Summary
EA’s CEO has provided an update on the development status of its newEA Sports College Footballgame. Beginning in 1993 asBill Walsh College Football, EA Sports’NCAA Footballseries had been an annual staple in the world of sports gaming as a sister series to EA’s morepopularMadden NFLfranchise.
Announced in early 2021,EA Sports College Footballseeks to bring college football back to the gaming world after a decade of dormancy due to legality issues surrounding EA’s use of players' likenesses in the games without paying them. EA has confirmed that college players who opt-in will be compensated for allowing their names and likenesses to be used in the new title. It’s this promise that’s allowed EA to legally move forward with its new college football game. As it’s been over two years sinceEA Sports College Football’s announcement, the time has come to begin learning more about the revival of college football in gaming.
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In a Q1 2024 earnings call, Electronic Arts' CEO Andrew Wilson weighed in on the publisher’s progress withEA Sports College Football. In the call, Wilson revealed that EA has gained the licensing support of most of America’s major colleges. He also mentioned the ongoing work with unnamed bodies to ensure the inclusion of college athletes is handled correctly, and with compensation. This is arguably the most important part of reviving EA’s college football franchise, as thediscontinuation of EA’sNCAA Footballserieswas a direct result of unlawfully using players' information without including their names or faces in order to avoid having to compensate them.
In citing the issue of “…how and when to include college athletes themselves into the game…”, Wilson makes it seem likeEA Sports College Footballwill be adding new players to the game over time, being built as an ongoing platform which will see constant updates instead of annual releases likeEA’s ownMadden NFLfranchise. It’s easy to imagine this as the case in the current climate of video games and the live service nature of many new titles and franchises. Many feel this is somethingMadden NFLshould’ve started doing years ago, so seeing thatEA Sports College Footballcould potentially favor a live service platform model out of the gate seems promising.
Despite having yet to add real players in, it seems progress onEA Sports College Footballis coming along smoothly, at least in regard to getting college licenses locked in. Wilson also mentioned how well the gameplay is shaping up. With decades ofMadden NFLexperience there’s little doubt this new college football title will feel right, despitea decade having passed sinceNCAA Football 14. As it’s now been a while sinceEA Sports College Footballwas first announced, it shouldn’t be too much longer before fans can expect to learn more about college football’s return to the gaming world, especially now that large swaths of college licensing have been secured.
EA Sports College Footballis in development.
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