New game releases of May 20-26
Killzone: Mercenary shoots onto Vita on September 10
Trion Worlds hit with more layoffs, Defiance team impacted
Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault defending Vita next week
Game & Wario was originally going to be pre-installed on Wii U
The Last of Us digital download lets you start playing sooner
Weekend PC download deals: Borderlands 2 for $11
Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection coming to PS3 in July for $50
Madden NFL 25's $99 'Anniversary Edition' includes Sunday Ticket
Final Fantasy 8 getting PC re-release (in Japan)
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."
Comments
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.
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 4 replies.
I'm no fan of EA, either, but over the past few years they HAVE managed to put/publish some pretty quality titles out there. Dead Space, Mirror's Edge, Battlefield Bad Company, Half-Life 2:Orange Box, and soon, Brutal Legend (too lazy to do umlats) have been some of the most talked about and well-reviewed titles in the past years from the "EA Monster." It's not been all bad. Sure, three years prior to this strange renaissance, they cranked out a game for anything and everything under the sun at almost every waking moment (Ubisoft, or Activision, anyone?), and it backfired. Now they have a guy on top that realizes that they need to have that image of those ten or fifteen years erased from history. And, in my opinion, as both an avid gamer, and the manager of a gaming retailer, I think they've done a comendable job. That your manager friend "pushes kids, parents, mothers to other non-EA titles" speaks of someone who isn't willing to give the benefit of the doubt to a company that is really trying to change its image. It's sad to think that his supposed biased opinions could potentially keep people from even considering playing a game that could really be miles better than one he might suggest. People often ask me my opinion on a title, and if I can, I give them the most honest answer I can. And many times, I have found myself suggesting an EA title, with a preface to the customer, that I'm really not much for EA, but...
And as far as the DLC goes, EA's not the only one in the boat who attempts to wring your wallet dry. Bethesda, Activision, Harmonix, and a host of others do more harm than good in that department on many occasions. If you're so affronted by the idea of DLC, then just don't buy it. It's a choice, not a need, really. Even Valve, as awesome as they are to their community, partakes in the DLC pie. It's just the unfortunate way things in the gaming world are shaping up to be. So you either take a slice and like it, take a slice and don't, or sit by the side wishing someone would just give you a slice...
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