In Depth Reactions to EA / ESPN Deal

Gamespot has a piece up about industry analyst reactions to the EA / ESPN deal. They span the gamut from appreciation for a smart business move to a frustration with a company throwing its weight around. From the article: "Has the fat lady finally sung in the sports-game wars? Should all the other publishers pack it in and head for the showers? Opinions are mixed, but this week's news was one of the year's biggest wins--for Electronic Arts. Now, the industry girds for a string of earnings calls where executives at publicly traded companies--EA and others--will surely face a grilling from curious analysts."

Comments

Shades of Microsoft...

[Londovir]

What I thought most interesting in the article was the quote from the Morgan Securities analyst. He said, "There's nothing illegal or unethical about what EA is doing....Microsoft did the same kind of things to improve its position."

Isn't it funny how seemingly incompatible those two phrases are? Nearly everyone these days recognizes that Microsoft is a monopoly, including the government. How exactly does one think you get to be a monopoly? It's by doing the sort of things that EA is doing (in the beginning), which may very well be ethical and legal (but which leave a very bad taste in most consumers mouths anyway). You then end up wielding that newfound power in most unethical and illegal manners.

I just think it's quite enlightening to see a market analyst recognize the same initial markers in EA's behaviors. Sure, there's nothing illegal (but I'd argue unethical for awhile) in snagging so many exclusive licenses, but it remains to be seen what EA will do with their newfound implicit power. I somehow have a difficulty in believing that EA is going to "use its power for good, not evil". (I'm sure Digital Illusions, Ubisoft, and the hoards of EA employees would agree...)

Londovir

SEGA down but not out.

[dancingmad]

I'm not a huge fan of sports games but I know a lot of people that are. They are, mostly, casual gamers (the Halo and beer types). SEGA, EA, they don't care who they are, as long as they pay for the games, of course. Those folks won't be interested in generic football. Period.

SEGA has two options, really; either get into college ball. In the states a good college football based game would be a huge coup. The other option (which I think is less likely or workable) is to create a generic game (with a good engine) where players can completely customize the teams and allow users to exchange that customized data. Someone will make the real NFL and with a small shot in the arm style update they can unofficially play the NFL teams.