EA and NFL Sittin' in a Tree...

You know how this past year ESPN NFL Football really made a push for Madden NFL's video game crown? Remember the huge price undercut to $19.99? That coupled with glowing reviews (many picked it over Madden NFL) to make ESPN NFL Football the first true threat to EA's venerable franchise.

EA got scared. It might just have been a matter of time before the all-powerful Madden NFL franchise was usurped. But that's not a possibility anymore. EA and the NFL have signed a contract of exclusivity for sole use of the league's teams, stadiums, and players in video games.

That's a certain death knell for any Madden NFL competitor. What can ESPN NFL developer Visual Concepts do now -- make arena football games? The contract runs for a full five years, which means that, assuming EA doesn't re-up its contract, even though competitors will be able to get back into the NFL game after those five years, they'll practically have to start from scratch. Keeping in mind that any current NFL-game developer besides EA's Tiburon studio is going to be disassembled or reallocated for the next few years, any current set of game-engine structural and statistical foundations will most likely be lost or outdated in five years.

Plus any fan base will be completely wiped out by then. Even the staunchest supporters of ESPN NFL will have to buy Madden NFL for its next several iterations if they want to play virtual football anytime for the next five years, during which they may very well be converted to EA's franchise for good. No win for the little guy here.