Well Shit .... EA officially cancels NCAA football today

[uf83198]

A third season this year anyone?

[razorback44]

I get it that the NDL is about more than NCAA, but thats the game Im here for. I rarely play other games, and when i do, its not the same amount of fun. Thats the only point i was trying to make. Got to hope when this legal stuff blows over, somebody will make a college football game.

Same here. NCAA is the only game that I buy anymore. I play it year round and then buy the new one next July. I think me, you, twist and ice are all in the same boat when it comes to NCAA. Obviously we all came from the same place pre-NDL so that would make sense.

Like mentioned by others, I guess I will start buying Madden now even though I've never been a fan of it. I'm going to have to get my football fix somewhere.

Just very disappointing news all around.

[jsence2]

EA just announced that they are settling the lawsuits for $40 million

No wonder they are cancelling the game. They know they'll never get away with settling for that little money again.

The suit will "benefit 200,000 to 300,000 students"

Um.....so they each get about $133? Yeah, that sounds fair.

[razorback44]

EA just announced that they are settling the lawsuits for $40 million

No wonder they are cancelling the game. They know they'll never get away with settling for that little money again.

I saw estimates last night that up to 200,000 players might be getting part of that money. So IF that money doesn't include the lawyer fees and IF it were going straight to the players then you are talking about a whopping $200 per player. And that's assuming they all get an equal share. I can't imagine Ed O'Bannon and Sam Keller are only going to get $200 for all of this. They are going to want to get theirs for fighting the good fight and looking out for the sake of all their fellow players that have been wronged.

[Toro]

Offical EA Notice:
http://www.ea.com/news/update-on-college-football

"Today I am sad to announce that we will not be publishing a new college football game next year, and we are evaluating our plan for the future of the franchise. This is as profoundly disappointing to the people who make this game as I expect it will be for the millions who enjoy playing it each year. I’d like to explain a couple of the factors that brought us to this decision.

We have been stuck in the middle of a dispute between the NCAA and student-athletes who seek compensation for playing college football. Just like companies that broadcast college games and those that provide equipment and apparel, we follow rules that are set by the NCAA – but those rules are being challenged by some student-athletes. For our part, we are working to settle the lawsuits with the student-athletes. Meanwhile, the NCAA and a number of conferences have withdrawn their support of our game. The ongoing legal issues combined with increased questions surrounding schools and conferences have left us in a difficult position – one that challenges our ability to deliver an authentic sports experience, which is the very foundation of EA SPORTS games.

At EA SPORTS, college football has always been a labor of love, and it is unfortunate that these business and legal issues have impacted our ability to make next year’s game. This franchise has been developed by a team that is deeply committed to the tradition and culture of this sport – that’s why fans have always loved it. We are working to retain the talented people who are part of the team by placing them elsewhere within the EA SPORTS organization.

In the meantime, we will continue to be connected and engaged with our fans who are playing EA SPORTS NCAA Football. Our decision does not affect our commitment to NCAA Football 14 and the consumers who love playing the game."


Maybe just a one year hiatus? Hopefully...

[jsence2]

EA just announced that they are settling the lawsuits for $40 million

No wonder they are cancelling the game. They know they'll never get away with settling for that little money again.

I saw estimates last night that up to 200,000 players might be getting part of that money. So IF that money doesn't include the lawyer fees and IF it were going straight to the players then you are talking about a whopping $200 per player. And that's assuming they all get an equal share. I can't imagine Ed O'Bannon and Sam Keller are only going to get $200 for all of this. They are going to want to get theirs for fighting the good fight and looking out for the sake of all their fellow players that have been wronged.

You quoted me too soon, I was saying the same thing

This is only the settlement for EA and CLC; they've been dropped as defendants from the NCAA lawsuit. Trust me, THAT'S where the big money will come from.

[shel311]

I love my NCAA and hate that this ruined it, but I gotta stay true, I'm on Team O'Bannon!!!

[jsence2]

Offical EA Notice:
http://www.ea.com/news/update-on-college-football

"Today I am sad to announce that we will not be publishing a new college football game next year, and we are evaluating our plan for the future of the franchise. This is as profoundly disappointing to the people who make this game as I expect it will be for the millions who enjoy playing it each year. I’d like to explain a couple of the factors that brought us to this decision.

We have been stuck in the middle of a dispute between the NCAA and student-athletes who seek compensation for playing college football. Just like companies that broadcast college games and those that provide equipment and apparel, we follow rules that are set by the NCAA – but those rules are being challenged by some student-athletes. For our part, we are working to settle the lawsuits with the student-athletes. Meanwhile, the NCAA and a number of conferences have withdrawn their support of our game. The ongoing legal issues combined with increased questions surrounding schools and conferences have left us in a difficult position – one that challenges our ability to deliver an authentic sports experience, which is the very foundation of EA SPORTS games.

At EA SPORTS, college football has always been a labor of love, and it is unfortunate that these business and legal issues have impacted our ability to make next year’s game. This franchise has been developed by a team that is deeply committed to the tradition and culture of this sport – that’s why fans have always loved it. We are working to retain the talented people who are part of the team by placing them elsewhere within the EA SPORTS organization.

In the meantime, we will continue to be connected and engaged with our fans who are playing EA SPORTS NCAA Football. Our decision does not affect our commitment to NCAA Football 14 and the consumers who love playing the game."


Maybe just a one year hiatus? Hopefully...

Doubtful. I think they're waiting to see what happens with the NCAA lawsuit, and until that is settled one way or another, they don't dare come back into this. But I seriously doubt the lawsuit is settled before they'd have to decide on NCAA 16.

This is a calculated risk/reward by EA Sports. $40 million is nothing for them. If the NCAA lawsuit blows up and the players get a ton and everything changes, then EA settled for chump change and can't be sued again. If the NCAA lawsuit is defeated, then EA took a $40 million gamble and lost. But again, it probably costs close to that to develop the game, pay salaries, etc.....so they lose just the revenue for a year's worth of games.

[VTrunNgun]

A sad day for everyone. No one really wins at the end of the day. Here are some of my thoughts

.:NCAA Football Franchise and future:.

As much as we love this game, we must remember this is a business. Electronic Arts didn't build an empire over 25 years purely off of good intentions and good will. We're going through this transition because the business of supporting the NCAA license has changed and it hasn't changed in EA's favor. Like any game developer and publisher, your ideal situation is to have a truckload original IP in your portfolio with great margins on the return. EA dabbles a bit with original IP but they are much heralded for their licensing deals (i.e. NFL, NBA, NCAA, NHL, FIFA, etc) This became a staple for their business through the 90's and 2000's, but as EA & the industry saw more success, these licensing agreements have changed.

For EA specifically, the rationale for no longer making NCAA Football, NCAA Baseball, MVP Baseball aka Triple Play Baseball, & Fight Night boils down to return on investment. The margins for these games may have been good once upon a time, but they eventually fell out of favor. For NCAA Football specifically, this is a "AA (double A) title for Electronic Arts and has always been. The market for College Football isn't very big compared to international sports like FIFA. Electronic Arts taking the year off very well leaves the door open for this franchise to continue in the future, but it's way to early to tell if in fact they make a comeback.

I think with EA's focus on pushing digital entertainment right now could led to a tactical play like "only distributing NCAA Football through online marketplaces" (i.e. Playstation Store, XBOX Marketplace) or something. They can cut down on a bit on some fixed & variable costs like distribution & marketing which could help the revenue margins a little bit. That's a wild idea but I imagine there are a ton of ideas right now of how they get back into business with the NCAA, I'll just cross my fingers for now and continue to dynasty my Hokies

.:Future Of NDL:.

This league may have been founded on the NCAA Franchise but it has organically grown into much much more. To have over 100 people be highly engaged annually is a feat in itself - we should commend leadership for running such a special organization. We in fact have been a part of a "community" the entire time. That said, the future is very very bright for this community as we've already seen a broad interest in other games for this. With the transition to Playstation 4 we have a real good chance to reboot & organize ourselves around some new trains of thought. Should be a good ride. The NDL aint dead - it's just going to evolve.

[The_Niddler]

Very well said....pimpin!

[relio95]

For me this league has and continues to mean a lot. Despite the last two seasons where a lot of person stuff came up and just general shit that happened leading to sims on my part. I am still wanting to keep up and be a part of whatever direction this league goes. Hope that at some point before a defined direction is given all of us will be able to give some ideas to it.
I'm pretty sure EA will come up with something even if they take it back to the 97 game and make it generic but something everyone knows is a quality game. Or even if 2K takes it and runs with it. But a 3rd season would be cool just to keep it going..