20 Years Ago, The NFL Ruined Football Gaming...

[@infinitytone2503]

I hope El Psycho Diablo watch this😭

[@MarstonManhunter]

PLEASE NEVER STOP making these videos. ESPN NFL 2K5 is the most important sports game of my lifetime, and these videos keep the good name of this game alive.

[@2KMichael]

Madden is free this weekend and i still feel like i got ripped off.

[@omarilambert4282]

Bro Ong i downloaded that shit played like 3 games h2h and uninstalled that shit same damn game

[@Thatgamingdiary]

wait fr?

[@Swxftylol]

free is free bruh

[@Thatgamingdiary]

@ how can I get it for free

[@shawklan27]

I forgot, and yet I missed nothing.

[@thepolarphantasm2319]

Special shout-out to a legend whose name got caught up in all this long ago, hall of Fame coach of the Oakland Raiders John Madden

[@jho_34]

EA and this game series at this point is just a straight up spit in the face of the legendary John Madden's name and memory.

[@Underhownd]

You have a stronger will than I do. I honestly don't think I'll ever see a competitive NFL (or at this rate, ANY sports league) title again to challenge the industry norm. The innocence of our video game childhood is gone forever and in its place are soulless corporations more concerned with profit margins than gameplay innovation.

[@michaelahurt]

Saying they don't innovate is just ... Look there are lots of things to complain about without making stuff up. Gameplay innovation is not lacking whatsoever. NCAA and Madden just completely redefined how pass blocking and setting up protections work. And EA has continued to refine the ball placement system for passing NBA 2K plays _completely_ different from four years ago including a brand new shooting mechanic and variable shot timing What _is_ lacking is depth and enjoyable offline modes. You can dislike the gameplay but saying they aren't innovating is factually inaccurate

[@STREAMSONLY-vt6gx]

​@michaelahurt they barely do ANY innovation dude. They just re hash old stuff and sell it to you as 'new' and rename it. How do you not see it?

[@johnfoster2584]

​@michaelahurt love the innovation like when one player moves through the body of another player like a ghost. That's so cool Lol

[@ST0NE_206]

BRING BACK NFL2K 🗣️🔥

[@ILikeHotDoggies]

Yes

[@SOFTDRINKTV]

BRING BACK COMPETITION!

[@WcHDICE]

I think 2K will ruined NFL like they did to 2K NBA *cough *cough loot boxes & microtransactions

[@quentinwilliams5942]

We gotta be careful what we ask for​@@WcHDICE

[@eliasmathew797]

#berngbacknfl2k

[@Clown_Shingles]

You speaking facts. EA should be banned from the exclusive rights to the NFL license

[@shawklan27]

Just like how Sony should sell the rights of Motorstorm to someone who gives a damn about it

[@DarkSideCaster]

The game still sells, and as long as both EA and the NFL sees that, it does not matter what anyone else says. Money talks.

[@BrendanPappas]

I’ve been saying the same thing for years and it still rings true: the only way to kill off the exclusive license is for people to stop buying Madden. Enough people need to band together and boycott buying it in order to tank sales. Hopefully that actually happens one day. Would love to one day get an impressively realistic NFL game with the technology advances we’ve gotten in recent years. Not incredibly hopeful though, ngl.

[@keiffermaynard3384]

The problem is that whales will spend hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousand alone. The people that won’t pay 60 bucks for a Madden game out of exhaustion with EA certainly weren’t buying nearly the same amount in micro-transactions, so it won’t make a significant difference in the long run. Sure, a massive spike in lost sales would look bad, but they can cook the books and point out they just didn’t lose as much money overall etc. We need to not just not buy, but leave a black mark on EA unless and until things change. If EA looks bad to a big number of gamers big whoop. If it’s so bad it becomes an embarrassment to the NFL? Well then there’s a chance.

[@BrendanPappas]

@ well, the bad critical reviews have certainly done nothing. So let’s hope there’s another way.

[@hgill227]

Finally convinced my friends not to get it after we actually enjoyed CFB 25 (probably not getting 26 if they make one unless there’s massive changes)

[@simiwade7773]

It feels like 30 years than 20 years NGL

[@someperson2287]

It feels like a different lifetime ago.

[@pinyinn]

It truly pains me that Madden is the only licensed nfl game, id love to have a game like espn nfl 2k5 with modern technology.

[@oklywright8886]

So sad that back as kids our imagination was wild “ dude imagine how amazing football video games will be 20 years from now!!” Well… we got our answer. Now I’m 30 years old & dont have the time to finish a full franchise in 3 days with my 4 best friends. We never got to experience a real, true to life nfl game.

[@BogLoud]

20 years from then and here we are, NFL gaming hitting Rock Bottom after Rock Bottom. Well, thank God emulators exist🙏

[@YoloJohnnyk]

Madden 03-08 On The PS2 Was Peak

[@DarkSideCaster]

Gaming in general from that timeframe was peak

[@xxwarpigspartan1138]

@@DarkSideCasteri always felt like once next gen came along in 2013 everything went downhill

[@BUPMY1]

Madden 2001-2004 for me. Madden 05(PS2) and 06(PS2)I didn't like. (Its 360 debut was terrible) I forgot how I truly felt about 07(PS2) and 08(PS2). Madden 09(PS2) I remember having some fun playing 6-8 players with family.

[@ngelwings]

madden on PS2 was way better than next gen

[@SDChargers93]

I don’t donate much but man the level of and consistency of your videos are top notch I still remember the super early days of Azure and SimFBCritic and the early early days of the 1st podcast with smitty and Gideon (I might be off with names but it was so damn long ago. Only one left from that “era” is Ryan Moody. But your keeping that torch alive when people were critical of EA when they made the jump to 360 , you have dissected and analyzed Madden to a T and what a top notch interview with Tripp Hawkins as well. Keep it up man. I’ve always wanted to do videos like you have same with Moody and Azure and SimFBallCritic. For a young dude you’re keeping the hope alive Madden will change one day. As how garbage gaming has become call of duty is in the SAME EXACT BOAT as Madden right now. How the community managers piss away the hardcore fans. As a suggestion go check out BlameTruth he makes videos just like yours and hasn’t given up in the fight to bring back the glory days. Keep it up bubba

[@smoove7932]

Thank you for continuing the fight! Unfortunately I feel EA and the NFL will strike another deal. I do wish Madden had not sold his image and likeness and kept EA accountable. John Madden football should be a true SIM and honor his legacy. Today's game doesn't even come close to what John Madden represents. Keep Fighting for John!

[@crazybroncofan1990]

"continuing the fight" lol what fight? EA isn't shivering because of this video bro.

[@MauriciO_M_Salazar]

Even if they brought back 2K, just look at what they’ve done with MyNBA in 2K25. Companies don’t care, and for now, they won’t care about offline gameplay simply because sports videogames is no longer for those of us who play franchise mode or offline.

[@michaelahurt]

Exactly I really wish they would either outsource it -- cut staff and let another studio build MyNBA for them -- or split the game. Make MyNBA, MyPlayer and MyTeam their own games At this point I think the entry cost to develop comparable gameplay is so prohibitive it's impossible for anyone to compete. Even EA couldn't build a functional game last time they tried

[@EthanKosobud]

Roger Goodell has ruined sports video gaming for many gamers.

[@MatthewHollie1987]

Blame Paul Tagliabue for giving EA Sports free license to lock up the exclusive rights to publish NFL video games. While we want competition, the NFL will continue to say, “Screw your pleas for competition, you will pay EA a boatload of money!” Oh boy.

[@RowdyJr]

Paul was too conservative to keep the saints in new orleans after the hurricane katrina devastation but the fact that he was too liberal to let EA keep the exclusive rights to NFL games is absurd 🙄

[@EthanKosobud]

That really created Goodell.

[@TrevisM12]

I agree with Adam smith who was an Enlightenment thinker I learned about and said “competition and innovation are important for a prosperous society” in 1723. He basically said that no competition = no innovation or desire to grow and become better which is what’s happening with Madden and he said this 300 years ago!!

[@traycannon5793]

Pls never stop making these man , the newer generation needs to know what EA did to sports gaming

[@JGMGamer07]

And then we got the worst Madden ever, Madden 06 on Xbox 360, that game didn't even have create a player and practice WTF???

[@HumanOptimization]

it was still mad fun tho and showed the greatest leap of graphical improvement we have ever seen.

[@EagleZtoTheGrave]

06 and 07 on PS2 were better, unreal.

[@ngelwings]

@@HumanOptimizationit still shouldn’t of came unfinished

[@luxerhusku2609]

That's it! I'm gonna make a video compilation of SoftDrink mentioning EA signing an exclusive rights deal with the NFL to be the only company making simulation football video games. I lost count how many times he's said it, so I'm gonna have to watch rewatch all of his videos again! Time for a marathon! :D

[@SOFTDRINKTV]

Please do that lol

[@luxerhusku2609]

@@SOFTDRINKTV It's a way to celebrate 20 years of the NFL making the worst decision ever; as well as getting the word out!

[@dogmanandborisproductions]

Im subscribing to you just to see that lol

[@iiTsFaded_]

has it really been 20 years since EA took my favorite sport hostage :(

[@TMK561]

2K should’ve brought back college hoops, and just have it linked to NBA 2K like how NCAA football has been linked to Madden as far as draft class imports, etc.

[@WhoSays12]

It's over, man. Let it go. Things are never coming back like it was without congress getting involved, and that isn't happening.

[@icemanx5085]

😂😂😂 With the new administration coming in!!! They definitely rolling with EA they all for a good monopoly 😅

[@taym510Oak]

Facts

[@wwe1222]

The moment/day when EA and the NFL decided that competition is a sin.

[@user-jv6pl1pc7t]

At this point madden has 3 kinds of players left really young players that don’t know about the classics, old football fans who aren’t really gamers so don’t know other great nfl games existed or players that are getting paid to play and stream madden to anyone crazy enough to want to watch

[@thescepterofjudah12]

As bad as Madden and NBA 2K are as gaming franchises, ironically ratings for BOTH the NFL and the NBA have declined due to poor play, poor officiating, and suspect play in the 4th. I guess the these video games are a representation of the leagues they call themselves simulating. 🧐

[@TheSteveKinney]

1000 My favorite part of the whole ratings thing is how they are too stupid or ignorant to understand why their ratings are going down. It’s a facepalm moment.

[@RobsRetroGaming]

GREAT analysis! I just did a video playing 2K5 a few days ago, and is the GREATEST football game ever created!!!

[@onyamate1847]

The day the music died.

[@anthonygill4795]

Ppl don't even know that on the Xbox version of this game you could have your burned cds any cd burned to your Xbox, and insert any part of any of your WON MUSIC INTO THE GAME!!!😊😊. You could have your music play at 1st downs, 4th downs, touchdowns, and interceptions. When and whatever you wanted. I loved seeing my 9ers score a touchdown, then Miss E Elliott song "Work it" would play. It was fabulous!!

[@AJAJ-tg6uw]

Locked in SDTV, we here my boy!

[@welcom2myworld12]

One day we'll be free from these handcuffs.

[@YaredYahu1212]

NFL 2K5 will always be the GOAT of football games. The best Madden was 08-09. Things will never be the same.

[@quentincampbell612]

Always thought it was very telling when Josh Allen, who was the Madden cover athlete last year,said he enjoyed the NFL 2k series growing up more than the Madden series.

[@aceassn716]

He took the bag to pay off his baby mama then got with Hailee hahaha Thats why Stephon Diggs was showing out when they got blown out by Bengals at home in snow

[@SaviorGabriel]

It's a shame the NFL thought that 2K lowering the price of their game devalued their brand. NFL2K5 helped me to learn about the game of football as someone who never had an interest in the sport at the time. The $20 price point is what got me in. Figured it'd be a fun little game to mess around with. NFL2K5 did just that. I really enjoyed the time I spent with it, though I didn't scratch the surface of everything you could do. I even watched a little NFL football for a time, granted at the most casual level. I'll never forget the emotional moment my grandmother, and I shared when the Saints won the Super Bowl. No, NFL2K5 didn't devalue the NFL brand. It got a non-sports guy to give just enough of a fuck to care about the sport of football, if only a little.

[@anthonygill4795]

I will never forget. How we used to always go to the stores whenever the new madden would drop just to only look at the covers because I count afford then whenever they would first come out... I will always love 2k for the fact the day I went to walmart to just admire the cover of madden.. next to it I see this football game with T.O on the cover and om like it's probably too expensive.. I looked at the price 20$!! I quickly grabbed the key holder in electronics questioned him over and over hey! "Is this a full real football game and not some demo or scam"? We examined it, and he said yes, it was the full price for the title. I was asking the maitence man any employee I could get. Bought the game pretty much floated home.. Put the game in my xbox it was one of the best experiences in my life . I was in college, and it was awesome..

[@docchicken1342]

I was super pissed then as a HS junior and I'm even more pissed now. It's infuriating to me that people are too stupid to not just band together and not buy Madden forcing this to fail.

[@WhoSays12]

Can't get mad at kids. It is a kid's game

[@Bolts17]

I don't buy the games, but even if everyone stopped buying them, the ultimate team whales would probably still make EA enough money to be incentivized to still make them and "look" successful :/ I'm still hoping for the NFL to open their eyes and get rid of the exclusive license

[@BigBoiUltra3741]

@@WhoSays12 Yeah, EA is led by children who don't know what makes a good game, let alone a simulation NFL game.

[@vikctorrkreedd6418]

These fools didn't know Madden turned into the evil empire after being bested? They hated so hard on the 2K.

[@michaelahurt]

That's overstating it. Madden 04 and 05 was the peak of the series. 2k was selling their game half off. That's a move of desperation not dominance. Very likely people would have gradually shifted over throughout the 2000s like they did with NBA 2k and Madden would have died in the 2010s like NBA Live

[@Michael-sb8jf]

​@@michaelahurt I don't know what would happen if 2k didn't do half off thing. But the NFL saw that as a black eye to their reputation and probably what got the ball moving to protect their image thus giving EA the sole rights

[@RowdyJr]

Fr madden fan boys are the most cringe ppl I have ever encountered. And what's even worse is that most of them are gen alpha kids that will grow up as adults one day and talk about brain rot convos on how great madden 15 to 25 in their own pov and how it's their own 'childhood nostalgia' when really it's garbage because they don't know any better 🤣🙄🤦🏾‍♂️ Unbelievable..

[@michaelahurt]

@Michael-sb8jf Oh that is 1000% what happened My point is the idea 2k bested Madden is something that only works ex post facto. Very very few people in 2005 were of the opinion that 2k best Madden in any way shape or form. It was Madden's apex

[@EagleZtoTheGrave]

​@@michaelahurtMake note of the fact a EA team member at the time said, and I quote, 2K made us s**t our pants. Yes 05 was great, but EA knew 2K was ready to eat them alive 😂

[@mrsirbagel]

How is it not illegal? This is a 100% monopoly on NFL games. I don't understand why nobody have tried to do anything legally about this.

[@Ben-p3b]

Its not llegal because madden is fine, bro really expects no games to have a single glitch, hes nitpicking

[@TieUpOne]

@@Ben-p3bbaiting

[@Michael-sb8jf]

Because in a capitalist system the rights owner has the final say in how they want their product produced. Take for example the Harry potter franchise. No other movie production company can make a HP movie other than WB

[@annalee2249]

Not the same at all​@@Michael-sb8jf

[@FBGDon2Gunz]

The NFL is also a company,therefore what they do with their branding is 100% up to them

[@DirtbagLexi]

EA is the United Healthcare of the videogames industry.

[@MrJohansen]

Exclusivity deals of any kind are inherently anti-capitalist and its crazy that they haven't been banned in a country like America. Our entire country is built on a free market. Why is this allowed???

[@Michael-sb8jf]

But it's the NFL's right to control how they use their property. It sucks but they have rights too.

[@jaredmarkham7300]

Honestly, I wouldn't even trust 2K to make a good madden game now. Just look how they destroyed the NBA license.

[@shadowandroid1823]

2k doesn't have exclusive rights on NBA games. EA chose to stop to making nba live games on their own.

[@AceSportsNStuff]

TBH, the worst thing 2k could mess up with an NFL game is like trade/draft logic. If 2k made an NFL game it would DEFINITELY be a great game.

[@jaredmarkham7300]

@@shadowandroid1823 It may not be an exclusive license. But he is kind of lit their NBA series. Go to the website, I'm gonna all it on madden.

[@michaelahurt]

​@@AceSportsNStuff Have better gameplay than Madden? Probably. Be a great _game_ though probably not. The last legitimately good 2k was 17. That was 8 years ago.

[@43turkkkless]

​@michaelahurt you gotta realize that the nfl game eil be built from the ground up

[@TheFridge7285]

Just imagine if Ultimate Team never was an idea

[@DarkSideCaster]

At the end of the day, the microtransactions in Madden, or any modern game out there, is a choice of the consumer. Nobody is twisting the arm of consumers to spend real money on MUT cards.

[@TheFridge7285]

@DarkSideCaster but think of how many games leave cool stuff behind a pay wall ya know

[@michaelahurt]

​@@DarkSideCaster It's human nature It's the same reason athletes cheat irl. If you put people in a competitive environment and offer them an edge, some will take it. And then a few more and then a few more. Combine that gambling addictions ... It's nice to say it's the consumer's choice but that's complete horseshit. That's the same logic people like Harvey Weinstein or Purdue pharma used. "I didn't force anyone to do anything" Most people are controlled far more by their id than the rational & logical parts of the brain. We are irrational creatures. If a corporation wants to psychologically manipulate people -- well it's going to work on a lot of people.

[@AFLfan2004]

Your channel is the reason I have quit buying madden

[@MemphisKilljoy]

The NFL 2K games were so much better. Especially when playing defense

[@SanDzFit]

This game was great for its time, but after recently replaying it, I feel most of us have on rose tinted glasses. APF 2K8 is my go-to for sim ball. It’s bare bones but the on field action and ability to play with NFL legends is phenomenal.

[@random-nz7dy]

Well I mean obviously the game had its limitations for being a 2004 release. There are certainly elements of it that are pretty dated. But the fact that it's still semi holds up is what is said. It shouldn't hold up at all.

[@romeocornell69]

I can say 2k has faced some quality issues in the past few years, but ESPN football would have been A GREAT game for at least another decade if the NFL didn't make this deal!

[@EthanKosobud]

Madden NFL is rigged and scripted like the WWE and roller derby.

[@emersongalli]

The NFL was really stupid and greedy by making this decision, if you have so many companies competing in a fierce way to get the best experience of your premium brand, why monopolize it? You had EA, 2K, Quarterback Club, GameDay, Fever, and Blitz. Instead of killing all of these games, why not ask 2K to raise the price the year after and keep all these games alive to this day? I believe the NFL would profit much more than today, without UT. It killed competition, and the quality dropped immensely. That was my point of view of my essay in Administration College here in Brazil.

[@aceassn716]

Yes agreed! Selling the nfl license to more companies equals more money Yet ea convinced them otherwise sadly

[@WestCoastCheeseHead]

Damn man I feel old😭 but I’m only 27 I used to play NFL Fever and NFL 2k5 so much as a little kid those games were so much more fun than any madden

[@mjdf122]

I’ve seen all from 1980-Now I have every console and tons of games I happen to enjoy sports games many memories throughout the decades

[@zw7425]

We are in the dark ages of sports videos games right .. every sports game sucks

[@realFalconfire]

So…EA had the rights to the NFL was given before I was born. Goddamn it NFL. DO NOT RENEW IT!!!

[@eliasmathew797]

Same 😢. Never got to experience peak NFL games

[@icemanx5085]

If they opened it back up I doubt 2k try to even enter the market.

[@Mr.MikeBarksdale]

Maybe we should be petitioning the player's union, not the shield itself. Players may be more receptive to getting authentic gameplay, to say nothing of the fact they will be anti-monopolists by nature.

[@swissmrkc]

Always enjoy your vids. One thing I would like to point out that is incorrect, you mention in the first minute.... is that the NFL was upset about bringing down the price that was not the case...... EA went to the NFL indirectly brought this up as a reason why the exclusive license would be necessary..... the NFL didn't care and then ask EA for the for a solution because they were upset. The impetus was EA thought of an idea hated that they were getting outsold cried to the NFL and use that line of trying to undercut the price which also made Sega Sports know they were going to lose money to pay off for the following year cuz they knew their product was so good... Paul taglia Vu then cited this as a reason but this reason was brought up by EA. When Paul taglia Blue retired I was really hoping that was a time that the new NFL commissioner would overturn this but unfortunately that's not the case. I bought this thing day one,remember those forum posts, I was part of the Gillette 20,000 online tournament and I placed 8th. Would never have dreamed it was all over in 2004, for years thought the 2k series would return. I haven't played an NFL game since.

[@Bahns007]

The last Madden I bought was '09 for the PS2. After that, I moved to NCAA 10 and then NCAA 13 and largely stuck with NCAA 13 until a few years after the announcement of NCAA being discontinued before ultimately moving on to other games in different genres. About 5 years back, I looked into getting Madden since I haven't bought it since 09 and discovered SDTV and he opened my eyes to how trash Madden has become and still to this day I haven't bought Madden

[@Bolts17]

It's crazy how the PS2 and a few of the PS3 era maddens are still so far ahead of current Madden... I still play Madden 10 on the 360 and 08 on the PS2

[@bobsbuurgers3714]

EA managed to ruin Apex Legends after a while also... but ruining football games for the last 20 years is unforgivable and I think it has a lot to do with declining NFL viewership as well... Watching football and playing football at home went hand in hand for me as a kid... either outside w/ friends or thru video games... even paper football with the little folded up triangle. Lol Now I feel gambling and fantasy are more important to the league than anything... and look at MUT. 👀

[@blakebaker7]

Happy exclusive license day

[@Shizzmoney74]

0:52 there maybe proof to the NFL hating it, but I think the profit-seeking NFL saw this as an opportunity to use the war b/t 2K and EA to create the exclusive license to generate bidding at the time (obv giving EA the advantage because it's big corporate). FIFA was the first sports org to do this. The NFL hasn't let the license go to market since, and I think another reason why the NFL likes this is so they can have some creative control in the game with a long term partner in EA. Either way, the excl license should be illegal. It's anti-consumer.

[@Smoker5739]

To be fair if 2K still had the NFL license it would be terrible as well. VC needed for everything and career becomes a grindy mess to get decent stats. 2K ruined NBA games.

[@oklywright8886]

I’ll be here liking every single one of your madden videos until the end of time, man. Never give up. Maybe someday it will pay off & we’ll have YOU & this community to thank.

[@ThatRandomReviewer]

Played NFL 2K5 today. What a title. Such a crazy in depth game. The first person mode is crazy too

[@pureo_nikku]

Unfortunately it makes them money so they don’t care abt image😅and not enough people know deep in the weeds how bad of a product it is.. which the documentary only helps protect. But I’ll always appreciate creators like you who remember better times and fight for them

[@videogamemadness1582]

Someone just put sports games to rest. If they can't be done right then it shouldn't be done at all. 2k would screw it up and ea has for 20 years.

[@MatthewHollie1987]

No.

[@Bolts17]

it's not about having 2k make it, its letting anyone else have a shot at it and keeping EA on their toes because of they don't make one that can compete they'll lose money and have to make a better game, even if NBA 2k has its problems, you can't deny its franchise mode is MILES ahead of Madden's..

[@MathewGX]

I am unspeakably bitter about EA's exclusive NFL video game license, for even more reasons than outlined here.

[@Nunya7211]

Bro the amount of people who actually know all about the exclusive license EA has compared to a few years ago is insane!!!!!!!! The level of awareness has skyrocketed

[@jaredlee6602]

You can never give up talking about this… thank you, we are all sick of monopolies in gaming series

[@GridironMasters]

I think football gamers who want something other than the AAA slop have to really think about where they invest their money. My personal stance has become to not talk about 2K as a savior, as it's not the same Visual Concepts/2K from 99-07. EA, the NFL and the casual gamer all played a part in ruining the market. I think the future for sports gaming is in the indie and AA space. It's probably not going to be a huge market but at least the developers will listen to you and also do something different at the same time.

[@phenomenalelitebasketball2124]

EA monopolizing the NFL video game space is the worst thing to happen to NFL video games as someone who’s grown up with the EA franchise exclusively making the games the game gets worse every year and they except people to get the game because they crushed their competition

[@jab1289]

At 5:33, when El Psycho Diablo said something about five more years (of glorified roster updates), I wish that it would have been only five.

[@dhLord64]

2k made the better football game, EA buys the license. EA made the better baseball game, 2k buys the license....aaaaaaAAAAAAAAA. Fuck exclusive licenses!!

[@Dinozod_]

My strategy for getting back at EA is getting the game when it’s on sale, then using mods

[@wickster84_]

keep fighting the good fight man. we need competition to get good football games back

[@Michael-ut6zb]

Recently been playing Gran Turismo 4 on the PS2 and blown away how great and in depth this game is been having a blast just sad what the gaming industry has become.

[@lammm4454]

Doubt your reading this but I’ve watched you for years now and i appreciate the grind bc i have 80 hours on madden 25 ( souly because my friends wanna do online franchises) and cfb 25 is better in almost every category possible it’s actually crazy. Way more bugs in madden , stupid animations , dumb plays , catches that don’t make sense all in one drive. When at least in cfb it’s not as bad and it’s way more smooth and playable. Madden is a pathetic joke and I don’t think ea will ever lose the license souly because of the braindead ut players that think the game is good by using the same 4 plays and calling themselves good

[@dhosea101]

The beginning of the end of fun football video games. Madden 2006 for the Xbox 360 was the start of bad football games. Little did we know, it was about to get worse, MUCH worse!

[@SportsPlug-cp1eq]

The 20 dollar price tag was the big mistake wasn't it. In hindsight 10.00 lower would have probably kept NFL2K alive.

[@JohnnyTong215]

I got my copy for a buck from GameStop a long time ago!!! It’s still my favorite 🏈 game alongside Tecmo Super Bowl!!!

[@nostalgicgamer1363]

The only thing 2k5 lacked was coaching hires and position editing

[@HumanOptimization]

Wow! Great video. HOpefully the monopoly ends. I actually lvoed madden 06 on gthe 360. it was my introduction to online gaming. played the heck out of it. lol

[@zechthebadpersontartt8160]

5:16 bro was on the money 20 years ago lmao.

[@gregd806]

It's kind of funny, they gave the exclusivity to EA, but they could have made more money with different franchises… Making different games. Three or four games that you can market and license is better and probably more profitable in the end than one..

[@eliasmathew797]

5:26 holy heck, they freaking called it.

[@jakobbuckles4472]

I just wish we had competition again. i don't want EA to lose the NFL license completely, I just want 2K and other Devs to have a chance. I don't understand why The NFL won't open up the contract again, wouldn't that make them more money to have more games and brand exposure??

[@EthanKosobud]

It will never happen.

[@81casperflip]

Those NFL fever games, especially 04 were great!

[@LeanieSigel]

Sad truth is people think 2k would rescue them from Maddens terrible games but have you played NBA2k lately?

[@taym510Oak]

😂😂😂

[@GenericYoutubeCommenter241]

I haven't watched an NFL game in years because of how they ruined football gaming. When there's a good football game again, I'll maybe get back into watching NFL.

[@cope847]

Man, this is sad. Im still holding onto hope that we'll get other licensed NFL games. Maybe 2K could go for a lesser league like the UFL. I'd play a well made UFL game.

[@xxwarpigspartan1138]

Im just hoping for the day 2k grows a pair a makes another APF

[@christianflair1185]

And the whole world just fucking watched

[@NipseyEternal99]

I stopped supporting Madden a long time ago since the PS3 I have only bought 2 one on the PS3 Madden 07 and 17 and I haven't played any newer Madden... I still play 2k5 on my phone

[@spacefunk77]

We're those comments from Operation Sports? OS and 2K5. Really takes me back.

[@cmd31220]

We lost 30 thousand football video games in the blink of an eye....and the world just fucking watched

[@gamingwithmarvs]

Crazy that it been twenty years since this happened wow

[@Michael-ut6zb]

I've lost all faith in modern sports games. Since this being 2K we know right away if they were allowed to make a new NFL game it will be filled with VC/Loot box bullshit. Despite my fond memories, 2K will fuck it up like they have done with NBA 2K. They even went the same direction for WWE with another card collecting mode to line their pockets. For this reason, I'm still here playing on retro consoles playing games like NFL 2K5 and MVP baseball 05 with custom rosters. All sport games are trainwrecks right now and only getting much worse.

[@aceassn716]

MVP 05 is still the best baseball game made til this day!! Pitcher vision/hitters eye mechanics We havent seen ish close to that since! Along with A/AA/AAA teams taking our created player thru that to MLB Its been 14yrs now an counting since our last Fight Night boxing too!! Freaking pathetic

[@TheChrisPhoenix]

20 years ago, sports gaming competition died.

[@christhornton8219]

20 years. Man, that’s a generation. There’s an entire generation of gamers who have grown up playing nothing but Madden. Sad. I still remember when this deal came out. I kept waiting for this monopoly to be ruled illegal and balance restored. I’m still waiting.

[@East_Texas_Gaming]

I was in 11th grade when the contract was signed, and when NFL 2k5 released ....we were all pissed we never got a NFL 2k6 and so on.

[@EthanKosobud]

I wonder what nfl 2k6 would look like if the agreement didn't happen.

[@East_Texas_Gaming]

@EthanKosobud If the agreement never took place, Madden would probably be like NBA Live right now.... 2K5 was so ahead of it's time, if the franchise had continued they would have dominated eventually, just like NBA 2K did. 2k would have basketball AND football monopolized by now, and NFL 2K would probably have a career mode with VC and micro-transactions by now lol. Just like NBA 2K.

[@LunaticFringeReviews]

The worst era of football gaming has been going for two decades and will only end when the monopoly does. EA truly is the worst kind of company

[@Yeomannn]

The worst day in history.

[@Otto500206]

This issue is even bigger in association football.

[@Venom3254]

Sega cooked hard with NFL 2K

[@taym510Oak]

No they didn’t if they did the Dreamcast wouldn’t have failed so quickly now would it?

[@i9Bash]

On god they fucked it up

[@HighLifeProds17]

Might've doomed AAA sports gaming as a whole forever...