

[SWVAHusker]

Never played these games but why do the game players need to look like current stars? Why don't they just let the gamers put in whatever photo they want to for the players?

The legal argument isn't that each player in the video game has a face that specifically looks like a real life college football player. In the NCAA football video games the "players" always wear helmets and never actually show a face. The legal argument is based upon the fact that EA Sports uses the height, weight and other vital statistics from real life players. They give a video game player the option of editing the "players" names so they can use the real names of the guys those characters are supposed to represent.

The fact that video game technology has advanced so much in the past 10 years or so is what makes this issue so difficult. Each video game character is given a ranking in the game based on their speed, throwing skills, pass catching skills, etc. The argument goes that those rankings are based on the real life performances of the college football players those video game characters represent. So, for example, #3 for Nebraska in NCAA Football 14 has rankings that represent the speed, agility, throwing skills, etc. of Taylor Martinez. EA Sports doesn't openly discuss how they calculate these rankings and I highly suspect they don't want that info public because it would go very badly for them in court if it became public. It is known that in the NFL Madden video game these rankings are based upon real life performances of players. I highly suspect that the rankings in NCAA Football are based upon 40 times and previous game performances of real life players. The mathmatical computations going on "behind the scenes" in the video game use these rankings as well as the input by the video game player, to help run the game.

It's a bit complicated to explain. The bottom line though is that it appears that lawyers for many NCAA schools, as well as the conferences, were uncomfortable about the legal exposure of allowing their trademarks to be used in the video game.

 

[ShortSideOption]

It goes further than the players. Since the NCAA didn't license due to the impending legal actions, stadiums and teams are all altered. So you are playing in a generic stadium not anything resembling Memorial and the game Nebraska Wind vs. Iowa Combines is for a chance to play in the Midwestern Conference Championship. Then none of the players are the same. No ones going to purchase that game and thus the discontinuing of the game...

 

[Andrew]

EA Cancels NCAA Football

I knew it was just a matter of time, but now it's official. There will not be any more college football video games, at least in the foreseeable future. EA Sports officially cancelled the series, which was due to be renamed College Football next year because the NCAA had already pulled their licensing deal. EA is now looking to settle the Sam Keller/Ed O'Bannon likeness lawsuit.

http://www.pastapadre.com/2013/09/26/ea-sports-cancels-ncaa-football-series

That Is a true shame! I really enjoyed that game from the very beginning. I understand why they had to do it but it still stinks.

 

[Bo Pelinis Gum]

But wouldn't today's software and computers allow you to insert a photo of your choice; like we put our own avatars here on HuskerMax. If a gamer puts in a photo of Sam Keller so what?

No it isnt that much of a resemblance, other than body shape, and number. Rex Burkhead looked like something out of a scary movie on last years version. If it were verbatum, I could see their point, kind of. But Id say the vast majority of the caricatures are similar only in position and number. Thats whats so dumb about it. Even the best technology in a game that requires memory allocations to stadiums, fans, mascots, jerseys, fields, whatever is left over is allocated to the players. If they were to create this game to the point every player looked dead on, the memory required would make it a 4 disc game. The stadiums, fields, backgrounds are dead on, the players not so much. That being said, Nebraska should sue for them making money on the likeness of Memorial Stadium

 

[CombatTargeteer]

The legal argument isn't that each player in the video game has a face that specifically looks like a real life college football player. In the NCAA football video games the "players" always wear helmets and never actually show a face. The legal argument is based upon the fact that EA Sports uses the height, weight and other vital statistics from real life players. They give a video game player the option of editing the "players" names so they can use the real names of the guys those characters are supposed to represent.

The fact that video game technology has advanced so much in the past 10 years or so is what makes this issue so difficult. Each video game character is given a ranking in the game based on their speed, throwing skills, pass catching skills, etc. The argument goes that those rankings are based on the real life performances of the college football players those video game characters represent. So, for example, #3 for Nebraska in NCAA Football 14 has rankings that represent the speed, agility, throwing skills, etc. of Taylor Martinez. EA Sports doesn't openly discuss how they calculate these rankings and I highly suspect they don't want that info public because it would go very badly for them in court if it became public. It is known that in the NFL Madden video game these rankings are based upon real life performances of players. I highly suspect that the rankings in NCAA Football are based upon 40 times and previous game performances of real life players.

It's a bit complicated to explain. The bottom line though is that it appears that lawyers for many NCAA schools, as well as the conferences, were uncomfortable about the legal exposure of allowing their trademarks to be used in the video game.

It goes further than the players. Since the NCAA didn't license due to the impending legal actions, stadiums and teams are all altered. So you are playing in a generic stadium not anything resembling Memorial and the game Nebraska Wind vs. Iowa Combines is for a chance to play in the Midwestern Conference Championship. Then none of the players are the same. No ones going to purchase that game and thus the discontinuing of the game...

Thank both of you for "learning the dummy". I have a much better feel now. When I was a younger man I really enjoyed playing APBA baseball. With dice and a game board and player cards. It used the real statistics of MLB players from forever. I could pit the '09 Tigers against the '27 Yankees. I could replay the entire 1959 season. Should those players have sued?

 

[Bo Pelinis Gum]

Thank both of you for "learning the dummy". I have a much better feel now. When I was a younger man I really enjoyed playing APBA baseball. With dice and a game board and player cards. It used the real statistics of MLB players from forever. I could pit the '09 Tigers against the '27 Yankees. I could replay the entire 1959 season. Should those players have sued?

According to this lawsuit, yes, they should have. But that was in a different era where get rich meant go work harder, not profit in a BS lawsuit.

 

[SWVAHusker]

It goes further than the players. Since the NCAA didn't license due to the impending legal actions, stadiums and teams are all altered. So you are playing in a generic stadium not anything resembling Memorial and the game Nebraska Wind vs. Iowa Combines is for a chance to play in the Midwestern Conference Championship. Then none of the players are the same. No ones going to purchase that game and thus the discontinuing of the game...

No, this isn't true. The NCAA pulling out only impacted the NCAA logo. The individual schools licensed their trademarks through Collegiate Licensing Company. Even when the Big Ten decided to pull out that did not mean that Nebraska would not be completely faithfully represented in the game. Nebraska had a deal with EA Sports through CLC. The Big Ten pulling out only meant that the Big Ten conference name and logo would not have been used in any video game, Nebraska and other Big Ten teams would have simply been in a conference in the game with a fictional name.

 

[Bo Pelinis Gum]

No, this isn't true. The NCAA pulling out only impacted the NCAA logo. The individual schools licensed their trademarks through Collegiate Licensing Company. Even when the Big Ten decided to pull out that did not mean that Nebraska would not be completely faithfully represented in the game. Nebraska had a deal with EA Sports through CLC. The Big Ten pulling out only meant that the Big Ten conference name and logo would not have been used in any video game, Nebraska and other Big Ten teams would have simply been in a conference in the game with a fictional name.

Schools had a choice to license through CLC, some initially did, others didnt. So it could have been like *** said the Nebraska Hay Eaters, vs The Oklahoma Sooners (had they trademarked).

 

[SWVAHusker]

Thank both of you for "learning the dummy". I have a much better feel now. When I was a younger man I really enjoyed playing APBA baseball. With dice and a game board and player cards. It used the real statistics of MLB players from forever. I could pit the '09 Tigers against the '27 Yankees. I could replay the entire 1959 season. Should those players have sued?

Professional players are different and they've sued too. Professionals get money from these licensing deals because the NFLPA, MLBPA, NBAPA and NHLPA negotiate with the video game publishers for use of the likenesses of their players in video games and other deals. One of the "problems" with this issue in terms of college athletes is there is no players association or other entity that looks out for the athletes interests in these deals.

To give a specific example, every player in the NFL has signed a contract with the NFLPA to allow them to negotiate money for the use of their likeness in the Madden video game. Every single player in the NFL who's depicted in that game gets paid something because they're a member of the union. If a player wasn't a member of the union they would not be included in the game. Five or ten years ago baseball player Barry Bonds didn't sign a contract allowing the MLBPA to license his likeness because he wanted his people to negotiate that separately and make more money. The result? There were MLB baseball games that included a player with Bonds number but not his name in the video game.

Retired NFL players who were included in the Madden game a few years ago sued and won because they weren't paid a legitimate fee for the use of their likeness in the game.

As for the board game, I wouldn't be surprised if, through their union, the players got paid something for the use of their names in the game.

 

[CombatTargeteer]

Professional players are different and they've sued too. Professionals get money from these licensing deals because the NFLPA, MLBPA, NBAPA and NHLPA negotiate with the video game publishers for use of the likenesses of their players in video games and other deals. One of the "problems" with this issue in terms of college athletes is there is no players association or other entity that looks out for the athletes interests in these deals.

To give a specific example, every player in the NFL has signed a contract with the NFLPA to allow them to negotiate money for the use of their likeness in the Madden video game. Every single player in the NFL who's depicted in that game gets paid something because they're a member of the union. If a player wasn't a member of the union they would not be included in the game. Five or ten years ago baseball player Barry Bonds didn't sign a contract allowing the MLBPA to license his likeness because he wanted his people to negotiate that separately and make more money. The result? There were MLB baseball games that included a player with Bonds number but not his name in the video game.

Shouldn't that be the role of the NCAA? Or it is but they don't move the money to the players?

 

[SWVAHusker]

Shouldn't that be the role of the NCAA? Or it is but they don't move the money to the players?

When a player gets to college they have to sign a waiver that gives their school the use of their likeness in perpetuity. That's what O'Bannon (and presumably Keller and the QB from Rutgers who's also filed a lawsuit) don't like. This basically merges the players with the school forever. O'Bannon got angry when he found out UCLA, and the NCAA, were using his likeness in advertising as well as selling DVDs of the championship he won while at UCLA years after he'd graduated and he was seeing none of that money.

The players and the schools IMO are linked in this issue and can't really be separated. I think there's a legitimate argument that the schools make money because people buy the merchandise for the school logo etc. But I also think there's a legitimate argument that schools make money because of the performance of specific players who wear those jerseys and play in the games. For example, A&M makes tons of money (and will continue to make money for years after he's gone) from the sales of a jersey with Johnny Manzel's number. I think it's impossible to say whether people are buying that jersey more because it's an A&M jersey or it's the number Manzel wears/wore.

To me there should be a middle ground here so everybody can make money. One thing I haven't mentioned is that IMO EA Sports wouldn't have cancelled this series if it was making tons and tons of money. The popularity of the series has waned in recent years because the last couple games weren't all that good. NCAA Football 14 is a better game than previous efforts but the sales still aren't that good.

 

[SWVAHusker]

The lawsuit between EA, CLC and former NCAA players has officially been settled. The class will include 200,000-300,000 former college football players whose likenesses were used in the video games over the years. The specific terms are confidential but one of the lawyers said the settlement is "something substantive." Another lawyer involved said that this settlement also means current players will get paid for the use of their likeness. The lawsuit between Keller/O'Bannon and the NCAA will continue. CLC and EA are now out as defendants.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9728042/ea-sports-stop-producing-college-football-game

 

[ShortSideOption]

No, this isn't true. The NCAA pulling out only impacted the NCAA logo. The individual schools licensed their trademarks through Collegiate Licensing Company. Even when the Big Ten decided to pull out that did not mean that Nebraska would not be completely faithfully represented in the game. Nebraska had a deal with EA Sports through CLC. The Big Ten pulling out only meant that the Big Ten conference name and logo would not have been used in any video game, Nebraska and other Big Ten teams would have simply been in a conference in the game with a fictional name.

Exactly... Big Ten pulls out, but Nebraska is represented, but Florida isn't. It was either all or nothing for EA Sports, they weren't going to have some schools represented and some not, and they weren't going to put a half ass product out...

 

[SWVAHusker]

Exactly... Big Ten pulls out, but Nebraska is represented, but Florida isn't. It was either all or nothing for EA Sports, they weren't going to have some schools represented and some not, and they weren't going to put a half ass product out...

One could argue that's what they did with NCAA Football 2012 and 2013

EA was, and is, willing to pay for the use of players likenesses. It's the NCAA that wants nothing to do with that idea at all. If the college football game were still making tons of profit for the company they'd still do it next year. The problem for them is that it's not making a whole lot of money already. Financially this is a no brainer for EA Sports. They can now either shed staff and therefore make more profit or shift staff to Madden and other video games and make those games better because they've got more people working on them.

 

[HuskerWeatherman]

This is a flawed argument in my opinion. My company makes more money off me than they pay me, but so what? My worth is what someone is willing to pay me, not what they turn around and make off my efforts.

I like Delaney's idea of letting them go pro right out of high school. Then, we will only get the kids in college who want to be there. The bottom line is that no one is forcing them to take that free education. I'm sure there are plenty of other athletes who would kill for the chance. This is just pure greed, but we live in a bleeding heart society. The funny thing is that young athletes LOVE to play these games and for every one Sam Keller, you probably have 10 other guys that want to kick his @55 for taking away their video game!

But you are being compensated by the company you work for. Sam Keller (or rather the collegiate athletes he represents) don't gain a single penny from either EA or the NCAA.

The only greedy, evil entity I see is the NCAA.