Tiny Diggers – An iPad Construction Truck Game for Kids Age 2-5

Glad you guys got some podcast fodder out of that Madden lawsuit.

I'm fine with console exclusives. Game companies should also hold the exclusive rights to their OWN intellectual property, no doubt. (Unless you're Sega. Then, you should give up and hand Sonic over to Nintendo once and for all. I say this as a Sega AND Sonic fanboy.)

When it comes to licensed properties, though…especially something as huge a the NFL, it just seems like exclusivity to EA is counterproductive to making the games better/appealing to as many people as possible.

I understand it's good business for EA to snatch up the NFL rights (if evil), but I do think football games have kind of languished for a few years as a result. And the high price of admission for the yearly roster update is unquestionable.

As for Guitar Hero v. Rock Band content, I look at each of those as kind of a “console” of its own. I don't think the analogy is “this game has this song and mine doesn't, WTF,” but rather the horrifying scenario of Team Guitar Hero signing over the rights to ALL popular music. Say there was some ugly exclusivity deal, and only GH could include songs that had ever been released by one or three major record labels in its games.

That would leave Rock Band with a bunch of crappo no-name bands. Sure, the gameplay could RULE…but, who wants to sing something they've never heard of when they could be rocking out to their favorite actual hit songs by known performers?

That's what the EA/NFL thing feels like to me, as a football game fan.

EA didn't do anything to deserve exclusivity. They certainly didn't invent football, train and sign the individual players, design the teams and logos…they didn't even invent football video games.

At least with Rock Band and Guitar Hero, or Wii/PS3/360, there's competition. They're forced to take actions and make choices and release games and cut prices, so as to outperform each other.

EA's deal KILLS competition. Isn't that…a monopoly?

“Now, there is only Madden. RUBBER STAMP! NO ARGUMENT ALLOWED!”

Lame.

Now, had Sony signed a deal with the NFL that would allow any developer interesting in selling an NFL game to do so only on the PS3, that's an exclusive I can get behind.

It'd screw me over as a Wii-only gamer, but it's a killer app, and the choice would be clear. You can still get the best available NFL game, whatever that might be, you just have to own a PS3. Whatever.

That doesn't hurt the NFL license. It hurts Wii & 360.

As it stands, the ONLY NFL game is the best and worst, simultaneously. It's the Only Game in Town (TM), so to speak.

That helps EA, but it sure doesn't help anyone else in the gaming community.

I'm with you on the “basing it on the game not selling without name brand” case is pretty weak. EA got the exclusive rights, and those rights are the NFL's to sell.

There are better angles, here.

I blogged this issue myself, and I ended with something to the effect of “I know there's no way this is going to end with a decision that makes me happy. EA is going to win and dominate football games for all time, in perpetuity.”

EA was right to buy those rights. I did think the 2K games were better, and the price war thing was just great, to me. But EA took a hit and responded by taking the ball and not going home…but making the ball its home and kicking everyone else out.

I bought the last licensed NFL2K game so hard, it isn't funny that I just said “hard.”

I've played Madden games. Several. I've even owned a few, over the years.

2K is missed, man.

At least this lawsuit – fought by guys who TRULY don't get what they're really fighting about – is raising the issue.

Thanks to y'allz for doing so on the 'cast.

Oh, and to Fourhman – I TOTALLY knew I was stepping in a big, steaming pile when I claimed no one played No More Heroes. That was more a jab at you/casual Wii fans than anything based in reality. I'm willing to state that more people would recognize Strong Bad's voice than would recognize Travis Touchdown's voice, if they heard an audio clip, however.

Strong Bad is pretty niche, I'm sure…but c'mon. You can't count on those Nintendo fanboys to vindicate anything truly edgy or cool. Nintendo Power is still the same scene it was when I subscribed back in the day.

The Awards are pretty much unchanged, too!

And, while I live and die by WiiWare releases, these days, I know many have other things to play. The sales numbers for WiiWare are probably pretty heartbreaking.

But we felt that gaging sounds of Left 4 Head would be so much more soothing.

JOE! You and Terry played Gears 2 without me?!? I'm hurt inside…

ALSO! This episode involved lots of “poop” talk, but it still wasn't named after Fourhman's quote: “But the pooping is critical!”

Well, obviously, but I still feel betrayed.