EA Sports
Encyclopedia
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts
that creates and develops sport
s video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" (EASN) with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John Madden, it soon grew up to become a sub-label on its own, releasing game series such as NBA Elite, FIFA, NHL
, Madden NFL
, and NASCAR.
Most games under this brand are developed by EA Canada
, the studio of Electronic Arts in Burnaby, British Columbia
, as well as at EA Blackbox, Vancouver, British Columbia and EA Tiburon
in Maitland, Florida
. EA Sports mainly competes with 2K Sports
.
EA Sports' early motto
was If it's in the game, it's in the game, later changed to "It's in the game" This tag line, strategized by Don Transeth, written by Jeff Odiorne, and delivered by the voice of EA Sports, Andrew Anthony, has become a cultural rallying cry throughout the sports universe.
Unlike some other companies, EA Sports has no special ties to a single platform, which means that all games are released for the best-selling active platforms, sometimes long after most other companies abandon them. For example, FIFA 98, Madden NFL 98
, NBA Live 98
, and NHL 98 were released for the Sega Genesis
and the Super NES
throughout 1997; Madden NFL 2005 and FIFA 2005 had PlayStation
releases in 2004 (FIFA 2005 was also the last PlayStation title to be released); and NCAA Football 08 had an Xbox
release in 2007. Madden NFL 08 also had Xbox
and GameCube
releases in 2007, and was the final title released for the GameCube, with Madden NFL 09 following as the final Xbox title. Additionally, NASCAR Thunder 2003
and NASCAR Thunder 2004
were released not only for the PlayStation 2, but for the original PlayStation as well. The EA Sports brand name is used to sponsor English Football League Two
team Swindon Town F.C.
from 2009-10 season onwards and the EA Sports Cup in Republic of Ireland
.
and the European Football Championship
, each happening regularly in four-year intervals), and college football and basketball games are released that are based on Madden NFL and NBA Live, respectively.
for six years, ending competition from Papyrus
and Infogrames
.
On December 13, 2004, EA Sports signed an exclusive deal with the National Football League
(NFL) and its Players' Union for five years. On February 12, 2008, EA Sports announced the extension of its exclusive deal until the 2012 NFL season.
Less than a month after the NFL Exclusive deal, EA Sports signed a four-year exclusive deal with the Arena Football League (AFL).
On April 11, 2005, the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) and EA Sports signed a deal to grant EA Sports the sole rights to produce college football games for six years.
EA lost the rights for Major League Baseball
(MLB) games to 2K Sports
in 2005, ending EA's MVP series; however, EA made NCAA Baseball games in 2006 and 2007 after losing the MLB license.
In January 2008, EA Sports decided not to renew their NCAA College Baseball license while they evaluate the status of their MVP game engine.
In 2005, EA Sports and ESPN
signed a massive 15-year deal for ESPN to be integrated into EA Sports video games. EA's use of the ESPN license has steadily increased over the early life of the deal. EA's early usage of the ESPN license began with ESPN Radio and a sports ticker in titles like Madden NFL, NBA Live, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, and NCAA Baseball and Football. The ESPN integration now includes streaming podcasts, text articles (including content only available previously to ESPN Insider subscribers), and ESPN Motion video (including such programs as Pardon the Interruption
).
, NCAA Football
, NASCAR
, NHL
, NBA Live
, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour
would not be shipped for Microsoft Windows
. The NCAA football series hadn't been released on the PC since 1998, The Tiger Woods series last PC game was the 2008 version, the NASCAR series hadn't had a PC version since NASCAR Sim Racing in 2005, and the Madden series last PC game was the 2008 edition as well. The NHL series last PC game was the 2009 edition. Likewise, NBA Live 08
was the final PC version.
The head of EA Sports at that time, Peter Moore, cited piracy
and the fact the "PC as a platform for authentic, fully-licensed, simulation sports games has declined radically in the past three years as the next generation consoles [...] have attracted millions of consumers."
The company noted that the FIFA and FIFA Manager series would still be released for the PC platform.
's online community-based service, PlayStation Home
in the European and North American versions. In the Complex, users can play a series of mini-games, including poker
, kart racing
, golf
, and it also features a Virtual EA Shop. There are also a number of advertisements for upcoming EA Sports games. Each mini-game that the Complex features has a reward or rewards. Heavy Water, a company dedicated to developing for Home, developed the EA Sports Complex for EA Sports.
Originally, the Complex just featured two rooms: the EA Sports Complex and the EA Sports Complex Upstairs. The EA Sports Complex featured racing and had a golfing range that was unavailable to play. The Upstairs had four poker tables that users could play at anytime. With the June 18, 2009 update, the Complex's name changed to the EA Sports Racing Complex and the Upstairs changed to the EA Sports Complex Green Poker Room. Other than the name change, the update took away the golfing range and added four more karts for users to play Racing at and it also added one red poker table to the poker room.
The July 2, 2009 update added golf and another poker room making four rooms for the Complex; the EA Sports Racing Complex, the EA Sports Golf Complex, the EA Sports Complex Green Poker Room, and the EA Sports Complex Red Poker Room. The Racing Complex features Racing with a total of eight karts; four on each side of the Complex. The Golf Complex features two Practice Ranges for golfing; one range on each side of the Complex. A Golf Pro-shop is coming soon for the Golf Complex. The Green Poker Room featured four green poker tables that users can play anytime. The Red Poker Room featured four red poker tables but requires users to have 2,000 points to play.
On July 16, 2009, EA Sports released another room for the Complex making five rooms for the Complex. This room is the game space for Fight Night Round 4 called "Club Fight Night" featuring a mini-game called Club DJ and coming soon, robot boxing.
On July 30, 2009, EA Sports added a Black Poker Table to the EA Sports Complex Red Poker Room for the higher level players. In time, there will be a room dedicated for this table just like the Green Poker Room and the Red Poker Room. They also added a fifth green table to the Green Poker Room. The update also included the addition of the EA Sports Pro Shop where users can purchase full boxing outfits and furniture from Fight Night Round 4. The Pro Shop is found in the Racing Complex. The August 16, 2009 update replaced the fifth green table in the Green Poker Room with a red table. They also reduced the amount of points for the Black Table from 20,000 to 10,000. The August 27, 2009 update separated the scoreboards for each level of play - Green, Red, and Black - and into Daily boards and Season boards (left side and right side), improved card readability, additional rail seating near the poker tables, player removal on lock-up while playing poker, and player buy-in refund on removal (does not refund on Home disconnect) while playing poker.
On October 9, 2009, EA Sports released the EA Sports Complex to the Japanese version of Home. They also released NFL jerseys for every team in the league for purchase inside of the EA Sports Complex and in Home's shopping complex. EA Sports have also teamed up with the Home team to produce and distribute exclusive virtual items that serve to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
. 100% of proceeds for these items will go to the Brees Dream Foundation in support of breast cancer research and awareness programs. The items are black jerseys with a pink number 9 on the front and the name Brees on the back also in pink. These jereys will be available from October 15, 2009 to November 25, 2009. On November 5, 2009, for those who purchased the Brees Breast Cancer jersey, they received a free DJ kit that is featured in the Club Fight Night space by entering one of the two EA Sports Complex poker rooms between November 5, 2009 and November 25, 2009. On November 25, 2009, Fight Night Round 4 producers Mike Mahar and Brian Hayes were in Home between the hours of 4:00pm and 5:00pm PT (7:00pm and 8:00pm EST), for a live chat with the PlayStation Home community in one instance of the Club Fight Night space. On January 7, 2010, EA Sports released NCAA college football jerseys in the EA Sports Complex and in Home's shopping complex.
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
that creates and develops sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" (EASN) with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John Madden, it soon grew up to become a sub-label on its own, releasing game series such as NBA Elite, FIFA, NHL
NHL series
NHL is a series of professional ice hockey simulation video games developed by EA Canada and published yearly by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports brand...
, Madden NFL
Madden NFL
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...
, and NASCAR.
Most games under this brand are developed by EA Canada
EA Canada
EA Canada is a video game developer located in Burnaby, British Columbia. The development studio opened in January 1983 and is EA's largest and oldest studio...
, the studio of Electronic Arts in Burnaby, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, as well as at EA Blackbox, Vancouver, British Columbia and EA Tiburon
EA Tiburon
EA Tiburon is an Electronic Arts video game development studio located in Maitland, Florida, United States founded in 1994. It is located just north of the Orlando, Florida downtown area. It was formerly known as Tiburon Entertainment, which was acquired by EA in 1998.The studio is most well known...
in Maitland, Florida
Maitland, Florida
Maitland is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States, part of the Greater Metro Orlando area. The population was 12,019 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 14,172...
. EA Sports mainly competes with 2K Sports
2K Sports
2K Sports is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. It comprises a single development studio, Visual Concepts, which was purchased from Sega in the year 2005. 2K Sports mainly develops and publishes American sports video games such as NBA 2K series...
.
EA Sports' early motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
was If it's in the game, it's in the game, later changed to "It's in the game" This tag line, strategized by Don Transeth, written by Jeff Odiorne, and delivered by the voice of EA Sports, Andrew Anthony, has become a cultural rallying cry throughout the sports universe.
Unlike some other companies, EA Sports has no special ties to a single platform, which means that all games are released for the best-selling active platforms, sometimes long after most other companies abandon them. For example, FIFA 98, Madden NFL 98
Madden NFL 98
Madden NFL 98 is a football video game. It features John Madden on the cover. It was the last version of the Madden series to be released for the SNES and Sega's Genesis and Saturn platforms. It was the last game officially released for the SNES in Europe.The Green Bay Packers had the best team...
, NBA Live 98
NBA Live 98
NBA Live 98 is the 1998 installment of the NBA Live video games series. The cover features Tim Hardaway of the Miami Heat. The game was developed by EA Sports and released on November 11, 1997.-Features:Total Control...
, and NHL 98 were released for the Sega Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
and the Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
throughout 1997; Madden NFL 2005 and FIFA 2005 had PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
releases in 2004 (FIFA 2005 was also the last PlayStation title to be released); and NCAA Football 08 had an Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
release in 2007. Madden NFL 08 also had Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
and GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
releases in 2007, and was the final title released for the GameCube, with Madden NFL 09 following as the final Xbox title. Additionally, NASCAR Thunder 2003
NASCAR Thunder 2003
NASCAR Thunder 2003 is a racing simulator published by Electronic Arts in September 2002 for PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and Xbox and in October 2002 for PC. It is the fifth game of EA Sports' NASCAR series, and is based on the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The product features...
and NASCAR Thunder 2004
NASCAR Thunder 2004
NASCAR Thunder 2004 is a racing simulator by EA Sports, released in 2003 and available in separate versions for PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC. It features the 2002 champion Tony Stewart on the cover with a scowling look to represent the new Grudges and Alliances feature. It was the only...
were released not only for the PlayStation 2, but for the original PlayStation as well. The EA Sports brand name is used to sponsor English Football League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
team Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
from 2009-10 season onwards and the EA Sports Cup in Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Series and games
Most EA Sports games are distinguished by year, as most games are released on a yearly basis. However, as EA Sports is the leading purchaser of official licenses, it is not uncommon that in a short span several games of the same sport but with different licenses are released: FIFA 98 was shortly followed by World Cup 98 (as EA has the license for the FIFA World CupFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and the European Football Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
, each happening regularly in four-year intervals), and college football and basketball games are released that are based on Madden NFL and NBA Live, respectively.
- FIFA series, 1993 (EA Sports also released several other games, most notably the games with World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, UEFA European ChampionshipsUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
and UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
licenses)
- Madden NFL seriesMadden NFLMadden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...
, 1988 (games prior to 1993 did not have an NFL license) - NCAA Football seriesNCAA Football seriesNCAA Football is a football video game series in which you play as any current Division I FBS college team. This game is developed by EA Sports. Because of NCAA rules, current college players are not permitted to be used as the cover athletes...
, 1993 (prior to 1996 the name of the franchise was Bill Walsh College Football and College Football USA) - EA Sports GameShowEA Sports GameShowEA Sports GameShow was a live-hosted online trivia game show, made available as a free PC download. GameShow was first publicly mentioned by Peter Moore in September 2007, not long after he took over as president of EA Sports. GameShow debuted as a public beta on October 23, 2007, with the first...
, 2008 EA Sports GameShow is a nationwide, online trivia game hosted by a live, on-air DJ.
- NBA Elite series, 2011, preceded by The NBA Playoffs (1989–1993), NBA Showdown (1994), and NBA Live (1995–2010). Starting with NBA Live 08NBA Live 08NBA Live 08 is the 2007 installment of the NBA Live series by EA Sports. It was released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, PC , and PlayStation Portable. This is the first NBA video game to include all three next-generation consoles...
, the games have included FIBA-sanctioned national teams as well. Since the rebrand as "NBA Elite" in 2010, NBA Elite 11NBA Elite 11NBA Elite 11 is a mobile basketball video game released by Electronic Arts for iOS. It is the first installment in the NBA Elite series, succeeding EA's NBA Live series....
was cancelled for consoles due to a large amount of criticism following the game's glitch-filled demo, with EA citing "concerns about gameplay polish". An Apple iOS version of Elite 11 was released, however. - NCAA Basketball seriesNCAA Basketball seriesThe NCAA Basketball series was a College basketball game published by EA Sports from 1995 until 2009. After EA Sports' rival publisher 2K Sports cancelled its own college basketball game, College Hoops, in 2008, EA changed the name of the series from NCAA March Madness to NCAA College Basketball...
, (2008–2010), preceded by the NCAA March Madness series (1995–2007) - MVP Baseball seriesMVP Baseball seriesMVP Baseball was a baseball game series published by EA Sports, running from 2003 to 2007 with five games produced. In 2003, MVP became the official successor to EA's long-running Triple Play Baseball series, and it simulated Major League Baseball from 2003 to 2005...
and MVP NCAA Baseball seriesMVP 06: NCAA BaseballMVP 06: NCAA Baseball is the fourth edition of the baseball video game series developed by Electronic Arts. Because of Electronic Arts' loss of the Major League Baseball license to Take Two Interactive in 2005, which now has the exclusive MLB license, the publishers decided to transition the MVP...
, 2003, preceded by the Triple Play seriesTriple Play seriesTriple Play was a series of computer and video games based on Major League Baseball, published by EA Sports until their replacement by the MVP Baseball in 2003....
(1996–2002) - NHL seriesNHL seriesNHL is a series of professional ice hockey simulation video games developed by EA Canada and published yearly by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports brand...
, 1991
- Three ElitserienElitserienElitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
titles were also released in Sweden - Three SM-liigaSM-liigaThe SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
titles were released in Finland - A Japanese version called NHL Pro Hockey '94 was released on the Super FamicomSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
- PGA Tour seriesPGA Tour seriesPGA Tour is the collective name of a series of golf video games published by Electronic Arts and later their EA Sports sub-label from 1990 to 1998, when EA began publishing their golf games with the endorsement of Tiger Woods...
, 1990, renamed to Tiger Woods PGA TourTiger Woods PGA TourTiger Woods PGA TOUR is a series of video games developed and published by Electronic Arts featuring professional golfer Tiger Woods, among other pros on the PGA Tour....
in 1999 - NASCAR seriesEA Sports NASCAR seriesThe EA Sports NASCAR series was a series of NASCAR video games published by EA Sports. The series began with NASCAR 98 and NASCAR 99 in 1997 and 1998. EA Sports released NASCAR Thunder 2002 in 2001, and ever since then, Jeff Gordon , Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ,and Tony Stewart were on the cover...
, exclusive license from 2003–2010, canceled due to license expiration after release of NASCAR Kart RacingNASCAR Kart RacingNASCAR Kart Racing is a kart racing video game that was released for the Wii console on February 10, 2009. The game features fourteen real world NASCAR drivers and ten fictional drivers. The cover drivers are, from left to right, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Tony...
. - Knockout KingsKnockout KingsKnockout Kings is a series of boxing games that were produced by EA Sports for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Color and GameCube yearly between 1998 and 2003....
(boxing), which was composed of five titles (between 1998 and 2002) and then discontinued when Fight Night 2004 was released. In the past, Toughman Contest was also released. - FIFA Manager, 2006
- PGA Tour series
- Preceded by FIFA Soccer Manager (1996), the Premier League Manager series (2001) and the Total Club Manager series (2004).
- AFLAFL (video game series)The AFL video game series is a series of Australian rules football video games based on the AFL. Released originally by Beam Software, it has since been developed by several other game developers....
series (Australian Football League, Australian Rules Football)
- AFL
- Started at AFL Finals Fever on the PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
which went on to AFL 98 and AFL 99 all on PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
as well as PC.- Rugby (rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
) series
- Rugby (rugby union
- Started at Rugby World Cup 1995 on Sega Mega Drive which went on to RugbyRugby (video game)Rugby is the 2001 installment of Electronic Arts' Rugby video game series. The game was developed by and released by EA Sports. The game is EA Sports' first rugby union game on PlayStation 2, and is succeeded by Rugby 2004,. Rugby features over 20 teams, over 500 players and over 20 stadiums...
(A late version of Rugby World Cup 1999, PC only), Rugby (2002), Rugby 2004Rugby 2004Rugby 2004 is the 2003 installment of Electronic Arts' Rugby video game series. The game was developed by HB Studios and released by EA Sports. It was released on September 16, 2003 in North America, on September 19 in Europe, and on October 20 in Australia. The game is a follow-up to 2001's Rugby,...
, Rugby 2005, Rugby 06Rugby 06Rugby 06 is the 2006 release in the Rugby series by EA Sports. The game allows players to play as many Rugby nations, both major and minor, and includes many tournaments, such as the Rugby World Cup, the Tri Nations, the Six Nations, and the Super 14....
and Rugby 08Rugby 08Rugby 08 is the 2007 release in the Rugby series by EA Sports. The game allows players to play as many Rugby nations, both major and minor, and includes many tournaments, such as the Rugby World Cup, Tri Nations, Six Nations, Guinness Premiership and Super 14.Rugby 08 was released prior to the...
all on PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
as well as PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
- Rugby LeagueRugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
series
- Rugby League
- Australian Rugby LeagueAustralian Rugby LeagueThe Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
was released on Sega Genesis as the player goes through the 1995 ARL season and the other ARL 96 was on PC depicting the 1996 ARL season.- Arena Football
- First version released in February 2006
- CricketEA Sports Cricket (series)The Cricket is a series of cricket video games published by EA Sports and designed for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 2 platforms. Uptil now, 8 different games of the series have been released.-The Games:...
Series
- Cricket
- Started out with Cricket 96Cricket 96Cricket 96 is a cricket game for the MS-DOS PCs that was released in 1995. The sequel to Super International Cricket on the SNES, it was developed by Melbourne House and published by EA Sports...
; Its sequel was Cricket 97Cricket 97Cricket 97 is a cricket game for PCs that was released in 1997. The sequel to Cricket 96, it was developed by Melbourne House and published by EA Sports...
which was complemented with Cricket 97 Ashes Tour Edition. Following releases include Cricket Ashes Tour, Cricket World Cup 99 and Cricket 2000. From then onwards, the series was a biennial one, with the releases of Cricket 2002 and 2004Cricket 2004Cricket 2004 is a 2004 video game based around the sport of cricket by EA Sports. The game was designed by HB Studios, known for their EA Rugby Series...
. It returned to being an annual release with the releases of Cricket 2005Cricket 2005Cricket 2005 is a video game based around the sport of cricket. Developed by HB Studios and released by EA Sports, it was released in July 2005 on Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Windows....
and Cricket 07Cricket 07Cricket 07 is a cricket simulation computer game from EA Sports and developed by HB Studios. It is available for Windows and PlayStation 2.The game was released in the UK on 24 November 2006 and in Australia on 14 November 2006...
. EA has not worked on any Cricket games since the release of Cricket 07.- Fight NightFight Night (EA video game series)Fight Night is a series of video games created by EA Sports. The series consists of* Fight Night 2004** Updates: Total Punch Control.* Fight Night Round 2...
Series
- Fight Night
- Follows your career either as a boxerBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
of your creation, or as a legendLegendA legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
.- There are other series, including F1 Championship (discontinued after SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
acquired the exclusive license for the Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
championship), Superbike and others with a limited distribution such as AFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football... - Grand Slam Tennis: which was released for the WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
in June 2009 - EA Sports Active: Personal Trainer: an exercise gameExergamingExergaming or exer-gaming is a term used for video games that are also a form of exercise. Exergaming relies on technology that tracks body movement or reaction. The genre has been credited with upending the stereotype of gaming as a sedentary activity, and promoting an active lifestyle...
which was released for the WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
in March 2009 - SSXSSX (series)SSX is a series of snowboarding and skiing videogames published by EA Sports BIG. It is an arcade-style racing game with larger-than-life courses, characters, and tricks...
SSX is also known as Snowboard Supercross and the first game of the series was released the 6th October 2000. All 4 games of the series were released to PS2 except from SSX Blur that was released only for the Wii.
- There are other series, including F1 Championship (discontinued after Sony
Exclusivity deals
In 2002, EA purchased the license to NASCARNASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
for six years, ending competition from Papyrus
Papyrus Design Group
Papyrus Design Group, Inc. was a computer game developer founded in 1987 by David Kaemmer and CEO Omar Khudari. Based in Watertown, MA, it is best known for its series of realistic sim racing games based on the NASCAR and IndyCar leagues, as well as the unique Grand Prix Legends. Papyrus was...
and Infogrames
Infogrames
Infogrames Entertainment SA was an international French holding company headquartered in Paris, France. It was the owner of Atari, Inc., headquartered in New York City, U.S. and Atari Europe. It was founded in 1983 by Bruno Bonnell and Christophe Sapet using the proceeds from an introductory...
.
On December 13, 2004, EA Sports signed an exclusive deal with the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) and its Players' Union for five years. On February 12, 2008, EA Sports announced the extension of its exclusive deal until the 2012 NFL season.
Less than a month after the NFL Exclusive deal, EA Sports signed a four-year exclusive deal with the Arena Football League (AFL).
On April 11, 2005, the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) and EA Sports signed a deal to grant EA Sports the sole rights to produce college football games for six years.
EA lost the rights for Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) games to 2K Sports
2K Sports
2K Sports is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. It comprises a single development studio, Visual Concepts, which was purchased from Sega in the year 2005. 2K Sports mainly develops and publishes American sports video games such as NBA 2K series...
in 2005, ending EA's MVP series; however, EA made NCAA Baseball games in 2006 and 2007 after losing the MLB license.
In January 2008, EA Sports decided not to renew their NCAA College Baseball license while they evaluate the status of their MVP game engine.
In 2005, EA Sports and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
signed a massive 15-year deal for ESPN to be integrated into EA Sports video games. EA's use of the ESPN license has steadily increased over the early life of the deal. EA's early usage of the ESPN license began with ESPN Radio and a sports ticker in titles like Madden NFL, NBA Live, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, and NCAA Baseball and Football. The ESPN integration now includes streaming podcasts, text articles (including content only available previously to ESPN Insider subscribers), and ESPN Motion video (including such programs as Pardon the Interruption
Pardon the Interruption
Pardon the Interruption is a sports television show that airs weekdays on various ESPN TV channels, TSN, ESPN America, XM, and Sirius satellite radio services, and as a downloadable podcast. It is hosted by Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, who discuss, and frequently argue over, the top stories...
).
Windows games
In June 2009, EA Sports announced that for 2010, the games Madden NFLMadden NFL
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...
, NCAA Football
NCAA Football series
NCAA Football is a football video game series in which you play as any current Division I FBS college team. This game is developed by EA Sports. Because of NCAA rules, current college players are not permitted to be used as the cover athletes...
, NASCAR
EA Sports NASCAR series
The EA Sports NASCAR series was a series of NASCAR video games published by EA Sports. The series began with NASCAR 98 and NASCAR 99 in 1997 and 1998. EA Sports released NASCAR Thunder 2002 in 2001, and ever since then, Jeff Gordon , Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ,and Tony Stewart were on the cover...
, NHL
NHL series
NHL is a series of professional ice hockey simulation video games developed by EA Canada and published yearly by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports brand...
, NBA Live
NBA Live series
The NBA Elite is series of basketball video games, published by EA Sports. There has not been any entry in the series on a home console since 2009. In November 2010, development of the franchise was moved from EA Canada studio to Florida-based Tiburon studio...
, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour
Tiger Woods PGA Tour
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR is a series of video games developed and published by Electronic Arts featuring professional golfer Tiger Woods, among other pros on the PGA Tour....
would not be shipped for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. The NCAA football series hadn't been released on the PC since 1998, The Tiger Woods series last PC game was the 2008 version, the NASCAR series hadn't had a PC version since NASCAR Sim Racing in 2005, and the Madden series last PC game was the 2008 edition as well. The NHL series last PC game was the 2009 edition. Likewise, NBA Live 08
NBA Live 08
NBA Live 08 is the 2007 installment of the NBA Live series by EA Sports. It was released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, PC , and PlayStation Portable. This is the first NBA video game to include all three next-generation consoles...
was the final PC version.
The head of EA Sports at that time, Peter Moore, cited piracy
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
and the fact the "PC as a platform for authentic, fully-licensed, simulation sports games has declined radically in the past three years as the next generation consoles [...] have attracted millions of consumers."
The company noted that the FIFA and FIFA Manager series would still be released for the PC platform.
PlayStation Home
On April 23, 2009, EA Sports released the long awaited "EA Sports Complex" space for the PlayStation 3PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
's online community-based service, PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home is a virtual 3D social gaming network developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network . It is available directly from the PlayStation 3 XrossMediaBar under PlayStation Network. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN...
in the European and North American versions. In the Complex, users can play a series of mini-games, including poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
, kart racing
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
, golf
Miniature golf
Miniature golf, or minigolf, is a miniature version of the sport of golf. While the international sports organization World Minigolf Sport Federation prefers to use the name "minigolf", the general public in different countries has also many other names for the game: miniature golf, mini-golf,...
, and it also features a Virtual EA Shop. There are also a number of advertisements for upcoming EA Sports games. Each mini-game that the Complex features has a reward or rewards. Heavy Water, a company dedicated to developing for Home, developed the EA Sports Complex for EA Sports.
Originally, the Complex just featured two rooms: the EA Sports Complex and the EA Sports Complex Upstairs. The EA Sports Complex featured racing and had a golfing range that was unavailable to play. The Upstairs had four poker tables that users could play at anytime. With the June 18, 2009 update, the Complex's name changed to the EA Sports Racing Complex and the Upstairs changed to the EA Sports Complex Green Poker Room. Other than the name change, the update took away the golfing range and added four more karts for users to play Racing at and it also added one red poker table to the poker room.
The July 2, 2009 update added golf and another poker room making four rooms for the Complex; the EA Sports Racing Complex, the EA Sports Golf Complex, the EA Sports Complex Green Poker Room, and the EA Sports Complex Red Poker Room. The Racing Complex features Racing with a total of eight karts; four on each side of the Complex. The Golf Complex features two Practice Ranges for golfing; one range on each side of the Complex. A Golf Pro-shop is coming soon for the Golf Complex. The Green Poker Room featured four green poker tables that users can play anytime. The Red Poker Room featured four red poker tables but requires users to have 2,000 points to play.
On July 16, 2009, EA Sports released another room for the Complex making five rooms for the Complex. This room is the game space for Fight Night Round 4 called "Club Fight Night" featuring a mini-game called Club DJ and coming soon, robot boxing.
On July 30, 2009, EA Sports added a Black Poker Table to the EA Sports Complex Red Poker Room for the higher level players. In time, there will be a room dedicated for this table just like the Green Poker Room and the Red Poker Room. They also added a fifth green table to the Green Poker Room. The update also included the addition of the EA Sports Pro Shop where users can purchase full boxing outfits and furniture from Fight Night Round 4. The Pro Shop is found in the Racing Complex. The August 16, 2009 update replaced the fifth green table in the Green Poker Room with a red table. They also reduced the amount of points for the Black Table from 20,000 to 10,000. The August 27, 2009 update separated the scoreboards for each level of play - Green, Red, and Black - and into Daily boards and Season boards (left side and right side), improved card readability, additional rail seating near the poker tables, player removal on lock-up while playing poker, and player buy-in refund on removal (does not refund on Home disconnect) while playing poker.
On October 9, 2009, EA Sports released the EA Sports Complex to the Japanese version of Home. They also released NFL jerseys for every team in the league for purchase inside of the EA Sports Complex and in Home's shopping complex. EA Sports have also teamed up with the Home team to produce and distribute exclusive virtual items that serve to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure...
. 100% of proceeds for these items will go to the Brees Dream Foundation in support of breast cancer research and awareness programs. The items are black jerseys with a pink number 9 on the front and the name Brees on the back also in pink. These jereys will be available from October 15, 2009 to November 25, 2009. On November 5, 2009, for those who purchased the Brees Breast Cancer jersey, they received a free DJ kit that is featured in the Club Fight Night space by entering one of the two EA Sports Complex poker rooms between November 5, 2009 and November 25, 2009. On November 25, 2009, Fight Night Round 4 producers Mike Mahar and Brian Hayes were in Home between the hours of 4:00pm and 5:00pm PT (7:00pm and 8:00pm EST), for a live chat with the PlayStation Home community in one instance of the Club Fight Night space. On January 7, 2010, EA Sports released NCAA college football jerseys in the EA Sports Complex and in Home's shopping complex.
EA Sports Season Ticket
On August 2, 2011, EA Sports launched the EA Sports Season Ticket subscription service, Akin to Call of Duty Elite, the service includes benefits for subscribers, including weekend early access to upcoming EA Sports titles 3 days before their initial release.Games
2012
- FIFA 13
- FIFA Manager 13
- FIFA StreetFIFA Street (2012 video game)FIFA Street is a forthcoming game in EA Sports' FIFA Street franchise based on the sport of street football. It will be the first such game in almost four years, and a reboot for the series...
- Madden NFL 13
- NBA Elite 13
- MLB Baseball 12
- NCAA Football 13
- NFL BlitzNFL Blitz (2012 video game)NFL Blitz is a downloadable video game by EA Sports featuring the teams of the National Football League. It will be a reboot of the NFL Blitz series. It will be released on January 10, 2012 on both PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade for $15 USD ....
- NHL 13
- SSXSSX (2012 video game)SSX is an upcoming snowboarding video game in the SSX series of video games from Electronic Arts. First revealed at the Spike Video Game Awards in 2010 under the working title SSX: Deadly Descents, the game's trailer appears to show a much darker direction to the series than previous entries, and...
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13
- UEFA Euro 2012
- Grand Slam Tennis 2Grand Slam Tennis 2Grand Slam Tennis 2 is an upcoming tennis video game, developed by EA Canada, and will be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and are slated for release in 2012. It is a sequel to Grand Slam Tennis...
- NCAA Basketball 2012