UFC President 'At War' with EA Sports over MMA Game
by Nick Breckon, Jul 13, 2009 11:14am PDTFollowing EA Sports' announcement of a new mixed martial arts videogame, a move that comes on the heels of THQ's successful release of UFC 2009 Undisputed, UFC president Dana White now says that any UFC fighter to sign a licensing deal with EA will be kicked from the fighting league.
"EA doesn't give a [expletive] about mixed martial arts," said White in a series of expletive-laden comments made to MMAJunkie.com. "They made that very clear."
White explained that the UFC attempted to court EA for a UFC-licensed game in the past, but that EA refused to meet with the organization.
"They wouldn't even take a meeting because mixed martial arts disgusted them," he said. "This wasn't a real sport. Boy, they got over that real quick, didn't they?"
Since its launch this May, publisher THQ's UFC 2009 Undisputed has now sold over 2 million units according to White. The game was the top-selling title in North America for May, selling over one million copies between its over two platforms.
THQ rival EA announced "EA Sports MMA" on the first day of June, promising a "vast array of top fighters.. from around the world."
In response, White bluntly stated that any UFC fighters that allow EA Sports to license them for its upcoming game "won't be in the UFC."
"We put our asses on the line, THQ and the UFC, to make a video-game deal in the worst economy in the world," he added. "We go out there and do this thing, and it's successful, and now [expletive] EA Sports wants to do a video game. Really? That's not what you told us a year-and-a-half ago."
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Comments
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Maybe Dana should let someone else make a good game?
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He has been a Game Stop manager for well over 7 years and he pushes kids, parents, mothers to other non-EA tiles.
Thank god EA hasn't bought up all the competition yet. There games are watered down, bug ridden portal gateways that force feed you download content they want you to buy. Have you guys ever done the math? We are talking total cost for one game on a lot of their new titles at well over $125 - $150 dollars if not more.
The good news is, there is some serious BILLIONS of dollars at stake and I hope to god a company comes along that's bigger, better and really cares about their customer and giving those customers real value.
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What the hell does Dana White have to do with it? He is the president of UFC - not the president of anything that has to do with MMA in the entire world.
In my personal opinion, real life MMA is complete trash. They get paid money to beat the crap out of people, and get the crap beaten out of themselves - and what are we doing about it? Sitting on the side watching, cheering.. as people become brain damaged and recieve serious injuries.
What is wrong with us? Mankind has become sick in the head or something.
Just take a look at Mohammed Ali - do you wonder why he cant speak properly anymore?
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The EA bogart of all the sporting leagues has been nothing but bad for gamers, sports enthusiasts, and gameplay designers.
I think EA still owns the rights to the CFL, Arena Football, and the new football league, you know, just fucking in case anyone decides to challenge them in anything and they can't piecemeal out their shovelware anymore.
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White is actually threatening that ANY fighter from ANY organization will be blacklisted from ever appearing (or reappearing) in the UFC if they give their likeness to EA. All UFC fight contracts already include lifetime rights to a fighters likeness, so that wasn't what was said or meant by White, anyway. Jon Fitch had a fairly public dispute over this very thing. By all accounts, Randy Couture is the only fighter currently associated with the UFC who still owns the rights to his own likeness.
It's sickening seeing White attempt to control the careers of fighters who aren't even currently connected to the UFC.
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Guitar Hero - [EA] Rock Band
Resident Evil - [EA] Dead Space
God of War - [EA] Dante's Inferno
Forza, GRID, Gran Turismo - [EA] Need For Speed: Shift
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We could have a great MMA game wihout any current UFC/WEC fighters anyway.
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You suck. Let UFC have it's stuff.
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it's just business.
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It's a regular clash of the troglodytes.
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