The EA Sports College Football game coming out this summer is set to potentially bring in more money than any video game ever, at least domestically in the United States. The game, which hasn’t come out in more than a decade, was a fan favorite, with players able to take their favorite college football team from the bottom to the BCS National Championship Game (Yes, the game was that old).
One of the big reasons why, in fact, the only really big reason the game stopped coming out was because of a legal battle between players and the game over EA Sports using their image and likeness without paying them anything for it. At the time, paying players was illegal, so the game disappeared.
With NIL, this is now possible, and players can opt in and receive $600 and a copy of the game. But not every player is likely to opt in, and there are a few reasons for this, with the last one being so obvious but very overlooked.
Players Want More Money For the College Football Game
There will probably be a few players who hold out and demand they get paid more money. After all, why shouldn’t Quin Ewers or Carson Beck make more than Middle Tennessee’s third-string left tackle? Some players will see this as unfair and tru make a statement, hoping to get enough support from fans and other players to pay more.
And they may have a point.
Imagine if the top ten players in college football all opted out of the game. There’s no way that EA and the makers of the game wouldn’t sit down with those players and draw up another plan so that they can get into the game. This may not happen this year, but I’d be shocked if this doesn’t become an issue in the next few years when the novelty of being in the game starts to wear off.
Waiting to See the Success of the Game
EA Sports College Football hasn’t been out for over a decade, and there will probably be some bugs and issues that come up. Some players, particularly ones that aren’t particularly interested in video games, may be hesitant to join a game that hasn’t earned a great reputation yet.
While this may alienate quite a bit of the audience with this example, growing up, the Lego Star Wars game was a classic game that millions of teenagers grew to love. After more than a decade, LucasArts released a new version of the game, and it completely flopped.
Hopefully, this game doesn’t go through something similar, but just in case, there may be a few players opting out.
The Game is Older Than This Generation
The last time EA Sports College Football was released, most of the current players were eight, nine, or ten years old. Maybe some of the older players on rosters were old enough to enjoy and play the game, but many of these players have never experienced the game.
It is entirely possible that a player, particularly one who has plenty of other NIL deals, would simply not care enough to be in the game because the game has never really been part of their life. If that sounds crazy, think about something your parents grew up with that you didn’t. If money wasn’t an issue, would you sign a deal with a company you’ve never had experience or history with? Maybe, but for some, the answer is no.
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