Video game manufacturer Electronic Arts will not publish a
version of its college football game next year and it may stop doing so
permanently because of litigation concerning the use of the athletes'
names and likenesses, the company announced Thursday.
The
company also said it is trying to settle the lawsuits that have been
filed against it by former athletes. There are three such suits pending,
and earlier this week the company filed documents with the U.S. Supreme
Court asking it to take up the two cases in which EA had suffered
adverse rulings from separate panels of federal appeals court judges.
FIGHTING ON: NCAA says it will take cases to Supreme Court
"This
is as profoundly disappointing to the people who make this game as I
expect it will be for the millions who enjoy playing it each year," Cam
Weber, the general manager of American football for EA Sports, wrote in
statement posted on the compabny's website.
The statement went on to say:
"We
have been stuck in the middle of a dispute between the NCAA and
student-athletes who seek compensation for playing college football.
Just like companies that broadcast college games and those that provide
equipment and apparel, we follow rules that are set by the NCAA – but
those rules are being challenged by some student-athletes. For our part,
we are working to settle the lawsuits with the student-athletes.
Meanwhile, the NCAA and a number of conferences have withdrawn their
support of our game. The ongoing legal issues combined with increased
questions surrounding schools and conferences have left us in a
difficult position – one that challenges our ability to deliver an
authentic sports experience, which is the very foundation of EA Sports
games."
Former Arizona State and Nebraska football player
Sam Keller is pursuing a presumptive class-action related to publicity
rights against the NCAA, EA and the nation's leading collegiate
trademark licensing firm, Collegiate Licensing Co. over the use of college athletes names and likenesses in video games.
EA
also is a co-defendant in anti-trust case filed by a group of former
and current college football and men's basketball players headed by
former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon. And, in separate cases, former Rutgers football Ryan Hart and former West Virginia football player Shawne Alston are suing EA.
EA filed motions seeking Supreme Court review of rulings in the Keller and Hart cases.
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs could not be reached for immediate comment.
In
July, the NCAA announced it would not renew its contract with EA after
next year, citing business reasons and litigation costs. However, more
than 150 colleges, conferences and bowl games approved a three-year
contract extension with EA. The only impact at the time was the game
would no longer be called "NCAA Football" but rather "College Football,"
with each school or league continuing to decide whether to opt in or
out through CLC.
"NCAA Football" sells about 2
million units per year, according to stock analyst Michael Pachter. The
FIFA soccer video game and Madden NFL game sell 12 million and 5.5
million units, respectively, CLC spokesman Andrew Giangola told USA
TODAY Sports in July.
Published on: USAtoday
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