The Gaming Tailgate Video Podcast
Anyone 21 years of age or younger has grown up with NCAA Football being an annual summer release. The franchise became a tradition for many and as they grew, so did the game. Fans played it against friends and family, it became a battle for bragging rights in college dorms, and the addition of Online Dynasty allowed gamers from across the country to compete against each other.
While plans were in place and the development underway for EA SPORTS College Football 15, its cancellation made it the last college sports franchise to fall, joining the ranks of NCAA Basketball/March Madness, College Hoops, and MVP NCAA Baseball. Between licensing costs and lawsuits over the alleged use of player likenesses, college gaming will likely not return for some time, if ever.
Where do NCAA Football gamers go?
The NCAA Football franchise sold millions of copies each year, so where will those loyal fans turn?
While the Madden NFL franchise continues on its path to become the ultimate simulation of professional football, will it (led by former NCAA higher-ups including Executive Producer Roy Harvey and Senior Producer Sean Graddy, among others) add something - anything - to reach out to NCAA Football gamers? Or will the assumption be that a significant number will purchase Madden NFL regardless of feature set and improvements, being that it is the only football option on the market? Worse yet, did the late cancellation of NCAA Football find Madden NFL 15 already far enough into development, leaving no possibility to cater to this displaced fan base? As we approach the August 26 release of Madden NFL 15, it's worth keeping an eye on how (if at all) the game's marketing and community relations attempt to reach former NCAA purchasers.
Will these passionate fans move on to other sports titles and other game genres or will some of them simply leave gaming in the past? For those who made their console and gaming purchases primarily for NCAA Football, do they fail to make the jump to the PS4 & XB1 with their long-standing motivation no longer in existence?
The Effects of Cancellation
While longtime fans of the franchise now have a void to fill, the effects of the franchise cancellation are far-reaching.
While some regarded the money paid to schools by EA SPORTS as a small pittance, it was enough for some schools to fund multiple staffers, an important payday as many athletic departments look for creative methods to stay in the black.
GameStop's and other video game chains in college towns will lose the revenue windfall they ensued with their annual midnight releases.
Numerous community and fan websites have either fallen - particularly those who profited by selling roster files or via subscription methodology - or saw their direction change if they wished to stay relevant in the ever-changing cyber-landscape.
More importantly, numerous NCAA Football developers who lost their job were left looking for new employment in a very volatile market. While some members of the dev team moved on to other projects within the company in recent years, those who stayed with the ship to the very end were either moved to Madden NFL or relieved of their duties. In that time, those who were fortunate to find a new job may have been forced to relocated to various locations around the country.
The Rebirth of NCAA Football
All hope is not lost for the return of college gaming. During the O'Bannon v. NCAA trial, EA Senior Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs Joel Linzner testified that if there was an efficient way for EA to work with college football and men's basketball players as a group and there were no NCAA prohibitions, the company would be "very interested in acquiring the rights" to use their names and images in games.
However, a ruling in the O'Bannon and Kessler antitrust case must occur, along with the fallout and any possible changes in the structure and current policies of the NCAA. EA's Peter Moore has stated that he believes systemic changes must first occur within college sports (the ability to attain a license for use of player likenesses) and that the company will watch and wait to see how the dust settles to determine if and how the company will proceed.
Should the environment allow for video game companies to purchase the rights to use player names and likenesses and EA re-enters the college football gaming market, it could be a lengthy process with major decisions that need to be made.
Updating, acquiring, and creating accurate team details such as stadiums, jerseys, and field art could take years. While a number of Madden NFL staffers would likely be shifted back to NCAA Football, who helms the project and do they attempt to bring back members of the old dev team? The company would also need to determine if the franchise would begin anew with features, pick up where NCAA Football 14 left off, or modify the Connected Careers (Franchise) Mode in Madden NFL for college football.
EA SPORTS would be aided by the fact that the studio is already in the football marketplace with Madden NFL, meaning they would have a gameplay engine in place that would need proper adjustments for the college game versus the lengthy and excruciating process of building from scratch.
These many decisions mean that if/once companies can return to making college video games, it would be years before a final product hits stores shelves. Until then, NCAA Football 14, NCAA Basketball 10, College Hoops 2K8, MVP NCAA Baseball 07 and the memories they provided must hold us over.
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