Madden is Hurting the NFL's Reputation...

Mike Straw article: insider-gaming...
If Madden NFL 25 does not justify why only EA can make simulation NFL games, then an exclusive license between them and the NFL must not be extended.

[@SOFTDRINKTV]

insider-gaming.com/ea-nfl-negotiating-license-extension-for-madden/

[@jasonpdsi]

Should we start a new hashtag? Also, you know how Marvin Harrison, Jr. hasn't signed his NFLPA deal and so he won't be in Madden 25 right out the gate? It won't happen because of the money they'd lose but wouldn't it be great if a few top ten athletes coming out of the draft refused to sign the deal in protest that they wouldn't want to give their NIL to such a POS game? I know. Pipe dream.

[@mfdontbeliveme]

@@SOFTDRINKTV the nfl greeds money over its fans 🤦‍♂️ #NFLchosefansoverprofit

[@InfamousMusicGroup]

@@jasonpdsi lmao if players started doing this we’d have competition for EA *snap* like that!

[@Borodin410]

More on the NHL franchise please!!!!

[@averyj.thedefinitivegill455]

I read the story already, Why NFL and EA already been friends for so long and keep extending contracts?

[@iiTsFaded_]

I wanna believe the license will run out but knowing the NFL and how much Madden brings in for EA, this license will probably never run out.

[@SOFTDRINKTV]

We have to try.

[@EastFortress]

@@SOFTDRINKTVyes we have to try. We need to tell the masses not to buy Madden NFL 25 maybe add another hashtag to become popular and spread on other social media platforms.

[@ShawnReed-ny1hd]

Madden and college are so bad this will definitely be the last year they have the license

[@jacobtaylor161]

@@ShawnReed-ny1hdI’m not trying to be that guy but only the fans care that it’s bad… the NFL or EA will never care how bad it is, as long as it continues to rake in money

[@kevionwhite8806]

I don't think we will ever get a good game too much money have been made to hurt their pockets

[@abelramirez7320]

It's funny how the league claimed that 2k was trying to discount their "premium brand" and then turned around and let EA take a shit on it for nearly 2 decades.

[@PJ.Rob06]

Nah fr tho😂😂😂😂

[@WarElephantTactical]

And that “ discounted “ game was the pinnacle of nfl video games

[@aaronlampkin284]

NFL are liars

[@mike9031]

Because dummies keep buying it. They go off money made. You can say it's just disgruntled people you can't please when your sales are high.

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@WarElephantTacticaldiscounted games like Madden 06?

[@Mattyman1987]

I want to go back to the days when we would have multiple choices in all sports games. These past 12 years have been absolutely horrific.

[@69gvfb]

It's been longer than 12 years bro.. sports games sucked since ps3 launch. They never got the transistion right from ps2 to ps3. And UT just killed it in the end

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@69gvfbUFC, NHL, FIFA/FC and even EA SPORTS F1 games all were killed because of EA's own greediness.

[@trezari1]

For sure

[@guapymg2815]

facts like 2k vs nba live back in the day

[@JOKICisdGOAT]

@@guapymg2815they tried to bring nba live back but it flopped so bad. 2k doesn’t own the rights to the NBA outright like EA and the NFL. Unfortunately nothing anyone has brought to the table could compete with 2k smh. It wouldn’t be hard if someone would essentially copy and paste 2k with less micro transactions or the ability to port players over for a limited number of years. 2k as a whole is great game and engine but there greed is what is hurting them.

[@Chancetstcab44]

The NFL does not and will not care about the consumer complaints, until they actually see financial declines. They are not remotely in tune with the consumers of a licensed product. Instead of having EA pitch their objective, quality or innovation for the product, the NFL will simply see the yearly earnings and extend the exclusivity license.

[@EthanKosobud]

EA Sports are destroying football video gaming for years to come.

[@VegasWorldINC3K]

Exactly. I want competition in sports videogames just like the next gamer but business is not about comsumer satisfaction when consumers vote YES with their wallets and engagement. Seeking awareness around this topic with the NFL won’t work. You need to target gamers who buy this game because it’s the only game they know. Sharing this video and other related content with consumers is the key. Consumer awareness, not corporate awareness. The NFL will pay attention when revenue takes a significant dip.

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@EthanKosobudsame also on Bushiroad that only focused on Bang Dream Girls Band Party games while ignoring all the others.

[@jesiahwaldner1609]

They care about there image

[@baileydowsett]

We need to not buy the game, CFB25 can fill the need for Football for at least this year

[@MikeLoveThyself]

Its crazy when i was a kid EA was so beloved and we looked forward to any new EA game nowadays its the complete opposite

[@I_Negan_I]

When we were kids, EA had competition making these games. Something we kids didn’t realize at the time.

[@pauldonathan4007]

Yep. I adored every year of Madden in the 2000s. Sure, I played GAMEDAY and Blitz and Fever too, but Madden was always my favorite. It’s gone to complete shit.

[@dmac5472]

Indeed, from the NBA vs series of games(ie Bulls v Blazers) through Live, the Madden series, ncaa bball and fb...EA games felt must have. I will say I did get on the 989 Gameday/Game Breaker wave for like 2-3 years. Also the Faceoff hockey series. I wanna say they had a college bball game I played as well(w Trajan Langdon on the cover) Long story short, EA was hot as it had other strong games in the market to push them. Now Live is dead and Madden gets critically destroyed every year(but financially successful). I hope the nfl license opens up and we get 2k back in the market. I also hope EA is pushed to revamp Live to compete w NBA 2k

[@aaronlampkin284]

@@I_Negan_INah we knew about the competition, just a lot of people wanted EA over 2k and vice versa for the basketball game and didn’t think it would be this bad.

[@martyfromnebraska1045]

Welcome to United States neoliberal capitalism. It's a monopoly system built on squeezing as much out of workers, consumers and the government in exchange for as little as possible. The longer an industry is around, the worse it gets. Companies get granted monopoly privileges like exclusive license deals, intellectual property claims, or just natural monopolies like social media companies. In the early phase, they have to offer a decent product at low prices. Then, once they establish themselves as a standout from the competition, they'll introduce some type of legal privilege that allows them to extract as many rents from their customers as possible while doing the absolute bare minimum. EA is somewhat unique in that usually this system has one pretend competitor and they just collude with each other to fuck you over.

[@hhtptai]

What pisses me off the most about Madden (which are a lot of things) is the fact that there are no all-time teams in the game. EA NHL has them, NBA 2K has them, and MLB: The Show has them. That's a crazy oversight.

[@Thomas-ze2eu]

Thank those MUT KNUCKLE HEADS for them removing great teams.......

[@GhostofaSkippedFuneralL]

They want you to play ultimate team to make super theme teams with all raiders legends or whatever. The entire goal of the game is to get you addicted to ultimate team and buying jpegs.

[@smashvidal4459]

Funnily enough, Madden has the face scans of most of the players that would be on those teams - but they're locked in Ultimate Team.

[@Thomas-ze2eu]

@@GhostofaSkippedFuneralL imma say it again can I PLEASE put MUT KNUCKLE HEADS,dey Mamas,wife,kids plus granny on a rocket to Mars.....can't stand MUT KNUCKLE HEADS

[@samiboi8521]

One thing that needs to be fixed is pre-season. It needs to be more focused on rookies and back-ups getting more touches/plays on the field like in real life. Stop effing around EA. 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼

[@Heinsenhankenberg]

I’m not one to pray but I really do pray the nfl does not give EA an extension or anything like that. Competition is obviously needed.

[@redhunnid5142]

I would’ve liked your comment if left the first part out but I see your point

[@jho_34]

​@@redhunnid5142 weird reply, but I hit the like for you lol

[@giannisakoumpo]

@@redhunnid5142ok… but yea that first part was not necessary but @Heisenhankenberg u should pray 4 urself and others too

[@Boomer-12347]

​@@giannisakoumpoWhy waste the time. Its been shown that prayer does nothing as a control group proved that the chance of a desireable outcome was not increased by praying aka it does nothing

[@martyfromnebraska1045]

​@@Boomer-12347 The research is a little more complicated than that.

[@NoSportMetanose]

Competition would be amazing again for the NFL license

[@SOFTDRINKTV]

A non-exclusive license would do wonders for the entire sports video game genre. This window that is approaching seems like our best shot.

[@thekerm15_]

@@SOFTDRINKTV you read my mind there

[@CantRead1]

Competition shouldn't be an excuse to make a good game. I'm seriously tired of this excuse.

[@wlb277]

@@CantRead1 No, but it's pretty much the only way EA will hopefully start actually trying again with Madden & not just continue making them lazy cash-grabs every year. They don't care to improve or make them good because they know the games still sell so they do the bare minimum & basically copy & paste the same game each year to save on dev costs while maximizing profits.

[@TaeGoCrzy]

@@CantRead1what other market doesn’t have competition tho ? Other than 2k of course but that comes with its own problems

[@RomnysGonzalez]

I don't understand NFL. Like why have only one company doing games for you? Just open up for anyone to make a game so you can earn ALL THE EA MADDEN MONEY AND THE MONEY OF ALL OTHERS COMPANIES DOING A GAME

[@Aliensexist69]

It’s because they get a guaranteed amount of money with a deal. Opposed to not having one and taking a risk. It’s a risk that’s hard to sell to owners that don’t care about the quality of the game or even understand it for that matter. Guaranteed income is gold to them.

[@TheOmnisProject]

I appreciate what you’re doing. EA is terrified but will never publicly admit it. Channels like this can shift public perception and actually change things. For years most people who don’t really know how EA operates just assume madden must be the good because it’s all there is, and EA’s marketing team is hard at work to keep it that way. Don’t let up, you’ve got some momentum building here. Hopefully you and other channels will grow and we can end this nonsense once and for all

[@brettpatterson404]

The NFL is doing a good job of its own. Terrible new rules, in bed with gambling companies, unwatchable football. The NFL and Madden deserve each other.

[@anthonyparenti1928]

Agreed. Every year the NFL gets worse

[@ShawnReed-ny1hd]

They needed Taylor swift just for views...that's a new low😂😂

[@EthanKosobud]

​@anthonyparenti1928 If EA Sports continues to extend the license, I will never buy or keep another NFL football video game again.

[@nadimls3672]

@@ShawnReed-ny1hdhell i bet this year KC wins again because of Pat, Travis, and Taylor.

[@EthanKosobud]

@@nadimls3672Because they want Pat Mahomes to be the next Brady.

[@GizmoNbella]

NFL street and blitz were tight. I played those just as much as Madden 05-08

[@leematthews]

Jesus, EA spends $300 million per year on the license. Imagine if that went into game development. There's been only two games that have had a game development budget of more than $300M - Cyberpunk 2077 and Spider-Man 2.

[@g2a5b0e]

It's really insane when you think about it like that.

[@Hayden11335]

@@g2a5b0egta 6 has a estimated budget of up to 2 billion. I know that has nothing to do with this comment but just have to mention how incredible that is

[@newt6639]

@@Hayden11335That is insane!

[@1D4ever]

It use to, back on PS2

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@Hayden11335GTA V has about $1.89B.

[@Faced1111]

In a world where everything revolves around money, the NFL has absolutely no idea how much money they are missing out on by not making a good football game. They have many reasons to break the exclusivity deal tbh.

[@_Xds_]

Fr it's beyond incompetent at this point

[@identify952]

Shoutout to Softdrink, Ryan Moody and Just DiVine for keeping it real. Madden 25 release info is so underwhelming yet we have content creators capping for EA for doing less than the bare minimum.

[@jacquesjones1018]

As a consumer if you learn to control your money and not purchase these games until they give the people what they want only then will they hear you....money is power!

[@swolebodygaming5225]

Exactly. They could care less about a bad rating if it doesn’t negatively affect their bottom line.

[@Zay-i1l]

Unfortunately I bought it with college football mvp edition

[@dariusdafigga]

THIS.. is what I don’t get, people will agree that the game is so bad from one side of their mouth then buy the game anyway and their excuse is because “it’s the only new football game” Who cares? If everyone stopped buying the game for even just one year, you don’t think this would cause some SERIOUS change with the NFL & EA?

[@InfamousMusicGroup]

We should just start pushing collectively now, let’s be honest we have all seen the Madden 25 gameplay trailers we know what it’s gonna be this year. If we start pushing the NFL full force now we can get a movement or build up going and our message will be more likely to be heard. Please SoftDrink use your influence and get together with some more madden creators and try to see if you can push them to hop on the wagon with us and get the #NFLDropEA hashtag going! We need ya man!

[@LunaticFringeReviews]

This is my ninth year on Madden strike. I haven't bought or played a new entry since Madden 16 -- and I returned that trash shortly after I bought it. Everything bad then is still bad now. I play soccer games as a decent substitute, but I miss the old days of heading to the store to buy *several* NFL football games, not being forced to just one. Yeah, not all of them were killer apps, but we had a *choice.* I hope the NFL finally wakes up and reinstates their open license with an emphasis on quality. It would mean the world to their consumers!

[@NoobCR98]

If it doesn't make them more money, it doesn't make sense for EA to do it. It's a business first. Fans shouldn't be surprised. This is common practice, basically everywhere.

[@Solo413]

My last one was Madden '08 for PS2. Still playing it today.

[@ShawnReed-ny1hd]

​@@Solo413funny thing is...that particular madden on that particular console is better than every madden from 13 Until now😂😂😂

[@Solo413]

@@ShawnReed-ny1hd Absolutely!!

[@geekymetalhead5112]

Last ea game I genuinely liked, was Dragon Age Inquisition.....ever since then, I stopped caring about EA. Last madden game I played and liked (with my brother) was 17. Like my god, EA can't stop being venomous and greedy.

[@denyrachmatramdhanynew2894]

When I watched every "EA Sports Madden NFL is NOT GOOD" video, People have learned that there have been a lot of complaints about the quality of video games over the years. Glitches, Fails, and other unexpected things certainly make the future of EA Sports Madden uncertain. In my opinion, from every year, EA Sports has never improved the performance and quality of existing games. Everything is the same and there are no significant changes. I don't know when bad things like this will continue to happen in the future.

[@purwantiallan5089]

Maybe it will stay continue until ALL EA SPORTS games from 2020s have been GONE FOREVER.

[@samiboi8521]

One thing that needs to be fixed is pre-season. It needs to be more focused on rookies and back-ups getting more touches/plays on the field like in real life. Stop effing around EA. 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼

[@thatmobi]

@@samiboi8521Bot

[@vct454]

What's messed up is they could just straight up re-release pretty much any Madden from about 03-09 with no changes except updated rosters and modern online support, and they'd be more polished with more features than any game they've released in the past decade.

[@andrewmoore7927]

The exclusivity deal will never end. MUT brings in a fortune yearly.

[@SamuelThadius12]

Now imagine if there is 2 games doing MUT lol cause we all know if 2K makes an NFL game, they’ll end up doing the same shit 😂

[@TheSteveKinney]

It’s insane to me that kids and grown adults waste their money on that garbage. They all have a brain the size of a pea.

[@bigblue207]

That’s the saddest thing about this channel, the new audience of Madden fans have only ever known MUT and the gaming culture of online multiplayer and battle passes and subscription-esque gambling shit like that. Other live services are doing god awful as a genre and I consider Madden at least obliquely live service with MUT. PS2 era Madden was way better but it was also part of a period in gaming where the disc that shipped was the game people got so they were way more polished and games were still niche enough that the developers catered to the audience. Now the marketing is done for them through let’s plays and shit. I think football literacy in general is way worse than it was in the PS2 era. The game keeps changing in the interest of player safety which is a good thing but changes the character. Running backs as a position and the run game in general is relatively non existent compared to pre-2000s. No one has to watch sportscenter or NFL network because you can KZbin highlights on your own time and don’t have to learn more analysis if you don’t care. Defenses are penalized for…playing defense. And Madden these days either reflects the worst part of the modern game or isn’t close to simulation at all because you just figure out the meta and spam that. It’s like a sports version of mortal kombat. I didn’t even know softdrink started #NFLdropEA, that was wild to hear. But I think it’s just a cultural problem. When he showed that screenshot saying there was enough of an active player base through MUT that the quota was considered exceeded, that was disheartening because of how many people clearly have issues with the game but there are enough who I’d guess don’t even actually care about or know football and just stick with it because it’s always trendy and cliche every year. You can’t really enact change with that. To everyone who came before we know what a great football game could look like but frankly it’s not what people want now. That’s a much harder problem to solve than getting the NFL to drop the agreement because to many people there isn’t a problem at all

[@p-ruthless9005]

@@SamuelThadius12and they’re gonna have even worse pack odds, have you seen how rare it is to pull a 100?

[@acdcking1234]

Why not make madden free to play and live service since they make money more on mut anyway I’ve lost interest in American football video games in recent years the only one I would see myself playing would be wildcard football but not madden

[@BrothamanASMR]

I'm grateful to have experienced the pre-2007 football video game era. Keep fighting the good fight

[@DirtbagLexi]

We should get #BoycottMadden trending, or something to that effect. We need this deal to fail so that we can finally get a good football game for the first time in 2 decades.

[@samiboi8521]

Facts

[@samiboi8521]

One thing that needs to be fixed is pre-season. It needs to be more focused on rookies and back-ups getting more touches/plays on the field like in real life. Stop effing around EA. 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼

[@thatmobi]

@@samiboi8521ok stop, you are actually just copy and pasting, its not important bruh

[@geekymetalhead5112]

No, #BoycottEA They've been getting away with being shitty and cheap for too long. It's time to make a change

[@EGuala21]

The year is 2016, I’m done with fall camp just moved into my off campus apartment. I got word earlier I’m 1 on the depth chart at the A(slot) position. My girl come over , cook a whole meal at the spot, I drive to Walmart for the madden night release. R.i.p to madden you stopped giving that feeling years ago.

[@claytong86]

Something that might also work is finding which division in the NFL is most dialed into these negotiations, post their phone numbers and email addresses, and just flood them with letters.

[@Colehansen1]

Lmao when you realize they delayed CFB 25 to this year just so they could bundle it with Madden 25 as a way to boost sales and extend their contract

[@seaniveroni5579]

Interesting...didn't think of that lol

[@Abdul48716]

Ea is so scummy

[@EastFortress]

Yeah That’s like almost cheating for EA. So we need to tell the Masses not to the buy the bundle with Madden 25 instead to buy just the base game.

[@NoobCR98]

Lol either way EA wins. They have yall by the balls with CF25. Most will still buy and play Maddens for years to come. Nobody will band together and boycott EA. It's just all talk.

[@UltraMetalHero]

We already know the 6th generation Madden games we're amazing. As for the next generation Madden games, these are the games I would prefer and those games are 09, 12, 13, 14, and finally 17. Therefore, Madden 17 was the last Madden game where Madden felt authentic.

[@GenericYoutubeCommenter241]

I'm not being sarcastic, but in all my years of watching youtube channels, yours has become my favorite for a few reasons. Your understanding of how great EA once was and the villain they've become and how you explain it, teaches people that need to be taught. Your message and influence is clear, ACCURATE, and most of all, I think could be a huge, perhaps one of the biggest driving forces to make football games great again. In addition to that, you have thick/tough enough skin to continue your message/influence despite the haters and EA defenders. In addition to all of that, you put me onto the greatness that is Madden 2008 on PLAYSTATION 2. Up until PS5, I'd always get the newest consoles the year they came out and I completely overlooked 2008 on PS2 and your video on it, made me buy it with 0 regrets. In addition to that, I also picked up a couple of PS3 Maddens per your recommendation but your caveat was right in that 11/12(ps3) are good, the last great one was 08. I ask of only one thing of you and your channel....change nothing.

[@johnfoster2584]

I'm still playing 2k5 and Madden 07.

[@ArtilleryAffictionado1648]

How?

[@Bad_Gazpacho]

​@@ArtilleryAffictionado1648Emulation. Or never getting rid of your consoles and games.

[@EthanKosobud]

@@Bad_GazpachoGamers aren't playing old football video games anymore.

[@Chris61136]

I never understood only having one company make your games. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have multiple streams of revenue, from multiple publishers?

[@CAGAT25]

It's because EA pays a godly amount for the license. They pay damn 300$ Million just for the exclusive license which doesn't include the sales. It would be more profitable than 4 50$ Million Exclusive deal like it was used to before I think.

[@artbunker]

Madden cracked after 2k5 came out. I remember that 20 dollar game scared them enough to do the deal.

[@Chris61136]

@@artbunker I remember. that was the first yr I didn’t buy Maddden.

[@artbunker]

@@Chris61136 Same . I was gifted 2005, but I was more an NCAA man back then anyway.

[@VGHSyntheticOrchestra]

Without the predatory microtransactions, NBA 2K really is a definitive sports experience. So many features you can enjoy without even touching MyPlayer or Ultimate Team. And they don’t even have any real competition. We need the NFL license to open back up.

[@Chris61136]

EA made $1 billion dollars off those micro transactions alone. They’re going no where.

[@robby469]

The saddest quote from all this was EA on losing the license saying "yeah it's possible to lose the license... but nobody would be able to compete with us this console generation or the next one due to how much time it takes to make these type of games, so we're not worried."

[@armadillolover99]

More importantly for me, EA is hurting *John Madden's* reputation/legacy. If I were someone with connections to the Madden family, I would be telling them they need to put pressure on EA and even publicly denounce what they have done.

[@Chris61136]

We need congress to classify these micro transactions (the madden packs) as gambling. Make their billion dollar a yr earnings the subject of immense scrutiny. Then they just may pivot back to the offline gamers.

[@funkyflights]

NFL preaches competition, but sure eliminated it when it comes to using there license… NFL has allowed this mess…

[@Redsoxbaseballclub]

The main issue is the structure of EA itself. You have the developers who actually make the games. Then above them the corporate suits who make all the final decisions. The suits have taken over EA and they are solely driven by profit and making shareholders happy. At the cost of actually making sure Madden and the other games EA makes are innovative and continue to improve every year. Without the exclusive license this whole business model doesn't work. EA hasn't had competition for over 20 years. This is why Madden has devolved into what it is today. The only way Madden is ever possibly good again is for the NFL to end Exclusivity and allow other developers to make sim NFL games. Otherwise, nothing will change.

[@jeffgz14]

Love the effort you put into the cause, SDTV. Your channel is the voice of the people and we all can’t wait for this sports game genre to finally bounce back.

[@noreaster1788]

When John Madden was approached about having his name used on a video game. He was told it would be a 7 on 7. He said absolutely not! If my name is going to be on a football game, it's going to be 11 on 11 with all of the rules of real football! Ea has been FOS from the start and has gotten worse since Mr. Maddens passed!

[@Nunya7211]

Perfect video. Perfect title too. You know exactly how to reach the corporate eyes. This speaks their language. Madden has spent almost two decades HARMING football and tarnishing the NFL as a brand

[@BrendanGeormer]

Imagine if the NFL's representatives show up to negotiations with EA and make them sit through this video lol

[@paperbackpat]

2k5, we all await your return.

[@addilewa]

But yet every year we gon buy it no matter what bc its the only option 🤦🏽‍♂️ i hate this "exclusivity rights" bs

[@SOFTDRINKTV]

If there was ever a year to hold off, it would be this year. CFB 25 should hold people over.

[@domooooooooooooooo]

there shouldnt be any exclusively stuff it can be way more football games and might be able to bring back old school football games

[@GizmoNbella]

No every year “you gon buy it” .. I’m definitely NOT going to. Get real nephew

[@JR-he6fn]

i used to have the same thought. but i really stopped buying it. i haven’t bought it since 2019. i’ll hop in if its on gamepass but then realize how bad the game is and uninstall it like 2 weeks after

[@JammerAma]

​@anonymoususer2331 Not buying Madden: ✅️ Calling strangers nephew in online comments: ❌️

[@rls1662]

In this economy, Madden sells, NFL games sell both on the screen and in person. I hate to rain on the parade, but I dont see the NFL backing out of EA.

[@ReaperGrimmi01]

As long as people keep buying it the NFL will let EA keep the license. They do not care about people whining and crying because they will buy it anyway. Money is all that matters.

[@kylemulkey9659]

Having less options in a world where we have almost infinite technology to make the perfect game is insane. I have argued with a younger generation (specifically lately since College football came out) that NFL2k5 is still the best football game ever made. It has the best physics, the best defensive AI, tons of features. People don't miss it anymore these days because they are too young to remember when they had it.

[@wncoulte]

Since 2005, I've petitioned, pleaded, protested, and persisted ... but I'm finally DONE. The only thing the NFL and Electronic Arts hear is the sound of money ... not the cries of us. Not even the massive noise we made on Twitter with #NFLDROPEA. The NFL is never going change, and 2K will never return, so this monopoly will continue. It's been almost twenty years for me now, so I wish you guys the best of luck from here.

[@38WorksGr8]

This is the real answer. Not a boycott. Not getting upset. Not new hashtags. Just apathy as people stop playing games they dont like. Life has other football outlets than Madden and there are many different video games to play instead. Once theyre irrelevant, then they will come around. And I personally hope everyone leaves thesd abusive sports games and never empowers them to do this again.

[@_Xds_]

​@38WorksGr8 true, people will stop playing this trash eventually

[@JeffKlein-j9l]

The NFL will never grow their fan base with EA's bad game. A good game would get new, younger fans interested in NFL.

[@EthanKosobud]

@@JeffKlein-j9lMore people are interested in the NBA.

[@mfdontbeliveme]

They’re doing the same with the fc series it hurts to see

[@STREAMSONLY-vt6gx]

Wait I thought ea got dropped from the fifa license

[@mfdontbeliveme]

@@STREAMSONLY-vt6gx they did only from the name and having fifa related competitions to the game they do have the rights for other leagues n teams.

[@STREAMSONLY-vt6gx]

@@mfdontbeliveme oh. Shame

[@ItSaBeastNerd]

@@mfdontbeliveme 2K is going to make an officially licensed FIFA game. I know, they aren’t the best company either, but we should have great single player modes and something that could be better than The Journey in FIFA17-19. UT is gonna be even worse though, as 2K got rid of the auction house in their recent NBA title.

[@IKI11I]

We’re gonna be 50 Years old with the ps8 out and madden will still have the license

[@jonahfalcon1970]

I'm trying to figure out what people see in College Football 25 aside from the college animations. I haven't been able to create my own team yet and the gameplay is asstastic.

[@bYcGaming]

Competition breeds innovation is my favorite quote & overall message of yours. I’ve played since the OG PS1 days and have played it more years than not until this day. I’m strictly an offline franchise guy, I play every game every season for decades from rebuilds to dynasties but lately ever since I started streaming its embarrassing the effort put into the game. I literally expect the bare minimum being a franchise player and for years I’ve been waiting for better cutscenes, better stat overlays, better presentation/commentary, NFL Films footage, NFL Films music, the Super Bowl & Conference title games feel just as meaningful as week 2 of the preseason visually. EA having this exclusive license has been like driving a slow speedboat. 25 is the most important Madden of all time. It seems as if they’re trying to carry the upgrades & momentum of CFB into release but if its turns out as what we’ve come to expect from EA, lets support other franchises getting a chance to make a sim-NFL product!

[@bl00dlikewayne]

Who ever EA has working on the NHL games needs to put them on the madden team or something, I bought NHL 24 the other day and my god its actually a genuinely fun game with lots of good features. first off the soundtrack is an absolute banger, a couple goofy songs but that's to be expected. I also love how I can still watch my team play while I'm sitting on the bench or in the penalty box, Madden really needs an option to watch your defense/offense play while you're on the sidelines in superstar mode, it would be so much more immersive to watch from the sidelines. Next, the way NHL handles the end of quarters is great, I love seeing a montage of the moments from that quarter and there's a good amount of stats/info you can read after every quarter as well. I wasn't a hockey fan before but EA sports NHL has really gotten me hooked on the sport.

[@luciaura666]

glad someone enjoys it. even NHL needs a lot of fixes. and i love hockey.

[@Helvigster]

NHL hasn't been good since 14. Was 24 your first one by any chance? 15 completely killed the series and its been terrible since

[@thatmobi]

@@HelvigsterYou guys are spoiled though as you got the best EA Sports games for years since like 2012 or something.

[@oklywright8886]

We need you bro! Keep pushing this content & rallying the boys to follow your lead. We HAVE to make our voices heard. Im 30 fkn years old. I’ve been dealing with trash nfl video games for almost 2 decades. I don’t even have much time to play video games anymore, but all I want is a good fkn football game!

[@w_4ca]

I dont think the NFL moves off of a Madden exclusive deal until sales actually take a hit. Here’s to a few more years of my Madden 12 and Madden 05 franchises

[@jordangamble3515]

I hate when the video ends never long enough… you be spitting straight facts one after thee other 💯💯

[@alexbuckenham1663]

Good point about more young people wanting to play NBA 2K despite the monetisation. FIFA haven't sold the licence to EA too, there could be more licensed Association Football games and then those 2 sports some to eat the NFL's lunch, taking away fans and meaning the NFL loses out on fans and therefore money. Just looking at money alone they're better off taking away the exclusive licence and forcing EA and others to make quality games.

[@carterragle5355]

If the nfl was smart they would realize they could make more money and would be better than if they had more games

[@Chancetstcab44]

I doubt things like this are really on their radar or seen as a threat or problem, but I wish government divisions like the FTC would or could look into exclusivity licenses like this. Just because its not a relatively massive economy altering product doesn't mean anti competitive business should be treated any less harshly.

[@courtlandwilliams2275]

Each sports video game should have at least 2 options

[@phonyponybologna1070]

The thing that worries me is the separate legal case involving NFL Sunday Ticket. The NFL has already shown there that it is willing to put consumers at the short end of the stick.

[@SubpoenaSports]

That got thrown out as of now it’s null and voided

[@RyTrapp0]

That case was kinda garbage unfortunately

[@RandomGaming-why]

My favorite Madden slanderer with another Banger upload!. But in all seriousness, you’ve saved me a lot of money waiting and stop buying madden all together. I am sincerely happy I found you. You are a great KZbinr and I hope you continue to pressure EA and I hope you continue to inform people about maddens decline

[@ryansadauskis]

The NFL doesn't care about the quality of the product. They only care how much money the product makes them.

[@HaloSparrow]

You’re one of the few sports games creators who actually follow through on their words. Other channels are like, “Yeah madden sucks and it’s going downhill. Now watch me upload 5 MUT videos a week hyping up new cards.”

[@GizmoNbella]

Who knows if we even all make it to 2027.

[@Aliensexist69]

Dark

[@HelpMeHelpMePlease]

Exactly

[@Davidjon1946]

Exactly!!! Ive been saying this every year . Each day is a blessing this world is scary hateful and unpredictable

[@thatmobi]

@@Davidjon1946he means with EA making the shittiest sports games since 1706 or some shit idk

[@Useralex1991]

Your funny 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@petermcquaid2489]

Madden makes money for the NFL and as long as they keep making money then it will stay exclusive. At this point I feel like we are just howling at the moon.

[@Bluntblowin2.0]

1:21 HOLY SHI! Hell yeah now we're talkin

[@CharmCityGamer]

This video is informative but I prefer having music alongside your voice, it adds a soothing effect. Thanks SoftDrink!

[@Slaughtermayne]

The engine created for 2K5 and the VIP system was so ahead of its time, it's a shame that we were all robbed of nearly 20 years of progress that could have been added on from that game. Not only did 2k5 do everything way better but if you look at madden games from 05 to 07, they plagiarized so many features from 2K5. Hit stick, highlight stick, precision passing etc, those were all in 2K5 and was executed much better. Modern gaming sucks.

[@UltiMaker2]

This is unrelated, but I've been emulating ESPN NBA Basketball (2K4) on PS2. It's actually good. It has 24/7 mode too, but in franchise mode you can actually control all 29 teams if you want to, just like NFL 2K5 (and the one before it) (the next NBA 2K that allows you to control the entire league is 2K10 on PS3 - the PS2 version only lets you control eight, 2K5 and 2K6 only let you control one). I think that would be a great video idea. Also, I have more ideas like: NCAA 11 on PS2 (the last on that console). I actually use PCSX2 because of people like you!

[@abbashamayun9138]

The thumbnail is wild

[@FUNKAF1ED]

I bought my first EA Sports title in 8 years with College Football 25. I'll stop short of saying I regret it because it has been a long time, but all of the ugliness of Madden's problems exist in the game. I could make a 30-minute video out of the stuff I witness just on stream.

[@Mikedaboss123]

I love how this guy destroys madden so effortlessly lol

[@moisesalmonte8271]

While the consumers continue buying this game the NFL Owners not matter because they only want the money 🤷‍♂🤷‍♂🤷‍♂

[@Tumbo8]

It doesn't matter if this game or the next game is good we need to come together and say we don't want EA to have the license because if they get an extension based on good reception from this or the next game what do you think they would do the following 6 years

[@PaulGaither]

How is this any different than the years upon years of how "This is only a 5 year deal" since 2005? Oh, 2026 is a "wild card year" as if Madden won't continue to make money hand over fist and result in another 5/6 year extension for 2027-2032? I have literally heard it all before for almost 20 years.

[@OtherBarry4908]

On top of that, EA is tarnishing the legacy of the deceased John Madden.

[@pp3k3jamail]

Dude they was doing that while he was alive and he was with it. He could've probably nipped this in the butt and stopped this whole EA license but he didn't.

[@armadillolover99]

@@pp3k3jamail I don't think anyone explained to him what the game had become and what other games were able to achieve with worse technology.

[@davidstring8301]

Players definitely have a loyalty to Madden. Madden 2005 outsold NFL 2K5 despite 2K5 being a better and cheaper game. Madden 2005 was a good game but had better marketing and name recognition.

[@xavierburris8241]

If the nfl let more company’s make money they would probably make more money in the long run and us franchise fans can have a game and everyone else can have their gambling sim

[@blairdecker3735]

I know I thought of this idk why the nfl doesn’t

[@pierresoorden5975]

Their NFL Vegas Sim

[@p-ruthless9005]

Maddens franchise mode is subjective compared to 2K, however 2Ks Pack odds are objectively worse

[@thatmobi]

Heres the thing, we DON'T want packs we DON'T want MUT, have you played Madden franchise as NBA 2K's is MILES better mostly because the MyEra, NFL video games haven't had that ever (I think), also you can create teams which we haven't had since Madden 12.

[@NoobCR98]

There comes a time when you can only say so much until you start repeating yourself over and over. EA will continue to disappoint, and we as consumers know this yet still buy in to what EA sells us.

[@pp3k3jamail]

Right this guy needs to just give it up. It been getting to the point where he's just literally making the same video over and over about ea and the license. Talking about what Madden used to have back in the 2000s. it's been gotten repetitive he just needs to move on.

[@NoobCR98]

@pp3k3jamail I'm glad he is making money from it, but he's a great creator, and we'll support him even if he moves on.

[@pp3k3jamail]

@@NoobCR98 when I say move on, I'm not talking about moving on from making KZbin videos. I'm talking about moving on from Madden because it's a lost cause.

[@pp3k3jamail]

@@NoobCR98 when I say move on, I'm not talking about moving on from making KZbin videos. I'm talking about moving on from Madden because it's a lost cause.

[@NoobCR98]

@@pp3k3jamail Yea ik. That's what I'm saying too.

[@justinwise6781]

The other thing to take into consideration is how many more people actually play video games now compared to 15-20 years ago. Its exploded.... think of how much money the NFL is missing out on by going with this exclusive stale product. But honestly, as soon as the exclusive licence went away EA would turn it up, utilize their assets and start making the best game again. They would have to re-earn their deal again. Lol

[@260josh]

Bae, Softdrink just posted

[@YoooAwp]

Why did madden 19 have a 80 critic score💔💔💔💔😭

[@FidoArtz]

I think what is often avoided is the NFL cares more about a product that reflects their "clean" brand and vanilla status rather than having a functioning game. they even have the power to remove things in their game like concussion, dynamic crowds, hard hits and helmets getting knocked off a player, an injured player getting carted away off the field. small details that add life to a game. things the nfl will not allow but something that college football and even indie football games (like maximum) will do better and will innovate as long as they are around to create their games. So, if the NFL has too much of a say in their games, even if 2k had the license now. The NFL is going to meddle and ruin everything. unless, they drop that no fun mentality, The nfl gaming space is not going to improve. Also, what has come out besides madden recently? Mobile games. NFL 2K Playmakers and NFL Primetime Fantasy by Ubisoft, which nowadays is another company that would be the last company that sports gamers would not want to get a sports license of any kind to make a nfl game.

[@Nomad-iz7gj]

You know, I never thought about this. Very great comment. If that is what is happening with Madden, then I definitely wouldn't want 2K making an NFL game because 2K wouldn't be able to fully flex what they are capable of. Instead, I think 2K should just make a generic American football game with that pro play tech being used in NBA 2K, maybe call it 2K Football and make it fully customizable with a franchise mode like the one in the NBA 2K series.

[@43turkkkless]

​@Nomad-iz7gj yup I been saying this make a college football game that carries over to 2k football Boom gold

[@Tommy_Wimmer]

2023's Wild Card Football is a console game with the NFL player licenses... but not the teams themselves.

[@FidoArtz]

@@Tommy_Wimmer i leave that one out because it has no involvement with the NFL. player associations of any sport are whole other democracy, not mention depending on how they operate more or less hands off when its compared to the leagues they apart of.

[@thetrashycan]

If 2k wants the license they need to prove themselves outside of the NFL by doing an NCAA game or something, otherwise they probably won't even get the chance

[@JR-he6fn]

does the nfl not see that they could make more money if there were more games, they’ll still get their madden revenue plus everything else

[@Target749]

Biggest disgrace that madden has done is not having all time teams or era based challenges (that use to be in older maddens) it isn’t even a licensing issue due to them having all time players in ultimate team.

[@abdulhafizomar4543]

Soft drink is a man of the people

[@BILBOBAGGINGSDIDNTDIE]

Madden 05 is forever my favorite Madden game ❤

[@GeddensGC]

Says College Ball 25 is not a reskin...... COMPLETELY REDEEMS himself. Good Work.

[@Gen_X_Jay]

I wanna agree with you but I think Softdrink owes us a CB25 redo 😂

[@GeddensGC]

@Gen_X_Jay yeah like a 3 week honeymoon phase is over type of video

[@Gen_X_Jay]

@@GeddensGC hahahaha 💯

[@nadimls3672]

@@Gen_X_Jayi think he’ll make it depends on his satisfaction within the game. At least Joe already gave his own verdict which is 5.

[@ndagijimanasamwell2980]

LOVED THIS VIDEO FROM 0:00, GREAT WORK !! BOYCOTT THIS HORRIBLE COMPANY

[@GreenDayIsFire]

I would love to see a 2k college football game

[@sawyertuide7636]

As bad as the NFL is, there is hope. FIFA and UEFA dropped the exclusive license for EA back in 2022 after 5 years of decline, and they are far more greedy than Goodell can ever dream to be. In addition, the Ginger Hammer’s contract runs out at the same time as EA, and he’ll be 67 by the time it ends.

[@FM4AMGV]

A company ought to just make an NFL game, and make the NFL sue them. The NFL is so heavily subsidized in terms of stadiums and tax breaks, how does the league have any grounds to be able to license to an exclusive company. Or the other option, create the studio out of a non extraditing country and give the NFL the middle finger and ignore them.

[@pipingpepsi6665]

Not to mention, a company in the Russian Federation made a device that allows Nintendo Switch games to be dumped to ROM, and since the Russian Federation has legalized piracy due to the war, Nintendo can't do anything about it. Likewise, a game company based in Russia that uses the NFL's license would be well within their rights to do so, as the NFL's basis to pursue litigation simply doesn't exist.

[@FM4AMGV]

@@pipingpepsi6665 There's some talented people over there, that make games that are challenging but rewarding. The Spin Tires series and Escape from Tarkov for example.

[@timhall5382]

HA! You only need to have a hundred million dollars to completely waste.

[@deucalion5168]

​​@@timhall5382 Yeah, no one here seems to understand how expensive is it to make a sport games nowadays. While I agree with the videos, I feel like it'd have benefitted from mentioning the cost going into sport games, from licensing music, body-scanning the athletes, observing and analysing the games to construct players' stats. Not to mention the graphics. Back in the PS2 era games could be make cheap at standard definition, but people have been too used to the 1440p/4K era. Frankly speaking, beside Take Two, I don't see any big-name developer willing to take the risk of making an NFL game.

[@timhall5382]

@@deucalion5168 thanks for the reply man. You are right on the money. The time and $ it would take to make a new game is insane. At least 2 years for an engine and development. Best thing the NFL could do is make their own games. Hire developers to make it and they would be set.

[@TonyBelcher-if1pc]

EA can't even get the BASICS of football correct. From the Pass Interference glitch, to lineman not blocking, to corners not covering , animations that block logic from occurring like 2 feet in and possession equals catch. The Intentional Grounding being called even when there is a reciever in the area. Not to mention all the very poorly hidden "cheats" the CPU does. And this still doesn't include the various unintentional bugs this game has too. There is just SOOOOO MUCH wrong with this game. Not every game is perfect. That's not possible. But the amount of things wrong with this game is unacceptable. Every single thing in this game is wrong.

[@ShaqFuGuru]

Great nfl football games are never coming back. EA is totally getting the license again. EA makes billions of dollars off Ultimate Team garbage and lets solo modes rot without updates for years.

[@EthanKosobud]

It is clearly the same game year after year.

[@eyyyyitsbuzzy]

It would be nice to have a competitive market for football video games, but I don't know if the NFL will actually give that to us. I would be shocked if they no longer gave EA the exclusive license

[@alpine1600s]

People Religiously buy Madden. It's worse than COD.🤦‍♂️

[@seaniveroni5579]

That's because ppl love NFL football

[@alpine1600s]

@@seaniveroni5579 exactly. They aren't buying it for the game. 🤦‍♂️

[@seaniveroni5579]

@@alpine1600s well this year they are 😂they seem to like this one

[@SmooveGaming22]

The fact that Madden is still releasing on last gen consoles 4 years later tells you all you need to know about EA’s interest in creating the best product possible

[@A.D_675]

When Maximum football comes out this year will you make a series on it?