14 DAY TRIAL // Sports titles generate a lot of money, largely because there are a lot of people passionate about sports and video games around the world. If you take up an activity that has a lot of fans, like American football or European soccer, then the success of a video game based on it and bearing the likenesses of famous players is almost guaranteed.
That is the recipe followed by Electronic Arts' Sports label, with its FIFA or Madden NFL franchises. The American football series has been recently witness to the retirement of the famous sportsman and commentator that has given it its name, John Madden, but it seems that it will remain in the public spotlight because a group of retired NFL players is now seeking to sue the company because of unpaid royalties.
You may remember that, at the end of last year, a San Francisco court found the NFL Players Association guilty of hinting to EA Sports that it should scramble the likenesses of old football players by changing their numbers or facial features in order to avoid paying them. Now, after the retired players have managed to attain 28 million dollars, it seems that the next target is EA Sports and John Madden.
This action is claimed by NFL retiree Bernie Parrish, who was involved with the win against the NFLPA last year and who posted a statement on his blog. “The retired NFL players who were used in Madden EA video games will be suing Madden and EA for using us in those games without compensating us. Madden’s agent Sandy Montag boasts he and Madden collected over $100,000,000 in royalties while paying the retired NFL players used in those games absolutely nothing. Madden knows that the ugly truthful litigation is coming and is probably factoring that into his retirement. In my opinion, Madden should have been included in our licensing suit against the NFLPA and so should EA.”
If the trial will take shape, then it seems that EA Sports and John Madden will definitely need to save up a big amount of money in order to pay up, because of the precedent created by the court's decision last year. We will keep you informed on this big legal action as it unfolds.