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[kingfey]

Take-Two boss remains coy on potential FIFA deal following EA split | VGC

“FIFA has a great brand and incredible clout, but we have no current plans to discuss”…

www.videogameschronicle.com

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has talked up the FIFA brand while refusing to be drawn on whether the publisher is interested in partnering with football’s world governing body following its split from EA.

FIFA and EA revealed last week that they would be ending their near 30-year partnership following the release of their final game together later this year.

EA will introduce the EA Sports FC series in 2023. And according to FIFA, discussions are currently ongoing with “leading game publishers, media companies and investors” in regard to the development of a new FIFA simulation football game for 2024, which would directly compete with EA’s new series.

Take-Two publishing label 2K currently has NBA, WWE, NFL and PGA partnerships, and boss Zelnick was asked by IGN if he’d be keen to add the FIFA licence to its roster of sports games.

“We’re definitely interested in expanding our opportunities in sports, and FIFA has a great brand and incredible clout, but we have no current plans to discuss,” he said.

Asked the same question during Take-Two’s earnings call on Monday, Zelnick said: “Well, we noticed [that the FIFA licence is up for grabs] and we tend to be thoughtful about our business at all times.

“We’re excited about building out our sports business and we don’t have much else to say at the moment.”

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a strongly worded statement last week: “I can assure you that the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans.

“The FIFA name is the only global, original title. FIFA 23, FIFA 24, FIFA 25 and FIFA 26, and so on – the constant is the FIFA name and it will remain forever and remain THE BEST.”

 

[Baki]

Only problem is the FIFA licensing cost is way too high considering what's on offer. They want $150M/year just for the FIFA name and the World Cup competition lol.

 

[BeardGawd]

Only problem is the FIFA licensing cost is way too high considering what's on offer. They want $150M/year just for the FIFA name and the World Cup competition lol.

I'm sorry but people really have no idea about business and marketing.

Do you think Madden brings anything else to the table but it's name?

Do you think Jordans are made any better than any other basketball shoe out there?

There are countless items that sell mainly due to the name associated.

Brands are a powerful marketimg tool. This is nothing different.

 

[lh032]

Only problem is the FIFA licensing cost is way too high considering what's on offer. They want $150M/year just for the FIFA name and the World Cup competition lol.

FIFA is a valuable brand, its like saying Apple doesnt worth shit.

EDIT: Eh Apple is not a good example, i think more suitable example would be branded handbags and such, people buy it for the brand lol

 

[kingfey]

FIFA is a valuable brand, its like saying Apple doesnt worth shit.

EDIT: Eh Apple is not a good example, i think more suitable example would be branded handbags and such, people buy it for the brand lol

Fifa is worthless without players and club license.

 

[RyRy93]

Sounds like a massive initial risk for Take-Two to develop a football game successful enough to cover the FIFA license as well as the development costs.

I can imagine the name not counting for much once EA has established it's new brand in the next few years.

 

[lh032]

Fifa is worthless without players and club license.

They do own the most players and club license i believe? im not a football fan btw

 

[HofT]

I'm sorry but people really have no idea about business and marketing.

Do you think Madden brings anything else to the table but it's name?

Do you think Jordans are made any better than any other basketball shoe out there?

There are countless items that sell mainly due to the name associated.

Brands are a powerful marketimg tool. This is nothing different.

I don't think people dispute that. Point is if EA couldn't make enough with the Fifa brand than I doubt Take-Two can do better.

 

[arvfab]

Tomorrow:

"FIFA and Take 2 are partnering together for the next generation of licensed football games"

The day after tomorrow:

"Take 2 and EA merging"

 

[TLZ]

Can 2k even make football games?

 

[BeardGawd]

I don't think people dispute that. Point is if EA couldn't make enough with the Fifa brand than I doubt Take-Two can do better.

It's not that EA couldn't make enough. EA just wanted more of the pie. EA has a monopoly on the sport at the moment so they can do this.

FIFA isn't dumb tho. I'm sure they would structure a licensing deal to allow the new games to grow marketshare.

Then Take 2 or whoever can use the FIFA license to break into a new market.

 

[cormack12]

They do own the most players and club license i believe? im not a football fan btw

I think that's the FifPro license (which they still have):

EA Sports Renews its FIFPro License For Future FIFA Games Amid Renaming Rumours | XboxAchievements.com

Electronic Arts has announced the renewal of its licensing deal with FIFPro, the ‘global representative for professional football players’. Extend...

www.xboxachievements.com

 

[Baki]

Fifa is worthless without players and club license.

Exactly. You need a separate FIFpro license for that.

 

[Baki]

FIFA is a valuable brand, its like saying Apple doesnt worth shit.

EDIT: Eh Apple is not a good example, i think more suitable example would be branded handbags and such, people buy it for the brand lol

Worthless without the clubs and player names. FIFA branding does not cover that.

I'm sorry but people really have no idea about business and marketing.

Do you think Madden brings anything else to the table but it's name?

Do you think Jordans are made any better than any other basketball shoe out there?

There are countless items that sell mainly due to the name associated.

Brands are a powerful marketimg tool. This is nothing different.

See above.

 

[BeardGawd]

What would be stopping someone from getting both licenses?

Again FIFA isn't dumb. I'm sure the licensing cost will reflect someone trying to grow a market.

Having both licenses was still profitable for EA they just wanted more.

 

[oldergamer]

Only problem is the FIFA licensing cost is way too high considering what's on offer. They want $150M/year just for the FIFA name and the World Cup competition lol.

They want 300 million a year

 

[Azurro]

They do own the most players and club license i believe? im not a football fan btw

Having the FIFA license literally only gives you the right to the name and the World Cup, that's it. To get player's likenesses and names you need the FIFPro license, which EA and Konami have and it's not exclusive. To get the team names and official colors you need to deal with the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and so on. FIFA gives you nothing except the name, which is valuable, but not billions valuable.

 

[PaintTinJr]

They want 300 million a year

For exclusive use of the license - going by their break-up with EA statement.

They clearly want multiple big fish on (almost) mutually exclusive platforms, like King on mobile, Take-Two or Konami on home console; maybe Nintendo+Sega combined on handheld console to all take a cut of that cost. It seems like the price to EA was because it only makes sense to license the name for them when they are the only company using the brand with a cross platform game across all those platforms - EA effectively being charged an amount that means if Apple or Google, etc waded into the market to get a slice of the Fifa licensing, Fifa were already being paid handsomely for missing out on those potential deals.

 

[oldergamer]

Take 2 don't a have a soccer game to attach it to. Have never made one in the past. So that might be the first problem.

The fifa name will only go so far.

 

[Majukun]

a company would not get a lot from a FIFA deal other than brand recognition...which is why EA ditched them

 

[MrJTeera]

Focus on the franchise you have first, you thanksgiving turkey-looking fuck!

RDO still needs that new content, and the fact that YOU know there’s no update and still do nothing about it adds more insult to the injury, and to my drunken rage.

 

[Kokoloko85]

Fifa is worthless without players and club license.

Maybe they will pay for those too?
Or is EA still gonna survive because of exclusive contracts?

Played FIFA 22 the other day because I got a copy on PS+, basically same shit as FIFA 21 and the others… very poor

 

[Kokoloko85]

Take 2 don't a have a soccer game to attach it to. Have never made one in the past. So that might be the first problem.

The fifa name will only go so far.

I doubt it will be hard to make a better football game than EA lol. They are awful.

A Semi decent football game, with player/club licenses with the FIFA name is gonna probably sell well. All depends if they can get those play/club licenses

 

[V4skunk]

Fifa is worthless without players and club license.

EA Fifa does all the player ranking though.
Literally all the player stats are done by EA. When you see a commentator on live TV talking about player rankings! It all comes from EA Fifa.
Fifa are money grabbers though imo. If they wanted to make a good game and start pushing the genre! They should have went with Konamis PES.

 

[kingfey]

EA Fifa does all the player ranking though.
Literally all the player stats are done by EA. When you see a commentator on live TV talking about player rankings! It all comes from EA Fifa.
Fifa are money grabbers though imo. If they wanted to make a good game and start pushing the genre! They should have went with Konamis PES.

You still need club and player licenses.

 

[Azurro]

I doubt it will be hard to make a better football game than EA lol. They are awful.

A Semi decent football game, with player/club licenses with the FIFA name is gonna probably sell well. All depends if they can get those play/club licenses

You greatly underestimate how difficult it is to produce a game like FIFA. There's thousands of man hours poured into that franchise and it's not easy to replicate.

 

[Leyasu]

It is ok licensing the brand, but Take2 will also need a competent team that can actually make football games..

 

[kingfey]

You greatly underestimate how difficult it is to produce a game like FIFA. There's thousands of man hours poured into that franchise and it's not easy to replicate.

You can simply ask Konami that question.

 

[Kokoloko85]

You greatly underestimate how difficult it is to produce a game like FIFA. There's thousands of man hours poured into that franchise and it's not easy to replicate.

Im not saying its easy, Im just saying if Konami and EA can do it, Im sure Take2 can afford a good enough team to build one. Plus they have some experience with sports games. Maybe it wont be great the first time, buts its not like EA’s football games are actually good. T

EA hasnt made a legitimate change in the gameplay for a decade at least. Literally the gameplay, animations and reactions have been the same for ages, absolute shite

 

[Azurro]

Im not saying its easy, Im just saying if Konami and EA can do it, Im sure Take2 can afford a good enough team to build one. Plus they have some experience with sports games. Maybe it wont be great the first time, buts its not like EA’s football games are actually good. T

EA hasnt made a legitimate change in the gameplay for a decade at least. Literally the gameplay, animations and reactions have been the same for ages, absolute shite

It would still take years to replicate the type of production value of the game, let alone the basic gameplay. Just because EA's gameplay changes are minimal, doesn't mean that creating and tuning that gameplay is easy.

 

[kingfey]

Im not saying its easy, Im just saying if Konami and EA can do it, Im sure Take2 can afford a good enough team to build one. Plus they have some experience with sports games. Maybe it wont be great the first time, buts its not like EA’s football games are actually good. T

EA hasnt made a legitimate change in the gameplay for a decade at least. Literally the gameplay, animations and reactions have been the same for ages, absolute shite

Sport games like fifa is complicated, due to the ball movements. You also have complicated animation and rules.

Then you have the online system.

Suffice to say, it would not good first 2 releases of the game, if you aren't that experienced with sport games.

So far take 2 has basket ball. Maybe the can turn it around. But given Konami is fucking up their sport game, I would say it ain't that easy.

 

[Kokoloko85]

It would still take years to replicate the type of production value of the game, let alone the basic gameplay. Just because EA's gameplay changes are minimal, doesn't mean that creating and tuning that gameplay is easy.

I understand that. But i think whenever there is a new FIFA game, and it has decent gameplay and modes. + Clubs/player licenses, it should do well. And will probably start knocking off EA depending on how good it is.

If the player/club licenses are exclusive to EA then nothing is gonna help Taketwo

As far as creating and tuning gameplay, EA or the studios that have worked on FIFA for the last 2 decades. They absolutely suck. For the amount of money that game generates, they could even improve commentating and crowd reactions, celebrations And animations and they are all very poor and repetitive. Let alone change the gameplay to be better

 

[Kokoloko85]

Sport games like fifa is complicated, due to the ball movements. You also have complicated animation and rules.

Then you have the online system.

Suffice to say, it would not good first 2 releases of the game, if you aren't that experienced with sport games.

So far take 2 has basket ball. Maybe the can turn it around. But given Konami is fucking up their sport game, I would say it ain't that easy.

Tbh football games have sucked since the PS2 for me. I just think with the amount of money they generate they can make something way more special.

I like all the manager and career mode stuff, but when I started playing FIFA 22, I was like this is exactly the same as FIFA 21 which I played 6 months ago, and that felt like 2017, and that felt like 2013 lol.

Just basic stuff like the delayed commentating and crowd reactions and super repetitive commentating. They can easily afford for more commentators and better responses. The players still feel like gorillas moving and the whole, goal celebrations are so cringe. ISS Pro on the PS1 is more fun lol

Im sure its all hard and complicated but I expect more from studios who have experience and earn more money than most games put together. Same as a studio like Gamefreak and Rockstar.

Maybe I just need an old school pro evolution game with the player/club licenses and career mode of FIFA. And way better commentating and crowds haha

 

[Mech_Warrior]

Bring back Ronaldo V-Football