DoctorFinger
05-18-2009, 11:27 AM
Electronic Arts has announced that the Legacy Teams will not be included in Madden 10, but according to EA, it's not for the reason you assume.
Lets backtrack a second. Last year a group of retired NFL players sued the NFL Players Association (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?t=2339) (NFLPA) for fraud, claiming that the union conspired with game licensees to cut them out of the profits from the use of their likenesses. A jury agreed and awarded the players a $28M judgment. While EA was not named in the suit, the lawyers representing the players had threatened them with legal action had their clients been included in the game.
Now comes word that EA is eliminating the Legacy Teams from Madden 10. According to EA, the change is in the interests of consistence across platforms. While the Legacy Teams - representations of classic teams like the '85 Bears or '81 49ers with no names but all other identifiers intact - had been a staple of the PS2 version, they had never made the leap to current-gen consoles. The Hall of Fame players - who are compensated in exchange for use of their likenesses - will still be included in the 360 and PS3 editions of the game. PS2 and PSP gamers will have to settle for current players only.
Source - Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5255972/post+lawsuit-old-teams-absent-from-next-maddens); Game Politics (http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/05/18/wake-legal-threats-old-timer-teams-removed-madden).
Lets backtrack a second. Last year a group of retired NFL players sued the NFL Players Association (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?t=2339) (NFLPA) for fraud, claiming that the union conspired with game licensees to cut them out of the profits from the use of their likenesses. A jury agreed and awarded the players a $28M judgment. While EA was not named in the suit, the lawyers representing the players had threatened them with legal action had their clients been included in the game.
Now comes word that EA is eliminating the Legacy Teams from Madden 10. According to EA, the change is in the interests of consistence across platforms. While the Legacy Teams - representations of classic teams like the '85 Bears or '81 49ers with no names but all other identifiers intact - had been a staple of the PS2 version, they had never made the leap to current-gen consoles. The Hall of Fame players - who are compensated in exchange for use of their likenesses - will still be included in the 360 and PS3 editions of the game. PS2 and PSP gamers will have to settle for current players only.
Source - Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5255972/post+lawsuit-old-teams-absent-from-next-maddens); Game Politics (http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/05/18/wake-legal-threats-old-timer-teams-removed-madden).