Article: Does the NCAA Football franchise have a pulse? (Update: No.)

[cdj]

In their first Facebook post since July 29, 2014 the EA SPORTS NCAA Football Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/easportsncaafootball/?fref=ts) page has posted a very cryptic video of a heartbeat on an EKG machine (https://www.facebook.com/easportsncaafootball/videos/10153974375972280/).

Could this be a tease of the franchise returning? Was the page hacked? Or on the threshold of the National Championship Game, is this a reminder of the franchise and the many fans who want it to return?

We will update this story if any additional news or information is acquired.

UPDATE - Per Owen Good:
“No news, sorry to get your hopes up.” EA Sports rep to me re: that Facebook heartbeat video. It’s about tonight’s nat’l championship game.


686594695191990272

[souljahbill]

Boooooooooooo!!!!!

[JBHuskers]

I don't buy it. That makes no sense to post a cryptic video just for the national championship game.

[Deuce]

Too funny. Whoever posted that needs to be fired! ;) Seriously though, what the hell did they expect people to think? Pretty much everyone commenting on Facebook thought it meant the franchise was back. The social media manager at EA just trolled everyone. Lol

[Deuce]

I don't buy it. That makes no sense to post a cryptic video just for the national championship game.

Hope you're right...that's idiotic if Owen is telling the truth.

[JBHuskers]

They edited in a caption on the original Facebook post....

Our heart still beats for the big game... ‪#‎NationalChampionship‬

[OLATHExSOONER]

Sounds like EA Sports hired Damon Grow as their PR guy. Either that or the current one is getting fired and wants to go out with a bang.

[OLATHExSOONER]

I honestly can't stress to any of you enough how upset I'll be if this does in fact turn out to be nothing. I don't play a lot of video games, but I could log 7 hours a day on NCAA football. I bleed college football. If this truly is just a PR mishap (like I think it is,) then how does that happen? How does a huge company like EA allow this to happen? If this teaser thing is nothing, I might boycott Madden. The game isn't that great anyway.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[steelerfan]

I played NCAA 13 a couple weeks ago. It was the first time I'd played any American football game in about 3 1/2 years. I was expecting to be pulled back in but it was so terrible (combination of last gen and VERY twitchy controls) that I only played 1 quarter of one game and 1 half of another.

It really made me want to see this game on the new consoles because I simply cannot go back. :(

[souljahbill]

I played NCAA 13 a couple weeks ago. It was the first time I'd played any American football game in about 3 1/2 years. I was expecting to be pulled back in but it was so terrible (combination of last gen and VERY twitchy controls) that I only played 1 quarter of one game and 1 half of another.

It really made me want to see this game on the new consoles because I simply cannot go back. :(

14 is soooooooo much better than 13. Night and day difference.

Side note: It's a very popular story on my Facebook feed
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160111/b32d0a5bb638600f357618d139f4a970.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160111/0f6ef7c5e722c700231f9d71354fa88f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160111/39acc33fc16d3c30af702fa4de4e1aa7.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160111/32962d4b73e66efba5b204f227f868ce.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160111/5f37b6de1c9de732f96391a75493d2f6.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160111/22776cbdfb32f887242827178e279e62.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160111/c7b8ea353252628710a32739e30dd88d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160111/a4966195b6a1d7d887d19f383faba4db.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160111/ef191bd58a7e222d463de9f08e0d00d4.jpg

[OLATHExSOONER]

I'm so done with EA. I'm boycotting their products until NCAA comes back. I seriously can't believe they'd pull something like this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JBHuskers]

I dunno if it was done on purpose. Sounds like someone royally screwed up. Purpose or not, it got people talking and it was trending on Twitter.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[OLATHExSOONER]

I think Owen Good said that the post was intentional, but people mistook what the post was about. I'm angry as all get out. I can't believe this happened.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JBHuskers]

I think Owen Good said that the post was intentional, but people mistook what the post was about. I'm angry as all get out. I can't believe this happened.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They left the caption out of the video, so that is what caused the confusion.

[Deuce]

I still think there could be something to it but obviously keeping my expectations low until I hear from EA. They'll have to address this at some point. It's turned into a bit of a firestorm for them to not address it. It is weird that they only posted that video on Facebook. Twitter is still dead.
Who the hell knows???

Seriously though..."Our heart still beats for the big game"??? That's lame.

[gschwendt]

686654656261402624
686655000458608640

Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk

[Deuce]

Welp, there it is. Twitter is alive with bad news.

[souljahbill]

Terrible PR

[Deuce]

Terrible PR

No doubt in my mind that person knew what they were doing. douchebag troll!! Lol

[JBHuskers]

And that person is probably looking for another job today :D

[OLATHExSOONER]

I'm absolutely furious right now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[souljahbill]

Oh well. That's puts the PS4 plans back to November. I'd get it in July of a new NCAA dropped this year.

[steelerfan]

I'm angry as all get out. I can't believe this happened.




I'm absolutely furious right now.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160111/0e132eb8971ade974a07e5b123d04480.jpg

[OLATHExSOONER]

HAHAHAHA!! Hey man, I could be worse, I could be Gedden... [emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[steelerfan]

Well, at least with no NCAA 17 we don't have to deal with that annoying surprise onside kick that Alabama did tonight.

[CLW]

You guys crack me up.

NCAA is DEAD unless/until. NCAA (or whatever group takes over should the NCAA implode) allows athletes to be paid

[OLATHExSOONER]

You guys crack me up.

NCAA is DEAD unless/until. NCAA (or whatever group takes over should the NCAA implode) allows athletes to be paid

Plot twist: Joe Montana and Damon Grow are conspiring with the illuminati to rule the world.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JeffHCross]

Terrible PRSadly, par for the course.

[souljahbill]

You guys crack me up.

NCAA is DEAD unless/until. NCAA (or whatever group takes over should the NCAA implode) allows athletes to be paid

Doesn't have to be that way. I can make generic rosters myself.

[steelerfan]

You guys crack me up.

NCAA is DEAD unless/until. NCAA (or whatever group takes over should the NCAA implode) allows athletes to be paid
No shit, Sherlock.

I don't think many here would believe otherwise.

[PAcMAnSTEw]

They could easily create a game with fictional conference names, teams, and generic rosters with the ability to go online and customize all names, like they did with team creation.

[OLATHExSOONER]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160112/0d6a2092c9ea7fbb819630b96c438197.jpg



RIP NCAA


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jaymo76]

I miss NCAA terribly. However, living without it I am playing more video games than ever before. I found out there is so much great stuff out there re: next gen games that I would never have payed if NCAA were still alive.

[OLATHExSOONER]

NBA 2K has been the only game I've played with any kind of regularity since NCAA's demise. NCAA was the only game that I could log hours and upon hours and never get bored.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[baseballplyrmvp]

If anyone wins powerball tomorrow, your first purchase is to buy the rights to NCAA football from EA. Then sell them to Sony or Microsoft, with the condition that you are in the design team.

[Deuce]

You guys crack me up.

NCAA is DEAD unless/until. NCAA (or whatever group takes over should the NCAA implode) allows athletes to be paid

This is my theory...I think there is some kind of resolution coming. I think the 'heartbeat' meant what we all thought it meant but I also don't think EA was lying when they said they had no news or nothing to report.

It'll be interesting to see if there are any announcements concerning the case in the next few weeks. Maybe EA got word of something...something good and thus the 'heartbeat'.

Or the PR guy is just an idiot. Lol

[OLATHExSOONER]

This is my theory...I think there is some kind of resolution coming. I think the 'heartbeat' meant what we all thought it meant but I also don't think EA was lying when they said they had no news or nothing to report.

It'll be interesting to see if there are any announcements concerning the case in the next few weeks. Maybe EA got word of something...something good and thus the 'heartbeat'.

Or the PR guy is just an idiot. Lol

This seems to be pastapadre's view. I would really like to agree but it's EA and I just can't trust them. Until they announce that NCAA is returning, I'm gonna assume it's dead for good.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[OLATHExSOONER]

Can anybody explain to me what exactly the deal is with college athletes being paid? When will this be decided? I can't grasp what's happening at all.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CLW]

Can anybody explain to me what exactly the deal is with college athletes being paid? When will this be decided? I can't grasp what's happening at all.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's simple:

#1 NCAA rules PROHIBIT student athletes for being paid $ b/c they believe college sports should be about amateurism

#2 Former disgruntled (and losers in life b/c they blew their education and have no money now) athletes sued the NCAA and EA for using their "likeness" (legal term of art) in video games without permission/compensation in a very liberal venue (San Fransico)

#3 The liberal judge ruled on every procedural motion in favor of the plaintiffs/athletes showing a clear sign that the only chance the NCAA/EA had to win was to lose and appeal all the way up to the United States Supreme Court (assuming the Court would take the case)

#4 In stead of spending millions of dollars in legal fees EA settled and the plaintiffs got a couple hundred bucks each their lawyers made millions and EA got out of the business of making college/NCAA video games

The NCAA is not likely to EVER budge on the athletes being paid issue its a fundamental principle of their organization. As such you are likely to NEVER see another college sports game unless the "big schools" leave and form some new organization that will permit the students to be paid then I'm sure EA will be 1st in line to try to sign exclusive rights to make the games and pay the students for their names/likeness in the games.

[baseballplyrmvp]

All they have to do is have a complete roster generator that creates a new roster the first time the game loads. This makes it impossible to claim the likeness issue because every roster will be different for every person, and a judge isn't going to rule in favor of one isolated incident.

EA should choose to focus on position groups instead of the players themselves. They could rate each position group in how good they are compared to the rest of the country on a scale of 1-10 stars, and then use that star rating to help shape their randomly created rosters. It would help get everyone's randomly generated rosters somewhat close and ensure that Alabama's starting o-line isn't rated in the 60's.

Position groups are the way to go, as then they could start throwing in personalities (good and bad) too. LSU's dbs could be labeled as physical, big hitters, ball hawks. Their qb's could though could have below average accuracy, easily rattled, game managers. The only thing locked in on the roster template would be how many players are in each position group. It's an easy fix.

[souljahbill]

There are only 2 problems with that

1) online play now
2) online dynasty

They both need a universal roster to start

[baseballplyrmvp]

There are only 2 problems with that

1) online play now
2) online dynasty

They both need a universal roster to start

Online dynasty has always started with the commissioner's roster file being uploaded.

Online play now... I'll think about

[baseballplyrmvp]

There are only 2 problems with that

1) online play now
2) online dynasty

They both need a universal roster to start


Online dynasty has always started with the commissioner's roster file being uploaded.

Online play now... I'll think about

Pretty much the only way I think it could work, would be (since the position groups are rated on 1-10 stars and have personality traits) to create a random temporary file for the 2 teams just for that one game.

[JeffHCross]

They could easily create a game with fictional conference names, teams, and generic rosters with the ability to go online and customize all names, like they did with team creation.They could, and it wouldn't sell at all. Or, worse, they'd get threatened with lawsuits the second that those customization abilities would allow you to create any team that really existed, and they might have to nerf those abilities to customize teams. That's (part) of what killed the Backbreaker franchise, they promised all these amazing customization options, that they had to pull because of the legal threats.

[baseballplyrmvp]

They could, and it wouldn't sell at all. Or, worse, they'd get threatened with lawsuits the second that those customization abilities would allow you to create any team that really existed, and they might have to nerf those abilities to customize teams. That's (part) of what killed the Backbreaker franchise, they promised all these amazing customization options, that they had to pull because of the legal threats.
Ya, your run of the mill generic roster, where no team is close to where they should be rated, but is fully customizable, won't sell very well.

[OLATHExSOONER]

I guess the best we can do is hope that Madden adds teambuilder in Madden 17. That's as good as it's gonna get, but I don't even know if they'll add it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[OLATHExSOONER]

I think the NCAA Football Twitter accounted updated their header photo...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk