![]() ![]() The first sign of tension was a blog post in October that confirmed EA was considering a name change. The governing body wanted EA’s rights to be limited to a soccer simulation and, not only that, reportedly wanted its annual fee doubled to US$300 million. Specifically, it wanted to do more with its games, stage esports tournaments, and release non-fungible tokens (NFTs) based on FIFA.įifa, on the other hand, believed such exclusivity would prevent it from pursuing other digital opportunities that could yield yet more revenues. The company saw no need to unnecessarily jeopardise its most profitable series, but it did want more freedom. That’s not to say EA Sports didn’t want to continue the partnership. More details: /75FLzjOapN- EA SPORTS FIFA May 10, 2022 Put simply, the Fifa brand is no longer essential for awareness, it doesn’t include any licences, and it could be argued that EA Sports has outgrown it. Ultimate Team has since been replicated across many of EA Sports’ games and is now the most profitable area of the business, generating US$1.62 billion in 2021. These cards were obtained either via an in-game marketplace or through random packs that can also be purchased using real world currency.įor many players, FUT is the only way they play FIFA and this has spawned an incredibly engaged user base willing to devote vast amounts of time and money into it. But by the early 2010s, FIFA was the only game in town as even Konami struggled to keep up with EA’s vast resources.Īnother reason behind this success was the popularity of FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), a mode in which gamers assemble teams of players using virtual cards and compete online. This wealth of intellectual property saw FIFA fend off numerous pretenders to the throne and ensured it still sold millions of copies even in the mid-2000s when it was acknowledged that Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer series was the superior option. The company felt these licences were critical to its success – especially as graphics became more realistic – and secured as many exclusive arrangements as possible so that competitors could not keep up. ![]() Instead, EA had to negotiate these with individual leagues and player unions. The sport, and especially Fifa, has become far more aware of the value of its commercial rights while technological advances and greater business acumen have turned video games into a multibillion-dollar industry in its own right.įifa’s brand helped establish EA Sports’ soccer series in the minds of consumers, but didn’t include any rights to teams, players, stadiums, or kits. Over the course of their relationship, the worlds of soccer and video games have transformed beyond recognition. Since that first five-year agreement was struck, reportedly over a dinner in Switzerland back in 1993, EA Sports and Fifa have extended their arrangement on multiple occasions, first in 1998, again in 2006, and finally in 2013. How did two partners that have presided over an electronic entertainment behemoth that has changed the way an entire sport is perceived and played decide to call it a day?ĮA plans to adopt its own brand from 2023 The FIFA series generates billions of dollars in revenue so confirmation this past week that the two parties would go their separate ways at the end of this year was a bit of a shock. It didn’t matter that soccer’s global governing body didn’t own the rights to any teams, competitions, or player likenesses it was obtainable, and the royalty payments were said to be miniscule.įIFA International Soccer went on to be a critical and commercial success, laying the foundations for a wildly successful series and a partnership that lasted nearly three decades. Unfortunately, another publisher had got in there first so it was decided that the next best thing would be Fifa itself. In the absence of a centralised body like the National Football League (NFL) or the National Hockey League (NHL), the obvious target was the Fifa World Cup, due to be held in the USA in the summer of 1994. Yet EA wasn’t convinced a game based on soccer would sell in huge numbers and insisted on a licence – any licence – to drive awareness and shift copies. ![]() Development of the title flew under the radar of executives more occupied with their successful adaptation of North American sports like American football and ice hockey.Īs the December 1993 release date inched ever closer, the small production team were quietly confident they had something special on their hands. It’s fair to say that Electronic Arts’ (EA) first soccer video game wasn’t exactly a priority for the company. ![]()
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