Could EA Sports Become a Sports Video Game Monopoly?

Electronic Arts is one of the biggest video game publishers and developers in the world.  Their most popular sports game is the Madden NFL series.  But that doesn't mean that the game is amazing.

As a matter of fact, it used to be that Madden wasn't even the best NFL game on the market—ESPN NFL 2K5 was.  2K5 is the San Diego Chargers of the last generation of NFL video games—they came onto the scene fast and hard. 

Because of 2K5's success, EA panicked and got an exclusive license from the NFL that allowed them—and only them—to make official NFL video games featuring NFL players, teams, and stadiums in their games.  The agreement lasts until 2009.  But who is to say that they won't renew the agreement through 2029 if they want to?

Since then every game—from Madden 06 to Madden 08—has been unimpressive, at least from the players' point-of-view.  While I didn't play '06, I did play '07 and '08 a lot, and they were both good, but they didn't give much reason to play after you won the Super Bowl with your favorite team. 

Could the lackluster games be a result of the developer knowing that, since there's no competition, they don't need to put their best (or even their second-best) foot forward to make an awesome game—and yet still sell millions of copies because the football fanatics out there just can't live without an NFL game?  Maybe.  But hopefully the reviews will be right, and Madden 09 will be the amazing game that series fans have been waiting for years to play—I, in particular, hope so, considering I already have a full pre-order down on the PlayStation 3 version at Gamestop.

But if this year's game, despite all the commending reviews, tanks?  What if the developers really are not doing their best to make a great game?  Could other areas of sports gaming be affected?

As I mentioned earlier, when another NFL game came into the market and found success, EA went ballistic and got that NFL exclusive license.  Who says that the company won't go out and get licenses on NBA, NHL, and MLB games?  They could definitely do it if they wanted to—they have the money necessary to pull off such a huge movement in sports gaming—as I said earlier, they're one of the largest video game publishers and developers in the world.

They could, theoretically, get a license for NHL, NBA, and MLB games.  Then they could sit on their rear ends after making a poor game and just watch the cash come flooding in from hardcore fans who just can't do without a game based on their favorite league. 

EA Sports is already a partial video game monopoly.  And they could, theoretically, become a full-blown sports gaming monopoly.  What happens to the sports gaming industry if that happens?

Gamers would be the only ones to suffer.  They would be the ones either stuck with paying $60 for a crappy game or just going without.  I don't know about you, but I don't want that to happen.