Those nice guys at EA Sports - always looking out for you, the consumer.

Concerned that the excess cash in your pocket might slow you down, they find new and creative ways to separate you from your money. Last year's innovation was to jack up the cost of Madden by $20 over the previous edition.

EA was able to raise Madden's price because they eliminated the competition (NFL2K series) by scarfing up an exclusive NFL licensing deal. That little maneuver reminds GP of another famous game.

Now comes word that EA Sports and ESPN are thoughtfully prepared to help you part with yet another Andrew Jackson. This time, it's by charging real money to watch one of those "behind the scenes" videos. Ummm, didn't they run something like that for free on MTV last year? And the year before that?

Well, along with the five-cent cigar, those days are gone. A corporate press release just received here at GP HQ announces Inside Madden NFL 07, a pay-per-view special scheduled to debut on August 4th. So what does your $20 buy you? Here's what EA says:

"In this special, available 18 days before the release of Madden NFL 07... fans will get an early look inside one of this year's most anticipated video game releases. EA game designers and some of the best Madden players will lead gamers on a guided tour through new changes and advances in all aspects of the game..."

There are also interviews with top Madden players as well as some NFL stars. Nice for hardcore Madden types, I guess, but a pay-per-view special? About a video game? Are ya kidding me?
( Read more... )

Talk about upsets!

Could EA's choke hold on NFL-licensed video games be in jeopardy just one season into the odious five-year deal signed with the league and the player's union (NFLPA)?

Citing an article in GamersReports, Joystiq points out that current problems in resolving a new collective bargaining agreement could spell trouble for EA's flagship sports franchise, Madden NFL.

"The players either will be on strike or the owners will lock out players in 2008... the union likely will de-certify, and antitrust rules will apply."

Federal anti-trust regulations could void EA's exclusive contract which has turned Madden from a game into a monopoly.

Although we're long time Madden fans, in GP's mind, EA deserves to get whacked with the anti-trust stick. We've been calling for a Justice Department monopoly investigation since the deal was announced last year.

Although GP took a fair amount of heat on this issue, we think events proved our point. Madden 2006 sold for $49.99 or $59.99 (Xbox 360 version) last season, the first under the monopoly setup. The previous year, thanks to hot competition from 2K Sports' excellent NFL2K5, Madden cost only $29.99. In addition, the pricey Xbox 360 version of Madden pretty much sucked.

Madden NFL 2006 from EA Sports was released this week, and gamers lined up to get their copies. It's a great game, in GP's opinion. There's a lot to love about it.

Love the new vision passing system. Love the ability to precisely locate your passes so that only your receiver can reach them. Love the new Superstar mode and all of the other cool things that already made Madden great.

But there's a dark side, too, none of which has to do with the game play. There are things you can hate.

Hate the fact that EA, the NFL, and the NFLPA got together to screw over football fans by limiting their choices to a single licensed game.

Hate the fact that the NFL2K series was forced into extinction by the lack of available NFL licensing. It was a great sports game franchise, better than Madden in the eyes of many gamers.

Hate the fact that EA Sports and developer Tiburon will have zero pressure to innovate since there can be no competition. Although GP enjoyed Madden, some reviewers, like GameSpot ("solid, if predictable") and Kotaku ("Madden = More of the same"), complained that Madden 06 is just a so-so product.

Hate the fact that Madden, without competition this year, will set you back $49.99. Last year it cost just $29.99, and the now-defunct NFL2K5 cost only $19.99. Of Madden's monopolistic sins, this is the most egregious, and probably the most interesting to government investigators, should they choose to come calling. If the franchise sells 10 million copies, that's $200 million leaving your collective pockets and making its way into EA's swelling coffers.

And folks, that is what happens to consumers in a monopoly market. You have no choices. You have no leverage. And that's why the Justice Department needs to investigate EA for anti-trust violations.

If you're having a sense of deja vu, it's because this isn't the first time GamePolitics has harped on the Madden Monopoly, and probably won't be the last. Check out our previous coverage: Reebok Case Has Implications for EA NFL Monopoly; GamePolitics Renews Call for Justice Dept. Probe