Why not block EA from using Ferraris?

I'm pretty bummed about the lack of Porsche. I have the same gripe about GT5, btw.

So, this begs the question for T10, who not block EA from using Ferraris? It's a good posturing move if anything.

EA wants to play like that, T10 should play by the same rules, IMO.
 
Interesting theory, McLaren. 👍 If Sony couldn't have them, why should Microsoft? :/ But I wish we knew the real reason behind this madness. :|
 
Porsche has a contract with EA giving them exclusive license to use Porsche in their games and also the ability to sub-licence it out to other companies.

Ferrari has no such exclusive contract with anyone, as far as I'm aware of. They just might be more difficult/expensive to acquire a license for, meaning that Sony and Microsoft are able to obtain the Ferrari license but perhaps EA can't or isn't willing to spend the cash required.
 
Porsche has a contract with EA giving them exclusive license to use Porsche in their games and also the ability to sub-licence it out to other companies.

Ferrari has no such exclusive contract with anyone, as far as I'm aware of. They just might be more difficult/expensive to acquire a license for, meaning that Sony and Microsoft are able to obtain the Ferrari license but perhaps EA can't or isn't willing to spend the cash required.
Microsoft has an exclusive license on xbox and pc for Ferrari.
 
I'm pretty bummed about the lack of Porsche. I have the same gripe about GT5, btw.

So, this begs the question for T10, who not block EA from using Ferraris? It's a good posturing move if anything.

EA wants to play like that, T10 should play by the same rules, IMO.

Despite whether MGS and EA are butting heads regarding the Porsche issue, returning fire would not be a great idea for Microsoft. While Microsoft is in a good position with the Xbox right now, as we saw with the PS2 transition to PS3 or Gamecube to Wii, things can change drastically in a few years.

Microsoft has worked very hard to get it's ducks in a row when it comes to third parties, and though having no Porsches in thier racing game may effect thier premier racing title, they may need EA as a partner in good standing in the future. It's not like Microsoft of Sony are Nintendo here. They can't make five 10-20 million sellers in a year. Nintendo craps them out routinely. They would not survive without third parties and pissing them off could bite them hard in the future so things like this slide.

If EA goes too far, they'll get thier pee-pee slapped, but it won't be Sony of Microsoft that do it, it'll be customers. Looking at sales of Shift 2, which was an abysmal mess of a game, it started well before this whole Porsche issue arose.
 
For Porsche to start advertising their cars like the "everyman's" car sounds like they might be a little hard up for cash. Better get EA out the way so you can make some money Porsche.
 
We'll see how things turn out once that contract, that dates back to NFS: Porsche Unleashed expires... Should be next year, I think? Not too sure about that.

Either way, I think that MS should keep their cool and give out sub-licenses to EA, still. They may be competing to a certain extend, but I think that NFS and FM do appeal to different crowds of people. And those who probably like both could possibly get both.

Pissing EA off any further wouldn't be wise, I think. Messing with one of their biggest suppliers of third party games might not be that great of an idea - but, more importantly, if the contract between Porsche and EA is renewed, such behaviour could very well result in MS not getting a sub-license from EA ever again.
 
Other than the fact that Dan, himself said that Turn10 would never have an exclusive license because they believe it hurts the genre and that they want to see all the cars they use in other games...nothing is stopping them.

...Well...that and the fact that they don't have an exclusive license on Ferrari anymore. They gave it up. Hence why Ferrari's in GT5.
 
Except...Knowing EA, they'd probably just no produce anything for Xbox then and become a Playstation Exclusive developer. Which isn't a very good thing if your Microsoft. So...MS COULD in theory prevent EA from producing NFS game on Xbox, but it probably wouldn't be a smart move.
 
Let's see:
Porsche 2010 revenue $5.4 Billion.
Ferrari 2010 revenue $1.1 Billion.

Who would you rather be in bed with? ;)

Perhaps when the small percentage of the bunch of whiny internet kids who're bummed that they can't drive a Porsche in a video game grow up and could actually afford to buy one, they'll turn round and buy something else instead, and when that starts to impact on Porsche revenue they'll do something about it.
In the meantime, they're content that sooner or later more or less everyone that harbours a teenage fantasy about owning a Ferrari, will one day wake up and realise that while they're beautiful, fast and exotic, they're really cripplingly expensive to buy and maintain, and they'll wind up buying a much more user-friendly, less expensive and easier to maintain Porsche. (And yes, I had a Testarossa and a Daytona Spider poster on my wall as a kid, but neither one are now resident in my garage.)

There's a reason that there aren't many 100,000 mile Ferraris out there, basically they're almost collectors items from day 1 because of their huge pricetags and low-volume and every mile that goes on them detracts from their value. That's not so enjoyable. There's also a reason that there are literally thousands of 911s with over 100,000 miles and still ticking like clockwork, and being enjoyed daily. Sure they're not going to make you a collector car profit like a Ferrari, but hell, at least you get to drive and enjoy it without having to belong to the upper echelons of the mega-rich.

I'm just waiting for the Porsche / VW merger to swing a little further (it only has to be 0.2%) in VW's favour, and then, since VW would have the majority stake in Porsche and VW isn't really exclusively licenced to anything, it could dictate where Porsche's are used! :sly:
 
I'm just waiting for the Porsche / VW merger to swing a little further (it only has to be 0.2%) in VW's favour, and then, since VW would have the majority stake in Porsche and VW isn't really exclusively licenced to anything, it could dictate where Porsche's are used! :sly:
You know, that kinda got me thinking...


  1. Renew exclusiv contract with EA.
  2. Merge further with VW.
  3. Have VW manage your license.
  4. Profit from EA contract and other license deals.
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Problem, EA?
 
Microsoft could block EA from making NFS on Xbox......
Regardless of the flack EA gets, they know what makes money. I don't think Microsoft (or any other developers) are that ballsy to block sales on their console. EA's too much of a spiteful company.
 
Did EA block Porsche in FM4 purely because MS stopped EA from using Ferraris? Everybody is blaming EA but I'm pretty sire it was MS who started the whole thing.
 
Did EA block Porsche in FM4 purely because MS stopped EA from using Ferraris? Everybody is blaming EA but I'm pretty sire it was MS who started the whole thing.

Probably in Shift 2 thats what happened... stupid move by Microsoft

And PD did the same thing... because PD currently holds the license for the PS3...

So this topic is basicly a big waste... and got it all wrong... EA just defended her self...
 
EA and their Porsche policy is daft. 👎 Most people who play Need For Speed games don't buy it solely for Porsche from my understanding.
 
Not exactly true.
EA used Ferrari's before in DLC for Shift 1, but caught flack because it was only for 360.
PS3 didn't get the Ferrari pack because MS doesn't have rights over a system they don't make games on
 
It seems to me licensing is a lose-lose situation for everyone involved, except maybe the lawyers.

Customers lose, we don't get all the cars we would otherwise get

Manufacturers lose, they limit exposure of thier products to potential future customers

Devellopers lose, customers are angry, talks of boycotts, panties in a bunch
 
Ferrari has no such exclusive contract with anyone, as far as I'm aware of. They just might be more difficult/expensive to acquire a license for, meaning that Sony and Microsoft are able to obtain the Ferrari license but perhaps EA can't or isn't willing to spend the cash required.

I really wish Sony spent more money on having Ferrari though. :| Forza 4 has 32 something Ferrari's. The Ferrari list in the Forza series is one of the big reasons why I got in Forza in the first place.

It seems to me licensing is a lose-lose situation for everyone involved, except maybe the lawyers.

Yes, it absolutely is. I wish developers could just use any car they wanted without getting permission for it, but sadly that real world doesn't work like that. This whole license thing is hurting us, the gamers the most, and it's very frustrating. :/
 
I know that for titles like last years Hot Pursuit, Ferrari didn't want their cars involved in police chases. They felt it would hurt their image.
 
^ He's talking about older NFS games, though, Underground and stuff. I can see Ferrari being against that... But I wouldn't take his comment to mean that Ferrari blocked them from Shift 2 or so.
 
Except...Knowing EA, they'd probably just no produce anything for Xbox then and become a Playstation Exclusive developer. Which isn't a very good thing if your Microsoft. So...MS COULD in theory prevent EA from producing NFS game on Xbox, but it probably wouldn't be a smart move.

But it would never happen. Madden sells too many X-Boxes
 
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